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.
2,688
questions
4
votes
7
answers
9k
views
"Taste" is to "flavor" as "touch" and "sight" are to what?
For the senses, we have:
flavor for taste
aroma/odor/scent for smell
sound for hearing
____? for touch/feel
____? for sight/see
So one tastes a flavor, smells an aroma, hears a sound, feels a(n) ...
- 713
33
votes
4
answers
10k
views
crisscross, dillydally, riffraff, etc
Some English words only differ in their vowels: crisscross, dillydally, riffraff, etc. Is there a name for them?
- 4,384
17
votes
12
answers
45k
views
What is a word/phrase for using a term for a popular special case instead of a generic term?
Some people use a term for a popular special case in place of a generic term. (Often this popular special case is a particular product in that category.) I think that this is a common phenomenon. ...
- 6,309
28
votes
9
answers
226k
views
What term means "one who enjoys learning"?
Is there a term that means "a person who enjoys learning"? This term might be used to describe someone who:
Is a self-motivated learner.
Is curious, wants to understand many things.
I understand the ...
- 2,003
270
votes
11
answers
106k
views
Is there a word or phrase for the feeling you get after looking at a word for too long?
Sometimes after looking at a word for a while, I become convinced that it can't possibly be spelled correctly. Even after looking it up, sounding it out, and realizing that there's simply no other ...
- 6,793
51
votes
13
answers
63k
views
What would you call someone who imposes on other people's generosity?
What would you call someone who isn't afraid to ask for money or any kind of favor or who misinterprets someone's generosity for a consistent resource for what they need?
- 499
23
votes
7
answers
167k
views
What do you call a person who does/thinks the opposite of the crowd for just that reason?
Such a person does not hold in high regard the decisions taken by a group (not a team) of people. She believes that groups tend to be anarchic and don't serve their purpose.
An example would be - for ...
- 423
14
votes
17
answers
73k
views
What is a word that means "someone who pretends to be your friend but is actually your enemy?"
What do you call someone who pretends to be your friend but is actually your enemy?
A friend suggested spy for me, but that does not nearly describe the word I need for an English project. The ...
- 157
10
votes
8
answers
26k
views
Word for someone who acts like an expert but who has very little knowledge?
What is a word to describe an individual who acts like an expert in a subject area, constantly stating facts and correcting people, but who actually has very little knowledge on the subject?
- 272
7
votes
10
answers
20k
views
Expression for "intend to help but instead making things worse"
I want to say "someone (or something) intends to help, but instead it makes things worse". Is there any succinct expression or phrase for this?
- 303
3
votes
2
answers
906
views
What's the term used for the abbreviated language found in headlines?
Is there a particular term for the abbreviated language used in headlines (the removal of at least articles and conjunctions)?
- 175
29
votes
7
answers
16k
views
Is there a term for words that have a single meaning or are only used in a single context?
Certain words you hear in English are only ever heard in a single context. For example, skirl is used to describe the sound a bagpipe makes. Etymonline generously says the word is "rarely" heard ...
- 151k
25
votes
4
answers
12k
views
Is there a word for colloquial forms of address?
For example, "dude," "man," "buddy," "pal," etc, when used to stand in for someone's name. "Hey, pal, how's it going?"
Is there a word for terms like these? Or is "colloquialism" as close as we can ...
- 251
23
votes
8
answers
60k
views
What's the antonym for Schadenfreude?
Schadenfreude is the joy or pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. What is the word for joy or pleasure derived from the happiness of others?
- 473
13
votes
9
answers
155k
views
What's a big-vocabulary word for someone with a big vocabulary?
What's a big-vocabulary word for someone with a big vocabulary?
I'd like to say I'm looking for a "_____".
- 853
23
votes
7
answers
88k
views
Non-offensive substitute for a swear word
What term describes a non-offensive substitute for a swear word?
For example, Battlestar Galactica used frack instead of fuck. Another example is the use of snap instead of shit.
I think I may have ...
- 333
5
votes
5
answers
5k
views
A word with a wide range of meanings
Is there a better alternative to ambiguous for a word with a wide range of meanings, difficult to find, because they become different in connection with person's opinion.
user19148
29
votes
19
answers
11k
views
What is the problem that gets worse after you try to solve it?
