11+ words for thinking and learning
Words for thinking, knowing and finding out: comprehend, perceive, shrewd, judicious, inquisitive. They describe how someone thinks as well as what they know. A shrewd judgement and a superficial one can reach the same answer for very different reasons.
There are 109 words here: 56 describing words, 39 doing words and 14 naming words. Each has its meaning, an example sentence and similar words. Tap a word for its opposites and a practice question.
Describing words (adjectives)56
- abstract
- About ideas rather than things you can touch.
- Fairness is an abstract idea, but everyone knows when it is missing.
- Similar: theoretical, intangible
- absurd
- So silly that it makes no sense at all.
- The idea of a penguin flying a plane is completely absurd, and we all burst out laughing.
- Similar: silly, crazy, foolish
- accurate
- Exactly right, with no mistakes in it.
- Her map of the school was so accurate that we found the store cupboard at once.
- Similar: correct, exact, right
- adept
- Very good and skilled at doing something.
- Years of practice made Priya adept at juggling; she never dropped a single ball.
- Similar: skilled, able, expert
- ambiguous
- Unclear because it could mean more than one thing.
- The treasure map was ambiguous: did 'left at the old tree' mean the oak or the elm?
- Similar: vague, confusing
- apparent
- Easy to see or understand; clear.
- It soon became apparent that the cat had eaten the fish, judging by the guilty look on its whiskery face.
- Similar: clear, obvious, plain
- astute
- Clever at understanding things and spotting what is really going on.
- The astute detective noticed the muddy footprints that everyone else had walked straight past.
- Similar: clever, sharp, smart
- attentive
- Watching and listening carefully.
- The attentive lifeguard never took her eyes off the swimmers in the pool.
- Similar: alert, careful, watchful
- authentic
- Real and genuine, not fake.
- The museum displayed an authentic pirate map, complete with real ink stains from 1720.
- Similar: real, true, genuine
- baffled
- So confused that you cannot understand something at all.
- The riddle left the whole class baffled; nobody could work out the answer.
- Similar: confused, puzzled, stumped
- bewildered
- Very confused and unsure what is happening.
- Bewildered by the twisting corridors, the twins had no idea which door led outside.
- Similar: confused, puzzled, lost
- competent
- Able to do something well enough.
- After a term of lessons, Ruby was a competent swimmer who could manage four lengths easily.
- Similar: capable, skilled, able
- complex
- Made of many parts, and hard to understand or work out.
- The model castle had a complex design with secret passages and towers.
- Similar: complicated, difficult, tricky
- conscious
- Awake, and aware of what is happening around you.
- After the fall, the rider was still conscious and able to talk.
- Similar: aware, awake, alert
- contrary
- Completely opposite to something else.
- Contrary to the forecast, the afternoon was warm and bright.
- Similar: opposite, opposing, conflicting
- crucial
- Extremely important; something everything else depends on.
- Remembering the tent poles turned out to be crucial to the whole camping trip.
- Similar: important, key, vital
- cryptic
- Having a hidden meaning that is hard to work out.
- The treasure map ended with a cryptic message that took us all weekend to solve.
- Similar: puzzling, mysterious, hidden
- dubious
- Not sure whether something is true or can be trusted.
- Dad looked dubious when Josh claimed, yet again, that the dog had eaten his homework.
- Similar: doubtful, unsure, wary
- engrossed
- So interested in something that you notice nothing else.
- Amir was so engrossed in his comic that he never heard the dinner bell ring.
- Similar: absorbed, gripped
- essential
- So important that you cannot manage without it.
- Water is essential for the hike, so pack your bottle before anything else.
- Similar: vital, needed, key
- evident
- Easy to see or understand.
- From the flour on his cheeks and the crumbs on his jumper, it was evident who had eaten the cake.
- Similar: clear, obvious, plain
- fundamental
- Forming the most important base of something.
- Reading is fundamental to almost every other subject at school.
- Similar: basic, underlying, vital
- ignorant
- Not knowing about something, often because you have not been told or taught.
- The newcomer was ignorant of the school's rule about wearing hats indoors.
- Similar: unaware, uninformed, unknowing
- imaginative
- Full of new and clever ideas.
- Her imaginative story featured a school for dragons on the moon.
- Similar: creative, inventive, dreamy
- ingenious
- Very clever and full of smart ideas.
- Her ingenious trap used a cardboard box, a stick and a trail of sweets.
