desist, fluke, gainsay, forage, thwart: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Proficient Plus set 83. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. desist · verb/dɪˈzɪst/

   to stop doing something or cease an action

   The teacher asked the students to desist from talking during the test.

   Synonyms: stop, cease, quit

   Origin: from Latin 'desistere', meaning 'to stand away from'

2. fluke · noun/fluːk/

   an unlikely chance occurrence or a stroke of luck

   She won the game by a fluke when the ball bounced off the wall and went in.

   Synonyms: chance, luck, coincidence

   Origin: Origin unknown; possibly from the Old Norse word 'flúka' meaning 'to happen by chance'

3. gainsay · verb/ˈɡeɪn.seɪ/

   to deny or contradict a statement or assertion

   No one can gainsay the importance of education in our lives.

   Synonyms: deny, contradict, dispute

   Origin: from Middle English 'gainsay', from Old English 'gān' (against) + 'sagan' (to say)

4. forage · verb/ˈfɔrɪdʒ/

   to search for and gather food or provisions

   The children like to forage for berries in the forest during summer.

   Synonyms: search, scavenge, seek

   Origin: from Middle French 'forager', meaning to supply with provisions, from 'forage' meaning to graze.

5. thwart · verb/θwɔrt/

   to prevent someone from accomplishing something

   The rain will thwart our plans for a picnic in the park.

   Synonyms: stop, hinder, prevent

   Origin: Middle English 'thwarten', from Old Norse 'þvert' meaning 'across, crosswise'.