Fair warning: The language here could get a little strong for some tastes. Raise your hand if you’ve ever slipped up and said a curse word in front of your boss, your grandma, or anyone else you probably shouldn’t have. We’re right there with you (totally raised our hands). Don’t be too hard on yourself. Swearing has a long history—words tend to stick around when …
-Able is a cool suffix that allows you to describe things in new and interesting ways. Adding -able to a word makes it into an adjective that indicates something or someone is capable of or worthy of something. For instance, if a doughnut is dunkable, that means it can be dipped into a cup of milk or coffee. Verbs With -Able You’ll most often see …
Turns out, paramount doesn’t have that much to do with mountains. It does, however, describe something that’s of highest importance. Tantamount, on the other hand, refers to something that’s equal to something else. While the two words sound similar, that’s really all they have in common. Paramount Paramount is an adjective meaning “of utmost importance.” It can also describe someone with the highest level of …
Palette, pallet, and palate are homophones, which means they’re all pronounced the same way, but mean different things. Palette is mostly related to art. Pallet often refers to shipping equipment. Palate has several meanings related to taste. If you’re looking for a little more detail than that, read on. Palette When you picture a painter, you probably imagine them holding a flat board with a …
These two might seem like straightforward antonyms, but there are a few differences to keep in mind. Overwhelm is a verb that means “to overpower” or “to cover or bury.” Underwhelm means “to fail to impress.” Basically, these words have opposite meanings. Overwhelm Overwhelm is a versatile verb. A situation can overwhelm someone. That same person can be overwhelmed by a situation. They might describe …
The March 2017 update to Dictionary.com included over 300 new words and definitions, reflecting everything from news stories to fashion trends. We also updated several existing Dictionary.com entries. Once again, many new words came straight from the headlines, from Black Lives Matter and Burkini to alt-right and clicktivism. Some words like 420 and Kush reflect broader acceptance of marijuana use and culture, as it’s becoming …
Both older and elder describe someone or something with the higher age in a comparison. Basically, they can both be the opposite of younger. They’re similar words that are usually interchangeable. For example, let’s say a woman has two sons, one 15 years old and one 18 years old. She could describe the 18-year-old boy as her older son or her elder son, and the …
Oblivious to and oblivious of can both be used the same way. You can generally pick one based on which sounds better in the context of the sentence. Essentially, they both mean that someone is unaware of something. Synonyms Oblivious to and oblivious of share a meaning with a number of phrases, like ignorant of, unaware of, unconscious of, and blind to. Similarly, it may …
Here’s something that’s good to know: No good means something has no use or value, and has no potential of becoming good. Not good means something is bad or undesirable. The correct way to use them isn’t that clear cut. At times, there’s no difference, and they can be used interchangeably. No Good When good is used as a noun, no can quantify or modify …
We get pretty excited about the spring equinox bringing us out of winter and officially starting the season of spring. But what exactly is the spring equinox? And does an equinox happen at the start of every season? First, let’s get into the equinox, which actually occurs just twice a year. The word equinox comes from Latin and means “equality of night and day.” So, …
A manor is a mansion or stately home. A manner is a characteristic way of doing something. These words are homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings), so it’s easy to mix them up. Manor In the context of a feudal system, manor referred to an estate or territorial unit consisting of a lord’s home and lands. In other words, the area …
These two phrases mean almost the same thing, but it can be useful to know the difference. Making peace with something means you “become resolved or reconciled.” Coming to terms with something means you “accept or become resigned” to it. It can also mean to reach an agreement. Make peace with is usually used to talk about humans. Come to terms with is usually used …