🌿 Root Words — Life, Death & Nature
Master vocabulary through root words related to life, death, growth, earth, the sea, and natural forces — with examples, memory tips, and quick recall.
Root Words: Life, Death & Nature
This lesson covers roots related to life, death, living, dying, growth, earth, and nature. These words connect human experience to the natural world and are common in science and general knowledge passages.
💡 Strategy: Words about life and death appear frequently in agriculture, biology, and environmental passages. Master these roots and you'll understand the language of the natural world!
01. VIV / VIT = Life, Alive 🌱
🧠 Memory Hook: Vivid = full of life and colour. Vital = necessary for life. VIV = alive!
Vivacious
Meaning: Attractively lively and animated; full of life.
📝 "The vivacious host kept the audience entertained throughout the three-hour cultural programme."
Synonyms: Spirited, High-spirited, Dynamic, Bubbly, Vibrant Antonyms: Dull, Listless
🧠 Memory Tip: VIV (life) + ACIOUS = full of life → bubbly and energetic!
Vivid
Meaning: Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind; intensely bright.
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Root Words: Life, Death & Nature
This lesson covers roots related to life, death, living, dying, growth, earth, and nature. These words connect human experience to the natural world and are common in science and general knowledge passages.
💡 Strategy: Words about life and death appear frequently in agriculture, biology, and environmental passages. Master these roots and you'll understand the language of the natural world!
01. VIV / VIT = Life, Alive 🌱
🧠 Memory Hook: Vivid = full of life and colour. Vital = necessary for life. VIV = alive!
Vivacious
Meaning: Attractively lively and animated; full of life.
📝 "The vivacious host kept the audience entertained throughout the three-hour cultural programme."
Synonyms: Spirited, High-spirited, Dynamic, Bubbly, Vibrant Antonyms: Dull, Listless
🧠 Memory Tip: VIV (life) + ACIOUS = full of life → bubbly and energetic!
Vivid
Meaning: Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind; intensely bright.
📝 "The sunset painted the sky in vivid shades of orange, pink, and crimson."
Synonyms: Bright, Colourful, Striking, Graphic, Powerful, Brilliant, Intense
🧠 Memory Tip: VIV (life) + ID = full of life and colour → intensely bright and clear.
Vital
Meaning: Absolutely necessary for life; essential and critically important.
📝 "Clean drinking water is vital for the health and survival of rural communities."
Synonyms: Necessary, Important, Essential, Critical, Crucial Antonyms: Unimportant, Unnecessary
🧠 Memory Tip: VIT (life) + AL = relating to life → essential for survival.
Revive
Meaning: To restore to life, consciousness, or strength; to bring back.
📝 "The paramedics managed to revive the drowning victim using CPR."
Synonyms: Bring around, Restore, Resuscitate, Rejuvenate, Regenerate
🧠 Memory Tip: RE (again) + VIV (life) + E = to bring life again → to restore.
Survive
Meaning: To continue to live or exist, especially after a dangerous event.
📝 "Many small businesses struggled to survive during the economic downturn."
Synonyms: Live, Exist, Continue, Manage, Endure, Outlast
🧠 Memory Tip: SUR (over/above) + VIV (live) + E = to live over/through a challenge → to endure.
Convivial
Meaning: Friendly, lively, and enjoyable; fond of feasting and good company.
📝 "The convivial atmosphere at the village harvest festival brought the entire community together."
Synonyms: Cheerful, Enjoyable, Affable, Amiable, Genial, Jovial
🧠 Memory Tip: CON (together) + VIV (live) + IAL = living together joyfully → friendly and festive.
Viable
Meaning: Capable of working successfully; feasible; able to sustain life.
📝 "Drip irrigation is a viable alternative to flood irrigation in water-scarce regions."
Synonyms: Workable, Feasible, Practicable, Achievable, Possible, Sustainable
🧠 Memory Tip: VI (life) + ABLE = able to live/work → feasible and sustainable.
⚡ Quick Recall — VIV (Life)
- Vivacious → Full of life, bubbly
- Vivid → Intensely bright and clear
- Vital → Essential for life
- Revive → Bring back to life
- Survive → Live through danger
- Convivial → Friendly, festive atmosphere
- Viable → Feasible, able to work
02. MORT = Death ☠️
🧠 Memory Hook: Mortal = destined to die. A mortuary stores the dead. MORT = death.
