In its narrowest sense, a synonym is a word or phrase that is perfectly
substitutable in a context for another word or phrase. People who study
language professionally agree that there is no such thing as an ideal
synonym, for it is virtually impossible to find two words or phrases that
are identical in denotation (meaning), connotation, frequency,
familiarity, and appropriateness. Indeed, linguists have long noted the
economy of language, which suggests that no language permits a perfect
fit, in all respects, between any two words or phrases. Many examples of
overlapping can be cited; the more obvious ones in English are those that
reflect a duplication arising from Germanic and Romance sources, like
motherly and maternal, farming and agriculture, teach and instruct. In
such pairs the native English form is often the one with an earthier,
warmer connotation. In some instances, where a new coinage or a loanword
has been adopted inadvertently duplicating an existing term, creating
'true' synonyms, the two will quickly diverge, not necessarily in meaning
but in usage, application, connotation, level, or all of these. For
example, scientists some years ago expressed dissatisfaction with the term
tidal wave, for the phenomenon was not caused by tides but, usually, by
submarine seismic activity. The word tsunami was borrowed from Japanese in
an attempt to describe the phenomenon more accurately, but it was later
pointed out the tsunami means 'tidal wave' in Japanese. Today, the terms
exist side by side in English, the older expression still in common use,
the newer more frequent in the scientific and technical literature.
Any synonym book must be seen as a compromise that relies on the
sensitivity of its users to the idiomatic nuances of the language. In its
best applications, it serves to remind users of words, similar in meaning,
that might not spring readily to mind, and to offer lists of words and
phrases that are alternatives to and compromises for those that might
otherwise be overused and therefore redundant, repetitious, and boring.
The Oxford Thesaurus goes a step further by offering example sentences to
illustrate the uses of the headwords and their alternatives in natural,
idiomatic contexts.
1. Selection of headwords
Two criteria have been employed: first, headwords have been selected
because of their frequency in the language, on the assumption that
synonyms are more likely to be sought for the words that are most
used; second, some headwords of lower frequency have been included
because it would otherwise be impossible to find a suitable place to
group together what are perceived as useful sets of synonyms with
their attendant illustrative sentences. Obvious listings have been
omitted on the grounds that users of the Thesaurus can easily find
synonyms for, say, abdication by making nouns of the verbs listed
under abdicate. This deliberate attempt to avoid duplication is
mitigated in the case of very common words. For the convenience of the
user, both shy and bashful are main entries, as are method, manner,
and mode, which, though much the same in some respects, differ in
detail and application. In this book, however, mitigate is a main
entry but not mitigation, mistake and mistaken are main entries but
not mistakenly, etc. Where it is determined that such derivations are
neither automatic nor semantically obvious, separate listings have
been provided.
2. Illustrative sentences
On the principle that a word is known by the company it keeps, one or
more sentences showing the main entry word in context are provided for
each sense discrimination. These have been carefully selected to
demonstrate the use of the main entry in a context likely to be
encountered in familiar written or spoken ordinary English. (See also
7, below.)
3. Synonym lists
Each main entry is followed by one or more sense groupings, each
illustrated by one or more sentences. An effort has been made to group
the synonyms semantically as well as syntactically and idiomatically:
that is, each synonym listed within a given set should prove to be
more or less substitutable for the main entry in the illustrative
sentence.
In some instances, idiomatic congruity may, unavoidably, become
strained; where it is felt to be stretched too far--though still
properly listed among its accompanying synonyms--a semicolon has been
inserted to separate sub-groups of synonyms, and, in many cases,
additional illustrative sentences have been provided. Such
sub-groupings have been confined largely to distinctions between
literal uses and figures of speech, between transitive and
intransitive verbs, and between synonyms that differ in more subtle
aspectual characteristics of meaning or syntax. (See also 7, below.)
Not all senses of all words are covered for either or both of the
following reasons: the sense, though it exists, is relatively rare in
ordinary discourse and writing; there are no reasonable synonyms for
it. Thus, this sense of mercy,
an affecting or moving of the mind in any way; a mental state
brought about by any influence; an emotion or feeling: Mercy
is an affection of the mind.
is not covered for the first reason, as it is a literary and somewhat
archaic usage. The same can be said for the sense,
a bodily state due to any influence
and for other senses listed in the largest dictionaries but rarely
encountered except in literary contexts. Even in such contexts it
would be unusual to need a synonym for this word and others like it.
4. Cross references
There are very few cross references between main listings in the
Thesaurus. Where such cross references do occur, they are simple and
straightforward:
superior adj....3 See supercilious, above. --n 4 See
supervisor, below.
A number of cross references occur within entries, between variant
forms of an expression. At the entry for take, for example, as one can
say either take or take it in the sense of 'understand' etc., the
option is shown in the following way:
take v...19 understand, gather, interpret, perceive,
apprehend, deduce, conclude, infer, judge, deem, assume,
suppose, imagine, see: I take him to be a fool. I take it from
your expression that you've had bad news.
33 take it: a withstand or tolerate or survive punishment or
abuse, survive: The Marines are extremely tough and can take
it. b See 19, above.
In a few entries, the form 'See also' is used.
5. Labels
a. All words and phrases that are recognized as being typical of a
particular variety of English, whether geographical or stylistic,
are labelled. It might at first seem that a large number of
colloquial, slang, and taboo words have been included. The labels
used are those commonly encountered in ordinary dictionaries:
Colloq Colloquial; informal; used in everyday conversation and
writing, especially in the popular press and in dramatic
dialogue; sometimes avoided where more formal language
is felt to be appropriate, as in business
correspondence, scholarly works, technical reports,
documents, etc.
Slang Belonging to the most informal register and
characteristic of spoken English; often originating in
the cult language of a particular socio-cultural group.
Not sufficiently elevated to be used in most writing
(aside from dialogue), although often found in the
popular press and frequently heard on popular radio and
television programmes.
Taboo Not used in polite society, usually because of the risk
of offending sexual, religious, or cultural
sensibilities; occasionally encountered on late-night
television and radio; often occurring in graffiti and in
dialogue in novels, plays, and films.
Archaic Describing an obsolete word or phrase (like tickety-boo,
lounge lizard) that is used deliberately to invoke the
feeling of a bygone time.
Old-fashioned
Used of a synonym (like comfit) that is no longer
current but might occasionally be encountered among
older speakers and in older writing.
Technical Used of a somewhat specialized word that is not commonly
encountered in ordinary, everyday English, like
defalcator, which appears as a synonym under swindler.
Literary Describes a word, like euchre 'cheat', that is not
usually met with in everyday language, even of the
formal genre, but may be found in poetry and other
literary works.
Brit, US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand
Marks a word or phrase that occurs mainly in the
designated variety.
The meanings of other labels are self-evident.
b. All labels can occur in combination. Usage labels always take
precedence over regional labels. For example,
pushover n. 1 sure thing, Colloq piece of cake, child's
play, snap, picnic, walk-over, US breeze, Slang cinch,
Brit doddle, US lead-pipe cinch.
Here 'sure thing' is standard universal English. All words and
phrases following Colloq up to the Slang label are colloquial:
'piece of cake,...walkover' are universal colloquial English,
'breeze' is US colloquial. All synonyms following the Slang label
are slang; 'cinch' is universal English slang, 'doddle' is
confined to British slang, and 'lead-pipe cinch' is confined to
American slang.
talented adj....Colloq ace, crack, top-notch, Brit wizard,
whizzo, US crackerjack.
In this entry, all synonyms shown are colloquial, 'ace, crack,
topnotch' being universal English, 'wizard, whizzo' British, and
'crackerjack' US.
It must be emphasized that such labels are to some extent
impressionistic and are based in the Thesaurus on a consensus of
several sources: that is, there is no implication that 'breeze' is
never used in the sense of 'pushover' except in the US, nor should
such an inference be made.
c. Comments regarding what might be viewed as 'correct' in contrast
to 'incorrect' usage are generally avoided. For example, the
non-standard use of between in contexts referring to more than two
of anything or of among in contexts involving fewer than three
goes unmarked. However, if the usage question is confined to what
can easily be represented in a 'lexical' environment, then
suitable treatment is accorded it; thus 'now' and 'at present' are
labelled Non-Standard under presently. To take another example,
'different to', in the typically British usage His house is
different to mine, is rarely encountered in American English; in
American English, purists condemn 'different than', as in His
house is different than mine, which is increasingly heard in
British English; purists on both sides of the Atlantic prefer
'different from'. Such matters are best left to usage books and to
usage notes in dictionaries and are not treated in the Thesaurus.
d. Main entry words and sub-entries are not labelled, only the
synonyms. Thus, under beat appears the idiomatic expression, beat
it, which is not labelled:
8 beat it: depart, leave, abscond, run off or away, Slang
US take it on the lam, lam out of here, hit the road:
You'd better beat it before the cops come.
The idiom is not labelled because it is assumed that the user has
looked it up to find a substitute for it, hence needs no
information about it other than a listing of its alternatives
(which are labelled, when appropriate) and an illustrative
example.
A rare exception to the above rule occurs where a headword has one
meaning in British English and quite a different meaning in
another regional variety. Thus:
subway n. 1 In US: underground (railway), tube: She takes
the subway to work. 2 In Britain: tunnel, underpass: Use
the subway to cross the road in safety.
Here, the two regional labels do not apply to the synonyms (since,
for example, 'tunnel' has the same meaning in both British and US
English) but to the two definitions of the headword.
e. Synonyms bearing any kind of label appear at the end of the set in
which they are listed, except in the case described immediately
above.
6. Spelling and other variants
The spellings shown throughout are those preferred by most modern
British writers. British variant spellings are shown; if they are
variants of the main entry word, they appear as the first word in the
set(s) of synonyms following:
mousy adj. 1 mousey,...
movable adj. moveable,...
Such variants are also shown when they appear within an entry:
movable adj....transferable or transferrable,...
Common American spelling variants (humor, traveler, unraveled) are not
shown, but less common ones are listed for convenience. Where both
forms are variants in American spelling, they are described by 'or US
also':
...accoutrements or US also accouterments,...
...phoney or US also phony,...
This should be understood to mean 'the normal British spelling is
accoutrements (or phoney); this form, together with accouterments (or
phony), occurs in American English'.
7. Substitutability
a. The purpose of a synonym book is to provide the user with a
collection of words that are as close as possible in meaning to a
designated word. The Oxford Thesaurus tries to go to a step
further by providing examples that not only illustrate the main
entry word in a natural contextual environment but also allow the
user to substitute as many of the synonyms as possible into the
framework of the context. For example:
porous adj. spongy, spongelike, permeable, pervious,
penetrable: The rainwater runs through the porous rock and
collects in the pools below.
It is possible to substitute for porous in the sample sentence any
of the words given as synonyms without any adjustment of the
grammar or phrasing of the example. That is not to suggest that
the synonyms are identical: 'permeable' and 'pervious' belong to a
different register from that of 'spongy, spongelike', being more
common in technical usage. Some might argue that 'penetrable' is
not synonymous with the other listed words; but it is the function
of this book to provide synonyms for the main entries, not for the
other synonyms that might be listed. No claim is made--nor could
it be made--that synonyms are identical, either to one another or
to another word, merely that they fall well within the criteria of
what, for practical purposes, is viewed as synonymy in the
language.
It is certainly true that substituting for porous any of the five
listed synonyms will yield five standard English sentence.
b. Some judgement is required of the user in determining the syntax
and idiomaticity with which a given word or expression can be
substituted in an illustrative context: words are rarely as
readily interchangeable in a context as might be components in a
chemical or mathematical formula. Moreover, while such formulae
are reflective of science, language offers its users the virtually
infinite variety available only in art, with each individual
speaker of any language being presented with the opportunity to
become an artist.
In the following example, nearly all terms can be substituted for
adjoining in the first illustrative sentence; to create idiomatic
parallels to the second sentence, the parenthetical prepositions
must be used:
adjoining adj. neighboring, contiguous (to), adjacent
(to), abutting, bordering, next (to): We have bought the
adjoining land and will build our new house there. The
land adjoining the supermarket is for sale.
Interpreting this, the following are all idiomatic: adjoining
land, neighbouring land, contiguous land, adjacent land, abutting
land, and bordering land. But if the context requires the
adjective to come after land (with a following noun), then the
parenthetical words must be added to yield constructions that are
idiomatic, like land adjoining the supermarket, land neighboring
the supermarket, land continuous to the supermarket, land adjacent
to the supermarket, land abutting the supermarket, land bordering
the supermarket, and land next to the supermarket.
As this is intended as a synonym book and not a work on English
collocations, the treatment of idiomaticity cannot be taken
further.
c. There are other reasons why direct substitutability is not always
possible within a single semantic concept. The following extract
demonstrates this:
possess v.... 3 dominate, control, govern, consume, take
control of, preoccupy, obsess; charm, captivate, enchant,
cast a spell on or over, bewitch, enthral: What possessed
her to think that I could help? He behaves as if he is
possessed by the devil.
Here, two aspects of the same sense have been divided by a
semicolon, with the synonyms preceding the semicolon illustrated
by the first contextual example and those following it by the
second. While it may be argued that in this instance the synonyms
following the semicolon, with their illustrative sentence, might
better have been listed in a separately numbered set, the close
semantic association of the two groups would thereby have been
lost.
d. Sometimes, where the sub-sense is familiar enough not to require
its own example yet needs to be set off from the other synonyms
because of a subtle or aspectual semantic distinction, a semicolon
is inserted among the synonyms and only one example is provided:
practice n.... 2 exercise, discipline, drill, practising,
repetition, rehearsal, training, preparation, workout,
warm-up; application, study: She needs more practice on
the beginner`s slope before going down the main piste.
the idiomatic usage of this sense of 'study' and 'application' is
sufficiently familiar not to require separate example.
On the other hand, a second example is needed for the next sense
of practice:
...3 pursuit, exercise, work, profession, career,
vocation, conduct; business, office: He genuinely enjoys
the practice of law. I heard of a veterinary practice for
sale in Yorkshire.
It would be difficult--perhaps impossible--to defend such fine
distinctions in every instance: indeed, as a comparison of the
different lengths of the entries in any dictionary will quickly
reveal, language does not provide the same levels of sense
discrimination for all words. The metaphorical focus and diversity
of a language provide for polysemy in some semantico-cultural
spheres but not in others. The classic observation often cited to
demonstrate this linkage is that of the Inuit language that has a
large number of distinguishing words for types of snow or of the
African language that has an extensive vocabulary to describe the
kinship among its speakers. On the grounds that the lexicon of a
language is moulded by speakers who, quite naturally, use it to
talk (and write) about things that are important to them, one
might be tempted to draw conclusions about the voracity of
English-speakers by reflecting that the entry for take has about
twice as many definitions in most dictionaries as that for give.
e. Often, the semicolon may be used to separate transitive uses of a
verb from intransitive:
preach v....2 moralize, sermonize, advise, counsel,
admonish, reprimand, lecture, harangue, pontificate; urge,
inculcate, advocate: Mother used to preach to us about
being charitable. Father preached restraint in all things.
Because of the behaviour of verbs in English, different synonyms
may be required depending on what the object of the verb is and,
often, whether the object is a word or phrase or a clause:
predict v. foretell, prophesy, forecast, foresee, augur,
prognosticate, forewarn, presage, vaticinate; portend,
foreshadow, foretoken, forebode; intimate, hint, suggest:
My mother predicted that there would be moments like this.
If only I could predict the winner of the 2.30!
f. Wherever possible, the proper prepositional or adverbial particle
normally accompanying a verb in a certain sense has been supplied,
though it must be emphasized that the one offered is the most
frequently used and not, necessarily, the only one acceptable in
standard usage. Particles used with some words may vary
considerably, owing not only to dialect variation but also to
whether the verb is used actively or passively as well as to which
nuance of meaning, sometimes far too subtle to be dealt with
adequately in a book of this kind, is to be expressed. The
following entry illustrates the full treatment that can be
accorded to words that occur in a wide variety of grammatical
environments:
persevere v. Often, persevere in or with or at: persist,
resolve, decide, endure, continue, carry on or through,
keep at or on or up, be steadfast or staunch or constant,
keep going, stand fast or firm, see through, be or remain
determined or resolved or resolute or stalwart or
purposeful or uncompromising, be tenacious or persistent
or constant or pertinacious or assiduous or sedulous, be
tireless or untiring or indefatigable, show determination
or pluck or grit, be plucky, be patient or diligent or
stubborn or inflexible or adamant or obstinate or
obdurate, show or exhibit or demonstrate patience or
diligence or stubbornness or inflexibility or obstinacy or
obduracy, remain dogged, pursue doggedly, be intransigent
or intractable, cling to, stick to, support, stop at
nothing, sustain, Colloq stick with, stick (it) out: We
must persevere to win. I shall persevere in my loyalty.
g. In some adjective senses, a split might occur between attributive
and predicative uses, though in most such cases, where the syntax
is open, only one, usually common, illustration is given. For
example, alone is used only predicatively or post-positively, not
attributively; that is, one cannot say *An alone woman...In this
particular case, the normal attributive form would be lone, but
lone is not listed as a synonym for alone because they are not
mutually substitutable. It is acknowledged that the detailed
description of the special syntactic ways in which certain words
(like alone, agog, galore) behave lies outside the province of
this book.
Although similar cautions must be observed and adjustments made
throughout, it is hoped that the illustrative sentences will
provide a substantial basis for the user to identify idiomatic
contexts and to discriminate senses that are not always carefully
distinguished in dictionaries.
CONTENTS Table of Contents
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abandon v. 1 give up or over, yield, surrender, leave, cede, let go,
deliver (up), turn over, relinquish: I can see no reason why we
should abandon the house to thieves and vandals. 2 depart from,
leave, desert, quit, go away from: The order was given to
abandon ship. 3 desert, forsake, jilt, walk out on: He even
abandoned his fianc‚e. 4 give up, renounce; discontinue, forgo,
drop, desist, abstain from: She abandoned cigarettes and whisky
after the doctor's warning.
--n. 5 recklessness, intemperance, wantonness, lack of
restraint, unrestraint: He behaved with wild abandon after he
received the inheritance.
abandoned adj. 1 left alone, forlorn, forsaken, deserted, neglected;
rejected, shunned, cast off or aside, jilted, dropped, outcast:
An abandoned infant was found on the church steps. Totally
alone, she felt abandoned by her friends. 2 bad, immoral,
amoral, wicked, sinful, evil, corrupt, unprincipled,
unrestrained, uninhibited, reprobate; loose, wanton, debauched,
wild, dissolute, dissipated, profligate; depraved, lewd,
lascivious, flagitious: His abandoned behaviour soon landed him
in jail.
abbreviate
v. 1 shorten, compress, contract, truncate, trim, reduce,
curtail: We abbreviated some of the longer words to save space.
2 shorten, cut, condense, abridge, abstract, digest, epitomize,
summarize, US synopsize: The school presented an abbreviated
version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
abbreviated
adj. skimpy, brief, revealing: The dancers' abbreviated
costumes shocked some members of the audience.
abbreviation
n. initialism; acronym; shortening, contraction: UK is one
kind of abbreviation, or initialism; NATO, which is pronounced
as a word, is another, usually called an acronym.
abdicate v. give up, renounce, disclaim, waive, disown, surrender,
yield, relinquish, abandon, resign, quit: He abdicated all
responsibility for care of the children. She abdicated the
throne to marry a commoner.
abduct v. kidnap, carry off, make away or off with, seize, Slang US
snatch, grab: The child that was abducted is safe.
abet v. 1 encourage, urge, instigate, incite, provoke, egg on, prod,
goad; aid, help, assist: The jury found that his wife had
abetted him in the murder. 2 countenance, approve (of),
support, endorse, second, sanction, condone; further, advance,
promote, uphold: By failing to inform on the terrorists, the
neighbours abetted the bombing.
abeyance n. in abeyance. pending, abeyant, reserved, in reserve,
shelved, pushed or shoved or shunted aside, postponed, put off,
suspended, US tabled; temporarily inactive, dormant; latent;
Colloq in a holding pattern, on the back burner; Slang on hold,
in the deep-freeze, on the shelf, on ice, hanging fire: Legal
proceedings were held in abeyance so that talks could take place
to reach an out-of-court settlement.
abhor v. hate, loathe, detest, abominate, execrate; regard or view
with horror or dread or fright or repugnance or loathing or
disgust, shudder at, recoil or shrink from; be or stand aghast
at: He said that he abhorred any violation of human rights.
abhorrent adj. hateful, detestable, abhorred, abominable, contemptible,
odious, loathsome, horrid, heinous, execrable, repugnant;
repulsive, repellent, revolting, offensive, disgusting,
horrifying, obnoxious: The idea of war was totally abhorrent to
her.
abide v. 1 stand, endure, suffer, submit to, bear, put up with,
accept, tolerate, brook: How can you abide the company of such
a fool? 2 live, stay, reside, dwell, sojourn: Local people
believe that the rain god abides in these mountains. 3 remain,
stay, continue, tarry; linger, rest: He'll abide in my care
till he can walk again. 4 abide by. consent to, agree to,
comply with, observe, acknowledge, obey, follow, submit to,
conform to, keep to, remain true to, stand firm by, adhere to,
hold to: You must abide by the rules of the club if you become
a member.
abiding adj. lasting, permanent, constant, steadfast, everlasting,
unending, eternal, enduring, indestructible; unchanging, fast,
hard and fast, fixed, firm, immutable, changeless: Her abiding
love is a solace to him.
ability n. 1 adeptness, aptitude, facility, faculty, capacity, power,
knack, proficiency, Colloq know-how: I have perceived your
ability to manipulate situations to your own advantage. 2
talent, skill, cleverness, capacity, wit, gift, genius,
capability: He has such extraordinary ability it is difficult
to see why he doesn't accomplish more. 3 abilities. faculty,
faculties, talent(s), gift(s), skill(s): Her abilities have
made her one of the finest cellists of our time.
ablaze adj. 1 aflame, afire, burning, on fire, alight, blazing: By
the time the firemen arrived, the roof was ablaze. 2 lit up,
alight, brilliantly or brightly-lit, sparkling, gleaming, aglow,
bright, brilliant, luminous, illuminated, radiant: The ballroom
was ablaze with the light from thousands of candles.
able adj. 1 capable, qualified, competent, proficient: I feel quite
able to take care of myself, thank you. He is an able tennis
player. 2 talented, clever, skilled, masterful, masterly; adept,
skilful, gifted, superior, expert, accomplished: There is no
doubt that Wellington was a very able general.
abnormal adj. 1 deviant, deviating, irregular, unusual, unconventional,
aberrant, Psych jargon exceptional: The wing of a bat is an
abnormal structure. 2 peculiar, unusual, odd, strange, queer,
freakish, unnatural, extraordinary, weird, eccentric, bizarre,
anomalous, aberrant, perverse, deviant, irregular, Colloq
offbeat, Slang oddball, kinky, weirdo: They certainly make the
contestants on that TV show do some very abnormal things.
abnormality
n. 1 irregularity, unconformity, unusualness, singularity,
eccentricity, unconventionality, uncommonness, deviation,
aberration, idiosyncrasy: The desire in a man to wear women's
clothing is viewed as an abnormality. 2 distortion, anomaly,
malformation, deformity: The child was born with an abnormality
of the right foot.
abode n. residence, dwelling, dwelling-place, house, home, domicile,
habitation, quarters, lodging, accommodation Military billet;
Colloq Brit digs, diggings: He was described as being of no
fixed abode.
abolish v. eliminate, end, put an end to, terminate, destroy,
annihilate, annul, void, make void, demolish, do away with,
nullify, repeal, cancel, obliterate, liquidate, destroy, stamp
out, quash, extinguish, erase, delete, expunge; eradicate,
extirpate, deracinate, uproot: The best way to abolish folly is
to spread wisdom. Prohibition in the US was abolished in 1933.
abolition n. elimination, end, termination, annulment, nullification,
repudiation, cancellation; destruction, annihilation: 1837
marks the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.
abominable
adj. 1 offensive, repugnant, repulsive, vile, monstrous,
loathsome, odious, execrable, detestable, despicable, base,
disgusting, nauseous, nauseating, foul, abhorrent, horrid,
deplorable: He was accused of crimes too abominable to detail
in open court. 2 terrible, unpleasant, disagreeable; awful,
distasteful, in bad taste, horrible, frightful , Colloq Brit
beastly: No one wants to go out in this abominable weather. The
d‚cor in this hotel is simply abominable.
aboriginal
n. native, indigene, autochthon; Colloq Australian Abo,
Offensive Australian aborigine , Slang Australian contemptuous
boong: Many aboriginals are not assimilated to modern life.
abound v. 1 prevail, thrive, flourish: Disease abounds among the
undernourished peoples of Africa. 2 abound in. be crowded or
packed or jammed with, be abundant or rich in, proliferate (in
or with): The ship abounds in conveniences. 3 abound with.
teem or swarm or throng with, be filled or infested with,
overflow with: The ship abounds with rats.
about adv. 1 round, around, close by, nearby, on every side: Gather
about, for I have something to tell you. 2 approximately,
around, nearly, roughly, more or less, almost, close to or upon;
give or take: In 1685 London had been, for about half a
century, the most populous capital in Europe. Light travels at
about 186,000 miles a second. 3 to and fro, up and down, back
and forth, here and there, hither and yon, far and wide, hither
and thither: He wandered about aimlessly for several days. 4
here and there, far and wide, hither and yon, hither and
thither, helter-skelter: My papers were scattered about as if a
tornado had struck. 5 around, prevalent, in the air: There is
a lot of flu about this year. 6 approximately, nearly, close
to, not far from, almost, just about, around: It is about time
you telephoned your mother.
