Make Your Point > Archived Issues > AMIABLE

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connect today's word to others: In Latin, amicus means "friend" or "loved one," which is where we get the name Amy, the noun amity ("friendship, or a friendly relationship, especially between countries") and the adjective amiable, meaning "kind and friendly." See if you can recall amity's exact opposite: __mity, meaning "hatred, hostility, or more literally, the absence of friendship." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "AMIABLE" Amiable things and people are warm, kind, friendly, and pleasant. Pronunciation: AY me uh bull 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 amiable smile." 2. After a linking verb, as in "He was amiable.") Other forms: Amiably, amiability/amiableness. (Another noun is "amity," meaning "friendliness," but we use that one to talk specifically about friendly relationships between official groups, like organizations and countries.) How to use it: When you need a formal synonym for "friendly," "amiable" is perfect. Talk about amiable people and personalities, amiable manners, amiable comments, amiable expressions and gestures, amiable meetings and parties, the amiable tone of a publication or performance, even amiable places--the kind filled with warm, friendly vibes. examples: Parties drain me; I can stand around and chat amiably for fifteen minutes, tops. "Social networking via Facebook and Twitter found its origins more than a decade ago with the amiable purpose of fostering instant communication among friends and acquaintances."    — Geoffrey R. Weiss, in a letter to the editor, The Washington Post, 7 September 2018 study it: Explain the meaning of "amiable" without saying "sociable" or "good-humored." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some particular post, article, book, episode, series, or film) is an amiable (guide to, introduction to, explanation of, or exploration of) (some topic)." Example: "So You've Been Publicly Shamed is an amiable exploration of how and why we shame each other en masse in the digital age." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Our game is "TV Tropes!" This month, we're playing with tropes from TVTropes.org. TV tropes are storytelling devices, which can come from any source of fiction—TV, movies, books, you name it. They're the archetypes, the story patterns, the plot devices, the cheap tricks, the situational clichés that we see over and over throughout fiction.  Examples of TV tropes include "Skyward Scream," "Banister Slide," "Caught on the Jumbotron," "Burp of Finality," "City People Eat Sushi," "Dance Party Ending," "Clean Pretty Childbirth," "Come Back to Bed, Honey," "Even the Subtitler is Stumped," and tens of thousands more. Naming a trope can be a straightforward business, as in the "Skyward Scream." But often it demands precision, inviting the use of humorously sophisticated terms. Enter our Make Your Point words.  In each issue this month, consider the name of a TV trope, and try to define it or even give an example from a TV show or other work of fiction. From the previous issue: In fiction, what is the trope known as the Abhorrent Admirer? Answer: It's when some vile, unattractive character just can't take the hint that her beloved finds her repulsive. The abhorrent admirer is usually female--however, in Better Off Dead, it's the nerdy, asthmatic Ricky who fails to realize that Monique doesn't return his affections. Try this today: In fiction, what is the trope known as Acquired Situational Narcissism? review today's word: 1. One opposite of AMIABLE is A. MAD. B. SURLY. C. DIRECT. 2. After hearing rumors that he always _____ on the first day of class, we were surprised by his amiability. A. theatrically demonstrates chemical reactions  B. yells at students who haven't yet bought the textbook C. dismisses everyone early after going over the syllabus 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