Thursday, January 3, 2013

How to use violescent in context

Internet, today dictionary.com cursed me with an adjective that can only be used to describe purple:


violescent
\ vahy-uh-LES-uhnt \  , adjective;
1. Tending to a violet color: a violescent twilight sky
 
I took the same route that I did yesterday when using my word, while watching TV with my parents (that's the extent of my after dark social life on break).  The situation happened like this, while watching my (new) favorite episode of "The Big Bang Theory":
 
[Scene in the cafeteria, Howard is wearing a sweater that kind of blooms purple.  It starts dark at the bottom and gradually fades lighter and lighter until it's a pastel lavender.]
Mom sits next to me on the couch, merely watching the episode, when I comment, "Hmm, Howard is wearing a very violescent sweater."
 
Nothing.  No agreement, denial.  I'm starting to think that I should be thinking outside the box while using these words.  But hey, the only time I can actually use this word is when describing something purple, err, violet.  (There is really no difference).
 
If you hope to use this word in life though, I'd use other adjectives as well.  You can't have violescent the only word describing something purple (violet).  Do you like the purpleness?  Not like it?  Is it coruscating or aromatic or flounced or silken?  
 
My advice would be to pair this description with another.  It'll make you sound less... grandiloquent. 

No comments:

Post a Comment