Mortal
Meaning: Subject to death; causing or liable to cause death; human.
📝 "Unlike the gods of mythology, every human is mortal and must face death eventually."
Synonyms: Existing, Perishable, Human Antonyms: Immortal
🧠 Memory Tip: MORT (death) + AL = subject to death → human, perishable.
Immortal
Meaning: Living forever; never dying or decaying; deserving eternal fame.
📝 "Shakespeare's plays have made him virtually immortal in the world of literature."
Synonyms: Imperishable, Indestructible, Everlasting, Eternal, Undying Antonyms: Mortal
🧠 Memory Tip: IM (not) + MORT (death) + AL = not subject to death → living forever.
Mortify
Meaning: To cause someone to feel extreme embarrassment or shame; to subdue the body through self-denial.
📝 "She was mortified when she realized she had called the principal by the wrong name."
Synonyms: Embarrass, Humiliate, Shame, Disgrace
🧠 Memory Tip: MORT (death) + IFY (make) = to make someone feel like dying of embarrassment → to humiliate deeply.
Moribund
Meaning: On the point of death; in terminal decline; lacking vitality.
📝 "The moribund textile industry in the town left thousands of workers unemployed."
Synonyms: Declining, Fading, Dying, Failing, Stagnant, Stagnating
🧠 Memory Tip: MORI (death) + BUND = on the brink of death → dying out. A moribund industry is barely alive.
Mortgage
Meaning: A legal agreement where a bank lends money to buy property, with the property as security.
📝 "The young couple took out a 20-year mortgage to buy their first home."
Synonyms: Home loan, Advance, Credit
🧠 Memory Tip: MORT (death) + GAGE (pledge) = a pledge until death → a loan that lasts so long it feels like forever! (Originally: the pledge "dies" when the loan is repaid.)
⚡ Quick Recall — MORT (Death)
- Mortal → Subject to death (human)
- Immortal → Never dying
- Mortify → Embarrass deeply (die of shame)
- Moribund → Dying, in terminal decline
- Mortgage → Death-pledge (long-term loan)
03. GEN / GENE / GENI = Birth, Origin, Race 🧬
🧠 Memory Hook: Your genes determine your birth characteristics. Genesis = the beginning/birth. GEN = origin.
Genesis
Meaning: The origin or coming into being of something; the beginning.
📝 "The genesis of the Green Revolution in India can be traced to the late 1960s."
Synonyms: Inception, Start, Birth, Origin, Beginning, Dawn
🧠 Memory Tip: GEN (birth) + ESIS = the birth of something → the beginning.
Genius
Meaning: Exceptional intellectual or creative power; a person with such ability.
📝 "Albert Einstein is widely regarded as a scientific genius who reshaped our understanding of the universe."
🧠 Memory Tip: GENI (born with) + US = born with exceptional talent → extraordinary intelligence.
Genealogy
Meaning: The study or tracing of a family's ancestral line and history.
📝 "She researched her genealogy and discovered that her ancestors had migrated from Rajasthan 200 years ago."
Synonyms: Family history, Ancestry, Lineage
🧠 Memory Tip: GENE (birth/origin) + ALOGY (study) = the study of family origins → tracing your ancestry.
Generate
Meaning: To cause something to arise or come about; to produce.
📝 "Solar panels can generate enough electricity to power small farm equipment."
Synonyms: Produce, Create, Make, Bring about
🧠 Memory Tip: GEN (birth) + ERATE = to give birth to something → to produce/create.
Congenital
Meaning: Present from birth; inborn (especially of a disease or defect).
📝 "The child was born with a congenital heart defect that required surgery."
Synonyms: Inborn, Innate, Inherent, Natural, Inbred
🧠 Memory Tip: CON (with) + GENI (birth) + TAL = with birth → present since the moment of birth.
Genial
Meaning: Friendly and cheerful; pleasant and warm.
📝 "The genial shopkeeper greeted every customer with a warm smile and a cup of tea."
Synonyms: Friendly, Affable, Cordial, Congenial, Gentle, Kind, Warm
🧠 Memory Tip: GEN (born) + IAL = born with a friendly nature → naturally warm and pleasant.
Congenial
Meaning: Pleasant because it suits one's character or tastes; agreeable.
