Theme
Thinking and knowing: synonyms worth the distinction
Words about the mind drift more than most. To accept an argument, to swallow it, and to learn it are three different mental acts that share a lot of dictionary ground. Every entry on this shelf pins the sense down with a sentence before it names the synonym.
Start hereOne per tier, easiest first
The whole shelfGrouped by difficulty tier
FoothillsTier 1 · everyday words · 100 words
Words you already use, paired with a synonym you probably also know.
- affairnounoccasion
- aimnoundesign
- aliveadjectiveawake
- apologynounexcuse
- arrangeverbput
- assumeverbtake
- backgroundnounground
- baseadjectivemean
- bearverbstand
- believeverbthink
- bothernounpain
- brandnounmake
- brilliantadjectivemagnificent
- buryverbforget
- catchverbcapture
- centraladjectivekey
- characternounquality
- checkverbmark
- choicenounoption
- chooseverbprefer
- commandverbcontrol
- concernnounworry
- confidencenounauthority
- connectverbjoin
- considerverbsee
- controlverbmaster
- directionnounfocus
- drawverbmake
- examplenouninstance
- faithnounreligion
- fantasticadjectivewild
- feelingnounopinion
- focusverbconcentrate
- followverbtrace
- formnounkind
- frameverbborder
- geniusnounwonder
- ghostnountouch
- givenadjectivegranted
- grabnouncatch
- gradenounlevel
- guessverbthink
- headnounmind
- hearingnounaudience
- holdverbagree
- ideanounthought
- imaginationnounvision
- interestnounsake
- judgeverbtry
- languagenounspeech
- leadnountrack
- lineverbdraw
- lostadjectiveconfused
- markverbnotice
- matternounissue
- meaningadjectivepregnant
- memorynounstore
- missverbdrop
- mistakenounfault
- modelnounexample
- movementnounmotion
- mysterynounsecret
- noveladjectivenew
- objectnountarget
- opinionnounthought
- passionnounlove
- patternnoundesign
- picturenounimpression
- plannoundesign
- plantverbset
- pleasurenounjoy
- possibilitynounopening
- problemnountrouble
- promisenounhope
- rateverbvalue
- readverbtake
- readyadjectivequick
- realitynounworld
- reasonnouncause
- reckonverbcount
- rememberverbthink
- reportnounreputation
- scoreverbmark
- secretadjectivemysterious
- sectionnoundepartment
- senseverbsmell
- setverbmark
- sightnounken
- smartadjectivebright
- solveverbwork
- studynounwork
- stylenounway
- surfacenounopen
- tellingadjectiveimpressive
- themenounsubject
- theorynounpossibility
- thinkingnounthought
- trialnounrun
- trustnounfaith
- understandverbsee
TreelineTier 2 · one step up · 84 words
Familiar words, with a synonym that sits slightly outside daily speech.
- acceptverbconsent
- acquireverblearn
- advancedadjectivemodern
- affirmativeadjectiveoptimistic
- associationnounconnection
- assumeverbtake
- basisnounbase
- blackoutnounamnesia
- broadadjectiveliberal
- burdennounload
- cautionnouncare
- compassnounreach
- confirmationnouncheck
- confuseverbthrow
- consciousnessnounawareness
- considerationnouncondition
- cunningadjectiveclever
- decisionnounconclusion
- developverbacquire
- directionnounfocus
- dulladjectiveslow
- engineeringnountechnology
- estimateverbguess
- evidencenoungrounds
- exclusiveadjectivesole
- factornounelement
- familiaradjectiveintimate
- foundationnouncreation
- fundamentaladjectiveprofound
- ghostnountouch
- grabnouncatch
- graspnoungrip
- griefnounsorrow
- habitnounwont
- hearingnounaudience
- heednounregard
- ideanounthought
- illusionnounfancy
- imagenounprototype
- interestnounsake
- interpretverbsee
- intuitionnounsuspicion
- knowingadjectivedeliberate
- lineverbdraw
- meaningadjectivepregnant
- mistakenounfault
- movementnounmotion
- noisenounracket
- noticenounobservation
- obsessedadjectivehaunted
- planningnounpreparation
- plotnoungame
- popularadjectivedemocratic
- principlenounrule
- probenouninvestigation
- promisingadjectivebright
- questnounpursuit
- ragenouncult
- rankverbplace
- rateverbvalue
- readingnounindication
- realmnounregion
- recallverbwithdraw
- recognitionnounidentification
- rememberingnounmemory
- researchnouninquiry
- respectnounregard
- reviewnouninspection
- ruleverbharness
- sciencenounskill
- sectornounsphere
- setverbmark
- settlementnounresolution
- sharpadjectivekeen
- significancenounmeaning
- smartadjectivebright
- solveverbwork
- staticadjectivestable
- systemnounarrangement
- tastenounappreciation
- teasingadjectiveannoying
- technicaladjectiveexpert
- understandingnounsympathy
- versionnounedition
RidgelineTier 3 · solid vocabulary · 94 words
The middle of the bank, where the near misses start to bite.
