Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INCESSANT

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explore the archives: Something happening incessantly keeps on going and going and going, and it's annoying. When you need an even stronger synonym of incessantly, pick the dramatic two-word Latin phrase "a_ i________." make your point with... "INCESSANT" When something ceases, it stops. A cessation is a stopping: the act of ending or quitting. And something that doesn't cease--something that never reaches a cessation-- is incessant. Incessant things are annoying or troublesome because they keep going on and on, or they keep happening again and again. Pronunciation: in SESS unt 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 incessant thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was incessant.") Other forms: incessantly How to use it: Even though "incessant" simply means "continuing on and on," we only use it to describe bad or annoying things ("incessant back pain," "the incessant whining of the tired children"). We don't use it to describe good things: you would not say, for example, "my incessant love for you" or "the incessant melody floating from the piano." And, even though "incessant" does mean "never-ending," we use it hyperbolically to describe things that seem to never end. To complain about an incessant onslaught of flying termites, for example, emphasizes how the termites seem to never go away even though they eventually will. (We hope.) "Incessant" often describes noises: the incessant zooms and rumbles of heavy traffic, the incessant wailing of babies on the plane, the incessant whiny groans from students who hate being assigned homework. You can also have incessant rain; incessant fighting or warfare; incessant pains; incessant interference or meddling; incessant efforts to hurt something, as in "an incessant attempt to deprive voters of their rights;" incessant thoughts or feelings that bother you, as in "these incessant twinges of regret" and "an incessant craving for fatty foods," and so on. examples: This September brought welcome relief from the summer's incessant heat. Those friends making incessant off-color posts--you don't have to unfriend them, just unfollow them. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "incessant" means when you can explain it without saying "continual in a bad way" or "irritating for a long time." try it out: Think of something that has bothered you many, many times. Fill in the blanks: "To get rid of _____, that incessant intrusion, I have/had to _____." Example: "To get rid of spam calls, those incessant intrusions, I have to pay extra to remove my information from public directories of website owners." 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 KWIKORD, an addictive, challenging new word game for solo or group play, created by Wayne Ellice.  We're dipping our toes into the game this month, trying some simple challenges first and working our way toward harder tasks. (Check out my interview with the game's creator here, and order your own copy of the full version of KWIKORD here.) You'll see a sample answer to each puzzle the following day. Enjoy! Yesterday, you took the letters NSWAEE and arranged them into words that fill the perimeter of a 3x3 grid. Many solutions were possible. Here are two: We'll do this a few more times before switching to a more complex task. Try it again today with the letters CHTAOO. Draw a tic-tac-toe board on some scrap paper and go for it! review today's word: 1. One opposite of INCESSANT is A. INFINITE B. LULLING C. TEMPORARY 2. Audience members were _____ by the speaker's incessant _____. A. entertained .. anecdotes B. distracted .. uhhhhs and ummmms C. horrified .. treatment of the serious topic 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. B