Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ULCER

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pronounce ULCER: Say it "ULL sir." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: If a problem gets worse and worse, you might say it's ulcerating. Or, more likely, you'd say it's f__tering. Could you recall that synonym? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: "Ulcer" comes from a Latin word for "a sore, or a sore subject." Literally speaking, an ulcer is a painful, diseased sore, often inside the stomach, and often one that gets worse and worse instead of healing. (As with all medical definitions, take this one with a grain of salt--I'm not a doctor!) And figuratively speaking, an ulcer is a thing, a person, or a thought or worry that causes so much stress or pain that it reminds you of a sore in the stomach. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "It stressed him out, giving him an ulcer;" "We waited nervously, picking at our fingernails and probably getting ulcers." Other forms worth knowing:  Something can be ulcerous: "an ulcerous blister;" "their filthy and ulcerous language." And something can ulcerate, or be ulcerated, or be ulcerating, or experience ulceration: "The pain ulcerated in his heart;" "That kind of thinking can ulcerate your mind." how to use it: "Ulcer" is one of those familiar yet startling words that helps us speak emphatically about how stress, pain, and nervousness seem to be--or actually are--inflicting bodily damage on us. You might use it to exaggerate, saying that some thought or situation is giving you ulcers. Or you might use it to get figurative, saying that something (or someone) IS an ulcer, maybe an ulcer on society or an ulcer on the face of the planet. examples: "'Mama,' I say, just wanting to end this conversation, 'would it really be so terrible if I never met a husband?' ... She presses her hand to her stomach, the very thought advancing her ulcers."     — Kathryn Stockett, The Help, 2009 "The programmes went out live, and there was no autocue or earpiece. We'd get the scripts the night before and have to learn them. Then we'd rehearse – and then Biddy would give us any number of notes before we went on. It would drive people nuts. It was all so nerve-racking, so exciting, that people were developing ulcers all over the place."    — Sarah Greene, as interviewed by Bibi van der Zee, The Guardian, 25 February 2013 has this page helped you understand "ulcer"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "ulcer" without saying "sore that keeps worsening" or "pain that won't heal." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) once had a healthy love of _____, before that ulcer grew on it: _____." Example: "He once had a healthy love of reading, before that ulcer grew on it: the weekly, graded, two-hundred-words-or-more book report." If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Country Song, or Springer Episode? Be warned: this month's game is in poor taste. I had so much fun creating it, so what does that say about me? And if you're good at it, what does that say about you? Oh, snap.  Country songs and Jerry Springer episodes have something in common: their self-aware, over-the-top titles. It's clear that the creators of both enjoyed poking fun at their genre. In each round of the game this month, check out a handful of titles, and see if you can decide whether each belongs to a country song or a Jerry Springer episode. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Try these today: 1. High Cost of Low Living  2. Bibles and Vacuum Cleaners 3. If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead? review this word: 1. A near opposite of ULCEROUS is A. FINAL. B. LUCKY. C. ROBUST. 2. Reductress joked, "The [Dorito] cheese dust reacts with the citrus fruit to create intense _____ ulcers that prevent you from letting yourself _____." A. stomach .. get full B. mental .. overthink things C. breath .. get too cozy with anyone Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A Answer to the game questions:  1. High Cost of Low Living → Song 2. Bibles and Vacuum Cleaners → Springer 3. If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead? → Song a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my 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.