📝 "The quiet library provided a congenial atmosphere for focused study."
Synonyms: Compatible, Like-minded, Agreeable, Harmonious
🧠 Memory Tip: CON (with/together) + GEN (birth) + IAL = born together in nature → naturally compatible and agreeable.
⚡ Quick Recall — GEN (Birth)
- Genesis → Beginning, origin
- Genius → Born with exceptional talent
- Genealogy → Family history study
- Generate → Produce, create
- Congenital → Present from birth
- Genial → Naturally friendly
- Congenial → Naturally compatible
04. BIO = Life 🔬
🧠 Memory Hook: Biology = the study of life. Your biography = the story of your life. BIO = life.
Biography
Meaning: An account of someone's life written by another person.
📝 "The biography of Mahatma Gandhi reveals the principles that shaped India's independence movement."
Synonyms: Life story, Narrative
🧠 Memory Tip: BIO (life) + GRAPHY (writing) = writing about someone's life → a life story.
Biology
Meaning: The scientific study of living organisms and life processes.
📝 "An understanding of biology is essential for students pursuing careers in agriculture and medicine."
🧠 Memory Tip: BIO (life) + LOGY (study) = the study of life → the science of living things.
Biopsy
Meaning: An examination of tissue removed from a living body to diagnose disease.
📝 "The doctor ordered a biopsy to determine whether the lump was benign or malignant."
🧠 Memory Tip: BIO (life) + OPSY (see/view) = to see living tissue → medical tissue examination.
⚡ Quick Recall — BIO (Life)
- Biography → Written life story
- Biology → Study of living things
- Biopsy → Medical tissue examination
05. GEO = Earth 🌍
🧠 Memory Hook: Geography = studying the earth. Geology = the science of the earth. GEO = earth.
Geography
Meaning: The study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere.
📝 "India's diverse geography — from the Himalayas to the coastal plains — supports a vast range of crops."
🧠 Memory Tip: GEO (earth) + GRAPHY (writing/study) = study of the earth → physical features and landforms.
Geology
Meaning: The science of the earth's physical structure, substances, and history.
📝 "Geology helps engineers identify safe locations for building dams and bridges."
🧠 Memory Tip: GEO (earth) + LOGY (study) = the study of earth's rocks and structure.
Geometry
Meaning: The branch of mathematics dealing with shapes, sizes, and spatial relationships.
📝 "Farmers use basic geometry to calculate the area of their plots for land records."
🧠 Memory Tip: GEO (earth) + METRY (measure) = measuring the earth → the math of shapes and space. (Ancient Egyptians invented geometry to re-measure farmland after the Nile's annual floods!)
⚡ Quick Recall — GEO (Earth)
- Geography → Study of earth's features
- Geology → Study of earth's structure
- Geometry → Measurement of shapes (earth-measuring)
06. HYDR / AQUA = Water 💧
🧠 Memory Hook: Hydration = adding water. Aqua is literally Latin for water. Both = water!
Dehydrate
Meaning: To lose a large amount of water from the body; to remove water from something.
📝 "Working in the heat without drinking fluids can cause you to dehydrate quickly."
Synonyms: Dry out, Exhaust, Remove moisture
🧠 Memory Tip: DE (remove) + HYDR (water) + ATE = to remove water → to dry out.
Aquatic
Meaning: Relating to or living in water.
📝 "Rice paddies provide habitat for many aquatic organisms, including frogs and small fish."
Synonyms: Marine, Nautical
🧠 Memory Tip: AQUA (water) + TIC = relating to water → living in water. An aquarium = a glass box of water.
Hydraulic
Meaning: Relating to or operated by liquid (especially water) moving under pressure.
📝 "The hydraulic lift system in the warehouse can raise pallets weighing up to five tonnes."
🧠 Memory Tip: HYDR (water) + AULIC = powered by water pressure → liquid-powered machinery.
⚡ Quick Recall — HYDR / AQUA (Water)
- Dehydrate → Remove water
- Aquatic → Living in water
- Hydraulic → Powered by water/liquid pressure
07. NASC / NAT = Birth, Spring Forth 🌸
🧠 Memory Hook: A baby is born in a nativity scene. Nature is what was born from the earth. NAT = birth.
Innate
Meaning: Inborn; natural rather than learned.
📝 "Some people have an innate ability to connect with others, while others develop this skill over time."
