Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ELAN

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pronounce ELAN: Say it "ay LON." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Let's consider three synonyms of elan: Brio. Panache. And Vivacity. Like elan, all three can mean "someone's pep, zest, verve, style, spirit, or liveliness." Which of the three hints that someone seems truly alive? Which hints that someone seems drunk on life? And which hints that someone seems to be swaggering around with a huge feather in their hat? If you're not sure, give the links a click.  Today we'll take a close look at elan, which hints that someone seems to be dashing fearlessly forward, throwing a lance. definition: In French, élan means "spring or bound." (It also means "moose," which makes sense when you think of how moose are excellent attackers as well as excellent jumpers.) It has Latin bits that literally mean "(to throw a) lance out."  Describing the French word élan, Edith Wharton wrote that "there is no English equivalent for that winged word." So, instead of translating it, we stole it. In English, we first used it to mean "a sudden attack of troops," and we included the little accent mark: "élan." Over time, many writers dropped the accent mark, and many speakers loosened up the meaning quite a lot: from "sudden attack" to "daring liveliness." We use that looser meaning today. In other words, elan (or, if you prefer, élan) is bold, eager, stylish liveliness. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, the uncountable kind: "Reviewers praised the dancer's elan;" "She danced with elan." Other forms:  None. how to use it: Pick the formal, sophisticated, semi-common word "elan" to describe someone's energy, movement, performance, or creativity when it seems to be especially active, unique, joyful, talented, full of life, and even risk-taking. Most often, we say that something has elan, or that someone does something with elan: "The dialogue is brimming with elan." "Their artwork is full of elan." "The dancers burst onto the stage with elan." It's most often dancers, actors, and musicians who have elan, but you can also talk about the elan of artists, athletes, writers, directors, comedians, conversationalists, or any other type of person who seems to knock you right over with their creative spirit. If you like, you can use the little accent mark: "élan." But many writers leave it off these days, so I will, too. examples: "The Apple Watch is an elegant must-have doodad. It's as sleek as a supermodel and its geekiness is expressed with stealth and elan."    — John F. Wasik, Forbes, 11 March 2015 "To top everything, [Aretha Franklin] throws the mink to the ground with supreme elan. Nobody chucks a fur like Aretha... Long live the Queen."    — Simon Hattenstone, The Guardian, 30 December 2015 has this page helped you understand "elan"? 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 "elan" without saying "vim" or "spirit." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some performer) (does something) with elan." Example 1: "At the piano, Elton John belts out song after song with elan." Example 2: "Vox Lux... climaxes with a comeback concert: a full, seamless, blaring half-hour set that [Natalie Portman] barks and dances through with jaw-dropping elan."    — Guy Lodge, The Guardian, 5 December 2018 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. Our game this month is Subject Line Matching! Try matching each capitalized term below with the email subject line that introduced it. You can check your answers by scrolling all the way down. For an extra challenge, try recalling what each term means and how the subject line connects to it. Have fun! DOVETAIL: _____ NARCISSIST: _____ PLAUDITS: _____ QUELL: _____ QUERULOUS: _____ Do we HAVE to write in complete sentences? feeling personally victimized by Regina George Four for you, Glen Coco! You go, Glen Coco! go out and smash it r/perfectfit review this word: 1. A near opposite of ELAN is A. LEATHER. B. LETHARGY. C. LETHALITY. 2. In C. H. Thames's novelette "World Beyond Pluto," an elan, appropriately enough, is a type of _____. A. moon rover B. human spirit C. robotic dinosaur Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B Answers to the game questions: DOVETAIL: r/perfectfit NARCISSIST: feeling personally victimized by Regina George PLAUDITS: Four for you, Glen Coco! You go, Glen Coco! QUELL: go out and smash it QUERULOUS: Do we HAVE to write in complete sentences? 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.