Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EPIPHANIC

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connect today's word to others: Something epiphanic suddenly and wonderfully shows you what's real or what's important--like a light bulb suddenly gleaming over your head. Because the words epiphanic and epiphany are based on Greek roots meaning "to show to," they're cousins to words like fantasy, cellophane, and diaphanous. Could you define that last one? What kind of object appears diaphanous? Could you give a figurative example, too? make your point with... "EPIPHANIC" Let's start with the noun, "epiphany." (Pronounce it like this: "ih PIFF uh nee.") The older meaning of "epiphany" is "a sudden appearance of a god." (You can imagine how you'd react to that: "Whoah. Amazing.") But today, when you have an epiphany, it means you have a sudden, surprising, often wonderful or amazing realization about something important. So, something epiphanic is like an epiphany: it's full of sudden clarity, insight, inspiration, or understanding.  Pronunciation: ep uh FAN ick Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an epiphanic thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was epiphanic.") Other forms: Epiphany, epiphanies. The adverb is rare, but let's make some examples anyway: "The truth appeared, epiphanically." "He learned it epiphanically." How to use it: This tone of this word is very positive and often religious. That is, "epiphanic" gives your idea a weightier, more mystical, more religious flavor; to call something epiphanic is to suggest that it's as if a god or goddess has suddenly appeared to you to confer truth or wisdom. So, talk about epiphanic moments, experiences, conclusions, connections, realizations, understandings, performances, scenes in a show, passages in a novel, etc. Now, here's a snag. :) Why say "epiphanic moment" or "epiphanic experience" when you can just say "epiphany"? Given the choice between saying "I had an epiphanic moment" and "I had an epiphany," let's pick the shorter one. For the noun, talk about someone's epiphany, an epiphany for someone, an epiphany about something, someone having an epiphany, or someone being brought to an epiphany. examples: I love a stand-up routine that builds toward some epiphanic conclusion, some stunning insight about, say, how people think. She startled, as if electrified, as an epiphanic connection crackled together: how he'd remembered all those details of when they first met, how he'd responded familiarly like there had been no intervening years. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "epiphanic" means when you can explain it without saying "like seeing the light" or "like suddenly being blessed with clarity." try it out: Think of a time you were thunderstruck by joy or sudden insight. Fill in the blanks: "When (something happened), the (beauty, clarity, or thrill) of it was inexpressible--it was too epiphanic for words." Example: "When I first looked into my daughter's eyes, the thrill of it was inexpressible--it was too epiphanic for words." 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 The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. It's a collection of silly, sarcastic, satirical definitions of everyday words, and--lucky us!--it's in the public domain. In each issue this month, I'll give you one of Bierce's definitions and, if it's a tough one, I'll give you the word's first letter. And you try to come up with the word. From our previous issue: Bierce defines it as "to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy." It's a verb. It starts with P. What is it? Answer: Pray. Try this today: Bierce defines it as "a blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it. An evidence of culture and a passport to polite society." It's a noun. What is it? review today's word: 1. One opposite of EPIPHANIC is A. OBFUSCATORY B. PELLUCID C. RATTLETRAP 2. I thought I would learn it in an epiphany, but instead I gained the knowledge _____. A. on a rainy night on a slippery rooftop B. with experience over a long time C. like a single startling dream Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. 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. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B