What does “torture” mean?

“torture” means causing extreme pain on purpose, as punishment or pressure. Pronounced /ˈtɔrtʃər/. Close synonyms: cruelty, abuse, mistreatment. For example: The report documented systematic torture in detention centers across the region.

What does “confession” mean?

“confession” means admitting you did something wrong or illegal. Pronounced /kənˈfɛʃən/. Close synonyms: admission. For example: The court ruled that his confession had been obtained under duress and dismissed it.

What does “ease” mean?

“ease” means the quality of being easy; comfort without difficulty. Pronounced /iz/. Close synonyms: facility, comfort. For example: She answered the panel's toughest questions with remarkable ease and composure.

What does “bishop” mean?

“bishop” means a senior priest in charge of a church area. Pronounced /ˈbɪʃəp/. Close synonyms: cleric, church leader, prelate. For example: The bishop urged parishioners to welcome refugees arriving from the war-torn region.

What does “footage” mean?

“footage” means recorded video of an event. Pronounced /ˈfʊtɪdʒ/. Close synonyms: film, recording. For example: Security footage released by police shows the suspect entering the building at midnight.

What does “spin” mean?

“spin” means presenting information in a way that favors one side. Pronounced /spɪn/. Close synonyms: slant, bias. For example: Critics accused the minister of putting a positive spin on disappointing employment figures.

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English C1 Official

The core advanced English words, defined in English. Low-frequency verbs, precise abstract nouns and the adjectives that carry judgement, each with an English definition, a gloss, synonyms, IPA and a usage note on the distinction a near-synonym would blur. For learners at the level where a bilingual dictionary stops helping.

CEFR C1 — Advanced

At this level you can use language flexibly, understand implicit meaning, work in target language. Vocabulary: ~6,000 words (cumulative).

Words in this deck

What does “torture” mean?: “torture” means causing extreme pain on purpose, as punishment or pressure. Pronounced /ˈtɔrtʃər/. Close synonyms: cruelty, abuse, mistreatment. For example: The report documented systematic torture in detention centers across the region.
What does “confession” mean?: “confession” means admitting you did something wrong or illegal. Pronounced /kənˈfɛʃən/. Close synonyms: admission. For example: The court ruled that his confession had been obtained under duress and dismissed it.
What does “ease” mean?: “ease” means the quality of being easy; comfort without difficulty. Pronounced /iz/. Close synonyms: facility, comfort. For example: She answered the panel's toughest questions with remarkable ease and composure.
What does “bishop” mean?: “bishop” means a senior priest in charge of a church area. Pronounced /ˈbɪʃəp/. Close synonyms: cleric, church leader, prelate. For example: The bishop urged parishioners to welcome refugees arriving from the war-torn region.
What does “footage” mean?: “footage” means recorded video of an event. Pronounced /ˈfʊtɪdʒ/. Close synonyms: film, recording. For example: Security footage released by police shows the suspect entering the building at midnight.
What does “spin” mean?: “spin” means presenting information in a way that favors one side. Pronounced /spɪn/. Close synonyms: slant, bias. For example: Critics accused the minister of putting a positive spin on disappointing employment figures.

English · definitions in English 250 words ~25 days at 10 words/day 0 downloads C1

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Word List — click grammar notes to expand

