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Today's lissome arose as a variant of lithesome; so if you already know lithe, then you'll easily learn lissome. And if you already knew thrash, then you easily learned its variant thresh--could you explain what it means?
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"LISSOME"
Someone or something lissome moves in an easy, flexible, graceful way.
Pronunciation:
LISS um
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 lissome thing" or "a lissome person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was lissome" or "He was lissome.")
Other forms:
"Lissom," without the "e," is an alternate form. You can use it if you prefer.
There's also "lissomely" and "lissomeness," but both are rare.
How to use it:
This is a beautiful, poetic word. We use it to describe women and girls much more often than we do for men and boys.
Talk about lissome people, animals, things, and movement, such as lissome dancers, lissome forms and figures, lissome birds, lissome grace and glamour, a lissome tread or step, lissome hands playing the piano.
Less often, we use this word for abstract things: lissome thoughts, a lissome mind or brain, lissome speech, lissome harmonies.
examples:
I envied Jennifer Lawrence's lissome dancing in Silver Linings Playbook--at the time I watched it, I was very pregnant and was mostly moving around in heavy shuffles.
If I'm having a bad day, I load up a YouTube video of the Andrews sisters singing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Their lissome voices make everything better.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lissome" means when you can explain it without saying "agile" or "limber."
try it out:
Think of a person or a pet who moves gracefully. Fill in the blanks: "(Name) moves in lissome (bounds, glides, twists, etc.), (doing something)."
Example: "Chloe moves in lissome stretches, letting the sun soak into her soft fur."
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 the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play!
First, try to recall from yesterday the literal meaning of "example" and the original meanings of "anticipate" and "interval." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue.
Next, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below:
1. "Irony" originally meant _____
2. "Dictionary" literally means _____
3. "Fiance" originally meant _____
Answer bank:
A. "made of iron."
B. "confidence or trust."
C. "word collection."
review today's word:
1. The opposite of LISSOME is
A. UNGAINLY
B. BLOATED
C. LOUD
2. She _____ in, lissome as the _____ just outside.
A. burst .. fireworks
B. glided .. palm fronds
C. stomped .. pickup trucks
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 game questions:
1. "Anticipate" originally meant "to take beforehand."
2. "Example" literally means "something taken out."
3. "Interval" originally meant "the space between palisades."
Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. B
Today's lissome arose as a variant of lithesome; so if you already know lithe, then you'll easily learn lissome. And if you already knew thrash, then you easily learned its variant thresh--could you explain what it means?
"LISSOME" Someone or something lissome moves in an easy, flexible, graceful way. Part of speech:
I envied Jennifer Lawrence's lissome dancing in Silver Linings Playbook--at the time I watched it, I was very pregnant and was mostly moving around in heavy shuffles.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lissome" means when you can explain it without saying "agile" or "limber."
Think of a person or a pet who moves gracefully. Fill in the blanks: "(Name) moves in lissome (bounds, glides, twists, etc.), (doing something)."
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.
1. The opposite of LISSOME is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
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