Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PERVASIVE

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connect today's word to others: That same annoying song you hear playing over and over, that same ugly or offensive billboard plastered all over your city: these things are pervasive. But that amazing song you hear playing over and over, that hilarious or inspiring billboard plastered all over your city: those things are ub___tous. To make it obvious what I'm getting at here: pervasive things are everywhere, and that's bad; ub___tous things are everywhere, and that's usually not bad at all. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "PERVASIVE" To pervade something is to fill it: to enter it and spread out all through it. (The Latin roots in the word "pervade" literally mean "go through" or "spread through." That's why "pervade" looks like other words involving motion, like "evade" and "invade.") So, something pervasive--usually something bad--is so present, and so widespread, that it seems to be everywhere. Pronunciation: per VAY siv 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 pervasive thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was pervasive.") Other common forms: pervasively, pervasiveness; pervade, pervaded, pervading, pervadingly, pervasion How to use it: This word usually has a negative tone. Talk about...    pervasive odors,     pervasive problems and issues,    pervasive worries and doubts,    pervasive lies and myths,    pervasive negative attitudes,    pervasive abuse,    pervasive stigmas,    pervasive corruption,    pervasive incompetence, etc. We also talk about certain pervasive cultures: a pervasive culture of hazing, a pervasive culture of harassment.  Although pervasive things are usually bad, they can also be neutral: pervasive ad campaigns, pervasive borrowing and lending, pervasive technologies (like pervasive self-checkout machines), etc. Do we ever talk about good things that are pervasive? Kind of: "Pervasive optimism." "A pervasive culture of creativity." But with examples like those, you get the feeling that "pervasive" is being used ironically. examples: The nation still grapples with pervasive opioid abuse. "Such segmentation is pervasive in our interactive, digital world. We select the news we want to read, the music we wish to hear, and the stores we choose to shop at. Whatever we 'like' online comes back at us relentlessly, reinforcing a narrow focus."    — Peter Funt, Wall Street Journal, 5 September 2018 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "pervasive" without saying "present everywhere" or "very common." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "I can't enjoy _____ because of (its, their, or the) pervasive _____." Example: "I can't enjoy his stand-up performances because of their pervasive misogyny." 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. Complete the Clichés! In each issue this month, I'll present a general theme and a handful of common expressions that apply to it--but only the first few words of each expression. See if you can complete them!  To keep things interesting, I've picked a mixture of phrases both new and familiar to me. I hope some will pique your curiosity and inspire you to Google them for their meanings and backstories. (Please try that first, and if your search turns up empty, email me for help.) If you're playing this game with the kids in your family or your class, you might enjoy talking together about what the phrases mean. Enjoy! In the previous issue, the theme was "make your point:" A. Get down to... B. Get down to... C. Don't beat... D. Speak your... E. Speak your... F. Speak your... Answers: A. Get down to business. B. Get down to brass tacks. C. Don't beat around the bush. D. Speak your mind. E. Speak your piece. F. Speak your truth. Try these today. The theme is "Make Your Point:" A. An _________ around the neck B. Pull yourself up by the _________ C. The devil _________ D. Cut the _______ knot E. _____ for the mill F. Meet your ________ G. Go on the _______ (Hint: the missing words are in alphabetical order.) review today's word: 1. A close opposite of PERVASIVE is A. HIGH AND DRY. B. A DIME A DOZEN. C. FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. 2. You can't dispute the chain's pervasiveness; _____. A. its suppliers still fail to adhere to standards for the ethical treatment of animals B. every menu item is tasty enough (and salty enough) to be addictive C. 43,306 Subway restaurants operate across 112 countries 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. C 2. C