1

Is there a verb to use for expressing memorizing something too much to the extent that the speaker wouldn't be concentrating on what s/he is actually saying, so the words would come out as meaningless to him/her.

It may appear as a positive or negative thing depending on the situation.

We have it in Arabic "بَصَمَ" (pronounced as Basama), it is in its past simple form.

Example:

He _______ (memorized) his section after getting rebuked by his teacher.

The word would fill the blank instead of "memorized".

| improve this question | |
  • 3
    I can't think of such a verb, but the phrase learn by rote might come close to what you're looking for. – Canadian Yankee Apr 24 '19 at 12:39
  • 1
    Do you mean things like as schoolchild learning to recite a poem by heart, without having the slightest idea what it means? That's sometimes called rote learning - but it's based on the idea of repetition as an aid to memorization, which doesn't seem central to your context. – FumbleFingers Reinstate Monica Apr 24 '19 at 12:39
  • 1
    I've used "scripted" before in the context you're describing (e.g, I memorized/scripted a response to a question while not knowing what the answer really means), but not sure if that is exactly what you're looking for – Wondercricket Apr 24 '19 at 12:53
  • @FumbleFingers _ Thank you so much! I believe you are right that it won't be a very good fit to what I've described as it is also more of a technique. About the first question, no, it is not related to any specific age group. – Tasneem ZH Apr 24 '19 at 18:19
  • @Wondercricket _ "Scripted" seems to make a great suggestion. Thank you so much! But could you please clarify it more? I find it the nearest, if not exactly, what I'm looking for. – Tasneem ZH Apr 24 '19 at 18:25
1

You might find "over-rehearsed" is close, but it's only negative: it doesn't mean the speaker doesn't understand the words, only that they are spoken in such a dull way it seems insincere.

You can use it like this:

  • He over-rehearsed his answer and didn't sound convincing at all.
  • He had over-rehearsed his speech and there was no passion in his voice.

This also applies literally to musicians or actors.

The effect of seeing or saying a word until it's meaningless is called "semantic satiation", but that would only ever be used in an academic context. Wikipedia

For a positive description:

  • He worked so hard he knew it by heart
  • He worked so hard he knew it backwards
| improve this answer | |
  • It is a good step that you've attached the Wikipedia link page as I haven't searched that term but only the first one when you have inserted the comment. It makes a great fit too. Thanks again! – Tasneem ZH Apr 26 '19 at 9:09

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.