Example sentence - This problem is a _____ which gets complicated every time you try to solve it.
Is there such a word that represents a problem which will become worse if/when one tries to solve it?...
user173199
5
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Opposite of "straight talk"
What is the opposite for the straight talk idiom? How do I best call the activity when someone makes a very long preamble before he says what he wants?
- 760
38
votes
11
answers
36k
views
What is it called when words are deliberately spelled incorrectly but pronunciation is kept unchanged?
For example,
Night -> Nite
Through -> Thru
The -> Da
Though -> Tho
Nite even appears in some dictionaries as having the same meaning as night.
What is it called when words are ...
- 35.4k
37
votes
20
answers
82k
views
What do you call a response which does not address the question?
When some one is asked a question, sometimes if they are trying to avoid answering the question, they respond with something unrelated. What is the word for that response?
Eg. A: Why were you late?
...
- 381
35
votes
5
answers
21k
views
"Not empty" set in one word?
Is there a single word which means "not empty"? That is, a word which one might use to describe a field with one or more cows in it, as opposed to an "empty" field with none?
Full or even partially-...
- 779
33
votes
8
answers
228k
views
Precise names for parts of a day
I have learnt these words so far, please correct me if I'm wrong:
Dawn, maybe 4am–6am?
Morning, maybe 6am–9am? The food for the morning is called breakfast. People greet each other Good morning!
Noon,...
- 5,135
28
votes
18
answers
26k
views
Noun for "person with intermediate skill"
I'm looking for the noun form of "person with intermediate skill". For example, in the context of a particular activity, "person with no skill" might be designated a novice, and "person with much ...
- 830
25
votes
10
answers
102k
views
What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question?
What do you call somebody who asks a question and somebody who answers a question?
I have exhausted the thesaurus with no real luck... any ideas?
EDIT: It is in reference to this - or any other ...
- 361
24
votes
8
answers
40k
views
Word for grieving parents?
Is there a word that describes a parent whose child has died?
Along the lines of "orphan", "widow", and "widower", is there a single word for a parent who has lost a child (of any age)?
- 241
15
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What is it called when a non-verb is used as a verb?
This is in very common use on the internet. I just read this:
"[The] hotel employee walks in, I say "uh, puppy" and she just NOPEd the [heck] out of the room."
This is often done by adding 'd to ...
- 7,330
4
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What's the Word for a Token Job?
What is the word used to describe a job given to a person just to give him/her the status of being in employment? The role does not effectively fulfil a purpose other than status and prestige. I read ...
- 43
42
votes
16
answers
65k
views
What is a word for a person who uses resources to the maximum?
Is there a word (or words) for a person who uses all resources to the maximum; for example, a person who keeps on using pencils even if they are very small?
- 421
26
votes
8
answers
3k
views
Word that means "outdated name"
Is there a word that means "outdated name"?
For example:
Record, although very little music is on vinyl
Film, although most movies are digital
Horsepower, although no one uses horses as a metric ...
- 431
16
votes
4
answers
85k
views
How can I form a word like "quadruple" for any number I want?
I'm not sure what these are called, but how can I form a word like "quadruple" for any number I want? Like 5× as much is quintuple, what is 31× as much or 147× as much? I want to know how they are ...
- 10.8k
14
votes
13
answers
7k
views
What is a word to describe inefficient communication?
Example 1 - When reviewing résumés I don't want someone to use 1.5 pages to describe one job.
Example 2 - When a person uses excessive description to answer a simple question.
- 161
10
votes
11
answers
43k
views
What is a word or phrase for a false belief or opinion on something people hold true and repeat because they have heard it repeated so many times?
It isn't any of the words on this page and I believe it started with the letter 'e' (though please offer your word even if it doesn't).
Example sentence: Because he researched what he had heard from ...
- 201
10
votes
9
answers
121k
views
What is another word for 'all round' capabilities?
I am looking for a positive, passionate word to describe the all-round capabilities of a person.
Are there any words better than 'all-rounder'?
- 2,567
7
votes
6
answers
16k
views
What's a word for a positive kind of "envy" without the sense of resentment?
