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word

word

∞ 1.0
A single spoken or written unit that has meaning
  • noun
  • /wɜrd/
: palabra
  • The teacher asked us to find a word that describes our feelings.
  • word meaning
  • vocabulary words
  • spelling words

In other words, booze is the British word then.

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Examples

  • I will write one word in this book each day.

  • I like the way words make me feel.

  • Does Donald Trump know what the word surprise means?

  • This one has the word fancy on it.

  • But he doesn't believe a word I say.

  • I gave you my word, Curley.

  • It's a word in an African dialect meaning "thief."

  • Then summarize what they have said in their own words, including their worries and fears.

    Academic text (2015)
  • With Martin Luther's famous and exemplary words: "Here I stand, I can do no other."

    Academic text (2017)
  • I will write one word in this book each day.

Antonyms

373 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

5 3.3

Not having any clear meaning

Idioms

63 4.4

A final decision by someone with the power to decide

39 7.8

Rumors people tell each other about events or people

33 3.5

Using exactly the same words as the original

13 6.3

To tell someone a secret that should be kept

To listen very carefully to every word someone says

Completely true in every possible way or meaning

8 8.1

Find a chance to say something when others keep talking

To say any words, often used with not to mean say nothing

mum's the word
  • Informal
7 8.2

Keep quiet about a secret

People tell others instead of writing

word is law
  • Informal
4 8.5

People must do what someone says without question

from the word go
  • Informal
3 5.3

From the very beginning of something

Not believe anything someone says

2 6.3

A private talk to give advice or a warning

his word is law
  • Informal
1 7.6

People must do what one person says without question

Act in the same way you say you will

A signal to start an action or project

To think carefully about what you have done and decide to act differently

8.4

What the mother decides must be followed without question

To talk to yourself to think about and criticize your actions

Compounds

last word
  • Informal
121 4.8

A final remark in a discussion to end the argument

Word of God
  • Formal
61 6.5

Sacred writings and teachings believed to come from God that give guidance for living

51 2.5

Short praise said about someone to help them be chosen for something

46 3.5

An important word used to find a text in a search

45 2.6

Information people share by talking to each other

the n-word
  • Slur
42 9.9

A word people use instead of a very offensive slur for Black people

A short helpful suggestion that warns about a possible problem

dirty word
  • NSFW
26 7.1

A word people think is rude or not polite

four-letter word
  • Offensive
24 7.7

A rude or offensive word with four letters used to show anger

the f-word
  • Offensive
20 9.9

A polite way to talk about the very rude word 'fuck' without saying it

18 3.2

Words shown with letters on a page or screen instead of spoken

curse word
  • Offensive
11 5.8

A rude word people say to show strong anger or surprise

word processor
  • Specialized
10 3.0

A program on a computer for writing, editing and printing text documents

word of honor
  • Formal
10 4.0

A serious promise to tell the truth or keep a secret

10 3.4

Information spoken by people and passed from person to person

9 3.5

Positive news or information about something

9 3.0

A game where players make or find words by following rules, like crosswords

the c-word
  • Offensive
9 9.9

An indirect way to say a very offensive word for a woman's private parts

word processing
  • Specialized
8 3.2

To use a computer program to write and change text documents

the b-word
  • Offensive
4 9.9

A polite phrase people use instead of a rude word for a woman

4 2.6

Something you say aloud rather than write or think

root word
  • Specialized
4 4.2

The basic form of a word after removing beginnings and endings

word play
  • Informal
4 4.1

A clever or funny use of words to make jokes

the r-word
  • Slur
3 9.9

A rude word used to insult people with an intellectual disability, replaced by the letter R

3 4.6

A final decision or ruling that ends a matter

3 3.5

The idea a word gives about someone, something, or an action

weasel word
  • Literature
3 8.3

Words or phrases that avoid saying something clearly and often make people believe something untrue

word salad
  • Specialized
3 9.9

Confusing speech or writing that makes no sense

3 5.6

A short private talk to give advice or discuss a sensitive matter

the p-word
  • NSFW
2 9.9

A polite way to avoid saying a rude word that starts with p

word picture
  • Literature
2 4.2

A clear description that makes you imagine a scene

slang word
  • Slang
2 9.9

An informal word or phrase used by a group of people

word order
  • Specialized
2 1.6

The way words are put in a sentence to show who does what

naughty word
  • Offensive
2 6.1

A rude word that is not for children

the a-word
  • NSFW
2 9.9

A polite phrase for a rude word that starts with A, for example ass

key word
  • Specialized
2 6.2

A word that unlocks a secret message

the d-word
  • Informal
2 9.9

A polite way to say divorce without mentioning it directly

A word made from two words that often has a new meaning, like toothpaste or watchdog

the h-word
  • Informal
1 9.9

A polite way to mention the word hate without saying it

v-word
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A word people avoid saying because it is rude or about violence

A word with the same or very similar meaning as another word

the t-word
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A polite way to talk about a word or topic that makes people upset

1 3.4

A repeated word in writing that appears by accident

the w-word
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A polite way to refer to a taboo or offensive word without saying it

the l-word
  • Informal
1 9.6

A polite way to mention the word love when someone feels awkward saying it

the j-word
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A polite way to talk about a sensitive word that starts with J

word hole
  • Informal
1 9.9

A confusing, unfocused discussion that goes nowhere

1 6.3

Able to say the exact words from memory without mistakes

1 6.4

A square puzzle where the same words read across and down

ten-dollar word
  • Informal
1 9.3

A long fancy word people use when simple words are enough

word sense
  • Specialized
1 5.5

One meaning of a word in a certain context

A short spoken or written message saying goodbye and good wishes

portmanteau word
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A new word that joins parts of two words

A word that has the reverse meaning of another word

word on the wire
  • Informal
1 8.0

News people share that is not official, often as a rumor

function word
  • Specialized
1 1.0

A word that shows the grammar of a sentence, like and or the

A word that has more than three syllables

word structure
  • Specialized
1 4.5

The way sounds or parts join to make a word

smear word
  • Offensive
1 7.9

A word used to hurt someone's reputation unfairly

A word that has only one syllable

word form
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A written or spoken version of a word showing its grammar and sound

word string
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A group of words treated as one piece

word stress
  • Specialized
1 3.9

Emphasis on one syllable when you say a word with more than one syllable

1 3.9

A group of words with the same role in a sentence, like noun or verb

nonce word
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A made-up word used only once for a particular occasion

content word
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A word that gives the main meaning in a sentence, like a noun or verb

word blindness
  • Specialized
1 9.8

Cannot read written words because of damage to the brain

word-painting
  • Literature
1 7.4

A description in words that makes you imagine something clearly

1 3.6

A computer program that helps you write, edit, and print documents

cognate word
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A word in another language that comes from the same older word

ghost word
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A word that enters a language because of a mistake, like a misprint, and has no real use

word division
  • Specialized
1 4.3

Separating a word into parts when it breaks at the end of a line in writing

word-splitting
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Dividing text into words for computer processing, especially for languages without spaces

How Large

text
558 1.0
sentence
542 1.0
phrase
  • Specialized
657 2.6
language unit
  • Specialized
1 6.5
word
∞ 1.0
morpheme
  • Specialized
1 7.7
phoneme
  • Specialized
3 7.2

Surface Forms

word singular
words plural

Etymology

Word comes from an old Germanic root that meant a 'thing said', and you can still see the same idea in German Wort. So a word is literally a single 'thing said', which is why it names one piece of speech or writing.