balk — to hesitate or refuse to proceed; to stop short and refuse to go on
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to hesitate or refuse to proceed; to stop short and refuse to go on
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɔːk/
Example Sentences
- My cat balks at taking a bath like it's being tortured by medieval knights.
- Students often balk at the idea of early morning classes.
- The negotiation was balked by unreasonable demands from both sides.
balk
VERB[/bɔːk/]
to hesitate or refuse to proceed; to stop short and refuse to go on
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old Norse 'balkr' meaning a ridge of land or beam, which entered Middle English through Scandinavian influence. The sense of 'to stop short' developed from the idea of an obstruction or barrier.
Breakdown
Single morpheme from Old Norse 'balkr' (ridge, beam, obstruction) - no further breakdown as it is a root word adopted into English
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat balks at taking a bath like it's being tortured by medieval knights.”
“Students often balk at the idea of early morning classes.”
“The negotiation was balked by unreasonable demands from both sides.”
“My stomach balks at the thought of eating insects, even if they're considered delicacies.”
📚Related Words
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