Word	Translation	Example
tortureneutral /ˈtɔrtʃər/ causing extreme pain on purpose, as punishment or pressure Synonyms: cruelty, abuse, mistreatment	deliberate infliction of pain	The report documented systematic torture in detention centers across the region.
Abuse is any mistreatment, while torture is pain inflicted deliberately to punish or to extract something, so it is the graver charge. Uncountable as the practice: reports of torture, never tortures. Also a verb, and loosely used for anything unbearable: the wait was torture.
confessionneutral /kənˈfɛʃən/ admitting you did something wrong or illegal Synonyms: admission	admission of guilt	The court ruled that his confession had been obtained under duress and dismissed it.
A confession admits wrongdoing; an admission can concede any point, even a harmless one. It goes with make, obtain or extract, and takes to a crime or of murder. The religious sense of telling a priest your sins is go to confession, with no article.
easeneutral /iz/ the quality of being easy; comfort without difficulty Synonyms: facility, comfort	effortlessness; comfort	She answered the panel's toughest questions with remarkable ease and composure.
Mostly in fixed frames: with ease, with consummate ease, at ease, and there is no plural. Easiness is rare and describes a task rather than a person's manner. As a verb it means to lessen or relax something: ease tensions, ease the pain, ease restrictions.
bishopneutral /ˈbɪʃəp/ a senior priest in charge of a church area Synonyms: cleric, church leader, prelate	senior church leader	The bishop urged parishioners to welcome refugees arriving from the war-torn region.
Capitalized as a title before a name: Bishop Romero. The area one oversees is a diocese, and the rank above is archbishop. The same word names the chess piece that moves diagonally, which is often the sense in ordinary conversation.
footageneutral /ˈfʊtɪdʒ/ recorded video of an event Synonyms: film, recording	recorded video	Security footage released by police shows the suspect entering the building at midnight.
Uncountable: hours of footage, never footages. Count it with a piece or a clip of footage. It names raw recorded material rather than a finished program, which is why security, aerial and archival footage are the usual pairings. Footage is shot, released or leaked.
spinneutral /spɪn/ presenting information in a way that favors one side Synonyms: slant, bias	favorable slant; bias	Critics accused the minister of putting a positive spin on disappointing employment figures.
Always disapproving in this sense: calling something spin accuses the speaker of dressing up bad news. Uncountable here, and the frames are put a positive spin on something and political spin. A spin doctor is the person paid to do it.
academyneutral /əˈkædəmi/ a school or organization for special training or study Synonyms: institute, college, training school	specialist school	The military academy has trained officers from more than forty allied nations since 1950.
Not a general word for school: it names a military, police, arts or sports training institution, or a learned society such as the National Academy of Sciences. Capitalized in names, and the Academy alone usually means the film awards body. The adjective is academic.
widowneutral /ˈwɪdoʊ/ a woman whose husband has died Synonyms: surviving wife, bereaved wife	woman whose husband died	The widow of the late senator continued his campaign for healthcare reform.
The male equivalent is widower. The usual frame is the widow of someone, and widowed is a passive adjective: she was widowed at thirty. A woman who remarries is no longer described as a widow, and the word is not used of a partner who simply left.
resistanceneutral /rɪˈzɪstəns/ refusing to accept something; fighting against it Synonyms: opposition, defiance	opposition; refusal	The proposed tax reform met fierce resistance from small business owners nationwide.
Plans meet, encounter or face resistance, and it is regularly stiff, fierce or dogged. It takes to: resistance to change, and it has no plural. The verb resist takes a noun or an -ing form, never resist to. It is also the technical term in electricity and in antibiotic resistance.
ambassadorneutral /æmˈbæsədər/ a country's top representative in another country Synonyms: envoy, diplomat	top diplomatic representative	The ambassador was summoned to explain the incident at the border crossing.
Ambassador to the country you are posted in, from the one you represent. Capitalized before a name as a title: Ambassador Chen. The embassy is the building and its staff. The figurative brand ambassador and goodwill ambassador are now common in business English.
weedneutral /wid/ a wild plant growing where it is not wanted Synonyms: unwanted plant, wild plant, invasive plant	unwanted wild plant	Invasive weeds have spread rapidly along the riverbank, choking out native plants.
Weed out is the productive figurative use: weed out weak applicants. In casual American speech weed alone means marijuana, so the plant sense usually needs a context word such as garden or invasive. As a verb it also means simply to remove weeds.
radarneutral /ˈreɪdɑr/ a system using radio waves to find objects' positions Synonyms: detection system, tracking system	radio detection system	The small aircraft flew below the radar to avoid detection near the coast.
The idioms are the productive part: something is on or off your radar, meaning you are aware of it or not, and to fly under the radar is to avoid notice. Usually uncountable: picked up by radar. Originally an acronym, now written lowercase.
casinoneutral /kəˈsinoʊ/ a place where people gamble money on games Synonyms: gambling house, gaming house, gambling hall	gambling house	The new casino is expected to generate thousands of jobs despite local opposition.
It names the building, not the activity, which is gambling or gaming; the industry itself prefers gaming. The plural is casinos, with no e. Casino resort and riverboat casino are standard American collocations. Stress falls on the second syllable.
retreatneutral /rɪˈtrit/ moving back from danger; a quiet place to rest Synonyms: withdrawal, refuge	withdrawal; a quiet refuge	After heavy losses, the army began a hasty retreat toward the mountains.
Calling a policy reversal a retreat from a pledge is a criticism, not a neutral description. Armies and governments retreat from a position, and beat a retreat is the fixed idiom. The calm sense is countable: a mountain retreat, a writing retreat. Noun and verb share the stress.
suiteneutral /swit/ a set of connected rooms in a hotel Synonyms: set of rooms, apartment, hotel apartment	set of rooms	The delegation booked a private suite overlooking the harbor for the negotiations.
Pronounced exactly like sweet; suit is a different word with a different vowel. Beyond hotels it names any matched set: a suite of software, a suite of offices, a suite of tests. A bedroom with its own bathroom is an en suite, borrowed from French.
embassyneutral /ˈɛmbəsi/ the building where a country's representatives work abroad Synonyms: diplomatic mission, diplomatic office	diplomatic mission building	Protesters gathered outside the embassy demanding the release of political prisoners.
An embassy sits in the host country's capital, while smaller offices elsewhere are consulates. The pattern is the embassy in Paris, not of Paris, and the country goes first: the Japanese embassy in Ottawa. The person heading it is the ambassador.
allyneutral /ˈælaɪ/ a country or person that supports and helps another Synonyms: partner, supporter, backer	a country on your side	France remains a key ally in the fight against organized crime in the region.
The noun is stressed on the first syllable; the verb ally, stressed on the second, means to join with someone: allied with the opposition. The related words are alliance and allies, and the Allies with a capital A means the World War II coalition.
gatheringneutral /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/ a group of people meeting together Synonyms: assembly, get-together	get-together; social meeting	The annual gathering of world leaders will address climate finance and debt relief.
A gathering has no agenda, a meeting does: it suggests people coming together rather than working. Common with small, family, intimate and annual. Gathering storm and gathering momentum are a separate use of the participle, meaning building up.
rodneutral /rɑd/ a long thin bar of metal or wood Synonyms: bar, pole	thin bar	Engineers inserted steel rods into the concrete columns to reinforce the aging bridge.
Thin relative to its length; something thicker is a bar or a pole. It is the second half of many compounds: fishing rod, curtain rod, lightning rod, the last of which figuratively means the person who attracts all the criticism.
plugneutral /plʌɡ/ the part connecting a device to electricity; a stopper Synonyms: connector, stopper, cork	electrical connector; stopper	Always unplug the appliance and check the plug for damage before attempting repairs.
The plug is on the cord; the thing in the wall is an outlet in American English and a socket elsewhere. The verb is plug in, separable: plug it in. Pull the plug on something means end it. A plug is also a quick promotional mention on air.
verdictneutral /ˈvɜrdɪkt/ the official decision of a court about guilt Synonyms: judgment, ruling	court decision	The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
A jury reaches or returns a verdict; the judge then passes the sentence, so the two are not interchangeable. The frames are a verdict of not guilty and a verdict on a question. Figuratively it is any considered judgment, as in the verdict of history.
suspicionneutral /səˈspɪʃən/ a feeling that someone did something wrong Synonyms: doubt, mistrust	distrust; a hunch	He was arrested on suspicion of laundering money through offshore accounts.
The legal frame is arrested on suspicion of, followed by a noun or an -ing form. It is uncountable in under suspicion and above suspicion, but countable when it is a hunch: I have a suspicion that. The adjective suspicious covers both the distrustful person and the odd thing.
millneutral /mɪl/ a building where grain is crushed; a factory Synonyms: plant, works	grinding works; factory	The old textile mill has been converted into loft apartments and artist studios.
In American usage it covers heavy plants too: a steel mill, a paper mill, a textile mill. Run-of-the-mill is a fixed adjective meaning ordinary, and slightly dismissive. The verb mill around or mill about describes a crowd moving with no purpose.
rebelneutral /ˈrɛbəl/ a person who fights against authority or rules Synonyms: insurgent, dissident	fighter against authority	Government forces recaptured the northern towns that the rebels had held since spring.
The noun is stressed on the first syllable; the verb rebel is stressed on the second and takes against. In news writing rebels means armed insurgents fighting a government, not merely nonconformists. The noun is rebellion, and rebellious describes temperament rather than warfare.
pregnancyneutral /ˈprɛɡnənsi/ the state of carrying a baby before birth Synonyms: gestation, gestation period, expecting a child	state of expecting a baby	Doctors recommend avoiding alcohol entirely throughout pregnancy to protect the baby's development.
Usually with no article in time phrases: during pregnancy, throughout pregnancy. Countable when you mean a particular one: a difficult pregnancy, two previous pregnancies. The adjective is pregnant, and the verb phrases are get pregnant and, more formally, become pregnant.
harvestneutral /ˈhɑrvɪst/ gathering crops from the fields; the crops gathered Synonyms: crop, yield	crop gathering; the crop	This year's grain harvest fell sharply after months of drought devastated the fields.
Noun and verb share the form and the stress. A harvest is described as good, poor, record or bumper, and the season is harvest time. The verb has spread well beyond farming: harvest data, harvest energy, harvest organs. Reap is the near-synonym used mostly figuratively.
riotneutral /ˈraɪət/ violent behavior by a crowd in public Synonyms: unrest, disturbance	violent public disorder	Riots broke out in several cities after the court overturned the election results.
Riots break out, erupt or are quelled, and a riot is more violent and less organized than a protest. Riot police and riot gear are standard compounds. Run riot means to behave with no restraint, and read someone the riot act means to reprimand them sharply.
fluidneutral /ˈfluɪd/ a liquid; able to flow and change shape Synonyms: liquid	liquid; flowing, changeable	The mechanic warned that the brake fluid was leaking and needed immediate replacement.
As a noun it covers liquids and gases in technical use, and body fluids is the fixed medical plural. As an adjective it means either smooth and graceful, as in a fluid motion, or still unsettled, as in the situation remains fluid, which is a warning rather than praise.
damneutral /dæm/ a wall built across a river to hold water Synonyms: barrier, wall across a river	river barrier	The hydroelectric dam supplies power to nearly two million households downstream.
A homophone of damn, which has a silent n. Dams are built, and a failing one is breached or bursts. The verb is to dam a river or dam something up, also used figuratively of held-back emotion. The lake behind a dam is a reservoir.
abortionneutral /əˈbɔrʃən/ the medical ending of a pregnancy Synonyms: termination, pregnancy termination	ending of a pregnancy	The court's ruling on abortion sparked protests in cities across the country.
Uncountable as the practice, as in the abortion debate; countable for a single procedure: she had an abortion. Neutral in medical and legal writing, though the surrounding vocabulary is contested. The verb abort is more often used of canceling something in progress: abort the launch.
maintenanceneutral /ˈmeɪntənəns/ the work of keeping something in good condition Synonyms: upkeep, repairs	routine repair work	The bridge was closed for routine maintenance, forcing commuters onto alternative routes.
Watch the spelling: the verb is maintain but the noun drops the i. Routine, preventive and deferred maintenance are the standard pairings, and high-maintenance describes a demanding person or thing. Uncountable, so there is no plural.
triumphneutral /ˈtraɪəmf/ a great victory or success Synonyms: victory, win	great victory	The landing was hailed as a triumph of engineering over seemingly impossible odds.
Stronger and more celebratory than success. The frames are a triumph of one thing over another and to triumph over an obstacle. Triumphant describes the victor's feeling, while triumphal describes things marking a victory, as in a triumphal arch.
anchorneutral /ˈæŋkər/ the heavy object that stops a ship moving; a news presenter Synonyms: host, newscaster	news presenter; ship's weight	The veteran news anchor announced her retirement after three decades on the evening broadcast.
The news sense is standard American English, where British English says presenter, and the verb anchor a broadcast means to host it. In the nautical sense ships drop anchor, weigh anchor or lie at anchor. Figuratively an anchor is whatever holds something steady.
realmformal /rɛlm/ an area of activity or knowledge; a kingdom Synonyms: domain, field, area	field of activity	Such decisions fall within the realm of ethics rather than pure science.
It rhymes with helm, not with real. The usual frame is in or within the realm of, meaning inside a field of activity: not beyond the realm of possibility. The kingdom sense survives mainly in literature and in legal phrases such as the defense of the realm.
enforcementneutral /ɪnˈfɔrsmənt/ making people obey laws or rules Synonyms: policing, implementation, application	making rules obeyed	Strict enforcement of the new parking rules begins next month across the city center.
In American English law enforcement is the ordinary collective term for the police and similar agencies: a law enforcement officer. Enforcement is described as strict, lax, selective or vigorous, and has no plural. The verb enforce takes a law or a rule as its object, never a person.
constitutionneutral /ˌkɑnstɪˈtuʃən/ the basic laws that a country is governed by Synonyms: founding charter, basic law, charter	a country's founding laws	Amending the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament.