Synonyms: Inborn, Natural, Instinctive, Inherent, Intuitive Antonyms: Acquired, Learned
🧠 Memory Tip: IN (in) + NAT (born) + E = born in you → natural and inborn.
Nascent
Meaning: Just beginning to develop; in the earliest stage of growth.
📝 "India's nascent electric vehicle industry is expected to grow rapidly with government incentives."
Synonyms: Budding, Developing, Evolving, Emerging, Growing, Incipient Antonyms: Established
🧠 Memory Tip: NASC (birth) + ENT = just being born → in the earliest stages of development. A nascent project is like a newborn baby!
Renaissance
Meaning: A revival of interest or achievement in something; (capitalized) the European cultural rebirth of the 14th-17th centuries.
📝 "Indian cinema is experiencing a renaissance, with bold new filmmakers gaining international acclaim."
Synonyms: Revival, Rebirth, Renewal, Restoration, Resurgence
🧠 Memory Tip: RE (again) + NAISS (born) + ANCE = to be born again → a cultural rebirth and revival.
Cognate (also from COGN/NAT)
Meaning: Having the same origin; related by birth.
📝 "'Night' (English) and 'Nacht' (German) are cognate words descending from the same ancestor."
🧠 Memory Tip: CO (together) + GNAT (born) + E = born together from the same source → related by origin.
⚡ Quick Recall — NAT (Birth)
- Innate → Inborn, natural
- Nascent → Just being born (emerging)
- Renaissance → Rebirth, cultural revival
08. DERM = Skin 🧴
🧠 Memory Hook: A dermatologist treats your skin. DERM = skin.
Dermatology
Meaning: The branch of medicine dealing with skin disorders.
📝 "She consulted a specialist in dermatology for the persistent rash on her arms."
🧠 Memory Tip: DERM (skin) + ATOLOGY (study) = the study of skin → skin medicine.
Epidermis
Meaning: The outer layer of skin; the surface layer of cells covering an organism.
📝 "Sunscreen protects the epidermis from harmful ultraviolet radiation."
🧠 Memory Tip: EPI (upon/over) + DERM (skin) + IS = the layer upon the skin → the outermost skin layer.
Hypodermic
Meaning: Relating to or introduced beneath the skin (as in an injection).
📝 "The nurse used a hypodermic needle to administer the vaccine."
🧠 Memory Tip: HYPO (under) + DERM (skin) + IC = under the skin → beneath the skin. A hypodermic injection goes under the skin.
Pachyderm
Meaning: A very large animal with thick skin, such as an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus.
📝 "The pachyderm enclosure at the zoo houses three African elephants and a white rhinoceros."
🧠 Memory Tip: PACHY (thick) + DERM (skin) = thick-skinned animal → elephant! You can also call someone a pachyderm if they're insensitive to criticism (thick-skinned).
⚡ Quick Recall — DERM (Skin)
- Dermatology → Study of skin diseases
- Epidermis → Outer skin layer
- Hypodermic → Under the skin
- Pachyderm → Thick-skinned animal (elephant)
09. NAV / NAUS / NAU = Ship, Sail ⛵
🧠 Memory Hook: The navy sails ships. Nausea = the sick feeling you get on a ship. NAV = ship.
Navigate
Meaning: To plan and direct the route of a ship, aircraft, or other form of transport.
📝 "Ancient sailors used the stars to navigate across vast oceans."
Synonyms: Pilot, Steer, Manoeuvre, Guide
🧠 Memory Tip: NAV (ship) + IGATE = to guide a ship → to steer and direct a course.
Nausea
Meaning: A feeling of sickness with an urge to vomit; extreme disgust.
📝 "The strong smell of pesticide caused nausea among the farmworkers."
Synonyms: Sickness, Queasiness, Revulsion
🧠 Memory Tip: NAUS (ship) + EA = the ship-sickness → feeling like throwing up. Seasickness on ships = the original nausea!
Naval
Meaning: Relating to a navy or warships.
📝 "India's naval fleet includes aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers."
🧠 Memory Tip: NAV (ship) + AL = relating to ships and the navy.
Nautical
Meaning: Relating to sailors, ships, or navigation at sea.
📝 "A nautical mile is slightly longer than a standard mile — about 1.852 kilometres."
