Topics related to differences in meaning between two words. Two or more synonyms/comparatives must be explicitly provided by the question asker in order for a question to be tagged thus. If the question asks for the difference in usage between two words, please tag the question with the tag ...
1
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2answers
40 views
Disdainful pity…?
My question stems from a conversation on sympathy and pity.
My girlfriend and I agreed that sympathy is feeling for someone, but without taking action or desiring to take action. Pity, then, overlaps ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
Difference between “activities” and “techniques”
What is the difference between "activities" and "techniques" in teaching methodology?
3
votes
1answer
66 views
“Learn to code” vs. “Learn coding”
Is there a semantic difference between learn to code and learn coding? Can both forms be used interchangeably?
1
vote
4answers
60 views
What is the difference between “to thump” and “to punch”?
I would like to know what is the difference between to thump and to punch?
For example:
I punched him and knocked his teeth out.
or
I thumped him and knocked his teeth out.
-2
votes
2answers
55 views
Difference between “college”, “institution” and “academia” [closed]
Can anybody tell me that what the difference is between college, institution and academia?
Because a student may belong to any of these three, so I think there must be a difference between them.
5
votes
2answers
67 views
Relating to or related to?
I read this sentence in a book.
However, it does not solve specific problems relating to a business or
a profession.
I often use related to instead of relating to. Is there any difference?
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Correct use of “but”, “however” and “although”
I am not sure which conjunction to use in the following context:
I know about programming but I have a little bit of confusion in Java programming.
I know about programming although I have a ...
2
votes
2answers
51 views
Capitalizing the names of different animal breeds?
I've already looked around for an answer to this question, but many answers contradict each other. What I'd like to know is whether or not different animal breeds are capitalized in professional ...
3
votes
2answers
94 views
“Engagement”, “betrothal” — connotations?
I'm not a native speaker, so frequently I don't know underlying semantic subtleties of synonyms; what connotations they bear, which may be antiquated or very official, which are specific to given ...
-2
votes
2answers
74 views
“After downloaded” vs. “After downloading” [closed]
What is the difference between "After downloaded" and "After downloading"? Are they both grammatical?
After downloaded, I start running this program.
After downloading, I start running this ...
1
vote
2answers
98 views
What is the difference between adjust and adapt?
I know the basic similarities between adjust and adapt, but I would like to know more about the differences between them. For example, which of the following sentences would be true?
It took time ...
3
votes
2answers
65 views
Difference between “vague”, “unclear” and “ambiguous”
What is the difference between "vague", "unclear" and "ambiguous"? All three have the same meaning to me, so when should each be used?
5
votes
3answers
78 views
Is it “damping” or “dampening” when referring to sound?
When one refers to the act of modifying a physical object so as to make it better at absorbing sound vibrations, is that "damping" or "dampening" the object? I've seen both, and looking them up in the ...
2
votes
3answers
69 views
What is the difference between the nouns start and beginning?
I'm curious about the general difference between the two, but I have to be more specific.
I'd like to know the difference in the context of the noun period — should I use "the start of the period" ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
What is the difference between “junkie” and “freak”? [closed]
Should I use junkie instead of freak? What is the difference between the two?
3
votes
3answers
195 views
What is the difference between “curd” and “yogurt”?
Most people use the words curd and yogurt interchangeably.
Both are made by fermenting milk.
Is there a difference between the two, or are they the same?
1
vote
2answers
72 views
Take my photo, take a photo of me
Please tell me, is there any difference when saying take his photo and take a photo of him? To me, the first one sounds awkward.
0
votes
2answers
35 views
Subtle distinction between “at once” and “all at once”?
According to OALD both "all at once" and "at once" can mean at the same time.
I can't do everything all at once
I can't do two things at once.
Don't all speak at once!
These examples ...
0
votes
2answers
70 views
Difference between “place” and “position”
Can these words be used interchangeably when referring to a point in the world?
5
votes
3answers
111 views
Bachelor thesis or Bachelor's thesis
During my final year at university, I wrote what I though was a "bachelor thesis". Right before printing it I stumbled upon several documents stating the name "bachelor's thesis". A couple Google ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
What's the difference between these terms: old-fashioned, out of fashion,unfashionable and outdated?
What’s the difference between old-fashioned, out of fashion, unfashionable and outdated?
She wears old-fashioned clothes.
She wears unfashionable clothes.
She wears outdated clothes.
The clothes she ...
4
votes
3answers
117 views
Difference between “penetrate” and “compenetrate”
According to Merriam-Webster:
penetrate — to pass into or through
compenetrate — to penetrate throughout
What is the difference between the two? Are they synonymous?
1
vote
1answer
35 views
What is the difference between “task” and “assignment”? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Task, project, assignment, job. Which one is correct in my case?
These words don't have exact matches in Portuguese, so sometimes I get confused about their usage. When ...
11
votes
5answers
331 views
“Eventually” vs. “finally”
What is the difference between finally and eventually?
He eventually escaped and made his way back to England.
He finally escaped and made his way back to England.
3
votes
3answers
114 views
“I have no …” vs “I don't have …”
I have no house
I don't have a house
What's the difference between the phrases like ones above?
1
vote
0answers
57 views
Difference between “a few minutes” and “few minutes” [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
“A few” vs. “few”
What is the difference between "a few minutes" and "few minutes"?
For instance, how do these statements differ?
She has ...