Capitalized when it names a specific document, and in the United States the Constitution alone means that one. A measure that breaks it is unconstitutional. The unrelated older sense is a person's physical make-up: a strong constitution.
horizonneutral /həˈraɪzən/ the line where the sky seems to meet the earth Synonyms: skyline, where sky meets land	the far edge of view	As the sun dipped below the horizon, the rescue teams suspended their search.
On the horizon figuratively means approaching, usually a change or trouble, and it is singular with the. The plural appears almost only in broaden or expand your horizons, meaning your range of experience. Stress is on the second syllable, unlike horizontal.
treatyneutral /ˈtriti/ a formal written agreement between countries Synonyms: pact, accord	formal international agreement	Both nations signed a treaty banning nuclear tests in the disputed waters.
Unlike an agreement, a treaty is between states and legally binding. A treaty is signed, then ratified by a legislature before it takes effect, and a country that breaks one violates it. Named ones are capitalized: the Treaty of Versailles.
reignneutral /reɪn/ the period when a king or queen rules Synonyms: rule	a monarch's rule period	Her reign saw the country transform from an agrarian society into an industrial power.
The common spelling error is free reign for free rein, which comes from horses, not kings; reign is also a homophone of rain. As a verb it means to rule or to prevail: confusion reigned. Figuratively a reign is any dominant period: the reign of the studio system.
resignationneutral /ˌrɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/ officially leaving your job by choice; accepting something bad Synonyms: stepping down, departure, notice	quitting; passive acceptance	Calls for the minister's resignation grew louder after the leaked documents surfaced.
Hand in or tender your resignation, and calls for his resignation: that act sense is countable. The mood of giving up is uncountable, as in he shrugged with resignation, and for that sense the adjective is resigned to something.
miningneutral /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/ the work of taking minerals out of the ground Synonyms: mineral extraction, excavation, extraction	extracting minerals	Illegal mining has contaminated rivers that supply drinking water to indigenous communities.
The material comes first: coal mining, gold mining, strip mining. It has spread to other kinds of extraction, giving data mining and, in finance, mining cryptocurrency. No plural. The worker is a miner, a homophone of minor.
separationneutral /ˌsɛpəˈreɪʃən/ the act of moving people or things apart Synonyms: division, split	division; splitting apart	The constitution guarantees a strict separation between church and state.
Separation of powers and separation between church and state are the standard political frames. Of a couple it means living apart without divorcing. Watch the spelling: separate, not seperate. The adjective separate has a reduced final vowel, the verb a full one.
interferenceneutral /ˌɪntərˈfɪrəns/ getting involved where you are not wanted Synonyms: meddling, intrusion	unwanted meddling	The government condemned what it called foreign interference in its internal affairs.
Calling something interference says it was unwelcome, so the word always disapproves. Interference in a country's affairs, but interference with a process, a signal or evidence, and the verb interfere follows the same split. In broadcasting it also names the noise spoiling a signal.
exileneutral /ˈɛɡzaɪl/ being forced to live away from your own country Synonyms: banishment	forced absence from home	The former president has lived in exile since the coup that toppled his government.
It lives in fixed phrases: go into exile, live in exile, return from exile, all with no article. It can also count the person: the exiles met in Paris. Self-imposed exile means the person chose to leave. The verb is usually passive: he was exiled after the coup.
tributeneutral /ˈtrɪbjut/ something done or said to show respect and admiration Synonyms: homage, honor	mark of respect	Thousands gathered in the square to pay tribute to the firefighters who died on duty.
The verb frame is pay tribute to someone; tribute is paid, not given. A tribute to something also means evidence of it: the recovery is a tribute to her persistence. A tribute band imitates one famous group. The old sense of forced payment survives in history writing.
rentalneutral /ˈrɛntəl/ the arrangement of paying to use something Synonyms: lease, tenancy	paid temporary use	Short-term rentals have driven up housing costs in nearly every major tourist city.
In American English a rental is also the thing rented, especially a car or a vacation property: we picked up the rental at the airport. It works as a modifier too: rental income, rental market, rental agreement. Rent is the money paid; the rental is the arrangement.
witneutral /wɪt/ the ability to say clever and funny things Synonyms: humor, cleverness	quick verbal humor	Her sharp wit turned an awkward interview into the most memorable moment of the evening.
The plural wits is effectively a different word, meaning practical intelligence: keep your wits about you, at your wits end. As the quality it is uncountable: dry wit, sharp wit, a flash of wit. A wit can also be a person known for saying clever things. The adjective is witty.
ignoranceneutral /ˈɪɡnərəns/ lack of knowledge about something Synonyms: lack of knowledge, unawareness, unfamiliarity	lack of knowledge	Widespread ignorance of basic financial concepts leaves many young adults vulnerable to debt.
It means being uninformed, not being unintelligent, and it does not mean rudeness. It takes of: ignorance of the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse and ignorance is bliss are set phrases. The verb ignore is different: it is to disregard on purpose.
memoneutral /ˈmɛmoʊ/ a short written message inside an organization Synonyms: note, memorandum	internal note	An internal memo leaked to the press revealed plans to cut hundreds of jobs.
Short for memorandum, whose formal plural is memoranda; the everyday plural is memos. A memo goes to someone and is circulated, issued or leaked. The joke idiom I guess I did not get the memo means nobody told me about a change everyone else knows.
discretionformal /dɪˈskrɛʃən/ care in keeping secrets; freedom to decide Synonyms: freedom to decide, leeway	freedom to choose; tact	Judges have broad discretion in sentencing, which critics argue leads to inconsistent outcomes.
The adjective for the tact sense is discreet; discrete is a different word meaning separate, and that is the error worth avoiding. The authority sense lives in at the discretion of the judge, use your discretion and broad discretion, and its adjective is discretionary.
predatorneutral /ˈprɛdətər/ an animal that hunts and eats other animals Synonyms: hunter, carnivore, hunting animal	hunting animal	The documentary shows how apex predators keep entire ecosystems in delicate balance.
The figurative use is a serious accusation: a sexual predator, predatory lending, a predatory monopoly. In the literal sense the food chain gives apex predator and top predator. The animal hunted is prey, and the adjective is predatory.
propagandaneutral /ˌprɑpəˈɡændə/ biased information spread to influence opinions Synonyms: political messaging, biased publicity, indoctrination	biased political messaging	Historians warn that wartime propaganda often outlives the conflict it was designed to serve.
Always disapproving, so nobody calls their own message propaganda; the neutral words are publicity, messaging or public information. Uncountable with no plural, and counted with a piece of propaganda. The person who produces it is a propagandist.
spotlightneutral /ˈspɑtˌlaɪt/ a strong beam of light; the center of public attention Synonyms: limelight, focus	public attention	The scandal thrust the quiet ministry into the media spotlight almost overnight.
The attention sense is almost always the spotlight: in the spotlight, under the spotlight, thrust into the spotlight. Steal the spotlight means take attention away from someone else. As a verb it means draw attention to something: the report spotlights delays.
contractorneutral /ˈkɑnˌtræktər/ a person or company hired to do specific work Synonyms: outside firm, subcontractor, hired company	hired outside firm	The city hired an independent contractor to renovate the aging bridge before winter.
In American English an independent contractor is a legal employment status: paid per job, not on a payroll. In construction the general contractor hires subcontractors. Defense contractor is the standard term for a company selling to the military.
philosopherneutral /fəˈlɑsəfər/ a person who studies deep questions about life and knowledge Synonyms: thinker	thinker about existence	The Greek philosopher argued that a life without reflection is not worth living.
Note the second sense of the adjective: being philosophical about a setback means accepting it calmly, and a philosophy can be a personal approach rather than a discipline. Stress falls on the second syllable in philosopher and philosophy, but philosophical moves it to the third.
descentneutral /dɪˈsɛnt/ movement downward; also your family origins Synonyms: drop, ancestry	downward movement; ancestry	The plane began its descent into Madrid as the sun broke over the horizon.
The verb is descend, and the noun ends in t instead of d. Two further uses: ancestry, as in of Korean descent, and a figurative slide, as in a descent into chaos. Dissent, pronounced the same way, is a completely different word meaning disagreement.
collisionneutral /kəˈlɪʒən/ a crash when two moving things hit each other Synonyms: crash, impact	crash; clash	Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the collision between the two cargo ships.
A collision between two things, or of one thing with another. Head-on collision and collision course are fixed, the second usually figurative: the two leaders are on a collision course. Both things normally move, which is why a car hitting a wall is a crash.
accusationneutral /ˌækjəˈzeɪʃən/ a claim that someone did something wrong Synonyms: charge, allegation	charge of wrongdoing	She flatly denied the accusation that her campaign had accepted illegal donations.
Accusation of, followed by a noun or an -ing form; you make, deny or face one. The verb is accuse someone of something, never accuse someone for. An allegation is the more cautious word journalists use while nothing has been proven.
circulationneutral /ˌsɜrkjəˈleɪʃən/ movement around a system; the copies a newspaper sells Synonyms: flow, readership, distribution	flow; readership figures	The newspaper's circulation has fallen sharply since readers migrated to digital platforms.
Money and books are in circulation or taken out of circulation, and someone unavailable for a while is jokingly out of circulation. The medical sense appears in poor circulation, and the noun has no plural. The verb circulate can take an object: circulate a memo.
workoutneutral /ˈwɜrkˌaʊt/ a session of physical exercise Synonyms: training, exercise	exercise session	A short but intense workout can be more effective than an hour of casual exercise.
One word as a noun, two as a verb: I work out daily, I had a good workout. You do or get in a workout. The verb work out has two unrelated senses as well, to solve something and to turn out a certain way, as in it worked out fine.
withdrawalneutral /wɪðˈdrɔəl/ taking money out; removing yourself; stopping a drug Synonyms: pullout, removal, retreat	removal; pulling out	The sudden withdrawal of foreign troops left a dangerous power vacuum in the region.
Watch the spelling: withdrawal, not withdrawl. The verb is withdraw, withdrew, withdrawn, and the noun takes from: withdrawal from the treaty. The drug sense is uncountable, as in withdrawal symptoms and going through withdrawal. A cash withdrawal is countable.
outrageneutral /ˈaʊtˌreɪdʒ/ a strong feeling of anger at something unfair Synonyms: fury, indignation	furious indignation	The court's ruling sparked outrage among human rights groups across the continent.
Uncountable as the feeling: public outrage, moral outrage, sparked or provoked or expressed. Countable when it names the offending act: the decision is an outrage. Outraged describes the person, while outrageous means shocking or, informally, simply extreme.
chunkneutral /tʃʌŋk/ a thick solid piece of something Synonyms: piece, lump	thick piece; large portion	A sizeable chunk of the budget was quietly diverted to consulting fees.
The frame is a chunk of something: a chunk of ice, a chunk of the budget. Used of shares and amounts it is slightly informal but standard in business writing: a sizeable chunk of revenue, a chunk of time. Chunky describes thick things.
offspringformal /ˈɔfˌsprɪŋ/ the children or young of a person or animal Synonyms: young, progeny	young; children	Many seabirds return to the same cliff each year to raise their offspring.
The plural is offspring, never offsprings, and the singular looks identical: one offspring, three offspring. It is the ordinary word for animals, but of people it is technical or jokingly formal, so children is normal in speech. Plural uses take a plural verb.
terrainneutral /təˈreɪn/ the physical character of an area of land Synonyms: ground, landscape	landscape; lie of the land	The rescue team struggled to cross the mountainous terrain before nightfall.
Uncountable, so no plural: difficult terrain, not terrains. The standard adjectives are rough, rugged, mountainous, flat and hostile. Figuratively it means an area of debate: familiar terrain, uncharted terrain. Stress falls on the second syllable.
momentumneutral /moʊˈmɛntəm/ the force that keeps something moving or developing Synonyms: drive, impetus	building force; impetus	The reform movement gained momentum after the video went viral on social media.
The verbs are the useful part: a campaign gains, builds, keeps or loses momentum, and there is no plural. It is also a physics term, mass times velocity. Momentous is unrelated in meaning and means of great importance.
attendanceneutral /əˈtɛndəns/ being present; the number of people present Synonyms: turnout, numbers, headcount	how many showed up	Attendance at the annual conference doubled once the sessions were streamed online.
The verb attend takes a direct object with no preposition, so attend a meeting, never attend to a meeting. The noun takes at: attendance at the conference. In attendance is a formal way of saying present: the ambassador was in attendance.
rotationneutral /roʊˈteɪʃən/ turning in a circle; taking turns in order Synonyms: turning, cycle	turning; taking turns	Farmers rely on crop rotation to keep the soil fertile without chemical fertilizers.
The fixed phrase is in rotation, meaning by turns: the doctors work in rotation, the song is in heavy rotation. Crop rotation and job rotation are set compounds. The verb rotate works with or without an object: rotate the tires, the blades rotate.
confrontationneutral /ˌkɑnfrənˈteɪʃən/ an angry disagreement or fight between people Synonyms: clash, conflict	hostile clash	Diplomats worked through the night to avoid a direct confrontation between the two powers.
A confrontation with someone, or between two sides; it is avoided, provoked or risked. The verb is confront someone about something, or confront a problem, meaning face it. Confrontational describes a person who seeks conflict, and it is a criticism.
solidarityneutral /ˌsɑləˈdærəti/ unity and support within a group sharing a goal Synonyms: unity, support	mutual support; unity	Thousands marched in solidarity with the striking nurses despite the freezing rain.
The frame is in solidarity with someone, and you show, express or declare solidarity. It belongs to labor and protest language and implies backing someone at some cost to yourself, which mere agreement does not. Solid and solidity are unrelated in sense.
nominationneutral /ˌnɑməˈneɪʃən/ officially suggesting someone for a position or prize Synonyms: proposal, candidacy, selection	official proposal of someone	Her nomination for the award surprised critics who had dismissed the film as minor.
Nomination for a prize, but nomination to a post or a court. The verb is nominate someone for an award or as a candidate, and the person named is the nominee. A nomination proposes; it does not decide.
