Words starting with S

Tasting of salt, or containing a lot of salt. This is the original, everyday meaning of the word.

Official permission or a penalty to enforce rules, depending on context.

Able to grow in size, capacity, or volume without losing quality or efficiency. A scalable system works just as well when it is small as when it becomes very large.

Examine something very carefully and in detail.

A very careful and thorough examination of something, often to find mistakes, check quality, or hold someone accountable. It suggests a level of critical attention that goes beyond a simple look.

Involving much sitting and little physical movement; not active.

To separate a group from others based on race, class, or other traits.

The experience of finding something good or valuable by accident, while looking for something else. It is a pleasant surprise that you did not plan. The feeling is warm and almost magical.

A person, usually a man, who is excessively devoted or submissive to someone they like romantically. The word suggests the person does too much for that someone, often without getting the same attention back. It is used both as a playful joke and as a genuine insult.

Happening at exactly the same time.

To kill a person or creature, usually in a violent or dramatic way. This is the original, traditional meaning and is mostly found in literature, myths, and news.

Spending time alone; not with others.

The sudden, striking realization that every stranger around you has a life as full, complex, and real as your own. It is a quiet moment of awareness — the feeling that you are just one small story among billions of stories happening at once.

Complex and advanced in design or development; refined and cultured.

To form possible explanations without certain proof; to guess based on limited information.

To reveal a secret, often by accident or without meaning to. The secret is usually something others were trying to keep hidden. You can also use it when someone reveals a surprise on purpose.

Happening sometimes, not regular or steady; occurring in isolated bursts with long gaps in between.

Not flowing or developing; dull and unchanging.

Very clear, complete, and showing the truth without any softness.

to encourage activity or progress

To state as a condition or requirement in an agreement or rule.

Able to endure pain, hardship, or difficult emotions without complaining or showing how you feel. A stoic person stays calm and quiet even when things are very hard.

Relating to a careful, long-term plan designed to reach an important goal. Something strategic is not just planned — it is meant to give you an advantage or move you closer to a big objective.

To arrange or divide groups so they form separate layers or classes.

To make a process, organization, or system faster and more efficient by removing unnecessary steps or parts. This word is very common in business and professional settings.

Coming after something else in time; following.

Large in amount, size, or importance; significant and solid.

Expressed in a clear and brief way, using only the words that are needed. A succinct statement says exactly what is meant without any extra detail.

Not deep; limited to the surface or appearance without serious thought or feeling.

To take the place of something, often by authority or formal decision.

Something added to complete or enhance something else; an addition.

1.0 (verb) to temporarily stop something or to stop it for a period of time.

To keep something going or alive over time; to support or maintain.

Able to continue for a long time without using up resources or causing harm. Often used to describe practices that protect the environment for future generations.

To arrange events or actions to occur at the same time or match exactly in speed or timing.

To combine different ideas or sources into a coherent whole.