What does reminiscent mean?
Word: Reminiscent
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Reminiscent means making you think of someone or something, often from your past.
Synonyms: redolent
How do you spell reminiscent?
Syllables: rem - i - nis - cent
Tricky part: The c after the s makes no sound of its own, so it is the letter most often dropped from this word.
Watch out for: reminisent, reminissent, reminiscant
Memory tip: A scent can carry you back to your past in one breath, and there is a scent sitting at the end of this word.
Reminiscent in a sentence
Example 1: The smell of frying pakoras is reminiscent of rainy evenings at my grandparents' house.
Example 2: Her handwriting is reminiscent of her mother's.
Example 3: The hill road, with its tall pines, was reminiscent of our trip to Shimla.
Fun Fact
It comes from the Latin verb reminisci, to remember, the same source as reminiscences, the spoken or written memories of someone's life.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word reminiscent as used in the sentence:
The taste of this lime pickle is reminiscent of my aunt's cooking in Goa.
a) evocative
b) tolerant
c) ashamed
d) unaware
Show answer
a) evocative. The pickle brings the aunt's cooking to mind, and evocative describes exactly that.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
The old film tune on the radio was cisnemeritn of my school days in Pune.
a) respectful
b) reminiscent
c) reflective
d) representative
Show answer
b) reminiscent. The jumble has no f, p or v, and that clears away three of the options.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
remminiscent
a) m
b) c
c) s
d) n
Show answer
a) m. This word has a lone m near its start.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. memoir 2. nostalgia 3. reminiscent 4. souvenier
a) something you keep to remember a place or a holiday
b) bringing back memories of an earlier time
c) a written account of your own life
d) a warm longing for times gone by
Show answer
a) something you keep to remember a place or a holiday. Souvenir takes no e before its r, so that is the misspelt word in the list.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A writer says a new town is reminiscent of old Kolkata. What is she saying about the town?
a) It was built before old Kolkata.
b) It lies close to old Kolkata.
c) It brings old Kolkata to mind.
d) It is much bigger than old Kolkata.
Show answer
c) It brings old Kolkata to mind.
2. Which experience does this word describe best?
a) a song that goes on for an hour
b) a song you learnt to sing today
c) a song that brings back last summer
d) a song you have never heard before
Show answer
c) a song that brings back last summer