--prep. 7 around, surrounding, encircling: There is a railing
about the monument. 8 round, around, all round, everywhere, in
all directions, all over: Please look about the room for my
hat. 9 near, nearby, adjacent to, beside, alongside, close by,
nigh: There were a lot of trees about the garden. 10 with, at
hand, Colloq on: I am sorry, but I haven't my cheque-book about
me. 11 touching, concerning, connected with, involving, in or
with reference to, in or with regard to, regarding, in the
matter of, with respect to, respecting, relative to, relating
to, apropos, Formal anent: He wrote a book about the Spanish
Armada.
about-turn
n. reversal, reverse, turn-about, turn-round, U-turn,
volte-face, US about-face: There has been a complete about-turn
in the policy concerning immigration.
above adv. 1 overhead, on high, aloft, in the sky or heavens: Far
above, the clouds scudded swiftly by. 2 upstairs: They lived
on the ground floor and the landlady lived above.
--prep. 3 on, on (the) top of, upon, over, atop: The plume of
smoke remained fixed above the volcano. He hasn't got a roof
above his head for the night. 4 over, more than, exceeding, in
excess of, beyond, greater than, surpassing: The operations are
controlled by gears, of which there are above fifty in number. 5
insusceptible to, unaffected by, out of reach of, not
susceptible or vulnerable or exposed to, superior to: The judge
is above bribery or other influence. 6 above all. before or
beyond everything, first of all, chiefly, primarily, in the
first place, mainly, essentially, at bottom: Above all, serve
God and country before you serve yourself.
above-board
adv. 1 openly, candidly, freely, publicly, frankly,
straightforwardly, plainly, for all to see, out in the open, in
the open: Donald has always dealt completely above-board with
everyone.
--adj. 2 open, candid, frank, straight, direct, honourable,
straightforward, forthright, guileless, undeceiving, artless,
ingenuous, undeceptive, undeceitful, straight from the shoulder;
honest, genuine: The company's dealings have always been
above-board.
abridge v. shorten, reduce, condense, cut, abbreviate, cut back, trim,
curtail, pare down, contract, compress, digest, summarize,
epitomize, abstract, US synopsize: We abridged the original
edition of 1000 pages to 480 pages.
abridgement
n. 1 shortening, reduction, abbreviation, condensation,
contraction, truncation, trimming: The abridgement took ten
years. 2 curtailment: We protested against the abridgement of
our right to picket. 3 digest, condensation, epitome,
compendium, concise edition or version, cut edition or version;
synopsis, abstract, summary, pr‚cis, outline, r‚sum‚: The
one-volume abridgement of the dictionary is easier to use.
abroad adv. 1 overseas, in foreign lands or parts: We were abroad on
assignment for a few years. 2 broadly, widely, at large, near
and far, far and wide, everywhere, extensively, publicly: Don't
spread rumours abroad. 3 outside, out of doors, away, out and
about: There are few people abroad this early in the morning.
abrupt adj. 1 sudden, hasty, quick, precipitate, snappy; unexpected,
unannounced, unplanned, unforeseen, unanticipated: The
general's abrupt departure has been linked with the
disappearance of a great deal of money. 2 precipitous, steep,
sheer, sudden: From the ridge there is an abrupt drop of 1000
metres into the valley. 3 curt, short, brusque, blunt, bluff,
gruff, uncivil, rude, discourteous, impolite, unceremonious,
snappish: My bank manager gave me an abrupt reply when I asked
for an increased overdraft.
absence n. 1 non-attendance, non-presence, non-appearance, truancy:
This is Jason's third absence from class in a week. She runs the
place in my absence. 2 lack, want, deficiency, non-existence;
insufficiency, scantiness, paucity, scarcity, dearth: In the
absence of new evidence, the matter must remain undecided.
absent adj. 1 away, out, off, elsewhere, not present, missing, gone:
Twenty people attended, but Harold was conspicuously absent. 2
missing, lacking, wanting, deficient: All warmth is absent from
her singing.
--v. 3 absent (oneself) from. keep or stay away from; withdraw
or retire from: He absented himself from the court during his
father's trial for murder. Absent thee from felicity awhile.
absent-minded
adj. preoccupied, inattentive, unattentive, absorbed,
unmindful, absent, off, withdrawn, unheeding, heedless,
unheedful, inadvertent; distracted, abstracted, day-dreaming, in
a brown study, in the clouds, unaware, oblivious, in a trance,
distrait(e), mooning, (far) away (somewhere), star-gazing,
wool-gathering: The absent-minded professor delivered his
lecture to an empty lecture hall.
absolute adj. 1 perfect, complete, total, finished, thorough,
through-and-through, consummate, flawless, faultless,
unadulterated, pure, unmixed, unalloyed, undiluted; rank: Alan
behaved like an absolute gentleman. 2 complete, outright,
downright, genuine, real, pure, out-and-out, transparent,
unmitigated, categorical, unqualified, unconditional, utter,
veritable, unconditioned: Peace is an absolute requirement for
prosperity. 3 unrestricted, unrestrained, unconstrained,
unlimited, unmitigated, arbitrary, despotic, dictatorial,
totalitarian, supreme, almighty, arbitrary, autocratic,
tyrannical: The days of absolute monarchy are numbered. 4
positive, certain, sure, unambiguous, unquestionable,
authoritative, verifiable, uncompromised: Few intelligent
people would claim absolute knowledge of anything.
absolutely
adv. 1 unqualifiedly, unconditionally, unreservedly,
unexceptionally, unequivocally, unquestionably, positively,
definitely, really, genuinely, decidedly, surely, truly,
certainly, categorically: She is absolutely the best dancer I
have ever seen. I absolutely refuse to go. 2 totally, utterly,
completely, entirely, fully, quite, altogether, wholly: It is
absolutely necessary that you undergo surgery.
--interj. 3 certainly, assuredly, positively, definitely, of
course, naturally, indubitably, yes, to be sure: 'Are you sure
you want to go?' 'Absolutely!'
absorbed adj. engrossed, lost, wrapped up, occupied, engaged, immersed,
buried, preoccupied, concentrating, rapt: He was absorbed in
his reading.
absorbing adj. engrossing, engaging, riveting, captivating, fascinating,
spellbinding, gripping: Maria was watching an absorbing
thriller on television.
abstract adj. 1 theoretical, unapplied, notional, ideational,
conceptual, metaphysical, unpractical, intellectual: It is
difficult to capture abstract ideas on paper. 2
non-representational, symbolic, non-realistic: Museums began
buying abstract art in the 1930s.
--n. 3 summary, epitome, synopsis, essence, digest,
condensation, survey, conspectus, extract; outline, pr‚cis,
r‚sum‚: By reading the abstracts, you can determine which
articles merit reading in full.
--v. 4 epitomize, abbreviate, digest, summarize, condense,
shorten, abridge, cut, cut down, US synopsize: The service
abstracts articles that appear in scientific journals.
absurd adj. 1 ridiculous, silly, nonsensical, senseless, outlandish,
preposterous, farcical, mad, stupid, foolish, idiotic, imbecilic
or imbecile, moronic, childish; laughable, ludicrous, risible,
inane, Colloq crazy, nutty, nuts , Chiefly Brit daft: The
notion that the moon is made of green cheese is absurd. 2
asinine, senseless, illogical, irrational, unreasoned,
unreasonable, incongruous, paradoxical, unsound, meaningless:
Today, most people view it absurd to believe that the earth is
flat.
absurdity n. 1 folly, silliness, ridiculousness, foolishness,
ludicrousness, nonsense, senselessness, meaninglessness,
illogicality, irrationality, unreasonableness, incongruity,
stupidity, Colloq craziness, nuttiness , Chiefly Brit daftness:
Many comics rely on absurdity rather than cleverness for humour.
2 paradox, self-contradiction, error, fallacy: No one can abide
the man's pretentiousness and other absurdities.
abundance n. overflow, superfluity, over-abundance, superabundance,
excess, surplus, oversupply, glut, satiety, over-sufficiency;
plenty, plenteousness, plentifulness, plenitude, copiousness,
profusion, Formal nimiety: The days when there was an abundance
of fresh drinking-water have come to an end.
abundant adj. 1 plentiful, overflowing, ample, copious, over-sufficient,
superabundant, plenteous, profuse, inexhaustible, replete,
bountiful, bounteous: The abundant rainfall fills the
reservoirs every day. 2 abounding (in), full (of), rich (in),
luxuriant, lavish: We know a stream that is abundant in trout.
The abundant vegetation of the rain forest is an ecological
wonder.
abuse v. 1 misuse, misemploy, pervert, misapply, exploit: The
officer abused his authority in ordering the forced march at
midnight. 2 maltreat, ill-use, injure, wrong, hurt, mistreat,
manhandle, ill-treat; damage: I cannot stand by and watch that
drunk abuse his wife and family. 3 malign, revile, censure,
upbraid, assail, objurgate, lambaste, berate, rebuke, scold,
reproach, disparage, traduce, defame, insult, swear at, curse
(at), calumniate, slander, libel, decry, deprecate, vilify, rail
against: In the report the director was abused in the most
virulent terms.
--n. 4 misuse, misusage, misemployment, perversion,
misapplication, misappropriation, Rhetoric catachresis: Beware
of imitating his abuse of the language. 5 addiction,
dependence: They are being treated for drug abuse at the local
clinic. 6 maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill use, fault: It
seemed perfectly natural that he should defend abuses by which
he profited. 7 self-abuse, self-pollution, masturbation,
violation, defilement; corruption: The schoolmasters
consistently lectured the boys against any abuse of themselves.
8 revilement, reviling, execration, vituperation, malediction,
imprecation, tongue-lashing, calumny, calumniation,
vilification, obloquy, scurrility, invective, maligning,
upbraiding, berating, objurgation, scolding; billingsgate: The
two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to
blows.
abused adj. 1 misused: Permission to use the office copying machine
has become an abused privilege. 2 maltreated, ill-treated,
mistreated, hurt: It was explained that he had been an abused
child.
abusive adj. 1 insulting, scurrilous, vituperative, calumnious,
offensive, slanderous, libellous, defamatory, censorious,
opprobrious, disparaging, deprecatory, depreciatory, derogatory,
derisory, derisive, reviling, vilifying, vituperative,
reproachful; profane; rude, filthy, dirty, foul, vulgar,
obscene, smutty, vile, thersitical: The Crown refuses to
tolerate abusive satire directed at the king. If I hear another
word of abusive language out of you, I'll wash out your mouth
with soap! 2 perverted, misapplied, improper, wrong, incorrect;
exploitive, exploitative, exploitatory; brutal, cruel,
injurious, hurtful, harmful, destructive: Despite the abusive
treatment of wives, married women commanded much respect. 3
corrupt, venal, dishonest, crooked: The politicians exercised
abusive power over the townspeople.
abysmal adj. 1 awful, appalling, dreadful, terrible, profound: The
government of Nero presented a spectacle of abysmal degradation.
2 abyssal, bottomless, profound, unfathomable, unfathomed: The
abysmal depths have been plumbed in the diving bell.
abyss n. deep, abysm, bottomless gulf, yawning chasm, gaping void,
unfathomable cavity, impenetrable depth(s): The path led
straight down into the abyss. In the scandal the MP was plunged
into the abyss of disgrace.
academic adj. 1 scholastic, collegiate; scholarly, learned, lettered,
erudite: Green's academic background qualifies him for the
professorship. The university began publishing academic
journals in the 19th century. 2 theoretical, hypothetical,
conjectural, speculative, abstract; ivory-tower, visionary,
idealistic; impractical, unrealistic, unpractical: The car
doesn't run, so the question of miles per gallon is purely
academic.
accent n. 1 emphasis, stress, force, prominence, accentuation;
intensity, inflection; cadence, beat: The accent is on the
second syllable in 'reward'. 2 diacritic, diacritical mark,
mark, accent mark: There is an acute accent on the 'e' in
'clich‚'. 3 pronunciation, articulation, intonation, speech
pattern, inflection: Even after forty years in the country, he
still speaks English with an Italian accent.
--v. 4 accentuate, emphasize, stress, give prominence to, mark,
underline, underscore, distinguish, highlight, set off or apart:
In her speech, the psychologist accented the 'id' in 'idiot'.
Why must he always accent the negative aspect of everything?
accept v. 1 receive, take, allow, permit: Sorry, but we cannot accept
any more applications. 2 accede (to), agree (to), assent (to),
consent (to), acknowledge, admit, allow, recognize: We accept
your request for a hearing. 3 assume, undertake, take on or up,
agree to bear: I'll accept the responsibility for replying. 4
reconcile oneself to, suffer, undergo, experience, stand,
withstand, stomach, endure, bear, resign oneself to, brook,
allow, tolerate, take: I think I have accepted enough criticism
for one day.
acceptable
adj. 1 satisfactory, adequate, tolerable, all right,
sufficient, admissible, passable, Colloq OK, okay: The bread
and meat were acceptable, but the beer was awful. 2 agreeable,
pleasing, welcome, satisfying, delightful, pleasant, pleasing:
Most people find her compliments quite acceptable.
accessible
adj. approachable, open, available, attainable, obtainable,
reachable, ready, at hand, Colloq get-at-able: The president is
always accessible to those seeking help. The mechanism is
accessible if the cover is removed.
accessory n. 1 extra, addition, adjunct, attachment, component, frill,
Slang bells and whistles, doodah, US and Canadian doodad: My
food processor has more accessories than I could ever need. 2
accessary, accomplice, helper, assistant, confederate,
colleague, abettor, aide, collaborator, co-conspirator,
conspirator, fellow-criminal, associate or partner in crime:
Although he did not rob the bank, he drove the getaway car,
which legally makes him an accessory before the fact. A seller
of stolen goods is an accessory after the fact.
--adj. 3 extra, subordinate, auxiliary, additional, ancillary,
supplemental, supplementary, secondary, adventitious, Formal
adscititious: For no apparent reason, the salamander grew an
accessory limb near its hind leg.
accident n. 1 mishap, misfortune, mischance, misadventure, blunder,
mistake; casualty, disaster, catastrophe, calamity: A high
percentage of the road accidents were caused by drunken drivers.
2 chance, fortune, luck, fortuity, fluke; serendipity: I came
across the gold ring by accident, when cleaning out a disused
cupboard. 3 non-essential, accessory or accessary, extra,
addition: Melancholy is an almost inseparable accident of old
age.
accommodate
v. 1 fit, suit, adapt, adjust, modify; customize: I shall do
my best to accommodate the equipment to your needs. 2
harmonize, make consistent, reconcile, adapt: It is uncertain
whether his version of the incident can be accommodated to ours.
3 equip, supply, provide, furnish: Can you accommodate me with
five pounds till tomorrow? 4 put up, house, lodge, shelter,
quarter, Military billet: The innkeeper is unable to
accommodate us tonight. 5 suit, oblige, convenience, serve: I
was willing to accommodate you by selling your old car.
accommodating
adj. 1 obliging, cooperative, helpful, hospitable; considerate,
conciliatory, easy to deal with, pliant, yielding, compliant,
polite, friendly, complaisant, kind, kindly: The lady at the
complaints desk in the store was most accommodating. 2 pliable,
accessible, corruptible, subornable, get-at-able; bribable: If
you want to get off scot-free, we'll have to find an
accommodating judge.
accommodation
n. 1 adaptation, adjustment, modification, change, alteration,
conformation, conformity: Her skilful accommodation to her
boss's demands kept the peace in the office. 2 settlement,
treaty, compromise: Negotiations were now opened for an
accommodation between the belligerents. 3 convenience, favour:
Would you take the mail to the post office as an accommodation
to me? 4 lodging(s), room(s), quarters, shelter, housing;
facility, premises, Brit digs, US accommodations: We were able
to arrange for accommodation at the hotel. Have you seen our new
office accommodation? 5 loan, (financial) assistance or aid;
grant, grant-in-aid: The man was able to obtain an
accommodation from his brother-in-law.
accompany v. 1 convoy, escort, chaperon or chaperone, go along with;
attend; usher, squire: Allow me to accompany you to your taxi.
2 go (along) with, come with, be associated with, belong with,
go together with, be linked with: The roast was accompanied by
a bottle of claret.
accomplice
n. accessory or accessary, partner in crime, confederate, ally,
associate, colleague, fellow, henchman, collaborator,
conspirator, co-conspirator, abettor, assistant,
fellow-criminal, Colloq US cohort: The police arrested the
safe-cracker and three accomplices within hours of the robbery.
accomplish
v. fulfil, perform, achieve, carry out, execute, carry off, do,
complete, carry through, finish, effect, bring to an end,
conclude, wind up, end; attain, reach, gain; Colloq bring off,
knock off, polish off, Slang pull off, US swing, hack, cut: I
don't know how she accomplished it, but she sailed around the
world single-handed. Has he accomplished his goal yet?
accomplished
adj. consummate, perfect, expert, adept, skilful, proficient,
practised, gifted, talented, skilled, professional: Did you
know that she is also an accomplished flautist?
accomplishment
n. 1 fulfilment, consummation, completion, realization,
attainment, achievement, conclusion, culmination, realization:
After the accomplishment of the task they were all taken out to
celebrate. 2 coup, feat, exploit, triumph, tour de force: Among
her many accomplishments was climbing Mount Everest. 3 skill,
skilfulness, talent, gift, ability: Playing the violin is
another of his accomplishments.
accord v. 1 agree, harmonize, concur, be at one, correspond, agree, be
in harmony, be consistent, go (together), coincide, conform:
His principles and practices do not accord with one another.
--n. 2 agreement, unanimity, concord, reconciliation, harmony,
mutual understanding, conformity, accordance, rapport, concert:
The countries are in accord on a beneficial trade balance. 3
agreement, treaty, pact, contract: The accords will be signed
at the summit meeting in May. 4 agreement, harmony, congruence;
correspondence: The colours of the curtains are in perfect
accord with those of the carpet.
accordingly
adv. 1 hence, therefore, consequently, thus, in consequence
(where)of, (and) so: Smoking was forbidden; accordingly, we put
out our cigars. 2 suitably, in conformity, in compliance;
conformably, appropriately, compliantly: Dinner-jackets were
required, and the men dressed accordingly.
according to
adv.phr. 1 on the authority of, consistent with, in conformity
or agreement with, as said or believed or maintained etc. by:
We are going to play this game according to Hoyle. According to
his lawyer, he should never have been acquitted. 2 conformable
to, consistent with, in conformity with, commensurate with: The
queen greeted them in order, according to rank.
account v. 1 account for. explain, give a reason for, give or render a
reckoning for, answer for, justify, reckon for: The treasurer
has been able to account for every penny of expense. His desire
to conceal his background accounts for his secrecy.
--n. 2 calculation, accounting, reckoning, computation,
(financial) statement; enumeration: The accounts show that the
company has ample funds in reserve. Williams hasn't submitted
his expense account for the trip. 3 interest, profit, advantage,
benefit, favour; sake: Nigel turned his convalescence to good
account by writing a best seller. Don't read the book on my
account. 4 explanation, statement, description, report, recital,
narrative, history, chronicle: The defendant gave a credible
account of his whereabouts at the time of the crime. 5
consideration, use, worth, importance, consequence, note, value,
merit; standing, significance, estimation, esteem: The
committee decided that length of service is of some account in
determining retirement pensions. 6 story, narration, narrative,
report, tale, relation, description: Alice's account of the
rabbit wearing a waistcoat is unbelievable. 7 take into account
or take account of. notice, take note of, consider, take into
consideration, allow for: In passing sentence, the judge took
into account the child's poverty and the fact that it was
Christmas time.
accountability
n. answerability, responsibility, liability, culpability,
accountableness: In a democracy, there can be no reducing the
accountability of the government to the citizens.
accountable
adj. answerable, responsible, liable, obliged, obligated: I am
accountable to no man, but the greatest man in England is
accountable to me.
accumulate
v. collect, gather, amass, mass, pile or heap up, aggregate,
cumulate; assemble, store, stock, hoard, stockpile, put or lay
away: Overnight, the snow accumulated in six-foot drifts about
the house. Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey,/Where
wealth accumulates, and men decay.
accumulation
n. 1 collecting, amassing, gathering, piling or aggregation,
heaping up: One effect of the strike was the accumulation of
rubbish in the streets. 2 growth, increase, build-up: The
accumulation of wealth has never proved a valid purpose in life.
3 heap, pile, mass, collection, hoard, store, stockpile, stock,
aggregation; assemblage: Our gardener made sure that there was
an ample accumulation of compost.
accuracy n. exactness, correctness, Loosely precision, preciseness: The
translation from the Greek has been accomplished with great
accuracy. Rifling the inside of the barrel of a firearm
increases its accuracy.
accurate adj. 1 exact, correct, error-free, precise: She gave an
accurate description of the events. There is a nice distinction
between 'accurate' and 'precise'. 2 careful, meticulous, nice,
with an eye to or for detail, scrupulous, conscientious: Marvin
is a very accurate typist. 3 unerring, on target, Colloq on the
mark, spot on (target): This rifle is accurate if you allow for
the wind.
accusation
n. charge, allegation, indictment, charge, citation,
arraignment, complaint; imputation, incrimination, denunciation,
impeachment: The politician denied the accusation of having
accepted a bribe.
accuse v. 1 accuse (of or with). blame, censure, hold responsible
(for), charge (with), denounce (for), point the finger (at),
cite, call to account: She accused the Knave of Hearts of
lying. 2 accuse (of or with). charge, indict, impeach, arraign,
incriminate; attribute, impute: The prisoner is accused of
assault, criminal damage, and disorderly conduct.
accustom v. familiarize, acquaint, habituate, train, season; acclimatize
or acclimate: Start off by wearing your contact lenses for an
hour at a time in order to accustom your eyes to them. She soon
accustomed herself to the new surroundings.
accustomed
adj. 1 customary, habitual, usual, traditional, normal,
regular, set, routine, ordinary, familiar, wonted, common,
habituated: The old man took his accustomed place near the
fire. 2 used: I've grown accustomed to her face.
ache v. 1 pain, hurt, smart, throb, pound; sting: My jaw has been
aching since that tooth was extracted. 2 yearn, long, hunger,
hanker, pine; crave: A hostage for a year, he was aching to see
his wife and children.
--n. 3 pain, pang, throbbing, pounding, smarting, soreness: I
have had this ache in my back, Doctor, and I can't stand up
straight. 4 pang, pain; distress; longing: There's been an ache
in my heart, my darling, ever since you went away.
achieve v. 1 accomplish, carry out, execute, succeed in, complete,
fulfil, bring off or about; realize, effect: When the fund
reaches its goal, we shall have achieved our purpose. 2
accomplish, attain, reach, gain, get, acquire, win, obtain: She
achieved her ends by cheating and conniving.
achievement
n. 1 attainment, accomplishment, acquisition, acquirement: As
he was still in his thirties, the achievement of great fame
still lay ahead for him. 2 accomplishment, attainment, feat,
deed, exploit, victory: The winning of the Nobel prize was her
greatest achievement. 3 fulfilment, realization,
accomplishment, attainment, completion: What virtue lies more
in achievement than in the desire for it?
acknowledge
v. 1 admit, confess, allow, concede, own, recognize, accept,
accede, acquiesce; own up to: We acknowledge that we might have
been mistaken. She finally acknowledged my presence by looking
up. 2 answer, reply to, respond to, react to: She couldn't
possibly acknowledge personally every letter she receives.
acknowledgement
n. 1 acknowledging, confessing, admitting, owning, admission,
confession, avowal, affirmation: His acknowledgement of his
involvement in the crime saved the police a great deal of time.
