Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EMPLOY

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

explore the archives: Employ is one of those simple verbs that can save us from being wordy or vague. Could you think of others that would fit well into the sentences below? (For each sentence, think of a single verb you could swap in for the string of bold text. You might think of a different but equally fitting verb than I've linked to.) "Putting on lip gloss fifty times a day may be a strange habit, but it's cheap enough and makes me happy, so I don't see any reason to exercise self-control for a long time in order to stop myself from it." "Her blank expression and the steady precision of her movements didn't show at all the disgust she felt throughout the dissection." "Even on a late foggy night, when seen from the mountain road above, Hilo will send out a welcoming stretch of lights." make your point with... "EMPLOY" The word "employ" has Latin roots that literally mean "to fold in," or less literally, "to involve, to associate, to be connected with." Of course, to employ people is to give them jobs: to hire them, to use them as your workers. We'll focus on employing things. When you employ something, you put it to use: you make it accomplish something for you. Pronunciation: em PLOY Part of speech: It's a verb, the transitive kind: you employ something, or you employ someone. Other forms relevant to the meaning we're focusing on: employed, employing, employment how to use it: Talk about employing a resource, a skill, a strategy, a technique, a tool, or a trick: "To calm the cat, the vet employed a soft voice;" "With certain cancers, this drug is often employed;" "They employed everything from persuasion to threats." You can also employ more abstract things, like attention, energy, and strength. Sometimes you simply employ something; other times, you employ something to do something ("He employed flattery to win her over") or employ something in a process or in doing something ("He employed flattery in his attempt to win her over;" "He employed flattery in winning her over"). examples: Employing all her determination and self-control, she finally quit smoking. I think it's incredibly fun to learn new, interesting words, even if I never employ them in conversation. study it now: Explain the meaning of "employ" without saying "utilize" or "apply." try it out: Think of something artistic or impressive that you like. It might be a novel, a work of art, a television show or movie, a dish or a meal, a piece of music, etc. Fill in the blanks: "To create _____, (someone) employed _____." Example: "To create this suspenseful episode, the director employed both flashbacks and flash-forwards." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with rhyming puzzles as we review previous words.  Examples: Someone who belts out songs in church with great gusto has ____ ___. Answer: hymn vim. And the barbecue place where you always meet up with your friends from Dallas and Houston is your _____ _____. Answer: Texas nexus. The puzzles, and their answers, will get longer and sillier as the month goes on. Click or mouse-over the link to the clue if you need it, and see each answer the following day. Enjoy! From yesterday: Here's a big ole' crowd of regular folks. They're not fancy or high-class. They're hardworking folks. All dressed in thick-ribbed cotton pants. They're the ________ ___ ______. (The first word has three syllables. Follow that with a two-word phrase made up of a first word with one syllable, then a second word with two syllables. Clue: use this word.) Answer: corduroy hoi polloi. Try this today: A farmer's cows are terribly picky about their food. When they won't eat what the farmer gives them, he rushes to bring them something better--anything they want, right away. That's a ___ ____ ______ (Three words: the first and second have one syllable each, and the third has two syllables. Clue: use this word.) review today's word: 1. An opposite of EMPLOY could be A. ALLOW TO DUPLICATE B. ALLOW TO GO UNUSED C. ALLOW TO FALL OUT OF FAVOR 2.  Civilized leaders employ _____ before _____. A. technology .. independence B. diplomacy .. force C. laws .. science Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B