Word: balk (verb)

Associations

The word "balk" means to stop suddenly and refuse to continue, often because of hesitation or fear. It is often used when someone or something stops doing something because they don’t want to proceed.

• Example 1: The horse balked at jumping over the fence. (The horse stopped and refused to jump.)
• Example 2: She balked at the idea of working late. (She hesitated or refused to work late.)
• Example 3: Investors balked at the high price of the stock. (Investors hesitated or refused to buy because the price was too high.)

A synonym is "hesitate," but "balk" usually shows a stronger refusal or stopping, not just a brief pause. "Hesitate" can be a short pause, while "balk" often means to refuse or resist.

Substitution

Other words or phrases you can use instead of "balk" include:

• hesitate (less strong, just a pause)
• refuse (stronger, clear no)
• recoil (to pull back quickly, often from fear)
• resist (to fight against)

Changing the word changes the meaning slightly. For example, "hesitate" is softer, while "refuse" is firmer than "balk."

Deconstruction

The origin of "balk" comes from Old English "balca," meaning a ridge or beam, which later came to mean stopping or refusing to move forward, like an obstacle. The word itself is simple and has no prefix or suffix.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you or someone else balked at doing something? Why?
• How would the meaning change if you said "hesitated" instead of "balked"?
• Can you imagine a situation where an animal might balk? What might cause it?