- Similar: clever, inventive, brilliant
- inquisitive
- Always wanting to find things out.
- The inquisitive kitten poked its nose into every bag, box and cupboard.
- Similar: curious, nosy, keen
- intangible
- Not able to be touched or held, but still real.
- Kindness is intangible, but you can feel it when someone shows it to you.
- Similar: abstract, untouchable
- invalid
- Not accepted as correct or official, usually because it breaks a rule.
- The ticket was invalid because it had run out last week.
- Similar: void, incorrect
- judicious
- Showing good sense and careful judgement.
- A judicious captain saves her fastest runner for the final leg of the relay.
- Similar: wise, sensible, careful
- knowledgeable
- Knowing a lot about something.
- The knowledgeable guide could name every bird that flew past.
- Similar: well-informed, expert
- logical
- Sensible, and following clear reasoning.
- It is logical to check the batteries before buying a new torch.
- Similar: sensible, reasonable, rational
- lucid
- Very clear and easy to understand, or thinking clearly.
- Her lucid instructions meant even the youngest child could fold the paper crane.
- Similar: clear, plain, simple
- ludicrous
- So silly that it makes you laugh.
- The idea of a hamster guarding the bank was completely ludicrous.
- Similar: silly, ridiculous, daft
- mythical
- Existing only in stories and legends, not in real life.
- The unicorn is a mythical creature, however hard Zoe searches the woods for one.
- Similar: imaginary, made-up, legendary
- novel
- New, different and unlike anything seen before.
- Eating pudding before dinner was a novel idea, and the children voted for it at once.
- Similar: new, fresh, original
- oblivious
- Not noticing what is happening around you.
- Oblivious to the pouring rain, Sam kept reading under the dripping tree.
- Similar: unaware
- obscure
- Not well known, or hard to see or understand.
- The treasure map led to an obscure island that appeared on no other chart in the world.
- Similar: unknown, vague
- observant
- Quick to notice things that other people miss.
- The observant detective spotted the muddy footprint that everyone else had walked straight past.
- Similar: watchful, alert, sharp
- pensive
- Quietly thinking hard about something, often looking a little sad.
- Ava sat in a pensive mood by the window, wondering what her new school would be like.
- Similar: thoughtful, dreamy, serious
- perplexed
- Confused and unable to understand something.
- The riddle left Omar perplexed; he read it five times and still had no answer.
- Similar: confused, puzzled, stuck
- plausible
- Sounding reasonable and likely to be true.
- Her excuse was plausible; the bus really had broken down that morning.
- Similar: believable, likely, reasonable
- precise
- Exact and completely accurate.
- Follow the recipe with precise measurements, because one extra spoon of salt ruins the soup.
- Similar: exact, accurate, careful
- preposterous
- So silly that it is hard to believe.
- 'A dragon ate my homework?' said Miss Reed. 'What a preposterous excuse!'
- Similar: ridiculous, silly, crazy
- profound
- Very deep and full of meaning.
- Grandma's profound advice stayed with me long after the holiday ended.
- Similar: deep, wise, serious
- relevant
- Closely connected to what is being talked about.
- Your point about the weather is interesting, but it is not relevant here.
- Similar: related, connected, fitting
- sceptical
- Not sure something is true and needing proof before you believe it.
- Amir was sceptical about his brother's story of a talking dog and asked to see it for himself.
- Similar: doubtful, suspicious, wary
- shrewd
- Clever at judging people and situations, especially to get what you want.
- The shrewd trader knew exactly which customers would pay the highest price.
- Similar: clever, smart, sharp
- specific
- Exact and clearly stated, not general.
- Give me a specific time, not just 'sometime this afternoon'.
- Similar: exact, particular, definite
- subtle
- Small and not obvious, so it is easy to miss.
- There was a subtle hint of lemon in the cake that only Grandma noticed.
- Similar: faint, slight, delicate
- superficial
- Only on the surface, without going deep.
- The damage was superficial, and the paint hid it completely.
- Similar: shallow, cursory
- thorough
- Done carefully and completely, with nothing missed out.
- Her thorough search of the attic turned up the missing photo album at last.
- Similar: careful, complete, detailed
- unanimous
- Agreed by every single person, with nobody voting against.
- The class was unanimous: all thirty hands shot up for an extra playtime.
- Similar: agreed, united
- uncanny
- Strange in a way that is hard to explain and slightly spooky.
