To confuse

·         Befog (Verb)

·         Bemuse (Verb)

·         Bewilder (Verb)

·         Baffle (Verb)

·         Befuddle (Verb)

·         Flummox (Verb)

·         Addle (Verb & Adj.)

·         Gravel (Noun & Verb)

·         Perplex (Verb)

·         Muddle (Verb)

·         Nonplus (Noun & Verb)

·         Obfuscate (Verb)

·         Confound (Verb)

·         Stupefy (Verb)

Explanation: Nonplus (Noun) means state of confusion. Confound (or Stupefy) means to confuse or to surprise someone. Therefore, these words have been covered in this series and they have been covered in series for to surprise also.

BEFOG (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse or to obscure

Use: The professor’ s convoluted explanation only befogged the textbook’ s presentation of this scientific principle.

BEMUSE (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse someone

Use: The news about his ex-wife getting married again bemused him.

BEWILDER (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse someone

Use: The many choices of activities in the city served only to bewilder the traveler.

BAFFLE (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse (someone) completely

Use: The unexpected news of a tax increase by the governor baffled many of the citizens of his state.

BEFUDDLE (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse

Use: His attempts to clarify the situation succeeded only in befuddling her further.

FLUMMOX (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse

Use: An actor who ‘s flummoxed by any changes in the script.

ADDLE (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse

Use: The problem is that if anyone tries to use logical explanations for some political positions, it just addles the listeners and makes their understanding more confusing than comprehensible.

ADDLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Confused

Use: My brain grew more and more addle as I made my way through the tax instructions.

GRAVEL (Noun)

Meaning: Small pieces of rock

GRAVEL (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse

Use: Managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on a typical example.

PERPLEX (Verb)

Meaning: To confuse (someone) very much

Use: Willie was perplexing his mother very much because he refused to take a shower after working out and having such strong body orders.

MUDDLE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To confuse someone

                  2) To mix up (something) in a confused way

Use: Manfred complained that getting too much advice can easily muddle his mind.

NONPLUS (Noun)

Meaning: A state of confusion

Use: The unexpected results of the test have created a nonplus for researchers.

NONPLUS (Verb)

Meaning: To cause confusion

Use: I was nonplussed by his openly expressed admiration of me.

OBFUSCATE (Verb)

Meaning: To make something difficult to understand

Use: Bill tried to obfuscate his drunken driving with extraneous information about taking medication; however, the odor of alcohol on his breath was not obfuscating his real condition.

CONFOUND (Verb)

Meaning: To surprise or confuse someone

Use: The new tax system confounded the people, because it seemed to be much more complicated than in the previous years.

STUPEFY (Verb)

Meaning: To cause (someone) to become confused or unable to think properly

Use: The amount they spend on clothes would appall their parents and stupefy their grandparents.

To surprise

·         Astound (Verb)

·         Astonish (Verb)

·         Bedazzle (Verb)

·         Flabbergast (Verb)

·         Confound (Verb)

·         Stagger (Verb)

·         Startle (Verb)

·         Stupefy (Verb)

Explanation: Stagger (Verb) means to walk unsteadily or to hesitate. It has second meaning also. It also means to astonish someone.

ASTOUND (Verb)

Meaning: To cause a feeling of great surprise or wonder in (someone)

Use: The juggler was astounding people with his entertaining skills.

ASTONISH (Verb)

Meaning: To cause a feeling of great wonder or surprise in (someone)

Use: Helena's flower garden astonishes everyone who sees it.

BEDAZZLE (Verb)

Meaning: To thrill or excite (someone) very much

Use: Fans bedazzled by movie stars.

FLABBERGAST (Verb)

Meaning: To shock or surprise (someone) very much

Use: Your decision to suddenly quit your job flabbergasts me.

CONFOUND (Verb)

Meaning: To surprise and confuse (someone or something)

Use: Trying to comprehend the complicated directions for operating his new TV confounded the father too much.

STAGGER (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To move or cause (someone) to move unsteadily from side to side

                  2) To shock or surprise someone

                  3) To arrange (things) in a series of different positions or times

Use: "After he sprained his ankle, he was barely able to stagger back to the bench in the park."

STARTLE (Verb)

Meaning: To surprise or frighten (someone) suddenly

Use:  I am sorry that I startled you.

