Opposites

Yesterday during a meeting at work, my supervisor made a comment and then hurriedly said, “I didn’t mean that pejoratively.” It has been quite some time since I have heard or read that word. It felt like meeting an old friend that I haven’t seen in years.

Pejorative (pi-jor-uh-tiv) means expressing disapproval or criticism. Something is uncomplimentary or negative. It is a disparaging or belittling word or expression. Basically, stating that something is ‘bad.’

Let’s say you didn’t care for the mayor of your fair city. Maybe he made a speech promoting the storage of nuclear waste in your community. Let’s say that you felt that having nuclear waste in your neighborhood wasn’t exactly your definition of a healthy place to live. So, you could say that you felt the the mayor’s position on this issue was pejorative.

But on the other hand, maybe the mayor was against the high content of chlorine in the drinking water. Maybe you supported him on this issue. You would agree that this time he had his head screwed on straight and was finally doing something salubrious. Salubrious (suh–loo-bree-uhs) is an adjective that means healthful and wholesome, favorable to or promoting health. Having good drinking water is definitely salubrious. Clean, good water certainly promotes good health. It does a body good. Better than nuclear waste . . .

So pejorative is bad. Salubrious is good (for your health). Oppostites. Hope this helps you to remember these words.

Hope that you have many salubrious food during the upcoming Christmas holidays!