1.adherence 和adhesion
这两个词都是“粘附的”意思。
adherence 用于比喻的意思。例如:His adherence to the strict
letter of the law.
adhesion 是指物质上的。
2. adjacent ,adjoining,和contiguous
这些词都有next to“紧挨”的意思。
adjacent “毗邻的,邻近的”,但它们可能并不相互直接接
触。
adjoining 和contiguous 指相互接触,通常之间有一个
edge 或boundary。
3.admission 和admittance
它们都有“the act of entering”的意思。
但admission 用于公共场合。
The price of admission to the gallery is £5.
admittance 不指公共场合,一般指私人的住所。
4. adopted 和adoptive
adopted“收养的,过继的”
an adopted son (daughter)养子(女);my adopted country 我所入籍的国家; adopted words 外来语。
adoptive “收养的”,我们说adoptive parents, 但很少说
adoptive child;
“采用的”,“假冒的” an adoptive courage 假充勇敢。
5.averse 和adverse
adverse“不利的,反对的”,用于事,不用于人。adverse
weather conditions; an adverse reaction.
averse “嫌恶的,反对的,不乐意的”,常和“to”一起使用,
而且用否定形式。
6.advise 和advice
advise“劝告”(动词);advice “劝告”(名词)。
7.affect 和effect
affect“影响” vt.,它的第二个意思是“假装”,Though she
affected indifference, I knew she was really very upset.
effect n. “结果”,“效力”。vt. “产生”,“导致”,它比“to cause,
to bring out” 更为正式。His aim was to effect a radical
change in the party structure.
10. allude 和elude
allude “暗指”,“暗示”,“(婉转)提到”。
elude (to avoid or escape) “闪避,躲避”。如:to elude sb.’s
grasp 逃脱,没有被逮住;to elude the law 规避法律。The
meaning eludes me.那个意义我摸不透。
11.illusion 和delusion
illusion “幻觉,错觉” be under no illusion about sth. 对某事
不存幻想。
delusion“欺骗,迷惑” He suffers from the delusion that he’s
attractive to women. 他糊里糊涂地认为自己对女人很有
吸引力。
12.amended 和emend
amended (to alter or add to something) “订正,改正”,“修
正(议案等)” 。an amended bill 修正案;amend one’s ways
改过自新。
emend (to correct errors in) “校订”。emend the text of a
book 校勘某书; He emended the typescript before sending
it to the printers. 在交付印刷之前他校正文稿。13.amicable 和amiable这两个词都是指“友好的”意思。
amicable “友好的,亲切的” 指行为或情景。The discussions
were amicable, though business like. 讨论虽然是商业形
式,但也是友好的。
amiable “可爱的,和蔼可亲的” 多用于修饰人。Many
people are afraid of him, though I found him to be perfectly
amiable. 虽然我发现他特别和蔼可亲,但还是有很多人害
怕他。
14.assent 和ascent
assent 可用作“agreement”“同意”或“agree”“同意”。
ascent n. “上升,晋升”。the ascent of mountain 登山。
15.avert 和avoid
avert “防止,避免”。
avoid “回避,逃避”。avoid bad company 避免和坏人来
往;I cannot avoid seeing him. 我不能不见他。
16.besides 和beside
besides 意思是“in addition to”“加之,还有,另外”;而
beside“在……旁边”,“在……一侧”。Duncan is the tall
man standing beside my father. 站在我爸爸旁边的高个子
男子是邓肯。
17.coherence 和cohesion
coherence “统一,一致性”;cohesion “结合力,团结”。the
cohesion of molecules 分子的结合力。
18. compare with 和compare to
compare with “和……比起来”
compare to “好比”。He compared the moon to a silver
plate. 他把月亮比成一个大银盘。
19.impel 和compel
impel “推动,驱使,激励”。impel sb. to do sth. 激励某人
做某事;
compel “强迫,胁迫,迫使”。compel sb. to one’s will 强迫
人服从自己。
20.complement 和compliment
complement “补足(物),补全”,“补足语”。
compliment “恭维话,赞辞,敬意”; Your presence is a great
compliment.承蒙光临,不胜荣幸。
21.confident 和confidant
confident “深信,确信,自信”。
confidant “心腹朋友”。She has no close confidant to whom
she can turn for advice or help. 她没有知心朋友来帮助或
是劝告她。
22.continual 和continuous
continual “连续,继续”; “频繁的”; continual bouts of
toothache 一阵接一阵的牙痛。(这中间可能有停顿或间断continuous “连续”(指从不间断的); We’ve had three weeks
of continuous rain. 我们这里连续三周下雨不停。
23.might 和could
might 表明“possibility”。
could 用来表明“permission”. Mum said we could (might)
go to the football match.
