English Words for "Certainty and Doubt" | B2 Vocabulary

to assure

Verb

a

ə

ss

ʃ

u

ʊ

r

e

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to make someone feel confident or certain about someone or something

Example

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The company assured its customers of the product's quality

The doctor assured the patient of the effectiveness of the treatment.

Grammatical Information:

ditransitive

to bet

Verb

b

e

t

to express confidence or certainty in something happening or being the case

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to ensure

Verb

e

ɛ

n

s

ʃ

u

ʊ

r

e

to make sure that something will happen

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to forecast

Verb

f

o

ɔ

r

e

c

k

a

æ

s

t

to predict future events, based on analysis of present data and conditions

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to guarantee

Verb

g

ua

ɛ

r

a

ə

n

t

ee

i

to make sure that something will occur

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to hesitate

Verb

h

e

ɛ

s

z

i

ə

t

a

eɪ

t

e

to pause before saying or doing something because of uncertainty or nervousness

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

ought to

Verb

/ˈɔːt tuː/

used to talk about what one expects or likes to happen

Grammatical Information:

modal verb

transitive

to recall

Verb

/ˈɹiˌkɔɫ/, /ɹɪˈkɔɫ/

to bring back something from the memory

forget

Grammatical Information:

transitive

should

Verb

sh

ʃ

ou

ʊ

l

d

used to indicate a degree of expectation regarding something that is likely to happen

Grammatical Information:

modal verb

to suspect

Verb

s

u

ə

s

p

e

ɛ

c

k

t

to think that something is probably true, especially something bad, without having proof

Grammatical Information:

transitive

would

Verb

w

ou

ʊ

l

d

used to express an opinion about which one is not certain

Grammatical Information:

modal verb

transitive

bound

Adjective

b

o

a

u

ʊ

n

d

likely to happen or sure to experience something

sure

Adjective

s

ʃ

u

ʊ

r

e

expected or certain to happen

uncertain

convinced

Adjective

c

k

o

ə

n

v

i

ɪ

n

c

s

e

d

t

having a strong belief in something

expected

Adjective

e

ɪ

x

ks

p

e

ɛ

c

k

t

e

ə

d

anticipated or predicted to happen based on previous knowledge or assumptions

unexpected

inevitable

Adjective

i

ɪ

n

e

ɛ

v

i

ə

t

a

ə

b

ə

l

e

unable to be prevented

evitable

rash

Adjective

r

a

æ

sh

ʃ

done without carefully considering what might happen

positive

Adjective

p

o

ɑ

s

z

i

ə

t

i

ɪ

v

e

(of a person) having no doubt about something

probable

Adjective

p

r

o

ɑ

b

a

ə

b

ə

l

e

having a high possibility of happening or being true based on available evidence or circumstances

improbable

uncertain

Adjective

u

ə

n

c

s

e

ɜ

r

t

ai

ə

n

(of a person) showing a lack of confidence and having doubts about something

certain

unclear

Adjective

u

ə

n

c

k

l

ea

ɪ

r

not exactly known or expressed, often leading to confusion or ambiguity

well-defined

no doubt

Adverb

/nˈoʊ dˈaʊt/

used to say that something is likely to happen or is true

Grammatical Information:

conjunctive adverb

certainty

noun

c

s

e

ɜ

r

t

ai

ə

n

t

y

i

the state of being sure about something, usually when there is proof

doubt

confidence

noun

c

k

o

ɑ

n

f

i

ə

d

e

ə

n

c

s

e

the belief that one can trust or count on someone or something

diffidence

confusion

noun

c

k

o

ə

n

f

u

ju

s

ʒ

io

ə

n

a state of disorder in which people panic and do not know what to do

probability

noun

p

r

o

ɑ

b

a

ə

b

i

ɪ

l

i

ə

t

y

i

the likelihood or chance of an event occurring or being true

improbability

to deceive

Verb

d

e

ɪ

c

s

ei

i

v

e

to make a person believe something untrue

Grammatical Information:

transitive

somehow

Adverb

s

o

ə

m

e

h

o

a

w

ʊ

in a way or by some method that is not known or certain

Grammatical Information:

adverb of manner

scheme

noun

s

ch

k

e

i

m

e

a secret plan, particularly one that is made to deceive other people

not necessarily

phrase

/nˌɑːt nˌɛsɪsˈɛɹəli/

used usually in a response to show that something may not be true

you bet

interjection

/juː bˈɛt/

Idiom

Informal

used to show that someone has made a good suggestion or guess

What is the origin of the idiom "you bet" and when to use it?

The origin of the idiom "you bet" can be traced back to the early 19th century. It developed from the phrase "you may bet on it," which conveyed a strong assurance or affirmation. Over time, it evolved into the shortened form "you bet." The idiom signifies a confident agreement or affirmation of a statement or proposition.

to check out

Verb

/ʧɛk ˈaʊt/

to closely examine to see if someone is suitable or something is true

Grammatical Information:

transitive

Phrasal Status

separable

phrase's verb

check

phrase's particle

out

to go back on a promise

phrase

/ɡˌoʊ bˈæk ˌɑːn ɐ pɹˈɑːmɪs ɔːɹ dˈiːl ɔːɹ plˈɛdʒ/

Collocation

to fail to keep or fulfill a commitment or assurance made to someone

odds

noun

o

ɑ

dd

d

s

z

the likelihood or probability of something actually taking place

in stone

phrase

/ɪn stˈoʊn/

Idiom

Informal

in a way that is not possible to be changed

What is the origin of the idiom "in stone" and when to use it?

The idiom "in stone" has its origin in the idea of inscriptions or engravings on stone surfaces, such as monuments, gravestones, or ancient tablets. These inscriptions are typically long-lasting and not easily altered, which is why they became symbols of permanence. Over time, this concept was adapted into language and used to convey the idea of something being fixed, unchangeable, or firmly established.

to palm off

Verb

/pˈɑːm ˈɔf/

to dispose of something by giving or selling it to someone else though persuasion or deception

Grammatical Information:

Phrasal Status

separable

phrase's verb

palm

phrase's particle

off

plastic

Adjective

p

l

a

æ

s

t

i

ɪ

c

k

not seeming real, natural, or genuine

to go back on one's word

phrase

/ɡˌoʊ bˈæk ˌɑːn wˈʌnz wˈɜːd/

Collocation

to fail to keep a promise or commitment that was previously made

to question

Verb

q

k

u

w

e

ɛ

s

t

ʧ

io

ə

n

to have or express uncertainty about something

Grammatical Information:

transitive

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You learned 39 words from Lesson 34. To improve learning and review vocabulary, start practicing.

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