Questions tagged [single-word-requests]
This tag is for questions seeking a single word that fits a meaning. To ensure that your question is not closed as off-topic, please be specific about the intended use of the word. INCLUDE A SAMPLE SENTENCE demonstrating how the word would be used. Click on "Info", or "View Tag" and "Learn more..." for more information. Please use the [phrase-requests] tag if you seek a phrase and the [terminology] tag if you seek a term in a specialized subject also.
20,576
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Word with “lachrym-“ base denoting “bearing or producing tears”?
I am searching for a word of the title’s description, yet every available resource has failed to provide such. I have considered for the denotation the term “lacrimiferous” comprised of the Latin “...
0
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1
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55
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Is there a noun for the emotion of feeling numbed by a sudden, massive change in one's life? [duplicate]
I have a character whose daily work relies immensely on her agility and mobility, and whose favourite passtime is running around and climbing the local terrain.
I'll be writing a story arc very soon ...
1
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2
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51
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Precise word to describe "falling short of greatness" or "eluded by greatness"
I would like to narrow down what options we have in English to the concept of being very close to seizing greatness for oneself but falling short. A ready example that comes to mind is the Alexander ...
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Term to quantify a parameter in a decision-making procedure which affects multiple individuals?
Suppose a group of people are purchasing ice cream, and a flavor must be chosen for each member of the group. One possible procedure would be for a single, trusted member to decide which flavor each ...
- 115
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42
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Is there a word for an event that someone is most memorable for?
For example, is there a word for John Wilkes Booth assassinating President Lincoln? That would be most people's only known event of his life - it'd be memorable but is there a noun to represent that ...
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35
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How do you describe placing a little bit of something in hopes of helping it multiply faster? [closed]
I was using a brand new piece of glass and I wanted it to get broken in faster and begin accumulating more residue faster. So, I took a piece of residue from my old glass and wiped it on a few parts ...
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26
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What’s the right fitting word? [closed]
What would be the word you would call someone if they brought another person that had nothing to do with it into a conversation and then blamed them for something that the person blaming them actually ...
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29
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What's the word for when someone points something out then your view starts warping to fit what they said even if it isn't actually there [closed]
For example, someone spoils a show or says something is poorly written. Originally you may not have thought or noticed that but suddenly your view starts changing to become similar or the same as ...
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27
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What is the word describing a good Googler? [duplicate]
We read a recent article that had the new word describing someone who can Google and get good results versus others who can never find the answer by Google searching. Do you know the word? We can’t ...
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70
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Synonym for free or costless where non-monetised exchange is involved
I'm looking for a word similar to "free" or "without cost", but that makes it explicit only that no money is exchanged, while still allowing (or implying, or explicitly specifying) ...
- 523
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4
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124
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Is there a word for something that was formerly a social norm but is no longer acceptable?
I've been reading a lot of various classic literature, and at times there is the sort of casual misogyny or racism that was commonplace and (within certain cultures) the social norm at that time. Such ...
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Is there a commonly used root for "Inclusion" and "Exclusion", or some way to specify the status of being "Included" or "Excluded"? [duplicate]
"Inclusion" means for something to be part of a group
"Exclusion" means for something to not be part of a group
Whether something is in the group or out of the group is obviously ...
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What do you call the person or character being spoken to in a poem or song?
This question asks what to call the person who is speaking in a lyric poem. The terms "narrator", "speaker", "persona", etc. may be used to refer to the "I" in &...
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41
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A single word that describes or connotes all items in a list except the last item
Is there a single word to describe all the elements in a list, except the last item?
The head of a list refers to the first item in the list and the tail refers to the last item. In mathematics and ...
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What’s a word for an organization you’re soliciting a sponsorship from?
For example:
Please enter the name and email of the [word meaning
a possible sponsor].
I am building a website that helps users find and
connect with companies and other organizations to ask
them ...
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2
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40
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When you compare an object to a reference object, what noun to use to refer to the former?
I am in the process of writing a research paper that compares my Methods A and B against a commonly accepted gold standard (reference) method. All methods produce objects that are identical in the ...
- 101
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What is the correct title for my great niece’s husband?
