Words With No (Real) Opposites
Not nonplussed, not “plussed” either.
“Gruntled,” that’s what I’d like to be. But, I can’t be.
I’ve been disgruntled on occasion. When that negative fog clears, I can be happy or content or satisfied. However, going from the dark state of disgruntled to the sunny state of “gruntled” is not an option.
Flags can be furled and unfurled.
We “Yelp” about experiences, satisfying and dis- or un- satisfying.
Some suffer dysfunctions and some function.
Why is it then, that “gruntled,” as pleasing as warm oatmeal with brown sugar, isn’t part of our language? I will never ascend to a state marked by the absence of disgruntlement that would be so perfectly captured by the term “gruntlement.”
However, this language lacuna leaves me only whelmed. Were it a bigger problem, I’d be overwhelmed. Were it trivial … underwhelmed. I’m right there in the middle … just whelmed.
You could also say that I’m fairly nonchalant about the issue of perfectly good words missing from our language. If the issue meant more to me maybe I’d be chalant about it.
