Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FORTIFY

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connect today's word to others: To fortify people is to give them strength--physical strength, emotional strength, or moral strength. Can you think of a word related to fortify that means "a place of security, especially for a military operation"? And how about another related word that means "someone's special ability, or someone's strong point"? They are... ... ... ... ... Fort and forte! Now see if you can think of a sophisticated opposite of fortify that means, literally, "to cut the tendons." It's en___ate. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FORTIFY" "Fortify" is Latin for  "to make strong." To fortify things is to strengthen them so they can better withstand any attacks or difficult conditions. And to fortify people is to strengthen them so they can be prepared, in body or spirit, for whatever they need to accomplish. Pronunciation: FOR tiff eye Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you fortify something or someone.) Other forms: fortified, fortifying; fortification(s); fortifiable; fortifier(s) How to use it: You might be literal and talk about fortifying food products with nutrients, fortifying ships with additional timbers, fortifying military posts (or teams) with additional troops, fortifying homes to protect against strong weather, fortifying shoes to make them waterproof, etc. But we'll focus on figurative usage. Something encouraging can fortify you or fortify your heart or spirit. Something like a holiday, a tradition, a shared belief, or a shared goal can fortify a nation, a group, a family, or a relationship. And of course, you can fortify yourself with something: "She fortified herself with a few deep breaths." "They fortified themselves with a round of drinks before heading to the dance floor." So far we've seen that you can fortify something with something. You can also fortify someone or something against something, both literally ("the island is fortified against attacks from the east") and figuratively ("their argument is fortified against accusations of bias"). examples: The framers of the Constitution tried to fortify it against potential problems: factions, corruptions, the abuse of power. A little friendly trash talk beforehand fortifies us for the game--which we'll both take quite seriously. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fortify" means when you can explain it without saying "strengthen" or "brace." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "Before (some event that's difficult, demanding, competitive, emotional, or important), _____ fortifies me." Example: "Before a difficult conversation, a little planning and note-taking fortify me." 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. Our game this month is "A Vocabulary of Movie Quotes." Jean Picker Firstenberg at the American Film Institute (AFI) says, "Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary." I believe it! I bet you can recall, verbatim, any of the AFI's "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" if all I give you is a single word from the quote. For example, if I give you the word KANSAS, I bet you can recite this: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," from The Wizard of Oz (1939). I'll share each answer in the following issue. And we’ll work our way forward in time, starting with the oldest movies. Let’s play! From the previous issue: From a 1992 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word TRUTH? Answer: From A Few Good Men: "You can't handle the truth!" Try this today: From a 1994 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word CHOCOLATES? review today's word: 1. The opposite of FORTIFY is A. TRAP B. WEAKEN C. COMPLICATE 2. To _____ does nothing to fortify it _____. A. slap together an entire research project the night before it's due .. toward an A B. insist on your free speech to express a hateful opinion .. against objections C. recall a certain memory again and again .. over reality 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. B