there are just some words that i need to look up in the dictionary over and over and over again, because i just can't get the meaning into my head. and it certainly doesn't help when those words contain confusing syllables. haha i guess it's just me... anyway, two examples of such words are:
- sublime | (sub·lime) /səˈblīm/
adj.
of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe: "ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous".
v.
(of a solid substance) change directly into vapor when heated, typically forming a solid deposit again on cooling.
syn.
adj. lofty - grand - noble - exalted - elevated - stately
v. sublimate
why this word confuses me: every other sub-prefixed word i know has a negative connotation or paints an image that it's somewhat lesser or smaller than something. subpar, subjective, submarine/submerge (going under water), subdivision/subcommittee, subordinate... you get what i mean right? so, sublime is par excellence? who would have thought? -_-
- underpin | un·der·pin /ˌəndərˈpin/
v.
support (a building or other structure) from below by laying a solid foundation below ground level or by substituting stronger for...
support, justify, or form the basis for: "the theme of honor underpinning the two books".
syn.
support - prop - shore - prop up - buttres
again, anything that is under usually doesn't mean good: under the weather, under the table, underage, under-appreciated, under estimate, undergrad, underweight.. and pin conjures images of being pinned down, being poked, being nailed to the wall.. painful! it's under+pin! it should mean being pressed or under pressure.. sumfink liddat. but i see underpin being used in headlines like "China economy to underpin global demand in 2013" or "Commodities underpin rural economic growth".. which sounds negative but means like the total opposite.. what gives man? -_-
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