Building a Better Vocabulary

pain. The word stoicism came from the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted

Porch,” a colonnaded portico in the agora of ancient Athens where

Zeno taught.

Stolid (adjective)

Having or expressing little or no sensibility; unemotional.

z Stolid, like phlegmatic and stoic, carries the general meaning

of being unresponsive to something that would normally excite

or interest people. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

of Synonyms, it also “implies heavy, dull, obtuse impassivity

or apathy” and suggests “impassive, mechanical, plodding,

unquestioning adherence to routine.”

Inure (verb)

To become accustomed to something undesirable, such as hardship,

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z Inure is the perfect verb to describe how stoics are able to suppress

their emotions: They train themselves to become accustomed to

hardship and privation. For example: “Living in the wild for 30

years, the stoic hermit had become inured to cold and want.”

1. The cold-hearted supervisor dispatched underperforming employees
   with __.


2. Despite her __ for a second chance, the student’s __
   behavior was cause for dismissal from class.


3. Those who live in perpetual poverty may become __ to the
   deprivations they suffer.

Review Questions