Questions tagged [word-choice]
This tag is for questions about choosing the best word FROM A GIVEN SELECTION for a particular context or meaning. The selection to choose from must appear in the question. If you do not know the word already, use single-word-requests.
11,357
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Can ingredients work in synergy?
"This beauty product features two peptides working in synergy to
produce an even skin tone."
Is the usage of synergy in the above statement wrong or an acceptable hyperbole?
*Merriam-Webster ...
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2
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131
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Laugh more, cheer up more
When someone is always brooding and in a bad mood, is it correct if I tell him " hey, laugh more, cheer up more."
I've never heard of anyone say cheer up more, but if you can say laugh more, then can ...
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19k
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Difference between lying, misleading, and deceiving [closed]
What is the difference between lying, misleading, and deceiving? I know they're really similar but there must be a difference between them.
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53
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A universal model?
I'm doing research on wind speed and direction modelling.
For previous models, people need different models for wind speed, and direction, and they need to be fitted independently.
Now I'm proposing ...
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409
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Is there any difference in the use of the words deride and disparage?
Although both these words have being treated with little regard for, does one convey something that the other one does not?
Our efforts were derided but we carried on the pursuit of success.
All ...
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647
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Reservation vs Booking an online Course [closed]
I am unsure what word to use in the sentence. It is part of a system that we are releasing to the public so it has to be grammatically correct :)
The sentence in question is:
Thank You for your ...
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3
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817
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Are "only" and "just" always interchangeable?
In an English lesson, that can be edited by users, there's a dicussion about a sentence to translate.
This sentence is:
I just eat pasta.
To mean "I only eat pasta".
My own opinion is that this ...
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1
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475
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"First item from both sets" vs "First items from both sets"
I was commenting on a question on Stackoverflow and found myself writing:
You are comparing the first item from both sets
Meaning in this case that the OP was taking an item from one collection, ...
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3
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68
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Inducing factor, activating factor, or operating factor? [closed]
I'm looking for a term to use in a research paper in order to express the main driving factor behind a sequence of chemical reactions.
Which one is better: Inducing factor, Activating factor, ...
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2
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110
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Word Choice: 'Like' or 'As'
In this sentence, which would be the better word to use, 'like' or 'as'?
"Chugging alcohol is like/as talking to God."
What would the difference be?
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5k
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Is it correct to say "some rain"?
It is the onset of rainy season in this part of the world.
It happened I reported in a Whatsapp page that "Some rain in ABC place."
Is the usage of the "some" + "rain" correct in English?
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121
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How to express the idea "up to a certain age" in poem
I am not a native speaker, but I am writing a poem, where on a certain line the main character expresses the idea that he wants to reach an age of at least 90 and a couple of years more (not specified ...
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4k
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What's a word that means "quickly" and "easily"?
The current sentence is: "While this can be interpreted as a response to World War II, it can also be seen as an analysis - a depiction of how fragile society actually is, and how easily it can be ...
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243
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a pocket full of solid silver coins vs. a pocketful of solid silver coins
A Guardian article titled "Enlightened Princesses review – royals who shaped modern Britain" has this:
In 30 brief chapters, some only three pages long, we hear about the avant garde composers ...
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2
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312
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What would be an alternative concise statement for "were among X, but were not among Y"
I have the following statement:
that strongest items were among the features associated with X, but
were not among those associated with the course content views.
However, I think that this ...
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2k
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"Bloody" vs "bloodied" (when referring to human blood)
Someone from the UK suggested I use bloodied instead of bloody do describe objects/people that are covered with blood. (Because bloody could be mistaken by the curse.)
Is this a good suggestion? ...
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198
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Which preposition should follow "sympathies"
I want to ask an organization:
Does your organization have any sympathies __ [such and such ideology (X)].
Which preposition should follow "sympathies?"
I was thinking "to" might work, as if ...
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4k
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When can I say "I could not have passed the test"?
I am nonnative speaker & I often ask a lot of questions that native people have never thought about.
Ok, this site says:
"Couldn't have" is used to show someone's feeling that something
...
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4
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350
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Word or phrase for this particular action
What do you call when someone does something that they already wanted to do but only do it because they saw someone else do it?
For example the Brexit business, or America after Trump became ...
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176
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Can you Compare things you like and don't like [closed]
Can you compare liking and not liking something.
Example: I liked her yesterday but today I don't
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1
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2k
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Word for somebody who is excessively overprotective of one's own image or brand
Perfect example, Donald Trump. Somebody who will stop as nothing to dispel any presented threat to their image, name, or brand--usually aggressively. Even if their positive feedback vastly outweighs ...
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202
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Is "Take note of ___ into account" proper usage?
Is this sentence correct, with "take note of" and "into account" referring to the same thing?
Please take note of the sales prices into account in any future preliminary or suggested price to any ...
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390
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Generic word for religious establishment
I need a word to describe any community that is religious. For example, a Church Group or Temple Youth Group. Would Religous Institution be correct?
Edit: As single word would probably be impossible, ...
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2k
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Judge "it" for yourself [closed]
Context
I'd like to ask a question in an email and I need to explain that I already speak two foreign languages fairly well. I don't want to seem overly confident as I know I still make mistakes, but ...
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1k
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Schoolmaster vs Principal or Teacher
As I understand it, the word schoolmaster can either mean a man who teaches in school or one that disciplines or directs.
The word schoolmaster can be a synonym of teacher and principal.
