Ripples in a Pond

counterproductive

Adjective

/kaʊn.tɜr.pɜr.dək.tɪv/ or /kaoon.tēr.pēr.dēk.tiv/

c

k

o

a

u

ʊ

n

n

t

t

e

ɜ

r

r

p

p

r

r

o

ə

d

d

u

ə

c

k

t

t

i

ɪ

v

v

e

Select Your Language

producing results that are contrary to what was intended

immaterial

Adjective

/ɪm.mə.tɪ.riəl/ or /im.mē.ti.riēl/

i

ɪ

mm

m

a

ə

t

t

e

ɪ

r

r

ia

iə

l

l

Select Your Language

Disapproving

Formal

not relevant or significant to the current situation, discussion, etc.

inchoate

Adjective

/ɪn.koʊət/ or /in.koooēt/

i

ɪ

n

n

ch

k

oa

oʊə

t

t

e

Select Your Language

recently started to develop, thus not complete

plastic

Adjective

/plæs.tɪk/ or /plās.tik/

p

p

l

l

a

æ

s

s

t

t

i

ɪ

c

k

Select Your Language

capable of easily being molded or shaped into taking another form

portentous

Adjective

/pɔr.tɛn.təs/ or /pawr.ten.tēs/

p

p

o

ɔ

r

r

t

t

e

ɛ

n

n

t

t

ou

ə

s

s

Select Your Language

extraordinary and serving as a warning or sign of future events, often suggesting something bad or threatening

retrospective

Adjective

/rɛt.rəs.pɛk.tɪv/ or /ret.rēs.pek.tiv/

r

r

e

ɛ

t

t

r

r

o

ə

s

s

p

p

e

ɛ

c

k

t

t

i

ɪ

v

v

e

Select Your Language

referring or relating to a past event

to aggrandize

Verb

/əg.ræn.daɪz/ or /ēg.rān.daiz/

a

ə

gg

g

r

r

a

æ

n

n

d

d

i

aɪ

z

z

e

Select Your Language

Formal

to make a person or thing seem more important or impressive than they actually are

to attenuate

Verb

/ə.tɛ.njueɪt/ or /ē.te.nyooeit/

a

ə

tt

t

e

ɛ

n

n

u

ju

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

Formal

to take away from something's effect, value, size, power, or amount

to constrict

Verb

/kəns.trɪkt/ or /kēns.trikt/

c

k

o

ə

n

n

s

s

t

t

r

r

i

ɪ

c

k

t

t

Select Your Language

to restrict the things someone can or wants to do

to deflect

Verb

/dɪf.lɛkt/ or /dif.lekt/

d

d

e

ɪ

f

f

l

l

e

ɛ

c

k

t

t

Select Your Language

to stop a person from doing what they initially intended

to elevate

Verb

/ɛ.lə.veɪt/ or /e.lē.veit/

e

ɛ

l

l

e

ə

v

v

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to raise someone or something to a higher rank or better position

to foment

Verb

/foʊ.mɛnt/ or /fooo.ment/

f

f

o

oʊ

m

m

e

ɛ

n

n

t

t

Select Your Language

to encourage or provoke something, especially trouble or conflict

to lull

Verb

/ləl/ or /lēl/

l

l

u

ə

ll

l

Select Your Language

to help someone feel relaxed and calm or to help them fall asleep

to wax

Verb

/wæks/ or /vāks/

w

w

a

æ

x

ks

Select Your Language

to grow in strength, size, intensity, etc.

to misattribute

Verb

/mɪs.æt.rə.bjut/ or /mis.āt.rē.byoot/

m

m

i

ɪ

s

s

a

æ

tt

t

r

r

i

ɪ

b

b

u

ju:

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to incorrectly state what or who created or caused something

to obtain

Verb

/əb.teɪn/ or /ēb.tein/

o

ə

b

b

t

t

ai

eɪ

n

n

Select Your Language

Formal

to be widely common, applied, or recognized

to oscillate

Verb

/ɑs.ə.leɪt/ or /aas.ē.leit/

o

ɑ

s

s

c

i

ə

ll

l

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to move back and forth in a regular rhythm between two or more states, positions, or opinions

to overshadow

Verb

/ˈoʊvɝˈʃædoʊ/

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to cause a person or thing to come across as less significant

to proliferate

Verb

/proʊ.lɪ.fɜ.reɪt/ or /prooo.li.fē.reit/

p

p

r

r

o

oʊ

l

l

i

ɪ

f

f

e

ɜ

r

r

a

eɪ

t

t

e

Select Your Language

to cause something to increase rapidly in number or size

to squelch

Verb

/skwɛlʧ/ or /skvelch/

s

s

q

k

u

w

e

ɛ

l

l

ch

ʧ

Select Your Language

to forcefully bring the development or growth of something that is troubling to an end

to supersede

Verb

/su.pɜr.sid/ or /soo.pēr.sid/

s

s

u

u

p

p

e

ɜ

r

r

s

s

e

i

d

d

e

Select Your Language

to take something or someone's position or place, particularly due to being more effective or up-to-date

deterrent

noun

/dɪ.tɜ.rənt/ or /di.tē.rēnt/

d

d

e

ɪ

t

t

e

ɜ

rr

r

e

ə

n

n

t

t

Select Your Language

a thing that reduces the chances of someone doing something because it makes them aware of its difficulties or consequences

nadir

noun

/neɪ.dɜr/ or /nei.dēr/

n

n

a

eɪ

d

d

i

ɜ

r

r

Select Your Language

the moment in which a situation or life is at its lowest or worst

precursor

noun

/pɹiˈkɝsɝ/

Select Your Language

someone or something that comes before another of the same type, acting as a sign of what will come next

to converge

Verb

/kən.vɜrʤ/ or /kēn.vērj/

c

k

o

ə

n

n

v

v

e

ɜ

r

r

g

ʤ

e

Select Your Language

(of roads, paths, lines, etc.) to lead toward a point that connects them

status quo

noun

/stˈæɾəs kwˈoʊ/

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the situation or condition that is currently at hand

to assuage

Verb

/əs.weɪʤ/ or /ēs.veij/

a

ə

ss

s

u

w

a

eɪ

g

ʤ

e

Select Your Language

Formal

to help reduce the severity of an unpleasant feeling

zenith

noun

/zi.nəθ/ or /zi.nēth/

z

z

e

i

n

n

i

ə

th

θ

Select Your Language

the highest point that a certain celestial body reaches, directly above an observer