'tis
Definition
- Contraction:
- Contraction of "it is": "'tis" is a shortened form of "it is," used primarily in older or poetic English to maintain rhythm or meter in speech or writing.
Usage Examples
- Contraction:
- 'Tis the season to be jolly. (It is the season for happiness and celebration.)
- 'Tis a pity you cannot join us. (It is unfortunate that you cannot come with us.)
Advanced Usage
- "'Tis but": an archaic phrase meaning "it is only" or "it is merely."
- 'Tis but a scratch. (It is only a small injury.)
- "'Tis not": an older form of "it is not."
- 'Tis not the time to argue. (It is not the appropriate moment to disagree.)
Variants and Related Words
- 'Twas (contraction): contraction of "it was."
- 'Twas the night before Christmas. (It was the evening before Christmas Day.)
- 'Twill (contraction): contraction of "it will."
- 'Twill be a long journey. (It will be a lengthy trip.)
- 'Tisn't (contraction, rare): contraction of "it is not" (nonstandard).
Synonyms
- It is: the full, modern form of the contraction.
- 'Tis is not directly synonymous with any other single word; it is a stylistic variant.
Related Idioms
- 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all: a proverb meaning that experiencing love, even if it ends, is preferable to never having loved.
- She quoted the poem: 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. (She recited the line about love's value despite loss.)