All words

emend

Meaning

To alter or improve written material by rectifying errors or omissions.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

After her teacher handed back her essay, Maria saw many red marks on the pages. She felt nervous but knew these suggestions would help her learn. She took her time to emend each mistake, changing sentences so her writing could be as clear as possible.

I was so angry when the clerk found the error on my application. My birth year was wrong. Now I have to go through a long and annoying process with the main office just to emend that one small, stupid mistake on the official document.

The editor stayed up past midnight to emend the manuscript, fixing every spelling mistake and awkward sentence before the morning deadline. Her careful corrections transformed the rough draft into something the author could finally be proud to submit for publication.

After Steve tried to write a love poem, his spelling was so bad that his "roses are red" line became "roses are rude." His friend had to emend every line, fixing words that even a cat couldn't read. The poem ended up thanking fruit salad instead of his girlfriend!

My husband’s grocery list just said "Chicken blobs" and "Angry water." Before I left, I had to grab a pen and emend his strange requests to "chicken nuggets" and "sparkling water" so I wouldn't look like a complete weirdo at the store.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

After receiving feedback from her editor, Sarah decided to emend her essay by revising the introduction and tightening up her argument. She carefully reviewed the comments and made the necessary changes to improve the overall quality of her writing.

As the editor meticulously examined the manuscript, she noticed several inconsistencies and grammatical errors. Eager to present the finest version possible, she resolved to emend the text thoroughly, correcting typos, clarifying sentences, and ensuring its overall coherence.

The old journal found in the attic was a chilling discovery. As I flipped through the pages, I could sense the darkness that enveloped the writer's mind. The words were filled with despair and madness, as if the author had been possessed by a malevolent force. But as I continued to read, I noticed a sudden shift in tone. It was as if the writer had suddenly regained their sanity and was attempting to emend their previous entries. However, it was clear that it was too late. The evil had already taken hold, and there was no going back.

The gruesome scene was beyond comprehension. The twisted metal and shattered glass lay strewn across the mangled wreckage like a macabre puzzle. As paramedics frantically tended to the victims, a lone doctor approached the scene with trembling hands. His eyes scanned the grim tableau, seeking a way to amend the horrors that lay before him. He knew that his medical knowledge alone could not rectify the true extent of the tragedy, but he was determined to alleviate the suffering in whatever way he could.

In the land of Evermore, where magic flowed like a river, the ancient spellbook needed to be emended. The wizard, with his wrinkled hands and wise eyes, carefully studied the faded words on the parchment. With a wave of his wand, he whispered incantations that shimmered in the air, causing the words to rearrange themselves. The corrections were made, and the spellbook once again glowed with power. The wizard smiled, knowing that he had successfully emended the text, ensuring that the spells within would work as intended. The balance of magic in Evermore was restored, thanks to his skillful corrections.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

When the teacher handed back his essay, Alex noticed several red marks. He was asked to emend the paper before it would be graded. Although he felt embarrassed by the mistakes, he knew taking time to emend each sentence would improve his work and help him learn.

My professor's feedback filled the margins with sharp red notes. His final comment was blunt: I must emend the entire thesis, not just correct minor errors. The critique felt harsh, but I knew he was right; a complete textual rewrite was necessary to save my grade.

The editor stayed late, determined to emend every mistake in the manuscript before the morning deadline. She changed misspelled words, fixed grammar errors, and corrected awkward phrases. By midnight, the text finally read smoothly, all the alterations improving what the author had originally written.

When the mischievous parrot decided to compose a novel by pecking at Mr. Jenkins’ keyboard, the result was a masterpiece of gibberish. Mr. Jenkins had no choice but to emend the text, though he was tempted to leave one chapter in fluent squawk, just for literary flair.

The kidnapper’s initial ransom note was a disaster. So full of spelling errors, his partner had to emend the entire text, changing “gimme one million doll hairs” to something more menacing and grammatically sound before it could be sent to the horrified family.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

After hours of poring over the old manuscript, Clara realized she would have to emend several passages riddled with errors. Though exhausted, she felt driven to correct the text, knowing her meticulous alterations would ensure the document's integrity for future generations studying its historical significance.

The junior associate’s perfunctory legal brief was rife with error. His superior sighed, knowing he must spend the night trying to emend the specious arguments and sloppy citations before it could be filed with the court, a truly ignominious task.

The manuscript had languished in her desk for months, its glaring errors multiplying like weeds. She finally resolved to emend the text, crossing out clumsy phrases and rewriting entire paragraphs. Each alteration brought relief, transforming her careless draft into something coherent. By midnight, the pages bore little resemblance to their original incarnation.

During the frenzied editing of his magnum opus, Lionel attempted to emend the chapter in which a llama ran for city council, only to inadvertently promote it to mayor. Tragically, his textual alterations failed to remedy the chaos, resulting in mandatory hay distribution and a town-wide spit-polishing ordinance.

The perspicacious magnate refused to pay, instead offering to emend the kidnapper’s ignominious note. The document’s tendentious reasoning and execrable grammar were an affront to his sensibilities, and far more criminal than the abduction itself.

Difficulty

Challenging — Rare, high-register words for serious word lovers.

Appears in

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