Follow “monstrous” through time. Which part surprised you? #words #vocabulary
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A WORD THROUGH TIME: Where did “monstrous” come from?. Monstrous comes from Latin monstruosus, built on monstrum. Latin monstrum could mean a divine omen, portent, abnormal being, or monstrosity and is traditionally connected with monere, to warn or remind.
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THE CONNECTION: Follow the connection. An extraordinary body could be interpreted as a sign sent to warn observers. The portent became the abnormal creature, then monstrous expanded toward terrifying, morally horrible, or simply enormous.
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THE MEANING TODAY: “monstrous”. Say it: /ˈmɑnstɹəs/ Meaning: Abnormally large.
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YOUR TURN: “monstrous”. Which part of this word’s history surprised you?
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PLAY LEXIFOUR: Try five more words. Play the free daily vocabulary game at lexifour.com. Follow for more word stories.