Blink — Vocabulary
Malcolm Gladwell
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Exemplary sample	Uses	ACT/SAT
	17	top 100
negativenegative → negatively:in a bad or harmful manner Higher interest rates negatively affected home sales.more Show sample from book On a technical level, she was measuring the amount of positive and negative emotion, because one of Gottman's findings is that for a marriage to survive, the ratio of positive to negative emotion in a given encounter has to be at least five to one.18 more bad or harmful Show general definition for negative (as in: had a negative effect) bad or harmful
	2	top 100
negative#2indicated criticism or disagreement The responses to my plan were negative.more Show sample from book "Had The MTM been a mere pilot, such overwhelmingly negative comments would have buried it," Sally Bedell [Smith] writes in her biography of Silverman, Up the Tube.18 more critical Show general definition for negative (as in: negative feedback from customers) to express criticism or disagreement, or (especially when talking over a radio or in a military setting) to say "no"
	12	top 1000
deliberatedeliberate → deliberately:intentionally She didn't forget. She deliberately skipped the meeting.more Show sample from book The Diallo shooting, in other words, falls into a kind of gray area, the middle ground between deliberate and accidental.13 more intentional (done on purpose) Show general definition for deliberate (as in: deliberate insult) to do something intentionally (do it on purpose)
	2	top 1000
deliberate#2deliberate → deliberated:thought and discussed We deliberated into the evening.more Show sample from book Deliberate thinking is a wonderful tool when we have the luxury of time,13 more consideration of all sides of a question Show general definition for deliberate (as in: need to deliberate) to think about or discuss -- especially with great care
	16	top 200
subtlemaking use of slight distinctions She used subtle reasoning to expose the absurdity of his argument.more Show sample from book The clues were pretty subtle.15 more difficult to understand or hard to notice Show general definition for subtle (as in: a subtle difference or thinker) not obvious, but noticeable with enough insight and knowledge or: able to notice or understand things that require insight and sensitivity
	8	top 1000
literallyusing the most basic meaning of the words She wasn't literally advocating physical violence.more Show sample from book They [people with autism] have difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues, such as gestures and facial expressions or ... or drawing understanding from anything other than the literal meaning of words.9 more literally → literal:most basic (not metaphorical or figurative) Show general definition for literally (as in: literally--not figuratively) actually true using the basic meaning of the words (not an exaggeration, metaphor, or other type of figurative speech)
	2	top 2000
literally#2an intensifier (to intensify what is said) I literally feel like a prisoner in my own home.more Show sample from book Normal people, when they were looking at the faces, used a part of their brain called the fusiform gyrus, which is an incredibly sophisticated piece of brain software that allows us to distinguish among the literally thousands of faces that we know.9 more Show general definition for literally (as in: literally at death's door) an intensifier (to intensify what is said -- especially a metaphor) Show editor's word notes Since literally can mean actually true, but can also be used to intensify a metaphor, the reader has to use context to know what the word means. For example, if you read "She stabbed him in the back," you would probably assume she betrayed him. But if you read it in a murder mystery where the victim was stabbed, you might assume you were being told that she actually stabbed him. Because confusion can arise from this kind of usage, many authorities discourage using literally to intensify a metaphor--especially in formal usage.
	13	top 500
spontaneoussudden and unplanned Her spontaneous decision to take a road trip led to one of the best weekends of her life.more Show sample from book Blink is concerned with ... those instantaneous impressions and conclusions that spontaneously arise whenever we meet a new person or confront a complex situation or have to make a decision under conditions of stress.12 more spontaneous → spontaneously:naturally (without plan) Show general definition happening naturally, suddenly, or without outside planning or action
	17	top 1000
contemptlack of respect Familiarity breeds contempt.more Show sample from book If Gottman observes one or both partners in a marriage showing contempt toward the other, he considers it the single most important sign that the marriage is in trouble.16 more Show general definition for contempt (as in: feels contempt towards her) lack of respect for someone or something thought inferior -- often accompanied by a feeling of dislike or disgust Show editor's word notes A famous saying, "familiarity breeds contempt" comes from Aesop's fable, "The Fox and the Lion". (6th century BC) When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened, and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he came near the King of Beasts he stopped at a safe distance and watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day with him, asking him how his family were, and when he should have the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted from the Lion without much ceremony. The moral is traditionally, "Familiarity breeds contempt"; though an alternative moral is "Acquaintance softens prejudices."