2 approval, acceptance, recognition, allowance: By
acknowledgement of the parliament, the king was the commander of
the army and navy. 3 reply, response, answer, recognition: Our
acknowledgement will be in tomorrow's post.
acme n. peak, apex, top, summit, pinnacle, zenith; climax,
culmination: Roger has reached the acme of perfection as a
diamond-cutter.
acquaint n. acquaint with. familiarize with, inform of or about, make
aware of, apprise of, advise of: The management requires
employees to acquaint themselves with the safety rules.
acquaintance
n. 1 familiarity, knowledge, acquaintanceship, understanding,
awareness; experience: His acquaintance with the works of
Coleridge is sparse at best. 2 associate, fellow, colleague:
She's not a friend of mine, only an acquaintance.
acquainted
adj. 1 known to each other or one another, familiar with each
other or one another, on speaking terms: I have known Rory for
years, but his wife and I are not acquainted. 2 acquainted
with. familiar with, known to, aware of, informed of,
knowledgeable of, conversant with: I have studied trigonometry,
but I am not acquainted with calculus.
acquire v. get, obtain, gain, win, earn, procure, secure, come by or
into; receive, come into possession of; buy, purchase: He
acquired great wealth by marrying rich old dying widows.
acquisition
n. 1 obtaining, getting, acquiring, acquirement, gain,
procurement: The acquisition of property entails many
obligations. 2 possession(s), property, purchase; object: This
first edition is a recent acquisition.
act n. 1 deed, action, undertaking, operation, step, move; feat,
exploit; accomplishment, achievement: The first act of the new
commission was to ban smoking in public places. 2 performance,
show, bit, skit, stand, routine, turn, sketch, Colloq thing,
Slang US shtick: Stand-up comedians do their acts in
nightclubs. 3 performance, pretence, posture, stance, feigning,
front, fake, dissimulation, show, deception, hoax, affectation:
She didn't mean what she said - it was just an act. 4 bill,
law, decree, edict, statute, order, ordinance, command, mandate,
resolution, measure, enactment: Are the opening hours of public
houses in England regulated by act of Parliament?
--v. 5 behave (oneself), carry on, deport oneself, comport
oneself, conduct oneself: I don't know how she'll act when
we're in public. 6 perform, play, do: She is acting in the
West End. 7 portray, represent, impersonate, act out,
personify, take or play the part or role of, personate:
Reginald acts the fool whenever he has had too much to drink. 8
feign, pretend, counterfeit, fake, dissemble, make believe,
sham, simulate, dissimulate, posture: You may think him
sincere, but I know he is just acting. 9 take effect, work,
operate, function, perform: This drug will act only if taken
with meals.
action n. 1 activity, performance, movement, motion, energy,
liveliness, vim, vigour, spirit, vitality; enterprise,
initiative: Being a man of action, he hates just sitting and
reading. 2 influence, effect, power, force, strength: The
action of the moon's gravitational pull causes tides on earth.
3 deed, act, undertaking, exertion, exercise: The very action
of breathing caused me pain. 4 remedy, proceeding, process: If
they don't stop beating their dog we shall take action against
them. 5 fighting, combat: We saw action in the Far East. 6
fight, battle, engagement, encounter, clash, fray, sortie,
skirmish, affray: How many men were lost in last night's
action? 7 effect, effectiveness, activity, function,
performance, functioning, reaction: What is the action of
steroids on the lymph system? 8 actions. behaviour, conduct,
deportment, demeanour, ways, manner, manners: She must be held
responsible for her actions.
activate v. move, actuate, set in motion, get started, energize, get or
set going, start, initiate, switch or turn on, trigger;
motivate, rouse, arouse, prompt, stimulate, stir, mobilize,
animate, impel, galvanize, Colloq US light a fire under: The
sensor in the pavement activates the traffic signal. Her
enthusiasm activated him to go into business for himself.
active adj. 1 strenuous, vigorous, full, dynamic, physical; energetic,
lively, busy, brisk, bustling, occupied, on the move, Colloq on
the go, running: She is healthier for having led a very active
life. He always seems to be active. 2 acting, effective,
efficacious, effectual, working, functioning, operative, potent,
influential; powerful: The active ingredient in her medicine is
an antihistamine. 3 energetic, lively, hyperactive, animated,
spry, nimble, quick, agile, sprightly: There is no keeping up
with an active child.
activity n. 1 action, movement, motion, vigour, vim, energy, liveliness,
bustle: Last week there wasn't much activity in the stock
market. 2 pursuit, occupation, vocation, work, function,
operation, job, labour, endeavour, enterprise, project,
undertaking, venture, interest: What sort of business activity
are you engaged in?
actual adj. 1 existing, existent, real, genuine, factual, true,
authentic, verified, verifiable, true to life, manifest,
realized, realistic, Colloq solid: The actual cost of the
project turned out to be double the estimate. 2 present,
current, existent, real, genuine, physical, tangible: No
telescope has detected any actual volcanic eruption on the moon.
actually adv. really, in reality, in fact, in actuality, in point of
fact, in truth, absolutely, as a matter of fact, indeed, truly,
literally: The interest rates actually charged by banks may
vary from those quoted publicly.
acute adj. 1 sharp, pointed, narrow: The two roads meet at an acute
angle. 2 severe, intense, critical, crucial, dangerous, grave,
serious, severe: This is the ward for patients with acute
illnesses. 3 sharp, cutting, intense, severe, violent,
penetrating, exquisite, excruciating, fierce, shooting,
stabbing, piercing, sudden: The onset of the disease is marked
by acute pains in the abdomen. 4 keen, sharp, sensitive: The
bloodhound is known for its acute sense of smell. 5 keen,
sharp-witted, shrewd, clever, ingenious, astute, sharp, canny,
incisive, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, intelligent,
penetrating, insightful, percipient, wise, sensitive,
discriminating; alert, aware, on the qui vive: Such a
circumstance could not be lost upon so acute an observer.
adapt v. 1 suit, fit, make suitable, qualify: The structure of the
outer ear is adapted to collect and concentrate the vibrations.
2 alter, modify, change, remodel, tailor, reshape, shape,
fashion; adjust, accommodate, accustom, acclimatize or
acclimate, habituate: He adapted the play from an old French
comedy. The whale adapts itself to great changes in pressure
when it dives thousands of feet.
adaptable adj. flexible, pliable, pliant, compliant, accommodative,
tractable, malleable, ductile, versatile; alterable, changeable:
Men, in general, are not as adaptable as women.
adaptation
n. 1 fitting, suiting, modifying, adjusting, conversion: In
1831 electricity was ripe for adaptation to practical purposes.
2 modification, change, adjustment, accommodation, reworking,
customization, alteration: She was responsible for the
adaptation of her short story to a television play.
add v. 1 join, unite, combine, annex: 5 + 3 denotes that 3 is to
be added to 5. 2 total, sum, sum up, combine, count up, reckon,
Brit tot (up), US tote (up): The computer can add all those
figures in a few seconds. 3 continue, go on: 'And I won't take
no for an answer', she added. 4 add to. increase, enlarge,
amplify, augment, supplement: His articles have added greatly
to his reputation as a financial analyst.
addict n. 1 (habitual) user, Slang junkie, dope-fiend, doper, head,
pot-head, acid-head, pill popper, tripper, Chiefly US hophead:
His contributions helped set up the halfway houses for addicts.
2 devotee, aficionado, fan, admirer, follower, adherent,
supporter, enthusiast, Colloq buff, hound, fiend, groupie, Slang
freak, bug, nut, teeny-bopper: She became a rock 'n' roll
addict in the '60s.
addition n. 1 adding, joining, putting together, uniting, combining:
The addition of this paragraph is uncalled for. 2 totalling,
adding up, summing-up, summation, counting up, reckoning,
totting up: You have made an error in addition. 3 addendum,
appendix, appendage, supplement, increment, augmentation,
extension: This addition contributes nothing to the manuscript.
4 extension, ell, Brit annexe, US annex, wing: We used our
lottery winnings to pay for an addition to the house.
--prep. 5 in addition to. as well as, besides, beyond, over and
above: In addition to books, the shop sold greetings cards.
---adv.phr. 6 in addition. moreover, furthermore, additionally,
besides, withal, to boot, in or into the bargain, too, also, as
well: We were compelled to exercise every morning and in
addition we went for a ten-mile run each Saturday.
address n. 1 speech, talk, discourse, oration, lecture; sermon: The
Prime Minister's address to the nation was broadcast last night.
2 location, whereabouts: She couldn't write to me because she
didn't have my address.
--v. 3 speak or talk to; deliver or give a speech to; lecture:
After the coup, the general addressed the crowd in the square.
4 greet, hail, accost, approach: She was addressing strangers
in the street to ask their views on women's rights. 5 address
oneself to. devote or direct or apply oneself to: After the
holidays, I again addressed myself to studying for examinations.
adept adj. 1 versed, proficient, skilled, well-skilled, expert,
accomplished, skilful or US skillful, adroit, dexterous or
dextrous, able, masterful, masterly, polished: She is an adept
pianist, and her husband is adept at carpentry.
--n. 2 expert, master, specialist, authority , Colloq dab hand,
old hand: He is an adept at anything that one does with one's
hands.
adequate adj. 1 sufficient, enough, ample; satisfactory, fitting, equal,
suitable: Is there language adequate to describe my feelings?
2 passable, fair, fair to middling, middling, average,
tolerable, (barely) acceptable, (barely) satisfactory, all
right, competent, not (at all) bad, so so , Colloq OK or okay,
up to snuff, not that or too bad, no great shakes: The music
was good, the band only adequate. 3 equal, suitable, suited,
fitted, up, proper, qualified, competent, good enough: Johnson
was unsure that he was adequate to the task at hand.
adjoining adj. neighbouring, contiguous (to), adjacent (to), abutting,
bordering, next (to): We have bought the adjoining house. The
land adjoining the supermarket is for sale.
adjust v. 1 set right, arrange, settle, harmonize, reconcile, resolve,
set or put to rights; arbitrate, mediate; redress, rectify,
correct, patch up: Four were named on each side to adjust their
differences. 2 change, alter, modify, regulate, set: After he
adjusted the pendulum, the clock kept good time. 3 adapt (to),
accommodate (oneself) (to), accustom (oneself) (to); get used
(to), acclimatize or acclimate (to), reconcile (oneself) (to):
If she travels a distance east or west, it takes her a few days
to adjust to the local time. Army life was very different, but I
was able to adjust quickly. 4 put in order, arrange, rearrange,
close or fasten or zip or button (up): She adjusted the
children's coats and did up their shoes.
adjustment
n. 1 adjusting, altering, alteration, setting, regulating,
regulation, setting or putting right or aright or to rights,
correcting, correction, calibrating, calibration; tuning: The
adjustment of the clocks is my responsibility. 2 arrangement,
balance, coordination, order, alignment, harmony, harmonization:
The inspector requires everything to be in perfect adjustment.
administer
v. 1 administrate, manage, control, run, direct, conduct,
superintend, supervise, oversee: The president said that she
had administered the department well during her year as its
head. 2 execute, carry on, carry out; apply, implement,
prosecute: It is the responsibility of the police to administer
the law, not to make it. 3 dispense, supply, furnish, give
(out), provide (with), mete out, distribute, deliver, deal, hand
out: Doctors sometimes administer drugs that have side effects.
administration
n. 1 management, direction, conduct, supervision, oversight,
superintendence, regulation, charge: Lord Hampden was given
administration of her affairs till she came of age. 2 authority,
management, US government: The current administration is in
favour of a better health programme. 3 dispensation,
administering, supplying, furnishing, provision, delivery,
distribution, application: The judge is charged with the
administration of justice.
admirable adj. wonderful, awe-inspiring, excellent, estimable, splendid,
marvellous, superior, first-rate, first-class, of the first
water, great, fine, Colloq top-drawer, ripsnorting, A-1, Brit
smashing, magic: His performance in Harper's new play is
admirable.
admiration
n. wonder, awe; delight, pleasure; esteem, regard,
appreciation, respect: She is lost in admiration of her
mother's latest painting. Randolph was presented with a gold
medal as a token of his colleagues' admiration.
admire v. 1 wonder or marvel (at), delight in: Typically, he most
admires people who are wealthy. 2 esteem, regard or respect
highly, look up to, revere, idolize, venerate, worship: The
queen is one of the most admired people in the country.
admirer n. 1 devotee, aficionado, fan, supporter, enthusiast, adherent,
follower Slang groupie: Rock stars always seem to be
accompanied by a retinue of admirers. 2 beau, suitor; lover,
sweetheart, darling: Scarlett was always surrounded by many
admirers.
admission n. 1 access, admittance, entr‚e, entry: The special card gives
me admission to the rare book room of the library. 2 reception,
acceptance, appointment, institution, induction, installation,
investiture: The committee has at last approved the admission
of women into the society. 3 acknowledging, acknowledgement or
acknowledgment, allowing, allowance, admitting, admittance,
conceding, concession: The court refuses to consider the
admission of testimony taken under duress. 4 acknowledgement,
confession, concession, profession, declaration, disclosure,
affirmation, concession, divulgence or divulgement, revelation:
The police were able to extract an admission of guilt from the
suspect. 5 ticket, (entry or entrance) fee, tariff: Admission
is free for senior citizens.
admit v. 1 let in, allow to enter, take or allow in; accept, receive:
I opened the window to admit some air. The harbour is too small
to admit even one more ship. 2 allow, permit, grant, brook,
tolerate: The governor will admit no delay in the execution of
the sentence, and the prisoner will be hanged at dawn. 3 accept,
concede, acquiesce, allow, grant, accept, recognize, take
cognizance of: Descartes' principle admitted nothing but what
his own consciousness obliged him to admit. 4 confess, own,
concede, divulge, reveal, acknowledge, declare: She readily
admitted to having incited the riot.
admittance
n. leave or permission to enter, entry, entering, entrance,
access, entr‚e: Admittance to the club is restricted to
members.
adolescent
n. 1 teenager, youth, juvenile, minor, stripling, youngster, US
teen, Colloq kid; Slang teeny-bopper: A group of adolescents
volunteered to work at the home for the elderly.
--adj. 2 teenaged, young, youthful, maturing, pubescent;
immature, puerile, juvenile: Adolescent growth is often
dramatic, a gain of two inches in height being not unusual.
adopt v. 1 take (in), accept, take or accept as one's own: Carol and
her husband have adopted two children. 2 take, take up or on or
over, embrace, espouse; arrogate, appropriate: All Hugh's ideas
are adopted from others - he's never had one of his own.
adorable adj. lovable, beloved, loved, darling, sweet, dear; delightful,
appealing, attractive, charming, captivating, fetching: To look
at him now, it is hard to imagine what an adorable child he once
was.
adore v. 1 esteem, honour, respect, admire; idolize, dote on: An
entire generation adored the Beatles. 2 worship, venerate,
reverence, revere, exalt; hallow: O! Come let us adore him -
Christ, the Lord! 3 love, be in love with, cherish, fancy,
revere, adulate, Colloq have a crush on, carry the or a torch
for: Katie just adores the captain of the football team at
school.
adult adj. 1 mature, grown (up), full-grown, matured, of age: Now
that you are adult, you come into a large inheritance.
--n. 2 grown-up: Tiger cubs are cute, but the adults are very
dangerous.
adulterate
v. falsify, corrupt, alloy, debase, water (down), weaken,
dilute, bastardize, contaminate, pollute, taint, Colloq doctor;
Slang US cut: Adulterated rape seed oil was found to have
caused the deaths of more than 600 people.
advance v. 1 move or put or push or go forward; approach: Man has
advanced the frontier of physical science. The battalion
advanced towards the fort with guns blazing. 2 further, promote,
forward, help, aid, abet, assist, benefit, improve; contribute
to: The terrorists' dynamiting of the school has done nothing
to advance their cause. 3 go or move forward, move (onward), go
on, proceed, get ahead: As people advance in life, they acquire
what is better than admiration - judgement. 4 hasten,
accelerate, speed: We have advanced the date of our departure
from December to October. 5 move up, promote: In less than a
year, Mrs Leland has been advanced from supervisor to manager of
the production department. 6 prepay, lend: Could you advance me
some money till pay-day?
--n. 7 progress, development, progress, forward movement;
improvement, betterment; headway: Who has done more for the
advance of knowledge? 8 rise, increase, appreciation: Any
advance in prices at this time would reduce our sales. 9
prepayment, deposit; loan: I cannot understand why George is
always asking for an advance on his allowance. 10 in advance. a
beforehand, ahead (of time), before: You will have to make
reservations well in advance. b before, in front (of), ahead
(of), beyond: The colonel rode in advance of the cavalry.
advantage n. 1 superiority, upper hand, dominance, edge, head start;
sway; Colloq US and New Zealand drop: After a year, the
advantage was with the Royalists. His height gives him an
advantage at basketball. 2 gain, profit, benefit, interest;
asset, betterment, improvement, advancement; use, usefulness,
utility, help, service: I have information that will be of
advantage to her. 3 to advantage. better, (more) favourably,
advantageously: The dress sets off her figure to advantage.
advantageous
adj. profitable, worthwhile, gainful, opportune, beneficial,
favourable, useful, valuable: The minister signed an
advantageous treaty of commerce with Russia.
adventure n. 1 exploit, escapade, danger, peril; affair, undertaking,
feat, deed; experience, incident, event, occurrence, happening,
episode: We shared many wartime adventures. 2 speculation,
hazard, chance, risk, venture, enterprise: I lost a fortune in
some of his financial adventures.
--v. 3 venture, hazard, risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize,
threaten: Would you adventure your pension money in such a
scheme? 4 dare, wager, bet, gamble, stake, try one's luck, Brit
punt: She adventured a whole week's salary on the pools.
adventurer
n. 1 adventuress, soldier of fortune, swashbuckler, hero,
heroine, daredevil; mercenary: Errol Flynn often played the
role of the adventurer. 2 adventuress, cheat, swindler,
charlatan, trickster, rogue, scoundrel, knave; cad, bounder,
philanderer, fortune-hunter, opportunist: That adventuress is
just after Nelson's money.
adventurous
adj. daring, rash, brash, reckless, devil-may-care, bold,
foolhardy, hazardous, risky, daredevil, venturesome,
adventuresome, temerarious, audacious, bold, intrepid, brave,
courageous: She was adventurous enough to sail round the world
single-handed.
adversary n. 1 foe, enemy, opponent, antagonist, competitor, rival:
Before beginning to fight, each adversary sized up the other.
--adj. 2 opposed, hostile, antagonistic, competitive: Why does
she always take the adversary position in every argument?
advertisement
n. 1 notice, handbill, blurb, broadside, bill, circular,
brochure, poster, placard, classified, commercial, spot
(announcement), US car-card, Colloq ad, plug, Brit advert: The
company has placed advertisements in all major media. 2
advertising, promotion; publicity; propaganda, ballyhoo,
hoop-la, Colloq hype, beating the drum, US puffery:
Advertisement on TV may be very effective, but it is very
expensive.
advice n. 1 counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion, opinion,
view; warning, admonition, Technical par‘nesis: His solicitor's
advice is to say nothing. 2 information, news, intelligence,
notice, notification; communication: Advice has reached the
police that a shipment of arms will leave Dover tonight.
advisable adj. recommendable, expedient, prudent, practical, sensible,
sound, seemly, judicious, wise, intelligent, smart, proper,
politic: It would be advisable for you to keep out of sight for
a few days.
advise v. 1 counsel, guide, recommend, suggest, commend; caution,
admonish, warn; urge, encourage: I advised him to be careful
driving at night in that area. 2 tell, announce (to), inform,
apprise, register, make known (to), intimate (to), notify: We
advised her of our disapproval. The police have advised the
defendants of their rights.
adviser n. counsellor, mentor, guide, cicerone, counsel, consultant,
confidant(e): The chairman always consults his advisers before
making a decision.
advisory adj. 1 consultive, consultative, counselling, hortatory,
monitory, admonitory, Technical par‘netic(al): Our firm has
been engaged in an advisory capacity on the privatization of the
utility companies.
--n. 2 bulletin, notice, warning, admonition, prediction: The
Weather Office has issued a storm advisory for the weekend.
advocate v. 1 support, champion, back, endorse, uphold, recommend, stand
behind, second, favour, speak or plead or argue for or in favour
of: Don't you advocate the policies of the Party?
--n. 2 supporter, champion, backer, upholder, second, exponent,
proponent, patron, defender, apologist: She is an enthusiastic
advocate of free speech. 3 lawyer, counsel; intercessor; Brit
barrister, solicitor, US attorney, counselor-at-law: The
advocate for the opposition is not in court.
aesthete n. connoisseur, art-lover, lover of beauty, aesthetician or
esthetician, US tastemaker: It was the aesthetes who set the
standard for the art purchased by the museum.
aesthetic adj. 1 artistic, tasteful, beautiful; in good, excellent, etc.
taste: Daphne always does such aesthetic flower arrangements.
2 sensitive, artistic, refined, discriminating, cultivated:
These paintings might be realistic, but they are an aesthetic
disaster.
affair n. 1 matter, topic, issue; business, concern, interest,
undertaking, activity: These are affairs of state and require
the approval of a minister. 2 concern, business, Slang US
beeswax: Who wiped the fingerprints off the weapon is none of
your affair. 3 event, business, occurrence, happening,
proceeding, incident, operation: Last night's farewell party
was truly a dull affair. 4 Also, affaire. love affair, amour,
romance, intrigue, fling, liaison, relationship, affaire
d'amour, affaire de coeur: Lady Constance is having an affair
with the gamekeeper.
affect° v. 1 attack, act upon, lay hold of, strike: Arthritis has
affected his hands and he can no longer play the piano. 2 move,
stir, impress, touch, strike; perturb, upset, trouble, agitate:
The sportsman was not affected by all the taunts and jeers. 3
influence, sway, change, transform, modify, alter: Her sudden
fame has affected her view of herself.
affectэ v. 1 assume, adopt, put on, pretend (to), feign, sham, fake,
counterfeit: Charles affects a knowledge of high finance. 2
choose, select; use, wear, adopt: He affected a striped blazer
and a boater which he wore at a jaunty angle.
affectation
n. 1 affectedness, pretentiousness, artificiality, insincerity,
posturing: She behaves with so much affectation that I never
can be sure of her real feelings. 2 pretence, simulation, false
display, show, front, pose, pretension, fa‡ade; act, airs: Some
people's charitable concern for others is mere affectation.
Using a long cigarette-holder is one of her many affectations.
affected adj. 1 unnatural, artificial, specious, stilted, stiff,
studied, awkward, non-natural, contrived, mannered: Dryden
found Shakespeare's style stiff and affected. 2 pretended,
simulated, hollow, assumed, feigned, fake, faked, false,
counterfeit, insincere, spurious, sham, bogus, Colloq phoney or
US also phony: The heir's affected grief concealed his secret
exultation. 3 pretentious, pompous, high-sounding, mincing,
niminy-piminy, Colloq la-di-da orlah-di-dah or la-de-da:
Oliver's affected airs were enough to make his classmates detest
him. 4 attacked, seized, afflicted, stricken, gripped, touched;
diseased, laid hold of: Her affected lungs never quite
recovered. 5 afflicted, moved, touched, stirred, distressed,
troubled, upset, hurt; influenced, swayed, impressed, struck,
played or worked or acted upon: Many affected theatre-goers
enjoyed her performances.
affection n. goodwill, (high) regard, liking, fondness, attachment,
loving attachment, tenderness, warmth, love: The affection she
felt towards her stepchildren was returned many times over.
affectionate
adj. fond, loving, tender, caring, devoted, doting, warm: She
gave her mother an affectionate embrace and boarded the train.
affiliated
adj. associated; attached, connected, combined, united, joined:
For our members' convenience, the club is now affiliated with
one that serves meals.
affinity n. 1 relationship, kinship, closeness, alliance, connection or
Brit connexion; sympathy, rapport: He felt an affinity with
other redheaded people. 2 friendliness, fondness, liking,
leaning, bent, inclination, taste, partiality, attractiveness,
attraction: I have an affinity for the sea.
afflict v. affect, bother, distress, oppress, trouble, torment: Last
winter's intense cold afflicted everyone, but those in the north
especially.
affliction
n. 1 hardship, misery, misfortune, distress, ordeal, trial,
tribulation, adversity, suffering, woe, pain, grief, distress,
torment, wretchedness: Moses saw the affliction of his people
in Egypt. 2 curse, disease, calamity, catastrophe, disaster,
plague, scourge, tribulation, trouble: He often observed that
greed was the affliction of the middle class.
afford v. 1 have the means, be able or rich enough, manage, bear the
expense, pay, provide: We cannot afford to send the children to
better schools. 2 give, spare, give up, contribute, donate;
sacrifice: The loss of a single day's work was more than I
could afford. 3 yield, give, supply, produce, provide, furnish,
grant, offer; give forth: May kind heaven afford him
everlasting rest. The poems afford no explanation.
afoul adv. afoul of. entangled with, in trouble with, in conflict
with, at odds with: Barbara fell afoul of the new tax
regulations.
afraid adj. 1 fearful, frightened, scared, intimidated, apprehensive,
lily-livered, white-livered, terrified, panic-stricken,
faint-hearted, weak-kneed, timid, timorous, nervous, anxious,
jittery, on edge, edgy, jumpy; cowardly, pusillanimous, craven,
Colloq yellow: Don't be afraid, the dog won't bite you. 2
sorry, unhappy, regretful, apologetic, rueful: I'm afraid I
cannot help you find a cheap flat in London.
age n. 1 lifetime, duration, length of existence; life-span: The
age of a stag is judged chiefly by its antlers. She was sixteen
years of age. 2 maturity, discretion; majority, adulthood,
seniority: When he comes of age he will inherit millions. 3
period, stage, time: Among these people, both boys and girls
undergo rites of passage at the age of puberty. He is a man of
middle age. 4 long time, aeon or esp. US eon; years: I haven't
seen you for an age! The noise went on for ages. 5 era, epoch,
period, time: The 18th century was known as the Augustan Age in
England.
