Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INDELIBLE

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connect today's word to others: Thanks to the Latin delere, which means "to destroy" or "to blot out," we've got words like delete, delible and indelible, and del______us, which means "harmful to our health, or harmful to our minds or morals." Could you recall that one? Here's an example I gave: "Somehow, he remains immune to the del______us effects of working day in and day out with children who are suffering--he's still cheerful and optimistic." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "INDELIBLE" This word is closely related to the word "delete." Something delible (like a delible stain or a delible impression) can be deleted or erased. So, something indelible can't be erased. In other words, indelible things stay in your mind or heart forever, and you can't forget about them or get rid of them. Pronunciation: in DELL ih bull 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 "an indelible thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was indelible.") Other forms: indelibly, indelibility How to use it: We don't often use the word "delible," which is why we're focusing on its opposite, "indelible." It can be a poetic, beautiful, and dramatic word. And it can describe both good things ("that indelible warmth of being loved") as well as bad ("an indelible stab of rejection"). To be literal, talk about indelible ink, indelible pencils, or indelible marks, lines, or stains. Indelible marks, lines, and stains can also be figurative: "The mark he left on the presidency was indelible." "The scandal left an indelible stain on her character." You can also talk about indelible lessons, influences, impressions, memories, recollections, dreams, images, scenes, and so on. examples: Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" remains the indelible soundtrack to middle school. Her death drew an indelible line through our lives; we now conceive of every event in terms of whether it happened before or after she was gone. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "indelible" means when you can explain it without saying "unerasable" or "leaving a permanent mark." try it out: Think of an unforgettable dream. Fill in the blanks: "I still see that indelible (image or vision) of _____." Example: "I still see that indelible image of her arriving at our front door, smiling and radiant, in the powder blue dress." 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 with The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. It's a collection of silly, sarcastic, satirical definitions of everyday words, and--lucky us!--it's in the public domain. In each issue this month, I'll give you one of Bierce's definitions and, if it's a tough one, I'll give you the word's first letter. And you try to come up with the word. From our previous issue: Bierce defines it as "a large bird whose flesh when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating." It's a noun. What is it? Answer: Turkey. Try this today: Bierce defines it as "the crocodile of America, superior in every detail to the crocodile of the effete monarchies of the Old World." It's a noun. What is it? review today's word: 1. The exact opposite of INDELIBLE is DELIBLE. But another opposite of INDELIBLE could be A. TORN IN HALF B. WRITTEN IN SAND C. WRAPPED UP IN A RIBBON 2. _____ remains indelible in our _____ memory. A. The terrorist attack .. national B. The sound of crunching leaves .. auditory C. That math formula we never understood and never use .. long-term 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. A