Trust and Uncertainty: English Vocabulary List

to check the wellbeing, truth, or condition of someone or something

"Please check on your elderly neighbor daily."

"The nurse went to check on the elderly patient every hour to make sure he was comfortable and breathing normally."

to put trust in something or someone

"You can count on me for help."

"You can always count on me for help whenever you need it because that is what friends are for."

to think that something is true based on probability or likelihood

"I presume you have finished your homework."

"I presume that you have already eaten dinner because it is quite late and the restaurant is closed now."

displaying confidence in oneself and one's capabilities

"She is assured."

"The candidate spoke in an assured manner during the job interview and the hiring manager was impressed by her confidence and clear communication skills."

improbable or unlikely to happen or be the case

"It is doubtful."

"It is doubtful that he will show up to the meeting because he has been sick all week."

(of a person) unsure or hesitant about the credibility or goodness of something

"His claim is dubious."

"The dubious claim that drinking this juice cures cancer has been debunked by medical experts who warn consumers not to believe false advertising."

not producing a clear result or decision

"The evidence is inconclusive."

"The results of the experiment were inconclusive so the scientists had to repeat the study with a larger sample size to obtain more reliable and valid data."

having doubts about something's truth, validity, or reliability

"I am skeptical."

"The skeptical journalist did not believe the politician's promises and she dug deeper to find evidence that would prove he was lying to the public."

according to opinions or guesses instead of facts or evidence

"The investment is speculative."

"The stock market is highly speculative and investors can lose all of their money if they make bad decisions without careful research."

(particularly of something bad) assumed to have happened or be the case without having any proof

"He is the suspected thief."

"The suspected thief was arrested by the police but he claimed that he was innocent and demanded to speak to a lawyer."

not firmly established or decided, with the possibility of changes in the future

"We made a tentative plan."

"The two companies reached a tentative agreement after weeks of negotiation but the final contract still needs to be approved by the board of directors."

clearly true and therefore impossible to deny or question

"Her talent is undeniable."

"The evidence against the suspect was undeniable and the jury took only an hour to return a guilty verdict in the high profile murder trial."

to certainly happen at some point in the future

"It is only a matter of time."

"With so many mistakes in the company, it was just a matter of time before the business finally collapsed."

to have a likelihood of success or achieving a desired outcome

"Do you stand a chance of winning?"

"If you don't study hard for the exam, you won't stand a chance of passing it successfully."

used to convey that something cannot happen under any given circumstances

"No question of rain."

"There is no question of renegotiating the contract at this advanced stage of the proceedings."

used to say that one can never be sure of something

"You can never tell with him."

"One can never tell whether the weather will be sunny or rainy during the summer months here."

the action of trying to provide an answer without having all the necessary information

"Without evidence the theory is mere guesswork."

"The detective's initial theory was based on guesswork but evidence later confirmed his suspicions."

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."

a condition or situation that is unsettled, dependent on chance, or unpredictable, often causing doubt

"The uncertainty of the future made her anxious."

"The uncertainty about the election results caused stock markets to fluctuate wildly all week."

used to suggest that something is assumed to be true, often with a hint of doubt

"Supposedly he is the best doctor."

"Supposedly he is the best doctor in the city but I have heard some negative reviews from his former patients."

said to mean that a good or bad event occurred by chance

"As luck would have it we missed the train."

"As luck would have it we missed the train by just one minute and had to wait another hour for the next one."

to guarantee that something specific will happen

"I assure you it is fine."

"The manager will assure all employees that their jobs are secure despite the recent restructuring."

to make a decision by throwing a coin in the air and guessing which of its sides will be facing upward when it lands

"We will toss now."

"The referee will toss the coin to decide which team gets to choose their side first."

to regard something or someone as smaller or less important than they really are

"Do not underestimate your opponent's strength."

"Do not underestimate the difficulty of the exam because many students fail it every year despite studying hard."

to become less resolved or determined

"His resolve will weaken."

"Prolonged exposure to the harsh criticism began to weaken his once unwavering determination."

according to facts instead of opinions

"We need concrete evidence."

"We need concrete evidence to prove that he committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt."

improbable or unlikely to happen or be the case

"It is doubtful."

"It is doubtful that he will show up because he has never been reliable in the past."

(of a person) unsure or hesitant about the credibility or goodness of something

"The claim is dubious."

"The claim is dubious and there is no evidence to support what he is saying."

remaining strong and effective even when facing challenges or difficulties

"The system is robust."

"The system is robust and can handle many users without crashing or slowing down."

prepared or likely prepared for something

"The team is set."

"The time is set for seven o'clock so please do not be late for the dinner reservation."

not firmly established or decided, with the possibility of changes in the future

"We made tentative plans."

"We made tentative plans to meet on Friday but we will confirm the time later."

used to show one's uncertainty of something

"Are you coming or what?"

"Are you coming to the party or what because I need to know how many people to expect."

the fact of being uncertain about something

"Her hesitation surprised everyone in the meeting"

"His hesitation to speak revealed his deep uncertainty about the correct answer to the difficult question."

one's thoughts or expectations regarding what will happen in the future

"His positive outlook inspired the entire team"

"His outlook on life became much more positive after he started practicing daily gratitude."

in a manner that suggests something could very well happen or be true

"She easily won the race."

"She easily won the race because she had trained very hard for months and was in excellent physical condition."

guaranteed to bring success or survive challenges or criticism without being affected

"This plan is bulletproof."

"The investors were convinced that the startup's innovative business model was truly bulletproof against market fluctuations."