self-helpy

1 8.6

Full of simple hopeful advice about improving your life in a shallow way

adjective
/ˈsɛlfˌhɛlpi/

Informal

: autoayuda

His self-helpy advice sounded like it came straight from a motivational poster.

Examples

The book took a self-helpy approach to dealing with everyday problems.
She found the workshop too self-helpy and not practical enough for her needs.
That book is quite self-helpy.
I find self-helpy advice often lacks depth.
His self-helpy advice sounded like it came straight from a motivational poster.
The book took a self-helpy approach to dealing with everyday problems.
She found the workshop too self-helpy and not practical enough for her needs.

How Earnest

earnest

37 4.2

sincere

236 2.5

self-helpy

Informal

1 8.6

glib

24 7.9

insincere

18 4.2

Surface Forms

self-helpy positive

Morphology

self-helpy = self-help (transparent) = self + help + y

Formed by adding the productive adjectival suffix '-y' to the familiar compound 'self-help', so the meaning 'having qualities of self-help' is straightforward.

Etymology

Self-helpy comes from the parts self- ('your own') and help ('assistance'), with the ending -y meaning 'full of' or 'like'. So, calling something self-helpy gives the image of being full of simple, motivational advice—like a poster or a pep talk—which is why it means 'having the qualities of self-help, often shallow or trying too hard'.