- The twins had an uncanny habit of saying exactly the same words at the same time.
- Similar: strange, weird, spooky
- unfathomable
- Too strange, deep or difficult to understand.
- The ancient symbols on the wall were unfathomable to the explorers.
- Similar: incomprehensible, mysterious, baffling
- vague
- Not clear or exact.
- Her directions were so vague that we ended up in the wrong village entirely.
- Similar: hazy, fuzzy, imprecise
- valid
- Based on good reasoning, or officially acceptable and able to be used.
- That is a valid point, and I had not thought of it.
- Similar: sound, reasonable, fair
Doing words (verbs)39
- analyse
- To study something closely, part by part.
- We will analyse the results once every class has finished the survey.
- Similar: examine, study, inspect
- assume
- To believe something is true without checking it.
- Do not assume the shop is open just because the lights are on.
- Similar: suppose, presume, expect
- clarify
- To make something easier to understand.
- The teacher drew a diagram to clarify how the water cycle works.
- Similar: explain, simplify, show
- classify
- To sort things into groups that are alike.
- We had to classify the leaves by shape and then by colour.
- Similar: sort, group, arrange
- comprehend
- To fully understand something.
- Toby read the riddle three times but still could not comprehend what it meant.
- Similar: understand, grasp, follow
- concoct
- To make something by mixing things, or to invent a story or plan.
- The twins concocted a fizzy purple potion out of lemonade and blackcurrant juice.
- Similar: invent, mix, brew
- decipher
- To work out what something difficult or secret means.
- It took Sam an hour to decipher his grandad's scribbly handwriting, but at last he worked out the message.
- Similar: decode, solve, crack
- demonstrate
- To show clearly how something works, or that it is true.
- He offered to demonstrate the trick slowly so we could copy it.
- Similar: show, prove, display
- determine
- To decide something firmly, or to work it out for certain.
- The last race will determine who wins the whole competition.
- Similar: decide, settle, establish
- distinguish
- To see or show how two things are different.
- It is hard to distinguish the twins until they speak.
- Similar: identify, separate, recognise
- endeavour
- To try very hard to do something.
- Despite the howling wind, the climbers endeavoured to reach the summit before nightfall.
- Similar: try, attempt, strive
- enlighten
- To explain something so that someone understands it clearly.
- 'Perhaps you could enlighten us,' said the teacher, 'and explain exactly how the trick was done.'
- Similar: inform, teach, explain
- enthral
- To hold someone's full attention with delight.
- The storyteller enthralled the class, and no one moved a muscle until the very last word.
- Similar: captivate, grip, charm
- establish
- To set something up, or to prove that something is true.
- They hope to establish a chess club before the end of term.
- Similar: found, create, confirm
- evaluate
- To think carefully about how good or useful something is.
- The judges will evaluate each cake on taste as well as looks.
- Similar: judge, assess, weigh
- fathom
- To understand something after thinking about it very hard.
- Try as he might, Oscar could not fathom how the coin had ended up inside the sealed jar.
- Similar: understand, grasp, solve
- foresee
- To know something will happen before it actually does.
- Nobody could foresee that the tiny stream would flood the whole village by morning.
- Similar: predict, expect, forecast
- heed
- To pay careful attention to advice or a warning.
- Sam heeded the lifeguard's warning and stayed out of the deep water.
- Similar: mind, obey, follow
- immerse
- To put something completely under a liquid, or to get lost in an activity.
- Ella immersed herself in her book and did not hear the dinner bell at all.
- Similar: soak, dip, dunk
- improvise
- To make or do something on the spot without preparing.
- When the props went missing, the actors improvised, using a mop as a horse.
- Similar: invent, create, adapt
- infer
- To work out something that has not been said directly.
- Because the ground was wet, Sam could infer that it had rained in the night, even though he had slept through it.
- Similar: deduce, gather, conclude
- inscribe
- To write or carve words onto something.
- The winner's name was inscribed on the silver cup in swirling letters.
- Similar: write, carve, mark
- interpret
- To work out what something means.
- It is not always easy to interpret a dog's behaviour.
- Similar: decode, explain, read
- intrigue
- To make someone very curious and interested.
- The locked chest in the attic intrigued Tom, who wondered for weeks what lay inside.
- Similar: interest, fascinate
- justify
- To give a good reason for something you have done.
- He could not justify spending all his savings on one pair of boots.
