Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AGONISTIC

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connect today's word to others: Remember from high school English class how the hero of a story is called the protagonist, and the villain is the antagonist? It was easy enough to understand the "pro" and "ant" parts of those words, but what about the "agonist" part? What do the hero and the villain have to do with "agony"? We can use today's word, agonistic, to shine some light on those terms and explain why they look the way they do: One very old meaning of agony is "a contest, or a struggle for victory," and the oldest meaning of agonize is "to wrestle, or to fight for victory in a sport." That means you can refer to a competitive athlete, or anyone who struggles heroically--like the main character in a story--as an agonist. The first or most important (protos) agonist, then, is the protagonist, and the person working against (anti) that hero is the antagonist. Speaking of heroes and villains, then, see if you can recall...    a word that starts with L that means "to treat someone like a celebrated hero,"    and a word that starts with V that means "to treat someone like a despicable villain." make your point with... "AGONISTIC" An agonist is a competitor: someone who struggles against someone else to achieve victory, often in a sport or a debate. Agonistic people and things, then, are struggling hard to compete or win. Pronunciation: AG uh NISS tick 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 agonistic thing" or "an agonistic style." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was agonistic" or "His style was agonistic.") Other common forms: agonist(s), agonistical (a less common variant of "agonistic") How to use it: Talk about agonistic rules or terms; agonistic wrestling, struggles, or throes; agonistic debates or conversations; agonistic events or incidents; agonistic habits, behaviors, displays, or personalities; and agonistic results or achievements. Or talk about how you feel, within yourself, agonistic thoughts or forces or elements: those that pull you in separate ways. examples: As of last weekend, the senators were still locked in an agonistic struggle over the healthcare bill. It's one of those gyms where everyone is making the same agonistic display of sweating more, lifting more, and grunting louder than the guy next to him. No, thanks. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "agonistic" means when you can explain it without saying "combative" or "contentious." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(A specific type of people) constantly compete for (a certain reward or type of victory) in the agonistic world of _____." Example: "Sellers constantly compete for gigs that return only a few dollars in the agonistic world of Fiverr.com." 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 Banishing Bland Adjectives. In each issue, we're strengthening our word-finding skills as we take aim at a vague little adjective and think up three ways to make it more specific. Resist the urge to sneak off to the thesaurus! From the previous issue: COOL. 1. When something is COOL because its low temperature makes you feel awake and happy, then instead of COOL, call it _____. 2. When someone seems COOL because he stays in control of his own emotions and behavior, then instead of COOL, call him _____. 3. When something is COOL because it's so unfriendly that it gives you the shivers, then instead of COOL, call it _____. Suggested answers: 1, refreshing; 2, self-possessed; 3, chilly. (Your answers might be different but just as precise.) Today: AWKWARD. 1. When something is AWKWARD because you find it difficult to get a (literal or figurative) grip on all of it, then instead of AWKWARD, call it _____. 2. When people seem AWKWARD because they're always dropping, breaking, or bumping into things, then instead of AWKWARD, call them _____. 3. When something is AWKWARD because it's been slapped together quickly with no overall sense of consistency or beauty, then instead of AWKWARD, call it _____. review today's word: 1. The opposite of AGONISTIC is A. PLEASANT B. GEOMETRICAL C. COLLABORATIVE 2. Her agonistic _____ seemed out of place _____. A. bluster .. at the dinner party B. protective gear .. at the soccer game C. stance .. toward the beginning of the debate 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. A