Synonyms: Marine, Maritime, Naval, Sea-going
🧠 Memory Tip: NAUT (ship/sailor) + ICAL = relating to ships and sailing → of the sea.
⚡ Quick Recall — NAV (Ship)
- Navigate → Steer a ship/course
- Nausea → Ship-sickness (urge to vomit)
- Naval → Relating to the navy
- Nautical → Relating to sailing/sea
10. COSM = World, Universe 🌌
🧠 Memory Hook: The cosmos is the entire universe. A cosmopolitan person is at home in the world. COSM = world.
Cosmopolitan
Meaning: Familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures; international.
📝 "Mumbai is a truly cosmopolitan city, home to people from every corner of India and the world."
Synonyms: Worldly, Cultured, International
🧠 Memory Tip: COSM (world) + POLITAN (citizen) = a citizen of the world → worldly and cultured.
Cosmos
Meaning: The universe seen as a well-ordered whole; the entire world.
📝 "Astronomers continue to discover new galaxies in the vast, unexplored cosmos."
🧠 Memory Tip: COSM (world/universe) + OS = the world in its entirety → the ordered universe.
Cosmic
Meaning: Relating to the universe or cosmos; immeasurably vast.
📝 "The probability of that coincidence was so small it seemed almost cosmic in nature."
🧠 Memory Tip: COSM (universe) + IC = of the universe → vastly grand in scale.
Microcosm
Meaning: A miniature representation of something much larger; a small world reflecting the big one.
📝 "A school classroom is a microcosm of society — diversity, competition, cooperation, and conflict all coexist."
🧠 Memory Tip: MICRO (small) + COSM (world) = a small world → a miniature version of the larger whole.
⚡ Quick Recall — COSM (World)
- Cosmopolitan → World citizen, cultured
- Cosmos → The entire universe
- Cosmic → Of the universe, vast
- Microcosm → Small world (miniature of the whole)
11. PATH / PASS = Feel, Suffer 😔
🧠 Memory Hook: Sympathy = feeling with someone who suffers. Pathos = deep emotional feeling. PATH = to feel/suffer.
Sympathy
Meaning: Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
📝 "The community expressed deep sympathy for the families affected by the flood."
Synonyms: Pity, Compassion, Commission, Commiseration
🧠 Memory Tip: SYM (with/same) + PATH (feel) + Y = to feel with someone → sharing their sorrow.
Apathy
Meaning: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern; emotional indifference.
📝 "Voter apathy in local elections resulted in a turnout of just 28%."
Synonyms: Unconcern, Indifference, Disinterest Antonyms: Enthusiasm, Passion
🧠 Memory Tip: A (without) + PATH (feeling) + Y = without feeling → complete indifference.
Empathy
Meaning: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
📝 "A good leader shows empathy by genuinely understanding the challenges faced by their team."
Synonyms: Understanding, Sensitivity, Identification with
🧠 Memory Tip: EM (in) + PATH (feel) + Y = to feel into someone else's experience → understanding their emotions from the inside. Empathy > sympathy: you don't just feel for them, you feel as them.
Pathetic
Meaning: Arousing pity; inadequate or useless.
📝 "The team's pathetic performance in the final match disappointed millions of fans."
Synonyms: Pitiful, Pitiable, Moving, Miserable, Feeble, Woeful
🧠 Memory Tip: PATH (feel/suffer) + ETIC = causing feelings of pity → pitifully inadequate.
Antipathy
Meaning: A deep-seated feeling of aversion or dislike; hostility.
📝 "There was a strong antipathy between the two rival business families."
Synonyms: Aversion, Dislike, Hostility, Opposition
🧠 Memory Tip: ANTI (against) + PATH (feel) + Y = feeling against → deep dislike.
⚡ Quick Recall — PATH (Feel/Suffer)
- Sympathy → Feel with (pity)
- Apathy → Feel nothing (indifference)
- Empathy → Feel into (deep understanding)
- Pathetic → Arousing pity
- Antipathy → Feeling against (dislike)
12. PHOB / PHYL = Fear, Love 💜
🧠 Memory Hook: A phobia = a fear of something. A philanthropist loves humans. PHOB = fear, PHIL = love.
Phobia
Meaning: An extreme or irrational fear of something specific.
📝 "His phobia of flying forced him to take trains for all long-distance travel."
