Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DYSPHORIC
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pronounce
DYSPHORIC:
Say it "dis FOR ick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Our word dysphoric has a precise opposite that we've explored before. See if you can recall it: to be __phoric is to be extremely cheerful or happy, especially in an unrealistically confident way.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
In Greek, dysphoria means "pain or anguish that's hard to bear." Inside that word, you can see the Greek bits meaning "bad or hard" (dys-) and "to bear, or to carry" (pherein). (Pronounce it like this: "dis FOR ee uh.")
"Dysphoria" first showed up in English in 1842, in a medical dictionary, and it originally meant "suffering, or restlessness."
Today, it most often means "a very deep, distressing sadness or discomfort."
And so, something dysphoric involves a very deep, distressing sadness or discomfort.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a dysphoric feeling," "this dysphoric storytelling."
Other forms:
Just the noun, "dysphoria."
how to use it:
"Dysphoric" is a semi-common word with an academic and psychiatric tone.
If you describe a feeling, an experience, a novel, a poem, a play, or a dream as dysphoric, you're expressing how deeply disturbing, uncomfortable, or anxiety-provoking it is, as if it disrupts your sense of self or your grip on reality.
That's for the general meaning of "dysphoric" and "dysphoria." There's also a specific kind of dysphoria that I should mention: gender dysphoria. Here's how PFLAG defines it: "the distress caused when a person's assigned sex at birth and assumed gender is not the same as the one with which they identify." I'll also echo PFLAG's suggestion that it's good to focus on the opposite, gender euphoria, which is a feeling of happiness and well-being "when one's gender is recognized and respected by others, when one's body aligns with one's gender, or when one expresses themselves in accordance with their gender." Cheers to that!
examples:
"Over the years, as the Cubs bungled their pennant dreams time after time, Babcock found himself unable to watch postseason games. He was too scared of another disappointment... 'I get dysphoric if they lose and then I cannot sleep.'"
— Kevin Helliker, quoting John Babcock, Wall Street Journal, 25 October 2016
"The baseline reality of the story is New York City, reconstructed in a dysphoric future... Electronic advertising desecrates the bridges, but boringly so, and outside the window of Owen's Roosevelt Island apartment, a neon ad for Oral-B alternates with one for Jolly Rancher."
— Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, 21 September 2018
has this page helped you understand "dysphoric"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dysphoric" without saying "distressed" or "depressed."
try it out:
A writer for the New York Times described the movie "The Dark Knight" as dysphoric, which makes sense: it's a dark, gritty, crime-riddled movie with a deeply unsettling villain.
With "The Dark Knight" in mind as an example, talk about another movie, book, play, or song that you'd describe as dysphoric.
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: It Sounds Wiser in Latin.
Try matching a handful of Latin phrases to their English translations. If you need some clues, I'll provide them in the form of definitions of related words. Enjoy!
Try these today:
1. clarum et venerabile nomen
2. inest sua gratia parvis
3. inter canem et lupum
4. inter malleum et incudem
5. non semper erunt Saturnalia
A. an illustrious and honored name
B. between the dog and the wolf (at twilight)
C. between the hammer and the anvil (between two bad options)
D. even little things have a grace of their own
E. the carnival will not last forever
To peek at the clues, follow the links:
1. Lupine people and things remind you of...
2. Malleable people and things are...
3. Venerable people and things are...
review this word:
A. SAFE.
B. BLISSFUL.
C. IMPASSIONED.
2.
A writer for the New York Times noted that _____ may be "the body's dysphoric response to the uncanny."
A. nausea
B. blushing
C. a racing heartbeat
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:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A 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.
Our word dysphoric has a precise opposite that we've explored before. See if you can recall it: to be __phoric is to be extremely cheerful or happy, especially in an unrealistically confident way.
In Greek, dysphoria means "pain or anguish that's hard to bear." Inside that word, you can see the Greek bits meaning "bad or hard" (dys-) and "to bear, or to carry" (pherein). (Pronounce it like this: "dis FOR ee uh.")
Part of speech:
"Dysphoric" is a semi-common word with an academic and psychiatric tone.
"Over the years, as the Cubs bungled their pennant dreams time after time, Babcock found himself unable to watch postseason games. He was too scared of another disappointment... 'I get dysphoric if they lose and then I cannot sleep.'"
Explain the meaning of "dysphoric" without saying "distressed" or "depressed."
A writer for the New York Times described the movie "The Dark Knight" as dysphoric, which makes sense: it's a dark, gritty, crime-riddled movie with a deeply unsettling villain.
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.
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. |