Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RESPLENDENT
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connect today's word to others:
Our beautiful word resplendent literally means "intensively shining or glittering," which is why it looks so much like splendid and splendor.
Let's take the synonyms lambent, luminous, resplendent, and scintillating and put them in order of increasing brightness. How would you arrange them?
make your point with...
"RESPLENDENT"
Resplendent people and things are brilliantly beautiful.
Pronunciation:
"ruh SPLEN dunt"
(or "ree SPLEN dunt")
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 resplendent thing" or "a resplendent person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was resplendent " or "She was resplendent.")
Other forms worth knowing:
Resplendently, resplendence/resplendency.
Although it's rare, you can say that something resplends, or that it's resplending.
How to use it:
"Resplendent" is a beautiful word with a strong positive tone. It's less common than "splendid," "dazzling," and "brilliant," so it's a great word to pick when you need to be especially emphatic. Just remember that it suggests a literal or figurative shine or brightness.
Talk about resplendent people, animals, objects, buildings, landscapes, music, art, films, writing, humor, days, nights, memories, etc.
Often we'll say someone is resplendent in something: "she was resplendent in her wedding gown," "he takes the stage, resplendent in his costume," "she stood, resplendent in her victory."
And something can be resplendent with certain features: "a candy shop resplendent with gumballs," "an ending resplendent with glory."
examples:
This is how children get spoiled: I can't say no to the balloon or the cookie when her face is so resplendent with hope.
It always seems so dull to sing the alto part, the notes that hang around in the shadows of the melody's resplendence.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "resplendent" means when you can explain it without saying "lustrous" or "gleaming."
try it out:
Fill in the blank: "In my memory, _____ has taken on even more resplendence."
Example: "In my memory, the night sky above Mauna Kea has taken on even more resplendence."
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.
"Bits & Pieces." This month, we're playing with affixes and combining forms, the bits and pieces of our language, matching them to their meanings. The more of these bits and pieces you know, the better you are at decoding unfamiliar words, which is sooo satisfying! I'll share the answers in each subsequent issue.
Here are the answers from our previous issue:
1. "hemi-" means "half."
2. "hexa-" means "six."
3. "icos(a)-" means "twenty."
4. "sesqui-" means "one and a half."
5. "tetra-" means "four."
Try this set today. It's about parts:
1. "aniso-" means _____.
2. "dicho-" means _____.
3. "iso-" means _____.
4. "mero-" means _____.
5. "meio-" means _____.
Answer bank:
A. equal
B. unequal
C. part or partial
D. apart or in two
E. less or lesser
review today's word:
1. One opposite of RESPLENDENT is
A. QUIRKY.
B. HOMELY.
C. SHIFTY.
2. At the heart of the poem is a single resplendent image, one of _____.
A. the tourists clogging the streets
B. the Goddess's shimmering wings
C. the lonely smoke rising from a window
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. B
2. B
Our beautiful word resplendent literally means "intensively shining or glittering," which is why it looks so much like splendid and splendor.
"RESPLENDENT" Resplendent people and things are brilliantly beautiful. Other forms worth knowing:
This is how children get spoiled: I can't say no to the balloon or the cookie when her face is so resplendent with hope.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "resplendent" means when you can explain it without saying "lustrous" or "gleaming."
Fill in the blank: "In my memory, _____ has taken on even more resplendence."
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. One opposite of RESPLENDENT is
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. |