pipelineneutral /ˈpaɪpˌlaɪn/ a long tube carrying oil or gas; things in preparation Synonyms: duct, conduit, supply line	oil duct; things pending	The new pipeline will carry natural gas from the coast to refineries hundreds of miles inland.
In the pipeline means in preparation and not yet delivered: three new drugs are in the pipeline. The figurative compounds are standard in business now: sales pipeline, talent pipeline, a pipeline of projects. The literal sense is countable and carries gas, oil or water.
reasoningneutral /ˈrizənɪŋ/ the process of thinking logically to reach conclusions Synonyms: logic, thinking	line of argument	The judge praised the lawyer's reasoning but ultimately rejected her central argument.
It is described as sound, flawed or circular, and the usual frame is the reasoning behind a decision. No plural. The verb reason means to think something through, or with with to persuade someone: you cannot reason with him.
entityformal /ˈɛntəti/ something that exists as a separate unit Synonyms: body, organization	separate unit	The two banks merged to form a single entity worth over eighty billion dollars.
It is deliberately colorless and gets used when you must avoid saying company, person or country: a legal entity, a corporate entity, a separate entity. It belongs to legal, business and technical writing. Identity is a different word.
archiveneutral /ˈɑrkaɪv/ a collection of historical documents or records Synonyms: records, files	records collection	Researchers digitized the entire archive so that fragile documents would no longer be handled.
Often plural for the place and its holdings: found in the archives, the national archives. The verb means move something out of active use into storage, as with email, so archive a message is not delete it. The adjective is archival: archival footage.
aideneutral /eɪd/ an assistant to an important person, often political Synonyms: assistant, adviser	senior assistant	A senior aide to the president resigned hours after the leaked memo surfaced.
A homophone of aid, but only aide means a person. The frame is an aide to someone: a senior aide to the governor. It belongs to political and military writing; elsewhere the word is assistant. A nurse's aide is a separate fixed job title.
premiumneutral /ˈprimiəm/ an extra payment; of higher quality than usual Synonyms: extra charge, higher rate	surcharge; top grade	Drivers in flood-prone areas now pay a much higher premium for car insurance.
You pay a premium for something scarce or better, and at a premium means in short supply and therefore valuable: space is at a premium. As a modifier it means top grade: premium gasoline, premium subscription. The insurance payment is the countable sense: premiums rise.
projectionneutral /prəˈdʒɛkʃən/ an estimate of future amounts based on current data Synonyms: forecast, outlook	a data-based forecast	Official projections suggest the population will shrink by ten percent within two decades.
A projection is derived from current data, which makes it more cautious than a prediction. Usually plural: projections suggest, official projections. The verb project is stressed on the second syllable, the unrelated noun project on the first.
conceptionformal /kənˈsɛpʃən/ a general idea; the start of a pregnancy Synonyms: notion, idea	understanding; idea	Our modern conception of privacy would have baffled citizens of the nineteenth century.
A concept is the idea itself; a conception is how a person or an era understands it, and it takes of: our conception of privacy. The biological sense is uncountable: from conception onward. The verb is conceive.
quotaneutral /ˈkwoʊtə/ a fixed limited amount that is allowed or required Synonyms: allocation, limit	fixed allowance; cap	The factory struggled to meet its monthly quota after two production lines broke down.
It can be a floor you must reach, as in a sales quota, or a ceiling you may not pass, as in an import quota, and only the context tells you which. You meet, fill, exceed or miss a quota. Quota system and hiring quota are set compounds.
densityneutral /ˈdɛnsəti/ how tightly packed something is in a space Synonyms: concentration, thickness	compactness; concentration	Urban planners link high population density with better public transport and shorter commutes.
The adjective dense describes crowded places, thick fog and forests, and also writing that is hard to get through; of a person it means slow to understand and is an insult. The noun is usually uncountable: high population density, bone density, low density.
interfaceneutral /ˈɪntərˌfeɪs/ the point where users interact with a computer system Synonyms: user screen, connection point, front end	interaction layer	The redesigned interface lets users complete a purchase in just three taps.
The fixed term is user interface, abbreviated UI. More generally it is the boundary where two systems meet: the interface between hardware and software. As a verb, interface with is technical jargon; in plain writing use work with or connect to.
ideologyneutral /ˌaɪdiˈɑlədʒi/ a set of beliefs that a political system is based on Synonyms: doctrine, belief system	political belief system	The party softened its ideology to attract moderate voters ahead of the election.
It often carries a hint of criticism: saying a policy is driven by ideology implies it ignores the evidence. An ideologue is someone who puts the beliefs before the facts. Stress falls on the third syllable, though ideological moves it.
commentaryneutral /ˈkɑmənˌtɛri/ spoken description of an event; written discussion Synonyms: analysis, narration	running remarks; analysis	His sharp commentary on the match drew more praise than the game itself.
In broadcasting it is uncountable: live commentary, do the commentary. As a written analysis it is countable and takes on: a commentary on the election. A running commentary is an unbroken description, often mentioned with irritation. The person is a commentator.
intakeneutral /ˈɪnˌteɪk/ the amount of food, drink or air taken into the body Synonyms: consumption	amount consumed	Doctors recommend reducing salt intake gradually rather than cutting it out overnight.
The substance comes first: salt intake, calorie intake, fluid intake, and it is measured, reduced or increased. Uncountable in this sense. The related verb is take in, written as two words. An air intake is the opening on an engine.
marketplaceneutral /ˈmɑrkɪtˌpleɪs/ the world of buying and selling; a trading place Synonyms: market	trading arena	Small producers can now reach global buyers through a single online marketplace.
The figurative sense is now the common one: compete in the marketplace, the marketplace of ideas. An online marketplace connects many sellers to many buyers, unlike a single store. For a physical place to buy food the word is market. Written as one word.
trademarkneutral /ˈtreɪdˌmɑrk/ a protected name or symbol of a company's products Synonyms: brand	protected brand mark	The startup was sued for using a logo almost identical to a registered trademark.
A trademark protects a name or a logo, while a patent protects an invention. The legal collocations are register a trademark and trademark infringement. As a modifier it means characteristic of someone: his trademark pause, her trademark humor.
surplusformal /ˈsɜrpləs/ an amount left over after needs are met Synonyms: excess, extra	excess; amount left over	The government used last year's budget surplus to pay down part of the national debt.
The opposites are deficit and shortfall, and the standard compounds are budget surplus and trade surplus; a country runs one or is in surplus. As a modifier it means left over and no longer needed: surplus stock, surplus equipment. Stress is on the first syllable.
deploymentneutral /dɪˈplɔɪmənt/ moving soldiers or resources into position for use Synonyms: dispatch, positioning, rollout	putting into action	The rapid deployment of medical teams saved dozens of lives after the earthquake.
Of soldiers it means being sent on active service, so a deployment can be the tour itself: three deployments overseas. Rapid deployment is the fixed phrase for the uncountable sense. In software it means releasing code, and there the verb deploy is the everyday form.
concessionformal /kənˈsɛʃən/ something you agree to give up to end a disagreement Synonyms: compromise	point given up	Union leaders won a key concession on overtime pay after months of tense negotiation.
The verbs matter: one side makes or offers a concession, the other wins or extracts it. It takes to a person and on an issue, and the verb is concede. In American English a concession stand is the unrelated food counter at a stadium.
coordinatorneutral /koʊˈɔrdəˌneɪtər/ the person who organizes people and activities together Synonyms: organizer, planner	arranger of people and tasks	The event coordinator rearranged the entire schedule when the keynote speaker canceled.
It appears mostly in job titles: project coordinator, event coordinator, volunteer coordinator, and American English writes it without a hyphen. The verb coordinate means make separate parts work together, and coordination is the noun for that activity.
recipientformal /rɪˈsɪpiənt/ the person who receives something Synonyms: beneficiary, holder	one who receives	Each recipient of the scholarship must submit a progress report at the end of the year.
Prize winners are recipients, never receivers: a receiver is a person or device that receives something in a technical or legal sense. It takes of: the recipient of the award, recipients of benefits. Formal, with stress on the second syllable.
imageryneutral /ˈɪmɪdʒri/ pictures or descriptive language creating mental images Synonyms: descriptive detail, figurative language, word pictures	vivid descriptive detail	The poem's vivid imagery transports the reader to a storm-battered northern coast.
In literary discussion it means the pictures the words create, and it is regularly vivid, stark or religious; satellite imagery is the technical sense and means actual pictures. No plural: striking imagery, not imageries. Three syllables in speech.
justificationneutral /ˌdʒʌstəfəˈkeɪʃən/ a good reason that explains why something was done Synonyms: reason, grounds	defensible reason	The minister offered no convincing justification for doubling the security budget.
It takes for: no justification for the delay. Also uncountable in with some justification, meaning reasonably. A justification defends a decision as right, while an explanation only says why it happened. The verb justify is followed by a noun or an -ing form.
widthneutral /wɪdθ/ the distance from one side to the other Synonyms: breadth	breadth; side-to-side distance	Engineers doubled the width of the lanes to accommodate the growing flow of trucks.
The noun of wide, alongside length, height and depth. Two patterns work: a width of ten feet, or ten feet in width. Breadth is the near-synonym, but breadth is the one used figuratively, as in breadth of experience, while width stays physical.
aftermathneutral /ˈæftərˌmæθ/ the situation after a bad event, like a disaster Synonyms: wake, the period after	period following disaster	In the aftermath of the storm, volunteers cleared debris from the flooded streets.
Nearly always in one frame, in the aftermath of something, and the event has to be a bad one, so the aftermath of a wedding sounds like a joke. It names the period and the conditions that follow, not the consequences themselves, which are effects or fallout.
supplementneutral /ˈsʌpləmənt/ something added to complete or improve something else Synonyms: addition, extra	an addition; extra	Many athletes take a daily supplement, though experts insist a balanced diet matters more.
Noun and verb are spelled alike but the last vowel differs: the noun ends in a reduced syllable, the verb in a full one. The noun takes to: a supplement to the report. Dietary supplement is a set compound, and the adjective is supplementary.
sovereigntyformal /ˈsɑvrənti/ a country's power to govern itself Synonyms: independence, autonomy	self-rule; supreme authority	The treaty was rejected by lawmakers who feared it would erode national sovereignty.
It is asserted, defended, ceded, eroded or violated, and the usual modifier is national. The adjective sovereign means self-governing, as in a sovereign state, and as a noun it means a monarch. The g is not pronounced in either word.
taxpayerneutral /ˈtæksˌpeɪər/ a person who pays taxes Synonyms: tax-paying citizen, contributor	person who pays tax	The failed project cost taxpayers nearly two hundred million euros over a decade.
It appears most often in complaints about public spending: cost taxpayers millions, taxpayer-funded, taxpayer dollars, at taxpayer expense. Because of that company it is rarely a neutral word in practice. The verb phrase is pay taxes, two words; the noun is one.
critiqueformal /krɪˈtik/ a detailed judgment of a work or idea Synonyms: review, analysis	reasoned assessment	Her latest book offers a rigorous critique of consumer culture in the digital age.
Unlike criticism it is not necessarily negative; it means a careful reasoned assessment, and it takes of: a critique of consumer culture. It is also a verb, so critique a draft means evaluate it in detail. Stress falls on the second syllable, unlike critic.
flexibilityneutral /ˌflɛksəˈbɪləti/ the ability to change or adapt easily Synonyms: adaptability	adaptability; room to adjust	Remote work offers employees greater flexibility in balancing their professional and personal commitments.
It takes in for the area allowed: flexibility in scheduling. Calling a person flexible is praise while inflexible is a criticism. Of materials the adjective means bendable, so the noun covers both physical give and willingness to adapt.
configurationformal /kənˌfɪɡjəˈreɪʃən/ the way parts are arranged or set up Synonyms: settings, setup, layout	chosen settings; layout	The engineer adjusted the server configuration to handle the sudden surge in traffic.
Engineers shorten it to config in speech and file names, and a preset arrangement is the default configuration. The verb is configure. Outside computing it means physical arrangement: the configuration of the rooms. Stress falls on the fourth syllable.
contentionformal /kənˈtɛnʃən/ a strong opinion in an argument; disagreement Synonyms: claim, argument, position	the point you argue	Her central contention is that austerity policies deepened the recession rather than curing it.
As the claim you are arguing it is countable: her contention is that, it is his contention that. As dispute it is uncountable, in a point of contention and a bone of contention. In contention means still competing, and contentious means likely to cause argument.
discourseformal /ˈdɪsˌkɔrs/ serious discussion or writing about a topic Synonyms: discussion, debate	public debate; discussion	Social media has coarsened public discourse, rewarding outrage over thoughtful debate.
Public discourse and political discourse mean the whole conversation a society is having rather than one exchange, and in that sense it has no plural. The noun is stressed on the first syllable, the rare verb discourse on something on the second.
correlationneutral /ˌkɔrəˈleɪʃən/ a connection where two things change together Synonyms: link, connection	statistical link	Researchers found a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and impaired decision-making in surgeons.
Correlation between two things, and it is strong, weak, positive or negative. The standard caution is that correlation does not prove causation, so a correlation is weaker evidence than a cause. The verb is correlate with something.
columnistneutral /ˈkɑləmnɪst/ a journalist who writes regular opinion articles Synonyms: opinion writer, commentator, op-ed writer	regular opinion writer	The veteran columnist has been writing about economic policy for more than two decades.
The n is silent in column but is pronounced in columnist. What the person writes is a column, and one reprinted by many papers is syndicated. A columnist is expected to give opinions, which is exactly what a reporter is expected not to do.
decision-makingneutral /dɪˈsɪʒənˌmeɪkɪŋ/ the process of choosing what to do Synonyms: choosing, deliberation, judgment	how choices get made	Transparent decision-making builds trust between management and employees during periods of uncertainty.
