Decision Making Vocabulary

noun a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

conjunction a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause

article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun

• All things considered, the company made a wise decision to invest in new technology.
• All things considered, I think we should go with the blue paint for the living room.
• All things considered, I say we just chill and watch some movies tonight.
• All things considered, life is like a puzzle where every piece has its place.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.

verb A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence.

• The train is scheduled to arrive at the station at 3:30 PM.
• I'll arrive at the party around 8 o'clock.
• Let's dip out before the cops arrive at the scene.
• After years of hard work, she finally arrived at success.

verb to reduce or simplify something to its most essential or important aspects

• In chemistry, the process of distillation involves boiling down a liquid to separate its components.
• When you really boil it down, the issue is just a lack of communication between the two parties.
• Let me boil it down for you - she's just not that into you.
• The argument eventually boiled down to a clash of egos rather than a difference in opinion.

noun the act of purchasing or acquiring something, especially with the understanding or agreement of a group or organization

verb to purchase or acquire something, especially with the understanding or agreement of a group or organization

• Before making a decision, we need to get everyone's buy in on the new project proposal.
• I'm not sure if everyone will buy in to the idea of changing the office layout.
• I'm trying to convince my friends to buy in on going to the concert with me.
• In order for the plan to succeed, we must have the full buy in of all team members.

noun a change in direction or path

verb to alter the direction or path of something

• In order to avoid the storm, the captain decided to change course.
• We should probably change course if we want to make it to the party on time.
• Let's switch things up and change course for a bit of excitement.
• Sometimes in life, we need to change course in order to find our true path.

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

• It is important to carefully choose the right candidate for the job.
• I can't decide which movie to watch, there are so many to choose from!
• I'll let you choose where we grab dinner tonight.
• Sometimes in life, we must choose between what is easy and what is right.

verb to come to a resolution or make a choice after consideration

• After much deliberation, the committee will decide on the best course of action.
• I can't decide between the blue or green dress for the party.
• Let's flip a coin to decide who goes first.
• Sometimes you have to let go of the past in order to decide your future.

noun a state of indecision or hesitation

verb to be indecisive or uncertain

• The CEO refused to dither on the decision and made a firm choice.
• Stop dithering and just pick a movie to watch!
• Quit dithering and just go for it!
• She felt like she was dithering between two paths in life.

noun flip of a coin - the specific act of tossing a coin to make a decision

• The outcome of the negotiation was decided by the flip of a coin.
• We'll let fate decide with a flip of a coin.
• Let's leave it up to chance and do a coin flip.
• Making a decision felt like a flip of a coin, with no clear answer in sight.

verb to act or speak without thinking carefully beforehand

adverb in a hasty or impulsive manner

• It's important to carefully consider all options before making a decision, so you don't go off half cocked.
• Don't just rush into things without thinking it through, you don't want to go off half cocked.
• Dude, don't be so impulsive, you always go off half cocked.
• She tends to go off half cocked when she's angry, without considering the consequences.

noun excessive speed or urgency in movement or action; hurry

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The project was completed in haste due to the tight deadline.
• Don't rush through the presentation; take your time and don't do it in haste.
• Let's not do things in haste, we might mess it up.
• In the haste of getting to the party on time, I forgot to bring a gift.

verb to pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

adjective showing a lack of decisiveness or confidence

adverb in a hesitant manner

• She was hesitating to make a decision until she had all the necessary information.
• He kept hesitating about whether to ask her out on a date.
• Stop hesitating and just go for it!
• The sun was hesitating behind the clouds, unsure if it wanted to come out or not.

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb by providing information on how an action is performed

• She made the decision impulsively without considering the consequences.
• He just impulsively bought a new car without thinking it through.
• I impulsively decided to ditch class and go to the beach instead.
• The artist impulsively splashed paint on the canvas, creating a masterpiece.

noun a place or point from which one starts or begins something

preposition used to indicate the origin or starting point of an action or movement

• The hotel served as a convenient jumping off place for tourists exploring the city.
• The park is our usual jumping off place for weekend adventures.
• The beach is our go-to jumping off place for some fun in the sun.
• The decision to go back to school was her jumping off place for a new chapter in life.

adjective describes something that makes sense or follows a clear and rational thought process

• It is important to follow a logical sequence when presenting your arguments in an academic essay.
• If you think about it logically, it just doesn't make sense to spend all that money on something you don't really need.
• Dude, it's just not logical to drive all the way across town just to get a burger.
• In the game of chess, you have to think several moves ahead and make logical decisions to outsmart your opponent.

noun a type of strong, sweetened, spiced wine, typically served hot

verb to think about carefully; consider

• After much deliberation, the committee decided to mull over the proposal before making a decision.
• Let's mull over the options before choosing which one to go with.
• I need some time to mull things over before I can give you an answer.
• She liked to mull over the memories of her childhood when she was feeling nostalgic.

adverb immediately or without delay

preposition indicating the location or position of something

• The judge made a decision on the spot during the court hearing.
• I had to come up with a plan on the spot when my car broke down.
• She was able to clap back at the bully on the spot.
• His spontaneous speech was so inspiring, it felt like he was coming up with it on the spot.

noun a feeling of hesitation or reluctance

verb to delay or postpone something

adjective feeling of being hesitant or reluctant

• I had to put off our meeting until next week due to a scheduling conflict.
• I decided to put off doing my homework until later.
• I keep putting off cleaning my room because I'm too lazy.
• Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

noun a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma

• She found herself in a quandary when presented with two equally compelling job offers.
• I'm in a bit of a quandary about which movie to watch tonight.
• I'm in a real quandary about whether to go out or stay in tonight.
• His moral quandary about whether to tell the truth or protect his friend weighed heavily on his mind.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'second thoughts' is a noun phrase that refers to doubts or reconsiderations about a decision or course of action.

