Hold an Opinion, Give an Advice!: English Vocabulary List

to be reluctant to do something or allow it to happen, particularly because it is dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant

"The horse balks at the high jump."

"The horse balked at the high fence and refused to jump no matter how much the rider urged him forward."

to severely criticize, often with the intention of correcting someone's behavior or actions

"The teacher chastised the student."

"The coach had to chastise the player for his repeated rule violations during the important championship game."

to do something that stops someone's anger or dissatisfaction, usually by being friendly or giving them what they want

"She tries to conciliate both sides."

"The manager tried to conciliate the two arguing employees by listening to both sides and finding a fair solution."

to openly express one's extreme disapproval or criticism

"They decry the new law."

"The editorial went on to decry the lack of affordable housing for low income families in the city."

to express one's disagreement, refusal, or reluctance

"She demurs when asked to lead the group."

"She wanted to accept the job offer but demurred because the salary was much lower than she had expected."

to understand and make sense of something after giving it a lot of thought

"I cannot fathom his motives."

"I simply cannot fathom why he would make such a foolish decision after all the warnings he received from his friends."

to indirectly state something

"He intimated that changes were coming."

"The letter seemed to intimate that the company might be closing down soon but nothing was confirmed yet."

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 stress something's importance or value

"Data underscores the problem."

"The consistent rise in temperatures underscores the critical need for immediate climate action."

criticizing or insulting in a hurtful and angry manner

"The review was vituperative."

"The review was vituperative and attacked the author personally rather than criticizing the book itself."

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."

not willing or able to broaden one's limited understanding or point of view

"He has a blinkered view."

"He has a blinkered view and refuses to consider any perspective other than his own."

(of sentences, explanations, arguments, etc.) long and difficult to understand, often due to complexity or excessive detail

"His explanation is convoluted."

"The detective had to untangle a convoluted web of lies before he could finally identify the real killer in the complicated murder case."

aiming to teach a moral lesson

"The book is didactic."

"The didactic novel was intended to teach readers about moral values but the story was so boring that nobody wanted to finish it."

becoming involved in a dispute, conflict, or complex situation

"They were embroiled."

"The politician found himself embroiled in a scandal that threatened to end his career and damage his reputation."

mistaken or inaccurate due to flaws in reasoning, evidence, or factual support

"His belief is erroneous."

"The erroneous belief that the earth is flat persisted for centuries before being disproven."

able to be understood without difficulty

"The message is intelligible."

"His speech was barely intelligible because he was mumbling and speaking very quietly."

seeming believable or reasonable enough to be considered true

"Her story is plausible."

"The detective presented a plausible theory that explained all the confusing clues in the case."

suggested or understood without being verbally expressed

"There was a tacit agreement."

"There was a tacit agreement between them that they would never discuss the incident again."

used to indicate that despite a previous statement or situation, something else remains true

"The task is hard nonetheless we will try."

"The task is hard nonetheless we will try our best to complete it before the deadline."

used to show that separate items correspond to separate others in the order listed

"John and Mary are ten and twelve respectively."

"John and Mary are ten and twelve years old respectively which means John is younger than Mary."

used to introduce a statement that is true for one thing and false for another

"He is tall whereas his brother is short."

"My brother loves action movies whereas I prefer romantic comedies and dramas."

a problem or question that is confusing and needs a lot of skill or effort to solve or answer

"This is a conundrum."

"The unexpected budget cuts presented a serious conundrum for the non-profit organization's future operations."

a lack of similarity between facts, reports, claims, or other things that are supposed to be alike

"There was a discrepancy between the two reports."

"There was a discrepancy between the witness's testimony and the physical evidence found at the scene."

the practice of pretending to feel or act one way while actually pursuing another

"Her duplicity was clear."

"Her duplicity was evident in the way she promised loyalty while secretly working against her colleagues."

a person or thing that serves as an excellent model or example of a particular quality or type

"She is an exemplar."

"She is a perfect exemplar of dedication and hard work in her profession."

something's main or overall meaning

"The gist was important."

"I quickly understood the gist of his long explanation yesterday afternoon."

a possible consequence that something can bring about

"The implication was clear."

"The implication of the new policy is that many employees will lose their jobs."

a logically contradictory statement that might actually be true

"The statement created a confusing paradox"

"It is a paradox that saving money requires spending less but economies need people to spend."

the characteristic of being truthful or right

"Her veracity is high."

"The veracity of his testimony was questioned when multiple witnesses provided contradictory accounts of the event."

criticism or comments that are severely cruel and hurtful

"filled with cruel vitriol"

"The online review was filled with such vitriol that the restaurant owner considered legal action against the writer."

to give criticism or a warning to someone for doing something that is wrong

"She will admonish him."

"The teacher had to admonish the student for repeatedly disrupting the class."

to pronounce or utter something in a clear and precise way

"Please articulate your words."

"It is important to articulate your thoughts clearly when presenting complex ideas to others."

to exchange opinions and have discussions with others, often to come to an agreement or decision

"The lawyers will confer before the trial."

"The lawyers needed to confer with each other privately before they could give their final decision about the complicated legal case to the judge."

to indicate something's meaning or what it is referring to

"Red traffic lights denote stop signals."

"In math a small dot is often used to denote multiplication between two numbers or variables."

to praise someone or something enthusiastically and loudly, particularly in a public manner

"The crowd hailed the returning hero."

"The crowd hailed the returning hero with cheers and applause as he walked through the airport terminal."

to say that something either does not exist or is not true

"This evidence negates his earlier testimony."

"The new evidence completely negated all of the previous theories about what caused the fire to start."

sarcastic or critical in a hurtful way

"His words were caustic."

"Her caustic remarks, delivered with a sharp wit, often left her colleagues feeling wounded and resentful."

a state of disagreement between people's opinions, actions, or personalities, often resulting in tension

"There was dissonance between their words and actions."

"The cognitive dissonance experienced by the student made it difficult to reconcile their beliefs with their actions."