1
vote
0answers
16 views
What is difference between “Environment does matter” & “Environment matters” [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Difference between “does have” and “has”
“did shoot” vs “shot”
'Did see' and 'Saw'
“I understand you” vs “I do understand ...
14
votes
3answers
192 views
“A bit” vs. “a little bit” vs. “a little”
Is there a difference between a bit, a little bit and a little in the following context?
He is a little bit angry.
He is a little angry.
He is a bit angry.
Or do these sentences mean the ...
2
votes
2answers
63 views
“Ontology” vs. “ontography”
I have yet to find a good description of the difference between ontology and ontography. Can anyone help clarify?
0
votes
2answers
58 views
What's the difference between “umbrage”, “offense” and “affront”?
What's the difference between "umbrage", "offense" and "affront"? Is it like only the second word is now in use?
-3
votes
2answers
70 views
Does frustrated mean extremely sad? [closed]
Do the following sentences have the same meaning?
Tom was extremely sad.
Tom was frustrated.
In my dictionary, frustrated means annoyed. Can it also mean extremely sad or upset or only ...
2
votes
3answers
189 views
Do people really think “muslin” has something to do with “Muslim”?
My boss just floored me with a doozy of an assertion: he had me change someone's password, which contained the word "muslin", because "you can't go calling people Muslims in this day and age".
Yeah, ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
What's the use of 'with' here? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Usage of the verb “provide”
Is the sentence “It provides people an easy way to communicate.” grammatically correct?
Can you provide me a mouse pad?
and
...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
What's the difference between “really” and “for real”? [closed]
For example:
I don't know who Tiger Woods is.
For real?
and
I don't know who Tiger Woods is.
Really?
I don't see any difference in this case, but are there some specific cases when these ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Can “an act of protest” and “a sign of protest” be used interchangeably? Are they idioms that are synonymous to each other? [closed]
Can "an act of protest" and "a sign of protest" be used interchangeably? Are there contexts where one of these phrases should be used, and not the other?
Also, are "act of protest" and "sign of ...
7
votes
3answers
142 views
“Infective” or “Infectious”
I checked the dictionary only to find these two words clubbed into a single entry. Have these words evolved into one, having started differently?
His enthusiasm was infectious.
Does "infective" ...
1
vote
2answers
148 views
“All right” vs. “alright” [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it “alright” or “allright”?
Which is correct in English, "all right" or "alright"?
These expressions don't cause any problem in verbal ...
8
votes
2answers
97 views
“Often” and “oftentimes”
Is there any difference between the two terms 'often' and 'oftentimes'? They seem to be used interchangeably but is one more appropriate in certain situations than others? Is 'oftentimes' an older ...
31
votes
3answers
624 views
'Made of' vs. 'Made from'
What is the basic difference between "made of" and "made from." Both expressions are used in English. For instance, "This chair is made of wood," and "Cream is made from milk." Though the question is ...
2
votes
2answers
79 views
Usage of “symmetrical” and “symmetric”
What is the appropriate usage of "symmetrical" and "symmetric" (using the geometrical adjectival definition of both terms)? Are they synonymous?
5
votes
3answers
110 views
What's the difference between 'ask' and 'inquire'? Can I use them interchangeably?
For example, see the following reference:
Denison was interested, went over to him, and watched the swift, skilful manner in which the thin brown fingers worked.
"Where are you going to ...
4
votes
2answers
84 views
Difference between “change is constant” and “change is a constant”
The boss asked me the other day whether it's more correct to say
In our business, change is constant.
or
In our business, change is a constant.
Both of these sound perfectly correct to me, ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Difference between “but” and “nothing but”
Every now and then I stumble about a construction like this:
It was but something....
and I understand it to be
It was nothing but....
or
It was only...
depending on the context.
I ...
2
votes
3answers
99 views
“will you be going home” vs. “will you go home”
What's the difference between saying;
Will you be going home this summer?
Will you go home this summer?
Are there any differences between these in written or spoken English?
4
votes
2answers
110 views
Simple present vs. present continuous
What is the difference between saying:
Are you still working there?
Do you still work there?
Which is more common in spoken vs written English?
Google books returned results for both of ...
2
votes
4answers
85 views
What is the difference between “something else” and “something extra”?
What is the difference between "something else" and "something extra"?
The answer for the blank in this question is "else", but is "extra" an alternative answer? If "EXTRA" IS WRONG, WHY IS IT WRONG?
...
-3
votes
1answer
83 views
What is the difference between 'flesh' and 'meat'? [closed]
What is the difference between 'flesh' and 'meat'? 'skin' and 'fur'?
for example, human meat? or ...
the needle will go into your flesh? or meat?
There is an insect bite on the kitty's skin (or ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
What is the difference between “ain't” and “aren't”? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
What does “ain't” mean?
I've read many times the sentences with ain't and aren't. So I'm little confused that is there any difference between them or ...
1
vote
0answers
48 views
What is the difference of “Standing rules” of an organization and “Rules” of an organization? [closed]
Possible Duplicate:
What are the differences among ‘Rules’, ‘Standing Rules’, and ‘Bylaw’?
I recently received the articles of an organization (community club) which is captioned as ...
1
vote
8answers
255 views
Is there a difference between “bitter” and “better” in pronunciation?
I was wondering if there was any difference between "bitter" and "better" in pronunciation? My assumption is that one is pronounced with a soft "d" as in "better" and the other one with a hard "t" as ...
