Weekly English Words with Alisha - Really Long Words

Hi, I’m remembering to introduce the series this week. My name is Alisha. Welcome back

to Weekly Words. This week we're gonna talk about really long words that are actually

used. Okay, this is going to be interesting I think. Let's start.

The first word is “photosynthesis.” “Photosynthesis” is an eighth-grade American science school

word... is an eighth-grade science word. This refers to “the process that plants use to

convert sunlight to oxygen.” The process of “photosynthesis” is vitally important

to the survival of humans. Right?

The next word is “imperturbable.” “Imperturbable” means someone who “can’t really get upset

or excited,” like it's hard to a change the emotions of a person. So you might say,

“I have a friend who’s imperturbable. No matter what we do or what we say, he doesn't

get angry with us.”

Onward. The next is “counterintuitive.” “Counterintuitive” is a good word which

means it's “the opposite of common sense.” So we talked about the word “intuitive”

in a previous episode of Weekly Words where “intuitive” means “able to sense something

or able to do something correctly without knowing... having to know much about it.”

“Counterintuitive,” however, on the other hand, means not intuitive, or it seems like

something but just doesn't make much sense. It's not a common sense thing. So maybe, let's

see, something that doesn't seem to make very much sense to you. Maybe in your office building,

for example, you have to first push the door and then pull in order to open it. You might

say, “Uh, the way the doors work in this building is very counterintuitive.” It doesn't

make much sense.

The next word is “presumptuously.” “Presumptuously” simply means “failing to observe the limits

of what is permitted or appropriate.” Oh, this is a tough one to use in a sentence.

So anytime somebody does something that's just beyond the limits of what is considered

normal in your culture, you can say that they're being “presumptuous” or acting “presumptuously.”

So if, for example, a salesman comes to your door for some reason. But they enter the house

and sit down on your sofa, you might say, “The salesman presumptuously entered my

house and sat down on my sofa. I couldn't believe it.”

What? “Sphygmomanometer.” “Sphygmomanometer:” “an instrument for measuring blood pressure.”

This is a new one for me too. “Sphygmomanometer” is this word. Isn’t this called “Really

long words that are actually used”? I have only been familiar with this word in terms

of the blood pressure cuff. When you go to the doctor and they need to check your blood

pressure, they’ll put this thing, this “sphygmomanometer,” on your arm, usually, and then they’ll kind

of pump it up and check your blood pressure. So it's a very technical word. The doctor

might say to a nurse or to another doctor, “Can can you please get me the sphygmomanometer?

We need to check this patient's blood pressure.”

Wow. Okay, I learned a new word today. End! Those are all the long words that are actually

used sometimes. Give them a try. Work on your pronunciation for these. They're kind of interesting

ones I think. Thanks again for joining us for Weekly Words. I will see you next time.

Bye-bye! Sphygmomanometer.