Words that Fit vs. Words that Don't

Isn't it about time for a grammar or word-related post? I think so too. Behold:

Six words that fit their definitions.

1. "Weird" is indeed a very weird-sounding word. Go ahead, say it out loud.
2. "Awkward" is exceedingly awkward to spell.
3. "Aardvark" sounds just as ugly as the animal is.
4. "Grotesque" can hardly be uttered without an accompanying snarl.
5. "Balloon" has a soft, round sound to it, don't you think?
6. "Melodious" rolls off the tongue like a melody.

Six words that don't fit.

1. "Abbreviate" is WAY too long. We like to use "abbreve" at our house instead.
2. "Siesta" sounds way too peppy to mean "nap." Surely because it rhymes with "fiesta."
3. "Penultimate" is far too grandiose to mean "second to last."
4. "Hyberbole" sounds like something from geometry rather than meaning "exaggerating for effect." An example of hyperbole: "This project is going to take a million years to complete!"
5. "Gesticulate." After encountering this word in a short story, my stepson thought it was a cross between "guess" and "speculate." (Quite a good gesticulation, right?) But it really means "to express by gesturing" or "to talk with one's hands." It is often followed by the adverb "wildly."
6. "Stentorian" has such a dignified and academic feel that it can't really mean "extremely loud," can it?
   "Did you hear that stentorian rock band the other night? It was off the hook!" Bad example, I know. But even if I heard, "His stentorian voice reverberated through the hall," I'd imagine an elderly gentleman pontificating in an 18th-century British accent.

There are oh so many more, but this is what comes to mind at the moment. I also think that "opaque" sounds like it should mean "transparent" instead of the exact opposite, but that's probably just me.

Would you like to add to my list?

Comments

[Paula Gilarde]

Ha! I've always thought that about opaque! I thought it was just me!

[Jennifer Larson]

I always thought brackish sounds just like what it means. And enormity is just too tricky--it totally looks like the primary meaning should be big.

[Prerna]

Enervate. It means lacking energy, but to me sounds like the opposite.

[Cheri Andrews]

I have to say not only is "weird" a strange word, it is spelled strangely too! And entirely breaks the "i before e" rule!

[bcre8uv]

I always thought infinitesimal was an awfully big word to mean something so small. The 'infinite' part makes it seem like it should mean something endlessly large.

~T.

[j]

I've always wondered what pentultimate means, because there is a restaurant named Riddles Penultimate in St. Louis. Now I finally know, but it's really an odd name. Why would you name a restaurant second to last? They serve great food by the way.

[kmethot]

It's not just you...I always thought "opaque" should mean "transparent" too!

[L Pineau]

I've always thought awkward was awkward!

I think cacophony fits.

[Koren]

yep - totally with ya on the opaque one. and i think autumnal sounds very much like slowing down and being cozy.

[Susan Raihala]

Blithe is my favorite word; saying it makes me feel blithe. (I prefer the old spelling of blythe, though; the descender seems more free-spirited.)

Paradigm does not work for me. Awkward spelling aside, it sounds like it should be a geometric term.

[Kelli]

Great list, makes you think!

[Julie@JulieChats]

I'm just laughing remembering the hellish grammar/spelling class I had to take my freshman year in college...all those School of Journalism prerequisites. (strange word for classes that are more like boot camp...just there to weed out the weak ones)

Have a great week!

[Barb]

I love the word discombobulated... and the word looks and sounds exactly how I feel when I'm feeling discombobulated. Which is how I've felt for the better part of this month. Yikes.

[ladybug]

to much time on their hands.