What does Gothic mean?

“Gothic” is a proper adjective with several meanings, depending on the context:

  • In history, it means “of or relating to the Goths,” an ancient Germanic people (e.g., “Gothic raids in Roman territory”).
  • In architecture, it refers to a medieval European style characterized by arches, vaults, and flying buttresses (e.g., “a Gothic cathedral”).
  • In literature, it refers to a genre marked by mystery, horror, and supernatural elements (e.g., “Frankenstein is a Gothic novel”).

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What does Kafkaesque mean?

“Kafkaesque” means “nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical,” especially when related to helplessness or oppressive bureaucracy. The word is derived from the name of writer Franz Kafka.

For example, navigating a confusing legal system with no clear rules or outcomes might be described as “a Kafkaesque experience.”

Like all proper adjectives, “Kafaesque” must be capitalized. Use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to make sure you use this word correctly.

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What is a demonym?

A “demonym” is a noun for the people from or living in a specific place (e.g., “New Yorker,” “Japanese,” and “Puerto Rican”).

Demonyms often double as proper adjectives (e.g., “French bread”). Demonyms and their related adjectives aren’t always the same, though. For example, the demonym for Denmark is “Dane,” but the proper adjective is “Danish.”

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Is a name a proper noun?

People’s names are proper nouns. This includes first names (e.g., “Kyle,” “Sarai”), family names (e.g., “Klein,” “the Ruperts”), and titles that are part of an individual’s name (e.g., “Pope Francis,” “Professor Martinez”).

The names of many non-human entities are also proper nouns. This includes brands (e.g., “Coca-Cola,” “Microsoft”), organizations (e.g., “New York University,” “the World Health Organization”), religions (e.g., “Eastern Orthodoxy,” “Buddhism”), and holidays (e.g., “New Year’s Day,” “Mid-Autumn Festival”), among other things.

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What does brobdingnagian mean?

Brobdingnagian means “gigantic in size.” It is derived from Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels, in which Brobdingnag is a fictional land inhabited by giants.

As a proper adjective, Brobdingnagian should always be capitalized (e.g., “The house my parents rented for the family reunion is Brobdingnagian; it sleeps 25!”).

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use proper adjectives like Brobdingnagian correctly.

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What is a nominal adjective?

Nominal adjectives (or substantive adjectives) are adjectives that can serve as nouns in a sentence, usually preceded by the definite article the (e.g., “The wealthy can be heartless”).

Other examples of nominal adjectives are:

  • poor/rich (e.g., “We must take care of the poor”)
  • young/old (e.g., “The young are frequently overlooked in discussions”)
  • nationalities (e.g., “The French are known for their cuisine”)

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What is an absolute adjective?

Absolute adjectives are adjectives that cannot be used in the comparative or superlative form (e.g., “dead,” “perfect,” “principal“). They describe something that is already the most (or least) it can be.

Absolute adjectives are often used with modifiers like “nearly” or “virtually” (e.g., “nearly impossible,” “virtually empty”).

Technically, you should not use “more” or “less” with absolute adjectives, but in practice, this rule is broken frequently (e.g., “more unique”).

Here’s a list of some common absolute adjectives:

  • Dead
  • Alive
  • Perfect
  • Complete
  • Absolute
  • Total
  • Whole
  • Empty
  • Full
  • Unique
  • Invisible
  • Final
  • Impossible

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Is fun an adjective?

Yes, “fun” can be used as an adjective to describe someone or something as “amusing,” “entertaining,” or “enjoyable.”

“Fun” can be used as an attributive adjective that precedes a noun and modifies it (e.g., “a fun party”). It can also be used as a predicate adjective to describe the subject of a sentence (e.g., “That game is fun”). When used as a predicate adjective, it is always preceded by a linking verb (e.g., “be,” “seems”).

Additionally, “fun” can be used as a noun meaning “amusement” or “enjoyment” (e.g., “Let’s have fun”).

A QuillBot Grammar Check can help ensure you’re using words like “fun” correctly.

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