Demur can be a verb or a noun, while demure is an adjective; and becomes the adverb, demurely, also.Demure means “shy, modest, polite, or unassuming” and can describe a person, or their manner: The demure young lady lowered her eyes and approached the microphone hesitantly. Demure has often been used to describe the mannerisms expected […]

These two words have quite unrelated meanings.Defuse, as a verb, means “cause something dangerous to become not dangerous”; originally, it referred specifically to bombs, which have fuses—the strings that catch on fire to light a primitive bomb (at least in cartoons). However, nowadays, defuse can be used for anything dangerous: We hope that a good […]

These two adjectives have related but different meanings. Both concern “nailing things down”—to use an English metaphor. As you may know, finite means “limited” and both words are about limiting definitions.Definite means “certain, unambiguous, clear, specific, decisive”: You should make a definite plan, or you may waste time.I need a definite answer, yes or no, […]

These two verbs are unrelated. Their meanings are related to the meanings of cry and scry, the latter of which means to see.To decry means “to speak badly of, to declare that someone or something is wrong.” It is important that we loudly decry all who promote hatred in our society. To descry, in contrast, […]

Deadly means “likely to kill somebody” and can be used to describe almost anything: The training she received in spy-school made her a deadly secret agent. The venom of baby snakes is deadlier than that of adult snakes. With millions of deadly weapons stocked up, maybe we could spend more on education? Deathly, on the other hands, […]