- Similar: defend, excuse, explain
- mesmerise
- To hold someone's attention so completely they cannot look away.
- The magician's swinging watch mesmerised the audience until every eye followed it.
- Similar: hypnotise, captivate
- muddle
- To mix things up so they become confusing.
- Tom muddled the twins' names all week, calling each one by the other's.
- Similar: confuse, mix
- mystify
- To confuse someone completely.
- The vanishing coin trick mystified the children, who checked the magician's sleeves twice.
- Similar: confuse, puzzle, stump
- observe
- To watch something carefully in order to learn about it.
- We sat very still to observe the badgers coming out at dusk.
- Similar: watch, study, notice
- outwit
- To beat someone by being cleverer than they are.
- Clever Hare planned to outwit the fox by laying a false trail of carrot tops.
- Similar: outsmart, trick, fool
- perceive
- To notice or understand something.
- Only the detective could perceive the tiny clue hidden among the ordinary books.
- Similar: notice, see, sense
- ponder
- To think about something slowly and carefully.
- Priya sat on the wall to ponder the riddle, her chin resting on her hands.
- Similar: consider, think, wonder
- predict
- To say what you think will happen in the future.
- Looking at the dark clouds, Sana could predict that the match would be rained off.
- Similar: forecast, guess, expect
- probe
- To explore or examine something carefully to find out more.
- The dentist used a tiny mirror to probe around the tooth, checking every corner for holes.
- Similar: explore, examine, search
- resolve
- To decide firmly to do something, or to find an answer to a problem.
- At New Year, I resolve to read a book every week.
- Similar: decide, settle, solve
- retain
- To keep or hold on to something.
- Some plants retain their leaves all through the winter.
- Similar: keep, hold, preserve
- scrutinise
- To look at something very closely and carefully to check every detail.
- The detective scrutinised the muddy footprints with her magnifying glass.
- Similar: examine, inspect, study
- strive
- To try very hard to achieve something.
- Ana strives to improve her spelling by learning five new words every night.
- Similar: try, struggle, aim
- verify
- To check that something is really true.
- We rang the museum to verify the opening times.
- Similar: confirm, check
Naming words (nouns)14
- alternative
- A different choice that could be used instead.
- If the bridge is shut, the path through the woods is the only alternative.
- Similar: option, choice
- amateur
- Someone who does an activity for fun rather than as a job.
- Dad is an amateur who bakes brilliant cakes just for fun and has never sold a single one.
- Similar: hobbyist
- blunder
- A silly, careless mistake.
- Wearing his shirt inside out was an embarrassing blunder to make on photo day.
- Similar: mistake, error, slip
- dilemma
- A tricky choice between two things, where neither seems right.
- Maya faced a dilemma: her best friend's party and her cousin's football final were on the same day.
- Similar: predicament, problem
- fable
- A short story, often about animals, that teaches a lesson.
- In the famous fable, the slow and steady tortoise beats the boastful hare.
- Similar: tale, story
- illusion
- Something that tricks your eyes or mind into believing what is not real.
- The pool of water on the hot road was just an illusion that vanished as we drew near.
- Similar: mirage, deception, trick
- instinct
- A natural feeling that makes you act without thinking.
- Some instinct told the deer to bolt a second before the wolf sprang.
- Similar: impulse, intuition, urge
- jinx
- Something believed to bring bad luck.
- Ollie blamed a jinx for the lost match, since his lucky socks were in the wash.
- Similar: curse
- knack
- A clever skill for doing something easily.
- Jo has a knack for solving puzzles; she finished the maze in seconds.
- Similar: skill, talent, gift
- notion
- An idea or a thought about something.
- Sam had a sudden notion that the old wardrobe might lead somewhere magical.
- Similar: idea, thought, belief
- novice
- Someone who is new to an activity and still learning it.
- As a novice skater, Leo clung to the rail while the experienced skaters sped past.
- Similar: beginner, learner, newcomer
- prejudice
- An unfair opinion about someone, formed without knowing the facts.
- The new girl faced prejudice just because she spoke with a different accent.
- Similar: bias, intolerance
- prodigy
- A young person who is amazingly talented at something.
- A chess prodigy at seven, Lena could beat adults who had played for decades.
- Similar: genius
- verdict
- The decision reached at the end of a trial or contest.
- The judges whispered together, then announced their verdict: the red team had won.
- Similar: decision, judgement, ruling