Prostate or prostrate?
prostate(gland) = gland in male mammals at the neck of the bladder; inflammation of this He had a prostate operation last year What are common prostate problems? Enlarged prostate = Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy(BPH) prostrate(adj) = lying stretched out on the ground, usually face downward eg. because exhausted, or to show submission, deep respect. She was lying prostrate on the bed They were prostrate from the heat (verb) The man prostrated himself on the bare floor of the church (noun) One of the runners collapsed and…
People, peoples
people = race, tribe, nation A brave and intelligent people The peoples of Asia His dream is that the peoples of the world will one day unite people = plural of person Some people are very inquisitive Streets are crowded with people He finds it difficult to get along with people
Simple or Simplistic?
simple = easily done or understood; not complex or complicated There are three simple steps to follow. The answer is really quite simple. simple life, simple design, simple solution, etc. simplistic = treating complex issues and problems as if they were much simpler than they really are; not complete or thorough enough A simplistic analysis of the issue. They have a simplistic point of view about the war. A simplistic approach to a complicated problem.
Status or status quo?
status = standing; the situation at a particular time during a process What is the patient’s medical status? His financial status is better after joining the new company. What is the status of my Amazon order? Legal status, socioeconomic status, relationship status, etc. status also means relative social or professional position Many young people desire status and security. India has achieved improvement in the status of women. status quo = as it is now; the existing state of affairs (particularly with regard to social or…
Wedding or Marriage?
marriage = the ceremony of becoming husband and wife considered from a purely religious or legal point of view Her parents are against the marriage wedding = the occasion when this ceremony takes place and the celebrations that follow it I never see most of my relatives apart from at weddings. Why didn’t you invite me to your marriage? ✕ Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding? ✓ I have just received your marriage invitation ✕ I have just received your wedding invitation ✓
Rent or rent out?
rent = occupy or use something (land, building, car, etc.) for rent (payment) We don’t own our house, we rent it from Mr. Jorty On vacation to Bangalore, we rented a car to get about There are villas for rent in the city rent out = allow someone to use something in return for payment My brother has a villa that he rents out to tourists The company rents out office space to business She rents out one of her rooms to students If you don’t…
Improvise or improve?
improvise – create and perform (music, drama, or verse) spontaneously or without preparation; speak impromptu A good actor should be able to improvise in case he forgets his dialogue. The pianist improvised an accompaniment to the song. Carnatic musician Dr. V.R. Dilipkumar is an expert in raga improvisation. – produce or make something from what is available An improvised meal for unexpected guests We improvised a mattress from a pile of blankets. improve = become or make better Her health is improving The government should take…
Alumnus, alumna, alumni, alumnae
alumnus = boy or man who was a pupil or student of a school, college or university IIM-Calcutta alumnus Shyam Srinivasan is the MD and CEO of Federal Bank. alumna = girl or woman who was a pupil or student of a school, college or university Ms. Moly Sunny is an alumna of St. Joseph’s College, Irinjalakkuda. Chanda Kochhar, the MD and CEO of ICICI bank is alumna of University of Mumbai alumni is the plural of alumnus (can include women also) Mammootty and Salim…
Layout or Outlay?
layout=the plan, design or arrangement of something laid out A model railway layout. The layout of the apartment was good, but the kitchen was too small. She designed the page layout for the school souvenir outlay=An amount of money spent for a particular purpose, esp., as a first investment in something We plan an initial outlay of Rs. 50,000/- on machinery. A modest outlay on imported equipment.
Unused or disused?
unused = not used; fresh; new You can get a refund on the unused tickets. All the unused cheque leaves were surrendered to the bank. Unused car, unused furniture, etc. disused = no longer being used; abandoned Beware of the disused well near the playground. This bridge was used until the 2000s and then fell into disuse. Long periods of disuse can damage batteries. Disused mine, disused warehouse, etc. Unused to also means unaccustomed to She was quite unused to this way of life