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Curated words worth knowing — organized by category.
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🔀
Commonly Confused
affect
To influence or alter.
effect
The result or outcome of a cause.
complement
Something (or someone) that completes; the consummation.
compliment
An expression of praise, congratulation, or respect.
principal
Primary; most important; first level in importance.
principle
A fundamental assumption or guiding belief.
emigrate
To leave the country in which one lives, especially one's native country, in order to resi...
immigrate
To move into a foreign country to stay permanently.
elicit
To evoke, educe (emotions, feelings, responses, etc.); to generate, obtain, or provoke as...
illicit
Not approved by law, but not invalid.
discreet
Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassme...
discrete
Separate; distinct; individual; non-continuous.
📖
Rich Vocabulary
eloquent
fluently persuasive and articulate
ephemeral
Something which lasts for a short period of time.
serendipity
A combination of events which have come together by chance to make a surprisingly good or...
ubiquitous
Being everywhere at once: omnipresent.
pragmatic
Practical, concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not ju...
ambiguous
Open to multiple interpretations.
resilient
Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic.
paradox
An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vic...
nuance
A minor distinction.
synthesis
The formation of something complex or coherent by combining simpler things.
analogy
A relationship of resemblance or equivalence between two situations, people, or objects, e...
rhetoric
Synonym of rhetorical.
🎭
Emotions & States
melancholy
Black bile, formerly thought to be one of the four "cardinal humours" of animal bodies.
euphoria
An excited state of joy; a feeling of intense happiness.
nostalgia
A longing for home or familiar surroundings; homesickness.
empathy
Identification with or understanding of the thoughts, feelings, or emotional state of anot...
contempt
The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something...
gratitude
The state of being grateful.
anguish
Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress.
ecstasy
Intense pleasure.
apathy
Lack of emotion or motivation; lack of interest or enthusiasm towards something; disintere...
reverence
Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context.
dread
To fear greatly.
bliss
perfect happiness
🌿
Nature & Science
photosynthesis
Any process by which plants and other photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical e...
gravity
The state or condition of having weight; weight; heaviness.
evolution
A change of position.
ecosystem
A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit.
entropy
A measure of the disorder present in a system.
catalyst
A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the p...
symbiosis
A relationship of mutual benefit, especially among different species.
metamorphosis
A transformation, such as one performed by magic.
nebula
A cloud in outer space consisting of gas or dust (e.g. a cloud formed after a star explode...
glacier
A large body of ice which flows under its own mass, usually downhill.
aurora
An atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper atm...
tundra
A flat and treeless Arctic biome.
💡
Philosophy & Ideas
existential
Of, or relating to existence.
democracy
Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly or through elected...
altruism
Regard for others, both natural and moral without regard for oneself; devotion to the inte...
morality
Recognition of the distinction between good and evil or between right and wrong; respect f...
autonomy
The right or condition of self-government; freedom to act or function independently.
hegemony
Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a...
cognition
The process of knowing, of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought and throu...
aesthetic
Concerned with beauty, artistic impact, or appearance.
ideology
Doctrine, philosophy, body of beliefs or principles belonging to an individual or group.
utopia
A world in which everything and everyone works in perfect harmony.
dogma
An authoritative principle, belief or statement of opinion, especially one considered to b...
virtue
Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures o...
⭐
Everyday Essentials
love
Strong affection.
time
The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events.
work
Employment.
home
A dwelling.
family
A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption);...
friend
A person, typically someone other than a family member, spouse or lover, whose company one...
music
A series of sounds organized in time, employing melody, harmony, tempo etc. usually to con...
dream
Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping.
power
Ability to do or undergo something.
change
To become something different.
truth
True facts, genuine depiction or statements of reality.
journey
A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.
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