--v. 6 grow old(er), mature, ripen: O, Matilda, I age too fast
for my years! You must first age the whisky in the barrel, then
bottle it.
aged adj. old, elderly, superannuated, ancient, age-old, grey,
venerable: The three aged women crouched in their chairs, each
with her own memories.
agency n. means, medium, instrumentality; intervention, intercession,
action, intermediation; operation, mechanism, force, power,
activity, working(s), energy: Pollen is carried from flower to
flower by the agency of certain insects.
agent n. 1 representative, intermediary, go-between, proxy, emissary,
delegate, spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, deputy,
substitute, surrogate, advocate, emissary, legate, envoy,
factor: Our agent in Tokyo will look after the matter for you.
2 factor, agency, cause, means, force, instrument, power,
vehicle, ingredient: The active agent in this cleaner is
ammonia.
aggravate v. 1 worsen, intensify, exacerbate, heighten, magnify,
increase; inflame: They introduce new problems and aggravate
the old ones. 2 exasperate, frustrate; anger, incense,
infuriate; provoke, irritate, nettle, rile, vex, annoy, harass,
hector, bother; embitter, rankle, Colloq peeve, needle, get on
one's nerves; Slang Brit give (someone) aggro: Threats only
serve to aggravate people.
aggression
n. 1 aggressiveness, hostility, belligerence, combativeness,
Slang Brit aggro: The mere crossing of the river is an act of
aggression. 2 attack, assault, onslaught, invasion,
encroachment: The conflict had become a war of aggression.
aggressive
adj. 1 combative, warlike, martial, belligerent, bellicose,
pugnacious, quarrelsome, disputatious, litigious; hostile,
unfriendly: The Germanic tribes were known to the Romans as
aggressive and hardened warriors. 2 forward, assertive,
forceful, bold, Colloq pushy: Dennis's aggressive nature may
yet make him a good salesman.
aggressor n. assailant, attacker, instigator, initiator, provoker;
belligerent: You will find that the Nazis were the aggressors
in Poland in 1939.
agile adj. 1 nimble, quick, brisk, swift, active, lively, lithe,
limber, spry, sprightly: Sofia is an agile dancer. 2 keen,
sharp, alert, dexterous or dextrous, resourceful, acute: With
his agile mind Richard was able to solve the problems in no time
at all.
agitate v. 1 excite, arouse, rouse, move, perturb, stir up, disquiet,
fluster, ruffle, rattle, disconcert, discomfit, unsettle, upset,
rock, unnerve, shake (up), Colloq discombobulate: Rachel was
agitated to learn of the bank's threat to foreclose on the
mortgage. 2 push, press, campaign; promote: The miners have
been agitating for better safety measures. 3 stir (up), churn,
disturb, shake, roil: The calm lake was agitated by the motor
boats.
agitated adj. moved, stirred (up), shaken (up), rattled, disturbed,
upset, nervous, perturbed, jittery, jumpy, uneasy, ill at ease,
fidgety, disquieted, discomfited, ruffled, flustered, unsettled,
unnerved, wrought up, discomposed, disconcerted, aroused,
roused, excited, Colloq discombobulated: The sheriff was in a
very agitated state about the mob forming outside the jail.
agitation n. 1 shaking, disturbance, churning, stirring, turbulence: The
agitation made the solution become cloudy. 2 excitement,
arousal, rabble-rousing, provocation, stirring up, incitement,
ferment, stimulation, over-stimulation, commotion: The
organized agitation of the crowds continued for weeks after the
coup.
agitator n. activist, rabble-rouser, incendiary, agent provocateur,
insurrectionist, troublemaker, demagogue, firebrand: The
opposition party hires professional agitators to incite the
people to riot.
agog adj. eager, avid, keen, enthusiastic, expectant, impatient,
breathless: The children were all agog waiting for Santa Claus
to come.
agonizing adj. painful, distressful, distressing, harrowing, torturous,
racking, excruciating, tortured, tormented: We went through an
agonizing reappraisal of our policy on immigration.
agony n. anguish, trouble, distress, suffering, misery, wretchedness,
pain, pangs, woe, torment, throes, torture, affliction: For two
days his parents experienced the agony of not knowing whether he
was dead or alive.
agree v. 1 concur, conform, come or go together, coincide,
correspond, harmonize, reconcile; accord, tally, Colloq jibe:
At last my cheque-book agrees with my bank statement! 2 Often,
agree to. consent to, favour, acquiesce in or to, approve of,
accede to, assent to: They finally agreed to our offer. We
agreed terms with respect to the contract. 3 concede, grant,
consent, admit, approve, allow, accept, concur; accede (to),
acquiesce (in or to), assent (to), see eye to eye: The
committee agreed that she should be given time to comply with
the request. I objected and they agreed with me. 4 agree with.
suit: The climate in England agrees with me, strange to say.
agreeable adj. 1 pleasing, pleasant, enjoyable, pleasurable, favourable,
delightful, satisfying, satisfactory, good, nice, acceptable; to
one's liking or taste: He found the Caribbean an agreeable
place for a holiday. 2 in favour, approving, willing,
consenting, acquiescent, complying, compliant, in agreement or
accord, concurring, amenable, sympathetic, well-disposed;
accommodating, accommodative: If Anne's agreeable, we can leave
tomorrow.
agreement n. 1 understanding, covenant, treaty, pact, accord, compact,
settlement, concordat; contract, bargain, Colloq deal: They
drew up a ten-year agreement to be signed at the summit in
Geneva. 2 concord, harmony, compatibility, unity, concurrence,
unanimity: Agreement in error is far worse than division for
the sake of truth.
ahead adv. 1 at the or in front, in advance, in the lead or vanguard,
up ahead, before, to the fore: The general rode ahead. 2
winning: At half time, our team was ahead by two points. 3
onward(s), forward(s), on: Please move ahead if you can.
aid v. 1 help, support, assist, facilitate, back, abet, uphold,
promote; succour, relieve, subsidize: The invasion was aided by
Richard's subjects. He salved his conscience by aiding a local
charity.
--n. 2 help, support, assistance, backing, relief, benefit,
service, succour, comfort: He was convicted of giving aid to
the enemy in time of war. 3 funding, subsidy, subvention;
grant-money, grant, grant-in-aid, scholarship: He could never
have gone to university without aid from the endowment.
aide n. aide-de-camp, assistant, helper, coadjutor; good or strong
right arm, right hand, right-hand man; colleague, partner, ally,
comrade, comrade-in-arms, US cohort , Colloq man Friday, girl
Friday, US gal Friday: The general's aides are always at his
side.
ail v. 1 trouble, afflict, affect, bother, distress, upset, worry,
make ill or sick, pain, hurt: I cannot imagine what ails him,
and the doctor can find nothing wrong. 2 suffer, be or feel ill
or poorly or unwell or indisposed, US be sick: Granny has been
ailing lately.
ailment n. illness, sickness, affliction, disease, disorder,
indisposition, malady; disability, infirmity; malaise,
queasiness: Granny's ailment has been diagnosed as influenza.
aim v. 1 direct, point, focus, train, level: The guns of the fort
are aimed at the narrow pass. 2 aim at. focus on, have designs
on, aspire to, plan for or on, set one's sights on, seek, strive
for, try for, wish, want: Edward aimed at absolute dominion
over that kingdom. 3 seek, intend, plan: I aim to retire at
fifty, if not before.
--n. 4 direction, pointing, focus, focusing or focussing,
sighting: His aim is so bad that he can't hit the side of a
barn with a shotgun. 5 purpose, goal, ambition, desire,
aspiration, object, end, objective, target, intent, intention,
plan: It was never her aim in life to be rich. The aim of the
book is set forth in the Foreword.
aimless adj. 1 purposeless, pointless, frivolous: After receiving the
inheritance she led an aimless life of ease and luxury. 2
undirected, erratic, chance, haphazard, random, vagrant,
wayward; wanton: We were annoyed by the tourists' aimless
meandering round the village.
air n. 1 atmosphere, ambience, aura, climate, feeling, sense, mood,
quality: This restaurant has a delightful air about it. 2
breeze, zephyr, current, draught; breath, puff, wind: Light
airs sprang up from the south. 3 manner, style, appearance,
aura, feeling, bearing, quality, flavour: Louis has a
lugubrious air about him. 4 melody, tune, song, music: She was
humming airs from some Italian opera. 5 airs. pretension,
pretence, show, affectedness; haughtiness, hauteur, arrogance,
superiority, superciliousness: He puts on such airs since he
got his knighthood.
--v. 6 ventilate, freshen, refresh, aerate: The chambermaid is
airing the room, so you can't go in now. 7 show off, parade,
display, exhibit; publish, broadcast, circulate, publicize, make
public or known, reveal, expose, disclose, divulge, tell,
express, declare: Once again Andrew is airing his views on
modern art.
akin adj. Usually, akin to. related (to), allied or connected or
affiliated (to or with), associated (with), germane (to), like,
alike, similar (to): Desultoriness is akin to indolence. Their
decision not to show the film smacks of something akin to
censorship.
alarm n. 1 warning, alert, danger- or distress-signal; tocsin, bell,
gong, siren, whistle, horn: At the approach of the storm, the
lookouts gave the alarm. The alarm is set to wake me at four
o'clock. 2 fear, fright, apprehension, dismay, trepidation,
terror, dread, anxiety, excitement, panic, consternation,
distress, nervousness, uneasiness, discomfort: He viewed with
alarm the arrest of his next-door neighbours.
--v. 3 frighten, scare, daunt, startle, terrify, panic;
unnerve, dismay, disturb, upset: She was alarmed at the news of
the car crash. Don't be alarmed - such delays are quite normal.
alcohol n. spirits, liquor, the bottle, the cup that cheers, demon rum,
John Barleycorn, Colloq booze, hard stuff, juice, moonshine,
fire-water, Slang rot-gut, US and Canadian hooch: Alcohol and
driving do not mix.
alcoholic adj. 1 intoxicating, inebriating: His doctor has forbidden him
any alcoholic beverage.
--n. 2 drunkard, drunk, dipsomaniac, sot, toper, drinker,
winebibber, serious or problem drinker, tippler, Colloq barfly,
soak, Slang boozer, alchy or alkie or alky, dipso, stew, rummy,
US and Canadian lush, booze-hound, wino: The community runs a
centre for rehabilitating alcoholics.
alert adj. 1 awake, wide awake, watchful, vigilant, attentive,
heedful, wary, cautious, on the qui vive, aware, on guard, on
the lookout, observant, Colloq on the ball, on one's toes: The
sentinels must remain alert throughout the night. Kenneth is
alert to the perils of smoking cigarettes. 2 active, nimble,
lively, agile, active, quick, spry, sprightly, vivacious: He is
an alert and joyous old soul.
--n. 3 lookout: She is always on the alert for new ways of
saving money. 4 alarm, warning, signal, siren: Sound the
air-raid alert!
--v. 5 warn, caution, advise, alarm, forewarn, signal, notify:
We must alert him to the fact that the man is a vicious killer.
alibi n. 1 excuse, explanation: Your alibi places you very close to
the scene of the crime.
--v. 2 excuse, explain: Caught red-handed, she couldn't alibi
her way out of it.
alien adj. 1 foreign, strange, exotic, outlandish, unfamiliar: The
customs of the country were alien to me.
--n. 2 foreigner, stranger, outlander, outsider, non-native,
immigrant, newcomer: Aliens are required to register during
January.
alienate v. Usually, alienate from. disabuse (of or from), wean away
(from), detach (from), distance (from): Gradually the villagers
were alienated from their old animistic beliefs.
alike adj. 1 similar, akin, resembling or like one another, akin to
or similar to one another, showing or exhibiting a resemblance:
They began to think all religions were alike.
--adv. 2 in like manner, in the same manner or way, similarly,
equally, uniformly, identically: She believes that all people
should be treated alike.
alive adj. 1 living, live, breathing, among the living, in the land
of the living: My great-grandfather is still alive, in spite of
years of defying medical advice. 2 alive to. sensitive or alert
to, aware or conscious of, aware or cognizant of: She is alive
to every slight nuance in the poem. 3 alert, active, lively,
vivacious, quick, spirited, animated, brisk, spry, sprightly,
vigorous, energetic: Look alive, my lads, and hoist away! 4
astir, teeming, swarming, thronging, crowded, packed, buzzing,
crawling, jumping, bustling, humming, Colloq lousy: In a few
minutes the water around the corpse was alive with deadly
piranha.
allegation
n. charge, accusation, complaint; assertion, avowal,
asseveration, claim, declaration, statement, deposition: I
resent the allegation that I don't bath often enough.
allege v. declare, aver, state, assert, charge, affirm, avow,
asseverate, depose, say: The guard alleged that he had caught
the boy climbing in a basement window.
alleged adj. described, designated; claimed, avowed, stated; purported,
so-called, suspected, supposed, assumed, presumed; hypothetical,
conjectural: The press reported that the alleged assailant had
confessed. He is awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in
the bombing.
alliance n. 1 union, confederation, combination, federation, pact,
league, association, coalition, affiliation, connection, bond;
unity, affinity: The alliance between the two empires has been
faithfully maintained. 2 marriage, affinity: The alliance
between the two families was welded by the children born of it.
allot v. distribute, apportion, allocate, earmark, assign, parcel or
dole out, deal (out), divide, share (out), dispense: The
millionaire allotted an equal share of his fortune to each of
his children.
allotment n. 1 share, apportionment, ration, portion, quota, allowance,
measure: Each prisoner was given a daily allotment of four
ounces of black bread and a cup of water. 2 garden plot, kitchen
garden, patch, tract, plot, Brit market garden, US truck garden:
If I don't answer the phone, it's because I am digging my
allotment.
allow v. 1 acknowledge, admit, grant, concede, own: He allowed that
he had not been completely truthful about his movements that
night. 2 agree to, concede, cede to, admit, permit, authorize,
entertain, consent to: The judge said that he would allow a
plea of 'guilty with an explanation'. 3 permit, let, suffer:
Please allow the children to select their own friends. 4
tolerate, stand (for), brook, sanction, countenance, permit,
consider, put up with: The headmaster refuses to allow such
goings-on at his school. 5 give, let (someone) have,
appropriate, grant, budget, earmark, assign, allocate, assign,
approve: The company allowed him њ100 a day for expenses. 6
make allowance or concession for, set apart or aside, put aside,
take into account or consideration; add; deduct: You must allow
at least an extra hour for the traffic during rush hour. The
shipper allows ten kilos for the weight of the container.
allowance n. 1 permission, toleration, tolerance, sufferance, admission,
concession, sanction; allowing, permitting, tolerating,
suffering, sanctioning, brooking, countenancing: There were
many causes of difference between them, the chief being the
allowance of slavery in the south. 2 payment, recompense,
remuneration, reimbursement, remittance: Allowance will be made
for all reasonable expenses. 3 stipend, dole, pin or pocket
money, quota, ration; pension, annuity, allocation: Bill gets a
liberal weekly allowance for expenses. 4 deduction, discount,
reduction, rebate; credit; tret; tare: You must make allowance
for the weight of the crate. 5 excuse(s), concession,
consideration: Allowance must be made for his poor eyesight.
alloy n. 1 mixture, mix, combination, compound, composite, blend,
amalgam, admixture; aggregate: Brass is an alloy of copper and
zinc.
--v. 2 contaminate, pollute, adulterate, debase, diminish,
impair, vitiate: Their external prosperity was not alloyed by
troubles from within. 3 change, modify, temper, alter,
moderate, allay: Gentle persons might by their true patience
alloy the hardness of the common crowd.
ally n. 1 comrade, confederate, collaborator, coadjutor; accessory,
accomplice; associate, partner, friend: I had hoped to have you
as an ally in my proposal for reorganization. The Allies
finally defeated the Nazi war machine in 1945.
--v. 2 league, combine, unite, join (up), team (up), side, band
together, associate, affiliate, collaborate, confederate: In
their attempt at a take-over of our company, the raiders have
allied themselves with two banks. We shall ally the Romans to us
and conquer the territory.
almost adv. nearly, about, approximately, practically, virtually,
wellnigh, bordering on, on the brink of, verging on, on the
verge of, little short of; not quite, all but; barely, scarcely,
hardly; Colloq damn near: We are almost ready to go. You almost
broke the window!
aloft adv. above, overhead, (up) in the air, in flight, up (above);
on high; heavenwards, skyward: The plane was overloaded, but we
finally made it aloft. Five women held the banner aloft.
alone adj. 1 unaccompanied, unescorted, solitary, by oneself, tout(e)
seule, solo, unattended, unassisted; abandoned, desolate,
deserted: I am alone in the world. Leave me alone. 2
unequalled, unparalleled, unique, singular, unexcelled,
unsurpassed, without equal, peerless, matchless: As a poet, Don
stands alone.
--adv. 3 solitarily, by oneself, solo: I'll walk alone. 4
only, solely, exclusively, simply, just, merely: You alone can
help me.
aloof adv. 1 apart, away, at a distance, separate; at arm's length:
We invited Martha to join us but she preferred to remain aloof.
--adj. 2 private, reticent, reserved, withdrawn, haughty,
supercilious, standoffish, formal, unsociable, unsocial;
distant, remote: Deirdre is quite an aloof sort of person - not
what you would call a 'mixer'. 3 standoffish, distant, remote,
cool, chilly, unresponsive, unfriendly, antisocial,
unapproachable; unsympathetic, apathetic, indifferent,
undemonstrative: Roger keeps himself aloof from the needs of
those less fortunate than he is.
alter v. change, revise, modify, vary, transform; adjust, adapt,
convert, remodel: After the attack, we altered our opinion of
the rebels. The dress fits better since being altered.
alteration
n. change, modification, revision, transformation; adjustment,
adaptation, conversion, remodelling: We found places where
alterations had been made in the original document. My new suit
needs alteration to fit properly.
alternate v. 1 rotate, exchange, change, interchange, take turns, go or
take, etc. in turn, US change off, interexchange: To help out,
we could alternate our days off. 2 succeed, be in succession or
rotation: The wallpaper had alternating stripes of pink, grey,
and maroon.
--adj. 3 in rotation, successive; every other, every second:
The embankment revealed alternate layers of clay and gravel. The
nurse visited our district on alternate days. 4 alternative,
second, other: The alternate selection contains only milk
chocolate.
--n. 5 variant, alternative, (second) choice, US and Canadian
substitute, deputy, stand-in, backup, understudy; pinch-hitter,
Baseball designated hitter: I prefer the alternate to the
featured model. My alternate takes over if I am ill.
alternation
n. rotation, succession; exchange, interchange: In a temperate
climate there is the advantage of the alternation of the
seasons.
alternative
adj. 1 alternate, variant, (an)other, different, additional;
substitute, surrogate: Alternative models are available.
--n. 2 alternate, variant, choice, option, selection;
possibility; substitute, surrogate: The alternative was to
remain at home and do nothing. You leave me no alternative.
'Esthetic' is an American spelling alternative.
altogether
adv. entirely, utterly, completely, wholly, totally, fully, in
all respects, absolutely, perfectly, quite; all in all, in all:
I don't altogether agree with you. Altogether, you may be right.
altruism n. selflessness, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, philanthropy,
generosity, charity, charitableness, humanitarianism,
humaneness, benevolence, humanity, public-spiritedness: Nick
does things for others out of altruism, expecting nothing in
return.
always adv. 1 at all times, again and again, on all occasions, every
or each time, each and every time, without exception,
unexceptionally; often, many times, usually: He that indulges
hope will always be disappointed. I have always made coffee this
way and see no reason for changing. 2 forever, continually,
ever, perpetually; unceasingly, unendingly, eternally, evermore,
ever after, everlastingly, till the end of time, in perpetuity:
You are a fool, Mike, and you will always be a fool. 3 in any
case, as a last resort: You could always refuse to pay.
amalgam n. mixture, blend, combination, alloy, mix, composite,
admixture, amalgamation; compound: The population was an
amalgam of original settlers and new immigrants.
amalgamate
v. blend, combine, unite, mix, join, consolidate, compound,
integrate, merge: The four sentences of the original are
amalgamated into two.
amalgamation
n. blend, fusion, combination, mixture, mingling, admixture,
composite, compound, blending, joining, consolidating,
consolidation, compounding, commingling, fusing, coalescing,
coalescence, union, uniting, unification, integration, merger,
association, composition: The directors voted for an
amalgamation of the two companies that would benefit both.
amass v. accumulate, mass, pile or heap or rack up, collect, gather
(together), assemble, aggregate, cumulate, stock or store up,
hoard, set aside: How many points have you amassed? Owing to
the bountiful harvest, the farmers amassed huge amounts of
grain.
amateur n. 1 layman, non-professional, tiro or tyro; dabbler,
dilettante, bungler; Colloq US bush-leaguer: When it comes to
repairing cars, I'm a mere amateur.
--adj. 2 lay, non-professional, untrained; unpaid; dilettante,
amateurish, unprofessional, unskilled, inexpert, unskilful,
clumsy, mediocre, inferior, crude, bungling, second-rate; Colloq
US bush-league: The amateur theatre group's performance
received excellent reviews. These paintings are strictly
amateur and totally without merit.
amaze v. astound, astonish, surprise, awe, stun, stagger, take aback,
floor, dumbfound or dumfound, confound, nonplus, stupefy, Colloq
flabbergast, dazzle: Annie Oakley amazed audiences with her
fancy shooting. I was amazed that she still cared for me.
amazement n. astonishment, surprise, awe, wonder, stupefaction: He
stared at her in amazement, sure that he had misunderstood what
she was saying.
amazing adj. astonishing, astounding, surprising, wonderful,
remarkable, extraordinary, marvellous, fabulous, stunning,
dazzling, staggering, awesome: The Cossacks put on an amazing
display of horsemanship.
ambassador
n. envoy, delegate, legate, emissary, minister,
plenipotentiary, diplomat; agent, deputy, representative,
(papal) nuncio, messenger: The ambassador must present his
credentials to the queen.
ambiguity n. 1 equivocalness, equivocacy, amphibology or amphiboly;
vagueness, indistinctness, uncertainty, indefiniteness,
imprecision, inconclusiveness: Ambiguity of language must be
avoided in legal documents. 2 equivocation, double-talk,
double-speak, equivoque; pun, double entendre, amphibologism:
The minister's speech was full of ambiguities.
ambiguous adj. 1 equivocal, amphibological, amphibolic or amphibolous;
misleading: If one says 'Taylor saw Tyler drunk', which one was
drunk is ambiguous. 2 doubtful, dubious, questionable, obscure,
indistinct, unclear, indefinite, indeterminate, uncertain,
undefined, inconclusive, uncertain, vague, misty, foggy,
unclear; cryptic, Delphic, enigmatic(al), oracular, mysterious,
puzzling; confusable: The soothsayer's prophecies were
sufficiently ambiguous to allow for several conflicting
interpretations. 3 unreliable, undependable: How can the doctor
decide on a correct diagnosis when the symptoms are ambiguous?
ambition n. 1 hunger, thirst, craving, appetite, arrivisme: John's
relentless ambition may yet be his undoing. 2 drive,
enterprise, energy, initiative, vigour, enthusiasm, zeal,
avidity, Colloq get-up-and-go: The company is seeking young men
of ambition. You'll never get anywhere, Stewart, since you are
totally lacking in ambition. 3 goal, object, aim, aspiration,
hope, desire, dream, objective, wish, purpose: It is Olivia's
ambition to marry someone with a title.
ambitious adj. 1 aspiring, hopeful; enthusiastic: My son, I am just as
ambitious for you as you are for yourself. 2 energetic,
enterprising, vigorous, zealous, enthusiastic, eager: We prefer
ambitious young people to those who are seeking a sinecure. 3
greedy, avaricious, overzealous, overambitious, Colloq pushy,
yuppy: Howard is a trifle too ambitious, expecting to be
department head after only one year.
ambush n. 1 trap, ambuscade or Archaic ambuscado: The company set up
an ambush near the crossroads.
--v. 2 lie in wait, trap, waylay, ensnare, entrap, lurk,
ambuscade, intercept, Colloq lay in wait, US bushwhack: The
guerrillas were ready to ambush the soldiers.
amend v. 1 reform, change for the better, improve, better,
ameliorate: The prisoner believes he could amend his ways if
given the chance. 2 correct, emend, emendate, rectify, set to
rights, repair, fix, revise: Take whatever time you need to
amend the text.
amendment n. 1 correction, emendation, reformation, change, alteration,
rectification, repair, reform, improvement, amelioration,
betterment, enhancement: The committee approved the amendment
of the constitution by the addition of the suggested paragraphs.
