Explore Words

Curated words worth knowing — organized by category.

🔀 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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