Definitions
- Referring to stopping something from happening before it occurs. - Talking about taking action to avoid or hinder an event or situation. - Describing measures taken to keep something from occurring.
- Describing the act of stopping someone or something from achieving a goal or objective. - Referring to preventing someone from doing something they intended to do. - Talking about frustrating or hindering a plan or action.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words refer to stopping or hindering something from happening.
- 2Both words involve taking action to avoid or hinder an event or situation.
- 3Both words can be used in a variety of contexts.
What is the difference?
- 1Intention: Prevent is proactive, while thwart is reactive.
- 2Timing: Prevent is used before an event or situation occurs, while thwart is used after an event or situation has been planned or initiated.
- 3Focus: Prevent focuses on avoiding or hindering an event or situation, while thwart focuses on stopping someone or something from achieving a goal or objective.
- 4Connotation: Prevent is neutral and can be used in both positive and negative contexts, while thwart has a negative connotation and is often used to describe frustrating or hindering a plan or action.
- 5Usage: Prevent is more commonly used than thwart in everyday language.
Remember this!
Prevent and thwart are synonyms that refer to stopping or hindering something from happening. However, prevent is proactive and focuses on avoiding or hindering an event or situation before it occurs, while thwart is reactive and focuses on stopping someone or something from achieving a goal or objective after it has been planned or initiated. Additionally, prevent is more commonly used than thwart in everyday language.
