Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INDOLENCE

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connect today's word to others: Can we put indolence on our to-do lists, or on our calendars? It's a state of lazily doing nothing and enjoying it. Maybe in a rocking chair. With some sweet tea. Harsher synonyms of indolent include lo___-__ting (living a lazy, dreamy, luxurious, forgetful life) and ot____ (lazy and useless, performing no function in society). Indolence looks like it should be related to redolence, but it isn't. Indolence is based on the Latin dolere, which means "to endure pain"--more on that below--while redolence is based on the Latin olere, which means "to give off a scent." Knowing that, could you explain exactly what redolence is? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "INDOLENCE" Indolence is a specific kind of laziness: the kind where you avoid working because you enjoy sitting around doing nothing. In other words, indolence is pleasant laziness. Pronunciation: IN duh luns Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the indolence," "this indolence," "his indolence," "such indolence," "no indolence," and so on, but don’t say "an indolence," "one indolence," or "indolences.") Other forms: indolent, indolently If "indolent" means "lazy," is the opposite of it "dolent," meaning "not lazy"? Nope. "Indolent" literally means "not in pain," which is why it looks like "doleful." (Over hundreds of years, the meaning of "indolent" changed from "not in pain" and "causing no pain" to today's meaning, "happily idle.") "Dolent" is a word, but it's rare, and it means "in pain."  How to use it: Talk about someone's indolence, or the indolence of some group or organization: the children's indolence, the administration's indolence, the indolence of the seaside town in winter. You can fall into indolence, drift into indolence, have a reputation for indolence, have a record of indolence, or have a disposition to indolence. And, you can fight indolence or ward off indolence. I suggest that you avoid using "indolence" as a fancier-sounding synonym of "inaction." Indolence is not just inaction: it's enjoyable, pleasant, laid-back, lazy, idle inaction. For example, you wouldn't want to say "I'm frustrated with the indolence of the financial aid office"--because it's not as if the folks in that office are enjoying themselves with a glass of lemonade as they ignore your calls and emails. Let's look at the adjective, too: "indolent." Talk about indolent people (such as indolent workers or indolent students), indolent animals, or indolent organizations. You can also talk about indolent habits, lifestyles, and attitudes.  Or, say that something moves at an indolent pace, follows an indolent course, or has an indolent drift.  Feel free to personify things with the word "indolent:" an indolent street seems restful and happy and lazy, an indolent book seems to go nowhere pleasantly. Lastly, if you talk about indolent diseases, you mean they develop very slowly, that they cause no pain, or both.  examples: We savored an indolent afternoon, stretched out on the sand. Before visitors arrive, I dash around the house erasing the signs of our indolence: crumbs on the table, DVDs out of their cases, Halloween candy on the counter and it's almost Christmas. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "indolence" means when you can explain it without saying "idleness" or "pleasant inactivity." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "I drifted into indolence (during a particular time of life), (doing a particular lazy and wonderful thing)." Example: "We drifted into indolence the summer after sophomore year, grabbing Taco Bell at midnight and sleeping until noon." 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 "Coiners & Coinages." Use your knowledge of science, history, literature, and vocabulary as you match newly coined words to the people who coined them, and vice versa. Let's do this! From our previous issue: If you're talking nonsense about global issues, you're talking GLOBALONEY. Who coined that whimsical word: was it the politician Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1978), the former president Jimmy Carter (born 1924), or the comedian Kevin Hart (born 1979)? Answer: It was Ms. Luce! She was elected to Congress in 1942, where she spoke out against Roosevelt's foreign policy. He responded by slamming her as "a sharp-tongued glamour girl of forty." Sounds like high praise to me. Try this today: Maybe your workout routine includes BURPEES, those exhausting squatting-kicking-standing exercises. (I'm tired just thinking about them.) Who coined the word BURPEE: was it Jillian Michaels, Joseph Pilates, or Dr. Royal H. Burpee? review today's word: 1. An opposite of INDOLENCE is A. PRODUCTIVITY. B. RESTRAINT. C. PAIN. 2. The _____ might be my spirit animal. I love its indolence. A. squirrel B. sloth C. deer 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. A 2. B