Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ANODYNE
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pronounce
ANODYNE:
Say it "AN uh dine."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Before we jump into our study of anodyne, which originally meant "pain-relieving, soothing, calming," let's take stock of some other words we know that are all about pain and pain relief:
allay
alleviate
fester
lacerate
nepenthean
nettle
salve
Weltschmerz
Could you take the eight words above and split them into two equal groups: a group of words about pain, and a group of words about pain relief?
If you'd like to review any of them, give them a click.
make your point with...
"ANODYNE"
This word has Greek roots that mean "without pain." Originally, something anodyne (like an anodyne medicine or remedy) was pain-relieving.
Because these anodyne things were, by nature, very soothing, the word "anodyne" came to mean "soothing, calming, making people feel better."
And because things that are soothing also tend to be gentle and harmless, "anodyne" also came to mean "harmless, boring, not offensive to anybody."
That's the meaning we use most often today.
Part of speech:
Usually an adjective: "an anodyne message," "the effect was totally anodyne."
Other forms:
None are common.
It's old-fashioned, but you can also use "anodyne" as a noun, meaning "a thing that's soothing." For example, David Brewster wrote in 1855 that "time" is "the only anodyne of sorrow."
How to use it:
This word has a formal tone.
These days, even though "anodyne" can still mean "soothing" or "pain-relieving," we most often use it to mean "bland, boring, harmless, inoffensive, unexciting; not at all risky, risque, or risk-taking."
So, "anodyne" is often a mild criticism or insult. Choose it when you want to emphasize how something is so dull, so unimaginative, and so uncontroversial that it reminds you of a medicine offered to relieve the pain of the masses. In other words, "anodyne" is a formal substitute for slangy expressions like "so basic" and "so P.C. (politically correct)."
Talk about anodyne words, labels, language, sentences, statements, comments, messages, themes, talking points, speeches, tones, effects, films, songs, exhibits, museums, works of art or literature, etc.
examples:
"Hamilton added two hashtags: #blacklivesmatter and #alllivesmatter. Even this anodyne call for unity sparked dissent."
— Sean Gregory, TIME, 19 December 2016
"[Arizona Public Services] spent nearly $4 million on TV, print and Internet ads depicting solar homeowners as freeloaders on the grid, and an economic burden to all the households without such solar panels. According to APS ads, such solar homes cost the rest of the utility's customers at least $1,000 a year, what they dubbed a 'cost shift' in anodyne bureaucratic terminology concealing real malice."
— David Biello, Scientific American, 25 March 2014
has this page helped you understand "anodyne"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "anodyne" without saying "vapid" or "inoffensive."
try it out:
Writing for the Washington Post, Daniel Nieh reports,
"State regulators allow foreign books and films into [China] only if they are deemed anodyne, and insufficiently bland music acts can’t perform on the mainland."
He provides three examples of musicians who, in China's view, are not anodyne enough:
"Jay-Z was banned because censors considered his lyrics too profane; Katy Perry sinned by wearing a Taiwanese flag; and Justin Bieber was blacklisted after visiting a controversial Japanese shrine."
Give some examples of music, books, or films that you think are anodyne enough to be allowed into China. What makes these works so anodyne? Despite their anodyne nature, do you enjoy them?
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.
This month, we're playing "What's the Word?"
On Reddit, r/whatstheword is a community of about 55,000 members: folks who gather to help each other out when they can't think of a particular word. "It's on the tip of my tongue," they say. Or, "This word might not even exist. Help!"
In each issue this month, check out a post from the community, and see if you can come up with the word or phrase in question. We'll work our way from relatively easy to extremely hard questions as the month goes on.
From the previous issue: A community member asked, "What's the word for the effect in which a group of people does something that none of the participants wants to do? So for example: In a family of four the dad suggests to go to Disneyland. Obviously he doesn't want to Disneyland himself but 'the kids will love it,' he thinks to himself. The wife agrees; she would hate a trip to Disneyland but the kids will have so much fun. Now the son thinks Disney is boring and a trip to Disneyland would be agonizing, but since his parents both want to go and his little sister might enjoy it he responds enthusiastically, 'yes let's go to Disneyland!' The little sister has a similar thought pattern and also agrees to go. Now the whole family of four goes on a trip to Disneyland all the while everyone would much rather stay home. If I recall correctly there was some sort of term or name for this effect; can anyone help me out here?"
Answer: A good suggestion was "groupthink," but the most precise answer was "the Abilene paradox."
Try this last one today: A community member asked, "What's the word for when you are reading a book and run across a word you’ve never seen or heard, so you look it up AND THEN in the next few days the word pops up three or four times in unrelated settings such as the TV meteorologist, a magazine cover on the grocery store, and overheard in conversation?"
I'll share the answer in the upcoming issue, but if you can't wait, you can view the whole original thread here.
review this word:
1. A near opposite of ANODYNE is
A. BRILLIANT.
B. PROVOCATIVE.
C. FORWARD-THINKING.
2. Kidz Bop churns out anodyne versions of popular songs, turning lyrics like Lizzo's "I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be your side chick" into "_____."
A. I will never, ever, ever, ever bond into a polymer
B. I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever want it like that
C. I will never, ever descend to the role of paramour
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.
Before we jump into our study of anodyne, which originally meant "pain-relieving, soothing, calming," let's take stock of some other words we know that are all about pain and pain relief: This word has Greek roots that mean "without pain." Originally, something anodyne (like an anodyne medicine or remedy) was pain-relieving.
"Hamilton added two hashtags: #blacklivesmatter and #alllivesmatter. Even this anodyne call for unity sparked dissent."
Explain the meaning of "anodyne" without saying "vapid" or "inoffensive."
Writing for the Washington Post, Daniel Nieh reports,
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A near opposite of ANODYNE is
|