Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PANEGYRIC

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"PANEGYRIC" Meaning: A panegyric is a speech or a piece of writing that praises somebody or something very highly. Also, more simply, panegyric is beautiful, formal, detailed praise. Pronunciation: "pan uh JIH rick" or "pan uh JYE rick" (I prefer the second one.) Part of speech: Usually a noun. It's both a countable noun ("a panegyric," "two panegyrics," "many panegyrics") and an uncountable noun ("the panegyric," "some panegyric," "a book full of panegyric.") You can also use it as an adjective, as in "panegyric songs," but that use seems rare. Other forms: The plural is "panegyrics." Although you can use "panegyric" as an adjective, the more common adjective is "panegyrical." You can use the verb and say that you panegyricize someone or something, but that sounds awkward to me. The adverb is "panegyrically," but let's draw the line somewhere; that word feels ridiculous. Finally, the person who delivers or writes the panegyric is a panegyrist. How to use it: You often talk about giving, delivering, writing, or publishing a panegyric. You might grace/honor someone or something with a panegyric, or bestow a panegyric on someone or something. And you can talk about the panegyric belonging to the person who wrote or spoke it: "his panegyric," "the panegyric of the keynote speaker." Often, you give a panegyric of someone or something, or give a panegyric on a topic or on a person, or give a panegyric to someone or something. When you use "of," "on," and "to" in this way, you're being pretty formal, but you can get extremely formal by using "upon" instead: "He delivered a spirited panegyric upon his beloved departed father." Speaking of the departed, yes, you often hear panegyrics at funerals, but you can also hear or read them in the context of political speeches, speeches at weddings and awards ceremonies, assemblies, newspapers, journals, conferences, Internet forums, reviews, biographies, historical books, etc. Use the formal, serious tone that the word normally has, or be silly: "He launched into a panegyric on the glorious pizza upon which he would soon feast, but I really just wanted to take his payment and go." Finally, in all the examples above, I've used the countable noun "panegyric." To use the uncountable noun, talk about offering panegyric, writing panegyric, publishing panegyric, spewing panegyric, lavishing panegyric on someone or something, and so on. You can talk about panegyric in general, too: "He has no need for criticism or panegyric." "There was no trace of panegyric in her comments." My cousin Daniel delivered a heartfelt panegyric to our grandmother. The lecture was definitely not the balanced analysis of competing theories that I was expecting. It was more like an endless panegyric to a particular one... with no mention of its limitations. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "panegyric" means when you can explain it without saying "very high praise" or "elaborate compliments." Think of a book or movie that you love, and fill in the blanks: "With its (certain excellent feature[s]), (Title) deserves every panegyrical word written about it." Example: "With its tender philosophical observations wrapped up in a poignant story, The Little Prince deserves every panegyrical word written about it." 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: Our October game references some material that may be protected by copyright. I appreciate your understanding as I err on the side of caution by not publishing it here! A Point Well Made: Sophie Lucido Johnson: “When I’m stressed out... I’ll pull [my dust buster] out and watch it suck up all the little piles of hair and crumbs and sand. My entire body relaxes as the tiny machine does away with untold problems and mistakes…” 1. The opposite of PANEGYRIC could be A. BANDYING B. HARANGUING C. JOUSTING 2. General panegyric carries little weight in a letter of recommendation; _____ needed. A. a wholly positive endorsement of the candidate is B. concrete examples of the candidate's good qualities are C. formal language suitable for an academic or business setting is 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. B 2. B Exploring the archives: The roots of today's word literally mean "complete assembly," which makes sense because you often deliver your panegyric to a large crowd. Focusing on that first root, "pan," meaning "all, wholly, entirely," can you recall a word meaning a cure for everything? How about a word meaning a disease or other bad thing that has spread out everywhere? And a phrase related to a mythological girl's name meaning "all the gifts"? That phrase means something that causes horrible, far-reaching problems, which strikes me as pretty funny considering what the girl's name means.