Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DUPLICITOUS
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pronounce
DUPLICITOUS:
Say it "doo PLISS ih tuss."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
The word duplicitous traces back to the Latin duo, meaning "two."
So does a fascinating adjective we've explored before. See if you can recall it:
D______ic can mean "having two different parts." Or, it can mean involving only two simple categories, like "black and white," "good and evil," or "us and them."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The words "duplicity" and "duplicitous" trace to a Latin one meaning "twofold, double, or doubleness."
For hundreds of years in English, "duplicity" has meant "two-facedness, or double-dealing: the act or quality of tricking people by acting in two different ways in different situations."
For example, someone who's kind to you in person but cruel to you behind your back is duplicitous. In other words, to be duplicitous is to be dishonest or deceptive to people by acting in two different ways.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a duplicitous villain;" "Their actions were duplicitous."
Other forms:
Duplicity (or, if you prefer, duplicitousness); duplicitously.
how to use it:
When you need a harsh, formal, semi-common word for people who two-time or double-deal, call them "duplicitous."
It's a much more serious word than casual, slangy synonyms like "shady," "sneaky," and "two-faced."
Although we most often talk about duplicitous people and characters, we can also get figurative and talk about duplicitous places, societies, and worlds.
examples:
"[In his song 'The New Soft Shoe,'] Gram Parsons critiques the duplicitous nature of the modern world."
— Staff, New York Times, 16 November 2012
"Anything worth doing turned out to be a girl thing. In order to enjoy ourselves, we learned to be duplicitous. Our stacks of Cosmopolitan were topped with an unread issue of Boy's Life or Sports Illustrated, and our decoupage projects were concealed beneath the sporting equipment we never asked for but always received."
— David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day, 2000
has this page helped you understand "duplicitous"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "duplicitous" without saying "two-faced" or "deceitful."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "In (some book, show, or movie), (someone) is the duplicitous villain, pretending to (do something good) while secretly (doing something evil)."
Example: "In Othello, Iago is the duplicitous villain, pretending to be Othello's loyal friend while secretly plotting against him."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Oddball Recall!
Given some abbreviated definitions and a few letters, try to recall some of the kookiest terms we've studied. To see the answers, scroll all the way down.
Try this set today: Trainwreck of Thought.
1. A rush to agree: gr__pth__k.
2. A slanted interpretation: eise___is.
3. Assuming humanity: anth___mor____.
4. It glows; it must be angelic: h___ effect.
5. It says I'm special; it must be true: B_____ effect.
review this word:
A. CLEAR and PRECISE.
B. SINCERE and FORTHRIGHT.
C. PARTIAL and FRAGMENTARY.
2.
Susan King wrote: "The film-noir universe isn't pretty, with antiheroes who have chips on their shoulders, scores to settle and beautiful but duplicitous women who _____."
A. solve their problems for them
B. wrap them around their little fingers
C. stand around posing in shadows, looking shapely
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
The word duplicitous traces back to the Latin duo, meaning "two."
The words "duplicity" and "duplicitous" trace to a Latin one meaning "twofold, double, or doubleness."
Part of speech:
When you need a harsh, formal, semi-common word for people who two-time or double-deal, call them "duplicitous."
"[In his song 'The New Soft Shoe,'] Gram Parsons critiques the duplicitous nature of the modern world."
Explain the meaning of "duplicitous" without saying "two-faced" or "deceitful."
Fill in the blanks: "In (some book, show, or movie), (someone) is the duplicitous villain, pretending to (do something good) while secretly (doing something evil)."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |