1. Uninterested vs Disinterested
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Uninterested (opposite of interested)
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Disinterested (similar to neutral or impartial)
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Not wanting to know about or be involved in sth
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Able to be fair and not favour one side or the other in a situation because you’re not personally involved
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“My students seemed completely uninterested in the lesson about the history of taxation.”
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“We need a disinterested party to help decide who should win the prize.”
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* Some native speakers use “disinterested” to mean “uninterested”, particularly in speech or informal situations. A lot of people consider this incorrect, but it’s pretty common.
2. Famous vs Infamous
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Famous
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Infamous
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Known about by a lot of people, usually for sth. positive (used for people, things and places)
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Well known for sth. bad (used for people, things and places)
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“Taylor Swift is a famous singer.”
“She became famous after winning an Olympic gold medal.”
“The Taj Mahal is famous for its beauty.”
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“Jordan Belfort is infamous for running a stock market fraud operation.”
“Al Capone was an infamous gangster.”
“That house is infamous for having a girsly history.”
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3. Complimentary vs Complementary
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Complimentary
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Complementary
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Expressing praise or approval
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2 people or things that work well together because they’re useful together or visually appealing; can be quite different but they enhance each other
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“He was very complimentary about your presentation.”
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Complementary colours = blue and orange
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Free
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“They have complementary skills – she’s creative and he’s highly organised.”
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4. Economic vs Economical
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Economic
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Economical
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Related to the economy, money, business or trade (followed by a noun)
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Not wasteful; describes sth/sb that doesn’t waste time, money or energy
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“London is an important economic centre in Europe.”
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“This car is more economical than that one – it uses less fuel.”
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Producing enough profit to continue (often used in the negative)
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“Running the bus route through that village is no longer economic.”
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5. Distinct vs Distinctive
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Distinct
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Distinctive
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Clearly different or seperate
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Having a special quality that makes sth easy to recognise or remember because it’s different from other things
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“The Adidas and Nike logos are clearly distinct from each other.”
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“John has a very distinctive laugh.”
“That building has a distinctive architectural style.”
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Easy to notice
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“There was a distinct smell of smoke in the air.”
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* Distinct is also used to emphasise that something exists or is important. It collocates strongly with “advantage”, “possibility” and “lack of”
“Speaking multiple languages gives you a distinct advantage in the job market.”
6. Classic vs Classical
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Classic
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Classical
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High-quality, lasting and often seen as one of the best examples of its kind (used for books, films, clothes, cars, etc.)
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Music from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries, e.g. by Mozart or Beethoven
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“She’s really into classic cars and has several from the 1940s.”
“That black dress is classic – it’ll never go out of style.”
“He left his phone at home again. Classic Julian!” <= this is typical of him. (more playful)
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“I love listening to classical music when it’s played live.”
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Sth that has a long tradition
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“Classical ballet demands incredible precision and strength from every dancer on stage.”
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Things related to Ancient Greek or Roman culture
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“The museum in Athens has many classical sculptures.”
“He’s a classical scholar.” <= he studies Ancient Rome.
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