Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EXORCISE
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pronounce
EXORCISE:
Say it "EX or size."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
"I HAVE EXORCISED THE DEMONS! This house is clean."
Whether you channel Ace Ventura here or the original Poltergeist lady, I hope you shout this line in triumph whenever you're done tidying up. Because the real demons are dust and clutter and tiny random pieces from sets of toys that I should really reassemble but won't. If only we could exorcise this stuff with holy words instead of elbow grease.
Speaking of exorcising demons, see if you can recall a two-word phrase that often means "a tiny bit (of faith)" that traces back to a biblical story about freeing a boy from a demon. In this story, Jesus himself performs the exorcism after his disciples fail to do it. He tells them, "You have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a m______ s__d, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Our word "exorcise" came through Latin from Greek. Its roots literally mean "to swear out of."
(You'll notice its similarity to other words with ex-, meaning "out," like "exit" and "exercise." "Exercise" has roots that literally mean "keep out or keep away," the original idea being that exercises keep folks busy.)
Literally speaking, to exorcise something (like a demon, or an evil spirit) is to drive it away or banish it, often with holy or magical words. (You know... in stories.)
The figurative meaning is pretty much the same! To exorcise something (like a bad mood, feeling, or memory) is to drive it away or banish it, often with powerful words.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "They exorcised the unholy spirit;" "They exorcised that terrible memory."
Other forms:
Exorcised, exorcising, exorcism(s), exorcist(s).
how to use it:
Compared to words like "purge," "banish," "expel," and "purify," the dramatic, semi-common word "exorcise" helps us conjure up images of unholy demons driven away by holy incantations. Which can be either quite serious or quite silly.
Talk about people, objects, actions, words, or events that exorcise things.
And the things that get exorcised? They're demons, spirits, ghosts, or evil itself, maybe. Or anything you'd like to compare to a demon: a bad memory, a terrible feeling, a frightening thought, a harmful quality, etc.
examples:
"[The filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld] catalogs his own anxieties at length, sometimes to exorcise them and sometimes to fetishize them."
— Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 10 March 2020
"It was supposed to be the year coach Andy Reid finally exorcised his postseason demons and made it back to the Super Bowl."
— Dave Skretta, Associated Press, 20 January 2019
has this page helped you understand "exorcise"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "exorcise" without saying "expel" or "cast out."
try it out:
You've probably heard this said: "Habits aren't broken. They're replaced."
I found that same idea in an old textbook:
"The best method of exorcising a bad habit is by exercising a good one."
Nice choice of words! Bad habits really can seem demonic: they kill happiness, productivity, and relationships.
Talk about a habit you might like to exorcise--and a better habit that you could exercise.
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 for February is "Piece It Together."
Use your knowledge of the given terms to define a related, ultra-rare term.
For example, you could use your knowledge of CELLULAR and MULTUM IN PARVO ("a lot in a little") to define the ultra-rare PARVOCELLULAR as "small-celled."
To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
Use RUSTIC and URBANE to define RUS IN URBE.
review this word:
A. INVITE and INVOKE.
B. DALLY and VEGETATE.
C. CRAVE and NECESSITATE.
2. In H. G. Bissinger's book Friday Night Lights, after a character says "I need to throw up," the narrator adds, "And off he went, trying to exorcise the _____ of football."
A. flow
B. demon
C. burden
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.
Our word "exorcise" came through Latin from Greek. Its roots literally mean "to swear out of."
Part of speech:
Compared to words like "purge," "banish," "expel," and "purify," the dramatic, semi-common word "exorcise" helps us conjure up images of unholy demons driven away by holy incantations. Which can be either quite serious or quite silly.
"[The filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld] catalogs his own anxieties at length, sometimes to exorcise them and sometimes to fetishize them."
Explain the meaning of "exorcise" without saying "expel" or "cast out."
You've probably heard this said: "Habits aren't broken. They're replaced."
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.
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