Vocabulary Tricks Part 9: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

 

All That Glitters Is Not Gold: The attractive external appearance of something is not a reliable indication of its true nature.

We are familiar with the maxim, ‘A book should not be judged by its cover’. But we have the habit of judging people and things by their face value. Many times we get tempted towards outward impressions and ignore the reality hidden behind the glittering facade.
Companies often take advantage of this habit of people. Consumerism is also due to this. Companies launch massive advertising campaigns to lure the customers. People who are unable to afford the products, get duped by imitation goods.

A discerning person is always suspicious. He has the ability to differentiate between real and fake. Unlike gullible people, he never falls into trap of others.
So, we should remember that we should not judge things by their external appearances and all those wearing saffron are not saints.

WORDS WITH MEANING AND ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

Maxim

Meaning: Saying or proverb
Example: It all could be summed up in the old maxim that truth is stranger than fiction.
Synonym: adage, aphorism, proverb, motto, saw, axiom

Face value

Meaning: What a thing appears to be
Example: These cards are worth their face value.

Tempted

Meaning: Have an urge to do something.
Example: I was tempted to eat ice cream.
Synonym: Motivated, influenced

Facade

Meaning: False outward appearance
Example: Her flawless public facade hides her dishonesty.
Synonym: show, front, appearance, false display

Consumerism

Meaning: Purchase of unwanted things.
Example: Consumerism has a negative effect on environment.

Massive

Meaning: Large
Example: Massive pieces of marble are too heavy.
Synonym: huge, enormous, gigantic, very big

Campaign

Meaning: An organized course of action to achieve a goal
Example: They have started a campaign to aware people.
Synonym: crusade, drive, push, effort, struggle, move, movement

Lure

Meaning: attracting especially by offering some form of reward
Example: shopkeepers display goods to lure people to their shops.
Synonym: tempt, entice, attract, induce, coax, persuade

Imitation

Meaning: Copying something
Example: Children are learning a poem by imitating their teacher.
Synonym: emulation, copying, following, echoing

Dupe

Meaning: Cheated or tricked
Example: Today, duping others is a common affair.
Synonym: deceive, trick, fool

Discerning

Meaning: having good judgement
Example: He is wise and discerning.
Synonym: shrewd, ingenious, clever, intelligent, sharp

Suspicious

Meaning: Questioning or doubtful
Example: His behaviour was suspicious.
Synonym: unsure, dubious, wary, chary, sceptical

Trap

Meaning: An unpleasant situation hard to escape
Example: They fall into the trap of the finance company.
Synonym: snare, net, ambush, lure, decoy, bait

Gullible

Meaning: Foolish and silly
Example: He always tells lies but gullible people still believe him.
Synonym: credulous, over-trusting

Saffron

Meaning: An orange-yellow colour
Example: Saffron is his favourite colour.