What is the correct term to use when I’m referring to my great-niece’s husband? While I often referred to her as my niece it seems somewhat odd to refer to her husband as my nephew. It sounds somewhat ...
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43
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Word or concept for when the correction to a misconception becomes more popular than the misconception?
For example, when people say "Napoleon was short", it's almost immediately followed up with "actually he was average height for the time".
Is there any concept or word that ...
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3
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70
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Looking for a word that means coming from two diverse places
I have a background in fiction writing and creative event planning as well as in business operations in international shipping. I want a word that could help me describe my background.
With my ____ ...
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1
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71
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Is there a word or phrase for when you're at the whim of someone?
I'm writing a short bio of my character who has made a contract with a demon and is now required to do her bidding. He's not necessarily a slave, he still has the freedom to do whatever he likes, I ...
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Was there a word for cleavage, decolleté, or decolletage in the 17th century?
I'm particularly interested in finding a word used in the 17th century that was more specific than bosom. I could find no use of cleavage before the 20th century or decolleté before 1778.
Interested ...
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106
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Can you think of a synonym for "female banker"? Or can the feminine ending be used somehow?
Marie Medici, from the Medici clan in Milan, married the King of France Henri VI.
The King's mistress, Henriette d'Estragues, hated the Queen's guts.
She dubbed her "une grosse banquière", ...
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Is there a word similar to "unctuous" and "sycophant" but from a more cynical perspective? Intentionally, cogently presenting oneself as inoffensive? [duplicate]
For example, people that are ostensibly unaware but in reality behaving in a methodical way. Playing dumb but also ingratiating yourself in a savvy way. A word to describe politicians, influencers, ...
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2
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88
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What is a phrase to describe asking a question that you’re afraid to know the answer to?
I’m writing a line where a character is very anxious, and asks a person a question, but is sort of afraid to know the answer. I’ve written it as “[Question]?” Character X asked character Y, but I feel ...
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44
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Is there a word for the behaviour of interpreting your own opinion into something else to make it seem to you like it shares your opinion?
I think my formulation in the title may be a bit confusing.
I mean a behaviour similar to "gaslighting" yourself into seeing/perceiving your own opinion from someone/something, even though ...
- 19
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6
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271
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What is a word for bringing together fragmented pieces of a whole? [closed]
Is there an English word for the act of or the output of bringing together distinct but connected pieces to make a whole? I am working on a theory of anonymized digital connectivity where a complete ...
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0
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6
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What is correct (English grammar): Combination of singular/plural but is it was OR were? [migrated]
Could someone please tell me what is correct:
Shareholder's ownership of ABC-Company was 1,000,000 shares which equals to 1.5% of an equity.
or
Shareholder's ownership of ABC-Company were 1,000,000 ...
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1
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54
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Single word for "ignoring the fine details to only consider the big picture" as a counterpoint to "pedantic"?
Is there a single word to describe someone who disregards the fine details of something and only focuses on what they believe is the bigger picture? I'm looking for a pejorative connotation similar to ...
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130
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More common terms for "tall poppy syndrome"
I came across this New York Times article:
Ms. Hathaway could simply be a victim of what the British call “tall poppy syndrome” — the bloom that pokes above the others is the first to get cut.
I ...
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96
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Is there a Yiddish loanword for unnecessary work?
Does there exist an English word of Yiddish origin meaning “bothersome busywork” (admittedly redundant)?
Is that what “chazzerai” means? (I’m sure that's spelled incorrectly)
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What is a term for someone who always rejects other people’s offers or favors?
Is there any word for someone who doesn't accept others' favors? They have no reason for it, they just say no. Perhaps it's because they would feel insecure.
Example:
-Why does she always say no when ...
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40
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Idiomatic word or expression for a lazy and unmoral person who gets paid without working - Translation of Spanish ‘ñoqui’ [duplicate]
I'm not talking about the Italian dish. In Argentina, there's a well known expression for someone who doesn't go to work and only assists the last month's day to get paid: It's called a ñoqui. The ...
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Is there a (current or historical) word for the extremes on the left-right axis?
Is there, or has there ever been, an unambiguous word for "the leftmost extreme" or "the rightmost extreme"? Such words exist for the other two dimensions.
