Advanced English (2) • VERBS • 'D'

verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: expose, disprove, invalidate • debunk a myth/claim/theory/rumor; debunk with facts/evidence; debunk someone's argument • freq in AmE: 6/10

to show that an idea, belief, claim, or myth is false, exaggerated, or misleading, often through evidence, logic, or investigation

collocation with deem verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: judge, consider, declare • deem safe/appropriate/unfit; officially/widely/initially deemed safe • freq in AmE: 5/10

to officially or subjectively judge something as not dangerous or harmful; often used in legal, medical, regulatory, or ethical contexts to signal approval or clearance

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: condemn, disapprove, belittle • deprecate violence/arrogance/pride • freq in AmE: 5/10

to express strong disapproval of something or to belittle its value or importance; in technical contexts, to mark something as obsolete or discouraged in use

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: disgrace, dishonor, undermine, disprove, damage, invalidate • discredit someone/something; be discredited by/for; attempt to discredit; completely/thoroughly discredit • freq in AmE: 8/10

to cause people to stop respecting or trusting someone or something; to damage someone’s reputation or make an idea seem less believable

collocation with diagnose verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: identify, detect, confirm • diagnose someone with something; diagnose patient with disease/disorder/condition • diagnose someone with cancer/ADHD/depression/COVID • freq in AmE: 7/10

to identify a specific illness, condition, or disorder in a person after medical examination or testing

collocation with diagnose verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: interpret, identify, classify • diagnose something as something; diagnose symptoms/problem/issue as disease/disorder/malfunction • freq in AmE: 6/10

to identify or interpret a condition, problem, or issue as having a specific nature or cause, especially in medical or technical contexts

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: deter, discourage, talk out of • dissuade someone from leaving/acting/speaking; try/fail/successfully dissuade someone from • freq in AmE: 6/10

to persuade someone not to do something, especially by presenting reasons, warnings, or emotional appeals; implies active discouragement and often concern or opposition

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: throw away, get rid of, abandon, eliminate, reject, dispose of • discard something; discard old ideas/habits/papers; be discarded as useless/irrelevant • freq in AmE: 8/10

to get rid of something that you no longer want, need, or consider useful; to throw something away or stop using it

collocation with discard verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: unwanted garments, cast-off clothing • collect/dispose of discarded clothes; piles of discarded clothes; donate discarded clothes to shelter • freq in AmE: 4/10

clothes that have been thrown away, abandoned or no longer wanted; often used in contexts of waste, donation, recycling or environmental critique

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: mock, ridicule, scorn • deride someone/something as something (naive/absurd); be derided for (doing something); deride efforts/ideas/proposals/public figures • freq in AmE: 5/10

to mock or ridicule someone or something in a scornful or dismissive way; often implies contempt, superiority, or public shaming

collocation with deride verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: dismiss as, mock as, label as • deride someone/something as naive/absurd/unrealistic; deride proposals/films/ideas as nonsense/fantasy • freq in AmE: 5/10

to mock or dismiss someone or something by labeling them in a scornful or reductive way; often used in media, politics, and intellectual debate to undermine credibility or value

collocation with disprove verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: refute the idea, challenge the assumption, debunk the belief • disprove the notion that...; attempt to disprove a notion; findings that disprove notions • freq in AmE: 6/10

to demonstrate that a particular idea, belief, or assumption is false or unfounded, often through evidence, reasoning, or counterexamples

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: confute (formal)

to prove that something is not true

verb [T ] C1 -rr- | synonym: dissuade | deter someone from doing something

to prevent someone from doing something or to make someone less enthusiastic about doing something by making it difficult for that person to do it or by threatening bad results if they do it

deter verb [T ] C1 -rr- • synonyms: discourage, prevent, inhibit • deter someone from doing something • deter the actions of offenders, aggressors, rule-breakers • freq in AmE: 5/10

to discourage or prevent specific behaviors or decisions — often through fear, consequences, or strategic intervention

deter verb [T ] C1 -rr- | ↪ synonyms: discourage, repel, turn away, dissuade, drive off | deter someone from doing something • deter potential buyers from investing / purchasing / committing • factors / flaws / risks that deter potential buyers

↪ to discourage or prevent people who might be interested in purchasing something from going through with the decision, often due to negative factors or perceived risks

verb [T usually passive ] C2 literary/formal • synonyms: condemn, seal, predestine • be doomed to fail/perish/collapse; doom someone/something to extinction/disaster; doom a plan from the start • freq in AmE: 6/10

to condemn someone or something to an inevitable and usually negative fate — especially destruction, failure, or death

collocation with doom verb phrase [T usually passive ] C2 literary/formal • synonyms: be fated, be condemned, be destined • be doomed to fail/perish/collapse/disappear; be doomed from the start; be doomed to repeat history • freq in AmE: 6/10

to be destined or condemned to experience a negative outcome — especially failure, destruction, or disappointment — often seen as inevitable or irreversible

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: belittle, disparage, malign • denigrate efforts/reputation/activists; unfairly/repeatedly/publicly denigrate • freq in AmE: 5/10

to criticize unfairly or belittle someone or something, often in a way that undermines their value, reputation, or achievements