STUPEFY (Verb)

Meaning: To shock or surprise (someone) very much

Use: The amount they spend on clothes would appall their parents and stupefy their grandparents.

Damaging/Harmful

·         Deleterious (Adj.)

·         Precarious (Adj.)

·         Pernicious (Adj.)

·         Detrimental (Adj.)

·         Blight (Verb & Noun)

·         Noxious (Adj.)

Explanation: Blight (Noun) is a disease that makes plants dry up and die. Blight (Noun) also means something damaging or harmful. Blight (Verb) means to cause damage. Noxious (Adj.) deviates slightly. Noxious (Adj.) deviates slightly. Noxious (Adj.) means harmful to living beings. For example: <Noxious fumes can seriously harm you>. <Noxious smog>.

DELETERIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Damaging or harmful

Use: Face it, there is obviously a deleterious effect from smoking.

PRECARIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Not safe, strong or steady

Use: The workers had precarious privileges provided by their company which could be altered or terminated at any time.

PERNICIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Causing great harm or damage often in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

Use: Tabitha is going to get revenge on the man who insulted her with a pernicious act that will hurt him very much without him knowing who did it.

DETRIMENTAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Causing damage or injury

Use: At the meeting with parents and teachers, Mrs. Jackson, the school counselor, pointed out that watching too much TV can be detrimental to a child's social and intellectual development.

BLIGHT (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To damage (a thing or place)

                  2) To damage (plants) with a disease

Use: The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians.

BLIGHT (Noun)

Meaning: 1) A disease that makes plants dry up and die

                  2) Something that causes harm or damage like a disease

Use: He has been credited with turning the country around after several severe economic blights.

NOXIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Harmful to living things

Use: Depressions have made some people have noxious feelings that can result in serious ailments.

Causing serious destruction or Damage/Evil

·         Baneful (Adj.)

·         Baleful (Adj.)

·         Malignant (Adj.)

·         Scourge (Verb & Noun)

·         Sinister (Adj.)

·         Menace (Noun) & Minatory (Adj.)

·         Vicious (Adj.)

Explanation: Words covered in this series do not deviate much in meaning to words covered in series for Damaging/Harmful.

Menace (Noun) and Minatory (Adj.) are Noun and adjective form of each other. Vicious (Adj.) deviates in meaning slightly. Vicious (Adj.) means violent or cruel. It also means dangerous.

Scourge (Noun) means something causing great trouble or suffering. It has second meaning also. It means a whip.

Scourge (Verb) means to cause great trouble or suffering. It also means to hit (someone) with a whip as a punishment.

BANEFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Causing destruction or serious damage

Use: There are many baneful consequences for the people of Syria; including the deaths and wounding of women, children, and men who have nothing to do with the uprising that has been going on there.

BALEFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Threatening harm or evil

Use: The use of drugs has had a baleful impact on many people around the world.

MALIGNANT (Adj.)

Meaning: Very evil or harmful

Use: As a patient, Leroy was placed in the isolation ward as a result of the extremely malignant nature of his lung infection.

SCOURGE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To cause great trouble or suffering

                  2) To hit someone with a whip as a punishment

Use: “Bill suffered the scourge of asthma all his life,” he said.

SCOURGE (Noun)

Meaning: 1) Something causing great trouble or suffering

                  2) A whip

Use: A city ravaged by the scourge of unemployment.

SINISTER (Adj.)

Meaning: Looking likely to cause something bad, harmful, or dangerous to happen

Use: We must defeat the sinister forces that seek our downfall.

MENACE (Noun)

Meaning: 1) A dangerous or possibly harmful person or thing

                  2) A dangerous or threatening quality

Use: The little boy was a menace in a shop full of crystal.

MINATORY (Adj.)

Meaning: Having a menacing quality

Use: The soviet Union undermined its own objectives by minatory behavior that produced a palpable sense of threat in the Japanese public.

VICIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Very violent, cruel or dangerous

                  2) Having or showing very angry or cruel feelings

Use: Dina's vicious dog was kept on a strong leash whenever he was taken out for a walk.

To insult/To defame

·         Denigrate (Verb)

·         Belittle (Verb)

·         Disparage (Verb)

·         Deprecate (Verb)

·         Decry (Verb)

·         Derogate (Verb)

DENIGRATE (Verb)

Meaning: To criticize unfairly or to make (something) seem less important or valuable

Use: All attempts to denigrate the character of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory.

