stoke, hone, posit, renege, cajole: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 51. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. stoke · verb/stoʊk/

   to add fuel to a fire or to encourage or increase emotion or intensity

   The camping group needed to stoke the fire to keep warm during the cold night.

   Synonyms: fuel, add, encourage

   Origin: Middle English stoken, from Old English stocian, meaning 'to poke or stir.'

2. hone · verb/hoʊn/

   to sharpen or refine a skill or ability

   She practices every day to hone her drawing skills.

   Synonyms: improve, sharpen, refine

   Origin: from Old English 'hōnian', meaning 'to furnish with a hone or whetstone'

3. posit · verb/ˈpɑːzɪt/

   to put forward as a basis of argument or as a fact

   The teacher posited that regular practice can improve our math skills.

   Synonyms: suggest, propose, assert

   Origin: from Latin 'positus', the past participle of 'ponere', meaning 'to place or put'

4. renege · verb/rɪˈnɛɡ/

   to go back on a promise or commitment

   He decided to renege on his promise to help me move this weekend.

   Synonyms: default, backtrack, withdraw

   Origin: from Latin 'renegare', meaning 'to deny' or 'to deny one's faith'

5. cajole · verb/kəˈdʒoʊl/

   to persuade someone to do something by flattery or coaxing

   She tried to cajole her friend into going to the party with her by promising to buy him ice cream.

   Synonyms: coax, persuade, tempt

   Origin: The word 'cajole' comes from the French word 'cajoler', which means 'to chatter like a caged bird'.