It takes a singular verb even though it names many acts: decision-making is slow here. It works as a modifier too: the decision-making process, decision-making power, and the person is a decision-maker. Keep the hyphen. The verb phrase is make a decision, never do a decision.
aspirationneutral /ˌæspəˈreɪʃən/ a strong hope or ambition to achieve something Synonyms: ambition, goal	ambition; strong hope	Many young graduates harbor aspirations of founding their own companies within a decade.
The verb is aspire to, never aspire for. The noun is usually plural, as in career aspirations and political aspirations, and takes to plus a verb or of plus an -ing form: aspirations to lead, aspirations of founding a company. Aspirational describes something people want to be linked with.
desktopneutral /ˈdɛskˌtɑp/ a computer that stays on a desk; the main screen Synonyms: tower computer, workstation	desk computer; home screen	Although laptops dominate the market, many designers still prefer a powerful desktop for demanding work.
It contrasts with laptop for machines, and the screen sense is on your desktop, where files and icons sit. A desktop app is installed on the machine rather than used in a browser. Desktop publishing is a fixed older term. Always one word.
browserneutral /ˈbraʊzər/ the program you use to visit websites Synonyms: web browser, internet program	web program	Clearing your browser cache often resolves issues with pages that fail to load properly.
The full term is web browser. The verb browse keeps its older sense of looking around with no fixed purpose, in a shop or a library, which is why browsing history sounds casual. Browser tab and browser cache are standard compounds.
subsidyneutral /ˈsʌbsədi/ money a government gives to lower the cost of something Synonyms: grant, funding	government price support	The government slashed fuel subsidies, triggering protests in several major cities overnight.
A subsidy lowers a price, while a grant funds a project. Governments grant, cut, slash or phase subsidies out. The verb is subsidize, spelled with a z in American English, and subsidized housing is a fixed term.
broadbandneutral /ˈbrɔdˌbænd/ a fast permanent internet connection Synonyms: high-speed internet, fast connection	high-speed internet	Rural communities are still waiting for reliable broadband promised by successive governments.
Uncountable and usually with no article: we have broadband, broadband is slow here. It is the opposite of the older dial-up, and the standard compounds are broadband access, broadband speeds and broadband provider. It describes the connection, not the content.
to wipeneutral /waɪp/ to clean a surface by rubbing; to delete data Synonyms: clean, erase	rub clean; erase	Before returning the laptop, she wiped all personal data from the hard drive.
Wipe out means destroy completely, and a wipeout is a heavy defeat or a bad fall. The data sense means erase everything, not part of it, so a wiped phone is empty. The object can be the surface or the dirt: wipe the table, wipe the crumbs off.
to yellinformal /jɛl/ to shout loudly Synonyms: shout, scream	shout loudly	The coach yelled instructions from the sideline, but the players could barely hear him.
Yell at someone means angrily; yell to someone only means across a distance. You yell instructions, or yell that something is wrong, and yell for help is fixed. Shout is the neutral choice in writing, while yell is louder and more emotional.
to betrayneutral /bɪˈtreɪ/ to harm someone who trusted you Synonyms: deceive, double-cross	break someone's trust	He felt deeply betrayed when his closest colleague leaked the confidential report to the press.
Betray a person or a cause is to break their trust, and the noun is betrayal; someone who does it is a traitor. Betray a secret, or betray nervousness, means reveal it unintentionally: his voice betrayed no emotion.
to smashneutral /smæʃ/ to break something violently into pieces Synonyms: shatter, crush	break violently	Vandals smashed the shop windows during the riots, causing thousands of pounds in damage.
Break is neutral; smash implies force and noise. Smash into something is the collision frame, and the verb works with or without an object: he smashed the glass, the glass smashed. Figuratively it means beat decisively, as in smash a record, and a smash hit is a huge success.
to stabneutral /stæb/ to push a knife into someone or something Synonyms: knife, pierce, run through	wound with a blade	The victim was stabbed twice in the arm but is expected to make a full recovery.
The b doubles: stabbed, stabbing, and a stabbing is the crime itself. The body part takes in: stabbed in the chest. Figuratively, stab someone in the back means betray them, a stab of pain is a sudden sharp one, and take a stab at something means attempt it.
to cooperateneutral /koʊˈɑpəˌreɪt/ to work together toward a shared goal Synonyms: collaborate, work together	work together; comply	The suspect has agreed to cooperate fully with investigators in exchange for a reduced sentence.
No hyphen in American English. It takes with a person and on a task: cooperate with police on the inquiry. In legal reporting, cooperate means give investigators information, often in return for leniency. The noun is cooperation, the adjective cooperative.
to creepneutral /krip/ to move slowly and quietly to avoid being noticed Synonyms: sneak, crawl	move slowly; edge up	Inflation has been creeping upward for months despite repeated interest rate hikes.
The most useful modern sense is gradual unwanted increase: costs creep up, errors creep in, and the noun gives scope creep and mission creep. The past tense is crept. As a noun a creep is an unpleasant person, and creepy means unsettling; both are informal.
to bounceneutral /baʊns/ to spring back after hitting a surface Synonyms: rebound, spring	spring back; recover	Tech stocks bounced back sharply after weeks of steady decline on Wall Street.
Bounce back is the common figurative use, meaning recover after a setback: markets bounced back. A check that bounces is refused for lack of funds. Bounce an idea off someone means test it on them informally. In finance rebound is the more formal word.
to dipneutral /dɪp/ to put briefly into liquid; to go down slightly Synonyms: immerse, drop	dunk; fall slightly	Consumer confidence dipped slightly in June as households braced for higher energy bills.
The p doubles: dipped, dipping. The fall it names is small and temporary, which is why it takes slightly, briefly or a little; a large fall is a drop or a plunge. Dip into savings or into a book means use or read a small part of it.
to fleeneutral /fli/ to run away from danger Synonyms: escape, get out of, run from	run from danger	Thousands of civilians fled the city as fighting intensified near the border.
It takes a direct object with no preposition: flee the country, flee the scene, though flee from danger also occurs. The past and participle are fled. It belongs to news and formal writing; in speech people say run away or get out.
to presumeformal /prɪˈzum/ to believe something is true without proof Synonyms: assume, suppose	assume without proof	Under the law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Presume that plus a clause, or a passive with an adjective: presumed innocent, presumed dead. It differs from assume in implying you have some grounds, which is why it suits legal writing. The noun is presumption, and presumptuous means overstepping.
to slamneutral /slæm/ to shut with force and noise; to criticize strongly Synonyms: bang, criticize	shut hard; attack verbally	Opposition leaders slammed the budget as a betrayal of working families.
The m doubles: slammed, slamming. Slam the door and slam on the brakes are fixed. The criticize sense belongs to headlines, where it is the short word for condemn, and it looks overheated in a report. Slam into something is a violent collision.
to fadeneutral /feɪd/ to slowly become weaker, paler or quieter Synonyms: dim, weaken	grow weaker; lose color	Public enthusiasm for the reform faded quickly once its true costs became apparent.
The change is always gradual, never sudden: the light faded, memories fade, enthusiasm faded, and there is normally no object. Fade away means disappear gradually, and fade out is the film and music term. Of fabric it means lose color, giving faded jeans.
to convictneutral /kənˈvɪkt/ to officially decide someone is guilty of a crime Synonyms: find guilty, declare guilty	declare guilty in court	The jury convicted him of fraud after deliberating for less than three hours.
The verb is stressed on the second syllable; the noun convict, meaning a prisoner, on the first. It takes of: convicted of fraud, never convicted for. The opposite is acquit. The noun conviction covers both the court result and a firmly held belief.
to awaitformal /əˈweɪt/ to wait for something Synonyms: wait for, expect	wait for	Hundreds of families still await official confirmation of what happened to their relatives.
Transitive with no preposition: await a decision, never await for it. That is the whole difference from wait, which needs for. It is formal and mostly written, common in awaiting trial and eagerly awaited. The thing can also be the subject: a surprise awaits you.
to manipulateneutral /məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt/ to control people or things unfairly or skillfully Synonyms: control, exploit	control unfairly; handle	The traders were accused of manipulating benchmark interest rates for their own profit.
Of people, markets or data it is an accusation: manipulating the figures means falsifying them. Of objects it is neutral and technical: manipulate the controls, manipulate an image. Manipulative describes a person and is always a criticism.
to bindneutral /baɪnd/ to tie together; to create a legal obligation Synonyms: tie, fasten	tie; legally commit	The treaty legally binds member states to cut emissions by forty percent before 2035.
The legal sense takes to: the treaty binds states to cut emissions, and the adjective is binding, as in a legally binding agreement. The past and participle are bound. Be bound to do something is a separate structure meaning certain to do it.
to assembleneutral /əˈsɛmbəl/ to put parts together; to gather as a group Synonyms: build, gather	put together; gather	Workers at the plant assemble roughly six hundred vehicles every single day.
With parts it takes an object, with people it does not: workers assemble vehicles, but crowds assembled outside. Of people it is more formal than gather. The related nouns are assembly and assembly line, and flat-pack furniture comes with assembly instructions.
to commenceformal /kəˈmɛns/ to begin something Synonyms: start, get going	begin; get under way	Construction of the new terminal will commence once environmental approvals are secured.
In American English commencement is the graduation ceremony, which surprises readers who know only the beginning sense. The verb takes a noun or an -ing form: commence work, commence drilling. Formal and mostly written; begin or start is the natural choice in speech.
to manifestformal /ˈmænəˌfɛst/ to show something clearly through signs or actions Synonyms: display, demonstrate	show clearly; appear	Chronic stress often manifests itself in physical symptoms such as headaches and insomnia.
Often reflexive: stress manifests itself in headaches. It also works without the reflexive and takes as: the illness manifests as a rash. As an adjective it means obvious, as in manifest injustice. Manifestation is the noun, and a manifest is also a cargo list.
to prosecuteneutral /ˈprɑsɪˌkjut/ to take legal action against someone in court Synonyms: charge, try	bring to trial	Authorities warned that anyone caught dumping toxic waste would be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
The state prosecutes a person for an offense. The nouns are prosecution and prosecutor, and to the fullest extent of the law is a fixed phrase. Do not confuse it with persecute, which means to harass or oppress someone, usually for their beliefs.
to interveneneutral /ˌɪntərˈvin/ to become involved to change what is happening Synonyms: step in, intercede	step in; interrupt	The central bank intervened in currency markets to halt the sharp slide of the peso.
It takes in for the situation and on behalf of for the person helped: intervene in the dispute. The noun is intervention, used of armies, central banks and doctors alike. The participle also means lying between two dates: the intervening years.
to compensateneutral /ˈkɑmpənˌseɪt/ to pay someone for loss; to balance something bad Synonyms: reimburse, offset	pay back; offset	The airline agreed to compensate stranded passengers for hotel costs and missed connections.
Two frames. With a person it takes for: compensate passengers for the delay. Without a person, compensate for something means make up for it: extra staff compensated for the shortfall. The noun compensation covers both the money and the balancing out.
to mergeneutral /mɜrdʒ/ to combine two things into one Synonyms: combine, unite	combine into one	The two regional banks will merge next year, creating the country's third-largest lender.
Companies merge with each other; traffic and roads merge into a lane. Usually intransitive, though you can merge two files. The business noun is merger, not merging, and a merger joins equals while an acquisition is one side buying the other.
to deployformal /dɪˈplɔɪ/ to move into position for use, especially forces Synonyms: position, station	put into position	The government deployed additional troops to the region after the ceasefire collapsed.
Military first: deploy troops, and soldiers are deployed to a region. It extends to any purposeful placing of resources, including arguments: she deployed the statistics well. In software it means release code to a live system. The noun is deployment.
to weaveneutral /wiv/ to make cloth by crossing threads; to move in and out Synonyms: interlace, braid, thread together	interlace; wind through	The novelist skillfully weaves three family histories into a single compelling narrative.
Two past forms carry different senses: wove and woven for making cloth or a story, but weaved for moving in and out, as in he weaved through traffic. The figurative use takes into: weave three histories into one narrative. Woven is also an adjective.
to dictateneutral /ˈdɪkˌteɪt/ to state something with authority; to say words to be written Synonyms: impose, prescribe	determine; speak for writing	Market conditions, not personal preference, should dictate when a company goes public.
Dictate that plus a clause for the determining sense: conditions dictate that we wait. Dictate to someone means give them orders and is resented: I will not be dictated to. The other sense is speaking words for someone to write down, and that noun is dictation.
to terminateformal /ˈtɜrməˌneɪt/ to end something officially Synonyms: end, conclude	end officially	Either party may terminate the contract with ninety days' written notice.
For ordinary endings, end or finish is correct and terminate sounds bureaucratic. It belongs to contracts: terminate a contract, an agreement or someone's employment. Of transport it takes no object, as in this train terminates here. The noun is termination.
to stumbleneutral /ˈstʌmbəl/ to almost fall while walking; to make mistakes speaking Synonyms: come across, chance upon, happen upon	nearly fall; blunder while speaking	While researching her thesis, she stumbled upon documents that rewrote the town's history.
Stumble upon or across something means find it by chance, with no falling involved, and that is usually the sense wanted in writing. Stumble over your words means falter while speaking. A stumbling block is an obstacle that keeps halting progress.
to obligeformal /əˈblaɪdʒ/ to force someone by law or duty; to do a favor Synonyms: require, compel	compel; do a favor	The new regulations oblige manufacturers to disclose every ingredient on the label.
Usually passive in the compelling sense: manufacturers are obliged to disclose. Active it takes an object plus to: the rules oblige them to disclose. The unrelated courtesy sense survives in happy to oblige and much obliged, both dated. The noun is obligation.
to shatterneutral /ˈʃætər/ to break suddenly into many small pieces Synonyms: smash, destroy	break into fragments	The scandal shattered public confidence in an institution once considered beyond reproach.