24.council 和counsel
council “议事机构”,委员会; a cabinet council 内阁会议。
counsel “商议,劝告”;follow sb.’s counsel close 牢记某人
忠告。
25.creditable 和credible
creditable “声誉好的,可称许(赞扬)的”;credible“可信的,
可靠的” He’s the only one without a credible alibi (辩解,托
辞)。他是唯一一个没有可信托辞的人。
26.decisive 和decided
decisive “果断的,断然的”; decisive measures 断然的措
施。
decided “明确的,无疑的”;a decided success 明显的成功。
27.defective 和deficient
defective (having a fault or flaw) “有缺陷的”。
deficient (lacking in what is needed) “不足的”; be deficient
in 欠缺。
28.definite 和definitive
definite (certain or clear, not vague) “明确的,一定的”。
definitive (authoritative, that cannot be improved)“限定的,
决定性的,最后的”; definitive host 宿主;definitive organs
定形器官; definitive sentence 最后判决。
29.dependant 和dependent
dependant n. (one who depends on another for support) 受
赡养者。
dependent adj. “依靠的,依赖的”; He’s still dependent on
state benefit. The rate of relief is dependent on one’s income.
30.discreet 和discrete
discreet “考虑周到的,慎重的”。
discrete“分离的,分裂的”;On closer examination, we find
that the pattern is formed from thousands of discrete dots of
colours.
31.distinctive 和distinct
distinctive “有特色的”,“独特的”;
distinct “清楚的,明显的”; a distinct smell of alcohol on
his breath; the distinctive stripes of the zebra.32.dual 和duel
dual “二重的”;dual personality 双重人格;dual control 双
重管辖;
duel “ 决斗, 竞争” ; fight a duel with sb. 与某人决
斗;challenge sb. to a duel 向某人提出决斗;a duel of wits
斗智
33.eatable 和edible
eatable a. “可食用的,可吃的”;n. [pl.] “食物、食品”。
edible a. “适合食用的,可以吃的”;n. [pl.] “食品”。
在指吃的时候二者可通用:The toast was burnt and barely
eatable/edible. 但在其他情况下不一样。If something is
eatable, it may be eaten (though it may not be safe or
desirable to do so); but, if something is edible it is safe to eat.
34.economical 和economic
economic “经济学的,经济上的” an economic survey of
Scotland 苏格兰经济调查;an economic blockade 经济封
锁;economical “节俭的,经济的”;He’s had to learn to be
more economical now that his only income is a small
pension.
35.evoke 和invoke
evoke “唤起,引起”;evoke admiration 引起羡慕。
invoke “祈求(神灵)保佑,乞灵于”,行使(法权);The shaman
invokes the spirits of their ancestors. If our case fails in the
national courts we will invoke the European Declaration on
Human Rights.
36.fatal 和fateful
fatal “causing death or disaster” “致命的”; a fatal disease 不
治之症; a fatal wound 致命伤。
fateful “crucial, significant, deciding one’s fate” “重大的”,
“决定性的,决定命运的”; On that one fateful day in October,
millions of pounds were wiped off the value of shares.
37.fictional 和fictitious
fictional “虚构的,小说的”。
fictitious “虚构的,编造的”(denotes something that is not
real and has been created with the intention of deceiving
others); He gave the police a fictitious name.