2 attachment, addition, addendum; clause, paragraph; alteration:
A two-thirds majority in the Congress is needed to pass the
amendment.
amends n. make amends. compensate, pay, repay, make reparation or
restitution, recompense, redress, remedy, requite: How can the
bus-driver ever make amends for the loss of a beloved kitten?
amiable adj. friendly, well-disposed, kindly, kind, amicable,
agreeable, congenial, genial, warm, winsome, winning, affable,
agreeable, pleasant, obliging, tractable, approachable, benign,
good-natured, good-hearted, kind-hearted; affectionate: Melissa
is well named for her sweet and amiable disposition.
amicable adj. friendly, amiable, congenial, harmonious, brotherly,
kind-hearted; warm, courteous, cordial, polite, civil, pleasant;
peaceful, peaceable: Our countries have always enjoyed the most
amicable relations.
amid prep. mid, in or into the middle or midst or centre of,
amongst, among, surrounded by, in the thick of, Literary amidst:
She is sitting in her cottage, Amid the flowers of May. Without
further ado, she plunged amid the waves.
amiss adj. 1 wrong, at fault, awry, out of order, faulty, defective,
improper, untoward; astray, erroneous, fallacious, confused,
incorrect, off: Something is amiss with the ignition. If I am
amiss in my thinking, let me know.
--adv. 2 wrong, awry, badly, poorly, imperfectly;
inopportunely, unfavourably, unpropitiously: Everything
possible has already gone amiss with the rocket launch. 3
wrongly, improperly, badly; incorrectly, inappropriately: A
word of advice might not come amiss here. 4 take or think (it)
amiss. mistake, misinterpret, misunderstand, take offence (at):
I trust that you will not take amiss what I intended as
constructive criticism.
among prep. 1 amongst, amid, amidst, mid, in the midst or middle or
centre of, surrounded by: Please take a seat among the people
over there. We lay down among the flowers. 2 among, to each or
all (of): The examination booklets were passed out among the
students.
amount v. 1 amount to. a add up to, total, aggregate, come (up) to:
Waiter, what does my bill amount to, please? b become, develop
into: That son of his will never amount to much.
--n. 2 quantity, volume, mass, expanse, bulk, supply, lot;
number; magnitude: What amount of water is needed to fill the
container? She eats a huge amount of chocolates every day. 3
(sum) total, aggregate, extent, entirety: What is the amount of
the invoice without the tax?
ample adj. 1 broad, wide, spacious, extensive, expansive, great: Her
ample bosom heaved with sobs. 2 wide-ranging, extensive, broad:
In one ample swoop they snatched up all the land. 3 abundant,
extensive, fruitful: The event proved a very ample subject for
history. 4 abundant, full, complete, plentiful, copious,
generous, substantial; sufficient, adequate, enough: He had
stored ample provision of food for the winter. 5 liberal,
unsparing, unstinted, unstinting, generous, substantial, large,
lavish: Steve's contributions have always been ample,
especially at Christmas time. 6 copious, full, broad, detailed,
extensive, extended, thorough: The subject deserves more ample
treatment.
amplify v. 1 broaden, widen, extend, increase, expand (on), enlarge
(on), expatiate on, detail; add to, augment, supplement: Let no
man comfort him But amplify his grief with bitter words. 2
exaggerate, overstate, magnify, stretch: The reports have
amplified the number of horsemen slain in the encounter. 3
enlarge (on), elaborate (on), stretch, lengthen, detail,
embellish, embroider: He amplifies every point in microscopic
detail.
amply adv. 1 widely, broadly, extensively, greatly, expansively:
This fabric stretches amply enough to fit over the couch. 2 to
a great extent, largely, fully, abundantly: My confidence in
her was amply recompensed by her success. 3 abundantly, fully,
copiously: The prophecy was amply fulfilled. 4 fully, well,
liberally, unstintingly, generously, richly, substantially,
lavishly; sufficiently: He has been amply paid for his work.
amulet n. charm, talisman, good-luck piece; fetish: Whenever the man
rubbed the silver amulet, his number would win.
amuse v. 1 divert, entertain, please, beguile, interest, occupy:
Perhaps the crossword puzzle will amuse her while she is
waiting. 2 make laugh, delight, cheer, Colloq tickle: That
form of rowdy slapstick doesn't amuse me.
amusement n. 1 entertainment, diversion, recreation, pleasure,
relaxation, distraction, enjoyment, fun, sport, joke, lark,
beguilement: The boys in my class used to pull the wings off
flies for amusement. They spent their afternoons in the
amusement arcade. 2 entertainment, diversion, divertissement,
recreation, distraction, pastime; game, sport: During the
festival there are concerts, plays, and other amusements.
anachronism
n. misdate, misdating, misapplication; antedate, antedating,
prochronism; postdate, postdating, parachronism: The poster
showing Cleopatra smoking a cigarette is an anachronism - a
prochronism, to be specific.
analyse v. 1 take apart or to pieces, separate, dissect, break down,
anatomize: If we analyse these statistics for England and
Wales, we find no pattern. The scientists are analysing the
internal constitution of a glacier. 2 examine, investigate,
study, scrutinize, interpret; assess, evaluate, critique,
criticize, review; estimate, assay, test: We must first
explicitly define and analyse the nature of the sample we found.
analysis n. 1 examination, investigation, study, scrutiny, enquiry or
inquiry, dissection, assay, breakdown, division: The analysis
has shown the presence of arsenic in her soup. 2
interpretation, opinion, judgement, criticism, critique; review:
She disagrees with our analysis of the poem.
ancestor n. forebear, forefather; forerunner, precursor, antecedent,
Formal progenitor, primogenitor: His ancestors were transported
to Australia in a prison ship, and he's proud of it. The
eohippus, only a foot high, was the ancestor of the horse.
anchor n. 1 mooring: The ship rode at anchor in the harbour. 2
stability, security, mainstay, support, stabilizer, holdfast,
sheet anchor: Marie is an anchor to windward for George, who
tends to be a bit irresponsible.
--v. 3 attach, affix, secure, moor, fix, fasten; pin, rivet,
glue: You must anchor the foundation before adding the walls.
She remained anchored to the spot, refusing to move.
ancient adj. 1 old, bygone, past, former, earlier, Literary olden: In
ancient times there were very few books. 2 old, antique,
antediluvian, primitive, prehistoric, primeval, primordial,
Noachian, Literary Ogygian: In those ancient days man had only
just come down from the trees. 3 old, old-fashioned, archaic,
time-worn, aged, ageing, obsolescent, antiquated, elderly,
venerable, grey, hoary, superannuated, obsolete, fossil,
fossilized: We were accosted by an ancient crone at the mouth
of the cave.
anger n. 1 rage, wrath, ire, fury, pique, spleen, choler; antagonism,
irritation, vexation, indignation, displeasure, annoyance,
irritability, resentment, outrage: Her anger got the better of
her, so she simply punched him.
--v. 2 enrage, infuriate, madden, pique, incense, raise one's
hackles, make one's blood boil, rile, gall; annoy, irritate,
vex, nettle, displease, exasperate, provoke: Father was so
angered by the insult that he refused to pay.
angle° n. 1 slant, oblique, corner, edge, intersection; bend, cusp,
point, apex, projection: The two walls meet at an angle. 2
slant, point of view, aspect, viewpoint, standpoint, approach,
position, side, perspective: The managing editor told me he's
looking for a new angle on the kidnapping story.
angleэ v. angle for. fish for; look for, seek, be after, try for, hunt
for: On holiday we went angling for perch. Fran is angling for
compliments on her new dress.
angry adj. 1 enraged, furious, irate, resentful, ireful, wrathful,
piqued, incensed, infuriated, fuming; irritated, irritable,
annoyed, vexed, irascible, provoked, indignant, exasperated,
splenetic, Literary wroth, Colloq livid, hot under the collar,
on the warpath, (all) steamed up, up in arms, mad, Slang browned
off, Brit cheesed off: Father was angry with me for letting the
cat out. 2 inflamed, irritated, sore, smarting: He has an
angry lesion where the fetters rubbed against his ankles.
anguish n. 1 suffering, pain, agony, torment, torture, misery: She
endured the anguish of toothache rather than go to the dentist.
2 suffering, grief, distress, woe, anxiety: He underwent
terrible anguish in the waiting-room till the surgeon arrived.
--v. 3 disturb, upset, distress, afflict, trouble; torment,
torture: The anguished cries of prisoners could be heard.
animal n. 1 creature, being, mammal, organism: Scientists are
unlikely to employ the popular division of all things into
animal, vegetable, or mineral. 2 beast, brute, savage, monster:
Think of the poor girl married to that animal!
--adj. 3 zoological, zooid, animalistic: The sponge is a
member of the animal kingdom. 4 physical, fleshly, sensual,
gross, coarse, unrefined, uncultured, uncultivated, rude,
carnal, crude, bestial, beastlike, subhuman: His animal
appetites occasionally got the better of him.
animate v. 1 activate, enliven, invigorate, stimulate, inspirit,
excite, stir, vitalize, spark, vivify, revitalize, breathe life
into, innervate: A little enthusiasm would have animated their
dull relationship. 2 inspire, inspirit, stimulate, actuate,
move, motivate, incite, rouse, arouse, excite, fire (up),
encourage, energize, vitalize, spur (on or onwards): He spent
the few minutes before the battle in animating his soldiers.
--adj. 3 lively, spirited, vivacious, animated, quick: A
courser more animate of eye, Of form more faultless never had
been seen. 4 alive, moving, breathing, Archaic quick: Although
they move, plants are not considered to be animate.
animated adj. 1 lively, quick, spirited, active, vivacious, energetic,
vigorous, excited, ebullient, enthusiastic, dynamic, vibrant,
ardent, enlivened, passionate, impassioned, fervent: In the
corner, Terence was engaged in an animated conversation with
Mary. 2 mechanical, automated, lifelike, moving: Each
Christmas, the shop has an animated window display.
animation n. 1 spirit, spiritedness, vitality, dash, ‚lan, zest, fervour,
verve, liveliness, fire, ardour, ardency, exhilaration,
intensity, energy, pep, dynamism, enthusiasm, excitement,
vigour, vivacity: Johnson was in high spirits, talking with
great animation. 2 enlivenment, liveliness, energizing,
invigoration, enlivening, innervation: The scout leader was
credited with the animation of the youths in his care.
animosity n. hostility, antagonism, antipathy, ill will, malevolence,
enmity, hatred, animus, loathing, detestation, contempt; bad
blood, malice, bitterness, acrimony, resentment, rancour: The
animosity he felt for his brother soon disappeared.
announce v. 1 proclaim, make public, make known, set or put forth, put
out, publish, advertise, publicize, promulgate, broadcast,
herald; circulate; tell, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare,
propound: The appointment of a new prime minister has been
announced. 2 intimate, suggest, hint at, signal: The sight of
a top hat announced Gordon's presence in the club. 3 declare,
tell, state, aver, assert, asseverate; notify; confirm: The
president announced that he was resigning because of the
scandal. 4 foretell, betoken, augur, portend, presage,
harbinger, herald, signal; precede: The sighting of the first
crocus announces spring.
announcement
n. 1 declaration, pronouncement, proclamation, statement:
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to make an announcement. 2
notification, notice, word: We received an announcement of the
wedding but no invitation. 3 commercial, advertisement, advert,
ad, spot: The window was filled with announcements of houses
for sale. 4 report, bulletin, communiqu‚, disclosure: An
announcement has just been received from the fire-fighters at
the scene.
announcer n. presenter, master of ceremonies, master of the revels, MC,
emcee, reporter, anchorman, anchorwoman, anchor; newsreader,
newscaster, sportscaster, weatherman, weathergirl: The
announcer didn't get my name right.
annoy v. 1 irritate, bother, irk, vex, nettle, get on (someone's)
nerves, exasperate, provoke, incense, rile, madden, Colloq get
at: The anonymous telephone calls were beginning to annoy us.
2 pester, harass, harry, badger, nag, plague, molest, bedevil,
Colloq bug, needle, hassle, Slang get up someone's nose: Stop
annoying me with your persistent requests for money.
annoyance n. 1 irritation, bother, vexation, exasperation, pique,
aggravation, Colloq botheration: Must I put up with the
annoyance of that constant bickering? 2 nuisance, pest,
irritant, bore, Colloq pain, pain in the neck or arse or US ass:
He's such an annoyance, I wish he'd leave.
answer n. 1 reply, response; rejoinder, retort, riposte, Colloq
comeback: The boy's answer is unprintable. 2 Law defence,
counter-statement, plea, explanation; Technical declaration,
plea, replication, rejoinder, surrejoinder, rebutter or
rebuttal, surrebutter or surrebuttal: Her answer to the charge
was 'Not Guilty'. 3 solution, explanation: Ten points were
taken off because I had the wrong answer to question three.
--v. 4 reply, respond; retort, rejoin, riposte: When I ask you
a question, I expect you to answer. 5 satisfy, fulfil, suffice
for, meet, suit, serve, fit, fill, conform to, correlate with:
The bequest answered my needs for the moment. 6 answer back.
talk back (to): How dare you answer your father back! 7 answer
for. a be accountable or responsible or answerable for, be to
blame for; take or undertake responsibility for; sponsor,
support, guarantee: I answer alone to Allah for my motives. So
shall my righteousness answer for me. b make amends for, atone
for, suffer the consequences of: Caesar was ambitious and he
answered for it with his life. c take or accept the blame for:
Andy shouldn't have to answer for his brother's shortcomings.
antagonism
n. 1 opposition, animosity, enmity, rancour, hostility,
antipathy: It is difficult to understand your antagonism
towards classical music. 2 conflict, rivalry, discord,
dissension, friction, strife; contention: Giving jobs only to
personal friends has engendered antagonism.
antagonist
n. adversary, opponent, enemy, foe; contender, competitor,
competition, opposition: The antagonists prepared to fight.
anticipate
v. 1 forestall, intercept, preclude, obviate, prevent; nullify:
She anticipated her opponent's manoeuvre by moving the queen's
bishop one square. 2 foretell, forecast, predict, prophesy,
foretaste, foresee: He anticipated that flying would be a
future mode of locomotion. 3 expect, look forward to, prepare
for; count or reckon on: We eagerly anticipated the arrival of
Uncle Robert.
anticipation
n. 1 expectation, expectancy; hope: In anticipation of the
arrival of Father Christmas, we hung up our stockings. 2
foreknowledge, precognition; intuition, presentiment, feeling;
foreboding, apprehension: His anticipation of the solar eclipse
by a week established him as the foremost scientist of his day.
antidote n. antitoxin, antiserum, antivenin; counteractant,
counterirritant; cure, remedy, specific; medication, medicine,
drug, medicament, Technical alexipharmic: The old prospector
says that the best antidote against snakebite is whisky.
antiquated
adj. old, old-fashioned, outmoded, pass‚, out of date, dated,
archaic, obsolescent, antique, obsolete, quaint, ancient,
antediluvian, medieval or mediaeval, primitive; extinct; Colloq
old hat: Antiquated laws list penalties for practising
witchcraft.
antique adj. 1 old, old-fashioned; antiquated, outmoded, pass‚, out of
date, obsolete: She wore the antique clothing she had found in
the trunk.
--n. 2 collectable or collectible, collector's item, bibelot,
objet d'art, objet de vertu, object or article of virtu,
heirloom, curio, rarity: His hobby is collecting antiques.
anxiety n. 1 solicitude, concern, uneasiness, disquiet, nervousness,
worry, dread, angst, apprehension, foreboding: Philip began to
feel genuine anxiety over Tanya's safety. 2 appetite, hunger,
thirst, desire, eagerness, longing, ache, concern: It is every
person's anxiety to obtain for himself the inestimable pearl of
genuine knowledge.
anxious adj. 1 troubled, uneasy, disquieted, uncertain, apprehensive;
solicitous, concerned, worried, distressed, disturbed, nervous,
tense, fretful, on edge, restless, edgy, perturbed, upset; wary,
cautious, careful, watchful: She has been terribly anxious
about the diagnosis. We were anxious for her safety. 2 desirous,
eager, keen, enthusiastic, ardent, agog, avid, yearning,
longing, aching, impatient: I was anxious to visit the Pitti
Palace once again.
apart adv. 1 aside, to one side, by oneself, at a distance, separate,
separately: He stood apart when the awards were given out. 2
separately, distinctly, individually, singly, alone,
independently: The provisions of the bill should be seen
together as a whole, not viewed apart. 3 to or into pieces,
asunder: At the touch of the button, the building blew apart.
4 apart from. except for, excepting, separately from, aside
from, besides, but for, not including, excluding, not counting:
Apart from the immediate family, no one knows of your
indiscretions.
aperture n. opening, space, gap, cleft, chink, crevice, crack, fissure,
hole, chasm: As much water ran through as the aperture could
accommodate.
apologetic
adj. regretful, sorry, contrite, remorseful, penitent, rueful,
repentant, conscience-stricken: The lad was most apologetic for
having broken the window.
apologize v. 1 beg or ask pardon, express regret(s), feel sorry or
regretful or remorse(ful): You needn't apologize for sneezing.
2 make or give excuses or explanation(s), defend, justify,
vindicate, espouse: You don't have to apologize for her.
appal v. dismay, shock, discomfit, unnerve, intimidate, terrify,
frighten, scare, horrify, alarm, startle, daunt: The council
were appalled to discover that the police superintendent was
accepting bribes.
apparatus n. equipment, requisites, tool, instrument, utensil, device,
implement, machine, machinery, gear, paraphernalia, tackle,
outfit; appliance, Colloq contraption, gadgetry, gadget: The
apparatus needed for the experiment is here.
apparel n. clothing, attire, clothes, dress, raiment, garments, Colloq
gear, rags, glad rags, duds, Slang US threads: The police found
various items of apparel strewn about the flat.
apparent adj. 1 evident, plain, clear, obvious, patent, unmistakable;
conspicuous, marked, manifest, visible, discernible: It was
apparent to all of us that she would become a successful opera
singer. 2 appearing, seeming, illusory, ostensible, superficial,
outward: In an apparent show of strength, he ordered his forces
to attack the capital.
apparently
adv. 1 evidently, plainly, clearly, obviously, patently,
manifestly: There is apparently no cure in sight for the
disease. 2 seemingly, ostensibly, superficially, outwardly: In
stop-action photography, the bullet apparently hangs in mid-air.
appeal v. 1 entreat, supplicate, solicit, plead, petition, apply, sue;
beseech, beg, implore, pray: She appealed to the king to
release her son from the dungeon. 2 attract, be attractive to,
allure, please; invite, tempt, beguile, fascinate, interest: He
seems to appeal to older women.
--n. 3 application, suit; entreaty, call, request,
supplication, solicitation, petition, plea; prayer: Her appeal
to the court has been dismissed. I don't know if God heard our
appeal. 4 attraction, lure, allurement, charm, fascination: It
is not hard to see why his type would have some appeal.
appear v. 1 come forth, become visible or manifest, put in an
appearance, materialize, surface, emerge, rise, arise, come up,
enter (into) the picture, show oneself, turn up, arrive, come,
Colloq crop or show up; Slang show: Suddenly, a vision appeared
before me. His wife appeared after an absence of ten years. 2
perform, act, play, take the role or part of: She has appeared
as Roxanne in dozens of productions of Cyrano de Bergerac . 3
occur, happen, come up, be included, figure, arrive: That
four-letter word does not appear in written form till the 20th
century. 4 seem, be clear or evident or plain or manifest; look:
It appears that the money was taken while the manager was at
lunch. 5 be published, come out, become available: The next
issue will appear in March.
appearance
n. 1 arrival, advent; presence; publication: I was awaiting
the appearance of the book in the shops. 2 aspect, look(s),
form; mien, air, demeanour; bearing, manner: The doorman would
not let him in because of his shabby appearance. 3 display,
show: Their fine horses with their rich trappings made a
splendid appearance. 4 semblance, show, hint, suggestion;
illusion: She gave no appearance of wanting to go.
appetite n. 1 desire, inclination, proclivity, tendency, disposition,
bent, preference, liking, predilection, zest, fondness, love,
zeal; enthusiasm; taste, relish; Formal appetency, appetence: I
have never lost my appetite for chocolate. They tried to
suppress their bodily appetites, such as hunger and lust. 2
craving, hunger, thirst, desire, keenness, hankering, yearning,
longing, passion, demand, Formal edacity: She developed an
insatiable appetite for reading.
applaud v. 1 approve, express approval, clap, cheer, give (someone) a
hand, Colloq root (for): The audience applauded when the
villain was caught. 2 express approval of, praise, laud, hail,
commend: Susan's parents applauded her decision to apply for
university.
applause n. clapping, acclamation, acclaim, ‚clat; cheering, cheers;
approval, commendation, approbation, praise, kudos, plaudit(s):
At the curtain there was applause from the audience.
applicable
adj. fit, suitable, suited, appropriate, proper, apropos,
fitting, befitting, pertinent, apt, germane, right, seemly,
relevant, apposite: Are the laws of the mainland applicable to
the islands?
application
n. 1 use, employment, utilization, practice, operation: The
committee wants to see a sterner application of the law with
respect to mail-order offers. 2 relevancy, relevance, reference,
pertinence, germaneness, appositeness; bearing: The application
of the regulation to present circumstances is somewhat vague. 3
attention; diligence, industriousness, effort, perseverance,
persistence, assiduity, devotion, dedication, commitment,
attentiveness Colloq stick-to-it-iveness; industry: Her
application to her studies leaves little time for recreation.
Without application, you will never develop much skill at the
piano. 4 request, solicitation; appeal, petition, claim: Gavin
made six job applications. The board will consider your
application.
apply v. 1 fasten, fix, affix, stick, cement, glue: The signs were
applied to the window with a special substance. 2 administer,
rub in or on, embrocate: The doctor said to apply this ointment
before retiring. 3 appropriate, assign, allot, credit; use,
utilize, employ, put to use: He had many skills, but failed to
apply them in his daily work. The money raised for food was
illegally applied to paying the administrators. 4 bear, have
bearing; be relevant, refer, pertain, appertain, relate, suit:
I am not sure that the law applies to this situation. 5 devote,
dedicate, commit, focus, concentrate, pay attention, address;
do, attend, tend, Colloq buckle down (to): He stubbornly
applies himself to the task at hand. 6 seek, go after;
register, bid, try out, put in; audition, interview, make
application: Are you qualified to apply for a job as a nanny?
7 petition, solicit; appeal, request: Geraldine applied to the
court for compensation.
appoint v. 1 fix, set, settle, determine, ordain, authorize, establish,
destine, arrange, assign, allot, prescribe, decree: The time
appointed for the execution has been delayed. 2 name,
designate, nominate, elect; assign, delegate, commission,
deputize; select, choose: I was delighted to have been
appointed as chairman. 3 equip, fit out, furnish, decorate:
They live comfortably in a well-appointed home in the suburbs.
appointment
n. 1 meeting, date, rendezvous, engagement; assignation, tryst:
You are again late for your appointment. 2 nomination,
election; assignment, designation; selection, choice: We fully
approve of his appointment as chairman. 3 job, position, post,
situation, office, place, assignment, Colloq berth, slot: He
got the appointment as manager.
appreciate
v. 1 value, find worthwhile or valuable; esteem, cherish,
enjoy, admire, rate or regard highly, prize, treasure, respect:
I appreciate all you have done for me. Delia's contribution is
not really appreciated. 2 increase or rise or gain in value or
worth: The property in this area has been appreciating at a
rate of about ten per cent a year. 3 understand, comprehend,
recognize, perceive, know, be aware or cognizant or conscious
of: Do you appreciate the implications of the new tax law?
appreciation
n. 1 gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, thanks;
acknowledgement; obligation: She is trying to think of an
appropriate way to express her appreciation for all he has done.
2 increase, rise, advance, growth, enhancement, gain;
aggrandizement: The appreciation in the value of the shares
made me very wealthy on paper - till the stock-market crash. 3
understanding, comprehension, perception, recognition,
knowledge, awareness; realization, enjoyment; admiration: It's
fortunate that Richard's appreciation of the finer things in
life is supported by his income.
apprentice
n. 1 novice, tiro or tyro, learner, starter, beginner,
greenhorn, Colloq US rookie: Lever served as an apprentice in
the soap factory.
--v. 2 indenture, contract, bind: Cartwright was apprenticed
to a carpenter before becoming a journeyman cabinet-maker.
approach v. 1 near, advance, draw or come near or nearer or close or
closer, Formal come nigh: Claude approached the table. As night
approached, the sky darkened. With approaching manhood, you
must take on more responsibilities. 2 approximate, nearly equal,
come close to, compare with: The total is beginning to approach
your estimate. 3 make advances or overtures to, proposition,
propose to, sound out, make (a) proposal to, solicit, Colloq
chat up: Theo makes mincemeat of any man who tries to approach
his daughter.
