Commonly Confused Pairs

QuestionAnswer
to express disapproval of; to belittle (NOT to decrease in value)
deprecate
She deprecated the use of jargon in documents meant for the general public.
to diminish in value over time; to reduce the worth of (NOT to express disapproval)
depreciate
The car will depreciate by roughly twenty per cent in its first year.
impartial and unbiased; having no personal stake (NOT bored or lacking interest)
disinterested
A disinterested mediator was brought in to resolve the contract dispute fairly.
not interested; bored and indifferent (NOT impartial or unbiased)
uninterested
The students were visibly uninterested during the three-hour statistics lecture.
to forbid or prohibit by law or authority (NOT to recommend or order a treatment)
proscribe
The new regulations proscribe the dumping of industrial waste into rivers.
to recommend or authorise a course of action or medical treatment (NOT to forbid)
prescribe
The doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics to clear the infection.
full of twists, turns, and complexity (NOT involving pain or suffering)
tortuous
The tortuous mountain road wound through dozens of hairpin bends.
involving or causing severe physical or mental suffering (NOT winding or complex)
torturous
The torturous heat of the desert made every step an ordeal.
cleverly inventive and resourceful (NOT innocent or naive)
ingenious
The engineer devised an ingenious solution using only materials available on site.
famous and distinguished within a particular sphere (NOT about to happen, and NOT inherent)
eminent
The eminent historian was invited to deliver the keynote address at the conference.
existing or operating within; inherent and pervading (NOT famous, and NOT about to happen)
immanent
Some philosophers argue that the divine is immanent in all of nature.
to urge or request someone solemnly or earnestly (NOT to renounce or give up)
adjure
The priest adjured the congregation to show compassion to their neighbours.
lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with right or wrong (NOT knowingly choosing wrong)
amoral
The sociopath was described as completely amoral, showing no awareness of ethical norms.
not conforming to accepted standards of morality; knowingly doing wrong (NOT lacking moral awareness)
immoral
The scandal revealed the executive's immoral scheme to defraud investors.
to examine and suppress unacceptable parts of content (NOT to formally express disapproval)
censor
The government attempted to censor any news reports critical of its policies.
individually separate and distinct; not continuous (NOT careful or tactful)
discrete
The data was divided into discrete categories for analysis.
careful and tactful so as to avoid causing offence or revealing information (NOT separate or distinct)
discreet
She made discreet enquiries about the candidate's background before the interview.
forbidden by law, rules, or custom; unlawful (NOT to draw out a response)
illicit
The authorities cracked down on the illicit trade operating through the port.
to display something proudly or ostentatiously (NOT to defy or disobey rules)
flaunt
He loved to flaunt his designer watches at every social gathering.
to openly disregard a rule, law, or convention (NOT to show off or display)
flout
Drivers who flout the speed limit near schools endanger children's lives.
to feel intense dislike or disgust toward (NOT reluctant or unwilling)
loathe
She loathed the daily commute but loved the job waiting at the other end.
reluctant and unwilling (NOT to feel hatred or disgust)
loath
He was loath to admit that his original estimate had been wildly optimistic.
showing susceptibility to bribery; morally corrupt (NOT minor or pardonable)
venal
The venal official accepted payments in exchange for favourable rulings.
denoting a slight and pardonable offence (NOT corrupt or open to bribery)
venial
Arriving five minutes late was considered a venial lapse, not a serious infraction.
to assess the value or quality of something (NOT to inform or notify someone)
appraise
The jeweller was asked to appraise the antique diamond ring.
to inform or notify someone of something (NOT to assess value or quality)
apprise
Please apprise the committee of any developments before the next meeting.
modest, reserved, and shy in manner (NOT to raise objections)
demure
Her demure smile concealed a fiercely competitive spirit.
a thing that makes whole or goes well with something else (NOT a polite expression of praise)
complement
The wine was chosen as the perfect complement to the rich chocolate dessert.
a polite expression of praise or admiration (NOT something that completes another thing)
compliment
She received many compliments on her eloquent presentation to the board.
an advisory or legislative body of people (NOT advice or guidance)
council
The city council voted unanimously to approve the new park development.
advice or guidance, especially from a qualified person (NOT a governing body)
counsel
The therapist offered wise counsel to couples struggling with communication.
an indirect reference to something (NOT a false perception or deceptive appearance)
allusion
The poem contained a subtle allusion to Greek mythology that many readers missed.
a false idea or belief; a deceptive appearance (NOT an indirect reference)
illusion
The prosperity of the era turned out to be an illusion built on unsustainable debt.
to have an influence on; to produce a change in (NOT a result or outcome)
affect
Budget cuts will significantly affect the quality of public services.
a result or consequence produced by an action or cause (NOT to influence or change)
effect
The new policy had the desired effect of reducing wait times by half.
characterising a friendly and peaceable relationship or settlement (NOT a person's personality)
amicable
The divorcing couple reached an amicable agreement regarding custody.
agreement or approval, especially official approval (NOT a climb or upward movement)
assent
The proposal required the assent of every board member before it could proceed.
a climb or upward movement; a rise to a higher position (NOT agreement or approval)
ascent
The final ascent to the summit took the climbers over six gruelling hours.
having a strong dislike of or opposition to something (NOT harmful or unfavourable)
averse
She was not averse to taking risks when the potential reward justified them.
preventing success or development; harmful and unfavourable (NOT personally opposed to)
adverse
Adverse weather conditions forced the cancellation of all outdoor events.
relating to weather patterns and atmospheric conditions (NOT relating to a peak or turning point)
climatic
Climatic shifts over millennia transformed lush forests into arid deserts.
relating to or forming a peak or turning point of intensity (NOT relating to weather)
climactic
The climactic battle scene had the entire audience on the edge of their seats.