38.historical 和historic
historical “有关历史的”,“历史的”, the historical period 历
史阶段;historical personage 历史人物。
historic “历史上有名的,有历史意义的”, historic town 历
史名城。
39.impassable 和impassible
impassable “不能通行的”,“不可逾越的”;an impassableswamp 不能通行的沼泽地。
impassible “不感疼痛的;无动于衷的” ; an impassible God
无动于衷的神。
40.infer 和imply
infer “猜想,臆测”,“推断”;infer a motive from an effect 从
效果推知动机。
imply “含有…… 的意思”; Do you realize what his words
imply? 你领会他说话的含意吗? I do not imply that you
are wrong. 我的意思不是说你错了。
41.impractical 和impracticable
impractical (not sensible or efficient or not actually
possible)“不切实际的,不现实的”。
impracticable (not able to be done or used) “不能实行的,行
不通的”;With a river on one side and a steep drop on the
other, it is impracticable to widen the road.
42.incredible 和incredulous
incredible“不可相信的,难以置信的”; incredible energy
惊人的能量,精力。
incredulous“不相信的,表示怀疑的”;be incredulous of
hearsay 不相信道听途说; an incredulous look 怀疑的目
光。
43.ingenious 和ingenuous
ingenious “机灵的”; an ingenious mind 机灵的头脑; an
ingenious machine 精巧的机器。
ingenuous “直率的,坦白的”。
44.intense 和intensive
intense “激烈的,强烈的”,“紧张的” an intense light 强烈
的灯光; intense heat 酷热;an intense life 奋发图强的生
活。
intensive “加强的,集中的”; “深入细致的,彻底的”; an
intensive bombardment 密集炮击; an intensive study 彻
底的研究; an intensive reading 精读(opp. extensive
reading 泛读)。
45.junction 和juncture
junction“接合,连接”,“(河流的)汇合处”; make a junction
取得联络,连接起来junction box 接线盒。
juncture (a particular point in time or in a sequence of events)
“接合,连接”,“时机,关头”; an important juncture in a
man’s career 人生历程中的重要关头; at this juncture 在
这个时候;in the present critical juncture of things 在目前
这一危急关头下。
46.apt 和prone
它们都具有“tending to or in the habit of”的意思,但是
prone 只用于人。Elderly people are prone to falls, oftenbecause of arthritic joints or dizziness.
47.loose 和lose
loose “松的,宽的”。
lose “丢失”; lose one’s balance 失去平衡,跌倒;lose one’s
head 被搞糊涂。
48.luxuriant 和luxurious
luxuriant (growing strongly or vigorously; abundant,
prolific)“繁茂的;多产的;丰富的”;His luxuriant beard was
red.
luxurious “豪华的,奢侈的”; a luxurious table 奢侈的饭
菜。
49.magical 和magic
它们都和magic 有关系,但是magical 也有“wonderful,
entrancing”的意思。
50.masterly 和masterful
masterly (showing great skill or the skill of a master) “熟练
的;名家的”。
masterful (showing power or authority) “主人派头的,专横
的”; You’re so strong and masterful.
51.obsolete 和obsolescent
obsolete(no longer in use or already out of date) “已废弃的,
已不用的”; an obsolete vessel 废舰; an obsolete word 已
废的词。
obsolescent (going out of use or becoming out of date) “逐渐
被废弃的,快要不用的”; Do you think that faxes are
obsolescent?
52. officious 和official
officious“爱管闲事的”,“非正式的”;an officious statement
非正式声明。
official “官方的”,“公务上的”; an official gazette 官方通
报;an official letter 公函,公文;an official record 正式记
录
53.peaceable 和peaceful
peaceable (peace loving, mild, placid, not inclined to
quarrel or fight or existing in peace)“平和的”;“温和的”;“温
顺的”。
peaceful “和平的,太平的”;“宁静的”;“爱好和平的”; a
peaceful night’s sleep ; peaceful coexistence 和平共处;
peaceful uses of atomic energy 原子能的和平应用。