Make Your Point > Archived Issues > GUILELESS

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explore the archives: Guileless is one of those words that helps us be precise by saying what someone isn't: a guileless person isn't tricky, isn't crafty, isn't deceptive. In short, a guileless person has no cards up his sleeve; he's holding all of them above the table. He's above_____. make your point with... "GUILELESS" Guile is cunning, deceit, trickery, or craftiness. So, someone or something guileless has none of that. To be guileless is to be honest and innocent, with nothing to hide and no intent to trick anybody. Pronunciation: GUY ull less  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 guileless thing" or "a guileless person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was guileless" or "He was guileless.") Other forms: guilelessly, guilelessness How to use it: Talk about guileless people and animals, guileless faces and expressions, guileless comments and questions, guileless behavior and manners, and guileless feelings and reactions, such as guileless joy or guileless reverence. examples: In Home of the Brave, a refugee finds peace in the company of a serene and guileless creature: a cow. These kids may sound guileless, but their questions are expertly crafted to derail the lesson and forestall the homework. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "guileless" means when you can explain it without saying "totally open" or "not trying to fool anyone." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Real person or fictional character) is a guileless (type of person) who _____." Example: "John is a guileless freshman who just wants to be liked." 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 with lines of poetry that include words we've checked out together in previous issues. I’ll give you a few lines from the poem, with a blank where our word appears, along with its definition. See if you can come up with it. Each answer will appear in the following issue. Enjoy! From the previous issue: From Robert Bridges's poem "Low Barometer:"    "Some men would _____ the thing with prayer     Whose sightless footsteps pad the floor,     Whose fearful trespass mounts the stair     Or bursts the lock’d forbidden door." Definition: put an end to something or get it under your control. (Hints: one syllable, starts with Q.) Answer: quell. Try this today: From Cathy Song's poem "Heaven:"    "I’ve heard the trains at night     whistling past our yards,     what we’ve come to own,     the broken fences, the whiny dog, the __________ cars." Definition: old, rickety, and falling apart. (Hints: three syllables, starts with R.) review today's word: 1. The exactly opposite of GUILELESS is GUILEFUL. But another opposite of GUILELESS is A. SLY B. SEVERE C. SANCTIMONIOUS 2. She _____ the over-salted soup so guilelessly that we _____. A. devoured .. offered her a second bowl B. criticized .. felt the need to defend it a little C. complimented .. figured perhaps it wasn't so bad Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C