Mental Capacities and Failures: English Vocabulary List

sharp judgment and quick decision-making, especially in practical or professional matters

"He has business acumen."

"His sharp business acumen helped him build a successful company from nothing in a short time."

the quality of being alert and paying close attention to things

"Her attentiveness is great."

"The nurse showed great attentiveness while caring for the elderly patients every single day."

the state or quality of being watchful and attentive, especially to detect potential danger or problems

"The guard maintained constant vigilance."

"Constant vigilance is required when hiking in bear country to avoid surprising a wild animal."

a conclusion one reaches from the existing evidence or known facts

"This is a logical inference."

"The inference from the data was clear."

a place or a building is designed and equipped for a specific function, such as healthcare, education, etc.

"The facility is modern."

"The new sports facility includes an Olympic sized swimming pool and a fully equipped modern gymnasium."

a natural reaction or behavior that occurs automatically, without conscious thought or reasoning

"Birds migrate by pure natural instinct."

"A mother's instinct to protect her child is incredibly powerful and natural."

the ability to understand or know something immediately, without conscious reasoning or evidence

"She has strong intuition."

"She relied on her strong intuition to make the correct decision in a very difficult situation."

a sudden and impulsive decision or desire that someone has without much thought or reason behind it

"She bought it on whim."

"She decided to buy the expensive dress on a sudden whim without thinking carefully."

the ability to perform tasks effectively and efficiently, demonstrating both physical and intellectual readiness

"Her competence at work is impressive."

"The nurse demonstrated her competence by quickly inserting the IV line without causing the patient any unnecessary pain or anxiety."

a sharp intelligence, able to understand things deeply and quickly

"The acuteness of her hearing surprised everyone."

"His acuteness in recognizing the subtle patterns in the data led to a significant scientific breakthrough."

to bring back something from the memory

"I cannot recall his name."

"The witness could not recall the exact details of the accident because it happened very quickly."

to bring to mind past memories or experiences

"She tried to recollect the memory."

"As she looked through old photo albums she tried to recollect memories from her childhood vacations."

to warn someone to be cautious of a dangerous person or thing

"Beware of the dog."

"Drivers should beware of pedestrians crossing the street near the school during the morning and afternoon rush hours."

to cause someone to lose their focus or attention from something they were doing or thinking about

"The loud noise distracted the students."

"The loud noise from the construction site outside the window distracted the students from their important exam."

to make someone acquainted with something

"He needs to familiarize himself with the software."

"New employees need time to familiarize themselves with the company's computer systems and internal policies before starting actual work."

to predict or say in advance what will happen in the future

"No one can foretell the future."

"No one could foretell the tragic events that would completely change the city forever in just one week."

to know or predict something before it happens

"He could not foresee the outcome."

"The economist failed to foresee the financial crisis that caused millions of people to lose their homes and jobs."

to be attentive to advice or a warning

"Heed my warning before it is too late."

"The drivers did not heed the warning signs about the icy road and several of them crashed into each other."

easily influenced or affected by others or external factors, especially due to a lack of experience or critical judgment

"The child is impressionable."

"The impressionable young child believed everything her older brother told her and she repeated his words to her parents."

having knowledge or awareness about something

"She is cognizant."

"The manager was fully cognizant of the risks involved in the project but he decided to proceed anyway because the potential rewards were high."

having a clever and practical ability to make wise and effective decisions

"He is an astute businessman."

"The astute businessman realized that the market was about to change so he sold his shares just before prices dropped dramatically."

possessing practical knowledge, expertise, or understanding in a particular domain

"She is savvy about social media."

"She is very savvy about social media and online marketing strategies."

having keen, farsighted judgment and the ability to discern deeply and wisely

"The leader is sagacious."

"The sagacious old owl watched over the forest and the other animals sought his advice whenever they had a problem."

having or showing good judgement, especially in business or politics

"He is a shrewd businessman."

"The shrewd businessman made a lot of money by investing in technology stocks."

possessing the ability to experience, feel, or perceive things through the senses

"The being is sentient."

"The sentient robot in the movie developed emotions and the scientists had to decide whether it deserved the same rights as humans."

(of a person) able to quickly and accurately understand or notice things due to keen awareness and insight

"You are very perceptive."

"The perceptive detective noticed a small detail that everyone else had missed and that clue led him to the killer."

displaying or having creativity or originality

"She is imaginative."

"The imaginative child created entire worlds with her toys and she could entertain herself for hours without needing any screens."

the quality of making decisions or taking actions without considering potential risks or consequences

"His imprudence caused big problems."

"His imprudence in spending his entire paycheck on luxury items left him unable to pay his rent for the small apartment."

the fact or state of not having the necessary information, knowledge, or understanding of something

"Ignorance can cause mistakes."

