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. daffynition, fictionary, lexicomedy
daffynition (daf" uh NISH uhn)
A combination of daffy and definition referring to funny definitions and word play: "At the very minimum, a daffynition is a humorous way to consider the meanings of words."
fictionary (FIK chuhn airy)
A composition of fake, or make-believe, definitions from "fiction" and the last part of "dictionary": "There are those who believe that "daffynition" and "fictionary" are synonymous."
lexicomedy (lex" i KOM uhdi)
A source of facetious or humorous definitions or a publication that is always changing the subject on every page: "Another source of off-beat definitions can be found in lexicomedy presentations."
dairy, diary
dairy (DAIR ee)
Milk or a milk-products-producing enterprise; a milk store: "Excuse me, will you direct me to the dairy section of your store because I would like to buy some milk."
diary (DIGH uh ree)
A daily record written about by someone about his/her life: "For her birthday, she received a diary, a book in which she could write about the events of her life."
"She wrote regularly in her diary while she was traveling in Europe." A diary is the confidant that doesn't talk [but it can be very revealing if it falls into another person's hands]. dam, damn
dam (DAM)
1. A body of water controlled by an obstruction of earth, concrete, etc.: "The dam was built to control the flow of the river, unfortunately it is also endangering many buildings on the nearby land."
2. A female parent which is a reference to a quadruped: "The racing sheet explained that Daisy was the dam of the winning horse, Tulip." damn (DAM)
1. To condemn to eternal punishment, to doom: "Some people believe that any negative behavior will damn such persons to eternal punishment."
2. Used to express anger, irritation, contempt, or disappointment: "When I hit my finger with the hammer, I shouted, damn! and then I painfully went to get a bandage." 3. To condemn as injurious, illegal, or immoral: "The speaker continued to damn drugs, alcohol, and smoking as destructive to the well-being of society." Dam is a word that means to "hold back", but it has the opposite meaning if the letter n is added. dammed, damned
dammed (DAM'd)
Held or kept back; for example, by dirt or concrete banks: "The river was dammed so the water could be kept in place for use by the people."
damned (DAM'd)
Condemned, criticized, or cursed: "The preacher damned evil doers to Hell."
damp, dank
damp (DAMP)
1. Moisture in the air; humidity: "It was hard to dry the laundry because the air was too damp."
2. Somewhat or slightly wet: "As her forehead was damp with perspiration, she urged her son to help her wipe up the mess of broken eggs on the kitchen floor with a damp cloth." dank (DANGK)
Disagreeably damp, humid, or very moist: "Whenever it is dank, we can be sure that it is a result of a rainy, humid, or foggy condition."
Dane, deign
Dane (DAYN)
An individual who lives in or is from Denmark, a country in Scandinavia: "Hans Christian Anderson was a famous Dane who wrote fairy tales for children."
deign (DAYN)
To forego the privileges of rank or position in a very condescending, superior manner: "Despite his misgivings, the mayor did deign to speak to the crowd at the tavern."
dangle, tangle
dangle (DANG guhl)
To hang about in an uncertain manner; to hang something in a manner that allows it to swing freely: "The dog's owner attempted to dangle a bone in front of the dog to make him do tricks."
"She tried to dangle her feet in the water as she sat on the edge of the swimming pool." tangle (TANG guhl)
1. A confused or bewildering situation: "He was about to tangle himself up in legal problems."
2. A scrambled mess of something: "The string was all in a tangle and could not be undone." days, daze
days (DAYZ)
The periods of light between sunrises and sunsets: "For some reason, summer days are more desired than winter days."
daze (DAYZ)
A stunned or bewildered condition: "He left the science class in a daze more than he had anticipated."
For some people, too often school days result in school daze. deadly, deathly
deadly (DED lee)
1. Causing or able to cause death: "Some of the people had a more deadly form of the disease that was spreading throughout the world."
2. Extremely accurate and effective: "He had a deadly aim with his bow and arrow." 3. Extreme or complete: "A deadly silence followed his question to the audience." deathly (DETH lee)
1. Suggestive of the cessation of life: "Her face had a deathly pallor as the result of having thought she saw a ghost."
2. In a way that is close to death or dying: "He became deathly ill." dear, deer
dear (DEER)
1. Expensive, loved, or precious: "The jewelry which she inherited from her grandmother was very dear to her."
2. With love and respect: "She lost her family, her home; everything that she held dear." 3. Used when writing to address someone; such as, in a letter: "Dear Sir, Dear Jane, etc." deer (DEER)
A cud-chewing, herbivorous, hoofed quadruped: "The hikers saw a herd of deer in the meadow."
When Santa Claus wanted to remind his flying reindeer to get ready to pull his sleigh and to help him deliver Christmas gifts, he sent a common message to his team starting with "Dear deer". A beloved buck, or doe, is a dear deer. dearth, death
dearth (DURTH)
A scarce supply; a lack of, not having enough of something: "The dearth of uncensored, firsthand information about the war is a concern of many leaders."
"There is a dearth of food in many parts of the world." Go to this page for more details about dearth. death (DETH)
The act of dying; the termination of life: "His sudden death at such a young age was very disturbing to his parents."
"She worked at the newspaper until her death at the age of 75." debar, disbar
debar (dee BAHR)
A circumstance that would prevent something from happening: "Being born in a foreign country would debar the candidate from running for President of the U.S."
disbar (dis BAHR)
To remove the status and privileges and obligations of someone who was a legal practitioner: "Not paying his traffic fines served to disbar the lawyer so he could no longer practice law."
"Her unethical practices were sufficient reasons to disbar her." decadence, decadents
decadence (DEK uh duhns, di KAYD ns)
1. Behavior that shows low morals and an excessive love of worldly pleasure, money, fame, etc.: "The book condemns the decadence of modern society."
2. The characteristic of being artificial or lacking in quality: "The court dandy demonstrated decadence in his dress and manner." decadents (DEK uh duhns, di KAYD ns)
Those who are described as having low morals and who are only interested in physical or worldly pleasures: "The book condemns some of society's wealthiest members as decadent fools."
decease, disease
decease (di SEES)
To die, cease living; death: "The newspaper carried an article clarifying the decease of the popular doctor."
disease (di ZEEZ)
A condition that impairs the full and healthy functioning of an animal or plant: "The crops in the field appeared to be dying of a disease which was turning the leaves brown."
deceased, diseased
deceased (di SEES't, di SEEST)
Dead; no longer living: "The minister asked that everyone spend a quiet moment thinking of their deceased friend."
"Is your grandfather alive or deceased?" diseased (di ZEEZ'd, di ZEEZD)
Ill, sick; a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally: "The doctor determined his patient was diseased based on the spots appearing on his chest."
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