TOPIC VOCABULARY THINKING

assess [v] (assessment [n], assessable [adj])

make a judgment (The coach will assess the player’s performance); calculate the amount/value (The engineer assessed the repair costs)

assume [v] (assumption [n], assumed [adj])

to accept something to be true without question or proof (I assume you’ve already eaten); to take or begin to have responsibility or control (The new president assumed office at midnight); to begin to have a particular quality or experience (The problem assumed new proportions)

baffle [v] (bafflement [n], baffling [adj])

to confuse someone completely (The police were baffled by the attacker’s motive)

biased [adj] (bias [n/v], unbiased [adj])

show an unreasonable like or dislike for something based on personal opinions (The judge was biased in favor of the defendant)

concentrate [v] (concentration [n], concentrated [adj])

to focus all your attention on something (She tried to concentrate on her work); to bring or gather things together in one place (The company concentrated its resources in one project); to increase the strength of a substance (The juice was concentrated by boiling off the water)

consider [v] (consideration [n], considerable/considerate [adj])

to think carefully about something before making a decision (You should consider other people’s feelings); to think of someone or something in a particular way (He is considered a hero)

contemplate [v] (contemplation [n], contemplative [adj])

to think deeply about something for a long time (She contemplated the meaning of life); to look at something thoughtfully for a long time (He contemplated the painting for hours)

cynical [adj] (cynic [n], cynicism [n])

distrustful of human sincerity or integrity (He’s always cynical about politicians); doubtful as to whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile (She’s cynical about the company’s new plan)

deduce [v] (deduction [n], deductive [adj])

to reach a conclusion about something by reasoning from known facts (We can deduce a lot from what is said)

deliberate [v] (deliberation [n], deliberate [adj])

to consider something very carefully (The jury deliberated for five days before reaching a verdict)

dilemma [n]

a difficult choice between two options (She faced a dilemma about accepting the job)

discriminate [v] (discrimination [n], discriminatory [adj])

to recognize a difference (It’s hard to discriminate between the twins); to treat someone unfairly based on difference (The law prohibits discriminating against employees based on age)

dubious [adj] (dubiousness [n], dubiously [adv])

doubtful or uncertain (I was dubious about the idea); unreliable, suspicious (The evidence was dubious)

estimate [v] (estimation [n], estimate [n])

to roughly calculate or judge (They estimated the cost at $500,000)

estimate [n] (estimation [n], estimate [v])

an approximate calculation (The builder gave me an estimate)

faith [n] (faithful [adj])

strong belief or trust in someone or something (She has faith in her abilities); religious belief (People of different faiths should respect each other)

gather [v] (gathering [n])

to collect or bring together (He gathered information for the report); to understand or believe something (From what I can gather, they’re planning to move)

genius [n]

a person with exceptional ability (Mozart was a musical genius)

grasp [v] (grasp [n])

take hold of something firmly (She grasped his hand tightly); to understand something fully (He couldn’t grasp the basic concepts)

guesswork [n] (guess [v/n])

the process of making guesses (The answer was pure guesswork)

hunch [n]

a feeling or guess based on intuition rather than facts (I had a hunch that something was wrong)

ideology [n] (ideological [adj])

a set of beliefs (The party’s ideology is based on equality)

ingenious [adj] (ingenuity [n])

clever, original and inventive (She came up with an ingenious solution)

inspiration [n] (inspire [v], inspirational [adj])

the process of being mentally stimulated to do something creative (Her book is a source of inspiration for many artists); a sudden brilliant or timely idea (He had a sudden inspiration to paint the sunset)

intuition [n] (intuitive [adj])

the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning (She had an intuition that something was wrong)

justify [v] (justification [n], justifiable [adj])

to show or prove to be right or reasonable (He tried to justify his actions)

naive [adj] (naivety [n])

lacking experience or understanding; innocent and simple (It was naive of her to trust him)

notion [n] (notional [adj])

a conception of or belief about something (He had a notion that life would be easy)

optimistic [adj] (optimism [n], optimist [n])

hopeful and confident about the future (She is optimistic about her chances of winning)

paradox [n] (paradoxical [adj])

a person, thing or situation that has two opposite features and therefore seems strange (The paradox of working hard to relax is intriguing)

pessimistic [adj] (pessimism [n], pessimist [n])

expecting bad things to happen or something not to be successful (He is pessimistic about the future of the economy)

plausible [adj] (plausibility [n])

seeming reasonable or probable (her story sounded plausible at first)

ponder [v]

to think carefully, to consider deeply (He pondered the question before answering)

prejudiced [adj] (prejudice [n/v])

having an unreasonable preference for someone or something (Many people are prejudiced against others based on their race or religion)

presume [v] (presumption [n], presumptuous [adj])

to suppose something is true (I presume you’ve already eaten)

query [v] (query [n])

to ask a question (She queried whether the decision was correct)

query [n] (query [v])

a question (The staff answered the customer’s query)

reckon [v]

to think or suppose something (I reckon it’s going to rain soon)

reflect [v] (reflection [n], reflective [adj])

to think deeply or carefully about something (He reflected on his past decisions); to show or express something (The statistics reflect a significant improvement); to throw back light, heat, or sound from a surface (The mirror reflects the light into the room)

skeptical [adj] (skepticism [n], skeptic [n])

having doubts about something (She’s skeptical about the new plan)

speculate [v] (speculation [n], speculative [adj])

to form a theory or guess without firm evidence (They speculated about the causes of the accident); to buy goods, property, shares, etc., hoping to make a profit when you sell them (He likes to speculate on the stock market)

suppose [v] (supposition [n])

to think or assume without certain knowledge (I suppose he’ll be late); used to introduce a suggestion or possibility (Suppose we try the other way?); to expect something based on rules, orders, or circumstances (You’re supposed to finish your work by now)