BELITTLE (Verb)

Meaning: To describe (someone or something) as little or unimportant

Use: Perhaps should not belittle their children’ s early attempts at drawing, but should encourage their efforts.

DISPARAGE (Verb)

Meaning: To describe (someone or something) as unimportant, weak, bad etc.

Use: When Sara was given less pay as a secretary, she disparaged her boss as an idiot who didn't deserve to be a supervisor.

DEPRECATE (Verb)

Meaning: To criticize or express disapproval of (someone or something)

Use: The city spokesman deprecates the use of violence as done by some demonstrators.

DECRY (Verb)

Meaning: To express strong disapproval of

Use: Violence on TV is generally decried as being harmful to children.

DEROGATE (Verb)

Meaning: To insult (someone or something)

Use: Senator Johnson was warned that such a statement will derogate his reputation.

Insulting/Defaming

·         Denigrative (Adj.)

·         Belittling (Adj.)

·         Contemptuous (Adj.)

·         Decrying (Adj.)

·         Disdainful (Adj.)

·         Disparaging (Adj.)

·         Deprecatory (Adj.)

·         Depreciatory (Adj.)

·         Demeaning (Adj.)

·         Derisory (Adj.)

·         Pejorative (Adj.)

·         Sarcastic (Adj.)

·         Sardonic (Adj.)

·         Satiric (Adj.)

·         Scornful (Adj.)

·         Uncomplimentary (Adj.)

Explanation: Scorn (Noun) means a feeling that someone or something is not worthy of any respect or approval. Scornful (Adj.) is adjective form of word Scorn (Noun). Deride (Verb) means to ridicule or to talk about something in an insulting way. Derision (Noun) means scornful ridicule.

Satiric (Adj.) and Sarcastic (Adj.) deviates slightly. Satiric (Adj.) and Sarcastic (Adj.) means insulting using irony.

DENIGRATIVE (Adj.)

Meaning: Criticizing unfairly or making something less important or valuable

BELITTLING (Adj.)

Meaning: Describing (someone or something) as little or unimportant

CONTEMPTUOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Feeling or showing deep hatred or disapproval

Use: Paulette's contemptuous tone of voice was dripping with unkindness and disrespect for the neighbor who would not keep his yard clean.

DECRYING (Adj.)

Meaning: Expressing strong disapproval of

DISDAINFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing strong dislike or disapproval of someone or something you think does not deserve respect

Use: "When Janine was at the restaurant, she looked at the plate which the waiter brought with a disdainful glare because it was not what she had ordered."

DEPRECATORY (Adj.)

Meaning: Criticizing or expressing disapproval of (someone or something)

Use: "Deprecatory remarks were made about the book."

DEPRECIATORY (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Causing (something) to have a lower price or value

                  2) Describing (something) as having little value

Use: These changes have greatly depreciated the value of the house.

DEMEANING (Adj.)

Meaning: Lowering the dignity of someone

Use: The political candidate was demeaning her opponent.

DERISORY (Adj.)

Meaning: Expressing a belief that someone or something is ridiculous or without value

Use: The pawnbroker offered what I regarded as a derisory amount for the diamond ring.

PEJORATIVE (Adj.)

Meaning: Insulting to someone or something

Use: When Alisa used the pejorative "you're an idiot" with the young man, and although James was tempted to send stronger pejoratives back to her, much to his credit, he resisted the temptation.

SARCASTIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Using irony to defame or insult someone

Use: Her sarcastic comments that my singing reminded her of the time her dog was sick.

SARDONIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing disrespect or scorn for someone or something

Use: Shirley had a sardonic smile when she was told what a wonderful dress she was wearing.

SATIRIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Using humor or irony etc. to criticize or ridicule

Use: They soon acquired a satiric and disrespectful tone which made the authorities uneasy.

SCORNFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Feeling or showing that someone is not worthy of any respect or approval

Use: He is scornful of anyone who disagrees with his political beliefs.

UNCOMPLIMENTARY (Adj.)

Meaning: Expressing a low opinion of someone or something

Use: An uncomplimentary description of the town in which the writer grew up.

Feeling of strong dislike or disapproval for someone or something

·         Disdain (Noun & Verb)

·         Contempt (Noun)

Explanation: Disdain (Verb) means to treat someone with disdain (Noun).