It implies many small fragments, so it is stronger than break or crack. Figuratively it takes abstract objects that cannot be repaired: shatter confidence, illusions, hopes. It works with or without an object: the blast shattered the windows, the windows shattered.
to rotateneutral /ˈroʊˌteɪt/ to turn in a circle; to take turns Synonyms: turn, spin	turn; take turns	The hospital rotates junior doctors through different departments every four months.
With people it means move them through positions in turn, and it takes through: rotate doctors through departments. With machinery it works either way: rotate the tires, the blades rotate. In American English the stress is on the first syllable. The noun is rotation.
to superviseneutral /ˈsupərˌvaɪz/ to watch and direct someone's work Synonyms: oversee, monitor	oversee; direct	A senior partner supervises every audit before the final report reaches the client.
A supervisor checks work in progress, while a manager answers for results and resources. The nouns are supervisor and supervision, and work done under supervision is watched as it happens. The object is the work or the people: supervise trainees.
to stabilizeneutral /ˈsteɪbəˌlaɪz/ to make or become steady and unlikely to change Synonyms: steady, secure	steady; hold firm	Doctors managed to stabilize the patient's condition after several tense hours in intensive care.
It means stop something getting worse, not make it good, so a stabilized patient may still be critical. It works with or without an object: doctors stabilized the patient, prices stabilized. Spelled with a z in American English; the nouns are stability and stabilization.
to soarneutral /sɔr/ to rise very quickly and high Synonyms: surge, skyrocket	rise steeply	Housing prices have soared beyond the reach of most first-time buyers in the capital.
It needs a big rise: prices, temperatures and costs soar, but they do not soar slightly. It never takes an object, so nothing soars something. A homophone of sore. Of birds and gliders it means rise and stay up without effort, and soaring is common as an adjective.
to depriveformal /dɪˈpraɪv/ to take away something someone needs Synonyms: deny, strip	take away from	Prolonged power cuts deprived thousands of households of heating during the coldest week.
The frame is fixed: deprive someone of something, and the of cannot be dropped. It is often passive: thousands were deprived of heating. Deprived as an adjective means lacking basic needs, as in a deprived neighborhood, and the noun gives sleep deprivation.
to induceformal /ɪnˈdus/ to cause something to happen; to persuade Synonyms: cause, prompt	bring on; persuade	Certain medications can induce drowsiness, so patients are advised not to drive.
Two frames: induce someone to do something, meaning persuade, and induce a condition, meaning cause it. The second gives medical uses such as induce labor and the hyphenated compounds drug-induced and stress-induced. Inducement is the noun for an incentive.
to persistneutral /pərˈsɪst/ to continue despite difficulty or opposition Synonyms: continue, persevere	continue; keep on	If the symptoms persist for more than a week, consult a doctor without delay.
Of a person it takes in plus an -ing form, or with plus a noun: persisted in asking, persisted with the plan. Of a condition it needs no preposition: if the symptoms persist. Persistent covers both admirable determination and things that will not stop.
to denounceformal /dɪˈnaʊns/ to publicly criticize something as wrong Synonyms: condemn, criticize	publicly condemn	Human rights groups denounced the new surveillance law as a threat to press freedom.
Denounce something as something: denounced the law as unconstitutional. It is public and total, so it is stronger than criticize, which can be partial. Denounce someone to the authorities means report them. The noun is denunciation.
to nominateneutral /ˈnɑməˌneɪt/ to officially suggest someone for a position or prize Synonyms: propose, put forward	put forward officially	She was nominated for the committee chair after leading the merger negotiations successfully.
Nominate someone for a prize, as a candidate, or to a post; the three prepositions are not interchangeable. It is often passive: she was nominated for the chair. The person named is the nominee, and to nominate is only to propose, not to choose.
to discardneutral /dɪsˈkɑrd/ to throw away something no longer useful Synonyms: throw away, dispose of	throw away; set aside	The jury was instructed to discard any evidence obtained without a proper warrant.
A degree more formal than throw away, and it works for ideas and evidence as well as objects: discard the packaging, discard the theory. No preposition follows. The verb is stressed on the second syllable. In card games you discard a card you do not want.
to conserveneutral /kənˈsɜrv/ to protect something from being wasted or destroyed Synonyms: preserve, protect	save; protect from waste	Farmers in the region are adopting drip irrigation to conserve water during prolonged droughts.
The objects are resources: conserve water, energy, fuel. The related noun is conservation, meaning the protection of nature or of resources; conservatism is the separate political word. Of a person, conserve your energy means avoid tiring yourself out.
to caterneutral /ˈkeɪtər/ to provide what someone needs or wants Synonyms: serve, meet the needs of, appeal to	supply what people want	The new streaming service caters to viewers who prefer documentaries over mainstream entertainment.
In American English it takes to: cater to viewers, cater to demand; British English prefers cater for. Cater to someone's whims suggests indulging them, so the phrase is not always neutral. It also means supply the food for an event, and the noun is caterer.
to alignneutral /əˈlaɪn/ to put in a straight line; to bring into agreement Synonyms: line up, adjust	line up; bring into agreement	The company restructured its incentives to align employee goals with long-term shareholder value.
Align one thing with another: align incentives with results. Align yourself with a group means publicly take its side. The noun is alignment, and out of alignment is the physical sense. The g is silent and the stress is on the second syllable.
to circulateneutral /ˈsɜrkjəˌleɪt/ to move around a system; to spread among people Synonyms: spread, distribute	spread; pass around	Rumors of an imminent resignation began to circulate among senior staff before the official announcement.
News circulates by itself and among a group: rumors circulate among senior staff. Documents need an object: circulate the draft to the team. At a party, to circulate means move among the guests. The noun circulation also covers blood and newspaper sales.
to enquireformal /ɪnˈkwaɪr/ to ask for information Synonyms: ask, inquire	ask for information	Several investors enquired about the fund's exposure to emerging markets during the briefing.
American English almost always spells this inquire; enquire is the British form. It takes about for a question and into for an investigation: enquire about the fund, inquire into the collapse. The noun is inquiry, and ask is the everyday word.
to conferformal /kənˈfɜr/ to discuss with others; to formally give an honor Synonyms: consult, grant	consult; formally bestow	The judges conferred for nearly an hour before announcing the winner of the architecture prize.
The r doubles: conferred, conferring. Two distinct uses: intransitive, confer with someone, meaning consult privately, and transitive, confer a degree or an honor on someone. The related noun conference belongs only to the first sense.
to elevateformal /ˈɛləˌveɪt/ to raise to a higher level or position Synonyms: raise, lift	raise; promote	Her acclaimed second novel elevated her from regional author to international literary figure.
Raise is the plainer word; elevate is slightly formal and takes from and to: elevated her from regional author to international figure. Elevated also means higher than normal, as in elevated blood pressure, and elevation means both height and promotion.
to escalateneutral /ˈɛskəˌleɪt/ to become more serious or intense Synonyms: intensify, worsen	intensify; grow worse	What began as a minor border dispute quickly escalated into a full diplomatic crisis.
It almost always describes something getting worse, not better: tensions escalated, costs escalate. It takes into for the result: escalated into a crisis. With an object it means deliberately raise the level, as in escalate a complaint to a manager.
to recountformal /rɪˈkaʊnt/ to tell the story of something that happened Synonyms: narrate, relate	narrate; tell in detail	In her memoir, the diplomat recounts the tense hours before the peace agreement was signed.
The noun recount, stressed on the first syllable, is the unrelated sense of counting votes again; the verb is stressed on the second. It is somewhat formal: recount the events, recount how it happened. Tell the story of is the everyday equivalent.
to adhereformal /ædˈhɪr/ to stick to a surface; to follow rules exactly Synonyms: stick, comply	stick; follow strictly	All contractors must adhere strictly to the safety protocols outlined in the site manual.
It always takes to, in both senses: the label adheres to the bottle, contractors adhere to the protocol. Formal, and follow or stick to is the plainer wording. The nouns are adherence for the rule sense and adhesive for glue; an adherent is a supporter.
to overturnneutral /ˌoʊvərˈtɜrn/ to officially reverse a decision; to turn upside down Synonyms: reverse, annul	reverse; upend	The appeals court overturned the conviction after new DNA evidence emerged last spring.
The legal collocations are the common ones: overturn a conviction, a ruling, a ban, and the opposite there is uphold. Physically it means turn something over, and it is often passive: the boat was overturned. The noun for the legal act is a reversal.
to obsessneutral /əbˈsɛs/ to think about something constantly and too much Synonyms: dwell on, fixate, brood over	dwell on excessively	Analysts warn that companies obsessing over quarterly results often neglect long-term innovation.
In American English it is intransitive and takes over or about: obsessing over results, stop obsessing about it. The passive be obsessed with something is far more common than the active. The noun is obsession and the adjective obsessive.
to shrugneutral /ʃrʌɡ/ to raise your shoulders to show you don't know or care Synonyms: raise the shoulders, gesture indifference	raise the shoulders	When reporters pressed him about the leaked memo, the minister merely shrugged and walked away.
The g doubles: shrugged, shrugging. It works alone or with the object shoulders, and both are standard. Shrug something off is the useful phrasal verb, meaning dismiss criticism or an injury as unimportant. The noun is a shrug: she answered with a shrug.
to originateformal /əˈrɪdʒəˌneɪt/ to begin or come from a particular place or source Synonyms: arise, stem	come from a source	Many everyday English idioms originated in maritime culture centuries ago, though few speakers realize it.
The preposition marks the kind of source: originate in a place or period, from a cause, with the person whose idea it was. It has no passive, so avoid was originated. The nouns are origin and originator.
to characterizeformal /ˈkærɪktəˌraɪz/ to describe the typical qualities of something Synonyms: describe, define	describe as; typify	Critics characterized the government's response to the flooding as slow and poorly coordinated.
Two frames to keep apart: characterize something as something, meaning describe it that way, and be characterized by, meaning have as a typical feature. Spelled with a z in American English. The noun is characterization, and characteristic is the related adjective.
to embodyformal /ɛmˈbɑdi/ to be a perfect example of an idea or quality Synonyms: represent, personify	represent in person	For many voters, the young mayor embodies the pragmatic optimism the city desperately needs.
The subject is usually a person, a building or a work that makes an abstract quality visible: the mayor embodies a kind of optimism. Embodied in also means contained in, as in the rights embodied in the constitution. The noun is embodiment.
to empowerneutral /ɛmˈpaʊər/ to give someone the power or confidence to act Synonyms: enable, strengthen	enable; authorize	The microloan program has empowered thousands of rural women to launch their own small businesses.
It takes an object plus to: the law empowers inspectors to enter premises, which is the strict legal sense of granting authority. The social sense of giving people confidence and control gives empowerment and empowering. Nothing empowers on its own.
to inhibitformal /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ to prevent or slow down a process or action Synonyms: hinder, restrain	hold back; suppress	Researchers found that chronic stress can inhibit the brain's ability to form new memories.
It slows or restrains rather than stopping outright, which is what prevent does. The objects are processes: inhibit growth, inhibit an enzyme, and with a person it takes from plus an -ing form: inhibited him from speaking. Inhibited describes a shy person.
to ensueformal /ɛnˈsu/ to happen immediately after something else Synonyms: follow, break out	happen as a result	A heated debate ensued when the board proposed cutting the research budget by half.
The subject normally follows something already described, so chaos ensued and a debate ensued come after the cause, and the verb rarely opens a passage. It never takes an object. The participle is the most useful part: the ensuing weeks, the ensuing debate.
nobleneutral /ˈnoʊbəl/ morally good and generous; of high social rank Synonyms: honorable, dignified	high-minded; aristocratic	Donating anonymously struck everyone as a genuinely noble gesture in an age of constant self-promotion.
Morally high-minded, as in a noble gesture or a noble cause, or of aristocratic birth, as in a noble family; the noun for that class is the nobility. In chemistry a noble gas is one that barely reacts.
invisibleneutral /ɪnˈvɪzəbəl/ impossible to see Synonyms: hidden, overlooked	unseen; unnoticed	Much of the caregiving economy remains invisible in official statistics because it is unpaid work.
It takes to for the observer: invisible to the naked eye. The figurative sense means unrecognized rather than unseen: invisible labor, the invisible hand of the market. The noun is invisibility, and the opposite pair is visible and visibility.
superiorneutral /səˈpɪriər/ better than others; higher in rank Synonyms: better, higher	better; higher-ranking	Blind tastings repeatedly showed the cheaper wine to be superior to its prestigious rivals.
It takes to, never than: superior to its rivals. As a noun it means someone above you at work: report to your superior. On its own it can mean arrogant, as in a superior smile. The noun is superiority, and inferior is the opposite, also with to.
absurdneutral /əbˈsɜrd/ completely unreasonable or ridiculous Synonyms: ridiculous, ludicrous	ridiculous; senseless	It seems absurd that commuters pay more for a short train ride than for a flight abroad.
Common frames are it seems absurd that plus a clause, and patently or frankly absurd. It judges logic rather than humor, so an absurd rule is illogical, not funny. The noun is absurdity, and absurdly can intensify: absurdly expensive.
soloneutral /ˈsoʊloʊ/ done by one person alone Synonyms: alone, single	alone; unaccompanied	After the band split up, the guitarist recorded a solo album in a remote Norwegian studio.
It works as adjective, adverb and noun: a solo album, she flew solo, a guitar solo. The plural is solos. Go solo means leave a group to work alone, said of musicians and of businesses alike. The performer is a soloist.
dedicatedneutral /ˈdɛdəˌkeɪtɪd/ giving a lot of time and energy to something Synonyms: devoted, loyal, tireless	wholly given to something	The clinic survives thanks to a small team of dedicated volunteers who work weekends without pay.
Of people it takes to: dedicated to the cause. Of things it means reserved for one purpose: a dedicated server, a dedicated bike lane. The noun dedication covers both the devotion and the words printed at the front of a book.
brutalneutral /ˈbrutəl/ extremely violent or cruel Synonyms: savage, vicious	savage; harsh	The documentary offers a brutal portrait of factory conditions in the early twentieth century.
