Confused Words 13

By georgelthomas on 1 Jun 2021 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well! Today I’m sharing another round of commonly confused words so, without further ado, here’s another batch.

Metaphor, Simile
Metaphor: this is the word you’d use when you want to compare one thing to another for rhetorical effect. The comparison is not meant to be taken literally, for example, the phrase, “life is a roller coaster” does not mean to imply that we are all living on literal roller coasters, but rather it’s a ‘metaphor‘ which refers to the emotional ups and downs one endures throughout life.
Simile: you’d use this word as a method of direct comparison, or as a way of connecting two things using the words ‘like’ and ‘as’. For example: ‘His hair was as golden as the sun‘, and ‘they fought like cat and dog are ‘similes‘.

Crevice, Crevasse
Crevice: is used to describe a small and narrow gap or fissure in something, especially in a rock or a wall. For instance, water can seep into the ‘crevices‘ in a rock, causing it to crack open.
Crevasse: is a word used to describe a large, deep open crack in something such as ice or rock. For example, be careful whilst climbing so that you don’t fall into a ‘crevasse‘.

Forbidding, Forbidden, Foreboding
Forbidding: is used to describe something that may appear unfriendly, aggressive or threatening. For example, the grim forest was dark and ‘forbidding‘.
Forbidden: this is the word you would use when referring to something that is not allowed or banned. For instance, he was ‘forbidden‘ to leave the house after midnight.
Foreboding: is used when referring to a feeling of doom or that something terrible is about to happen. For example, the darkness of the night filled her with a deep sense of ‘foreboding‘.

Magma, Lava
Magma: is used to refer to molten or semi-molten rock that is located beneath the surface of the earth. For instance, the volcano sat atop an enormous ‘magma‘ chamber.
Lava: is the word used in reference to molten rock that has broken through the surface of the earth. For example, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD resulted in the town of Pompeii being buried in layers of ‘lava‘ and ash.

Fog, Mist
Fog: is used to describe clouds that are heavy and low enough to reach ground level. For example, he couldn’t see at all through the thick ‘fog‘.
Mist: is used to describe a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere near ground level. For instance, ‘mist‘ inhibits visibility but not as much as fog.

Pathogen, Antigen, Antibody
Pathogen: this is the word you’d use when referencing microorganisms that can cause disease. For example, the human immune system is fairly good at ridding the body of ‘pathogens‘.
Antigen: is used in reference to a toxin or other substance which induces an immune response in the body. For example, after some testing, it was discovered that an ‘antigen‘ was causing his sickness.
Antibody: this word is used to describe a ‘Y’ shaped protein produced in the blood and used by the immune system to fight off harmful bacteria and viruses. For instance, ‘antibodies‘ found in breast milk help to protect newborn babies against infections.

As always, thanks for spending your valuable time with me today!

Until next time,

George