enthusiasm hesitation caution proportion enthusiasm n. (1) a strong feeling of active interest in something that you like or enjoy
The party supported its candidate with enthusiasm.
He seems to lack enthusiasm for the work he"s doing.
(2) a hobby that someone feels enthusiastic about
Among his latest enthusiasms are sailing and fishing.
hesitate v. (1) to stop briefly before you do something especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do
She hesitated and waited for her friend to say something.
He hesitated about accepting the job.
(2) to be unwilling to do something because of doubt or uncertainty
I sometimes hesitate to say what I am really thinking.
I hesitated to come without being asked.
hesitation n.
She agreed without the sightest hesitation.
caution n. (1) care taken to avoid danger or risk, a careful attitude or way of behaving
You should use caution when operating the electric saw.
Her financial adviser urged caution before investing in the project.
(2) a warning telling someone to be careful
Her comments were intended as a caution to us to protect our property.
A note of caution: be sure that the electricity is off before you install the ceiling fan.
(3) a spoken official warning given to someone who has done something illegal but has not committed a serious crime
She was given a caution by the magistrate.
throw/fling/cast caution to the wind to stop being careful and do something that is dangerous or that might result in failure
After thinking about it for years, he finally threw caution to the wind, quit his job, and started his own company.
caution v. (1) to warn or tell (someone) about a possible danger, problem, etc.
She cautioned me not to decide too quickly.
Officials are cautioning that the war may continue for years.
I would caution against getting involved with him.
(2) to give a caution to (someone)
He was cautioned for speeding.
proportion n. (1) an amount that is a part of a whole
These expenses account for only a small proportion of our budget.
The proportion of people who own their own homes is slowly increasing.
(2) the relationship that exists between the size, number, or amount of two things
The proportion of boys to girls in our class is three to one.
Your share of the profits will be in proportion to the amount of work that you do.
The size of the window seems out of proportion with the height of the wall.
(3) the relative importance of things
We need to keep a sense of proportion about what really matters.If you are going to work in a new area, again there are the papers, and the accommodation agencies, though these should be approached with ______.