Of violence it means cruel without restraint. It also describes unpleasant plainness and hard conditions: brutal honesty, a brutal schedule, a brutal winter. Brutally frank is close to a compliment. The noun is brutality.
troubledneutral /ˈtrʌbəld/ having many problems or worries Synonyms: distressed, unstable	in difficulty; distressed	The troubled airline announced a rescue plan after months of cancellations and mounting debt.
Usually before the noun: a troubled airline, a troubled childhood. In business writing it is a polite way of saying failing, and troubled assets are ones unlikely to be repaid. Troubled by something describes a worried person: troubled by the news.
eagerneutral /ˈiɡər/ wanting to do something very much Synonyms: keen, enthusiastic	keen; impatient to	Graduates eager to gain experience often accept unpaid internships despite the financial strain.
Eager to do something, or eager for something; never eager of. It is positive, which separates it from anxious, where the same impatience carries worry. Eagerly is common with awaited. An eager beaver is someone keen to the point of annoying others.
revolutionaryneutral /ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri/ causing complete change; related to revolution Synonyms: radical, groundbreaking	transformative; rebel	The printing press was a revolutionary invention that transformed how knowledge spread across Europe.
Advertising overuse has weakened the change sense, so a revolutionary invention now claims less than it used to; a revolutionary movement is the political sense. It is also a noun for the person: the revolutionaries seized the palace.
amateurneutral /ˈæməˌtʃʊr/ doing something for pleasure, not as a profession Synonyms: non-professional, hobbyist	unpaid; non-professional	An amateur astronomer in Chile spotted the comet weeks before any professional observatory did.
Amateurish is always an insult meaning badly done, while amateur on its own only means unpaid: an amateur astronomer may do serious work. It is both noun and adjective, with stress on the first syllable, and the opposite is professional.
inappropriateneutral /ˌɪnəˈproʊpriət/ not suitable for the situation Synonyms: unsuitable, improper	unsuitable; out of place	The board deemed the executive's comments inappropriate and ordered an independent review of workplace culture.
It takes for or to: inappropriate for the occasion. In workplace and news writing it is the standard euphemism for behavior that may be far worse than unsuitable, as in inappropriate comments. The adverb is inappropriately.
radicalneutral /ˈrædɪkəl/ extreme; wanting complete change Synonyms: extreme, drastic	far-reaching; extreme	The report calls for a radical rethink of how cities fund their public transport systems.
Of changes and treatments it means thorough and going to the root: a radical rethink, radical surgery. Of politics it means far from the mainstream, and as a noun a radical is such a person. Radically means completely.
lethalneutral /ˈliθəl/ able to cause death Synonyms: deadly, fatal	deadly; able to kill	Health officials warned that mixing the two medications could prove lethal in elderly patients.
The standard compounds are lethal dose, lethal weapon and lethal injection, and it takes to for the victim: lethal to elderly patients. Figuratively it means devastatingly effective: a lethal combination. Fatal describes what did kill, lethal what can.
navalneutral /ˈneɪvəl/ relating to a country's navy Synonyms: of the navy, navy-related	of the navy	The two countries staged joint naval exercises in the strait, raising tensions with their neighbors.
A homophone of navel, which is on the stomach. It is used only before a noun: a naval base, a naval officer, naval exercises. It relates to the navy as an institution, while nautical and maritime relate to ships and the sea in general.
irrelevantneutral /ɪˈrɛləvənt/ not connected to the subject; not important here Synonyms: unrelated, beside the point	beside the point	The judge ruled that the witness's personal finances were irrelevant to the fraud case.
It takes to: irrelevant to the case. Stress falls on the second syllable, and the sounds often get switched in speech, producing the non-word irrevelant. Unrelated says there is no link; irrelevant says the link does not matter here.
countlessneutral /ˈkaʊntləs/ too many to be counted Synonyms: innumerable, numerous	very many indeed	Countless hours of rehearsal lie behind the orchestra's seemingly effortless opening night performance.
Used only before a plural countable noun: countless hours, countless attempts. It does not work with uncountable nouns, so countless water is wrong. It is deliberate exaggeration meaning very many, not a claim that counting is impossible, and it has no comparative.
presidentialneutral /ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/ relating to a president Synonyms: of the president, head-of-state	of a president	Turnout in the presidential election reached its highest level in three decades, surprising most pollsters.
It can describe manner as well as office: looking presidential means appearing dignified enough for the job. The fixed compounds are presidential election, presidential campaign and presidential candidate. Stress falls on the third syllable, unlike president.
absentneutral /ˈæbsənt/ not present in a place Synonyms: away, missing	not there; missing	Several key ministers were conspicuously absent from the summit's final photo session.
The adjective is stressed on the first syllable and takes from: absent from the meeting. The rare verb absent yourself is stressed on the second. In American formal and legal writing absent also works as a preposition meaning without: absent any evidence.
liberalneutral /ˈlɪbərəl/ open to new ideas; politically progressive Synonyms: progressive, left-leaning, tolerant	left-leaning; generous	The newspaper's liberal stance on immigration has cost it readers in more conservative regions.
In American usage it means politically left of center, nearly the opposite of the European sense of favoring free markets, so the bare word can mislead. It also means generous or unrestrained: a liberal helping, liberal use of salt. Liberal arts is a fixed term.
strategicneutral /strəˈtidʒɪk/ carefully planned to achieve a long-term goal Synonyms: planned, tactical	long-term; deliberate	Opening a warehouse near the port was a strategic decision that halved the firm's delivery times.
It marks a decision as serving a long-term aim rather than an immediate need: a strategic investment, a strategic partnership, and strategically placed means positioned for advantage. Stress falls on the second syllable, while the noun strategy is stressed on the first.
meaningfulneutral /ˈminɪŋfəl/ having real importance or purpose Synonyms: significant, important	substantive; significant	Negotiators admitted that no meaningful progress had been made on the core territorial issues.
In reports it usually means substantial rather than emotionally significant, and it is commonest in the negative: no meaningful progress, no meaningful difference. With a person it takes to: meaningful to her. The opposite is meaningless.
inclinedneutral /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ likely to do something or holding an opinion Synonyms: prone, disposed	tending; disposed	After the third delay, customers were understandably inclined to demand a full refund.
Inclined to plus a verb: inclined to agree, inclined to demand a refund. With think or agree it softens an opinion rather than reporting a habit: I am inclined to think so. The noun is inclination, and the physical sense means sloping.
cynicalneutral /ˈsɪnɪkəl/ believing people act only from self-interest Synonyms: distrustful, jaded	distrustful of motives	Years of broken promises have made voters deeply cynical about pledges to fix the housing crisis.
It takes about: cynical about politicians. It is not skeptical, which doubts a claim, nor pessimistic, which expects a bad outcome; a cynic doubts that anyone acts for good reasons. A cynical move is made for calculated advantage. The noun is cynicism.
imminentformal /ˈɪmənənt/ about to happen very soon Synonyms: impending, approaching	about to happen	Residents were evacuated overnight because engineers warned that the dam's collapse was imminent.
Nearly always used of something serious or unwelcome: imminent collapse, imminent danger, an imminent attack. Do not confuse it with eminent, which means distinguished. It takes no preposition and sits before a noun or after be: the risk is imminent.
profitableneutral /ˈprɑfɪtəbəl/ making money; producing a financial gain Synonyms: lucrative, money-making	money-making; worthwhile	The airline's cargo division proved surprisingly profitable while passenger numbers collapsed during the pandemic.
Beyond money it has a milder sense of worth the effort: a profitable afternoon in the archives. The business noun is profitability, and the opposites are unprofitable and, of a company, loss-making. Stress is on the first syllable, as in profit.
competentneutral /ˈkɑmpətənt/ having the skill to do something well enough Synonyms: capable, skilled	capable enough; adequate	The inquiry concluded that the crisis was worsened by a shortage of competent middle managers.
Often faint praise: a competent performance is adequate and no more. With a person it can take to plus a verb: competent to testify. In legal use it means legally qualified, as in a competent court. The noun is competence, the opposite incompetent.
symbolicneutral /sɪmˈbɑlɪk/ representing an idea rather than being practical Synonyms: representative, emblematic	token; representative	Planting the first tree was largely symbolic, yet it drew national attention to the reforestation campaign.
It takes of: symbolic of a wider change. Largely or purely symbolic marks a gesture as having no practical effect, and that is mildly dismissive. Stress falls on the second syllable. The verb is symbolize and the noun symbolism.
upcomingneutral /ˈʌpˌkʌmɪŋ/ happening soon Synonyms: forthcoming, approaching	forthcoming; soon to come	The company will unveil its new product line at the upcoming trade fair in Barcelona.
Used only before a noun: the upcoming election, the upcoming fair. You cannot say the election is upcoming. Forthcoming is the near-synonym, but it has an extra sense of being willing to give information: he was not forthcoming about the delay.
lifelongneutral /ˈlaɪfˌlɔŋ/ lasting your whole life Synonyms: lifetime, enduring, permanent	lasting a whole life	Her lifelong passion for astronomy finally led her to a career at the observatory.
Used only before a noun: a lifelong friend, a lifelong passion, lifelong learning; you cannot say her passion was lifelong. It means continuous, not merely long, so a lifelong habit began early and never stopped. One word, no hyphen.
damagingneutral /ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ/ causing harm Synonyms: harmful, detrimental	harmful; incriminating	The leaked report contained damaging revelations about the bank's lending practices.
It takes to: damaging to her reputation, damaging to the environment. Of documents, revelations or testimony it specifically means harmful to someone's standing rather than physically destructive. The noun damage is uncountable, while damages means money awarded in court.
provincialneutral /prəˈvɪnʃəl/ relating to regions outside the capital; narrow-minded Synonyms: regional, small-town, parochial	regional; narrow-minded	Critics dismissed his views as provincial, arguing he had never lived outside his hometown.
Of a person or their taste it is an insult meaning unsophisticated; of places and government it is neutral: a provincial capital, provincial elections. The plural noun the provinces means everywhere outside the capital.
passiveneutral /ˈpæsɪv/ accepting things without acting or resisting Synonyms: inactive, submissive	unresisting; inactive	Regulators criticized the board for its passive response to repeated warnings about fraud.
Usually a criticism when applied to people or institutions: a passive response, a passive role. It is not the same as calm; it means failing to act when action was needed. Fixed terms include passive smoking, passive income and the passive voice. The noun is passivity.
desirableformal /dɪˈzaɪrəbəl/ worth having or wanting Synonyms: attractive, wanted	worth having; sought-after	Fluency in a second language is a highly desirable skill in today's job market.
Commonest with highly: a highly desirable skill, a highly desirable neighborhood. In formal writing it heads a clause: it is desirable that all members attend, with a bare verb form. Of a person it can mean sexually attractive. The noun is desirability.
costlyneutral /ˈkɔstli/ expensive; causing much loss Synonyms: expensive, harmful	expensive; damaging	Delaying the repairs proved far more costly than replacing the entire system at once.
An adjective only; there is no adverb, despite the -ly ending. It often means damaging rather than simply expensive: a costly mistake, a costly error, a costly delay. The comparative is costlier, and the related noun is cost.
specializedneutral /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪzd/ designed or trained for one particular purpose Synonyms: specialist, dedicated	narrowly focused; expert	The clinic offers specialized treatment for athletes recovering from spinal injuries.
It means narrowed to one area, which can be praise or a warning: specialized equipment is capable but useless for anything else. The verb takes in: she specializes in tax law. Spelled with a z in American English; the noun is specialization.
insufficientformal /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt/ not enough Synonyms: inadequate, lacking	not enough; inadequate	The project was shelved after auditors found insufficient evidence of long-term profitability.
It goes with uncountable and plural nouns: insufficient evidence, insufficient funds, insufficient resources. It takes for or to plus a verb: insufficient to cover the costs. More formal than not enough, which is why audit and legal writing prefer it.
explicitneutral /ɪkˈsplɪsɪt/ stated clearly and directly, leaving no doubt Synonyms: clear, direct	clearly stated; unambiguous	The contract includes an explicit clause prohibiting employees from sharing client data.
The opposite is implicit, meaning understood without being said, and that pair is the point of the word. It takes about for a person: he was explicit about the risks. The other sense is sexually graphic, as in explicit content, so the bare label can be misread.
aestheticneutral /ɛsˈθɛtɪk/ relating to beauty and artistic taste Synonyms: artistic, visual	of beauty; visual style	The architect balanced aesthetic appeal with strict energy-efficiency requirements.
Both adjective and noun: aesthetic appeal, and a minimalist aesthetic meaning an overall look. Aesthetics with an s is the study of beauty and takes a singular verb. It concerns how something looks, not whether it works, which is usually the contrast intended.
high-profileneutral /ˌhaɪ ˈproʊfaɪl/ attracting a lot of public attention Synonyms: prominent, famous	much-publicized; prominent	A high-profile lawsuit against the tech giant has dominated the headlines this week.
Profile here means public visibility, not an outline or an account page: a high-profile lawsuit, a high-profile resignation. Keep the hyphen and put it before the noun. The opposite is the phrase keep a low profile, meaning avoid attention.
selectiveneutral /səˈlɛktɪv/ carefully choosing only some things or people Synonyms: choosy, particular	choosy; admitting few	The university is extremely selective, admitting fewer than five percent of applicants each year.
It takes about: selective about who they hire. Of institutions it means admitting few, and highly selective is the standard collocation. Selective memory and selective hearing are ironic accusations of noticing only what suits you. The adverb is selectively.
secularformal /ˈsɛkjələr/ not connected to religion Synonyms: non-religious, religiously neutral	kept apart from religion	The constitution guarantees a secular state in which no religion receives official preference.
Standard collocations are a secular state, secular education and secular society. It describes institutions kept separate from religion, so it says nothing about what individuals believe; atheist describes a person. The noun is secularism.
