Unbelief vs. Disbelief?
Unbelief = lack of faith, state of not believing in God, religion. Living in an age of unbelief. He is in the darkness of unbelief. Unbeliever = Person who doesn’t believe in God, religion, etc. Disbelief = inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real; scepticism, doubt, amazement, astonishment. They stared at the Taj Mahal in disbelief. The world reacted with disbelief to the news of his death. She shook her head in disbelief. Her first reaction to winning the award was…
throw away vs. throwaway
Throw away = To get rid of something. We threw away the old newspaper. Throwaway = designed to be used only once; something of small value. A throwaway ball pen. Throwaway cups and plates. Theirs is a throwaway culture. ( a way of life which gives little value to people and things) Every body = each (dead) body. Every body was collected from the battlefield. Everybody = everyone; each person. Everybody has to obey the rules without exception. Can not – you have the freedom not…
Thanks to – usage?
Thanks = expression of gratitude kneel and give thanks to God. A: Shall I help you with the luggage? B: No, thanks. ‘No, thank you’ OR ‘No, thanks’ – used to decline an offer. (Note that here ‘No’ is essential) Thank you is used for acceptance and may mean ‘yes, please‘. A: Shall I lend you my umbrella? B: Oh, thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to explain the situation. Thanks to = As a result of; owing to; due to. The case…
Valuable vs. Invaluable?
1) Valuable = of great value, worth or use; helpful and important a valuable discovery. The villagers provided the police with some valuable information. 2) Valuable = A thing of great worth esp., a small item of personal property. I have kept all my valuables in a bank locker. Invaluable = of value too high to be measured; extremely useful. His services are invaluable to me. An invaluable member of the organization. Such data will prove invaluable for his research. Mahatmaji rendered invaluable sacrifices for…
Reward vs. Award
1) Reward = that which is offered or given in return for some service. Work without the hope of reward. The company rewarded him with a promotion. I won’t recommend giving sweets to children as a reward for being good. I find learning languages to be very rewarding. He deserves a reward for his efforts 2) Reward = a sum of money offered to anyone who can give information about lost or stolen property or about someone who is wanted by the police. The police have offered a reward of…
Office vs. the good offices?
Office = place of work/business. He went to the office at 9 a.m. It’s only a few minutes walk to her office. Post-office, income tax office. The good offices = influence, esp., with a person in a position of power, assistance, intervention, mediation. His family escaped to Canada through the good offices of a Jewish Agency. She got her job in the bank through the good offices of her uncle who was a director of the Bank. He was able to recover his lost documents…
Moral, amoral, immoral
Moral = good and virtuous. Live a moral life. Moral rights/obligations. A moral story. moral (noun) = lesson or message The moral of the story is that one must see the beauty in what one has. Amoral = unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something; being neither moral or immoral. An amoral attitude to sex. Business is an amoral activity focused on success. Immoral = not conforming to accepted standards of morality; morally wrong, unethical; licentious Unseemly and immoral behavior. an immoral film. Immoral…
Late vs. lately
1) Late (adjective) – near the end of a period of time. We had to reschedule the programme due to his late arrival. He’s probably in his late thirties. 2) Late (adjective) – refers to someone who has died. She gave her late husband’s clothes to charity. 3) Late (adverb) She arrived late. It happened late in 1990. When Jithu came home late his mother scolded him. BUT, Lately (adverb) = RECENTLY We use ‘lately’ usually in Present perfect tense. Please note that it is not…
Bereaved vs. bereft
Bereave = be deprived of a close relation or friend through their death. The accident bereaved him of his wife and child. The bereaved wife = the woman whose husband has died. We all sympathise with you in your bereavement. Bereave = rob or dispossess (of something immaterial) bereft of hope = without hope The recent flood in Kerala left the majority of people bereft of hope. Bereft of reason = mad The anger made him bereft of reason. Indignation bereft him of speech =…
Purist or Puritan?
Purist = a person who insists on absolute adherence to traditional rules or structures, especially in language or style. stickler, traditionalist. Most purists are fans of traditions and traditional rules. To be a purist is to be a kind of a perfectionist. If you are a language purist, it upsets you to hear someone using bad grammar. A baking purist might feel that cookies made without a certain brand of chocolate chips are vastly inferior. Puritan = person who is strict in morals and religion,…