by Kevin Burton
Newsniks in general and I in particular have been accused of highlighting the negative side of life, seeking it out and advertising it.
That’s not entirely fair, but neither is it a ridiculous assertion. It’s a discussion.
But now via Merriam-Webster and as has been sung by Bing Crosby and a host of others (including Aretha!) we’re going to ac-cen-tuate the positive.
The dictionary calls this list, “sophisticated compliments.” Maybe so.
How many of these adjectives, if you put them on like a garment, would hang right on you?
Urbane: notably polite or polished in manner
About the Word: Would you rather be urbane or suave? Here’s the difference: urbane typically suggests composed cultivation and wide social experience, while suave tends to emphasize smooth frictionless dealings.
Urbane and urban both come from the Latin urbanus, meaning “of the city; refined.”
Incisive: very clear and direct: able to explain difficult ideas clearly and confidently
About the Word: The incisive person cuts through things and gets to the point. The original meaning of incisive, from around 1600, was “having a cutting edge or piercing point.” Incisive and the cutting incisor teeth are related.
Savvy: having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters
About the Word: Savvy emerged in the late 1700s as a verb (“Do you savvy?” means “Do you understand?”) and a noun (“political savvy” means “political know-how”). It took more than a century to develop into an adjective used to describe people. Like savant, it comes from the Latin sapere, “to be wise.”
Sagacious: having or showing an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions
About the Word: The earliest, 17th century sense of sagacious was applied to people (or animals): “quick or keen in sense perceptions.” Over time, the meaning of the word shifted and became high praise for the human intellect.
Intrepid: feeling no fear : very bold or brave
About the Word: Intrepid shares an ancestor with trepidation (from the Latin word trepidare, “to tremble”) – but the in- prefix negates the trembling and fear.
Magnanimous: having or showing a generous and kind nature
About the Word: A magnanimous person shows great spirit, and the word itself refers to those qualities: magnanimous comes from the Latin magnus, “great” + animus, “spirit.”
Charismatic: having great charm or appeal
About the Word: Charismatic has a religious meaning as well. As a noun, “charismatic” refers to a member of a group or movement that stresses the seeking of direct divine inspiration and charisms. A charism is an extraordinary power (e.g. healing) given to a Christian by the Holy Spirit for the good of the church. Charismatic healing is often called “faith healing.”
The secular and religious senses of charismatic both come from the Greek charis, meaning “grace.”
Compassionate: feeling or showing concern for someone who is sick, hurt, poor, etc.
About the Word: The original meaning of “passion” referred to the sufferings of Jesus (“the Passion of Christ”), and compassionate once meant “calling forth pity.”
Nowadays, compassionate implies tenderness and understanding, and a desire to aid and spare another.
Indefatigable: able to work or continue for a very long time without becoming tired: tireless.
About the Word: The grandeur of this word has long been recognized (and enhanced) by the British Royal Navy, which used the word indefatigable to name a class of battle cruisers in World War I.
Valiant: having or showing courage : very brave or courageous
About the Word: Hal Foster’s classic comic strip Prince Valiant (in full, Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur) rightly suggests that valiant might be an old word. Valiant dates to the days of Middle English and has its origins in a Latin word meaning “to be strong.”
Toothsome: Agreeable; attractive
About the Word: Toothsome has more than one meaning; in addition to its ‘attractive’ sense, the word may also be used to mean “delicious, of palatable flavor and pleasing texture.”
In recent years it has also begun to see occasional use with the meaning “having or showing prominent teeth,” but it is uncertain if this sense will become widespread enough to merit an entry in the dictionary.
Ruthful: Tender
About the Word: The most obvious meaning that ruthful has is “full of ruth” (and _ruth in this case means “pity, mercy, or compassion”). However, ruthful can also mean “full of sorrow,” or “causing sorrow”; so while you may use it as a compliment you should also take care to ensure that it is not misinterpreted.
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