Confusing Words Clarified: Group S; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc.(lists of "S" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)English can be very confusing; for example, a house burns up as it burns down, a form is being filled in as it is being filled out, and an alarm goes off by going on. How about when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible? As you examine the groups of words in this unit, you will find many examples of confusions; sometimes, just one or two letters in a word can change its meaning completely. There are also times when two different words get confused because their meanings apply to things that are very similar. Efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of various words 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. If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.stiff, stiff, stiff, stiff
stiff (STIF)
1. Anything that is difficult to bend or to move: "The stiff cardboard was too hard to bend and tear."
2. Being painful to move or to use or showing pain in movement or use: "My neck is stiff and painful from typing too long without taking a break from my work." 3. Not graceful, relaxed, or friendly: "The woman appeared to be stiff and not very talkative at the party." stiff (STIF)
1. Very much; to an extreme degree: "We were scared stiff when we heard the explosion next door."
2. Completely stiff because of being wet and frozen: "When we took the shirt from the clothes line, it was frozen stiff." stiff (STIF)
1. The body of a dead person: "In 2003, a book was published about human cadavers, titled: Stiff, The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach."
2. Someone who is thought to be lucky, unlucky, etc.: "That poor stiff usually never gets a lucky break except last week when he was called a lucky stiff because he won at bingo in his local social club." stiff (STIF)
Not giving as much money as one should present to someone: "He was told that he should not stiff the waiter with such a small tip."
stile, style
stile (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
style (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stink, stint
stink (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stint (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
store, store
store (STOR, STOHR)
1. To put something that is not being used in a place where it is available, where it can be kept safely, etc.: "She will store her jewels in a safe at the bank."
2. To collect and to put something into one location for future use: "The solar panels store energy for later applications." 3. To place information in a person's memory or a computer's memory: "The website information has been formatted so we can store it with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). store (STOR, STOHR)
1. A building or room where things are sold: "I'm going to the store to buy groceries."
2. A larger amount or supply of something that is kept for future use: "The internet is the world's greatest store of information ever created by mankind." People go to a store to buy all kinds of goods where they store such things for present and future acquisition. straight, strait
straight (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
strait (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
straightened, straitened
straightened (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
straitened (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stray, stray
stray (STRAY), verb
To go in a direction that is away from a group or from the place where someone or something should be: "We could see the two cows stray through the broken fence into the street."
"As she worked on her computer, her eyes would stray as she looked out the window." stray (STRAY), noun
1. An animal; such as, a cat, dog, etc. that is lost or has no home: "Our cat was a stray that we found waiting at our back door."
2. Someone or something that is separated from a group: "My mother matched up the socks after washing and drying, but she had a stray or extra one." streak, streak
streak (STREEK), noun
1. A long, thin mark that is of a different color from its background: "The man left a streak on the windshield when he wiped the windows of the car."
2. A quality that is noticeable; especially, because it is different from a person's other qualities: "My friend has an adventurous streak in her." 3. A period of repeated success or failure: "She had a lucky streak of success against her golf competitors." 4. A long, narrow area or flash of light: "There was a streak of lightning followed by a great burst of thunder." streak (STREEK), verb
1. To make long lines of a different color on or in something: "She was determined to streak her hair with blond stripes."
2. To run through a public place naked in order to get attention: "The ceremony was interrupted at the football stadium when a guy decided to streak across the field." stress, stress, stress
stress (STRES)
1. Importance, significance, attention to, or emphasis placed on something: "Her dentist will repeatedly stress the importance of flossing regularly."
2. A greater loudness or force given to a syllable of a word in speech or to a beat in music: "Stress falls on the first syllable of the word language." "A different stress can fall on each beat in different parts of a song." stress (STRES)
In physics: an applied force, or system of forces that tends to strain or to deform a structure: "The stress on the beams of many bridges is a potential danger to those who use those constructions as a means of travel."
stress (STRES)
Regarding physical and mental health: a mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health; usually, characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression: "She apologized for being so grumpy, but she explained that she has been under a lot of stress at work lately."
stricture, structure
stricture (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
structure (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
strident, trident
strident (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
trident (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
strip, stripe
strip (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stripe (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke; struck
stroke (STROHK)
Definition: "Sentence."
stroke (STROHK)
Definition: "Sentence."
stroke (STROHK)
Definition: "Sentence."
stroke (STROHK)
Definition: "Sentence."
struck (STRUK)
Definition: "Sentence."
strut, strut
strut (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
strut (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
stumble, tumble
stumble (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
tumble (pronun)
Definition: "Sentence."
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