✅ Aristocratic describes someone who behaves in a way associated with the aristocracy or a social group considered to be superior (an aristocratic sneer).

✅ Patrician describes someone who comes from a noble family or who has the characteristics of nobility, such as good manners and education (a patrician bearing).

✅ Both of these words describe a person who has qualities we associate with upper class people and society.

✅ Patrician is a less common word than aristocratic (He had a fittingly patrician education; She had a very aristocratic way of speaking).

✅ Stick means to connect something to something else using an adhesive (Use glue to stick the glitter to the heart).

✅ Attach means to connect or affix something to something else (Attach the beads together with wire).

✅ Both of these words refer to connecting things together securely.

✅ Stick suggests the presence of an adhesive, whereas attach can suggest any method of connecting two things together (I attached a photograph to the letter with a paperclip).

✅ Cushion means to lessen the effects of something (I tried to cushion the blow by being upbeat and supportive).

✅ Soften means to make something softer or easier to handle (I softened the bad news by leading with good news).

✅ Both of these words can mean to make something less difficult or less intense (cushion a fall; soften a blow).

✅ Soften can also mean to make something physically softer or make something less harsh (A warm environment will soften the butter; She softened when she saw he was upset).