ak-SEED
(verb) To agree to a request or demand, especially after initial resistance.
The board eventually acceded to the proposal after weeks of debate.
Fun Fact
“Accede” can also mean formally taking a position of power—like a monarch acceding to the throne. It’s a formal-sounding word often used in legal, political, or diplomatic circles where agreement follows negotiation.
jibe
(verb/noun) To make mocking or taunting remarks; a sneer or insult.
The critics gibed at his unconventional performance, but audiences loved it.
From Old French giber, meaning “to handle roughly” or “mock.”
Fun Fact
Though gibe is often confused with jibe (meaning “to agree”) or jive (as in slang talk or dancing), its roots are distinctly sharper. It’s the verbal equivalent of a smirk or side-eye—a remark meant to sting. In medieval times, gibes were part of courtly banter, a display of wit as much as cruelty. Today, the word survives in debates, comedy, and even politics, where a well-placed gibe can cut deeper than an argument.