Overwhelmed vs Overwhelming
o·ver·whelmed (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlmd) adjective. 1. (of the thoughts, emotions, or senses) overpowered 2. overcome, as with an abundance or concentration of something as·so·ber·ba·da o·ver·whelm·ing (ˌəʊvəˈwɛlmɪŋ) adjective. 1. overpowering in effect, number or strength 2. so great as to make resistance or opposition useless es·ma·ga·dor overwhelmed and overwhelming: untranslatable words? I know very few words in English with the overwhelming strength of ‘overwhelmed’. Stronger than that, I […]
Mellow
mel·low (mĕl′ō, ˈmɛləʊ) adjective. 1. sweet and full-flavoured from ripeness (fruit) 2. soft and pleasant; suggesting softness or sweetness 3. made gentle and understanding by age, maturity or experience 4. relaxed and unhurried; free from tension; easygoing 5. slightly and pleasantly intoxicated su·a·ve Is being mellow good or bad? Every time I hear the song “Row, row, row your boat” the word mellow […]
Embrace
em·brace (ĕm-brās′, ɛmˈbreɪs) verb. 1. to hold close with the arms, usually as an expression of affection 2. to surround or enclose; to include or contain as part of something 3. to adopt, support or accept (an opportunity, a challenge, etc) willingly a·bra·çar Why is ‘embrace’ so hard to translate? Well, I guess it is because we never fully mean just the physical ‘hug’. And that’s […]
Bright
bright (braɪt) adjective. 1. full of light; emitting or reflecting much light; shining 2. with a highly saturated, intense or vivid colour 3. brilliant; polished; glistening 4. glorious; magnificent; splendid 5. full of promise and hope; auspicious 6. full of animation; happy; cheerful 7. clear and distinct (of a sound); clear and translucent (of a liquid) 8. quick to learn or understand; intelligent; clever bri·lhan·te What is your kind of ‘bright’? Whether it’s in Portuguese or in English, the word “bright” is one that immediately takes […]