Synonyms: Fear, Terror, Dread, Aversion
🧠 Memory Tip: PHOB (fear) + IA = a condition of fear → irrational terror of something.
Claustrophobia
Meaning: An extreme fear of confined spaces.
📝 "Her claustrophobia made it impossible for her to use crowded elevators."
🧠 Memory Tip: CLAUSTRO (closed) + PHOBIA (fear) = fear of closed spaces.
Philanthropy
Meaning: The desire to promote the welfare of others, especially through generous donations.
📝 "Ratan Tata's philanthropy has funded hospitals, schools, and rural development projects."
Synonyms: Charity, Generosity, Benevolence
🧠 Memory Tip: PHIL (love) + ANTHROP (humans) + Y = love of humans → charitable giving.
Bibliophile
Meaning: A person who collects or loves books.
📝 "The bibliophile had amassed a personal library of over 10,000 rare and antique books."
🧠 Memory Tip: BIBLIO (book) + PHIL (love) + E = a lover of books → a book collector.
⚡ Quick Recall — PHOB / PHIL (Fear / Love)
- Phobia → Irrational fear
- Claustrophobia → Fear of closed spaces
- Philanthropy → Love of humanity (charity)
- Bibliophile → Lover of books
🎓 Lesson Complete! You've mastered 12 roots and ~55 words connected to life, death, nature, and the world. These roots are fundamental to understanding biology, agriculture, geography, and environmental topics. Revise with the Quick Recall boxes!
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Concept / Topic | Key Details / Explanation |
|---|---|
| VIV / VIT = Life | Root meaning: alive, living |
| Vivacious | Full of life, bubbly and energetic |
| Vital | Essential for life; critically important |
| Convivial | Living together joyfully; festive, friendly atmosphere |
| Viable | Feasible, able to work / sustain life |
| MORT = Death | Root meaning: dying, mortality |
| Mortal ↔ Immortal | Subject to death vs. never dying |
| Mortify | Embarrass deeply (feel like dying of shame) |
| Moribund | Dying out, in terminal decline |
| Mortgage | "Death-pledge" — loan that lasts very long |
| GEN / GENE = Birth / Origin | Root meaning: creation, race |
| Genesis | The beginning or origin of something |
| Congenital | Present from birth (disease or trait) |
| Genial ↔ Congenial | Naturally friendly (person) vs. naturally compatible (setting) |
| Genealogy | Study of family ancestry |
| BIO = Life | Root meaning: biological life |
| Biography | Life story written by another (≠ Autobiography) |
| Biopsy | Medical examination of living tissue |
| GEO = Earth | Root meaning: the physical world |
| Geography / Geology | Study of earth's features / earth's structure |
| Geometry | Measurement of shapes (originally: measuring farmland) |
| HYDR / AQUA = Water | Root meaning: liquid, water |
| Dehydrate | Remove water from the body |
| Hydraulic | Powered by water/liquid pressure |
| NASC / NAT = Birth / Spring | Root meaning: natural origin |
| Innate | Inborn, natural — not learned |
| Nascent | Just emerging, in earliest stages |
| Renaissance | Rebirth, cultural revival (RE + NAISS) |
| DERM = Skin | Root meaning: skin layer |
| Epidermis | Outer skin layer (EPI = upon) |
| Hypodermic | Under the skin (HYPO = under) |
| Pachyderm | Thick-skinned animal (elephant) — also: insensitive person |
| NAV / NAUS = Ship | Root meaning: sailing, sea |
| Nausea | "Ship-sickness" — urge to vomit |
| Nautical | Relating to sailors and sea navigation |
| COSM = World / Universe | Root meaning: the cosmos |
| Cosmopolitan | Citizen of the world; worldly and multicultural |
| Microcosm | A small world reflecting the larger whole |
| PATH / PASS = Feel / Suffer | Root meaning: emotion, experience |
| Sympathy | Feel with someone (pity) |
| Empathy | Feel into someone's experience (deeper than sympathy) |
| Apathy | Feel nothing; complete indifference |
| Antipathy | Feel against; deep dislike/aversion |
| PHOB / PHIL = Fear / Love | Root meaning: aversion vs. attraction |
| Phobia | Irrational fear |
| Philanthropy | Love of humanity; charitable giving |
| Bibliophile | Lover of books |
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