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.
20,187
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Is there a word for dates that hold symbolism because of their numbers
I'm trying to describe the phenomenon behind dates like March 21st being Down Syndrome awareness day (signifying 3 chromosome 21's); July 10th being dab day among cannabis enthusists (upsidedown it ...
- 1,051
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Synonym for "psychic hour"? [closed]
This is the full passage from :
The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren
the spirit comes across as a large undifferentiated black mass that is easily visible on the rare ...
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Word for a book that functions as a non-travel guide to a country, like "Biography" or "Hagiography" perhaps - but for a nation
So I'm not looking at an Atlas or a Compendium or a Travel Guide - I'm picturing those children's books (though doesn't need to be children's) just titled things like "Nigeria" or "...
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What do you call Copybooks for learning to write cursive
Special printed copybooks, pages are lined, sometimes with diagonal lines too, there is a printed model of a cursive letter, maybe dotted outlies and empty lines to practice further.
Is there a ...
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The word means Focusing only on what is visible (Concentrating only on the appearance without understanding accurately) [closed]
Focusing only on what is visible
(Concentrating only on the appearance without understanding accurately)
I wanna describe as a word but I really don't know what it is.. What I want to write is 'A ...
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Looking for a word which implies the inability to change (not inexorable)
The word can be used to show that someone (repeatedly) fails to change their habits. For instance, if someone has a tendency to steal, and you've consistently seen them stealing, you could use this ...
- 13
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46
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What is an adjective meaning “of or pertaining to melodies”?
Melodic seems like the obvious candidate but that seems like it refers to a specific type of scale or mode in particular and not just all things to do with melody or melodies in general. What is the ...
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Is there a word for "pronounced with profundity?"
I am in need of a word (in English or otherwise) that specifically describes the way in which someone pronounces something as profound? I mean profundity coming solely from how something is said, ...
Red
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What is the name for the fine line patterns on bank notes?
Bank notes (and other certificates) typically have patterns of fine lines, for example the pattern behind the lion here, from the Bank of England Museum:
Do these patterns have a name? What is the ...
- 292
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76
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Specific word for "marchamo"?
I want to know if there is a specific word in English to refer to the action that some countries do, paying an annual fee in order to have permission to circulate on the principal roads or highways in ...
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3
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The name of a group in relation to a champion/representative
I am looking for a noun for a group of people in relation to an entity that serves as the group's hero, representative, champion, or defender. The important bit is that it could be the case that this ...
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Countable synonyms for "prey"?
Even though the word prey is used as an opposite of predator, the former not as grammatically versatile as the latter, in terms of number:
A predator is ambushing its prey.
A prey (?) is being ...
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What's the word when someone tries to change the meaning of a statement by using different definitions for specific words?
For example the second amendment in the American constitution "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms" and someone argues that arms here means limbs when it clearly means guns. I ...
- 79
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What is the term for using a word to portray a particular idea outside of but close to the context of the original meaning?
What is the term for using a word to portray a particular idea outside of but close to the context of the original meaning? Here is an example of what I mean. Someone may use the word “mercenary” in a ...
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Is there a single word or short-phrase for: Something ugly or horrific described perfectly
A colleague of mine said, "What if we don't want to listen?" It is such a perfect illustration of the violence of our culture because it's (1) passive aggressive; (2) It doesn't say "...
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Is there a single-word for: "something valuable that has been overlooked or thrown away."
Answer could be a noun or an adjective. I've searched https://www.powerthesaurus.org/hidden_value/synonyms and the results are things like "hidden beauty", "hidden treasure". "...
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A word for people who first see you as beneath them, and then when you achieve success, they want the rewards because now they would validate you
I need an English word for the following purpose.
1. Background
In a private meeting between several entrepreneurs and their acquaintances, I encountered a gentleman. He was initially working on ...
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Any alternative term for "conspiracy theory" that doesn't imply it's paranoid/implausible?
"Conspiracy theory" is generally taken to mean something like like "A paranoid theory about an implausible conspiracy".
But there are obviously legitimate theories about cover-ups ...
- 994
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52
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What is a word that means a very important personal truth?
I am looking for a word for a personal belief that is revered for its intrinsic, universal truth, and moral nature/aspects. Below are words I have considered, along with their definition from Merriam-...
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Regretting fate
From time to time, the opportunity to do something passes permanently, meaning there is no way to go back to the situation before. A few example situations:
I submitted a term paper with a hard ...
- 247
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12
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Word for taking initiative but with a negative connotation
I was wondering if you could help me with a word. I've been racking my brain for a few hours - and nothing.
So, the word I'm looking for means taking initiative, but it has to have a negative ...
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119
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English slang for "bochar"
I'm looking for some possible slangy words that are equivalent to this Ríoplatense term:
bochar
No aprobar a alguien tras haber rendido un examen o cursado una asignatura.
"lo bocharon en ...
- 111
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What could be the translation of «Cantinflear»?
"Cantinflear" = Cacophony
I have been studying English for almost a year now, and much of it has been making semantic comparisons with Spanish.
Similar verb refers to the act of giving a ...
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132
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Is there a word for letters that are shaped the same when capitalized or not?
The letters
c/C, o/O, s/S, v/V, w/W, x/X, z/Z
Are roughly congruently shaped from uppercase to lowercase. Depending on the font, there can be some serif differences but generally they have much less ...
- 39
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87
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Prospective means future-looking, retrospective means past-looking. What means present-looking?
This is actually two questions. One: is there a word that means present-looking? And: if there isn't, what should the neologism be? Spective? Conspective?
Note that although this is a serious question,...
