This supernatural world is the world of fulfilled desire, the world where the balkings, the trials and tribulations, the sorrows and the sins are no more, and where life is as the personality would have it […]
Source: wiktionary
Balking
Synonyms for "balking" (74 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (22)
Related words (37)
loathmulishobstinateopinionatedoverzealousperfunctoryperseveringpertinaciouspigheadedpreventionrenitentrestiveself-willedsetslowstiff neckedstrong willedstubbornsullentenacious
Show 5 more words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: apathetic, backward, bafflement, balk, balky.
- Sentence evidence is available for balking, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "balking".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "balking"
Keep "balking" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "balking" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "balking", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "balking" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
13 entriesblockingdelayed responsedemurhesitanthinderingillegal motionindecisionmound violationobstructivepitching violationrecoilreluctantunwilling
Collocations
15 entriesact of balkingavoidance of balkingbalk at criticismbalk at taking risksbalk at the ideabalking atbalking behaviorbalking conductbalking horsebalking mechanismbalking responsebalking tendencycalled a balkonset of balkingpitching violation
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
6 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
18 total sentences available.
For these, the ground chosen was especially hard and slippery, and in bad condition; and to add to this, the wind, which blew the lath about, was very balking to the competitors.
Source: wiktionary
Here was a very balking answer, but in spite of it, Harold could not help believing that Esther was very far from objecting to the sort of incense he had been offering just then.
Source: wiktionary
No Form was more balking and unfit for achievement of the genuine Drama , however , than the Opera-form with its once-for-all division into vocal num bers , quite heedless of the dramatic matter: however much our opera-composers might toil and moil to stretch them out and multiply them, the unyielding, disconnected botch-work could only fall to rags and tatters in the long run, —as we have seen in its own place.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 18 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "balking"?
Closest matches include apathetic, backward, bafflement, balk, balky.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "balking"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.