Confused Words Exercise (548)
In each sentence, choose the correct word from the pair of similar terms. (If both words possibly can be correct, choose the more plausible one.)
Answers and Explanations
1. Her bizarre explanation left us more confused than before.
bazaar: a market selling an assortment of items. "The church bazaar raised enough money to send twenty-five underprivileged children to summer camp."
bizarre: strange or unusual. "The bizarre outburst attracted the attention of many bystanders."
2. Budget cutbacks have created a formidable obstacle to the program’s continued success.
formative: constructive, or referring to a time of development or growth. "Proper nutrition is especially important during a child’s formative years."
formidable: difficult, impressive, or powerful. "Her skills, however formidable, will be tested during the grueling competition."
3. They studied the artifact with intense concentration.
intense: with great energy, or very serious or strong. "The intense physical effort took a toll on them."
intensive: involving great effort. "The program consists of a brief but intensive period of study followed by an internship."
4. His behavior didn’t faze her at all.
faze: disturb. "If they let a setback like this faze them, they’ll never succeed."
phase: conduct or introduce in stages. "We’ll phase in the remodeling and the larger battery at a later stage."
5. The egg sac is fully developed by this time.
sac: an animal or plant part resembling a bag. "The umbilical vesicle is a membranous sac attached to an embryo."
sack: a bag. "The beggar rummaged through his sack, hoping to find a bit of food he had overlooked before."
Related Articles
