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aridity

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Dryness; lack of moisture. Figuratively, a lack of warmth or feeling.

Detailed Definition
Literally, aridity means dryness, especially of land or climate. In this poem it also suggests emotional barrenness, helping contrast with the enduring quality of love.
Example
Example in poetry:
“In the face of all aridity and disenchantment,” warns Desiderata against despair; Aridity names literal dryness and a figurative lack of feeling; The poem's aridity cracks both soil and prayer; After years of drought, the city's aridity becomes a public grief
Additional Notes
"Aridity" is a specialized or literary word, and the poem uses it in a figurative sense that may not be immediately familiar.; Found in the poem, Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
Also Known As
drought dryness desiccation
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