"His ignorance about the local customs caused him to accidentally offend his hosts during the business dinner."

a state of severe mental disorder affecting a person's ability to understand reality, think rationally, or behave in a socially acceptable manner

"The verdict was not guilty by reason of insanity."

"The defense lawyer argued that the crime was committed during a period of temporary insanity."

a perceptual experience in which an individual perceives something that is not present in the external environment

"The drug caused a strange hallucination."

"The patient reported a vivid hallucination during the fever, seeing colors that weren't there."

a false idea or belief based on invalid arguments, often one that many people think is true

"That is a fallacy."

"His argument contained a common logical fallacy that made it invalid from the beginning."

a mistaken or inaccurate belief or understanding about something

"It's a misconception."

"There is a common misconception that all bats are blind which is not true at all."

to intentionally ignore or act without concern for something or someone that deserves consideration

"Do not disregard safety warnings."

"Drivers who disregard traffic laws put themselves and others at serious risk of injury or death."

to understand or explain something incorrectly

"Do not misinterpret my words."

"It is easy to misinterpret his sarcastic comments as genuine insults if you do not know his sense of humor."

incapable of behaving normally or thinking clearly due to mental illness

"The person seemed deranged."

"The deranged killer left a note at the crime scene and the police psychologist analyzed it to understand his twisted mind."

not noticing or caring about something

"She was insensible."

"The patient was insensible to pain because of the strong anesthesia and the surgeon could operate without causing discomfort."

the result of a mental processing or understanding

"His cognition was slow today."

"The experiment aimed to understand the complex processes of human cognition and memory recall."

the process of using general rules or ideas to make a specific conclusion

"Deduction led to the answer."

"Through careful deduction, the detective was able to solve the intricate mystery."

the quality of performing tasks or activities with ease and without difficulty

"She spoke with facility."

"The software was designed with such facility that even beginners could navigate its features easily."

an exceptional mental ability or talent that is unique and outstanding

"He is a genius."

"Her exceptional talent for composing music reveals a true genius that captivates audiences."

the part of the mind that is not currently in focused awareness, but still influences thoughts, feelings, and behavior, often through automatic or involuntary processes

"It came from subconscious."

"A recurring dream might be a manifestation of unresolved issues residing in the subconscious mind."

a strong drive or determination to succeed or achieve excellence

"Her aspiration was high."

"Driven by a powerful aspiration to reach the summit, she trained rigorously for months."

the will to obtain wealth, power, success, etc.

"Her ambition is strong."

"His ambition pushed him to study harder and dream bigger."

the willingness to take action and start new things without being prompted or directed

"She took real initiative."

"She took the initiative to organize a charity event for children in need last summer."

the tendency or habit of exercising caution and foresight to prevent problems

"Take a precaution."

"Wearing a helmet is a vital precaution when riding a bicycle on busy roads."

the immaterial or nonphysical aspect of a person

"The psyche is nonphysical."

"The psyche encompasses the immaterial or nonphysical aspect of a person, including their thoughts and emotions."

to create and perform words of a play, music, etc. on impulse and without preparation, particularly because one is forced to do so

"The actor improvises his lines."

"The actor forgot his line and had to improvise a response that still made sense within the scene."

resistant to being affected or damaged by something

"The jacket is impervious to rain."

"The new material proved impervious to extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions."

aware of and responsive to one's surroundings

"He is conscious of danger."

"She was conscious during the entire surgery and could hear the doctors talking while they worked on her knee."

the quality of behaving in a foolish or reckless manner, often without considering the consequences

"It would be folly to ignore the warning."

"It was pure folly to invest all his money in that risky project without proper research."

a mental state characterized by a fragile consciousness and reduced ability for voluntary action, often resembling a deep sleep

"She entered a trance."

"She fell into a deep trance while listening to the relaxing music during the meditation session."

(psychology) a mental condition in which a person has a false belief system that is contradicted by evidence

"His delusion was strong."

"The patient's persistent delusion that he was being followed caused significant distress."

a state of extreme mental confusion, often accompanied by confused or unclear thoughts or speech

"He was in delirium."

"The patient experienced delirium due to very high fever last night in the hospital."

the lack of intellectual or mental power to do something

"His incapacity prevented him from working."

"The court declared his mental incapacity and appointed a guardian to manage his affairs."

to pay little or no attention to something or someone, often leading to issues or problems

"Do not neglect your work."

"Parents should not neglect their children's emotional well-being during stressful times."

to not notice or see something

"I overlook the error."

"Please do not overlook the crucial instructions provided at the beginning of the document."

lacking conscious awareness of something

"He was oblivious."

"The oblivious driver did not notice that his tire was flat and he continued driving until the wheel came off."

lacking experience, wisdom, or understanding about the world, often resulting in being overly trusting or easily deceived

"She is naive."

"The naive young woman believed the charming stranger's promises and she was devastated when he disappeared with all her savings."