Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DONNISH
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A few months ago, the New York Times emailed out a special briefing, one that surprised me with a word I'd never seen before: donnish.
(Me: "Oooh, what's this now?")
Here's how they used it:
"The special counsel [Robert Mueller] projected an image that caught even his allies by surprise — doddering, donnish, at times seemingly unsure of his words."
As you can tell, it's not much of a compliment to call someone donnish. I learned that it means "book-smart and scholarly," or e_u_i_e, but also "overly focused on small, scholarly details," or _e_antic. (Can you recall both of those synonyms?)
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"DONNISH"
"Donnish" means "stuffy, academic, and pedantic," like the worst kind of university professor.
Let's see why.
In Latin, dominum means "lord, or master." And so, in Spanish, "Don" is a title for a man, kind of like "sir." It's formal and respectful, as in, "Whatever you say, Don Pedro."
When this "Don" came into English, people in England used it to mean "an important, accomplished man," as in, "He's a don at cricket."
Next, over in English colleges, people started using "don" as a casual word for "professor," as in, "We're meeting with these Oxford dons."
So, even in American English, "donnish" has come to mean "stiff, stern, and serious, like a stuffy professor."
Pronunciation:
DON ish
Part of speech:
Adjective: "their donnish attitude," "could she be any more donnish?"
Other forms:
don(s), donnishly, donnism
How to use it:
Pick this rare, mildly insulting word when you need to call attention to someone's stiff, stern, stuffy, narrow, rigidly academic attitude or behavior.
The word's tone is masculine, but you could apply it to women, too.
You might talk about donnish people and their donnish expressions, gestures, manners, speeches, publications, etc.
examples:
"[Early modern classicists] were, in the main, donnish types more comfortable with noun declensions than differential gears."
— Nicholas Nicastro, Circumference: Eratosthenes and the Ancient Quest to Measure the Globe, 2008
"Howard Zucker, [a doctor, a lawyer, and New York State's commissioner of health], sixty in September, is slight of build and rubbery in his movements and has a big toothy grin and a puckish air. In his cap and gown, he looked whatever the opposite of donnish is.*"
— Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 26 August 2019
*I think Paumgarten did well here already: "puckish" is a great opposite of "donnish."
has this page helped you understand "donnish"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "donnish" without saying "inkhorn" or "pompous."
try it out:
Think of a character from a show or a movie: someone who's stiff, stern, and serious.
Fill in the blanks: "(Some actor) plays the donnish (character)."
Example: "Jim Carter plays the donnish butler, Mr. Carson."
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.
This month, we're playing Name Those Synonyms!
We're enjoying the gracefully written, ultra-authoritative explanations in Funk & Wagnalls Standard Handbook of Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions. In each issue, check out the passage from the book, and see if you can figure out which synonyms are being distinguished.
From the previous issue: What three synonyms (<1>, <2>, and <3>) does the Handbook distinguish below? They are distinguished from each other, then from the word "beaming."
"An object is <1> that shines with either original or reflected light; thus the sun, the moon, and the stars are <1>; that is <2> which shines with unusual or distinctive <1>ness; as, one star in a constellation may be especially <2>; all the stars are strikingly <2> on a clear moonless night by contrast with the deep blue-black of the sky; a diamond cut so as to throw out the maximum of light is called 'a <2>.' That is <3> from which light seems to pour forth in rays; an object which is <3> sends forth a steady light, while that of a <2> object may be fitful. Beaming is applied to light which seems to be sent forth in beams, and is a milder word than <3>."
Answers:
<1> is "bright."
<2> is "brilliant."
<3> is "radiant."
Try this today: What three synonyms (<1>, <2>, and <3>) does the Handbook distinguish below?
"<1> and <2> both express the momentary overwhelming of the mind by that which is beyond expectation. <2> especially affects the emotions, <1> the intellect. <3> lies midway between <2> and <1>, and often refers to matters of little consequence or to such as are less startling in character. <1> may be either pleasing or painful, as when induced by the grandeur of the mountains, or by the fury of the storm. We can say 'pleasant <3>,' but scarcely 'pleasant <2>.' <1> has in it something of confusion or bewilderment, but confusion and bewilderment may occur without <1>, as when a multitude of details require instant attention. <2> may be without bewilderment or confusion."
Bonus challenge: Recall the fine differences among "pretty," "handsome," and "beautiful." You can view the answer in this issue.
review this word:
1. A near opposite of DONNISH is
A. OPEN.
B. PLAYFUL.
C. SENSITIVE.
2. He wore his donnism like a _____.
A. stiff tweed jacket
B. pointy wizard's hat
C. satin silk 007 tuxedo
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.
A few months ago, the New York Times emailed out a special briefing, one that surprised me with a word I'd never seen before: donnish.
"DONNISH" "Donnish" means "stuffy, academic, and pedantic," like the worst kind of university professor.
"[Early modern classicists] were, in the main, donnish types more comfortable with noun declensions than differential gears."
Explain the meaning of "donnish" without saying "inkhorn" or "pompous."
Think of a character from a show or a movie: someone who's stiff, stern, and serious.
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A near opposite of DONNISH is
|