But which ...
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5k
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How do I say "nice playing with you"? [closed]
Is it right to say "It was nice playing with you in the same team" or "It was nice playing together in the same team"?
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"Round up to the nearest tertile value" wording question?
If I wanted to tell someone to round up to the nearest 1/4 value (e.g. 4.78 would become to 5.0), I would say:
Round up to the nearest quarter value.
Now, if I want to express rounding up to the ...
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2
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72
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Word for a document to reflect upon an event [closed]
So, we're having an event and have been tasked with creating a booklet (2/3 page PDF) to show categories, nominees and winners
Between us, we're sure there's one word that encapsulates this type of ...
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8k
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Which preposition should you use: "concerns about/with something"?
Which is the more correct preposition about vs. with in the following sentence?
What concerns do you have about adopting?
What concerns do you have with adopting?
Here is a link to a poll if you ...
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3
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176
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Can a person perform 'for' a domain or only 'in' a domain?
Here's the original sentence:
The person showed competence and mastery over the achievement domain for which she performed.
Other issues aside, the phrase "the achievement domain for which she ...
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106
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The picture is an imprint of a photographer's imagination and soul through a lens
The picture is an imprint of a photographer's imagination and soul through a lens.
Is the whole sentence structure correct? Is it "a lens" or "the lenses."
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159
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A word for someone who hurts the chances of others getting help [closed]
There is a girl who would look for sympathy and attention over her mental health and by doing this made mental health issues and those suffering from mental health issues look like jokes. She damaged ...
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3
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2k
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How to say you can reach a destination via these specific means?
I'm having one of those moments, I just can't remember how to say it. By air, by water, by ground? Or is it by airplane, boat, and car? I was reading about an island where the writer was saying "...
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3
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1k
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Opposite of a blurred memory
I am looking for an antonym for a "blurred memory" in context of photos. Can't get what it would be:
Sharp photo
Clear photo
Vivid photo
Distinct photo
Smh else?
The context is as follows: "We all ...
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22k
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Hold or have an event? [closed]
Which one sounds more natural:
Our club is having an event this Sunday.
Our club is holding an event this Sunday.
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2
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1k
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watch vs see depends on tense?
I understand the difference between watch and see and that's not what this question is about. My question is why does the choice seem to be driven by tense at times? Consider the following examples:
...
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6
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14k
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Word to describe a person who is always very stable
What do you call someone who's very stable all the time? By that I mean someone who never lies, manipulates or cheats. Someone who doesn't understand jokes sometimes, and someone who never gets overly ...
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2
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1k
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Should I use "less" or "fewer" here? [duplicate]
When the rancher spends that 8 hours producing potatoes, she spends 8 hours less producing meat...
Is this usage of less correct, or should fewer be used instead?
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1k
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Can political principles be "piously brandished"?
The following is a GRE sentence completion question.
The most striking thing about the politician is how often his politics have been (i)_____rather than ideological, as he adapts his political ...
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What is the difference between "forcibly" and "forcefully"? [closed]
The scene I am writing is about a woman seducing a soldier on battlefront. She provokes him by lifting her face and keeping it at a few inches from his. He replies by holding her by the back of her ...
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467
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Is there a term for "minimum effort to maintain service"?
I am documenting a piece of software that will be transferred to a customer. The customer will run the software continuously. They may choose to update and improve it, but this is optional.
To keep ...
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98
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Hazardous material operator/handler/attendant
I'm not sure which term I should use to generally refer to a person whose job involves handling hazardous material.
Operator first comes to mind, but I'm not sure if it works in certain contexts, to ...
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14k
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Damage incurred/sustained/inflicted
In the previous context of the sentence below the disaster that caused the damage and displacement of people is clearly identified and I'd like to avoid repeating it again, but I'd still like to ...
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383
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"We can do this infinitely." Is this correct?
I was told that it's not correct to say "We can do this infinitely", meaning that the process will last forever, without an end. Instead one should say "We can do this indefinitely" or "infinitely ...
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653
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"Expected" in future and present
I'm going to conduct an experiment. Before it I have a bunch of events which I expect to happen. I call them "expected events".
After the experiment was run, I have two kind of events: "expected" ...
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6k
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What are other words or phrases for "total catch", "whole package", or "perfect 10" when referring to an attractive bachelorette?
I've found it difficult to search for synonyms.
I'm hoping for some noun that signifies a really impressive woman that any man would want to share life with.
"Perfect 10" and "bombshell" are ...
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3k
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Difference between "I will ____" and "I'm going to ____"?
My ESL friend and I were talking, and he was ready to go to sleep, so he said "I'll go to sleep!", and I corrected him to "I'm going to sleep", but I couldn't explain why. Does anyone know?
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2k
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Is it correct to use Exclamation mark(!) in the introduction of a Professional Email? [closed]
I work with teams that are in different geographic zones. This is how I usually, start the email introduction. for example:-
Hi Linda,
Good Morning! or Greetings!
Is it correct to use exclamation ...
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3
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11k
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touched by pity or touched with pity?
Can someone please explain me the difference between touched by pity and touched with pity along-with reference sentences.
This search shows that both forms are used, but I couldn't make out the ...
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3k
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Which is more suitable/correct usage: "forget your password?" or "forgot your password?" [duplicate]
As a web developer, this is a question that has bugged me for some time: when providing a way for users to reset their password, which link wording is more suitable or is the "proper" use?
"Forget ...