What do a knife, a pencil, an arrow and a toothpick have in common? They all have a point at the end. This is the basic meaning of point (= a sharp end), and we can also use the adjective pointed (for example, some people have a pointed nose or pointed ears).
But the word point is used in many other ways in English. It can mean an idea or an argument. You can make a point in a discussion, and someone might say That's a good point:
- Using the internet also contributes to CO2 emissions. - Yes, that's a good point. People often forget that.
The word point can also mean purpose or sense. If you think something has no purpose, you can say there's no point in it or I don't see the point of it. Or you can ask What's the point?:
- There's no point in sending her a text. She never has her phone with her.
- I don't see the point of going on protest marches. It doesn't change anything.
If there's no point in something, you can also say it's pointless:
- It's pointless trying to argue with him. He never listens.
You can also use point to talk about a time or place. For example, water reaches the boiling point at 100 °C; if you run a marathon (42 kilometres), you reach the halfway point after 21 kilometres; and if you're on the point of doing something, it means you're just about to do it:
- I was just on the point of going to bed when someone rang the doorbell.
You can use point as a verb, too. You can point to something far away (= hold out your finger towards it):
- She pointed to a mountain in the distance.
Or you can point at something close by to draw attention to it:
- She pointed at an oil painting on the wall and said, "My grandfather painted that."
- You shouldn't point at people. It's rude.