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English term or phrase for the German "spötteln"
The German term "spötteln" means -perhaps- a light version of "spotten" for which LEO.org gives english words like "to jeer", [edited] "jibe" [/edited], "...
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Word for "Putting a Lot of People in One Place"
Is there a word, preferably a verb, that means that keeping a large group of people in a small confined space?
For example, the US government "kept" a large number of child migrants at its ...
- 585
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3
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76
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Term for the national systems that establish the rules
I am trying to find one term that describes the system that governs us, which includes both the economic system and political system. I want to find the right one term to talk about both democracy and ...
- 313
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What is the word for a mentally handicapped elder? [duplicate]
In other words, what is the word used when someone becomes so old they cant function properly, like sitting in a chair staring off into space, completely ignoring their surroundings you know?
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What is a word for a person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill [duplicate]
What is a word for a person who is not conversant in a particular field of study? This person is not in the field, so they get bored listening to experts because they don't understand or are not ...
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2
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391
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What's a good umbrella term for different types of "ventures" in a single building?
If there's a city building and it consists of:
A bar in basement
Small general store on ground floor
10 floors or apartments
Is there a good umbrella term in English to describe them? Context:
This ...
- 141
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1
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147
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Is there a better word for "whistle-blower"?
Is there any better word for whistle-blower, this looks cheap in my opinion compared to the courage shown by individual or sometimes even putting their life on line in case of autocratic regimes.
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Word for version number that counts backwards [closed]
In versioning (e.g. software, documents, ...) a "version" or "revision" typically starts at 0 or 1 and increments with every change. The newest document is the one with highest ...
- 119
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What is an adjective to describe someone deliberately feigning ignorance? [duplicate]
Is their an adjective that describe the behaviour of people who deliberately feign ignorance of something to avoid blame or accusation.
For example:
A: Hey, I saw you laugh with your buddies at that ...
- 11
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124
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What would be the American equivalent of "sheer bloody-mindedness"?
The term is very British, and one of Douglas Adams' pet phrases, as in:
Meanwhile, the natural forces on the planet Vogsphere had been working
overtime to make up for their earlier blunder. They ...
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How do you describe a song that was released after the artist's death? [closed]
There are some words for movies released starring actors/actresses who died before their release. There are also similar words for books. But what is the equivalent term for a song or album released ...
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Is there a word for 'evangelism' that doesn't necessarily specify the religion?
Evangelism is, according to OUP:
the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.
Is there a word that means
the spreading of <non-specific political, moral, or ...
- 179
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The word/idea that warns against thinking 'If only the past had A, then B'
For example, in this conversation:
Person A: "If only we had player X back then, we would have won by an even greater margin!"
Person B: "No, I don't subscribe to that idea. Player Y ...
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1
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60
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What word do we use for "the thing that an analogy is analogising"? Specifically in the context of "metaphor" and "analogy"
When it comes to the concept and context of metaphor and analogy (rather than other comparators or comparisons in general), the device is used to describe something else in different terms. Metaphors ...
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80
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"Cask" as for "coffin"
I'm wondering if the word "cask" in English can be used to mean "coffin".
I know it means barrel but can it be used to mean the thing someone is buried in or you see at a funeral?
- 103
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What word is used to describe someone who pleases the crowd and doesn't stand for integrity
What word describes someone who pleases the crowd and doesn't stand for what is right or justice? - I'm thinking of corrupt, but it doesn't fit well.
For example, Tom is a_______; he doesn't seem to ...
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36
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Word or phrase for the act of making statements for the purpose of invoking reaction or response? [duplicate]
It seems to be this passive form of communication. These people will often have the tendency to be quite passive/passive aggressive personality-wise.
For example, this person may walk into a room and ...
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74
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Term or phrase for an easy and yet difficult task/process [duplicate]
Is there any term or phrase to (idiomatically) describe a situation/task/process that is easy from one point of view but and at the same time difficult from another perspective.
The answer shoudl be ...
- 5,381
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0
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44
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Is "unpurposeful" a word? [closed]
I know that there are different opinions about whether or not questions like "is that a word" are correct. But for now, I want to be less free in my word usage.
I did find "unpurposeful&...
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4
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183
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Is there a single word conveying both defecation and urination?
What's a single word that covers the actions of both defecation and urination.
Perhaps a person is stuck in a jungle and would like to go behind a tree or a bush to [either defecate or urinate, or ...
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4
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107
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What's an almost-sympathetic term for "terrorists, pedophiles, neo-Nazis, etc" that an anthropologist might use?
Looking for a term, not "radical" or "extremist" - but something that encompasses Nazis, Pedophiles, Terrorists, etc.
As an example, a psychologist might reference that "My ...
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What word would an American child use instead of "disgruntled"? [closed]
If you have children, could you please show this image to them and ask them what word they'd use to describe the emotion the person in the image below?
Young children don't really use the word '...
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What do you call the opposite of dependent? [duplicate]
Say you have 3 things (eg tasks), A-C. A must be done before B, and B before C. One would say that B is dependent on A, and C is dependent on B.
What if you want to say the opposite, like A is a ...
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100
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Is there a word for 'everything' in the Northern English dialect?
I'm wondering if there's a word for everything in the Northern-English dialect that's spoken in and around Yorkshire.
I know that there's summat (something), owt (anything), and nowt (nothing), but is ...
- 31
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Is there a word for 'cities with tall buildings?'
Is there a word that can be used to refer to cities with several tall buildings? There's an adjective, skyscraping, but that feels a little figurative- I wouldn't say Hong Kong is a skyscraping city; ...
- 3,410