Expressing Thoughts and Decisions: English Vocabulary List

to come to a conclusion without enough evidence

"I surmise that he is lying."

"From the muddy footprints on the carpet the detective could surmise that the intruder had entered through the back door."

to think carefully about something for a long time

"Mull over the problem before deciding."

"She needed several days to mull over the job offer before she could make a final decision about whether to accept it or not."

to think carefully about something

"Cogitate on this problem carefully."

"The philosopher sat alone in his study for hours to cogitate on the meaning of life and human existence."

to experience again, especially in one's thoughts or imagination, as if the event is happening anew

"He relived the past."

"Looking through old photographs, she began to relive the joyous moments of her childhood vacations with her family."

to bring up or uncover something, especially memories or emotions, that were hidden or forgotten

"Do not dredge up the painful past."

"The reporter tried to dredge up embarrassing details from the politician's past to make him look bad in the media."

to reject or refuse disdainfully

"She spurned his romantic advances."

"The young woman spurned all of his romantic advances because she simply did not feel any attraction toward him at all."

to state that something is incorrect or false based on evidence

"The scientist refuted the false theory."

"The scientist presented strong evidence to refute the false claims that had been published in the popular magazine without any fact checking."

to reject or dismiss someone or something in an abrupt or blunt manner

"He rebuffed all offers of help."

"The company politely rebuffed the takeover offer from its larger rival because the board felt that the price was far too low."

to put an idea, proposition, theory, etc. forward for further consideration

"He propounded a new philosophical theory."

"The philosophy professor spent the entire lecture propounding his own unique theory about the nature of consciousness and reality."