--n. 4 approaches. advances, overtures, proposals,
propositions: Michelle had no intention of discouraging
Pierre's approaches. 5 access, passage, way, path, course;
entry: The approach to the house was overgrown with brambles.
6 advance, movement: Our approach to the gates was being
watched very carefully. 7 method, procedure, modus operandi,
way, technique, style, manner, attitude, Slang US MO (= 'modus
operandi'): Our approach in dealing with the problem is
different.
appropriate
adj. 1 suitable, apt, fitting, fit, proper, right, meet,
becoming, befitting, seemly, suited, apropos, correct, germane,
pertinent, happy, felicitous: Will a dinner-jacket be
appropriate attire? She has written a poem appropriate to the
occasion.
--v. 2 take, take over, seize, expropriate, arrogate, annex,
impound; commandeer; steal, pilfer, filch, usurp, make away or
off with, Colloq pinch, lift, Brit nick, US boost: The police
appropriated the paintings. Somebody has appropriated my chair.
3 set aside or apart, devote, assign, earmark, allot, apportion:
Most of the money has been appropriated for back taxes.
appropriately
adv. fittingly, suitably, properly, correctly, aptly, rightly,
becomingly, meetly: She came down appropriately dressed for
dinner.
approval n. sanction, approbation, blessing, consent, agreement,
concurrence; endorsement, acceptance, imprimatur, affirmation,
‚clat, confirmation, mandate, authorization; licence, leave,
permission, rubber stamp, Colloq OK, okay, go-ahead, green
light: I don't think that the plan will meet with the
committee's approval. We gave our approval to proceed.
approve v. 1 Often, approve of. allow, countenance, condone, permit,
sanction, authorize, endorse, put one's imprimatur on, agree
(to), accept, assent (to), go along with, Colloq OK or okay,
give the green light or go-ahead or one's blessing (to),
rubber-stamp: The headmistress would never approve your leaving
the building during classes. 2 confirm, affirm, support, ratify,
uphold, subscribe to, second, give the stamp of approval to;
favour, commend, recommend: Sheila Jones's appointment to the
commission has been approved unanimously. 3 approve of.
sanction, consider fair or good or right, accept, favour,
respect, be partial to, like, have regard for, have a preference
for, tolerate, reconcile oneself to: I always had the feeling
that her father didn't quite approve of me.
approximate
adj. 1 rough, inexact, loose, imprecise, estimated, Colloq
guestimated, ballpark: The figures are only approximate, not
exact.
--v. 2 near, approach, come close to, verge on: Your estimates
approximate those of the budget committee. 3 resemble,
approach, look or seem like; simulate: The laboratory tests on
rats approximate the way the virus behaves in humans.
approximately
adv. approaching; nearly, almost, close to, about, around, give
or take, roughly, generally: I haven't seen Sally for
approximately three weeks. There are approximately fifty people
in the audience.
aptitude n. 1 fitness, suitability, appropriateness, relevance,
applicability, suitableness, aptness: One need only look at an
albatross in the air to appreciate its aptitude for flight. 2
tendency, propensity, disposition, predilection, bent,
proclivity; talent, gift, ability, capability, facility,
faculty, flair: Helen displays a natural aptitude for the
violin. 3 intelligence, quick-wittedness, intellect; capacity,
aptness: The aptitude of that new student sets her apart from
the others in the class.
arbitrary adj. 1 capricious, varying, erratic, uncertain, inconsistent,
doubtful, unpredictable, whimsical, irrational, chance, random,
inconsistent, subjective, unreasoned, irrational, Colloq chancy,
iffy: The choices are entirely arbitrary, totally at the whim
of the council and not based on research or knowledge. 2
absolute, tyrannical, despotic, authoritarian, magisterial,
summary, peremptory, autocratic, dogmatic, imperious,
uncompromising, inconsiderate, high-handed, dictatorial, Rare
thetic(al): The conduct of the archbishop appears to have been
arbitrary and harsh.
arch adj. 1 chief, principal, prime, primary, pre-eminent, foremost,
first, greatest, consummate, major: Moriarty was Holmes's
arch-enemy. 2 clever, cunning, crafty, roguish, tricky, shrewd,
artful, sly, designing: Brendan loves to play his arch pranks
on unsuspecting friends. 3 waggish, saucy, mischievous,
prankish: I could tell from the lad's arch expression that he
had thrown the snowball.
ardent adj. eager, intense, zealous, keen, fervent, fervid,
passionate, avid, fierce, impassioned, hot, warm; enthusiastic:
Diane was carrying on ardent love affairs with at least three
men.
ardour n. eagerness, desire, zeal, fervency, burning desire, keenness,
fervour, passion, heat, warmth; enthusiasm: Bernadette has
supported the cause with great ardour.
arduous adj. 1 laborious, difficult, hard, tough, strenuous, onerous,
burdensome, back-breaking, painful, Formal operose; tiring,
exhausting, wearisome, fatiguing, taxing, gruelling, trying,
formidable: The Sherpas were well equipped for the arduous
climb. What an arduous task it is to read the proofs of a
dictionary! 2 energetic, strenuous, vigorous: Montrose made
arduous efforts to reconstruct his army.
area n. 1 space, room: Is there enough floor area here for the
carpet? 2 extent, limit, compass, size, square footage,
acreage: The area of my greenhouse is thirty by fifteen feet.
3 space, field, region, tract, territory, district, zone,
stretch; section, quarter, precinct, arrondissement,
neighbourhood, locality, bailiwick, US block: An area was set
aside for a garden. There has been a lot of crime in that area
lately. 4 scope, range, extent, breadth, compass, section: His
studies cover only one area of Scottish history. 5 court,
courtyard, enclosure, close, yard; square, ground, arena, field,
parade-ground, parade: The soldiers drill in the area behind
the barracks.
argue v. 1 dispute, debate, disagree, bicker, wrangle, quarrel,
squabble, spar, fight, remonstrate, altercate, Colloq chiefly
Brit row, scrap: The couple next door are continually arguing
with each other at the tops of their voices. 2 discuss, reason,
debate, wrangle: He would argue by the hour, but never for
arguing's sake. 3 make a case, talk, plead, debate, contend: I
cannot tell whether she's arguing for or against the
proposition. 4 prove, evince, indicate, denote, demonstrate,
show, establish, suggest, signify, betoken: The increase in
street crime argues that the police are not visible enough. 5
say, assert, hold, maintain, reason, claim, contend: The
defendant argued that he had never met the witness. 6 argue
into or out of. persuade or dissuade, talk out of or into,
prevail upon; convince: I argued him out of sailing to Bermuda
alone. She succeeded in arguing me into going to the tea dance.
argument n. 1 debate, dispute, disagreement, quarrel, controversy,
polemic, wrangle, squabble, tiff, spat, altercation; conflict,
fight, fracas, affray, fray, Donnybrook, feud, Colloq row,
falling-out, scrap, barney: The argument was about who had
invented the wheel. The argument spilt out into the street. 2
point, position, (line of) reasoning, logic, plea, claim,
pleading, assertion, contention, case; defence: His argument
has merit. Arthur's argument falls apart when he brings in the
phlogiston theory.
argumentative
adj. quarrelsome, disputatious, belligerent, combative,
contentious, litigious, disagreeable, testy: Evelyn is
irritable and argumentative.
arise v. 1 rise, get up, stand up, get to one's feet; wake up, get
out of bed, awake: We arose when Lady Spencer entered the room.
I have arisen before dawn all my life. 2 rise, go up, come up,
ascend, climb; mount: The full moon arose in the eastern sky.
3 come up, be brought up, be mentioned, Colloq crop up: The
subject never would have arisen if the waiter hadn't spilt the
wine on me. 4 spring up, begin, start (up), originate, come up,
Colloq crop up: A very unpleasant situation has arisen
regarding the missing funds.
aroma n. 1 smell, odour, fragrance, scent, perfume, savour, bouquet;
redolence: Don't you just love to be awakened by the aroma of
fresh coffee? 2 smell, odour, character, aura, atmosphere,
flavour, hint, suggestion: There is an aroma of dishonesty
about them that I can't quite identify.
aromatic adj. fragrant, spicy, perfumed, savoury, pungent: A most
agreeable scent came from a bowl of aromatic herbs.
around adv. 1 about, approximately, nearly, almost, roughly; circa:
There were around a dozen of us in the place. 2 about,
everywhere, in every direction, on all sides, all over,
throughout: By this time the savages were all around and we
couldn't move. 3 round, about, for everyone or all, US also
'round: I don't think we have enough food to go around. 4
round, about, all about, everywhere, here and there, hither and
thither, hither and yon, far and wide: The tinker travelled
around selling his wares and repairing pots.
--prep. 5 round, about, surrounding, encompassing, enveloping,
encircling, on all sides of, in all directions from, enclosing:
The fields around the castle were cultivated by tenant farmers.
6 about, approximately, roughly; circa: He was born around the
turn of the century.
arouse v. 1 awaken, raise (up), wake up, waken, rouse, revive, stir
(up): I was aroused by the noise and reached for my pistol. 2
excite, stir up, stimulate, awaken, summon up, spark, Colloq
turn on: My suspicions were aroused because she was carrying my
umbrella. 3 provoke, encourage, quicken, foster, call forth,
stir up, kindle, foment: The song aroused feelings of
patriotism among the recruits.
arrange v. 1 order, dispose, array, organize, sort (out), systematize,
group, set up, rank, line up, align, form, position: The
teachers arranged the children according to height. The flowers
were arranged in a vase so as to conceal the listening device. 2
settle, plan, set (up), organize, orchestrate, manipulate,
choreograph; predetermine, decide, prepare, determine,
prearrange, devise, bring about, contrive; fix it: Everything
has been arranged - you won't have to lift a finger. For a
small fee I can arrange for you to win the first prize. 3
orchestrate, score, adapt: Flemburgh has arranged music for
some of the best-known modern composers.
arrangement
n. 1 order, disposition, grouping, organization, array,
display, structure, structuring, ordering, alignment, line-up,
Colloq set-up: Don't you care for the arrangement of the
furniture, Milady? 2 structure, combination, construction,
contrivance, affair, set-up: An arrangement of bricks served as
a hearth. 3 settlement, agreement, terms, plan, contract,
covenant, compact: The arrangement called for Bosworth to get
ten per cent of the gross profits. 4 orchestration, score,
instrumentation, adaptation, interpretation, version: I prefer
Fats Waller's arrangement of 'Sugar Blues'. 5 arrangements.
preparations, plans; groundwork, planning: Arrangements have
been made for the limousine to pick you up at five.
arrest v. 1 stop, halt, check, stall, forestall, detain, delay,
hinder, restrain, obstruct, prevent, block, interrupt: The
progress of the train has been arrested. 2 catch, capture,
seize, apprehend, take, take in, take into custody, detain,
Colloq nab, pinch, collar, bust, run in, Brit nick: Foxworthy
was arrested crossing the border. 3 slow, retard, stop: I'm
afraid that we have here a case of arrested mental development.
--n. 4 seizure, capture, apprehension, detention; restraint,
Colloq bust, US collar: The police have made six arrests. 5
stop, stoppage, check, cessation: The doctor said it was a case
of cardiac arrest. 6 under arrest. in custody, under legal
restraint, in the hands of the law, imprisoned, arrested: You
are under arrest for the murder of one Hugh Brown, and anything
you say may be used in evidence against you.
arresting adj. striking, shocking, remarkable, impressive, electrifying,
stunning, extraordinary, surprising, dazzling: It is indeed an
experience to be in the presence of such an arresting beauty.
arrival n. 1 coming, advent, appearance: We have been awaiting your
arrival for weeks. 2 newcomer; immigrant; traveller, passenger;
tourist; Australian migrant, new chum: The arrivals on flight
422 were questioned about a bearded passenger on the plane.
arrive v. 1 come, make one's appearance, appear, turn up, Colloq show
up; Slang hit (town), blow in: She arrived only two minutes
before the plane was to take off. 2 succeed, prosper, get ahead
(in the world), reach the top, Colloq make it, make the grade,
get somewhere, get there: Yuppies believe that once they own a
fur coat and a Mercedes, they've arrived. 3 arrive at. come or
get to, reach; attain: I think that Crumley has arrived at the
stage in his career where he merits a promotion.
arrogance n. self-assertion, impertinence, insolence, presumption, nerve,
effrontery, gall, presumptuousness, self-importance, conceit,
egotism, hauteur, haughtiness, loftiness, pride, hubris,
pompousness, pomposity, pretension, pretentiousness, bluster,
snobbery, snobbishness, Colloq snottiness, Slang Brit side: He
has the arrogance to assume that I wish to see him again.
arrogant adj. 1 presumptuous, assuming, self-assertive, conceited,
egotistical, pompous, superior, brazen, bumptious, cavalier: It
would be most arrogant of me to take for myself the glory that
rightfully belongs to the whole team. 2 haughty, overbearing,
imperious, high-handed, overweening, disdainful, contemptuous,
scornful, snobbish, supercilious, lofty, swaggering , Brit
toffee-nosed; Colloq uppity, on one's high horse, high and
mighty, snotty: Since her husband was made a company director,
she's become unbearably arrogant.
art n. 1 skill, skilfulness, ingenuity, aptitude, talent, artistry,
craftsmanship; knowledge, expertise; craft, technique,
adroitness, dexterity, Colloq know-how: Little art is required
to plant turnips. 2 artistry, artisticness; taste,
tastefulness: High art differs from low art in possessing an
excess of beauty in addition to its truth. 3 craft, technique,
business, profession, skill: The fishermen can't employ their
art with much success in so troubled a sea. 4 knack, aptitude,
faculty, technique, mastery; dexterity, adroitness:
Conversation may be esteemed a gift, not an art. You have
acquired the art of insulting people without their realizing it.
5 trickery, craftiness, cunning, wiliness, slyness, guile,
deceit, duplicity, artfulness, cleverness, astuteness: You have
to admire the art with which she wraps him round her little
finger. 6 arts. wiles, schemes, stratagems, artifices,
subterfuges, tricks; manoeuvres,: She was expert in the arts
which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation.
artful adj. 1 scheming, wily, sly, cunning, foxy, tricky, crafty,
deceitful, underhand or underhanded, double-dealing, guileful,
disingenuous: That artful fellow managed to sell me a
completely useless gadget. 2 ingenious, clever, astute, shrewd,
dexterous: She has practised her artful deceptions so long that
nobody believes anything she says.
artifice n. 1 skill, cunning, trickery, craft, craftiness, artfulness,
guile, duplicity, deception, chicanery, underhandedness,
shrewdness, slyness, wiliness, trickiness: He used artifice to
get control of the firm. 2 stratagem, device, manoeuvre, trick,
contrivance, wile, ruse, subterfuge, expedient, contrivance,
Colloq dodge: They were deluded by artifices to cheat them out
of their money.
artificial
adj. 1 unnatural, synthetic, man-made, manufactured, simulated,
imitation, plastic: The museum has a strange collection of
artificial teeth on display. 2 made-up, concocted, bogus, fake,
sham, false, counterfeit, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The
figures used in the sample survey are entirely artificial. 3
affected, unnatural, forced, pretended, high-sounding, feigned,
assumed, contrived, factitious; meretricious, insincere, sham,
faked, Colloq phoney or US also phony: I tell you that Alan's
concern for you is entirely artificial.
artless adj. 1 innocent, sincere, guileless, ingenuous, true, natural,
open, unartificial, genuine, simple, direct, candid, frank,
honest, straightforward, above-board, uncomplicated, undevious,
undeceptive , Colloq upfront, on the level, on the up and up:
Imitation is a kind of artless flattery. 2 unpretentious,
unassuming, unaffected, natural, simple, na‹ve, unsophisticated,
plain, ordinary, humble: The remarks were those of an artless
young man who meant nothing sinister. 3 unskilled, untalented,
unskilful, unpractised, inexperienced, inexpert, primitive,
unproficient, incompetent, inept, clumsy, crude, awkward,
bungling: Clogs must be the most artless footwear ever made.
ashamed adj. embarrassed, abashed, humiliated, chagrined, mortified,
blushing, shamefaced, sheepish, red-faced: I was ashamed to
have to admit that it was I who had written the nasty letter.
ask v. 1 question, interrogate, query, quiz; inquire or enquire
(of): Let's ask the policeman for information. Just ask
directions of any passer-by. I merely asked if you were going my
way. 2 demand, require, expect, request: Doing his laundry is a
lot to ask. 3 beg, apply (to), appeal (to), seek (from),
solicit (from), petition, plead (to), beg, beseech, pray,
entreat, implore: In the streets, thousands of beggars ask
passers-by for alms. 4 invite, bid, summon: Nellie asked me to
dinner. 5 ask after or about. inquire or enquire after or
about: My sister asked after you - wanted to know how you were
getting along. 6 ask for. a invite, attract, encourage,
provoke: You're asking for trouble if you walk alone through
that neighbourhood after dark. b request, seek: We asked for
more time to finish the project.
aspect n. 1 viewpoint, point of view, position, standpoint, side:
Looked at from a different aspect, the problem did not seem
insurmountable after all. 2 complexion, light, angle,
interpretation, mien, face: His conviction for robbery put a
different aspect on hiring him as a security guard. 3 exposure,
prospect, outlook, orientation: The western aspect of the room
made it sunny in the afternoons. 4 side, feature, attribute,
characteristic, quality, detail, angle, facet, manifestation,
element, circumstance: There are many aspects of Buddhism that
you do not understand.
aspersion n. slander, libel, false insinuation, calumny, imputation,
allegation, detraction, slur, obloquy, defamation,
disparagement: He resented my casting aspersions on the
legitimacy of his birth.
aspiration
n. desire, longing, yearning, craving, hankering, wish, dream,
hope; ambition, aim, goal, objective, purpose, intention, plan,
scheme, plot: It was his lifelong aspiration to marry someone
with money.
aspire v. aspire to. desire, hope, long, wish, aim, yearn; dream of:
I'd never aspire to anything higher. He still aspired to being a
full professor.
assailant n. attacker, assaulter, mugger: My assailant threatened me
with a knife.
assault n. 1 attack, onslaught, onset, charge, offensive, blitzkrieg,
blitz, strike, raid, incursion, sortie; aggression, invasion:
At dawn we launched the assault on the fort. 2 beating,
battering, hold-up, mugging; rape, violation, molestation; Law
battery: The defendant is accused of assault.
--v. 3 attack, assail, set or fall upon, pounce upon, storm,
beset, charge, rush, lay into: The elderly couple were
assaulted near their home. 4 rape, violate, molest: Three
women were assaulted in that neighbourhood last night. 5 beat
(up), batter, bruise, harm, hit, strike, punch, smite: She
complained that her husband continually assaulted the children.
assemble v. 1 convene, gather, call or bring or get together, convoke,
summon, muster, marshal, rally, levy, round up, collect,
congregate, forgather or foregather; meet: The forces were
assembled along the waterfront. A small crowd assembled at the
airport. 2 accumulate, gather, amass, collect, bring or group or
lump together, compile, unite, join or draw together: The
paintings were assembled from many sources. 3 construct, put
together, erect, set up, fit or join or piece together, connect,
fabricate, manufacture, make: The sculpture was assembled from
so-called objets trouv‚s , or 'found' objects.
assembly n. 1 gathering, group, meeting, assemblage, body, circle,
company, congregation, flock, crowd, throng, multitude, host;
horde: A huge assembly of well-wishers greeted the candidate.
2 convocation, council, convention, congress, association,
conclave; diet, synod: The assembly voted to re-elect the
incumbent officers. 3 construction, putting together, erection,
connection, setting up, set-up, fitting or joining or piecing
together, fabrication; manufacture, making: Assembly of the
bicycle can be completed in an hour.
assertion n. 1 statement, declaration, affirmation, contention,
asseveration, averment, avowal, pronouncement; Law affidavit,
deposition: He made the assertion that he had never seen the
defendant before. 2 insistence, proclamation, representation,
affirmation, confirmation: The kings exercised their
jurisdiction in the assertion of their regal power.
assertive adj. declaratory, affirmative, asseverative; definite, certain,
sure, positive, firm, emphatic, bold, aggressive, confident,
insistent; dogmatic, doctrinaire, domineering, opinionated,
peremptory, Colloq bossy, pushy: Harold won't obey unless his
mother adopts an assertive tone with him.
asset n. 1 Also, assets. property, resources, possessions, holdings,
effects, capital, means, valuables, money, wealth: We have to
pay a tax on the company's assets. Her only liquid asset was
some shares in the Suez Canal Company. 2 talent, strength,
advantage, resource, benefit: His main asset is that he speaks
fluent Japanese.
assign v. 1 allot, allocate, apportion, consign, appropriate,
distribute, give (out), grant: A water ration was assigned to
each person. 2 fix, set (apart or aside), settle (on),
determine, appoint, authorize, designate, ordain, prescribe,
specify: Have they really assigned Thursday as the day of
worship? Please sit in the seats assigned to you. 3 appoint,
designate, order; name, delegate, nominate, attach; choose,
select; Brit second: The men have been assigned to their posts.
I assigned David to look after the champagne. 4 attribute,
ascribe, accredit, put down; refer: To which century did the
curator assign this vase?
assignment
n. 1 allotment, allocation, apportionment, giving (out),
distribution: Assignment of posts in the Cabinet is the
responsibility of the Prime Minister. 2 task, obligation,
responsibility, chore, duty, position, post, charge, job,
mission, commission; lesson, homework: Every agent is expected
to carry out his assignment. The school assignment for tomorrow
is an essay on Alexander Pope. 3 appointment, designation,
naming, nomination: The assignment of Neil Mackay to the post
was a stroke of genius. 4 designation, specification,
ascription: In ancient medicine, the assignment of the
functions of the organs was often wrong.
assist v. 1 aid, help, second, support: He could walk only if
assisted by the nurse. 2 further, promote, abet, support,
benefit, facilitate: The rumours will not assist his election.
3 help, succour, serve, work for or with; relieve: She has
always assisted the poor.
assistance
n. help, aid, support, succour, backing, reinforcement, relief,
benefit: Can you get up without my assistance? The scholarship
fund offered financial assistance.
assistant n. 1 helper, helpmate or helpmeet, aid, aide; aide-de-camp,
second: These systems make use of rhymes as assistants to the
memory. 2 deputy, subordinate, subsidiary, auxiliary;
underling: He is now the assistant to the sales manager.
associate v. 1 associate (with). a ally with, link, join or unite
(with), combine or confederate (with), connect (with), conjoin
(with): In the 1930s Abe was associated with Dutch and Louis in
Murder, Incorporated. I always associate him with fast cars and
hard drinking. b see, be seen with, socialize or fraternize
(with), mix or mingle (with), go (out) with, consort with, have
to do with, Colloq hang out with, Brit pal with or about, pal up
(with), US pal around (with): Mother told me not to associate
with boys who use that kind of language.
--n. 2 colleague, partner; fellow, fellow-worker: I'd like you
to meet my associate, Ian Lindsay. 3 confederate, ally,
collaborator; accomplice, accessory: He and his associates have
been sent to prison for conspiracy. 4 comrade, companion,
friend, mate, buddy; confidant(e): We have been close
associates for many years.
--adj. 5 subsidiary, secondary: She is an associate professor
at an American university. 6 allied, affiliate, affiliated,
associated; accessory: Publication is under the direction of an
associate company.
association
n. 1 society, organization, confederation, confederacy,
federation, league, union, alliance, guild, coalition, group;
syndicate, combine, consortium, cooperative: The society later
became known as the British Association for the Advancement of
Science. 2 connection, link, affiliation, relationship, bond,
tie, linkage, linking, pairing, joining, conjunction, bonding:
The association between princes and frogs is probably lost on
anyone so literal-minded. 3 fellowship, intimacy, friendship,
camaraderie, comradeship, relationship: There has been a
long-standing association between Peter and Wendy.
assortment
n. 1 group, class, category, batch, set, lot, classification,
grouping: Which assortment contains only plain chocolates? 2
collection, pot-pourri, mixture, m‚lange, array, agglomeration,
conglomeration, medley, farrago, variety, miscellany, jumble,
salmagundi, gallimaufry, mishmash, Colloq mixed bag: That hat
looks like something from the assortment at a jumble sale. A
bizarre assortment of people attended the meeting.
assume v. 1 accept, adopt, take, use, employ; arrogate, appropriate,
take over or up, undertake: Who will assume the leadership of
the party? 2 take on (oneself), take upon (oneself), put or try
on, don, adopt; acquire: Whenever she delivered the
information, she assumed the disguise of an old man. That
trivial dispute has assumed gargantuan proportions. 3 presume,
suppose, believe, fancy, expect, think, presuppose, take, take
for granted, surmise, Chiefly US guess: When I saw the knife in
his hand, I assumed the chef was going to slice a lemon. The
king assumed he had the cooperation of Parliament. 4 pretend to,
feign, sham, counterfeit, simulate, sham, affect, fake: Though
she cared deeply, she assumed a devil-may-care attitude.
assumed adj. 1 appropriated, taken, usurped, expropriated, pre-empted,
usurped, seized: He functions in his assumed capacity as a
judge. 2 pretended, put on, sham, false, feigned, affected,
counterfeit, simulated, spurious, bogus, fake; pseudonymous,
made-up, Colloq phoney or US also phony: She morosely stared at
the floor in assumed contrition. He wrote poetry under an
assumed name. 3 taken, taken for granted, presumed, supposed,
accepted, expected, presupposed; hypothetical, theoretical,
suppositional: The payment depends materially on the assumed
rate of interest.
assurance n. 1 promise, pledge, guarantee or guaranty, warranty,
commitment, bond, surety; word, word of honour, oath, vow: You
have the bank's assurance that the money will be on deposit. 2
insurance, indemnity: His life assurance is barely enough to
cover the costs of his funeral. 3 certainty, confidence, trust,
faith, reassurance, surety, assuredness, certitude; security:
There is no assurance that Herr Kleister will get the job done.
