The verb want is one of the most frequently used verbs in the English language. It conveys desire in ways ranging from the more casual (she wants an ice cream) to more intense (she wants to be notified in case of emergency). Covet also deals with desire, but more specifically, it deals with the desire to possess what someone else possesses (she coveted her friend’s beachfront property). Envy and longing are implied by this term, though covet is sometimes used in a less grasping manner to talk about wishing for something eagerly.

The verbs disagree and quarrel are synonyms, but they don’t quite see eye to eye. Disagree is the general term used to talk about differences in opinion (three of the judges disagreed with the verdict) or simple lack of agreement between items (the conclusions disagree with the facts). Disagree can also be used to talk about items or conditions that cause physical discomfort (the oysters disagreed with her). But none of these level-headed meanings overlap exactly with quarrel. To quarrel is to disagree angrily or to squabble. This more vehement verb suggests an angry dispute or altercation, or a disagreement marked by a temporary or permanent break in friendly relations.

Something that is unimportant lacks significance or value. Unimportant details in a movie, for instance, add little to the story. Something that is negligible is so small, trifling, or unimportant that it may safely be neglected or disregarded. Negligible carries no positive or negative force on its own; when it describes something undesirable, like damage, negligible can come as a relief: The couple was relieved to learn that water damage to their home was negligible. But when it is describing something more desirable, like financial growth, negligible can connote disappointment: Much to the chagrin of investors, the company’s growth in the last year was negligible.