Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CLINQUANT
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pronounce
CLINQUANT:
Say it "CLINK unt."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
You know how the word bling--often doubled, bling bling--implies the clinking of pieces of expensive jewelry? So can clinquant, which can mean "glittering with gold."
Speaking of gold, see if you can recall these other golden terms:
1. Something gi__-e__ed has sides that are coated in gold, or is extremely valuable or elegant.
2. A chr_____s, literally a "gold sheath," is a shell or casing in which an insect is developing; figuratively, it's any state of protected early development.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Like you'd guess, "clinquant" is probably related to "clink."
We took "clinquant" straight from French, where it means "clinking or tinkling," as well as "real gold"--and, later, "imitation gold."
In English, then, something clinquant is glittering with gold or silver, or more figuratively, so lovely that it seems to glitter with gold or silver.
But it can also mean "fake gold" or "tinsel"--or more figuratively, "something that reminds you of tinsel or fake gold because it's just sparkly nonsense."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: It's both an adjective ("a clinquant gown") and a noun, the uncountable kind ("the novel is nothing but clinquant").
Other forms: None are common.
how to use it:
This word is very rare, but when you say it aloud, it's easy to understand what it means.
Plus, it's beautiful.
To use the adjective, meaning "shimmering as if made of gold or silver," talk about clinquant garments and accessories, clinquant decorations, clinquant sounds and music, clinquant scenes, clinquant works of art and literature, etc.
And to use the noun, meaning "junk that reminds you of tinsel or fake gold," talk about all the clinquant in some work of art, music, or literature; or, say that something is nothing but clinquant.
examples:
"The water, turned clinquant by the sunset, lay rather than stood."
— William Least Heat-Moon, River-Horse: A Voyage Across America, 2013
"To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English."
— William Shakespeare, Henry VIII, 1613
has this page helped you understand "clinquant"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "clinquant" without saying "shimmering" or "foofaraw."
try it out:
Think of a book or a movie that amazed you as a child.
Fill in the blanks: "I'm almost afraid to (reread or rewatch) _____ as an adult. The _____ that seemed so dazzling might seem now like nothing but clinquant."
Example: "I'm almost afraid to rewatch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an adult. The professor's elaborate inventions (and Truly Scrumptious's elaborate dresses) that seemed so dazzling might seem now like nothing but clinquant."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Subject Line Crosswords."
We'll revisit some of the email subject lines from 2019 issues, using them as a tool for recall.
Each day this month, see if you can complete the mini-crossword with words we studied last year. If you need extra clues, look below the puzzle to view definitions and parts of speech. And I'll share the answers in the following issue. Enjoy!
From the previous issue:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
1. adjective meaning "secret, sneaky, and tricky, as if planning to trap things or people"
3. noun meaning "someone with common, lowbrow tastes who doesn't know or care much about arts or culture"
DOWN
2. noun meaning "the lowest point, the worst point"
If you like, you can review the words insidious, philistine, and nadir.
Try this today:
Extra clues:
ACROSS
2. verb meaning "to shove something in awkwardly, even though it doesn't fit properly"
3. adjective meaning "silent, wordless, expressed indirectly, or understood but not talked about"
DOWN
1. noun meaning "a mean or critical comment hurled at someone angrily and suddenly"
review this word:
1. A near opposite of CLINQUANT is
A. DULL.
B. SILENT.
C. THRUMMING.
2. The fairy appears at the edge of the forest, clinquant in a _____ gown.
A. green
B. golden
C. graying
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my 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.
You know how the word bling--often doubled, bling bling--implies the clinking of pieces of expensive jewelry? So can clinquant, which can mean "glittering with gold." Like you'd guess, "clinquant" is probably related to "clink."
Part of speech: It's both an adjective ("a clinquant gown") and a noun, the uncountable kind ("the novel is nothing but clinquant").
This word is very rare, but when you say it aloud, it's easy to understand what it means.
"The water, turned clinquant by the sunset, lay rather than stood."
Explain the meaning of "clinquant" without saying "shimmering" or "foofaraw."
Think of a book or a movie that amazed you as a child.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Extra clues:
If you like, you can review the words insidious, philistine, and nadir.
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