	13	top 500
intuitionintuition → intuitive:able to understand things from feeling or instinct rather than conscious reasoning They were perfect partners--one highly intuitive and the other highly analytical.more Show sample from book I was just trying to look at intuitive judgment processes.12 more intuition → intuitive:known instinctively rather than through reasoning Show general definition something known based on feeling or instinct rather than conscious reasoning; or the ability to know things in such a manner
	16	top 100
factorthing (that influenced a result) Cost was an important factor in our decision.more Show sample from book The deciding factor is not going to be how many tanks you kill, how many ships you sink, and how many planes you shoot down.†18 more thing that affects a result or outcome Show general definition for factor (as in: It was the deciding factor.) something that affects a result or outcome Show editor's word notes You also may encounter x-factor or x factor--meaning "the most important thing that influences a result or outcome."
	3
factor#2include consideration of Did you factor maintenance costs into your budget?more Show sample from book The problem arises when the additional information of gender and race is factored into a decision about an individual patient.18 more factor → factored:considered (for affect on a result or outcome)
	4	top 200
functionwork or operate I don't function well on less than six hours of sleep a night; and I do best on nine.more Show sample from book They can be highly intelligent and functional, but they lack judgment.4 more function → functional:capable of working Show general definition for function (as in: can't function well without sleep) work or operate -- sometimes to work or operate normally or in a particular way
	1
function#2result Their success is a function of their teamwork and practice.more Show sample from book How good people's decisions are under the fast-moving, high-stress conditions of rapid cognition is a function of training and rules and rehearsal.4 more Show general definition for function (as in: oxygen is a function of altitude) saying one results from another; or saying that the amount of one thing is dependent upon the value of another. Show editor's word notes If x is a function of y, then x results from y; or the amount of x can be calculated based on the amount of y.
	12
algorithmprecise instructions specifying how to solve some problem We wrote a computer algorithm to find words that would interest you.more Show sample from book Anyone can follow an algorithm.11 more Show general definition precise instructions specifying how to solve some problem
	2	top 500
neutralnot affected (in this case, bathrooms can be used by any gender) All the bathrooms in the dorm are gender neutral.more Show sample from book Disgust, for example, is 1, contempt is 2, anger is 7, defensiveness is 10, whining is 11, sadness is 12, stonewalling is 13, neutral is 14, and so on.2 more unaffected Show general definition for neutral (as in: a carbon-neutral building) not affected by; or does not affect The expression [x] neutral means two things do not affect each other. More specifically, it means one of two things depending upon context: something is not affected by x -- for example "a revenue neutral tax plan" does not affect the amount of revenue collected. (It might raise taxes in one area and reduce them in another so that the total tax revenue is unchanged.) something does not affect x -- for example "a carbon neutral home" is a home that does not affect carbon. Part of its design might include using solar energy to control climate rather than burning fossil fuels.
	1	top 500
neutral#2bland (not striking in appearance) The painting would look best in a room of neutral colors, so it will stand out.more Show sample from book Or they can be in negative sentiment override, so that even a relatively neutral thing that a partner says gets perceived as negative.2 more non-controversial Show general definition for neutral (as in: decorated in neutral colors) bland (not striking in appearance or impression)
	1	top 2000
decisivedetermining an outcome She cast the decisive vote.more Show sample from book The decisive factor is how you take apart your adversary's system.1 more Show general definition for decisive (as in: a decisive defeat) determining an outcome; or ending question
	1
decisive#2makes quick decisions and sticks by them She is a decisive leader.more Show sample from book The war games required them to make decisive, rapid-fire decisions under conditions of high pressure and with limited information, which is, of course, what they did all day at work.1 more without hesitation Show general definition for decisive (as in: a decisive decision maker) making quick decisions and sticking by them; or describing an action as firm or without hesitation
	2	top 100
analyticallogical and systematic in seeking understanding She has an analytical mind.more Show sample from book In the 1980s, Van Riper would often take part in training exercises, and, according to military doctrine, he would be required to perform versions of the kind of analytical, systematic decision making that JFCOM was testing in Millennium Challenge.†1 more relating to logical examination to improve understanding Show general definition relating to logical and systematic examination of something to better understand it -- often implying some kind of quantitative analysis