• After careful consideration, she decided to proceed with the plan without any second thoughts.
• She was about to buy the dress but then she had second thoughts and put it back.
• I was going to quit my job but I had second thoughts and decided to stick it out.
• As he stood at the edge of the cliff, he had second thoughts about jumping into the unknown abyss below.

verb to decide on or choose something after careful consideration

preposition used to indicate the choice or decision made

• After much deliberation, we finally settled upon a suitable candidate for the position.
• Let's just settle upon a movie to watch tonight and stop arguing about it.
• We need to settle upon a plan for the weekend, so we can all have a good time.
• The dust settled upon the old bookshelf, giving it a nostalgic look.

noun a period of rest for the body and mind, during which volition and consciousness are in partial or complete abeyance, and the bodily functions partially suspended

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

• It is not advisable to sleep on important decisions without carefully considering all the factors involved.
• Don't sleep on the opportunity to invest in that company, it could be a game-changer.
• You're sleeping on the new album, it's fire!
• Don't sleep on your dreams, pursue them with determination and passion.

adjective describing an opinion, decision, or vote that is fully agreed upon by everyone involved

• The board of directors reached a unanimous decision on the new company policy.
• We all agreed on the plan, it was unanimous.
• Everyone was on the same page, it was a total no-brainer.
• Their hearts beat as one, their unity unanimous.

noun the state of being uncertain or not able to be relied on

adjective not able to be relied on or known for certain

• The economic forecast is filled with uncertainty due to the global pandemic.
• I'm not sure what the future holds, there's a lot of uncertainty right now.
• I'm feeling kinda iffy about the situation, there's so much uncertainty.
• In the fog of uncertainty, she struggled to find her way forward.

adjective showing a lack of good sense or judgment; foolish.

• It would be unwise to make such a hasty decision without considering all the facts.
• It's unwise to skip breakfast if you want to have enough energy for the day.
• Dude, it's totally unwise to mess with that guy, he's got a short temper.
• Choosing to ignore the warning signs is like walking down a dark alley alone at night - completely unwise.

noun the final result or outcome of a situation or action

• The upshot of the meeting was that the project would be delayed by two weeks.
• The upshot of all this is that we get to leave work early today!
• The upshot of the party was that we all got free drinks all night.
• The upshot of taking risks is that you might end up with great rewards.

noun a conscious choice or decision

• She made the decision to pursue further education of her own volition.
• He chose to go on the trip on his own volition.
• I did that on my own volition, nobody forced me.
• The wind seemed to blow of its own volition, as if it had a mind of its own.

noun The process of separating the chaff from grain by means of a current of air.

verb To blow or fan away the chaff from grain by means of a current of air.

• The farmer used a winnowing machine to separate the wheat from the chaff.
• I need to winnow down my list of potential colleges before I apply.
• Let's winnow out the weak players and focus on the strongest ones.
• She had to winnow through all the conflicting advice to find the truth.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective describes a noun or pronoun

• The scientist was surprised to discover an unexpected certainty in her research findings.
• I never expected to find such an unexpected certainty in my experiment results.
• Who would've thought we'd stumble upon this unexpected certainty in our investigation?
• In the chaos of life, sometimes we find unexpected certainties that guide us through the uncertainty.

noun a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action

• His velleity to learn a new language was evident in his enrollment in a beginner's course.
• She had a velleity to start jogging but never got around to buying running shoes.
• I had a velleity to clean my room, but Netflix seemed like a better option.
• The velleity of the political candidate to bring about change was met with skepticism by the public.

verb to reach or arrive at a particular point or decision

pronoun refers to a specific point or topic being discussed

preposition used to introduce a further statement or a rephrasing of a previous one

• When we come to that part of the presentation, we will discuss the financial projections in detail.
• Let's talk about that when we come to that section of the meeting.
• We'll get to that when we come to that, no rush.
• As we navigate through the project, we will eventually come to that crossroads and have to make a decision.

noun a bag made of fabric or other material used for carrying or storing items

verb to dismiss or get rid of something or someone

preposition used to indicate removal or separation

• It is unprofessional to sack off work without a valid reason.
• Let's just sack off this meeting and go grab some lunch instead.
• I'm going to sack off studying and binge-watch Netflix tonight.
• Sometimes you need to sack off negative thoughts and focus on the positive instead.

noun the quality of being advisable or prudent; the state of being advisable

• The advisability of investing in that particular stock is still under debate among financial experts.
• I'm not sure about the advisability of going to that party tonight, it might be too crowded.
• I don't think it's a good idea to skip class, the advisability of that is pretty low.
• In the game of chess, the advisability of sacrificing a pawn for a strategic advantage is often a calculated risk.

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, indicating when, how, or to what extent something is done

• When making important decisions, it is advisably to seek advice from experts.
• You should advisably check the weather forecast before planning a picnic.
• It's advisably to hit the gym before summer hits.
• In life, it's advisably to choose your battles wisely.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, indicating manner, time, place, or degree

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• Against one's better judgment, she decided to invest in the risky stock market.
• I know it's against your better judgment, but let's go skydiving this weekend!
• My friends wanted to skip class, and against my better judgment, I went along with them.
• He knew he shouldn't eat the whole cake, but against his better judgment, he indulged in it anyway.