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. descent, dissent
descent (di SENT)
A downward incline or passage; a slope: "The hikers found the descent on the mountain trail very dangerous due to loose rocks."
dissent (di SENT)
To differ in opinion or feeling; to disagree: "The two members of government would often dissent with each other about legal matters, but they continued to be good friends."
desert, desert, deserts, dessert
desert (di ZURT)
To leave, forsake, or abandon, AWOL: "A person can desert from the army during war just once and never have a second chance to do it."
"If their nest is disturbed, birds will often desert it." desert (DEZ urt)
Dry, barren region (note one "s" as in sand): "A person can go walking out into the desert without water just once (one "s") because he/she probably will not survive to do it again."
deserts (di ZURTS)
That which is deserved or punishment that someone deserves: "They all wanted to see this criminal receive his just deserts."
dessert (di ZURT)
Sweet food served at the end of a meal; sometimes two are desired ("ss"): "We had ice cream and apple pie for our dessert."
While the woman was having her dessert in the restaurant, she was wishing that she could desert her broken down car right there in the desert. The deserter in the desert who became nauseated after eating too much dessert probably got his just deserts. desirable, desirous
desirable (di ZIGHR uh b'l)
1. Something which a person wants: "I would find it desirable right now to have a drink of water."
2. Something which is pleasing or valuable: "Diamonds are considered a desirable investment." desirous (di ZIGHR uhs)
Having, displaying, or marked by desire: "She was desirous of making a good impression during the job interview."
desolate, dissolute
desolate (DES uh lit)
1. Verb: To lay waste, to make uninhabitable: "They were afraid the severe storm would desolate the countryside."
2. Noun: Lonely, solitary; uninhabited, deserted: "The story of the desolate castle in the wilderness intrigued the explorers." dissolute (DIS uh loot")
1. Immoral, debauched: "Don Giovanni was considered a dissolute but charming individual."
2. A description of someone whose way of living is considered morally wrong: "It's sad to say, but she has led a dissolute life as a prostitute ever since she left home as a teenager." desperate, disparate, desperado
desperate (DES puhr it)
Extreme loss of hope, frustration, or attempts to escape a situation: "Caught in the undertow of the tide, he made a desperate attempt to swim to the shore."
disparate (DIS puhr it, di SPAR it)
Marked by distinct differences or character: "Even though the boys were twins, their personalities were disparate."
desperado (des" puh RAH doh, des" puh RAY doh)
A bold bandit or criminal, often associated with the "wild west" of the United States: "The desperado was easily recognized by his white horse and silver saddle as he came into town."
detract, distract
detract (di TRAKT)
To take or to draw away: "The bill boards along the highway only detract your attention from the lovely scenery."
distract (dis TRAKT)
To draw the mind or attention away in another direction; to divert: "The soft music helped to distract her mind from her worries."
device, devise
device (di VIGHS)
Something invented to accomplish a specific purpose: "This device automatically turns on the street lights when it gets dark."
devise (di VIGHZ)
To invent or to contrive: "It must be possible to devise some way to protect the environment from such pollution."
deviser, devisor
deviser (di VIGHZ uhr)
Anyone who forms, invents, or contrives something in the mind: "He was a deviser of a new method for converting sunlight into electricity."
devisor (di VIGH zuhr, dev" i ZOR)
Someone who transmits real estate by means of a will: "She was a devisor of her home to her son."
dew, do, due
dew (DOO, DYOO)
Moisture in small drops: "The early morning sun highlighted the dew on the grass."
do (DOO)
A verb which means "to act" or "to perform": "You need to do your yard work before it gets dark."
due (DOO)
That which is owed; payable: "The statement from the telephone company indicated payment on the bill was due tomorrow."
Due to the dry weather, we do not see any dew on the grass. diagnosis, prognosis
diagnosis (digh" uhg NOH sis)
The investigation or identification of a problem, illness, etc.: "The doctor will present her diagnosis at the conference tomorrow at the hospital."
prognosis (prag NOH sis)
Prospect of recovery after an illness or difficult situation: "The doctor's prognosis for a full recovery pleased the patient very much."
diagram, diaphragm
diagram (DIGH uh gram")
1. A drawing that illustrates, explains, or shows the parts of something: "The diagram showed us how the clock operates."
2. To show or to explain something: "The coach will diagram the new play on the blackboard for the football team." diaphragm (DIGH uh fram")
The muscular partition between the chest and the abdomen in mammals; a thin membrane or partition: "The football player complained that his diaphragm hurt after the hard tackle during the game."
diarist, direst
diarist (DIGH uh rist)
An individual who writes a journal or diary: "Samuel Pepys was considered a great diarist of the Seventeenth Century."
direst (DIGHR ist)
Fearful or dreadful: "The pirate captain threatened the direst of punishments to the crew if they disobeyed him."
dice, dies
dice (DIGHS)
1. The plural form of die: "Each player threw one die to determine who would be the first to roll the pair of dice at the table."
2. Small cubes that are made of plastic, wood, etc. which have one to six dots on each side, and that are used usually in pairs in various games: "The guys in the back room were playing dice games to see who could walk away with the most money." 3. To cut food into small cubes: "She will dice the potatoes and add them to the soup and then dice the onions so they can become a part of the soup, too." dies (DIGHZ)
No longer living or being in existence: "The garden dies if you don't water it regularly."
"The brain dies a little each day as a person gets older and older; especially, if there are no mental challenges." diced, minced
diced (DIGHS't)
Chopped into small cubicle pieces: "She put the diced vegetables into the soup."
minced (MINS't)
1. To cut up into very small or minute pieces: "The spaghetti sauce was made with minced beef."
2. To speak with an affectation (pretense): "She minced her words in an effort to sound sophisticated." dictionary, glossary, lexicon, thesaurus
dictionary (DIK shuh ner" ee)
A book containing the alphabetical listing of words used in a language, providing definitions, pronunciations, etc.: "She received a new dictionary when she graduated from high school."
glossary (GLAH suh ree, GLOS uh ree)
A collection of specialized words and their meanings: "There was a glossary at the end of the book to help the reader understand the text."
lexicon (LEK si kahn", LEK si kon")
Another term for dictionary which includes any book typically containing all the morphemes (smallest meaningful parts) of a language: "The scholar sought a lexicon in the library to assist her in writing her thesis on the Gaelic language."
thesaurus (thi SAUR uhs, thi SOR uhs)
A book containing a store of words; especially, of synonyms and antonyms arranged in categories: "We found out that there is more than one kind of thesaurus available for us to find logical structures and word associations."
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