Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SIGNIFY

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connect today's word to others: Remember that viral video from 2010 with the guy who saw the double rainbow, sobbed with joy, and thought it must mean something? "What does it meeeeean?" Such a dazzling sight, he thought, must be a sign, must be significant, must signify something important. Well, does a double rainbow signify anything to you? Hope? Nature's glory? A promise from God? Signify is great for talking about those lofty, abstract meanings. But when you want to talk about more literal, obvious meanings, you might pick the word d_n___ instead, which means "to make something known, to stand for it as a symbol, or to be the obvious sign of it," like this: "A double rainbow d_n___s the presence of multiple reflections inside the same raindrop." Can you recall that word? Anyway, if you're a student right now, you'll want to get really comfortable with the verb signify--it's perfect for dropping into your papers, and your English teachers will always want you to be writing about what this or that signifies in the literature you're reading. For example, it's better to write "the whale signifies evil" than it is to write that it shows evil. Y'all, English teachers hate the verb show. We find it vague and lazy. In fact, while we're at it, let's recall four other strong replacements for the weak verb show: 1. When something m_n_f_sts itself, it reveals itself, or makes itself really easy to see. (You can also m_n_f_st something, meaning you reveal it or make it easy to see.) 2. To _l_c_d_t_ something is to make it really clear or really easy to understand. 3. To v__nt something is to display it in a boastful way.  4. To br____sh something is to display it or show it off, often in a threatening way, as if it's a sword that you're waving around in the air. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "SIGNIFY" To signify something is to stand for it, to be a sign that it's there, or to show the meaning of it.  In other words, to signify something is to represent it, to show that it exists, or to show what it means. Pronunciation: SIG nih fy 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 signifies something else.) Other common forms: signified, signifying, signifier(s) How to use it: This is a serious word that we often use to analyze things, to talk about what they could mean--not just what they obviously do mean, but also what they could mean if we think deeper. Basically, we say that one thing signifies another thing. Sometimes, concrete objects signify abstract ideas: a bouquet of red roses signifies the intensity of your love for someone; or a building, a statue, or a landmark signifies the American spirit. And other times, abstract things signify other abstract things: someone's choices signify certain values she holds, someone's polished performance signifies care and confidence, some nation's harsh rejection of refugees signifies a turn toward nationalism. So far I've listed examples that are arguable: they're opinions, not facts; we can debate whether Thing A really does signify Thing B. But some writers use "signify" to talk about meanings that are factual, literal, not up for debate: "the orange cones signify construction," "the gunshot signified the start of the race." examples: Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, competing in the 1980 Summer Olympics for Poland, went down in history for answering the boos and jeers of Russians with a raised forearm--a cross-cultural signifier of hostility. "So in a literary work, does submersion in water always signify baptism? Well, it isn’t always anything. 'Always' and 'never' aren't good words in literary studies."       —Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, 2014 study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "signify" means when you can explain it without saying "represent" or "symbolize." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "It's possible that _____ signifies (success, progress, improvement, decline, decadence, or doom)." Example: "It's possible that this summit meeting signifies progress toward denuclearization." 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. Uncommon Opposites! In each issue this month, I'll give you a rare word and its definition, and you come up with its more familiar opposite. For example, if I say, "To exfiltrate is to secretly withdraw people from a dangerous situation," then you come up with the opposite: "infiltrate." Or if I say, "An allograph is something written by someone other than the person concerned," then you come up with "autograph." We'll take these in order from easy to hard as the month goes on. Ready? From our previous issue: Someone alterocentric (or allocentric) lives for others, focusing attention and interest on them. What’s the opposite? Answer: Someone egocentric. Try this today: To teleview something is watch it on television. What’s the opposite? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of SIGNIFY is A. COLLABORATE. B. CONQUER. C. CONCEAL. 2. Our math teacher gave us infinite chances to redo assignments for full credit, a policy that, to us, signified _____. A. stronger grades B. his commitment to our learning C. a firm grasp of foundational skills 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. B