Imagine you are ...
- 256
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3
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72
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What is a noun to describe the "never gets old"-ness of an object?
I want to say that a particular painting never gets old because you notice something new each time you look at it. What is a noun to describe this quality? An example sentence would be:
"Due to ...
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2
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42
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What is the word that describes willingness of a human or even an animal to provide value to others in general? [closed]
For example, willingness to provide for someone is generosity and willingness to protect someone is bravery, but if we wanted to put both of these (an possibly other values) under an umbrella term, ...
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2
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102
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What is a word meaning something you do only as a required action to meet a formal requirement?
What is a word meaning something you do with a minimal effort and with no other intention than to satisfy a formal requirement?
For example, if someone named Jurgen had to buy property in Bulgaria in ...
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1
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40
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Is there a good adjectival form of the prefix "meta-"? [closed]
I find the word "meta" to have a unique meaning. People have begun using it as a standalone word, as in, "That movie was so meta." However, I think this is colloquial, and it often ...
- 300
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1
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85
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How to describe how a cat looks when groomed?
What is a word to describe how a cat looks when it's groomed?
My husband described it as nappy, which I don't think would be the correct word. To give an image of what I am trying to describe, think ...
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4
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160
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What's the word for statements like “Stay with me or I'm breaking your car” (Not blackmail) [closed]
What's the word for statements like “Stay with me or I'm breaking your car” It's not blackmail, exactly, so what is the word to describe this type of 'if you do this, I'll do that' scenario/statement?
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Is there a word for people you like but are a pain in the ass?
Is there a word for people you like but are a pain in the ass? Nothing too vulgar. I am not looking to call someone it, but affectionately think about them "that person is a complete [word]"....
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65
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A term or word to express "someone or something itself"
I seem to remember it's a two-word-term (not totally sure) like "____ self".
We all know that only when a subject has occurred before can we use reflexive pronouns like "itself". ...
2
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5
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156
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What word describes a person that doesn't pay his bills?
In the Spanish language there is a word that is used to describe a person that has been tagged as a deadbeat; it is Largo. Largo in Spanish means Long as in the measurement of the distance between two ...
0
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1
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45
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What is the best word to describe items with specific uses. For example, a suction cup used to fix car dents [duplicate]
I'm trying to name categories on my online shop, I have a category for whimsical items, kids, etc. I'm trying to name a category for items that have actual day to day functionalities. For example, a ...
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2
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69
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What is a generic word that describes something a person is or does like a skill? [duplicate]
I am in charge of deciding the name of a skill in a role-playing game that serves as a catch-all for abilities/skills that are otherwise unlisted in our handbook (think skills that will help players ...
- 211
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1
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80
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What word can I use to describe the feeling of being overwhelmed by a (narrow) place?
The word I'm looking for is similar to "claustrophobia"; it's to describe the feeling of being trapped in a place that feels too narrow, almost like you can't breathe properly in it. (A noun,...
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31
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Word for during recent frame of time?
The court's ruling is claimed to be (...) because it has only counted specific actions to set up some (...) simple structure of justice that only encompasses the last hour neglecting the history of ...
- 19
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3
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84
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How can I describe different directions of hatching in a scientific diagram?
I am writing a scientific article and I need to describe the two hatched areas in the Figure below. How do you call these? Upward hatching and downward hatching? Or what?
E.g.
The upward hatching ...
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2
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89
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Inspiration catalyst? Looking for a term that describes seemingly out of the blue inspiration
I'm looking for a term for a curious situation that I've found myself in a couple of times.
A person discusses a new concept/invention.
I am a part of that conversation or simply overhear it.
I ...
- 2,110
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2
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195
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How to identify as being Native American while not being of aboriginal descent?
I write for government entities in the supply chain and manufacturing fields. These days it is a big deal to identify what nationality you are. The government wants to discontinue buying from ...
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1
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41
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What is the word for when someone is saying the same thing as you, but thinks you are disagreeing? [duplicate]
So, I remember it was a single word that had this sort of definition. It also had a neutral conotation to it. I came across the word in a video or a game I can't quite remember.
I already looked at ...