correspondingformal /ˌkɔrəˈspɑndɪŋ/ matching or related to something else Synonyms: matching, comparable, parallel	counterpart; parallel	Wages rose by three percent, but there was no corresponding increase in productivity.
Used before a noun: a corresponding increase, the corresponding period last year. It marks something as the counterpart of what was just mentioned, which is why it so often appears in the negative: no corresponding rise. The verb is correspond to or with something.
parliamentaryneutral /ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri/ relating to a parliament Synonyms: of parliament, legislative	of parliament	The scandal triggered a parliamentary inquiry into the ministry's procurement contracts.
Note the spelling: parliament has an i that is barely pronounced, and the adjective keeps it. The fixed compounds are parliamentary election, parliamentary inquiry and parliamentary system, the last contrasted with a presidential one. Stress falls on the third syllable.
ecologicalneutral /ˌɛkəˈlɑdʒɪkəl/ relating to the environment and living things Synonyms: environmental, green	environmental; of ecosystems	Scientists warn that draining the wetlands would cause irreversible ecological damage.
Narrower than environmental, which also covers policy: ecology is the science of how living things relate to their surroundings. Standard collocations are ecological damage, ecological footprint and ecological disaster. Stress falls on the third syllable.
large-scaleneutral /ˌlɑrdʒ ˈskeɪl/ involving many people or a wide area Synonyms: extensive, massive	extensive; wide-ranging	The government announced large-scale investment in renewable energy infrastructure across the region.
It describes the size of an operation, not of an object: large-scale investment, large-scale production, with the opposite small-scale. Keep the hyphen before a noun. Note that a large-scale map is the technical term for one showing a small area in detail.
post-warneutral /ˌpoʊst ˈwɔr/ happening in the period after a war Synonyms: after the war, following the conflict	after the war	The exhibition traces the rebuilding of European cities during the post-war decades.
Often written postwar without a hyphen in American English. It is used only before a noun: the postwar years, the postwar order. With no other context it is understood as after the Second World War, so name the war if you mean a different one.
applicableformal /əˈplɪkəbəl/ relevant and able to be applied to a situation Synonyms: relevant, appropriate	relevant; in force	These tax exemptions are applicable only to companies registered before 2020.
It takes to: applicable to companies registered before 2020. Where applicable is a fixed phrase on forms, meaning if it applies to you. Stress can fall on the first or the second syllable in American English and both are accepted. The verb is apply to.
franklyneutral /ˈfræŋkli/ speaking honestly and directly Synonyms: honestly, candidly	honestly; bluntly	Frankly, I doubt the merger will deliver the savings the executives have promised.
As a sentence adverb it opens a clause and signals the speaker's own blunt opinion: frankly, I doubt it. Before an adjective it acts as an intensifier: frankly absurd, frankly impossible. It flags an opinion, so it has no place in neutral reporting.
forthformal /fɔrθ/ forward or outward from a place Synonyms: forward, onward, outward	forward; onward	The negotiators walked back and forth between the two delegations until midnight.
Now almost only in fixed phrases: back and forth, and so forth, bring forth, set forth, from that day forth. It no longer stands alone as a direction, so go forth sounds archaic or jokingly grand. A homophone of fourth.
halfwayneutral /ˌhæfˈweɪ/ at the middle point between two places or stages Synonyms: midway	midway; part of the way	The lecture was so tedious that several students left halfway through.
It takes through, between or to: halfway through the lecture, halfway between the two towns. Meet someone halfway means compromise. Halfway decent is an informal way of saying reasonably good, and a halfway house is a transitional residence.
supposedlyneutral /səˈpoʊzɪdli/ said to be true, but with some doubt Synonyms: allegedly, apparently	allegedly; so they say	The painting, supposedly a lost Vermeer, turned out to be a clever forgery.
It signals that the speaker does not accept the claim, so it is not a neutral hedge like reportedly but leans toward disbelief. Do not confuse it with be supposed to, which expresses an obligation or an expectation. Four syllables, with the -ed pronounced.
utterlyneutral /ˈʌtərli/ completely; totally Synonyms: completely, totally, entirely	completely; absolutely	The village was utterly transformed by the arrival of high-speed rail.
It pairs with absolute or negative words: utterly useless, utterly exhausted, utterly transformed. It sits badly with mild ones, so utterly nice is wrong. The adjective utter goes only before a noun: utter nonsense, utter chaos, never the chaos was utter.
undoubtedlyneutral /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/ certainly; without any doubt Synonyms: certainly, definitely	certainly; beyond question	She is undoubtedly one of the most influential economists of her generation.
The b is silent, as in doubt. It works as a sentence adverb or before an adjective: she is undoubtedly influential. It asserts the speaker's certainty rather than proving anything, so it can read as padding in an argument where evidence is expected.
nonethelessformal /ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/ despite what was just said Synonyms: nevertheless, however	even so; all the same	The evidence was circumstantial; the jury nonetheless found the defendant guilty.
It connects clauses the way however does: the evidence was thin; the jury nonetheless convicted. It can stand at the start of a clause, before the verb, or at the end. Nevertheless is interchangeable, and both are formal. Written as one word.
simultaneouslyneutral /ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli/ happening at exactly the same time Synonyms: at once, concurrently	at the same time	The documentary was released simultaneously in cinemas and on the streaming platform.
It means exactly together, so it is stricter than a loose at the same time. It can take with: released simultaneously with the album. The adjective is simultaneous, as in simultaneous interpretation and simultaneous equations. Stress falls on the third syllable.
solelyformal /ˈsoʊlli/ only; involving nothing or no one else Synonyms: only, exclusively	and nothing else	The scholarship is awarded solely on the basis of academic merit.
Note the spelling: the e of sole is kept. It limits a cause or a basis: awarded solely on merit, solely responsible for the decision. It means and nothing else, unlike merely, which means and nothing more than that. Put it next to whatever it limits.
exclusivelyneutral /ɪkˈsklusɪvli/ only; limited to one person, group or purpose Synonyms: only, solely	only; restricted to	The lounge is reserved exclusively for passengers traveling in business class.
Common frames are reserved exclusively for and available exclusively at. The adjective exclusive has two senses: open to few, as in an exclusive club, and given to one outlet only, as in an exclusive interview. The noun is exclusivity.
presentlyformal /ˈprɛzəntli/ at the present time; soon Synonyms: at the moment, right now	currently; shortly	The museum is presently undergoing renovations and will reopen in the spring.
Because either reading is possible, currently or soon is clearer whenever the timing matters. In American usage it means at the moment; in the older sense still common in British English it means in a short while.
overlyneutral /ˈoʊvərli/ too much; more than is good Synonyms: excessively, unduly	excessively; too	Analysts accused the ministry of being overly optimistic about growth forecasts.
It nearly always signals criticism, since it means more than is good: overly optimistic, overly cautious, overly complex. It modifies adjectives, not verbs. Not overly is understatement meaning not very. The prefix over- does the same job: overcautious.
partiallyneutral /ˈpɑrʃəli/ only in part, not completely Synonyms: partly, not completely, to some extent	in part, by degree	The motorway remained partially closed while crews cleared the overturned lorry.
Partially suits degrees on a scale: partially closed, partially cooked, partially sighted. Partly suits reasons and parts of a whole: partly because of the weather. For a cause, partly is the natural choice, so partially because sounds off.
thankfullyneutral /ˈθæŋkfəli/ used to say you are glad about something Synonyms: fortunately, happily	fortunately; luckily	Thankfully, the fire alarm sounded early enough for everyone to evacuate safely.
As a sentence adverb it reports the speaker's relief, not anyone's gratitude: thankfully, nobody was hurt. Fortunately and luckily are interchangeable there. The older manner sense, meaning with thanks, now sounds odd, so use gratefully for that.
ironicallyneutral /aɪˈrɑnɪkli/ in a way opposite to what you would expect Synonyms: against expectation, paradoxically	against expectation	Ironically, the anti-piracy software slowed the system down more than any virus ever had.
As a sentence adverb it flags a contrast between what was expected and what happened: ironically, the security software caused the crash. A mere coincidence is not irony. Ironic describes such a situation, while sarcastic describes a person mocking through opposite words.
therebyformal /ˌðɛrˈbaɪ/ as a result of that action Synonyms: thus, as a result	in that way; thus	The firm automated its billing, thereby reducing administrative costs by nearly a third.
Nearly always followed by an -ing form: thereby reducing costs, thereby avoiding a strike. That structure is its whole value. Therefore introduces a full clause instead: therefore we reduced costs. It belongs to writing and sounds stiff in speech.
continuallyneutral /kənˈtɪnjuəli/ again and again over a long period Synonyms: constantly, repeatedly	repeatedly; again and again	Successful companies continually adapt their strategies to shifting consumer habits.
Continually means repeatedly, with gaps, and usually of something changing or annoying: continually adapt, continually interrupted. Continuously means with no break at all: it rained continuously for six hours. The same split holds for continual and continuous.
whollyformal /ˈhoʊli/ completely; entirely Synonyms: entirely, fully	in full; altogether	The subsidiary is wholly owned by the parent company and has no outside shareholders.
Pronounced the same as holy in most American speech. It is formal and pairs with absolutes: wholly unacceptable, wholly independent, and the fixed business term a wholly owned subsidiary. Entirely or completely is the plainer choice.
thereafterformal /ˌðɛrˈæftər/ after that time Synonyms: afterward, subsequently	from then on	The treaty was signed in 1994, and relations between the two countries improved steadily thereafter.
It needs an earlier time reference to point back to, which afterward does not require so strictly. It usually sits at the end of the clause: relations improved steadily thereafter. Shortly thereafter is the common collocation.
reportedlyformal /rɪˈpɔrtɪdli/ according to reports, but not confirmed Synonyms: allegedly, supposedly	according to reports	The two clubs have reportedly agreed on a record transfer fee for the striker.
A journalist's hedge marking a claim as unconfirmed, usually placed before the main verb: the clubs have reportedly agreed. Allegedly does the same work but points at wrongdoing, so reportedly is the neutral choice. It protects the writer, not the reader.
explicitlyneutral /ɪkˈsplɪsɪtli/ clearly and directly, leaving no doubt Synonyms: clearly, directly	in so many words	The guidelines explicitly forbid researchers from sharing patient data without consent.
It is common in the negative, where it carries weight: the rules do not explicitly prohibit it means a gap, not permission. It modifies verbs of saying and ruling: explicitly forbids, explicitly states, explicitly excludes. The opposite is implicitly.
substantiallyformal /səbˈstænʃəli/ by a large amount or degree Synonyms: considerably, significantly	considerably; in essence	Housing prices in the capital have risen substantially over the past decade.
By a large amount in ordinary use: prices rose substantially. But in legal and business wording it means essentially: substantially complete, substantially the same terms. That second sense does not mean completely, which is exactly why contracts use it.
predominantlyformal /prɪˈdɑmənəntli/ mostly; mainly Synonyms: mainly, mostly	mostly; for the most part	The workforce in the textile sector remains predominantly female and poorly paid.
It concedes exceptions, so a predominantly female workforce is not an entirely female one. It modifies adjectives and noun phrases: predominantly rural, predominantly of European origin. Stress falls on the second syllable, and the verb is predominate.
notablyformal /ˈnoʊtəbli/ especially; in a way worth noticing Synonyms: particularly, especially	especially; markedly	Several economies, most notably Germany's, contracted sharply in the final quarter.
Two uses. Introducing the clearest example, usually as most notably: several economies, most notably Germany. And meaning markedly, before an adjective: notably absent, notably cheaper. The adjective notable means worth noticing rather than famous.
to single outneutral /ˌsɪŋɡəl ˈaʊt/ to choose one person or thing for special attention Synonyms: pick out, highlight	pick out for attention	The report singled out the finance department for its failure to detect the fraud.
Separable: single out the department, or single it out, and a pronoun must go in the middle. It takes for: singled out for criticism, singled out for praise. The attention is often unwelcome, so being singled out frequently implies unfair treatment.
to opt outneutral /ˌɑpt ˈaʊt/ to choose not to take part in something Synonyms: withdraw, drop out	decline to take part	Employees may opt out of the pension scheme by submitting a written request.
It always takes of: opt out of the pension plan, never opt out the plan. The opposite is opt in, and a system that assumes participation unless you refuse is called opt-out, hyphenated as a modifier. Opt for something, by contrast, means choose it.
to iron outinformal /ˌaɪərn ˈaʊt/ to solve small remaining problems Synonyms: resolve, smooth out	resolve; smooth over	The two parties met over the weekend to iron out the remaining details of the agreement.
Separable: iron out the details, or iron them out. The objects are small remaining obstacles such as details, differences, wrinkles or kinks; you cannot iron out a crisis. The image comes from pressing clothes, so it suggests smoothing, not rebuilding.
to tone downneutral /ˌtoʊn ˈdaʊn/ to make something less strong or extreme Synonyms: soften, moderate	soften; make milder	His advisers urged him to tone down his rhetoric before the televised debate.
Separable: tone down the rhetoric, or tone it down, and the bare imperative tone it down is a mild rebuke. The objects are words and manner rather than physical things: rhetoric, language, criticism, colors. For language the opposite is sharpen or step up.
to shy away fromneutral /ˌʃaɪ əˈweɪ frəm/ to avoid something because of fear or dislike Synonyms: avoid, evade	avoid; flinch from	The documentary does not shy away from the darker chapters of the country's history.
Three parts and inseparable, followed by a noun or an -ing form: shy away from difficult questions, shy away from admitting it. It appears very often in the negative, where it is a compliment: the film does not shy away from the subject.
to set outneutral /ˌsɛt ˈaʊt/ to explain clearly; to start with an aim Synonyms: present, intend	lay out; begin a journey	The white paper sets out the government's plan to overhaul the immigration system.
With an object it means state something in an organized way: the paper sets out the plan. With none it means begin a journey: they set out at dawn. Set out to do something means undertake it with that aim in view. Formal in the first sense.

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