Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CALIGINOUS

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"CALIGINOUS" Meaning: Something caliginous is dark, dim, misty, and murky. Figuratively, something caliginous is dimly seen or dimly understood. This word comes from a Latin one meaning "dark, misty, foggy, or gloomy." Pronunciation: kuh LIJ uh nuss 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 caliginous atmosphere.” 2. After a linking verb, as in "The atmosphere was caliginous.”) Other forms: caliginously, caliginosity/caliginousness How to use it: This word is spooky and scholarly. It's one of the rarer ones that we'll examine but is still plenty useful. You can use it literally ("the caliginous corners of the attic," "a caliginous cave," "caliginous weather") or figuratively ("caliginous poetry," "caliginous comments," "a caliginous prediction," "caliginous thoughts," "a caliginous mood," "this caliginous atmosphere," etc.) A caliginous storm rolling in over the bay gives me the shivers; the gray water is unsettling without its usual bright sparkle. I get the ongoing appeal of the more caliginous Halloween costumes, but my daughter will be going as various princesses until she's old enough to say otherwise. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "caliginous" means when you can explain it without saying "obscure" or "shadowy." Think of topic or concept that is really hard for you to understand, and fill in the blank: "For how well I understand it, _____ may as well be shrouded in a caliginous mist." Example: "For how well I understand it and its appeal, Snapchat may as well be shrouded in a caliginous mist." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: Our October game references some material that may be protected by copyright. I appreciate your understanding as I err on the side of caution by not publishing it here! A Point Well Made: George Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” 1. The opposite of CALIGINOUS is A. BEAUTIFIED B. ILLUMINATED C. VINDICATED 2. His mind kept returning to the same caliginous fear: that _____. A. his alarm wouldn't go off and he'd be late for work yet again B. he would get flustered and turn red in the middle of his presentation C. some unnamed mental illness would warp his perception of reality Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C Exploring the archives: We've examined several other words for things that are dark, deep, hidden, hard to see, and hard to understand. Here they are: abstruse, abysmal, nebulous, and obfuscated. Knowing all of these, plus "caliginous," means you're prepared to express your idea with absolute precision. So, can you recall which one means made dark and confusing on purpose? Which means deep or vast like a bottomless hole? Which means vague and hazy like a cloud? And which means too deep and too hard for most people to understand? Click on the words to check that you've got these all straight.