| VERB | cognition | speculate, theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose | to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds |
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| communication | speculate | talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion | |
| cognition | speculate, chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate | reflect deeply on a subject / subject | |
| possession | speculate, job | invest at a risk |
| Sounds | speh'kyahley.t | |
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| Rhymes | abate ... welterweight: 559 rhymes with eyt... | |
| Meaning | To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds. | |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s that CLAUSE | |
| Model | They speculate that there was a traffic accident | |
| Synonyms | theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose | |
| Narrower | explicate, formulate, develop | elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses |
| reconstruct, construct, retrace | reassemble mentally | |
| Broader | expect, anticipate | regard something as probable or likely |
| Adjectives | speculative | not based on fact or investigation |
| Nouns | speculation | a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence) |
| speculator | someone who makes conjectures without knowing the facts | |
| Meaning | talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion. | |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s that CLAUSE | |
| Narrower | guess, venture, pretend, hazard | Put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation |
| suppose, say | Express a supposition | |
| Broader | reason | Think logically |
| Adjectives | speculative | not based on fact or investigation |
| Nouns | speculation | a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence |
| speculator | someone who makes conjectures without knowing the facts | |
| Meaning | Reflect deeply on a subject / subject. | |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s PP | |
| Example | "philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years" | |
| Synonyms | chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate | |
| Narrower | bethink | Consider or ponder something carefully |
| cogitate | Consider carefully and deeply | |
| introspect | Reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings | |
| premeditate | Think or reflect beforehand or in advance | |
| puzzle | Be uncertain about | |
| study, consider | Give careful consideration to | |
| theologize, theologise | make theoretical speculations about theology or discuss theological subjects | |
| wonder, question | place in doubt or express doubtful speculation | |
| Broader | think, cogitate, cerebrate | Use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments |
| Catalan | meditar, reflexionar, rumiar | |
| Spanish | meditar, reflexionar | |
| Adjectives | speculative | showing curiosity |
| Nouns | speculation | continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject / subject or series of subjects / subjects of a deep or abstruse nature |
| Meaning | invest at a risk. | |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s PP | |
| Synonym | job | |
| Narrower | bull | try to raise the price of stocks through speculative buying |
| Broader | invest, put, commit, place | make an investment |
| Adjectives | speculative | not financially safe or secure |
| Nouns | speculation | an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits / profits |
| speculator | someone who risks losses for the possibility of considerable gains | |