✅ Fine describes something delicate, especially something extremely thin (The sewing thread was very fine).

✅ Gossamer describes something particularly light and delicate (Her gossamer wedding dress).

✅ Fine and gossamer both describe things that are especially thin or translucent (A fine, see-through fabric; I could barely see the gossamer threads).

✅ Gossamer generally suggests something even more delicate than fine does. Gossamer suggests something so fine it might have been made from spiderwebs. As a noun, it can refer to delicate spiderwebs themselves.

Describe some gossamer clouds with the help of Grammar Coach!

✅ Abruptly refers to something happening in a sudden or unexpected way (The rain stopped abruptly).

✅ Precipitously refers to something that rises or falls in a sudden, unexpected, and extreme way, akin to a steep rock face or precipice (Sales fell precipitously).

✅ Abruptly can refer to anything that happens suddenly (The car stopped abruptly), whereas precipitously often refers to the number of a given thing rising or falling dramatically: imagine a sudden steep drop in a line on a graph (During the pandemic, the inventory of cars dropped precipitously).

✅ Precipitously also suggests an element of danger or a lack of control (The mountain rose precipitously in front of them).

We think that your vocabulary will increase precipitously if you make a habit of checking out our synonyms!

✅ Effect refers to the result or the consequences of something (Staying up late had the effect of making me tired).

✅ Outcome refers to the final result of something (The outcome of the argument was that he no longer wanted to come with us).

✅ Effect generally suggests a direct and immediate result or consequence (Sugar has the effect of increasing your energy).

✅ Outcome often suggests a final result that may not be immediately obvious (The outcome of reducing the store’s hours was that we lost money).

Write about an unexpected outcome with the help of Grammar Coach.