Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EXERT

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pronounce EXERT: Say it "egg ZERT." To hear it, click here. (Or, if you prefer, say it "ig ZERT.") connect this word to others: I'd always assumed that the word exert was closely related to exercise. Turns out, nope! Well, I mean, they do share that ex- prefix. But that's it. At the heart of exert is the Latin verb serere, which means "to join, to link, to arrange, to line up, or to sow." Compare that to the Latin arcere, "contain, keep away," at the heart of exercise. (Apparently the oldest kind of exercising was a way of keeping people busy--but the oldest kind of exerting had to do with thrusting outward.) So although exert isn't closely related to exercise, like we might think, it is closely related to words that involve arranging and joining, like series, insert, assert, season (literally "a sowing"), and desert (literally "to un-join"). As far as I can tell, we haven't studied any of exert's cousins from the serere family. But we've studied plenty of others that also begin with ex-, meaning "out, from, or off," like excoriate (ouch!), exculpate (phew!), and ex cathedra (Who died and made you Pope?). Can you define all three? definition: We took the word "exert" from a Latin one that means "to put forth, or to thrust out." (Or more literally, and a lot more weirdly, "to arrange outward.") And at first, that's the meaning we used in English, too, as in "Apple Trees...exert themselves in Air" (John Dryden, 1697). Over the centuries, the meaning changed from "push out" to "put into use" and "make a strong effort." In other words, to exert something (like to exert your power or your control) is to use it: to put it to use. And to exert yourself is to work really hard, either physically or mentally, as if you're putting to use all of your power or energy. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Verb, the transitive kind: "they exerted their power," "they exerted themselves." Other forms:  Exerted, exerting, exertion. how to use it: This common word has a harsh, forceful tone. To use its first meaning, talk about people exerting their power, control, or influence over things or other people: "When the government exerts too much control over our daily lives, we fight back." Or, talk about objects, events, and situations exerting force, pressure, and other effects on things: "Black holes exert a strong gravitational pull." And to use the second meaning of "exert," talk about people exerting all their effort, exerting all their energy, or simply exerting themselves. Or, over-exerting themselves. Have some sarcastic fun with this. "I really had to exert myself, but I made you this Pop-Tart." examples: "Her body language and the amount of forward pressure she was exerting on her skis made it clear that she was thinking her way through her run."    — Bill Pennington, New York Times, 19 February 2018 "The larger the tech platform, the more worrisome it is when they exert editorial power. We probably don't want a service that has become our national communications infrastructure to endorse political candidates, for example."    — Casey Newton, The Verge, 29 August 2019 has this page helped you understand "exert"? 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 "exert" without saying "wield" or "work hard." try it out: In The Guardian, Michael Hann and Edward Helmore wrote, "[Little Richard's] Specialty singles exerted a profound influence on a later generation of musicians – Paul McCartney was a huge fan, and the Beatles performed Richard's songs in concert." Following their example, talk about someone or something that exerted a deep and lasting influence on you, your family, or your community. 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 "Polygon of Predestination!" With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers." From the previous issue: The first figurative use of the phrase "to cut corners" may have been in Rudyard Kipling’s 1898 book The Day’s Work: "It was at this point that he began to cut corners with disastrous results." Aren't they always? Try this one today: Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here. review this word: 1. A near opposite of EXERT is A. EXPEND. B. WITHHOLD. C. CONSIDER. 2. In a spoof article, The Onion reviews a _____, for those who "want to exert themselves _____." A. voice-activated grapefruit .. over brunch B. resistance keyboard .. while typing documents  C. "Nothing-But-Tears" shampoo .. in the bath tub Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B 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.