Theme
Social life: synonyms worth the distinction
These verbs describe what people do in company: attending, admitting, applying, assembling. Most of them have a second life in bureaucratic English, and the sentence is what tells you which life is meant.
Start hereOne per tier, easiest first
actverbmoveperform an action, or work out or perform (an action)FoothillsHas a reason linealoofadjectiveremotedistant and uninvolved; not friendly or forthcoming in a social setting.TreelineHas a reason linealienateverbestrangeto cause someone to become unfriendly or distant, especially through one's own actionsRidgelineHas a reason line
The whole shelfGrouped by difficulty tier
FoothillsTier 1 · everyday words · 44 words
Words you already use, paired with a synonym you probably also know.
- actverbmove
- admitverbtake
- amicablyadverbpeacefully
- applyverbpractice
- attendverbsee
- banternounteasing
- bondverbtie
- camaraderienounfriendship
- civiladjectivepolite
- cliquenoungang
- cohortnouncircle
- commandverbcontrol
- commitverbpractice
- communitynounpublic
- continueverbkeep
- cookverbfake
- courteouslyadverbrespectfully
- failverbbomb
- garrulousadjectivechatty
- gatherverbcollect
- gatheringnounmeetup
- hostverbhold
- impoliteadjectivedisrespectful
- inviteverbask
- issueverbsupply
- judgeverbtry
- killverbdefeat
- preventverbkeep
- publiclyadverbopenly
- pushverbdrive
- representverbdefend
- schmoozeverbnetwork
- screenverbsort
- secondverbback
- serveverbattend
- shunverbavoid
- solidaritynoununity
- splitverbpart
- succeedverbfollow
- testnountrial
- trainverbschool
- treatverbhandle
- troubleverbbother
- welcomingadjectivefriendly
TreelineTier 2 · one step up · 43 words
Familiar words, with a synonym that sits slightly outside daily speech.
- admitverbtake
- aloofadjectiveremote
- assembleverbgather
- bondverbtie
- clannishadjectivecliquish
- condescendingadjectivepatronizing
- congenialadjectiveamiable
- continueverbkeep
- convivialadjectivejovial
- dareverbpresume
- dischargeverbcomplete
- divideverbsplit
- fraternizeverbassociate
- genialadjectiveamiable
- hackverbcut
- haltnounfreeze
- heednounregard
- hospitableadjectiveaccommodating
- masternounmaestro
- mingleverbcirculate
- mixernounsocial
- neighborlyadjectiveobliging
- observeverbkeep
- occupyverbtake
- offendverbbreak
- ostracizeverbexclude
- outgoingadjectiveextroverted
- permitverblet
- politelyadverbcourteously
- possenounentourage
- protegenoununderstudy
- rapportnountrust
- regaleverbdivert
- reserveverbhold
- reservedadjectivereticent
- scrubverbscratch
- sociablyadverbamiably
- splitverbpart
- swayverbcarry
- troubleverbbother
- unitedadjectivecooperative
- urbaneadjectivesuave
- wedverbmarry
RidgelineTier 3 · solid vocabulary · 37 words
The middle of the bank, where the near misses start to bite.
- alienateverbestrange
- applyverbpractice
- avoidverbavert
- backfireverbbacklash
- commandverbcontrol
- compelverboblige
- complyverbfollow
- corruptverbprofane
- counteractverbneutralize
- dischargeverbcomplete
- dissentverbresist
- egalitarianadjectiveequitable
- expediteverbhasten
- foilverbcross
- imposeverbenforce
- issueverbsupply
- judgeverbtry
- killverbdefeat
- masternounmaestro
- meddleverbtamper
- pamperverbbaby
- pariahnounleper
- plasticadjectiveshaping
- rallyverbmuster
- recreateverbplay
- redeemingadjectivesaving
- regulateverborder
- reinverbharness
- relinquishverbrelease
- restoreverbreconstruct
- secondverbback
- sycophantnountoady
- taciturnadjectivereticent
- tackleverbundertake
- trespassverbintrude
- unctuousadjectivesmarmy
- violateverboutrage
High CampTier 4 · testing · 11 words
Words that turn up in serious reading rather than in conversation.
SummitTier 5 · rare and formal · 5 words
The rare register: literary, legal and technical English.
Social life is one shelf of many
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