Advanced English (2) • VERBS • 'D'

verb [T ] C1 informal • synonyms: expose, disprove, invalidate • debunk a myth/claim/theory/rumor; debunk with facts/evidence; debunk someone's argument • freq in AmE: 6/10

to show that an idea, belief, claim, or myth is false, exaggerated, or misleading, often through evidence, logic, or investigation

collocation with deem verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: judge, consider, declare • deem safe/appropriate/unfit; officially/widely/initially deemed safe • freq in AmE: 5/10

to officially or subjectively judge something as not dangerous or harmful; often used in legal, medical, regulatory, or ethical contexts to signal approval or clearance

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: condemn, disapprove, belittle • deprecate violence/arrogance/pride • freq in AmE: 5/10

to express strong disapproval of something or to belittle its value or importance; in technical contexts, to mark something as obsolete or discouraged in use

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: disgrace, dishonor, undermine, disprove, damage, invalidate • discredit someone/something; be discredited by/for; attempt to discredit; completely/thoroughly discredit • freq in AmE: 8/10

to cause people to stop respecting or trusting someone or something; to damage someone’s reputation or make an idea seem less believable

collocation with diagnose verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: identify, detect, confirm • diagnose someone with something; diagnose patient with disease/disorder/condition • diagnose someone with cancer/ADHD/depression/COVID • freq in AmE: 7/10

to identify a specific illness, condition, or disorder in a person after medical examination or testing

collocation with diagnose verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: interpret, identify, classify • diagnose something as something; diagnose symptoms/problem/issue as disease/disorder/malfunction • freq in AmE: 6/10

to identify or interpret a condition, problem, or issue as having a specific nature or cause, especially in medical or technical contexts

verb [T ] C2 • synonyms: deter, discourage, talk out of • dissuade someone from leaving/acting/speaking; try/fail/successfully dissuade someone from • freq in AmE: 6/10

to persuade someone not to do something, especially by presenting reasons, warnings, or emotional appeals; implies active discouragement and often concern or opposition

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: throw away, get rid of, abandon, eliminate, reject, dispose of • discard something; discard old ideas/habits/papers; be discarded as useless/irrelevant • freq in AmE: 8/10

to get rid of something that you no longer want, need, or consider useful; to throw something away or stop using it

collocation with discard verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: unwanted garments, cast-off clothing • collect/dispose of discarded clothes; piles of discarded clothes; donate discarded clothes to shelter • freq in AmE: 4/10

clothes that have been thrown away, abandoned or no longer wanted; often used in contexts of waste, donation, recycling or environmental critique

verb [T ] C1 formal • synonyms: mock, ridicule, scorn • deride someone/something as something (naive/absurd); be derided for (doing something); deride efforts/ideas/proposals/public figures • freq in AmE: 5/10

to mock or ridicule someone or something in a scornful or dismissive way; often implies contempt, superiority, or public shaming

collocation with deride verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: dismiss as, mock as, label as • deride someone/something as naive/absurd/unrealistic; deride proposals/films/ideas as nonsense/fantasy • freq in AmE: 5/10

to mock or dismiss someone or something by labeling them in a scornful or reductive way; often used in media, politics, and intellectual debate to undermine credibility or value

collocation with disprove verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: refute the idea, challenge the assumption, debunk the belief • disprove the notion that...; attempt to disprove a notion; findings that disprove notions • freq in AmE: 6/10

to demonstrate that a particular idea, belief, or assumption is false or unfounded, often through evidence, reasoning, or counterexamples

verb [T ] C1 • synonyms: confute (formal)

to prove that something is not true