Make Your Point > Archived Issues > REPREHEND

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connect today's word to others: Reprehend literally means "to grab back:" it's from Latin roots that mean "to seize or grasp" (prehendere) and "back" (re). When you're reprehending people, you're blaming or criticizing them: it's as if you're pulling them back, restraining them from continuing to do whatever it is that you find so flawed, so improper, so blameworthy, so reprehensible. Reprehend looks like apprehend and comprehend--other words about literal or figurative grasping--because they all share that root prehendere, "to seize or grasp." Let's recall two synonyms of reprehend: 1. To reb___ things or people is to scold them harshly or point out how bad they are. This word comes from Old French and literally means "beat back." 2.To up_____ people is to criticize them harshly, as if you're yanking them up as you start to scold them. This word comes from Old English and literally means "to make a sudden movement upwards." (And it's related to the word that means "to weave together three pieces of your hair.") (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "REPREHEND" To reprehend things or people is to say why they're bad, or to say why you disapprove of them. Pronunciation: rep ruh HEND Part of speech: Verb. Usually the transitive kind. (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, someone reprehends something or someone else.) Other common forms: Reprehended, reprehending; reprehensible, reprehensibly;  reprehension.  Use "reprehensive" and "reprehensively" to describe the people who are doing the reprehending. How to use it: "Reprehend" has a formal, serious tone. Reprehending people is harsher than admonishing them, but it's not as harsh as thrashing them, berating them, castigating them, or lambasting them.  Talk about reprehending something: reprehending sins, faults, errors, laziness, bad conduct, poor choices, violations of social rules, etc. Or, talk about reprehending someone, often for something: "His parents reprehended him for his terrible grades;" "Her manager reprehended her for calling in sick when she wasn't." To use the adjective "reprehensible," meaning "bad enough to deserve blame, criticism, and disapproval," talk about reprehensible actions and behavior and decisions, reprehensible claims and comments, reprehensible tactics and policies and practices, reprehensible attitudes, and even reprehensible people. examples: The managers despise him; they're just waiting for him to do something suitably reprehensible so they can fire him. English teachers, please stop reprehending young writers for using the words "I" and "you." Stop forcing them to write about awkward abstractions. Let them write about humans doing things. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "reprehend" means when you can explain it without saying "criticize" or "censure." try it out: Think of something you find ugly, tasteless, offensive, or just ineffective. Fill in the blanks: "A reprehensible (part) ruined (the whole thing)." Serious example: "A reprehensible flatness of voice and emotion ruined his performance of 'Stars.'" Silly example: "A reprehensible layer of finely chopped walnuts ruined the brownie." 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 "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. From our previous issue:  Designed by Oliver Kiley, this game has players building empires, aiming to take control of the entire galaxy. The title means "having power, control, and dominance over all other things, groups, or ideas." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? Answer: Hegemonic. Check out the game here and the word here. Try this today:  Designed by Martin Wallace, this game is for two players, who take on the role of Britain and France: enemies fighting for control of the land. The most general meaning of the title is "a total defeat: in other words, a crushing, decisive, final defeat." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? review today's word: 1. The opposite of REPREHENSIVE is A. CAPACIOUS. B. FOUNDERING. C. LAUDATORY. 2. Written by Steven Kerr, a professor of management, the classic article "On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B" shows us examples of how we senselessly allow _____ in place of reprehension. A. hope B. follies C. rewards 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. C 2. C