Make Your Point > Archived Issues > REPINE
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connect today's word to others:
Today's repine originally meant "to grumble: to talk about how dissatisfied you are." But because it looks like pine, as in "to long for something eagerly," it took on that meaning, too.
The same thing happened with our word farouche. It originally meant "shy and sullen, without social skills." But because it sounds a bit like another word, it absorbed that word's meaning, too--could you recall what it is? Here's an example sentence to give you a clue: "With a farouche style that you either love or hate, the singer seems to roar out each note."
make your point with...
"REPINE"
To repine is either to complain in an unhappy way or to yearn for something in an unhappy way.
Pronunciation:
Either "ruh PINE" or "ree PINE."
Part of speech:
Verb, usually the intransitive kind:
you repine, or you repine for something,
but you usually don't "repine something."
Other forms:
repined, repining, repiner(s)
How to use it:
"Repine" is a rare word, but when you use it, your context will help everyone know what you mean, whether you're using the older meaning ("grumble") or the newer ("yearn").
"Repine" has a literary tone, so it's best for being serious (or pretend-serious).
Talk about people repining for things: repining for the past, repining for change or for relief, repining for the glory days of, you know, whatever. (Wrestling, classic rock, or smoking in bars, maybe?)
And you don't have to repine for something; you can just repine: "She sat by the water, repining, her eyes glazed over."
Though it's most common to say that you repine for something--meaning you yearn discontentedly for it--you can also repine about something or repine against something, meaning you complain discontentedly about it. (In older texts, you'll also see people repining at things--"he repined at his lot in life," "she repined at her terrible luck"--but as far as I can tell, we don't say or write "repine at" anymore.)
You can also talk about people who don't repine, even when they have a good reason to: "he never repined as he labored," "not a word of repining was heard from her," "not a single prisoner repined."
Lastly, it's rare, but you can use "repine" as a transitive verb and talk about repining discontent, repining humiliations, repining the evil in the world, etc.
examples:
One difference between Bella Swan and Hermione Granger: when her boyfriend disappears, Hermione does a lot less repining and a lot more focusing on work for the good of humanity.
Yelp reviewers are not exactly helpful when they repine about sloppily-folded napkins and tiny bruises in the avocados.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "repine" means when you can explain it without saying "to talk about your dissatisfaction" or "to long for something grouchily."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) accepted (some loss, or something tragic or troublesome) without repining."
Example: "He accepted his diagnosis without repining."
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, see if you can associate a snippet of song lyrics with a word we’ve studied before. For example, here's Dave Matthews: "Wasting time, let the hours roll by doing nothing for the fun. A little taste of the good life." Those lyrics call to mind the word LOTUS-EATING.
From our previous issue:
In "It's All Been Done Before," Ryan Montbleau sings:
"Because it's all been done before
And so it will again.
'Nothing new is ever new,' she said."
Do those lyrics call to mind the word EFFLORESCENCE, RAFFISH, or RÉCHAUFFÉ? Why?
Answer: RÉCHAUFFÉ. Something réchauffé is like warmed-up leftover food: it's the same old stuff all over again.
Try this today:
In "The Fear," Lily Allen sings:
"I want to be rich and I want lots of money.
I don't care about clever, I don't care about funny.
I want loads of clothes and [truckloads] of diamonds."
Do those lyrics call to mind the word ACQUISITIVE, INCISIVE, or LACKADAISICAL? Why?
review today's word:
1. Some opposites of REPINE are
A. ENVISION VIVIDLY and CREATE.
B. PRAY FERVENTLY and ARISE.
C. ACCEPT SILENTLY and REPEL.
2. Much of his stand-up routine consists of repining _____.
A. through popular misconceptions
B. beneath the quirky habits of his roommates
C. for the good old days before political correctness
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. C
2. C
Today's repine originally meant "to grumble: to talk about how dissatisfied you are." But because it looks like pine, as in "to long for something eagerly," it took on that meaning, too.
"REPINE" To repine is either to complain in an unhappy way or to yearn for something in an unhappy way. Part of speech: Other forms:
One difference between Bella Swan and Hermione Granger: when her boyfriend disappears, Hermione does a lot less repining and a lot more focusing on work for the good of humanity.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "repine" means when you can explain it without saying "to talk about your dissatisfaction" or "to long for something grouchily."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) accepted (some loss, or something tragic or troublesome) without repining."
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. Some opposites of REPINE are
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. |