Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ENERVATE

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explore the archives: Enervate looks like energize, but they're opposites! Enervate originally meant "to cut the tendons," effectively crippling or weakening someone, and today it simply means "to weaken." (That old definition about tendons shows us why enervate looks like nerve.) Speaking of potentially confusing opposites, see if you can recall whether the verb table, in the United States, most often means "to put something on the table, to open something for discussion" or "to take something off the table, to close something to any further discussion." make your point with... "ENERVATE" To enervate people is to make them less strong, less forceful, or less vigorous. In other words, to enervate people is to take away their strength, especially their mental strength. Pronunciation: EN ur vate Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, something enervates a person.) Other forms: enervated, enervating, enervation How to use it: Most often, we talk about events, conditions, situations, and periods of time that enervate people: "the grueling performance schedule enervated the team." (Yes, things can also enervate other things: "the scandals enervated their authority." This usage is rare these days.) "Enervating" is a handy adjective for things that cause weakening: you can have enervating factors and influences, enervating symptoms or treatments, enervating effects, enervating events and processes, enervating situations, etc. And "enervated" is the handy adjective for people and things that have been weakened: an enervated song or performance, an enervated nation or organization; we felt enervated in the heat, we were enervated by age, we're enervated by luxury. examples: Enervated by the heat, we had to cut the hike short. If you adore loud parties and find them exhilarating, you might be an extrovert--but to an introvert, they're enervating. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "enervate" means when you can explain it without saying "drain" or "devitalize." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ excite(s) me, but _____ enervate(s) me." Example: "Word games excite me, but strategy games enervate me." 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. Our game this month is "What's the Difference?" I’ll give you two terms. Without using Google or a dictionary, explain how they’re different. Go beyond saying, "well, I know the difference, but I can’t explain it," or "show me an example and I'll tell you which it is." In your explanations, try to focus on features, not comparisons. For example, what's the difference between climate and weather? A good explanation focuses on features: "climate is what’s going on in the atmosphere over long periods of time, and weather is what’s going on in the atmosphere at a particular place and time." A weaker explanation focuses on comparisons: "climate is more concerning than weather." The game will get harder as the month goes on: we’ll start with objects—natural first, then man-made—then switch to concepts. Let’s do this! From yesterday: What's the difference between an assumption and a presumption? Answer: When you presume, or make a presumption, you’re using evidence, but when you assume, or make an assumption, you’re just guessing. So a presumption has more support or authority than an assumption. Try this last one today; it's the hardest! What's the difference between deceit and deception? review today's word: 1. One opposite of ENERVATE is A. CLEANSE B. PARALYZE C. INVIGORATE 2. It was an enervating winter, full of _____. A. bright holly berries and glimmering icicles B. laughter, sleigh rides, and baking with the family C. blistering winds and holiday traditions that felt utterly routine 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. C 2. C