respect 

Add to list  Share

/riˈspɛkt/
/rəˈspɛkt/

Other forms: respects; respecting; respected

Respect is a way of treating or thinking about something or someone. If

you respect your teacher, you admire her and treat her well.

People respect others who are impressive for any reason, such as being in authority — like a
teacher or cop — or being older — like a grandparent. You show respect by being polite and
kind. For a lot of people, taking your hat off is a show of respect. When people are insulted
or treated badly, they feel they haven't been treated with respect. You can respect things as
well as people. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance shows respect to your country.

Definitions of respect

definitely Add to list  Share

/ˈdɛf(ə)nətli/
/ˈdɛfɪnɛtli/

Use definitely to describe something you don’t have any doubt about. If

you are certain you're going to see your friend's band play, you can
assure him that you'll definitely be there.

The adverb definitely is used to emphasize the certainty of whatever word it modifies. If you
are sure you want apple pie, you could say you definitely want it. The base word definite can
also mean "a certain limit," like the definite size a shelf must have to be. You wouldn't say
"the carpenter definitely cuts the wood," to describe the exactness of the work;
use precisely instead. AND, yes, definitely definitely has an e before the ly!

Simile
Other forms: similes
Use the noun simile when describing a comparison between two
fundamentally different things, such as: "His voice was smooth, like
butter in a warm pan."

A simile (pronounced SIM-uh-lee) is a comparison that usually uses the words "like" or "as":
"Me without a mic is like a beat without a snare," rapped Lauryn Hill in the song "How Many
Mics." The word comes from similus, a Latin word meaning "the same." A simile is different
from a metaphor, in which the comparison is less explicit, as in Shakespeare's line "All the
world's a stage."

Empathy
Use empathy if you're looking for a noun meaning "the ability to identify
with another's feelings."

When Bill Clinton famously told people "I feel your pain" during his 1992 election campaign,
some praised and others ridiculed him for displaying empathy, the sharing or understanding
of feelings. Empathy is different from sympathy, which is pity or sorrow for others'
misfortunes. They share a common root in -pathy, from the Greek pathos, "feeling." Where
they differ is in their prefixes: sym- means "with," while em- means "in." If you can empathize
with someone, it's because you have been in their place: you've "walked a mile in their
shoes," as the saying goes.

Rhetoric

Other forms: rhetorics

Rhetoric is speaking or writing that's intended to persuade. If your goal

is to write editorial columns for the New York Times, you should work on
your rhetoric.

Rhetoric comes from the Greek meaning "speaker" and is used for the art of persuasive
speaking or writing. When people listened eagerly to long speeches and studied them in
school, rhetoric was generally used positively; now it is often a negative term, implying
artfulness over real content. If someone gives a clever speech but doesn't really address the
problem, you might say, "That's just a lot of rhetoric."

Disposition
Other forms: dispositions

Someone's disposition is their mood or general attitude about life. If

your friend woke up on the wrong side of the bed, tell her that she
might need a disposition makeover.

Disposition means the positive or negative way a person views the world. In contrast, your
character is determined by your inner moral values, and your personality reflects what
you're like as an individual. An animal with an excellent disposition is friendly towards
people. If you are cheerful, you're often said to have a sunny disposition. Disposition can also
mean "getting rid of something," so cleaning your room might involve the disposition of
empty pizza boxes and soda cans.

Benevolent

Choose the adjective benevolent for someone who does good deeds or

shows goodwill. If your teacher collects homework with
a benevolent smile, she's hoping that you've done a good job.

Benevolent comes from the Latin bene, "well," and volent, from a verb meaning "to wish." A
benevolent society is a charity group organized to serve a community through programs,
sponsorships, and donations. The expression "benevolent dictatorship" may seem like an
oxymoron, but it is a political term for an authoritative government that (supposedly) works
for the good of the people under its rule.

Panolpy
A panoply is a collection or an assortment of things. You might be eager
to show off your panoply of bobble-head dolls when friends come to
your house.

An array or display of things is a panoply, so you can show off your panoply of spooky clown
paintings, but you can also display a panoply of dance moves or talk about the panoply of
flags at the parade — as long as it's a complete or impressive display, it's a true panoply. In
ancient Greece, the word was used exclusively to talk about military costumes which were
always suits of armor.

Disposition
Other forms: dispositions

Someone's disposition is their mood or general attitude about life. If

your friend woke up on the wrong side of the bed, tell her that she
might need a disposition makeover.

Disposition means the positive or negative way a person views the world. In contrast, your
character is determined by your inner moral values, and your personality reflects what
you're like as an individual. An animal with an excellent disposition is friendly towards
people. If you are cheerful, you're often said to have a sunny disposition. Disposition can also
mean "getting rid of something," so cleaning your room might involve the disposition of
empty pizza boxes and soda cans.

Rhetoric

Other forms: rhetorics

Rhetoric is speaking or writing that's intended to persuade. If your goal

is to write editorial columns for the New York Times, you should work on
your rhetoric.

Rhetoric comes from the Greek meaning "speaker" and is used for the art of persuasive
speaking or writing. When people listened eagerly to long speeches and studied them in
school, rhetoric was generally used positively; now it is often a negative term, implying
artfulness over real content. If someone gives a clever speech but doesn't really address the
problem, you might say, "That's just a lot of rhetoric."
Benevolent

Choose the adjective benevolent for someone who does good deeds or

shows goodwill. If your teacher collects homework with
a benevolent smile, she's hoping that you've done a good job.

Benevolent comes from the Latin bene, "well," and volent, from a verb meaning "to wish." A
benevolent society is a charity group organized to serve a community through programs,
sponsorships, and donations. The expression "benevolent dictatorship" may seem like an
oxymoron, but it is a political term for an authoritative government that (supposedly) works
for the good of the people under its rule.