- acquisitionnounlearning
- approximateadjectiverough
- armorynouninventory
- artnounprowess
- auditverbinspect
- barriernounroadblock
- basicsnounbedrock
- blurnounfuzz
- brilliantadjectivemagnificent
- cerebraladjectiveintellectual
- classifyverbsort
- clearverbenlighten
- cleveradjectiveapt
- commandverbcontrol
- complexnouncomposite
- comprehendverbdig
- configurationnounconstellation
- confusionnoundisarray
- conjecturenounspeculation
- credencenounacceptance
- culturaladjectiveethnic
- deliberationnouncalculation
- detectionnounsensing
- discretionnounprudence
- disorientedadjectivelost
- disregardverbignore
- distinguishverbtell
- dottyadjectivecrazy
- doubtfuladjectivedubious
- embodimentnounshape
- enigmaticadjectivepuzzling
- exceptionnounexclusion
- expectancynounanticipation
- focusverbconcentrate
- foolishnessnounmadness
- forefrontnounhead
- foundationnouncreation
- frameverbborder
- fundamentaladjectiveprofound
- geniusnounwonder
- gistnounheart
- hallucinationnoundelusion
- holdverbagree
- ignorantadjectiveilliterate
- illusionnounfancy
- imaginativeadjectiveinventive
- ineptadjectiveawkward
- inklingnounglimmer
- interpretingnounrendering
- judgeverbtry
- keystonenounanchor
- knowingadjectivedeliberate
- languagenounspeech
- markverbnotice
- mindnounintellect
- modelnounexample
- neutraladjectiveimpersonal
- notionnounwhim
- obliviousadjectiveforgetful
- obscureadjectivedark
- obstaclenounobstruction
- overlapnounintersection
- plantverbset
- problematicadjectivedebatable
- profaneadjectivesecular
- recallverbwithdraw
- relativeadjectivecomparative
- rememberverbthink
- resourcenounimagination
- ruleverbharness
- shrewdadjectivesharp
- siftverbsieve
- significancenounmeaning
- stylenounway
- supposedadjectivehypothetical
- suspectverbdistrust
- tanglenounmaze
- tastenounappreciation
- technicaladjectiveexpert
- temporaladjectiveworldly
- tendencynoundisposition
- tenornounstrain
- tentativeadjectivedoubtful
- themenounsubject
- trapnounsnare
- trialnounrun
- uncertainadjectiveunsettled
- understandverbsee
- understandingnounsympathy
- valuationnounevaluation
- versatileadjectivevarious
- viewpointnounstand
- volitionnounwill
- witsnounmarbles
High CampTier 4 · testing · 49 words
Words that turn up in serious reading rather than in conversation.
- absentadjectiveabstracted
- affirmativeadjectiveoptimistic
- albatrossnounmillstone
- artsnounhumanities
- assaynouncheck
- awareadjectivecognizant
- awarenessnounsentience
- bemusedadjectivelost
- compareverbequate
- considerationnouncondition
- darkadjectivebenighted
- detectionnounsensing
- discreetadjectivecircumspect
- distinctionnoundifferentiation
- divisionaladjectivefractional
- drawverbmake
- druthersnounpreference
- existentialadjectiveexperiential
- facetnounaspect
- familiaradjectiveintimate
- heedlessadjectivereckless
- ignorantadjectiveilliterate
- ilknounlike
- imagenounprototype
- ineptadjectiveawkward
- inexperiencenounrawness
- insensibleadjectivesenseless
- learnedadjectiveerudite
- meatyadjectivesubstantive
- memorynounstore
- misinterpretverbmisunderstand
- pestilencenouncanker
- platverbplot
- positiveadjectiveoverconfident
- prerequisitenounrequirement
- proclivitynounleaning
- proficiencynountechnique
- realitynounworld
- recognitionnounidentification
- reviewnouninspection
- scoreverbmark
- senseverbsmell
- staticadjectivestable
- thornnounirritant
- tightnessnounconstriction
- trustnounfaith
- unimaginativeadjectivestereotypical
- unwittingadjectiveignorant
- vigilancenounalertness
SummitTier 5 · rare and formal · 14 words
The rare register: literary, legal and technical English.
- breadthnounlargeness
- cautionnouncare
- enigmaticadjectivepuzzling
- fantasynounphantasy
- headnounmind
- heedlessadjectivereckless
- impartialadjectiveunprejudiced
- kennouncognizance
- knightlyadjectivechivalric
- musicnouneuphony
- obliviousadjectiveforgetful
- obscureadjectivedark
- obtuseadjectivepurblind
- seminaladjectivegerminal
Thinking and knowing is one shelf of many
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