Glow is a verb meaning “produce a soft, dim light” and a noun describing that same light. It is a regular verb, so it uses the “-ed” ending to produce the simple past and past participle forms.
Glow can also be used in a nonliteral sense to refer to how a person’s face looks when they are happy or healthy-looking (e.g., “Emma glowed with satisfaction and joy”).
Glowed in a sentence examplesThe battery in the flashlight was dying, and its bulb glowed dimly.
Looking back, we realized that our hopes had glowed brighter that year than at any time since.
Betty loved the outdoor life, and her skin glowed with health.
Desert and dessert are two completely different words with similar spellings. Depending on the meaning, their pronunciation can be the same or different.
Dessert is always a noun, whereas desert can be a noun (with two completely different meanings) or a verb.
Spelling
Pronunciation
Example sentences
Desert [verb]
We had to desert the sun loungers as the storm raced in from nowhere.
Desert [noun]
Many people are surprised to learn that the largest desert on Earth is Antarctica, not the Sahara!
Desert [noun]
It was difficult not to gloat, but it felt like Jack had gotten his just deserts.
Dessert [noun]
Amy has a really sweet tooth, and dessert is always her favorite course.
When you imply something (i.e., suggesting something without stating it directly), then you are making an implication. Implication is a noun, which also means implicating someone in a crime (i.e., strongly suggesting they were involved in the act).
The plural form, implications, is used in academic writing and refers to the consequences or influence of a study’s findings .
Implication in a sentence examplesThere was an implication in the prime minister’s farewell speech that she would fight to return to power.
If this is true, then the implications are far-reaching and potentially disastrous.
Is the implication that there might be the chance of promotion later in the year?
The suspect’s full and frank confession led to the inevitable implication of his brother in the offense.
NoteImplication and inference (from imply and infer) are often incorrectly used interchangeably. An implication is made by a speaker or writer, and the listener or reader makes the inference from what is said or written.
A protagonist is the main character in a work of fiction. It is a noun that can be used in a more general sense outside of fiction to refer to the principal people involved in a real-life situation. This use is less common, however.
The idea of a protagonist comes from ancient Greek drama and refers to the actor who plays the main role in a play and is often opposed by an antagonist.
Protagonist in a sentence examplesIt was clear within the first few pages who the protagonist was in this novel.
Macbeth is the protagonist of the eponymous Shakespeare play.
The Luddites were protagonists in the 19th-century fight for workers’ rights in the UK.
The teacher stepped in and separated the two protagonists in the brawl.
Alike is both an adverb and an adjective that means “in a similar way.” The degree of similarity expressed by alike varies with context, from almost identical to a general resemblance.
Alike in a sentence examplesIt was difficult to believe they were brothers, as they were nothing alike.
My father and I sound very alike on the phone, and people have difficulty knowing which one of us it is.
Lab-grown diamonds and the real thing are so alike that for most people it’s not worth paying extra for the real ones.
Loquacious is an adjective that means “fond of talking” or “very talkative.” The context of its use will determine if it carries negative or positive connotations.
In many instances, loquacious and talkative can be used interchangeably, but sometimes loquacious implies a speaker who is eloquent or articulate, whereas “talkative” would not carry this meaning.
Loquacious in a sentence examplesFor a five-year-old, Veronika is surprisingly loquacious.
This was his last house call, and the doctor lapsed into a surprisingly loquacious frame of mind.
Normally shy and diffident, Marty was especially loquacious at the meeting, perhaps because he felt so passionately about the subject.
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about citation, reasoning, or rhetoric, check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Vice versa is a Latin phrase that we use in English as an adverb meaning “conversely” or “the other way around.”
The literal translation is “the position having been reversed,” and that is still what it means. For example, “Girls perform better in some subjects than boys, and vice versa” means that boys also perform better than girls in some subjects.
Vice versa in a sentence examplesYou can complete Part One and then Part Two, or vice versa.
I miss spending time with my family, and vice versa.
All squares are rectangles, but not vice versa.
The big question with a cream tea is jam first, then clotted cream, or vice versa?
Although vice versa comes from Latin, it has been used in English for so long that it does not need italics, much like “ad nauseam” and “mea culpa.” It does not take a hyphen, and there is a common misspelling “vice a versa,” which is always incorrect.
Misnomer means an incorrect, unsuitable, or misleading use of a name or label. Misnomer is a noun, and it can also refer to the incorrect designation or name itself.
Misnomer in a sentence exampleA “Dutch oven” is a bit of a misnomer, as it is neither Dutch nor an oven!
Calling it “Priority Boarding” was a misnomer, as everyone got on the same bus after we went through the boarding gate.
There are so many get-out clauses and restrictions that it is a misnomer to call this a “guarantee.”
In legal documents, such as contracts, it is especially important to make sure everything is correctly named. There are ways of correcting any misnomer in a document, and if the misnaming is deliberate, then an offense might have been committed.
The past tense of the verblead meaning “to be ahead” or “to take someone somewhere” is led (e.g., “The teacher led her students into the examination center”).
Led is also the past participle of lead (e.g., “The party had led the opinion polls from start to finish”).
