Words to learn: Inexorably

in education •  7 years ago  (edited)

Hi friends. I'm starting a new series describing interesting, slightly uncommon words, and how to use them. If this idea gets some participation and upvotes, then I'll know to continue. Also, I would love if others participate and share "Words to learn" posts. See the format and tag below.

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Image credit: Pixabay

I love words, and love to continually build a rich vocabulary. I know we have a global platform here, and people from many corners of the world, walks of life, backgrounds, levels of education, and native languages. No matter who you are, if you have an interest in learning new words in the English language and seeing them in context, this might be fun for you.

As I mentioned, it would be great if others participate. If there's a word you love that you think other people might not know, please write a "Words to Learn" post using the format outlined below.

Words to learn format


Here's the format: Provide the word, the pronunciation, the definition, a description of how and when to use it, and a few examples of sentences. You may also want to list any other forms of the word, and a description of what you like about the word. Then please use #learnwords as one of your tags, which I've made up for this purpose. Let's get started!

The word inexorably

  • Pronunciation: This word is pronounced "in-ek-ser-uh-blee."
  • Definition: This is an adverb that means unyielding, unstoppable, or relentless.
  • How to use it: Inexorably is handy when you want to communicate that something just won't stop.
  • Another form of the word: Inexorable.
  • Example sentences:

Despite the sandbags along the river bank, the river swelled inexorably over the barrier.

*In the subsequent chapters the narrator is pulled, inexorably, to new depths of disillusionment and wretchedness.

I made up the first of these two examples and found the other on the Internet.

The reason I love this word is because it is highly versatile. In novels writers may use it in a wry, negative or facetious way. If you are a fiction writer, you can use this word to enrich the language in your writing. For example, let's say someone is riding a train to a destination to see a relative they really do not like. Here's a little scene I made up to illustrate one use of the word:

Sarah cringed, remembering her great aunt's cold, leathery hand on her arm. It seemed impossible that it belonged to a living being. She wished more than anything that her mother had not forced her to go on this trip, or that she could simply stop the train and send it back down the tracks in reverse. But the train moved inexorably toward Doileag, clacking like a death march drum beat.

Try using the word. It might be fun to surprise your friends and use it in a sentence, if you usually don't use fancy words.

Thanks for reading!

Are you a writer seeking community or help with your writing? If so, please check out The Writers' Block on Discord.

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You know what's weird, is that a lot of these words get used a lot in writing (eg, I have used 'inexorably' before), but you almost NEVER use it in casual speech. I'm pretty sure if I spat out 'inexorable' or 'inexorably' in polite company I would halt the conversation right then and there.

I used to use a lot of fancy words in casual speech, but I've scaled back my vocabulary significantly after realizing how most folks (even if they know the word) don't 'recognize' it when they hear it spoken; there's a pause and a lag where they have to mentally confirm if they heard what they thought they heard. Or, if they don't know it...they have to fake it.

Thanks for that perspective, @negativer! I actually do use words like inexorably in speech. Not often. But it’s fun when a word like that makes sense in some context and you have it at the ready.

I do like to use a richer vocabulary in my fiction writing, when appropriate. For example, my first Write Club story protagonist is a professor, so heightened language seems to work well. It might not work so well in another story.

My parents were intellectuals. My mother even more so than my father, even though he was a professor. She would drop a word like perspicacious into a sentence without a hitch. Well, but then she also did tongue twisters. She was a nut.

BBC World Book Club asked the author Cees Nooteboom what his favorite word was and he said memory, but then in the Dutch "herinnering". This prompted me to consider how foreign languages may reinspire the meaning of our own native words. The eytmology for the Dutch shows us the "re- inward bringing" nature of memory, as if our memories live outside or beyond our physical confines. Is there a memory-world? (Etheric realm.) At any rate, it lends remembering almost a full-body dynamic! Whereas our own memory is inextricably and exclusively linked to the mind (mens, Latin).

Then again, when we link memory by its "mer" root to the french memoire, we also come to the Dutch "mijmeren" which has a more romantic, free-flowing quality of pondering or musing to it (not, in any case, the practical tone of recollection or gathering up).
Cees Nooteboom on BBC World Book Club

This is wonderful. I hope you will write posts to contribute to this series. You have such a nice vocabulary and interesting perspective. Also, you mentioned another of my favorite words, which is "inextricably." It's amazing how often that one comes in handy, if you've got it in your kit bag at the ready. Thank you for the resource, @sukhasanasister.

Dude, nice idea! I use a lot of words in my writing, and most of the time I don't actually even know what they mean XD

Ha ha! Well the nice thing is that it’s all available via the rich combination of Google searches for the facts and your imagination for the examples. Let’s do this! Let’s be the Pied Pipers of vocabulary enrichment. I know I can count on you. 😀

Ahhhhh... you're recruiting me, huh?

I am indeed. Those days where you want to post something but ideas are scarce, you can stop scratching your head, roll up your sleeves, and write a post that can benefit anyone who loves language. Plus, you will undoubtedly put your quirky, hilarious spin on things. So much the better.

Okay, well when you put it that way, I accept!

great endeavor...we can learn something from it

Thank you! I'm glad you found it educational!

There are some amazing words in the book Tracks" by Davidson. I can't remember any now, but i will look them up today :)

I look forward to it, @multi4g! I have some specific books and writers in mind for future posts as well. Oh, I think this will be fun!

@jayna i totally forgot about the words i wanted to share with you. So here are some of them:

  • recalcitrant
  • haughty
  • raucous
  • dissuade
    That is all for now. I will get back to you when i find more ;)

These are awesome! I would love to see you write a "Words to Learn" (#learnwords) post for one or more of these.

i think i will leave that to you. i admire the words for their elegance, but i am not that much into researching them in detail ;)

In that case, thank you for the great word suggestions! That should keep me busy for a while. 😊

I was drawn inexorably to this post!

Ha ha! Great example, @jonknight! I love it.