Imagine your college buddy is now running a multi-billion dollar company, while you're still stuck at the same white-collar day job 5 years after graduation. You chat with him and want to express the ...
- 175
58
votes
2
answers
116k
views
Is there a word for four times as much, analogous to once, twice, and thrice?
Is there a word for 'four times as much', analogous to once, twice, and thrice?
- 10.8k
57
votes
10
answers
85k
views
"Eat" is to "feed" as "drink" is to what?
I can say "I feed someone". Am I forced to say "I give someone a drink", or is there a single word for this (as in "I [verb] someone")? Unfortunately my thesaurus can't really help me.
- 57.3k
45
votes
23
answers
170k
views
Is there a word for the person who hides truth in order to deceive?
Let's say I caused a minor car crash some time ago and today I meet a woman. The conversation goes:
Woman: Hey, I remember that car with the scratch from the crash last
week, you must be the one ...
- 649
30
votes
17
answers
218k
views
What would you call a person who doesn't want to learn anything new?
What would you call a person who doesn't want to learn new things and even maybe thinks that this is unnecessary since he knows enough already? An ignorant person?
- 879
23
votes
1
answer
38k
views
Words pertaining to the senses and the corresponding disabilities
I need help on finding words relating to the senses/perception. I mean this in a neuronic/biological or philosophy-of-mind kind of way.
A word for...
pertaining to the senses (Is it sensory?)
...
- 231
23
votes
12
answers
86k
views
Is there a word for a "promise breaker"?
I'm somewhat vexed in that I cannot think of a word that means a "promise breaker" or "person who breaks a promise". There are words that may subsume that, such as "miscreant" or "liar", but I cannot ...
- 534
23
votes
9
answers
119k
views
Is there a more concise term for a long-term girlfriend/boyfriend than "significant other"?
I've been together with my boyfriend for around 9 years now. There are times when I want to communicate that I am referring to someone who plays a major role in my life, like that of a husband, and "...
- 349
22
votes
4
answers
50k
views
What word means what many people think 'ironic' means?
'Ironic' is often used to mean an unusual coincidence rather than its true meaning which is closer to sarcastic. That being said, is there a word that would be a good replacement for what many people ...
- 3,745
17
votes
7
answers
74k
views
Is there a name for someone who calls someone else what he himself is?
Say person A and person B are having a discussion/argument.
Person A tells person B that his views are arrogant, or closed-minded, or some other derogatory adjective.
But in fact it is person A's ...
- 375
17
votes
13
answers
17k
views
What is the name of the tactic that politicians use to bury people with torrent of words?
Some people write bloated books and long essays with skilful use of hooks, e.g. Jared Diamond; some others speak in long-drawn sentences with torrents of words, e.g. Noam Chomsky. It reminds me of a ...
- 1,210
17
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What should we call language that intentionally conveys the opposite of the literal meaning?
This seems to me to be a kind of rhetorical figure, but I cannot find a classical term for it in Silva Rhetoricae. Examples include the following from Tristram Shandy (Vol. 2 Chap. 24):
I define a ...
- 16.2k
14
votes
19
answers
43k
views
What is the term describing someone who has interest in only a narrow field, and nothing else?
There are some people who have interests in only some narrow field, and are not interested in anything else:
physicians who heal only ears, and for whom the stomach doesn't matter
clerks who know all ...
10
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Is there a name for inverting word order to accomplish a different meaning?
There are many sayings that invert the word order to convey a different meaning.
e.g.
"Do you live to work or do you work to live?"
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail"
Is there a name for this ...
- 375
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is a catchy word that means (non-)self-descriptive
I'm having fun with paradoxes, and I'm trying to come up with a catchy word for non-self-descriptive. Maybe "autosemantic" fits the bill for self-descriptive (definitely open to other suggestions!), ...
- 225
53
votes
13
answers
36k
views
What's the single-word for "left or right handed"?
'Male'/'female' is to 'gender' as 'left-handed'/'right-handed 'is to...?
Is there a word to describe this? For example, if I ask a guy
What's your ____?
It should mean I'm asking whether he's ...
- 20.9k