Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DREADNOUGHT

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pronounce DREADNOUGHT: Say it "DRED not." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Let's add today's term, dreadnought, to a list of other words for fearsome things out on the sea: 1. A l_v_____n is anything enormous and powerful enough to remind you of a sea monster.  2. A s___n is something enticing yet destructive, like a mythical female part-human creature singing to sailors, luring them into a deadly crash. 3. To be between S_____ and Ch______ is to be trapped by two bad or dangerous options, as if steering between a whirlpool and a sea monster. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: You can see how "dreadnought" literally means "dreading nothing: afraid of nothing." Going back to 1573, we've used "dreadnought" as a name for anything that seems fearless, often a powerful warship. And in World War I, dreadnoughts were enormous battleships. So, if you refer to something as a dreadnought, you mean it's something (or someone) as fearless and powerful as a huge battleship.  grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "It's the size of a dreadnought." Other forms:  The plural is "dreadnoughts." There's an alternate spelling, "dreadnaught." It's less common. You can use "dreadnought" loosely like an adjective: "their dreadnought boldness." You'll want to capitalize it if you're referring to the name of a specific ship ("They manufactured the Dreadnought in secret"), but otherwise, keep it lowercase ("They still manufacture dreadnoughts"). how to use it: When you want to exaggerate something's size, power, fearlessness, and fearsomeness, and you want a metaphor that's a step up from "beast" but a step down from "intercontinental ballistic missile," pick "dreadnought." It's got a dramatic, warlike, historical tone to it. It's semi-common, meaning you'll catch people's attention with it, plus they'll understand it pretty easily. To use it, simply refer to something, or someone, as a dreadnought. examples: "The Tiffany diamond, a 128.54-carat dreadnought that Lady Gaga wore to the Academy Awards last year."     — James Barron, New York Times, 13 November 2020 "Michael Foot was the best-read politician of modern times but unable to overcome the monstrous political dreadnought that was Margaret Thatcher."    — Michael Billington, The Guardian, 3 May 2010 has this page helped you understand "dreadnought"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "dreadnought" without saying "battleship" or "floating fortress." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "At (a certain size or weight), _____ is a dreadnought of a (type of item)." Example 1: "At 1,079 pages, Infinite Jest is a dreadnought of a novel." Example 2: "At 79.4 inches wide, the Dodge Ram 3500 DRW is a dreadnought of a truck." If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) 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. Country Song, or Springer Episode? Be warned: this month's game is in poor taste. I had so much fun creating it, so what does that say about me? And if you're good at it, what does that say about you? Oh, snap.  Country songs and Jerry Springer episodes have something in common: their self-aware, over-the-top titles. It's clear that the creators of both enjoyed poking fun at their genre. In each round of the game this month, check out a handful of titles, and see if you can decide whether each belongs to a country song or a Jerry Springer episode. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Try these today: 1. Dirty Laundry Day 2. Marriage: Hillbilly Style 3. The Next Time You Throw That Fryin' Pan, My Face Ain't Gonna Be There review this word: 1. A near opposite of a DREADNOUGHT is A. a BLOWOUT. B. a FAVORITE. C. a PUSHOVER. 2. The New York Times referred to a _____ book as a "_____" compared to the author's "usual dreadnought standards." A. slim .. skiff B. dense .. brick C. cheerful .. lark Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A Answer to the game questions:  1. Dirty Laundry Day → Springer 2. Marriage: Hillbilly Style → Springer 3. The Next Time You Throw That Fryin' Pan, My Face Ain't Gonna Be There → Song 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.