Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ESTIMABLE

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connect today's word to others: When we call something estimable, do we mean "esteem-able" or "estimate-able"? Today, "esteem-able," but originally, both! Hundreds of years ago, to estimate something, or to esteem something, meant to place a value on it. And so the word estimable originally meant "valuable, as in, worth a high price." Today, estimable means "valuable, as in, deserving esteem, deserving respect, deserving a high regard." See if you can recall these two synonyms of estimable: 1. Something l__dable is really great and deserves to be praised. 2. Someone or something v___rable is worthy of a very high level of respect (and almost worthy of being worshiped). (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ESTIMABLE" Estimable people and things are so good that they deserve everyone's respect. Pronunciation: ESS tim uh bull Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "an estimable thing" or "an estimable person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was estimable" or "He was estimable.") Other forms: estimably, estimableness How to use it: Talk about estimable people: estimable athletes, estimable chefs, estimable singers and artists, estimable actors and actresses, estimable philanthropists, and so on. You can have estimable groups of people, also: estimable choirs, ensembles, dance troupes, athletic teams, corporations, etc. Sometimes we'll use the phrase "the estimable (person's name)," either seriously or jokingly, as in "the estimable William Shakespeare" or "the estimable Triumph the Insult Comic Dog." Places and things, too, can be called estimable: estimable museums and art galleries; estimable recipes, dishes, and drinks; estimable films, novels, and periodicals; estimable careers, projects, traditions, accomplishments, and so on. examples: In his plain white T-shirt and jeans, Ferris snags a table at Chez Quis only by posing as the estimable Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago. "Van Hove’s fully-realized version puts ecstatic new flesh on the estimable bones of one of Miller’s greatest plays."    —Peter Marks, The Washington Post, 31 March 2016 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "estimable" without saying "deserving honor" or "deserving respect." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "With my (specific flaw or limitation), I'll probably never be known for my estimable (fashion sense, math skills, artistic ability, athletic ability, facility with words, money management skills, etc.)." Example: "With my drawings looking slightly worse than a preschooler's, I'll probably never be known for my estimable artistic ability." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing "Sleek Slogans." I'll take a familiar slogan from a company or a product, express that slogan in plain language, and tell you the specific qualities the slogan has (like rhyme or alliteration), and then you come up with the real slogan as well as the name of the company or product. From the previous issue: Rewrite this slogan by putting a twist on a cliché (that is, by changing the wording in an overused phrase): "Instead of getting your usual boring hamburger for lunch, get something different from us." Answer: That's a slogan for Taco Bell: "Think outside the bun."  Try this last one today: Rewrite this slogan by using pathos (an appeal to the emotions) and antithesis (the side-by-side placement of contrasting ideas): "Our company would like to remind you of the invaluable immaterial things in life, like your love for and devotion to your family. However, in total opposition to that idea, you can use our service to buy all the material things you need." review today's word: 1. One opposite of ESTIMABLE is A. IMPOSSIBLE. B. DISREPUTABLE. C. IMMEASURABLE. 2. The _____ her estimable performance. A. award was given in recognition of B. offended audience walked out midway through C. critics were underwhelmed and disappointed by Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's 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. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A