What does alacrity mean?
Word: Alacrity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Alacrity means quick and cheerful eagerness to do something.
Synonyms: eagerness, readiness
Word origin: From Latin alacer.
How do you spell alacrity?
Syllables: a - lac - ri - ty
Tricky part: The i before the t is barely heard, so students guess and write alacrety or alacraty.
Watch out for: alacrety, alacraty
Memory tip: Alacrity means saying 'I will' at once: keep that i near the end.
Alacrity in a sentence
Example 1: Anaya agreed to lead the school quiz with alacrity.
Example 2: When the bell rang for the picnic, the whole class climbed onto the bus with alacrity.
Example 3: He took on the job of team scorer with such alacrity that the coach smiled.
Fun Fact
Shakespeare used the word for a joke: in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff, tipped into a river, says he has a kind of alacrity in sinking.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) alliance
b) allacrity
c) allegory
d) alabaster
Show answer
b) allacrity. Only one of these is wrong: the page word starts with a single l.
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. If you accept an invitation with alacrity, you accept it eagerly and at once. 2. A biographer is a person who writes the story of someone else's life. 3. A bouqet is a bunch of flowers arranged in an attractive way.
a) only 2 and 3 are correct
b) only 1 and 2 are correct
c) all three are correct
d) only 1 and 3 are correct
Show answer
b) only 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 falls because of its spelling: the word is bouquet.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. alacrity 2. audacity 3. tenacity a. boldness in taking risks b. willingness to start at once, and gladly c. a refusal to give up
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. The three end alike, so the idea decides: readiness, boldness and staying power.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Alacrity comes from the Latin word alacer. Which of these words comes from the same root?
a) almanac
b) alcove
c) algebra
d) allegro
Show answer
d) allegro. Allegro, the musical word for a brisk pace, reached English from that Latin word through Italian.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which student shows alacrity?
a) Neel, who looks for a way out of helping
b) Tarun, who says he will help next week
c) Sita, who helps only after three reminders
d) Ravi, who runs to help as soon as he is asked
Show answer
d) Ravi, who runs to help as soon as he is asked
2. Alacrity is the opposite of doing something ___.
a) neatly and carefully
b) slowly and unwillingly
c) quietly and alone
d) loudly and proudly
Show answer
b) slowly and unwillingly