to remove the fuse from a bomb; to reduce the danger or tension in a situation (NOT to spread widely)
defuse
The negotiator managed to defuse the hostage situation without any injuries.
spread out over a large area; not concentrated (NOT to reduce danger or remove a fuse)
diffuse
The light was diffuse, filtered evenly through the thin curtains.
to leave one's own country to settle permanently in another (NOT to arrive and settle in a new country)
emigrate
Thousands chose to emigrate from the region during the economic crisis.
to come to live permanently in a foreign country (NOT to leave one's home country)
immigrate
Her grandparents decided to immigrate to Canada in search of better opportunities.
fair and impartial; just and reasonable (NOT calm or even-tempered)
equitable
The judge sought an equitable distribution of assets between the two parties.
to hold in very high regard; to raise in rank or status (NOT to rejoice greatly)
exalt
The community sought to exalt the memory of its fallen heroes with a memorial.
to show or feel elation or jubilation, especially as a result of success (NOT to elevate or praise)
exult
The athletes exulted after crossing the finish line in record time.
favoured by or involving good luck; auspicious (NOT merely happening by chance)
fortunate
She felt fortunate to have landed the internship at such a prestigious firm.
causing horror or disgust; gruesome and revolting (NOT grey-haired or relating to a type of bear)
grisly
The detective steeled himself before entering the scene of the grisly crime.
grey or grey-haired; also a large North American brown bear (NOT gruesome or horrifying)
grizzly
Hikers were warned about grizzly bears in the backcountry during autumn.
a stock or store of valuables or money hidden away; to amass and hide (NOT a large crowd)
hoard
Archaeologists discovered a hoard of Roman coins buried beneath the field.
a large group of people or things; a vast crowd (NOT a hidden stockpile)
horde
A horde of tourists descended on the small village during the summer festival.
rich and profuse in growth; lush and abundant (NOT characterised by comfort and elegance)
luxuriant
The luxuriant vegetation of the rainforest formed a dense green canopy overhead.
extremely comfortable, elegant, and involving great expense (NOT lush or abundantly growing)
luxurious
The hotel suite featured luxurious furnishings imported from Italy.
of or appropriate to war; relating to fighting or the military (NOT relating to marriage)
martial
The government declared martial law after the widespread civil unrest.
of or relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple (NOT relating to war)
marital
The couple sought therapy to address their ongoing marital difficulties.
the roof of the mouth; a person's sense of taste (NOT a board for mixing paint colours)
palate
The chef created dishes designed to challenge and delight the most refined palate.
a board for mixing paints; a range of colours or qualities (NOT the roof of the mouth)
palette
The artist chose a muted palette of greys and blues for the winter landscape.
a foot-operated lever on a machine such as a bicycle or piano (NOT to sell goods or promote ideas)
pedal
She pressed the sustain pedal to let the piano notes ring out beautifully.
to sell goods informally or to promote ideas persistently (NOT a foot-operated lever)
peddle
Street vendors peddle their wares along the busy waterfront promenade.
to subject someone to hostility and ill-treatment because of identity or beliefs (NOT to bring legal proceedings)
persecute
The regime continued to persecute ethnic minorities despite international pressure.
to institute legal proceedings against someone in a court of law (NOT to harass or oppress)
prosecute
The state decided to prosecute the company for violating environmental regulations.
to come before something in time, order, or importance (NOT to begin or continue a course of action)
precede
A moment of silence will precede the opening ceremony.
to begin or continue a course of action; to move forward (NOT to come before in time)
proceed
After the brief interruption, the speaker asked the audience if she could proceed.
first in order of importance; the head of a school or organisation (NOT a fundamental truth or belief)
principal
The principal investor contributed over half of the start-up capital.
a fundamental truth or rule serving as the basis for reasoning or action (NOT the most important person)
principle
She refused the bribe on principle, regardless of the financial consequences.
not moving; fixed in one place (NOT writing materials like paper and envelopes)
stationary
The traffic was completely stationary for over an hour during the roadworks.
writing and office materials such as paper, pens, and envelopes (NOT fixed or immobile)
stationery
The company ordered new stationery embossed with its updated logo.
cloudy, opaque, or thick with suspended matter (NOT swollen, pompous, or dull in language)
turbid
After the heavy rains, the river became turbid and unsafe for swimming.
swollen and distended; or tediously pompous in language (NOT cloudy or murky)
turgid
The professor's turgid prose made even fascinating topics seem unbearable to read.
having committed an error or doing wrong; guilty of a mistake (NOT wandering or straying)
erring
The company offered a second chance to the erring employee after a formal warning.
to give up power, territory, or rights formally (NOT a plant embryo or starting point)
cede
The defeated nation was forced to cede its northern provinces under the treaty.
a flowering plant's unit of reproduction; the origin or beginning of something (NOT to surrender territory)
seed
That casual conversation planted the seed of an idea that became a global enterprise.
having an untidy or dishevelled appearance (NOT failing to honour a promise)
unkempt
His unkempt hair and wrinkled shirt suggested he had slept in the office again.
not honoured or maintained; a promise or obligation that was not fulfilled (NOT physically messy)
unkept
The series of unkept promises eroded public confidence in the administration.
native to and regularly found in a particular region or population (NOT spreading rapidly and widely)
endemic
Corruption was endemic in the local government and had been for decades.
spreading rapidly and extensively through a population (NOT native to a specific region)
epidemic
The epidemic of misinformation spread faster than the disease itself.
to carry out or commit a harmful or illegal act (NOT to cause something to continue indefinitely)
perpetrate
The authorities struggled to identify who had perpetrated the cyberattack.
to be a powerful factor against; to prevent or work against (NOT to make less severe)
militate
Several factors militate against the success of the proposed merger.