Contempt (Noun) has second meaning also. Contempt (Noun) means speech or behavior that does not show proper respect to a court or judge.

DISDAIN (Noun)

Meaning: A feeling of strong dislike or disapproval of someone or something

Use: The mayor regarded the proposal for building a shopping center in the city park with disdain.

DISDAIN (Verb)

Meaning: To strongly dislike or disapprove of (someone or something)

Use: They disdained him for being weak.

CONTEMPT (Noun)

Meaning: 1) A feeling that someone or something is not worthy of any respect or approval

                  2) Speech or behavior that does not show proper respect to a court or judge

Use: She has displayed a profound contempt for her opponents.

Sad

·         Bereaved (Adj.)

·         Crestfallen (Adj.)

·         Dejected (Adj.)

·         Despondent (Adj.)

·         Disconsolate (Adj.)

·         Doleful (Adj.)

·         Dolorous (Adj.)

·         Forlorn (Adj.)

·         Glum (Adj.)

·         Lugubrious (Adj.)

·         Melancholic (Adj.)

·         Morose (Adj.)

·         Mournful (Adj.)

·         Plaintive (Adj.)

·         Plangent (Adj.)

·         Saturnine (Adj.)

·         Sepulchral (Adj.)

·         Woe (Noun & Interjection) & Woeful (Adj.)

Explanation: Bereaved (Adj.) means sad because a family member or friend has recently died. Plangent (Adj.) and Plaintive (Adj.) means expressing sadness.

BEREAVED (Adj.)

Meaning: Sad especially because a family member or friend has recently died

Use: Many families have been bereaved following the deaths of men doing an honest day’ s work.

CRESTFALLEN (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad and disappointed

Use: He came back empty-handed and crestfallen.

DEJECTED (Adj.)

Meaning: Sad and in low spirits because of failure, loss etc.

Use: The dejected players slowly made their way to the locker room, where they could mourn their defeat in private.

DESPONDENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad and without hope

Use: Jeremiah was very despondent about losing his job after fifteen years with the company; however, the business was having economic problems and laying off many of its employees.

DISCONSOLATE (Adj.)

Meaning: Very unhappy or sad

Use: Survivors of the tornadoes were even more disconsolate when they saw the destruction that resulted.

DOLEFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad

Use: Jimmy was in a state of doleful misery when his dog was run over by a car.

DOLOROUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Marked by or expressing misery or grief

Use: After dinner, June had a dolorous feeling in her stomach and thought that she had eaten too much ice cream for desert!

FORLORN (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Sad and lonely

                  2) Hopeless

Use: Deserted by her big sisters and her friends, the forlorn child sat sadly on the steps awaiting their return.

GLUM (Adj.)

Meaning: Sad or depressed

Use: There is no need to look so glum- things will get better soon.

LUGUBRIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Full of sadness or sorrow

Use: Danny wore lugubrious mourning clothing although he didn't really feel sad about his uncle's death.

MELANCHOLIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad

Use: She becomes quite melancholic when she reflects on all the lost opportunities of her life.

MOROSE (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad or unhappy

Use: Those morose job seekers who have grown accustomed to rejection.

MOURNFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad

Use: She had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died.

PLAINTIVE (Adj.)

Meaning: Expressing suffering or sadness

Use: Mark heard the plaintive cries from the woman who had just slipped on the icy sidewalk and fallen; so, he rushed to help her and he used his cell phone to call for an ambulance to come so she could receive medical aid.

PLANGENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Loud and mournful

Use: A plangent, haunting song about a long-ago love.

SATURNINE (Adj.)

Meaning: Very serious and unhappy

Use: Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks.

SEPULCHRAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad and serious

Use: She spoke in sepulchral whispers.

WOEFUL (Adj.)

Meaning: Very sad

Use: He sounded so woeful, is expression so longing, that I had felt sympathy for him.

A situation in which no progress seems possible

·         Impasse (Noun)

·         Stalemate (Noun)

·         Deadlock (Noun)

IMPASSE (Noun)

Meaning: A situation in which no progress seems possible

Use: An arbitrator was called in to break the impasse.

STALEMATE (Noun)

Meaning: 1) A situation in chess in which a player cannot successfully move any of the pieces and neither player can win.

                  2) A contest or dispute in which neither side can win

Use: The chess champion was astonished to find herself in a stalemate with her opponent.

