Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RIANT

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connect today's word to others: Words are such a joy. Especially happy little rarities like riant, which means "smiling, laughing, or in a cheerful mood." The words riant, ridicule, ridiculous, and __ris___ (the act of making fun of people or things) all ultimately come from the Latin ridere, "to laugh." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "RIANT" Someone or something riant is happy, smiling, and lighthearted, or more figuratively, bright, cheerful, and nice to look at. Pronunciation: Either "ree YONT" or "RY unt." ("Riant" ultimately comes from Latin, but it came to us through French. If you prefer to stick to the word's French origin, say "ree YONT." And if you're okay with the Anglicized version, say "RY unt," just like the name Ryan but with a "t" at the end.) Part of speech: Adjective: "her riant eyes," "the landscape was riant." Other forms: You can use the spelling "riante," if you prefer. The adverb is "riantly" (RY unt lee) and the noun is "riancy" (RY un see). How to use it: Pick this rare, dainty, poetic, foreign-sounding word when you need special emphasis. Talk about riant people, personalities, moods, faces, expressions, eyes, comments, humor, etc. And to get more figurative, talk about riant landscapes, scenes, valleys, mountains, rivers, etc. examples: I called them our fairy-tale vines: delicate emerald tendrils spilling heart-shaped leaves all over the fence in a riant abundance. "The flowers, shining, exhale their perfume ... Everything is riant, stirring, singing, in the world that I behold from my balcony."    — Armando Palacio Valdés, as translated by Minna Caroline Smith, The Joy of Captain Ribot, 1900 study it: Explain the meaning of "riant" without saying "rosy" or "good-humored." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone's) riant (face or eyes) shine(s) as _____." Example: "Tom's riant eyes shine as he launches into the joke." before you review, play: Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, Jeopardy!" In each issue, I'll create three "answers" for you, and you supply the "questions." (That is, you'll respond in the form of a question, like "What is...?" or "Who is...?") From the previous issue: 1. Category: Stoned Bands. Answer: This band formed in Iowa in 1992, crooning lyrics like "stones to throw at my creator" that might leave a bad taste in your mouth. Question: Who are Stone Sour? 2. Category: Spicy Spelling. Answer: This is how you spell the strongly-flavored smoked ripe jalapeño pepper often used in Mexican dishes—not phonetically, as "chih POTE lay." Question: What is C-H-I-P-O-T-L-E? 3. Category: Hear-Saying. Answer: To listen with this much of an ear is to pay only partial attention. Question: What is half? Try these today: 1. Category: Spicy Spelling. Answer: This, and not the phonetic "KORE ee an dur," is how you spell the aromatic flavoring element made from a plant native to Southern Europe, which in the 1700s served as a slang term for "coin" or "money." 2. Category: Hear-Saying. Answer: To "listen to this" is to accept advice that's sensible. 3. Category: Words in "January." Answer: As the joke goes, when a door stands open, it's no longer a door: it's this. review today's word: 1. The opposite of RIANT is A. WHOLE. B. LOADED. C. DOLEFUL. 2. The poems are full of _____, some even with the riancy of _____. A. stern rebukes .. uptight Victorianism B. wit and color .. Shel Silverstein or Dr. Seuss C. rigorous description .. a biologist or an entomologist 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. B