Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ALACRITY

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connect today's word to others: To do something with alacrity is to do it quickly, readily, happily, cheerfully, eagerly, with no hesitation and no sc___les--that is, no guilty little thoughts about whether or not your plan is morally right. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "ALACRITY" From a Latin word meaning "eagerness and liveliness," alacrity is cheerful, lively eagerness to do something. Pronunciation: uh LACK ruh dee Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the alacrity," "this alacrity," "his alacrity," "such alacrity," "no alacrity," and so on, but don’t say "an alacrity," "one alacrity," or "alacrities.") Other forms: There are two adjectives: pick either "alacrious" (uh LACK ree us) or "alacritous" (uh LACK ruh duss). I prefer the second. The same for the adverb: pick either "alacriously" (uh LACK ree us lee) or "alacritously" (uh LACK ruh duss lee). Again, I'll stick with the second. The verb is rare and sounds ugly to me: "alacrify," "alacrified," "alacrifying." (To alacrify people is to fill them with alacrity.) How to use it: This word most often has a cheerful, positive tone. Talk in general about someone's alacrity (his alacrity, her alacrity, their alacrity), or talk about someone's alacrity in doing something (his alacrity in answering her texts, her alacrity in making the changes we suggested, their alacrity in fulfilling our requests). Or, talk about doing something with alacrity. Examples include answering or responding with alacrity, commenting on something with alacrity, praising someone or something with alacrity, serving someone with alacrity or performing a duty with alacrity, moving or shifting with alacrity, eating or sharing something with alacrity, accepting or offering something with alacrity, and embracing or pursuing something with alacrity. To be a little more formal, talk about the alacrity with which people do things: "We were surprised by the alacrity with which he accepted the offer." examples: When I was pregnant with my daughter, I often smiled at the alacrity with which a stranger held open a door or offered to carry my bags. Maybe you've seen them around town: artistic, cheerfully painted rocks, scattered and hidden as gifts for the finder. More and more Richmonders are embracing this trend with alacrity and creativity. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "alacrity" means when you can explain it without saying "cheerful readiness" or "eagerness to act or react." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "I don't respond to (certain messages, invitations, or offers) with quite the alacrity I used to--(because of a certain reason)." Example: "I don't respond to post-transaction survey offers with quite the alacrity I used to--I'm less eager for the promise of a discount in return, and I'm more protective of my free time." 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. Our game this month is "A Vocabulary of Movie Quotes." Jean Picker Firstenberg at the American Film Institute (AFI) says, "Great movie quotes become part of our cultural vocabulary." I believe it! I bet you can recall, verbatim, any of the AFI's "100 Greatest Movie Quotes of All Time" if all I give you is a single word from the quote. For example, if I give you the word KANSAS, I bet you can recite this: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," from The Wizard of Oz (1939). I'll share each answer in the following issue. And we’ll work our way forward in time, starting with the oldest movies. Let’s play! From the previous issue: From a 1972 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word OFFER? Answer: From The Godfather: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Try this today: From a 1979 film, what's the famous quote that includes the word NAPALM? review today's word: 1. The opposite of ALACRITOUS is A. COMPLETE B. RELUCTANT C. TOLERANT 2. I dialed the office, where an alacritous voice _____. A. urged me most solemnly to listen carefully as their menu options have changed B. recited a greeting drenched in corporate jargon and seething compliance C. chirped "hello" after the very first ring 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. C