Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DYSPEPTIC
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pronounce
DYSPEPTIC:
Say it "dis PEP tick."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
See if you can recall this close synonym of dyspeptic:
If you're b___ous, you're cranky, irritable, or full of hateful anger, as if your stomach is always bothering you.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Dyspepsia," with Greek bits meaning "bad digestion," is another word for "indigestion: a stomach ache from eating too much food (or too much bad food)."
If you're dyspeptic, literally, you're sick with a stomach ache.
And if you're dyspeptic, figuratively, you're in a really bad mood, as if you're suffering from a stomach ache.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a dyspeptic old professor;" "a dyspeptic midlife crisis (The Guardian)."
Other forms:
Dyspepsia, dyspeptically.
how to use it:
Pick the old-fashioned word "dyspeptic" to label people, characters, personalities, moods, faces, comments, reviews, conversations, etc.
It's a semi-common word, so it's more surprising and emphatic than synonyms like "cranky," "surly, and "irritable." And it suggests stomach pains, so it's more specific, too.
It can be pretty funny. Here's Gene Weingarten: "Dearly beloved, I speak to you today about my grandma Bessie Shorr, who was a complete pain in the butt. Late in life, she lived with my family for 15 years or so, a persistently cranky and dyspeptic presence who would begin each day around 6 a.m. with a loud 'oy.'"
examples:
"He spent his days muttering dyspeptically to himself and singing naughty sea chanteys, with the occasional random earsplitting screech thrown in just to make you jump."
— Jaqueline Kelly, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, 2009
"Grant's way with a melody never fails him, even when his lyrics are at their most dyspeptic. In fact, you sometimes get the sense that the more likely the song's words are to tie your stomach in knots, the more likely they are to come couched in a warm, gorgeously lulling tune."
— Alexis Petridis, The Guardian, 7 March 2013
has this page helped you understand "dyspeptic"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dyspeptic" without saying "grouchy" or "ornery."
try it out:
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that there are "dyspeptic authors who only write when they cannot digest something, or when something has remained stuck in their teeth."
Talk about what he means. And, see if you can give an example of some public figure (maybe a writer, a pundit, or a TV or YouTube personality) who strikes you as dyspeptic. What is it that gives this person so much anger, or apparent indigestion?
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.
Our game for September is Solve the Square!
It's inspired by Squareword, which is like Wordle but in 3D. In each issue this month, find the 5-letter word that completes the square, creating words both horizontally and vertically. For a bonus point, define the word you've supplied. For the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
T
H
E
S
E
R
E
L
A
X
A
L
I
B
I
C
I
T
E
S
_
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review this word:
A. EBULLIENT: joyful, as if you're bubbling inside.
B. FLETCHERIZING: obsessive, as if you're chewing on the same idea for a long time.
C. DEMONSTRATIVE: emotional, as if you're eager to express everything you're feeling.
2.
Here's Saturday Night Live poking fun at a dyspeptic news anchor: "_____."
A. It's an absolute disgrace. Whatever you're talking about
B. Don't be fooled by the charred Red Lobster sign out front; this club is a burned down Red Lobster
C. And in music news, number one on the college charts this summer was Better Than Ezra. And at number two? Ezra
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:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A 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.
See if you can recall this close synonym of dyspeptic:
"Dyspepsia," with Greek bits meaning "bad digestion," is another word for "indigestion: a stomach ache from eating too much food (or too much bad food)."
Part of speech:
Pick the old-fashioned word "dyspeptic" to label people, characters, personalities, moods, faces, comments, reviews, conversations, etc.
"He spent his days muttering dyspeptically to himself and singing naughty sea chanteys, with the occasional random earsplitting screech thrown in just to make you jump."
Explain the meaning of "dyspeptic" without saying "grouchy" or "ornery."
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that there are "dyspeptic authors who only write when they cannot digest something, or when something has remained stuck in their teeth."
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.
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. |