DEADLOCK (Noun)

Meaning: A situation in which an agreement cannot be made

Use: The U.S. Congress apparently is having more deadlocks about too many issues rather than having mutual agreements.

Mutual Agreement

·         Consensus (Noun)

·         Unanimous (Adj.)

CONSENSUS (Noun)

Meaning: A general agreement about something

Use: The consensus of the voters was to defeat the new tax increase that was proposed by the mayor.

UNANIMOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Having the same opinion

Use: The doctors caring for Mark were unanimous in their diagnosis of his illness.

To blame/accuse/Charge

·         Allege (Verb)

·         Impeach (Verb)

·         Impute (Verb)

·         Incriminate (Verb)

·         Recriminate (Verb)

·         Implicate (Verb)

·         Indict (Verb)

Explanation: Impeach (Verb) means to charge a public official with a crime. Recriminate (Verb) deviates slightly. Recriminate (Verb) means retaliatory accusation.

Implicate (Verb) and Indict (Verb) also deviates slightly. Implicate(Verb) means to show that someone is closely connected to or involved in something (such as a crime). Indict (Verb) means to formally decide that someone should be put on trial.

ALLEGE (Verb)

Meaning: To state without proof that someone is guilty

Use: Jerome is alleged to have assaulted a man in the parking lot over a parking dispute.

IMPEACH (Verb)

Meaning: To charge (a public official) with a crime done while in office

Use: The angry congressman wanted to impeach the president for his misdeeds.

IMPUTE (Verb)

Meaning: To say or suggest that someone is guilty

Use: If I wished to impute blame to the officers in charge of this program, I would state my feelings definitely and immediately.

INCRIMINATE (Verb)

Meaning: To charge with or show evidence of involvement in a crime

Use: The hidden cameras in the train station incriminated two teenagers by taking pictures of them breaking into a candy machine and running off with several items.

RECRIMINATE (Verb)

Meaning: Retaliatory accusation

Use: Scornfully declaring that he was not the school’ s lone drug dealer, he immediately began recriminating a host of confederates.

IMPLICATE (Verb)

Meaning: to show that someone is closely connected to or involved in something (such as a crime)

Use: The politician was implicated in misappropriating government funds to support his election.

INDICT (Verb)

Meaning: to formally decide that someone should be put on trial

Use: It is much easier to indict than to convict.

Careful

·         Meticulous (Adj.)

·         Punctilious (Adj.)

·         Fastidious (Adj.)

·         Prudish (Adj.)

·         Priggish (Adj.)

Explanation: Prudish (Adj.) and Priggish (Adj.) deviates slightly. Prudish (or Priggish) (Adj.) means extremely careful or giving so much attention to priorities.

Prudish (Adj.) has second meaning also. Prudish (Adj.) means easily shocked.

METICULOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Very careful about doing something

Use: Mac's father was always a meticulous carpenter who was always focused on the accuracy of his work.

PUNCTILIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Very careful about doing something

Use: As the principal of the high school, Mr. Johnson had to be quite punctilious in conducting the staff meetings by not skipping over important issues and not interrupting a teacher whenever a question was asked.

FASTIDIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Very careful about doing something

                  2) Wanting to always be clean, neat etc.

Use: James was a fastidious accountant who seemed to be destined to do well in the financial department of his company.

PRUDISH (Adj.)

Meaning: Extremely careful or giving so much attention to priorities

Use: By the prudish standards of the 19^th century, any depiction of the nude was scandalous.

PRIGGISH (Adj.)

Meaning: Extremely careful or giving so much attention to priorities

Use: He is priggish about keeping accurate records.

 Strict concerning morals

·         Scrupulous (Adj.)

·         Conscientious (Adj.)

·         Puritanical (Adj.)

Explanation: Conscientious (or Scrupulous) (Adj.) means guided by inner conscience (or Scruple).

SCRUPULOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Guided by inner conscience (or Scruple) or Careful about doing what is honest and morally right

Use: Though Alfred is scrupulous is fulfilling his duties at work, he is less conscientious about his obligations to his family and friends.

CONSCIENTIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Guided by inner conscience (or Scruple) or Careful about doing what is honest and morally right

Use: Lana was a conscientious reporter, always checking her facts before writing the story.

PURITANICAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Very strict especially concerning morals and religion

Use: Jim has puritanical parents in that they do not allow him to go to certain movies or read immoral books, etc.