Make Your Point > Archived Issues > HEBETATE

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"HEBETATE" Meaning: To hebetate something is to make it dull or make it blunt. And to hebetate is to become dull or become motionless. Pronunciation: HEB ih tate Part of speech: Verb. It's both transitive (you hebetate something) and intransitive (something hebetates.) Other forms: hebetated, hebetating, hebetude, hebitudinous, hebetation How to use it: Talk about anything that hebetates the mind, the brain, the heart, the soul, the spirit, the senses, someone's speech or manners, and so on. The noun, "hebetude," is also useful: talk about hebetude of the mind or mental hebetude, the hebetude of summertime, being mired in hebetude or shaken from your hebetude, and so on. As you can see, "hebetude" and "hebetate" are formal and serious, and maybe a little fancy, too. If a simpler word would express your idea, you might pick that one instead: "dull," "stupefy," "sluggishness," "laziness," "inactivity," and so on. To be honest, this book is unoriginal, it's unimaginative, and it's the worst thing to ever hebetate my brain. And, I didn't care whether the characters lived or died. Waiting three months for a committee to approve your work is enough to drag anyone down into a state of hebetude. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "hebetate" means when you can explain it without saying "make dull" or "cause to be motionless." Think of the most soul-crushingly boring thing you've ever had to do, and fill in the blank: "(Doing something) doesn't just drive me crazy; it hebetates my entire spirit."  Example: "Grading the five hundredth essay on the exact same topic didn't just drive me crazy; it hebetated my entire spirit." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, we're playing with some fascinating thematic word lists assembled by Stephen Chrisomalis, an English language expert over at The Phrontistery who kindly gave permission for me to use his work. (Check out his site; you will definitely enjoy it!) Try a question each day, and see the right answers here the following day--or if you can't wait, follow the link to Stephen's list to dig out the answers yourself. Have fun! Yesterday's question: "Practically any field of study has a name associated with it," Stephen explains, and he lists hundreds and hundreds of words for types of sciences and studies. Some of those words end in "-ics," like aerostatics (the science of air pressure, or the art of ballooning) and ethonomics (the study of the economic and ethical principles of a society.) Others end in "-ry," like floristry and geochemistry. Then you have some oddball word endings, like in dramaturgy, the art of producing and staging dramas. But the great majority of words for sciences and studies end in what suffix? Answer: That suffix is “-logy.” Skim through Stephen’s list of sciences and studies, and you’ll find well over 400 that end in “-logy,” from the familiar (geology, ideology) to the wacky (orthopterology: the study of cockroaches!) Try this one today: If skiamachy is shadow-boxing and graphology is the study of handwriting, what is sciagraphy? Can't wait until tomorrow for the right answer? Check out Stephen's full list and discussion at the Phrontistery. A Point Well Made: Friedrich Nietzsche: “The consequences of our actions take us by the scruff of the neck, altogether indifferent to the fact that we have ‘improved’ in the meantime.” 1. The opposite of HEBETATE is A. REGULATE B. RESPOND C. STIMULATE 2. _____ hebetates judgment and memory. A. Brain training B. Conversation C. Alcohol Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.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. C 2. C Exploring the archives: Something hebetated has become dull, obtuse, and inert. If you need a word that's less fancy than "hebetated," and more powerful than "dull," "obtuse," or "inert" alone, you might pick l____id, meaning "lifeless, not vivid, and not forceful."