4 audacity, impudence, presumption, boldness, brazenness, nerve,
effrontery, insolence , Colloq brass, gall, cheek, chutzpah:
With an air of assurance they quote authors they have never
read. 5 self-confidence, self-reliance, confidence, steadiness,
intrepidity, self-possession, poise, aplomb, coolness, control,
self-control, resolve, Colloq gumption, guts, gutsiness: He has
the assurance of one born to command.
assure v. 1 secure, stabilize, settle, establish, confirm, certify,
warrant, guarantee, ensure, be confident of, make or be sure or
certain: Force, fear, and the multitude of his guard do less to
assure the estate of a prince than the good will of his
subjects. 2 encourage, inspirit, reassure, hearten: Your
humanity assures us and gives us strength. 3 convince,
persuade, reassure, make (someone) certain; ensure: What can I
do to assure you of my love? 4 assert, state, asseverate,
promise: I assure you that we shall do everything possible to
find your dog.
astonish v. amaze, surprise, shock, astound, stun, stagger, dumbfound or
dumfound, bowl over, floor, stupefy, daze, Colloq flabbergast:
She astonished the audience with her gymnastic skill. I was
astonished when told my wife had given birth to quintuplets.
astonishment
n. amazement, surprise, shock, stupefaction, wonder,
wonderment: I'll never forget that look of astonishment on his
face when he learned he had won.
astound v. surprise, shock, astonish, stun, stagger, dumbfound or
dumfound, bowl over, floor, stupefy, bewilder, overwhelm, Colloq
flabbergast: We were astounded to learn that he had survived
all those years on a desert island. The Great MacTavish performs
astounding feats of magic and levitation!
astute adj. 1 shrewd, subtle, clever, ingenious, adroit, wily,
cunning, calculating, canny, crafty, artful, arch, sly, foxy,
guileful, underhand, underhanded; Rare astucious: He had the
reputation of being an astute businessman. 2 sharp, keen,
perceptive, observant, alert, quick, quick-witted, sage,
sagacious, wise, intelligent, insightful, perspicacious,
discerning, knowledgeable: That was a very astute comment,
Smedley.
atmosphere
n. 1 air, heaven(s), sky, aerosphere: It is gravity that
prevents the earth's atmosphere from drifting off into outer
space. 2 air, ambience or ambiance, environment, climate, mood,
feeling, feel, spirit, tone: There's such a friendly atmosphere
in the bar of the Golden Cockerel. The atmosphere became very
chilly when she told him she was marrying someone else.
atone v. expiate, make amends, pay, repay, answer, compensate;
redress, remedy, propitiate, redeem: Nothing can atone for her
betrayal of him to the enemy. He has atoned for his sins many
times over.
atonement n. amends, propitiation, reparation, repayment, compensation,
payment, restitution, recompense, expiation, penance,
satisfaction: He sent her flowers in atonement, together with a
note apologizing profusely for his actions.
atrocious adj. 1 cruel, wicked, iniquitous, villainous, fiendish,
execrable, appalling, abominable, monstrous, inhuman, savage,
barbaric, brutal, barbarous, heinous, dreadful, flagrant,
flagitious, gruesome, grisly, ruthless, ghastly, unspeakable,
horrifying, horrible, awful, infamous, infernal, satanic,
hellish: They will never forget the atrocious crimes that took
place during the war. 2 awful, terrible, bad, rotten, horrid,
appalling, frightful, horrendous, Colloq lousy: That's the most
atrocious book it has ever been my misfortune to review.
Priscilla has atrocious taste.
atrocity n. 1 enormity, wickedness, flagitiousness, iniquity, infamy,
cruelty, heinousness, horror, evil, inhumanity, barbarity,
savagery: The atrocity of the 'Final Solution' was a well-kept
secret during the war. 2 evil, outrage, crime, villainy,
offence: She could not listen when the prosecutor read a list
of the atrocities perpetrated at the camp.
attach v. 1 fasten, join, connect, secure, fix, affix; tack or hook or
tie or stick on, pin, rivet, cement, glue, bond, solder, weld,
braze; unite; Nautical bend: The tag is still attached to your
dress. Attach this to the wall. How do I attach the sail to the
spar? 2 connect, associate, assign, affiliate, enlist, join,
add, subjoin, Brit second: Her brother-in-law has been attached
to my regiment. 3 endear, attract: I won't say that we were in
love, but I was very closely attached to her. 4 fix, affix, pin,
apply, ascribe, assign, attribute, put, place: Why do you
attach so much importance to what Dora says? 5 adhere, cleave,
stick: Many legends have attached themselves to Charlemagne. 6
seize, lay hold of, confiscate, appropriate: If he cannot meet
the mortgage payments the bank will attach his house.
attached adj. 1 connected, joined, Brit seconded: She has been attached
to the Foreign Office for many years. 2 united, fastened,
fixed: The knob attached to the outside of the door might come
off. 3 Often, attached to. devoted (to), partial (to), fond
(of), devoted (to): I feel closely attached to her. I became
attached to the painting and did not wish to sell it. 4 spoken
for, married, unavailable, engaged, betrothed: I would have
asked Suzanne out, but I gather she's attached.
attachment
n. 1 fastening; connection, tie, link, bond: The attachment of
this fitting is too flimsy. William cannot understand how an
attachment could have been formed between his wife and his
brother. 2 attaching, fastening, linking, joining, affixing,
fixing, connection: The mode of attachment to the wall is not
immediately apparent. 3 affection, regard, fidelity,
faithfulness, devotion, regard, liking, fondness, affinity,
friendliness, loyalty, admiration, tenderness, partiality,
friendship, love: We still feel a deep attachment, despite the
divorce. 4 adjunct, addition, accessory, device, appliance,
extra, accoutrement or US also accouterment, appendage, part;
ornament, decoration; Colloq gadget: With this attachment, the
film is advanced automatically. Attachments are available at
extra cost.
attack v. 1 assail, assault, fall or set or pounce upon; charge, rush,
raid, strike (at), storm; engage (in battle), fight; Colloq mug,
jump: They were attacked on their way home by a gang of boys.
Helicopter gunships were sent out to attack the bunker. 2
criticize, censure, berate; abuse, revile, inveigh against,
denounce, condemn, malign, denigrate, decry, disparage,
deprecate, vilify: His article attacked the minister for his
views on housing. 3 begin, start; approach, undertake: We
attacked the meal with gusto. 4 affect, seize; infect:
Rheumatism attacks young and old alike. 5 waste, devour,
destroy, eat; erode, corrode, decompose, dissolve: Termites
have attacked the beams of the house. Watch how the acid attacks
the areas on the plate that have not been protected.
--n. 6 assault, onset, offensive, onslaught, incursion, raid,
strike, inroad, invasion: The enemy responded to our attack
with a smokescreen. After capturing the pawn, Karpov launched an
attack on the queen. 7 criticism, censure; abuse, denunciation,
revilement, denigration, decrial, disparagement, deprecation,
vilification: The quarterly's attack is totally uncalled for.
8 seizure, spell, spasm, paroxysm; fit, bout: Preston has had
another attack of gout. How do you stop an attack of hiccups? 9
destruction, wasting; erosion, corrosion: Noting the attack on
the planks by shipworm, the surveyor declared the vessel
unseaworthy. Aluminium will not withstand the attack of the salt
air in this area.
attempt v. 1 try, essay, undertake, take on, venture; endeavour,
strive, Colloq have or take a crack at, try on, have a go or
shot at: It is too stormy to attempt the crossing tonight. Is
she going to attempt to dive off the cliff tomorrow?
--n. 2 endeavour, try, essay; effort, undertaking, bid, Colloq
crack, go, shot: The weather cleared sufficiently for another
attempt at the summit. He made a feeble attempt to wave. 3
attack, assault: An abortive attempt was made on the life of
the vice-president tonight.
attend v. 1 be present (at), go to, be at, appear (at), put in an
appearance (at), turn up (at), haunt, frequent; sit in (on), US
and Canadian audit: Are you attending the concert? She attends
Miss Fiennes's elocution class. 2 turn to, pay attention to,
serve, tend to, take care of, deal with, handle, heed, fulfil:
I shall attend to your request as soon as possible, Madam. 3
Also, attend to. watch over, wait on or upon, care for, take
care of, minister to, occupy oneself with, look after, look out
for, devote oneself to: Mrs Atterbury attends the patients in
the cancer ward on weekdays. The clergyman has his own flock to
attend to. 4 escort, accompany, conduct, convoy, squire, usher,
wait upon, follow; chaperon or chaperone: The actress arrived,
attended by her entourage of toadies. 5 be associated with,
accompany, result in or from, give rise to: A departure in the
midst of the battle would be attended by great peril, Milord.
attendance
n. 1 presence, appearance, being: Your attendance at chapel is
required. 2 audience, crowd, assembly, assemblage, gathering,
turnout, gate, house: The attendance at the f€te was greater
than we expected. 3 in attendance. waiting upon, attending,
serving: The king always has at least four people in
attendance.
attendant adj. 1 waiting upon, accompanying, following; resultant,
resulting, related, consequent, concomitant, depending,
accessory: The circumstances attendant on your acceptance of
the post are immaterial.
--n. 2 escort, servant, menial, helper, usher or usherette,
chaperon or chaperone; aide, subordinate, underling, assistant;
follower, Derogatory lackey, flunkey, slave; Colloq US cohort:
He dismissed his attendants and entered the church alone.
attention n. 1 heed, regard, notice; concentration: Please give your
attention to the teacher. Pay attention! Don't let your
attention wander. 2 publicity, notice, distinction, acclaim,
prominence, r‚clame, notoriety; limelight: She seems to have
been getting a lot of attention lately.
attentive adj. 1 heedful, observant, awake, alert, intent, watchful,
concentrating, assiduous; mindful, considerate: James is very
attentive in class. You really must be more attentive to the
needs of others. 2 polite, courteous, courtly, gallant,
gracious, accommodating, considerate, thoughtful, solicitous,
civil, respectful, deferential: He is always very attentive to
the ladies.
attest v. bear witness (to), bear out, swear (to), vow, testify,
certify, vouchsafe, declare, assert, asseverate, aver, affirm,
confirm, verify, substantiate, vouch for, Law depose, depose and
say, depone: I attest to the fact that they left the restaurant
together. The merits of chѓteau-bottled Bordeaux are attested by
most epicures.
attitude n. 1 posture, position, disposition, stance, bearing, carriage,
aspect, demeanour: The attitude of the figures in the sculpture
was one of supplication. 2 posture, position, disposition,
opinion, feeling, view, point of view, viewpoint, approach,
leaning, thought, inclination, bent, tendency, orientation:
What is your attitude towards the situation in South Africa?
attract v. draw, invite; entice, lure, allure, appeal to, charm,
captivate, fascinate, Colloq pull: Our attention was attracted
by a slight noise in the cupboard. Melissa attracts men the way
flowers attract bees.
attraction
n. 1 draw, appeal; magnetism; gravitation, Colloq pull: David
confided to Joan that he felt a strong attraction to her. There
is an attraction between the north and south poles of these
magnets. 2 draw, lure, enticement, attractant, inducement; show,
entertainment, presentation, performance , Colloq come-on,
crowd-puller, crowd-pleaser: The presence of the movie stars
has been a powerful attraction. The producer has planned to
repeat the attraction every evening.
attractive
adj. attracting, drawing, pulling, captivating, taking,
fetching, appealing, luring, inviting, enticing, seductive,
inviting, engaging, charming, interesting, pleasing, winning,
alluring, good-looking, pretty, handsome: The person I'd like
to meet needn't be beautiful or stunning - attractive will do
nicely.
attribute n. 1 quality, character, characteristic, property, feature,
trait, virtue: It is surprising how soon historical personages
become invested with romantic attributes.
--v. 2 ascribe, impute, assign, put down to, trace to, charge,
credit: The shrivelled arm of Richard the Third was attributed
to witchcraft. To what do you attribute your interest in birds?
attribution
n. assignment, ascription, credit: The curator disagreed with
the expert's attribution of the painting to Canaletto.
audacious adj. 1 daring, bold, confident, intrepid, brave, courageous,
adventurous, venturesome, reckless, rash, foolhardy, daredevil,
devil-may-care, fearless, doughty, mettlesome: The troop
launched an audacious daylight attack. Cranshaw made an
audacious bid for the chairmanship. 2 presumptuous, shameless,
bold, impudent, pert, saucy, defiant, impertinent, insolent,
brazen, unabashed, rude, disrespectful, cheeky, forward:
Charlotte was so audacious as to assume that she could win.
aura n. air, atmosphere, feeling, ambience or ambiance, spirit,
character, quality, odour, aroma, emanation: There is an aura
of elegance about the woman that impresses everyone she meets.
auspices n. aegis, sponsorship, authority, protection, support, backing,
supervision, guidance, patronage, sanction, approval, control,
influence: The competition is under the auspices of the
astronomical society.
authentic adj. genuine, real, actual, bona fide, factual, accurate, true,
legitimate, authoritative, reliable, veritable, trustworthy,
faithful, undisputed: This is an authentic Chippendale chair.
authenticate
v. verify, validate, certify, substantiate, endorse, vouch for,
confirm, corroborate: You will have to go to the consul to have
your passport authenticated.
author n. creator, originator, inventor, father, founder, framer,
initiator, maker, prime mover, architect, designer; writer,
novelist, litt‚rateur: Adolfo was the author of the plot to
kill the governor.
authoritarian
adj. dictatorial, imperious, totalitarian, autocratic,
arbitrary, absolute, dogmatic, domineering, strict, severe,
unyielding, tyrannical, despotic, Colloq bossy: Why do people
ever elect an authoritarian government?
authoritative
adj. 1 official, valid, authentic, documented, certified,
validated, legitimate, sanctioned; conclusive: The second
edition is usually considered the authoritative one. 2
scholarly, learned, authentic, valid, sound, veritable,
verifiable, accurate, factual, faithful, dependable, reliable,
trustworthy, true, truthful: There is no more authoritative
source than Professor Fitzhugh on early Egyptian history.
authority n. 1 power, jurisdiction, dominion, right, control,
prerogative, authorization; hegemony: Who gave you the
authority to tell me what to do? By the authority vested in me,
I now pronounce you man and wife. 2 word, testimony, evidence,
Colloq say-so: Do not accept anything solely on the authority
of the Herald . 3 expert, specialist, scholar, sage, judge,
arbiter: Gardner is an authority on Scottish history. 4
authorities. government, establishment, officials, officialdom,
powers that be, police: The authorities lowered the speed
limit.
authorize v. empower, commission; sanction, approve, countenance, permit,
give leave, allow, license, entitle, consent or subscribe to,
endorse, Colloq OK or okay, give the green light or go-ahead to:
Who authorized you to speak for all of us?
automatic adj. 1 self-acting, self-governing, self-regulating,
mechanical, robot, automated: Many modern cars are equipped
with an automatic choke. 2 mechanical, involuntary,
unconscious, instinctive or instinctual, natural, spontaneous,
impulsive, conditioned, reflex, robot-like, Slang knee-jerk:
Flinching is an automatic reaction to a threatening gesture. 3
unavoidable, inevitable, inescapable, ineluctable: It is
automatic for the tax inspector to suspect people of hiding
something.
auxiliary adj. 1 helping, assisting, supportive, aiding, abetting;
helpful, accessory, supplementary: In a well-balanced mind,
imagination and understanding are auxiliary to each other. 2
subordinate, additional, subsidiary, secondary, ancillary,
extra, reserve; accessory: Larger sailing vessels have an
auxiliary motor in case the wind fails.
--n. 3 help, assistance, aid, support, accessory: Knowing
another language is a useful auxiliary in the study of your own.
4 helper, assistant, aide, alter ego, supporter, Colloq man
Friday, girl Friday: Let me introduce Pat, my auxiliary, who
will help you if I am not available.
available adj. at or to hand, at one's disposal, accessible, handy,
present, ready, (readily) obtainable, convenient, nearby, close
by, within reach, on tap, at one's fingertips or elbow: Running
water is available. If you need me for anything, I am available.
avant-garde
adj. innovative, advanced, progressive, experimental, original,
new, ground-breaking, pioneering, precedent-setting;
revolutionary, extreme, extremist, Colloq far-out, way-out: We
disapprove of your avant-garde notions of teaching. Some modern
art, avant-garde not very long ago, seems quite conventional
today.
avarice n. greed, acquisitiveness, cupidity, craving, covetousness,
desire, greediness, rapacity, selfishness; stinginess, meanness,
miserliness, parsimony, tight-fistedness, close-fistedness,
niggardliness, penuriousness: The classic tale of avarice is
that of King Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold.
avaricious
adj. greedy, acquisitive, grasping, covetous, mercenary,
selfish; penny-pinching, stingy, miserly, mean, parsimonious,
tight-fisted, close-fisted, niggardly, penurious, tight: She
fell into the clutches of an avaricious lawyer.
average n. 1 mean, norm, usual, standard: The Bell Inn is certainly
far above average in accommodation, food quality, and service. 2
on average. in the main, generally, normally, usually,
ordinarily, typically, customarily, as a rule, for the most
part: On average, I go abroad twice a year on business.
--adj. 3 normal, common, usual, customary, general, typical,
ordinary, regular: On an average day, the museum has about
2,000 visitors. 4 mediocre, middling, run-of-the-mill,
commonplace, common, ordinary, undistinguished, unexceptional,
Colloq so so: Boris is only an average violinist, but he's a
virtuoso on the harmonica.
averse adj. disinclined, unwilling, reluctant, resistant, loath,
opposed, anti, antipathetic, ill-disposed, indisposed: He does
not appear to be averse to your suggestion: in fact, he seems
quite keen on it.
aversion n. 1 dislike, abhorrence, repugnance, antipathy, antagonism,
animosity, hostility, loathing, hatred, odium, horror;
disinclination, unwillingness, reluctance, dislike, distaste:
Does Anne have an aversion to people who smoke? Your aversion to
the theatre might be explained as agoraphobia. 2 dislike,
hatred, hate, loathing: Turnips are a particular aversion of
mine.
avoid v. shun, keep (away) from, keep off, leave alone, keep or steer
clear of, refrain from, dodge, circumvent, sidestep, elude,
escape, evade: The doctor suggested that I avoid chocolate. Why
does Bennie avoid looking me straight in the eye?
awake v. 1 wake (up), awaken, get up, rouse or bestir oneself: When
I awoke, she was standing over me with a pistol. 2 awaken,
animate, arouse, rouse, stimulate, revive, incite, excite,
activate, alert, stir up, fan, kindle, ignite, fire: Marches
awaken my sense of patriotism. 3 awake to. awaken to, wake up
to, realize, understand, become aware or conscious of: I
finally awoke to the fact that my tax return was overdue.
--adj. 4 up, aroused, roused, wide awake, up and about, alert,
on the alert, on the qui vive, watchful, on guard, attentive,
conscious; heedful, alive: I'm always awake a few minutes
before the alarm goes off.
awaken v. See awake, 1, 2, above.
award v. 1 grant, give, confer, bestow, present, accord, furnish,
endow with; assign, apportion: Her dog was awarded the blue
ribbon in the club show.
--n. 2 prize, trophy, reward: The award for the tidiest boats
has been won by the Bristol Yacht Club. 3 grant, bestowal,
presentation, endowment, awarding: Before the award of the
prizes, we listened to speeches. Profits were up last year
despite a large pay award.
aware adj. 1 informed, apprised, knowledgeable, knowing, posted, in
the know, enlightened, au fait, au courant, cognizant, Slang
hip, hep, wise: She is well aware of the consequences. 2
sensitive, sensible, conscious: I became aware that someone was
watching us.
awesome adj. awe-inspiring, awful, imposing, amazing, wonderful,
breathtaking, marvellous, wondrous, moving, stirring, affecting,
overwhelming, formidable, daunting, dreadful, fearsome, fearful,
frightening, horrifying, terrifying, terrible; unbelievable,
incredible; alarming, shocking, stunning, stupefying,
astounding, astonishing,: The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 67
must have been a truly awesome spectacle.
awful adj. 1 bad, terrible, inferior, base, abominable, rotten,
horrible, horrid; tasteless, unsightly, ugly, hideous,
grotesque, Slang lousy, Brit naff, Chiefly US hellacious: That
is an awful piece of sculpture. I feel awful this morning. 2
frightful, shocking, execrable, unpleasant, grotesque, nasty,
ghastly, gruesome, horrendous, horrifying, horrific, horrible,
unspeakable: That was an awful thing to do.
awfully adv. very (much), badly, terribly, extremely, greatly,
remarkably, in the worst way, dreadfully, extraordinarily,
exceedingly, excessively, really, fearfully, inordinately;
incomparably: I get awfully tired running in the marathon. I'm
awfully sorry I'm late. Doreen is an awfully good horsewoman.
awkward adj. 1 clumsy, ungainly, left-handed, ham-handed, ham-fisted,
blundering, bungling, maladroit, uncoordinated, undexterous,
inexpert, gauche, unhandy, inept, oafish, unskilled, unskilful,
Colloq all thumbs, butter-fingered, Brit cack-handed: In his
awkward attempt at putting the watch back together, Sam left out
a few parts. 2 ungraceful, ungainly, inelegant, wooden, gawky:
The ballerina made an awkward, flat-footed pirouette and
stumbled off stage. 3 embarrassed, shamefaced, uncomfortable,
ill at ease, uneasy, out of place, discomfited, confused: He
felt awkward being the only boy in the class. Terry made an
awkward excuse and left the room. 4 dangerous, hazardous, risky,
precarious, perilous: Be careful, there's an awkward step here.
5 difficult, touchy, sensitive, embarrassing, delicate,
unpleasant, uncomfortable, ticklish, tricky, trying,
troublesome, Colloq sticky: He's got himself into a very
awkward situation indeed.
2.0 B
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babble v. 1 prattle, twaddle, jabber, gibber, chatter, blab, blabber,
gurgle, burble, gabble, Colloq blab, blabber, gab, yack, natter,
witter, Brit rabbit: The silly fellow kept babbling away, but
no one was listening. Madelaine is still too young to talk and
just babbles to herself. 2 divulge, tell, disclose, repeat,
reveal, tattle, gossip, blurt (out), Colloq blab: Don't tell
Nigel about the affair - he'll babble it all over town.
--n. 3 gibberish, nonsense, twaddle, prattle, chatter(ing),
gibber, jabber, jibber-jabber, drivel, rubbish, bavardage;
murmur, hubbub: Ella's conversation about the financial market
is just so much babble.
baby n. 1 infant, neonate, newborn, babe, babe in arms, child,
toddler, tot: The baby is just beginning to teethe.
--v. 2 cosset, coddle, pamper, mollycoddle, indulge, spoil,
pet: He turned out that way because he was babied till he was
ten. I know you like to be babied when you're ill.
back v. 1 invest in, wager or bet on: She backed a 35-to-2 long
shot in the Derby, and she won. 2 Also, back up. a support,
uphold, stand behind, promote, encourage, help, uphold, second,
side with, endorse, aid, abet, assist; sponsor, subsidize,
underwrite, subvene, finance, Slang US and Canadian bankroll:
Your mother and I will back you if you want to start a business.
b reverse, go or move in reverse, go or move backwards: He
backed into the driveway. 3 back down (from) or off (from) or
away (from) or out (of) or up. withdraw (from), retreat (from),
abandon, retire (from), backtrack (from), shy away (from),
recoil (from), turn tail (from): When Percy stood up to him,
the bully backed down. The investment sounded risky, so I backed
off. Philippa backed out of singing the leading role. Back up
and give me room!
--n. 4 backside, rear, Technical dorsum: She stood with her
back towards me. 5 at the back of or at someone's back. behind,
following, pursuing, chasing, US in back of: Here come the
hounds at the back of the fox. You were at my back in the queue
a minute ago. 6 behind the back of or behind someone's back.
surreptitiously, secretly, clandestinely, privately, furtively,
sneakily, slyly; treacherously, traitorously, perfidiously,
deceitfully, insidiously: Graham is always telling tales about
you behind your back. 7 break the back of. a overcome, master:
Now that he's broken the back of that problem he can get on with
his work. b US crush, ruin, bankrupt, destroy, defeat, vanquish,
Colloq break: The government has tried on many occasions to
break the back of the Mafia operation. 8 on (someone's) back.
