Commonly confused words

stationary vs. stationery

  stationary  adjective (not moving; static) The escalator is stationary; we need to walk up it. A van crashed into a stationary car. The traffic remained stationary for half an hour. The population stayed nearly stationary for years.   stationery  noun (materials used for writing) My father bought me a …

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complacent vs. complaisant

  complacent  disapproving (too pleased or satisfied with a situation so that you no longer try to improve) I am not complacent and know that there is always room for improvement. You should not get complacent about your achievements.   complaisant  formal (willing to please others; agreeable) Mike has a pretty and complaisant wife. …

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grizzly vs. grisly

  grizzly (large brown bear) A grizzly is not a social creature. Grizzly bears live in North America and parts of Russia.   grisly (causing great fear or disgust) It was a grisly story. The police were investigating a grisly murder.   envocabulary.com

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censure vs. censor

  censure  formal (to criticize strongly and publicly) We cannot censure him until we know all the facts. The manager censured him for not reporting the problem.   censor (to remove parts of a book, movie, etc. that are considered offensive, politically dangerous, or morally harmful) The Ministry of Defense censors the …

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insidious vs. invidious

  insidious  formal (something dangerous or deadly that seems to be harmless) They are attempting to put insidious ideas in our minds. You don’t recognize this insidious disease until it’s too late.   invidious  formal (unpleasant and likely to offend other people or make them jealous) The director never makes …

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