Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PERNICIOUS

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connect today's word to others: Our word pernicious comes from Latin and literally means "destructive." (The per part means "completely, and the nic part means "murder.") Let's check out 4 synonyms of pernicious. I've listed them below in order of increasing length. Could you put them in order of increasing intensity?    1. Miasmic   2. Nefarious   3. Maleficent   4. Detrimental make your point with... "PERNICIOUS" Pernicious things (and people) are evil, deadly, or destructive, often in a way that's sneaky or gradual.     Pronunciation: per NISH us 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 "a pernicious thing" or "a pernicious person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was pernicious" or "He was pernicious.") Other forms: Perniciously & perniciousness. (Although there's a nicer-sounding noun, "pernicion," no one uses it now.) How to use it: This word is formal and very negative. Talk about pernicious diseases and insects;   pernicious problems and issues;   pernicious threats and weaknesses;   pernicious crimes, actions, practices, and campaigns;   pernicious intents and purposes;   pernicious ideas, doctrines, principles, and ideologies;   pernicious superstitions and conspiracy theories;   pernicious apathy and ignorance;   pernicious influences and effects;   pernicious cycles of events, and so on. One thing can be pernicious to another: "a disease pernicious to these plants," "a shyness pernicious to his social life." It's much less common, but you can also say that people are pernicious. examples: Flint's water crisis worsened in the face of pernicious neglect. A promise to love, honor, and obey? Plenty of us omitted that pernicious "obey" from our wedding vows. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "pernicious" means when you can explain it without saying "lethal" or "sinister." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ remain(s) pernicious to _____." Example: "Food deserts--areas where people lack access to grocery stores--remain pernicious to public health." 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 "The Meanings of Maladies." I'll share a tidbit about the word for a particular symptom, disease, or condition, and you try to name it. We'll start with common maladies and work our way toward the rare and strange. From our previous issue: The name of this condition traces back to a Latin word for "greenish yellow." We can also use this condition's name figuratively to mean "to color someone's views or judgment, usually for the worse." What is it? Answer: Jaundice. Try this today: The word for this condition that affects hair probably comes from the Greek alopex, meaning "fox." But why? Here’s William S. Haubrich, M.D.: "Is the allusion to the observation that mangy foxes lose their hair? Is it because the urine of a fox was said to make grass disappear, thus rendering turf barren in patches?" We don't know. What's the condition? review today's word: 1. One opposite of PERNICIOUS is A. BROAD-MINDED. B. WHOLESOME. C. EASYGOING. 2. She's researching that pernicious tradition of _____. A. popes washing the feet of refugees B. selling indulgences, or paid admission to Heaven C. freezing part of the wedding cake to eat on the first anniversary 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. B 2. B