Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EMOTE
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
explore the archives:
To express an emotion is to emote. With that in mind, let's do an old-fashioned analogy: the kind the SAT used to have. Ready?
Emote is to emotion as _____ is to opinion.
make your point with...
"EMOTE"
To emote is to express emotion. In other words, emoting is using words, tone or volume of voice, gestures, movement, and so on to demonstrate how you feel.
Pronunciation:
Either "ee MOTE" or "ih MOTE."
Part of speech:
Verb.
It's both transitive (you emote a feeling)
and intransitive (you emote).
Other forms:
emoted, emoting; emotive, emotively
How to use it:
"Emote" sounds so clipped and funny because it's a back-formation from "emotion;" so, you use it when you need a humorous, short word to express your idea (and fit your context).
Emoting is something that actors and actresses, models, musicians, and other performers do--and fictional characters, too--so you often talk about people emoting in those situations, or failing to emote properly.
But we emote (and fail to emote) in real situations as well: the person who emotes too freely is just as awkward as the one who's too stiff or closed-off to emote at all, meaning our word is really useful for talking about social awkwardness.
You can also point out how someone is only emoting rather than voicing an informed or rational thought, and you can remind people of what doesn't emote--like the slot machine that seems to love you, or the app that seems to malfunction on purpose because it hates you.
examples:
Her standards are pretty high--she wants to date someone who earns six figures, keeps a clean house, looks like a model, charms, commits, and emotes. She's single.
Eyebrow shaping is an art. One misstep, and you're emoting surprise 24/7.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "emote" means when you can explain it without saying "ham it up" or "show how you feel."
try it out:
Think of a powerful song or movie scene that you like. Fill in the blanks: "(A performer) emotes every (word or line) in (a song or scene) with (some feeling, such as passion, regret, or joy)."
Example: "Elton John emotes every line in 'Belfast' with melancholy."
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.
This month, we're playing "You Know, That Thing!"
This game challenges your powers of recall. Start a timer: twenty seconds if you're an adult, longer if you're a kid or an English language learner. Read the description of each thing, and come up with its name. Try to name all three before your timer runs out. (Scroll all the way down for the answers.)
Ready? Go!
1. A snack-like food you eat right before your main meal is an…
2. The general term for huge, thick-skinned animals, like elephants and hippos, is…
3. Giving special advantages to groups that have usually suffered from disadvantages is called…
review today's word:
1. The opposite of EMOTIVE is
A. GLASSY
B. FUZZY
C. WOODEN
2. _____ is perhaps the cheapest way to argue: when you have no logical reasons or credibility of your own to convey, you can still emote.
A. Logos
B. Ethos
C. Pathos
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@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. C
2. C. (If you weren't familiar with the words in the answer choices, you might have gotten to this answer by noticing that "pathos" looks like other words related to feelings: "empathy," "pathetic," and "sympathy.")
Answers to game questions:
1. appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, or starter
2. "pachyderms"
3. affirmative action, employment equity, positive discrimination, or reservation (or handicap)
To express an emotion is to emote. With that in mind, let's do an old-fashioned analogy: the kind the SAT used to have. Ready?
"EMOTE" To emote is to express emotion. In other words, emoting is using words, tone or volume of voice, gestures, movement, and so on to demonstrate how you feel. Pronunciation: Part of speech:
Her standards are pretty high--she wants to date someone who earns six figures, keeps a clean house, looks like a model, charms, commits, and emotes. She's single.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "emote" means when you can explain it without saying "ham it up" or "show how you feel."
Think of a powerful song or movie scene that you like. Fill in the blanks: "(A performer) emotes every (word or line) in (a song or scene) with (some feeling, such as passion, regret, or joy)."
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.
1. The opposite of EMOTIVE is
To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
|