Today we’re continuing with Word Knots, where we look at common situations involving words that are often confused or misused. 

We primarily use two highly recommended sources: The Dictionary of Disagreeable English by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Chicago: Writer’s Digest Books) and Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge (New York: W.W. Norton).

Rather than take a stern ‘grammar police’ approach we try to keep it light and in each installment point out examples of semantic confusion that should be considered “must to avoid.”

From Fiske:

Disparate

Misused for desperate.

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Let’s look at the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions:

disparate

adjective

1 a: distinct in quality or character : unequal, dissimilar

   b: comprising markedly dissimilar and unequal elements : not homogeneous

2   : of two or more statements : having no definitive relation in common

desperate

adjective

1  : having lost hope : yielding to despair

 2  a: moved by despair

     b: arising from or indicative of extreme need or pressure of circumstance

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To put it simply, disparate means different or distinct, while desperate means overwhelmed by anxiety or hopelessness.

Examples of each:

The IT department decided to try disparate solutions to the network problems, including new hardware and software.

It was an unlikely union, considering that the husband and wife held disparate views.

With the ship taking on water, the crew took desperate measures to save their lives.

Forcing a meeting with the department head was considered a desperate measure by the manager.

While these are two disparate words, I see them confused from time to time. And remember, checking a bona fide legitimate dictionary should never be considered a desperate measure: It’s the right thing to do when unsure.

Word choice is important, which is why checking your work is a critical step toward ensuring that your intended meaning is clear.

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