Last week we studied words which had the same, or nearly the same,
meaning. There is always a slight distinction in the meaning of words,
but some of them are so nearly the same that it makes very little
difference which word we use. Some writers, however, are very careful
and spend a great deal of time in the selection of just the right word
to express their meaning.
Robert Louis Stevenson once said a good writer would wait half a day in
order to secure the best word to convey a certain idea.
A very amusing story is told of Thomas Carlyle, who was very careful to
use words expressing just the shade of meaning which he desired to
express. He had a habit of writing in a note book these words as they
occurred to him, so he would have them for ready reference and use. One
day he had searched all day for a certain word which eluded him.
Suddenly in the middle of the night he wakened with the word flashing in
his mind. He wanted to write it down immediately lest he should forget
it in the morning, but it was cold and he dreaded getting up in the cold
to secure his note book so he nudged Jeanie, his wife, and said:
"Jeanie, Jeanie, get up! I have thought of a good word, and I want you
to write it down." Now it was equally cold for Jeanie, so Jeanie nudged
Thomas and said: "Thomas, Thomas, get up yourself. I have thought of a
bad one!"
Nevertheless, it is a good idea when these good words occur to you to
write them down. Possibly to save trouble, you had better write them for
yourself!
But in addition to words which have the same meaning, or almost the same
meaning, there are also words which express just the opposite meaning,
and it is well for us to be master of these words also.
+These words which express opposite meaning are called antonyms.+ Words
and their antonyms are given in this week's spelling lesson in the words
for the first three days' study. For the last three days, words only are
given. Look these words up in your dictionary and determine upon the
most suitable antonyms.
+Monday+
Legal
Illegal
Artificial
Natural
Assert
Deny
+Tuesday+
Civilized
Barbarous
Courage
Cowardice
Active
Passive
+Wednesday+
Initial
Final
Temporary
Permanent
History
Legend
+Thursday+
Addition
Cleverness
Assured
Genuine
Acquit
Increase
+Friday+
Affection
Composure
Enlarge
Anxious
Prompt
Discord
+Saturday+
Succeed
Describe
Winning
Wasteful
Superficial
Grieve
Write the proper word in the following blanks: