Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FREE-HEARTED

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connect today's word to others: An artist known as SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) created a popular poster that you might be familiar with. It's kind of a bohemian, color-splashed manifesto titled "How to Be an Artist," with rules like these:    "Learn to watch snails,"    "Giggle with children,"    "Give money away," and    "Invite someone dangerous to tea." The advice, and the artist, are free-hearted. And the poster presents a way to approach life wh___-s___ed, with total devotion and enthusiasm. How beautiful. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "FREE-HEARTED" Like it sounds, free-hearted people and things are     generous;    open and frank;    free from worries;    OR, following the whims of the heart.     Pronunciation: "FREE har dud" or "free HAR dud" 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 "a free-hearted thing" or "a free-hearted person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was free-hearted" or "He was free-hearted.") Other forms: free-heartedly, free-heartedness How to use it: Everyone will know what you mean by "free-hearted." So use it free-heartedly! :) I recommend keeping the hyphen in there instead of using two separate words ("free hearted") or a compound ("freehearted"). You'll see it written all three ways, though. Talk about free-hearted people: free-hearted children, parents, hippies, artists, dancers, musicians, party-goers, philanthropists, etc. Or, talk about free-hearted personalities, gestures, dancing, singing, talking, writing, etc. You might have free-hearted attitudes, perspectives, approaches, or policies, or an entire free-hearted philosophy on life. And there's free-hearted love, laughter, and humor. examples: On paper, he's fuss-budgety and academically vicious; in person, free-hearted and hilariously profane. On Parks and Recreation, Rob Lowe plays Chris Traeger, a free-hearted and aggressively cheerful love interest for Ann. Everything is "literally the best" thing he's ever seen. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "free-hearted" means when you can explain it without saying "free from reservations" or "charitable." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(A certain song, album, book, show, or movie) is a free-hearted (embrace, expression, or celebration) of _____." Example: "The original Shrek soundtrack is a free-hearted celebration of love." 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 called "Quirky Keepers."  We’ll play with a bunch of bizarre, oddly specific words—words that deserve a place in our vocabulary, even though they're too wacky and rare to explore in full issues of Make Your Point. (I found most of these words in Charles Harrington Elster’s outrageously entertaining book, There’s A Word For It: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life.) Our goal as we play is to squirrel the words away in our memories. So, in each issue, we’ll check out a word; in the following issue, I’ll give you a new example of that word, and you see if you can recall it. We’ll start with short words and work our way up to the six-, seven-, and eight-syllable doozies. See if you can recall the word from the previous issue: You need to get to your computer and access a document, immediately. But, as if to spite you, the beastly computer has chosen this exact moment to install updates. What noun describes this machine's "behavior"? (It's six syllables.)  See the answer by scrolling all the way down. Today, let’s check out "misodoctakleidist." With roots that seem to be Greek for "hatred," "finger," and "key," or possibly a mix of Greek and Latin roots for "hatred," "learning," and "key," the word "misodoctakleidist" means "someone who hates practicing the piano." Remember, in the next issue I’ll give you an example of a misodoctakleidist, without mentioning the word—and you’ll try to recall it. That'll help you keep it in your memory. review today's word: 1. One opposite of FREE-HEARTED is A. TIGHTFISTED. B. BASE-MINDED. C. HEAVY-HANDED. 2. I'm not sure how well those signs will deter free-hearted drivers; they read "_____." A. Exact change only B. Do not block the intersection C. Do not give money to persons in the median 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. Answer to the game question: That's resistentialism, the idea that inanimate objects are out to get you. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C