Confusing Words Clarified: Group D; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "D" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)The day-to-day arena of spoken and written communication has always been a perilous place, fraught with endless possibilities for embarrassing blunders by even the most wary. People may have a fine grasp of grammar, be proficient with spelling and syntax, and still occasionally find themselves in a quandary about which word to use. These days it seems that those of us who want to be precise are having a harder time than ever because there is so much which is working against us. For one thing, there is the constant bombardment of sloppy English that we are subjected to from what we hear and read; and not just what's overheard on the bus or read on the walls of buildings.
We are also subjected to the many errors audible on TV or radio and published in every conceivable kind of printed matter; especially, in blogs and other presentations on some internet sites. These are strong influences, and if we hear and see a word misused often enough, it takes on a certain "correctness". If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.Once again, we want you to know that efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of the following and the other word groups that may be confusing so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communication. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, words@wordinfo.info, as the address in your e-mail heading. definite, definitive
definite (DEF uh nit)
Clear and unmistakable; precise: "The statement was definite and left no room for misunderstanding."
definitive (di FIN i tiv)
Authoritative and exhaustive: "This definitive life of Keats leaves nothing for future biographers; it is the final word on the subject."
defuse, diffuse
defuse (dee FYOOZ)
1. To remove the fuse from (an explosive device): "The special police had to defuse the bomb before they could enter the building."
2. To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile: "The President made a diplomatic move that could defuse the crisis." diffuse (di FYOOS; dee FYOOZ)
1. (di FYOOS) Widely spread or scattered; not concentrated: "The forest was filled with a soft, diffuse light."
2. (dee FYOOZ) To spread out and to move freely throughout a large area: "The heat from the radiator seemed to diffuse throughout the room." defused, diffused
defused (di FYOOZ'd)
To make something or a situation less harmful or tense: "The leaders' speeches to the crowds defused the tense situation."
diffused (di FYOOS'd, di FYOOZ'd)
To cause to spread out or to scatter: "The wind diffused the seeds of the dandelion."
delegate, delicate
delegate (DEL i gayt", DEL i git)
1. As a noun, a person authorized to act as a representative for another person; a deputy or an agent: "He's been chosen as a delegate to the convention to represent our community."
2. As a verb, to give control, responsibility, authority, etc. to someone: "The manager should delegate authority to the best employees of this company so the project can succeed." delicate (DEL i kit)
1. Pleasing to the senses; especially, in a subtle way: "The delicate color of her dress was very attractive."
2. Easily broken or damaged: "This cup is very delicate and fragile; so please handle it carefully." 3. Easily disturbed or upset: "Many people struggle to maintain the delicate balance between work and family." delegate, relegate
delegate (DEL i gayt", DEL i git)
An individual acting in behalf of another person; to give authority to another individual: "The president appointed the union leader as a delegate to the convention."
relegate (REL i gayt")
To assign an idea or a concept to a place of insignificance or to put something out of one’s mind: "After the long argument, I was determined to relegate the conflict out of my mind and to think of other things."
deluded, diluted
deluded (di LOOD'd)
To trick or to mislead the mind: "I was very sad to realize that the patient in hospital was deluded and thought he was the king."
diluted (digh LOOT'd)
To reduce the strength of something or to make thin by adding a substance: "The recipe stated that the sauce should be diluted with cream."
denounce, renounce
denounce (di NOUNS)
To speak or to make threatening remarks against or about an individual or situation: "The mob made angry comments seeking to denounce the landlord for the high rents."
renounce (ri NOUNS)
To give up or to refuse to follow or to cooperate: "The king chose to renounce his throne rather than allow the evil wizard to take over."
dense, dents
dense (DENS)
Concentrated, compact, requiring great concentration: "The poetry was very dense and powerful, requiring the students' careful study."
dents (DENTS)
Small hollows resulting from blows or hits by something harder: "She took her car to the body shop to repair the dents on the hood after the accident."
dependence, dependents
dependence (di PEN duhns)
Reliance, trust: "She showed great dependence on the reports that were given in the newspaper."
dependents (di PEN duhnts)
People who rely on others for support: "The tax forms ask the individual to list all the dependents under the age of 16."
"The insurance provides coverage for workers and their dependents." deposition, disposal, disposition
deposition (dep" uh ZISH uhn)
The written testimony of a witness made under oath: "The law clerk helped the witness prepare the deposition to submit to the court, telling her side of the story."
disposal (di SPOH zuhl)
1. The authority or inclination to determine the use of something: "As office manager, it is at my disposal whether the visitors may use the telephone and fax machine."
2. An instrument for the orderly and systematic destruction of something: "When they renovated their kitchen, they installed a top-of-the-line disposal system for garbage." disposition (dis" puh ZISH uhn)
1. To control or to manage: "The last will of the factory owner was careful to make a statement of the disposition of the bank account to the family lawyer."
2. Getting rid of something: "She arranged for the disposition of the old tires by sending them to the recycling center." 3. A typical attitude, temperament, or mood: "She had a sunny disposition which enhanced her teaching skills." depravation, deprivation
depravation (dep" ruh VAY shuhn)
To corrupt or to make bad or evil: "A consequence of living on the streets was the depravation of character of the youth."
deprivation (dep" ruh VAY shuhn)
To withhold basic requirements for living or to take something away from an individual: "Not having a TV when I was growing up felt like a deprivation because all of my friends had a TV set."
depraved, deprived
depraved (di PRAYV'd)
Having been made morally bad, corrupted, or perverted; morally debased: "The evil character in the book was morally depraved and violent."
deprived (di PRIGHV'd)
1. Underprivileged: "The film told the story of the deprived youth and how he succeeded."
2. Something taken away: "When I am deprived of chocolate, I feel very cranky." deprecate, depreciate
deprecate (DEP ri kayt")
To disapprove; usually, with regret: "After the senator left town, I felt badly that I had attempted to deprecate his good works."
depreciate (di PREE shee ayt")
To lessen the price or value of something: "I was informed that the value of my car will depreciate every year."
depression, recession
depression (di PRESH uhn)
1. A state of feeling sad or a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way: "She has been undergoing treatment for severe depression."
2. A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment: "After several years of an economic boom, it looks as though we may be heading for a depression." The term depression commonly refers to a serious, prolonged recession during which the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) declines by more than ten percentage points. recession (re SESH uhn)
1. The act of moving back or away slowly: "They were happy to see the recession of the floodwaters."
2. A period, shorter than a depression, during which there is a decline in economic trade and prosperity: "Many people lost their jobs during the this recent recession." One widespread definition of a recession—the one used by newspapers—is a decline in the gross domestic product for two or more consecutive quarters. Most economists quibble with these characterizations because they don't take into account the unemployment rate or consumer confidence. The National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, defines the term recession as a "significant decline" distributed across the economy lasting more than a few months; usually visible in the numbers for GDP, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. Understood as a natural part of the business cycle, a recession is the period between when activity has reached its peak and when it reaches its low point or "trough". It seems that economists don't agree on an official dividing line between a depression and a bad recession. descendant, descendent
descendant (di SEN duhnt)
Someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past: "He was a descendant of German immigrants."
descendent (di SEN duhnt)
Moving downward; a downward incline or passage; a slope: "The skiers were not aware of the steep descendent hill until it was too late."
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