US weighing (down) on or upon (someone), burdening (someone),
lodged with (someone), resting with (someone): The
responsibility for the decision is on your back. 9 turn one's
back on or upon. abandon, forsake, ignore, disregard, repudiate,
reject, cast off, disown, deny: He turned his back on her when
she needed him most. 10 with one's back to or against the wall.
hard pressed, struggling (against odds), without hope, with
little or no hope, helpless, in dire straits, in (serious)
trouble: After the stock-market crash, some brokers found
themselves with their backs to the wall.
--adj. 11 rear; service, servants': Both back tyres are flat.
Please use the back staircase from now on. 12 US and Australian
and New Zealand outlying, remote, isolated, distant;
undeveloped, primitive, raw, rough, uncivilized: They raised
three boys in the back country, and all of them became doctors.
13 in arrears, overdue, past due, late; behindhand: The tax
inspector has advised me that I owe thousands in back taxes.
--adv. 14 to or toward(s) the rear, rearward(s), backward(s);
away: We beat back the enemy in severe hand-to-hand fighting. I
accepted his offer at once, lest he should draw back. Get back
from the edge! 15 in return or repayment or requital or
retaliation; again: I'll pay you back when I have the money.
She gave him back as good as he had given. 16 ago, in time(s)
past: Two generations back, his was the finest house in the
town. 17 behind, behindhand, in arrears, overdue: We are a
week back in the rent. 18 go back on. renege, fail; deny,
disavow, break, repudiate: He has gone back on his promise to
send the payment on the first of every month.
backbone n. 1 spine, spinal column: He's much better since the surgery
on his backbone. 2 mainstay, chief or main support, buttress,
pillar: Sheila has been the backbone of the society, but she
has now moved away. 3 resoluteness, sturdiness, firmness,
determination, strength (of character), mettle, purposefulness,
resolution, courage, fortitude, resolve, will, will-power,
strength, stability, stamina, staying power, grit: Has she the
backbone to run the company alone?
backer n. 1 supporter, advocate, promoter, sponsor, patron: She has
always been an enthusiastic backer of adult education. 2
investor, benefactor or benefactress, supporter, underwriter,
Colloq angel: The play's backers have made huge profits. 3
bettor, Brit punter: His backers are offering odds of 10 to 1.
background
n. 1 history, experience, qualifications, credentials,
grounding, training; breeding, upbringing, family; curriculum
vitae, Colloq CV: His background suits him admirably for the
post of ambassador. 2 distance, offing, horizon, obscurity: I
like the way the coastline disappears into the background
towards the edge of the painting. 3 in the background.
inconspicuous, unnoticed, unobtrusive, behind the scenes, out of
the limelight or spotlight, unseen, out of the public eye,
backstage: Edward prefers to remain in the background, letting
his dealer bid at the auctions.
backing n. 1 support, help, aid, assistance, succour; approval,
endorsement, patronage, approval, sponsorship: He knows that he
can rely on the backing of his local party. 2 investment,
money, funds, funding, subsidy, grant; sponsorship: How can you
launch the company without backing?
backlash n. reaction, repercussion, recoil, counteraction, rebound,
kickback, backfire; boomerang: There was a strong backlash in
the USA against giving minorities preferred instead of equal job
opportunities.
backward adj. 1 bashful, shy, reticent, diffident, retiring, coy, timid,
unwilling, loath, chary, reluctant, averse: She took him to be
a bit backward when he didn't respond to her smile. 2 slow,
dim-witted, dull, stupid, slow-witted, dumb, feeble-minded,
Colloq Brit gormless, dim: Some of the more backward students
will need extra help. 3 slow, late, behindhand, retarded:
Millie seemed a bit backward in learning to walk. 4 rearward;
to the rear, behind; to the past: She gave him a backward
glance. He went on through life with never a backward look. 5
retrograde, retrogressive, reverse, regressive: The ancients
were unable to account for the apparently backward motion of the
planets.
--adv. 6 backwards: Walk backward to the door with your hands
up.
backwards adv. 1 rearwards or rearward, in reverse, regressively,
retrogressively, backward; withershins or widdershins, Brit
anticlockwise, US counter-clockwise: The general, who refused
to acknowledge defeat, explained that his troops were 'advancing
backwards'. Do the clocks run backwards in Australia, Daddy? 2
in reverse; back to front: She can even ride sitting backwards
on a galloping horse. I think you're wearing your pullover
backwards.
bad adj. 1 poor, wretched, inferior, defective, awful, worthless,
miserable, egregious, execrable, substandard, unsatisfactory,
disappointing, inadequate, non-standard, Colloq lousy, rotten,
crummy, Slang Brit grotty, naff: Sometimes they would send him
a letter, but he was a bad correspondent. We went to see a
rather bad play the other night. 2 corrupt, polluted, vitiated,
debased, base, vile, foul, rotten, miasmic, noxious, mephitic,
unhealthy, poisonous, injurious, dangerous, harmful, hurtful,
pernicious, deleterious, ruinous: It wasn't healthy to be so
near the bad air of the sewer. 3 evil, ill, immoral, wicked,
vicious, vile, sinful, depraved, awful, villainous, corrupt,
amoral, criminal, wrong, unspeakable: The man was thoroughly
bad and deserved everything he got. 4 unpleasant, offensive,
disagreeable, inclement, severe, awful, unfavourable, adverse,
inclement, unpleasant, Colloq lousy, rotten: Surely you're not
going sailing in this bad weather?! 5 unfavourable, unlucky,
unpropitious, unfortunate, inauspicious, troubled, grim,
distressing, discouraging, unpleasant: Agreeing to do that job
might yet turn out to have been a bad decision. 6 off, tainted,
spoilt or spoiled, mouldy, stale, rotten, decayed, putrefied,
putrid, contaminated: The fridge isn't working and all the food
has gone bad. She ate a bad egg and felt ill the next day. 7
irascible, ill-tempered, grouchy, irritable, nasty, peevish,
cross, crotchety, crabby, cranky, curmudgeonly: Don't go near
the boss - he's been in a bad mood all day. 8 sorry, regretful,
apologetic, contrite, rueful, sad, conscience-stricken,
remorseful, upset: She felt bad about having invited me. 9
sad, depressed, unhappy, dejected, downhearted, disconsolate,
melancholy; inconsolable: I feel bad about you losing your
purse. 10 naughty, ill-behaved, misbehaving, disobedient,
unruly, wild; mischievous: Ronnie isn't a bad boy, he's just
bored. 11 distressing, severe, grave, serious, terrible, awful,
painful: He was laid up with a bad case of the mumps.
badly adv. 1 poorly, defectively, insufficiently, inadequately,
unsatisfactorily, carelessly, ineptly, shoddily, inadequately,
deficiently: We lived in a badly furnished flat in the East
End. 2 unfortunately, unluckily, unsuccessfully, unfavourably,
poorly: These are an improvement on the former rules, which
worked badly. 3 incorrectly, faultily, defectively, poorly,
improperly, inaccurately, erroneously, unacceptably; ineptly,
inartistically, amateurishly, awfully: He speaks English badly.
He sings badly. 4 immorally, wickedly, viciously,
mischievously, naughtily, shamefully, improperly, villainously:
The school has had its share of badly behaved pupils. 5
dangerously, severely, gravely, critically, grievously,
seriously: Her father was badly wounded in the war. 6
unkindly, cruelly, harshly, severely, wretchedly, dreadfully,
improperly, atrociously, horribly, unspeakably: The prisoners
were treated so badly that few survived. 7 unfavourably,
damagingly, critically: Even her friends spoke badly of her. 8
very much, greatly, seriously: Peter is badly in need of extra
money. 9 distressfully, emotionally, hard: He took the news
badly.
bag n. 1 sack, shopping bag, reticule, string bag, Chiefly Brit
carrier bag, Scots or dialect poke, pocket: They have helpers
at the supermarket who will carry your bags to your car for you.
2 baggage, luggage, valise, satchel, grip, suitcase, overnight
bag, carry-on luggage or bag, Gladstone bag, carpet-bag,
portmanteau, toilet kit or case, sponge bag; briefcase, attach‚
case, dispatch- or despatch-case: Boarding in London I flew to
Buenos Aires while my bag went to Seoul. 3 purse, handbag,
evening bag, wallet, Highland dress sporran: She reached into
her bag and felt the gun that the Commander had given her. 4
crone, hag, beast, ogress, gorgon, nightmare, witch, harridan,
Archaic beldam, Slang old bat, dog, monster, US two-bagger:
Derek has been romancing some old bag for her money. 5
occupation, hobby, avocation, business, vocation, department,
concern, affair, Colloq lookout, worry, Slang thing: Peter's
bag at the moment is learning to play the violin.
--v. 6 catch, trap, ensnare, snare, entrap, capture, land;
kill, shoot: We bagged six pheasants and two partridges this
morning.
balance v. 1 weigh, estimate, ponder, consider, deliberate, assess,
compare, evaluate: We need to balance the advantages and the
disadvantages. 2 steady, poise; equalize, stabilize, level,
match, even out or up: The see-saw will balance better if both
of you get on the other end. 3 compensate (for), make up for,
counterbalance, offset, match, equal; counterpoise: The column
of mercury in the barometer balances the atmospheric pressure on
the surface of the bowl. The total of expenses seems to balance
the total of income.
--n. 4 scale(s), steelyard: According to the balance, the
package weighs two pounds. 5 control, command, authority,
weight, preponderance: Britain held the balance of power during
those decades. 6 equilibrium, stability, steadiness, footing;
equiponderance; equality, harmony: The acrobat almost lost his
balance on the high wire. It is important to maintain a balance
between presentation and content. 7 remainder, residue, rest;
excess, surplus, difference: You take these and I'll follow
with the balance. My bank balance is down to zero.
ban v. 1 prohibit, forbid, outlaw, proscribe, interdict, bar,
disallow, debar: They have banned smoking in all public places.
--n. 2 prohibition, taboo, proscription, interdiction,
interdict; embargo, boycott: They have put a ban on the sale of
alcoholic beverages. The ban against importing firearms is
strictly enforced.
banal adj. trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, clich‚d, stereotypical,
commonplace, old hat, stock, common, everyday, ordinary,
pedestrian, humdrum, tired, unoriginal, unimaginative,
platitudinous; trivial, petty, jejune, Slang corny: The book
was blasted as banal and boring. The plot of boy-meets-girl,
though banal, still brings in the audiences.
band° n. 1 strip, ribbon, belt, bandeau, fillet, tie; stripe, line,
border: He wears a cloth band round his head to keep the sweat
out of his eyes. There is a decorative band at the top of each
page.
--v. 2 line, stripe, border: The column is banded at intervals
with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the emperor's life. 3
tie, keep, bind: Only those papers that are banded together
should be sent off.
bandэ n. 1 company, troop, platoon, corps, group, body, gang, horde,
party, pack, bunch: They were set upon by a band of robbers in
the forest. 2 group, ensemble, combination, orchestra, Colloq
combo: A jazz band plays at the Civic Centre every Tuesday
evening.
--v. 3 band together. unite, confederate, gather or join or
league together, team up, affiliate, merge, federate: We must
band together if we expect to accomplish anything.
banish v. 1 exile, expatriate, deport, extradite, transport, eject,
oust, expel, rusticate, drive out or away, dismiss,
excommunicate, outlaw, ostracize: After ten years in prison,
the thief was released and banished from the kingdom. 2 drive or
drive out or away, expel, cast out, dismiss, reject: He tried
to banish suspicion from his mind.
banner n. 1 standard, flag, pennant, ensign, burgee, gonfalon, pennon,
streamer, banderole; symbol: The flag of the United States is
called the star-spangled banner. He is seeking election under
the banner of the Tories.
--adj. 2 leading, foremost, momentous, memorable, notable,
important, noteworthy: The firm had a banner year, with profits
up 25 per cent.
banquet n. 1 feast, sumptuous repast or meal, ceremonial dinner, lavish
dinner: At the end of the banquet, the guest of honour rose to
make a few remarks.
--v. 2 feast, indulge, wine and dine, regale, carouse: The
winners of the trophy banqueted night after night on champagne
and caviare.
banter n. raillery, badinage, persiflage, pleasantry, jesting, joking,
repartee; chaffing, teasing, chaff; Colloq kidding, ribbing:
Despite the good-natured banter between them, Ray knew that
Stephen really detested him.
bar n. 1 rod, shaft, pole, stick, stake: A heavy iron bar is used
to tamp the dynamite into place in the hole. 2 strip, stripe,
band, belt; streak, line: The company trade mark is a narrow
red bar around the barrel of every ball-point pen. 3 barrier,
obstacle, obstruction, barricade, hindrance, block, deterrent,
impediment; ban, embargo: A steel bar was across the entrance.
Her pride proved a bar to her success. There is a bar against
importing spirits. 4 sandbar, shallow, shoal, bank, sandbank:
Because the keel is too deep, the sloop will be unable to cross
the bar till high tide. 5 tribunal, court, courtroom, lawcourt,
bench: The former mayor was found guilty of corruption at the
bar of public opinion. 6 bar-room, saloon, public house, caf‚,
lounge, cocktail lounge, tavern, taproom, canteen, Brit local,
wine bar; Colloq pub; Slang boozer, gin-mill: I was at the bar
on my third beer when she walked in. 7 counter: We had a quick
lunch at the sandwich bar.
--v. 8 fasten, close up, secure, shut up; lock, lock up,
padlock: We tried to get in through the window, but they had
barred it. 9 block, obstruct, stop, stay, hinder, keep (out),
shut out, exclude, prevent, forbid, prohibit, set aside;
forestall, impede, hamper, retard, balk, barricade; ban,
embargo: After his behaviour, he was barred from the club for a
year. A huge man in an ill-fitting dinner-jacket barred my way.
The regulations bar the import of firearms.
--prep. 10 except (for), excepting, excluding, barring, outside
(of), save for, aside from, but: It's all over now bar the
shouting.
barbarian n. 1 savage, brute: The barbarians wore animal skins. 2 boor,
lowbrow, lout, oaf, clod, churl, philistine, ignoramus, yahoo;
hooligan, vandal, ruffian, tough, Slang Brit yob, yobbo,
skinhead: Those barbarians ought to be denied admittance to the
games.
--adj. 3 uncivilized, uncultivated, uncultured, philistine,
savage; barbarous, barbaric, coarse, vulgar, uncouth, rude;
boorish, loutish, oafish, crude, rough, insensitive, churlish,
uncivil: One sees a great deal of barbarian behaviour every
day.
barbarity n. cruelty, inhumanity, ruthlessness, savagery, brutishness,
barbarousness, heartlessness, viciousness, cold-bloodedness,
bloodthirstiness: The barbarity of this mass murderer cannot be
overstated.
bare adj. 1 unclothed, naked, nude, stark naked, unclad, exposed,
uncovered, hatless, unshod, undressed , Brit starkers; Colloq in
the altogether, in one's birthday suit, in the buff; Slang US
bare-ass: He stood completely bare in the middle of the room.
2 unconcealed, undisguised, open, revealed, literal, bald,
manifest, out-and-out, overt, uncovered, straightforward,
direct, unvarnished, unembellished, cold, hard, plain,
unadorned, basic, simple: The bare facts point to him as the
culprit. 3 unfurnished, undecorated, vacant, stripped, empty:
The landlord entered and found a bare flat - the tenants had
done a moonlight flit. 4 denuded, stripped, leafless,
defoliated, shorn, barren; bared: After the storm the trees
were entirely bare of foliage. The hurricane began blowing in
earnest, and the little ketch was driving forward under bare
poles. 5 plain, mere, simple, minimal, essential, absolute,
basic; meagre, scant, scanty: For years we scraped by with only
the bare necessities of life.
--v. 6 expose, lay bare, uncover, reveal, open; undress,
unveil: The torrential rain had washed away the soil, baring
the clay and rock beneath. He tore off his shirt, baring his
hairy chest. 7 disclose, reveal, lay bare, uncover, divulge,
unfold, tell, expose, unmask, bring to light: Because of the
way he had treated her, she decided to bare his secrets to the
police. Benson bares his soul in his book. 8 strip, divest,
denude; defoliate: The autumn winds bared all the trees in the
arboretum.
barefaced adj. 1 unconcealed, open, undisguised, blatant, manifest,
unmitigated, outright, downright, out-and-out, sheer, unalloyed,
undiluted: His proposal is a barefaced attempt to gain control
of the committee. 2 audacious, impudent, shameless, insolent,
impertinent, immodest, bold, arrant, unabashed, forward, brazen,
brassy, saucy, pert, unblushing, Colloq cheeky: She said that
he was a barefaced liar and that she would have nothing more to
do with him.
barely adv. scarcely, only, just, not quite, hardly, only just, no
more than: I barely had my coat off when she said she'd
forgotten to shop for dinner.
bargain n. 1 agreement, contract, understanding, arrangement, covenant,
pact, compact, settlement, transaction, deal: We made a bargain
- I would provide the materials and he would do the work. 2 good
deal, Colloq give-away, US steal: If you paid only њ100 for
this painting, you got a real bargain.
--v. 3 negotiate, trade, haggle, barter, dicker, chaffer: We
bargained far into the night, and finally came to an agreement
after eight hours of discussion. 4 bargain for. expect, count
on, anticipate, foresee, take into account, allow for, be
prepared for: Even though the storm had been predicted, it was
windier than we had bargained for.
barren adj. 1 sterile, childless, infertile: We won't have any calf
from this barren cow. 2 unproductive, sterile, bare, infertile;
fruitless, dry, unfruitful, unprofitable, poor: The land was
exceedingly stony and barren. The fifteenth century was the most
barren period in the history of English literature.
barrier n. 1 bar, fence, railing, wall; ditch, ha-ha: A barrier was
erected at each end of the street. This barrier will keep the
dingoes from killing the sheep. 2 obstacle, bar, obstruction,
block, impediment, hindrance: Neither race, nor creed, nor
colour shall be a barrier to success. 3 boundary,
boundary-line, limit, frontier: No mountain barrier lay between
France and Flanders.
barring prep. excluding, exclusive of, bar, omitting, leaving out,
excepting, except (for), save for, aside from, besides, but:
Barring another stock market crash, your money is safe. Nobody
else, barring the author, knew the truth of the matter.
base° n. 1 bottom, foot, support, stand, pedestal: The base of the
statue cracked and the whole thing fell down. Have you been
able to find a teak base for the new lamp? 2 groundwork,
background, fundamental principle, principle, foundation,
underpinning; infrastructure, basis: Henry's charter was at
once welcomed as a base for the needed reforms. 3 root, theme,
radical, stem, core: In the word interdigitation the base is
-digit- . 4 home, station, camp, starting-point, point of
departure, post, centre: Using the Sherpa village as a base of
operations, we set up smaller camps as we began to climb the
mountain.
--v. 5 establish, found, secure, build, ground, anchor, fix,
hinge, form; derive, draw: We are basing all our hopes on his
ability to do a deal. 6 establish, headquarter, post, station,
position, place: The company is based in Guernsey.
baseэ adj. 1 low, undignified, cowardly, selfish, mean, despicable,
contemptible, filthy, evil: He must have had some base motive
in revealing to her what Martha had said. 2 degraded, degrading,
menial, inferior, mean, unworthy, lowly, low, grovelling,
servile, slavish, subservient, downtrodden, abject, miserable,
wretched, sordid, undignified, ignoble, dishonourable,
disreputable, vile, scurrilous, wicked, Colloq infra dig:
Foolish sinners will submit to the basest servitude, and be
attendants of swine. 3 mean, cheap, sorry, common, poor, shabby,
shoddy: He cast off his base attire, revealing a splendid suit
of armour like burnished gold. 4 sordid, offensive, lewd,
lascivious, obscene, profane, rude, ribald, unseemly, vulgar,
coarse, rude, dirty, indecent, evil-minded, filthy,
pornographic: The entertainment in that theatre caters to the
basest appetites. 5 poor, shoddy, cheap, fake, pinchbeck,
inferior, counterfeit, fraudulent, debased, forged, spurious,
worthless, bad: Her jewels look valuable but are, in fact, made
of base materials. 6 wicked, evil, wretched, corrupt, shameful,
currish, loathsome, scurvy, insufferable, villainous: They were
labelled as base infidels and treated with contempt and cruelty.
bashful adj. 1 shy, retiring, embarrassed, meek, abashed, shamefaced,
sheepish, timid, diffident, self-effacing, unconfident; ill at
ease, uneasy, uncomfortable, nervous, self-conscious, awkward,
confused, Colloq in a tizzy, US and Canadian discombobulated:
Henry is so bashful in the presence of women that he blushes
merely talking to them. 2 modest, coy, unassuming,
unostentatious, demure, reserved, restrained, Rare verecund:
When we first met, she was a bashful young girl of fifteen who
had no notion of her own beauty.
basic adj. fundamental, essential, key, elementary, underlying,
prime, primary, root; principal, central, focal, vital: He
enrolled for a basic course in Sanskrit. We must reconsider the
basic facts.
basis n. 1 foundation, base, bottom, heart, footing, principle,
underpinning; infrastructure: The three R's form the basis of
elementary education. Do you think our society still rests on
the basis of the family? 2 essence, main ingredient or
constituent, point of departure: The basis of the discussion is
that the hospitals are understaffed.
batch n. 1 quantity, lot; amount, volume: Mother baked a huge batch
of bread. 2 set, group, number, quantity, assortment, bunch,
pack, collection: Please sort this batch of cards into
alphabetical order.
batter v. 1 beat, hit, strike, clout, belabour, pound, pummel or
pommel, pelt, bash, smite, thrash, Colloq wallop, clobber: He
was battered till he was black and blue. 2 bombard, attack,
assault: Battering by the cannons finally breached the wall of
the fort. 3 maltreat, mistreat, ill-treat, abuse; maul, bruise,
harm, mangle, disfigure: The police report an increase in
complaints about battered wives and children.
battle n. 1 fight, conflict, combat, action, encounter, clash,
engagement, struggle, Donnybrook, fray, Law affray; brawl,
fracas, m€l‚e or melee; contest; duel, hand-to-hand encounter:
You won the battle, but you lost the war. And now, the battle
between the world champion and the challenger! 2 argument,
dispute, altercation, quarrel, war; contest, competition;
struggle, fight, crusade, campaign: The battle spilt out of the
restaurant and into the street. We are not yet winning the
battle against AIDS.
--v. 3 Usually, battle against. fight, contend or struggle or
fight with or strive against, combat: We must battle against
ignorance at every opportunity.
bauble n. gewgaw, trinket, ornament, trifle, toy, bagatelle,
knick-knack, plaything, kickshaw: Wear your diamonds to the
ball, my dear, not those cheap baubles.
bawdy adj. lewd, obscene, taboo, vulgar, dirty, smutty, filthy,
coarse, earthy, gross, scatological, rude, lascivious,
salacious, indelicate, indecent, indecorous, broad, crude,
ribald, risqu‚, suggestive, Rabelaisian, uninhibited,
unrestrained, lusty, Literary lubricious or lubricous:
Afterwards, each of us had to recite a bawdy limerick.
bawl v. 1 shout, bellow, vociferate, roar, yell, trumpet, thunder ,
Colloq holler: Fishwives bawled out their wares continuously,
creating a deafening din. 2 cry, wail, weep, keen, squall,
blubber, whimper; yelp, Colloq yammer: Stop that bawling or
I'll really give you something to cry about! 3 bawl out. scold,
reprimand, upbraid: My father bawled me out because I stayed
out past midnight.
beach n. 1 shore, lakeshore, bank, seashore, seaside, lido, strand,
coast, margin, Formal littoral: The children wanted to go to
the beach and build sandcastles.
--v. 2 ground, run aground, strand; careen: Despite the heavy
surf, we finally beached the boat safely.
beacon n. signal, sign, fire, light, bonfire, flare, signal fire, Very
light, rocket; lighthouse, pharos: Beacons blazed at the tops
of the hills to spread the news of the victory. The drunkard's
nose shone like a beacon.
beam n. 1 timber, scantling, girder, rafter; bar, brace, plank,
board, stud, trestle: Are you sure that these beams will
support the weight of the upper storeys? 2 ray, gleam; shaft;
pencil: I could just make out his face in the beam of the
electric torch.
--v. 3 radiate, shine; smile radiantly: The door opened and
the firelight beamed forth onto the snowdrifts. 'I'm so happy
to meet you at last', she beamed.
beamy adj. broad, wide, broad in the beam; big, heavy, chubby,
chunky, fat, obese: She's quite a beamy boat, with
accommodation for eight below. A beamy gentleman sat on my
homburg, squashing it flat.
bear v. 1 carry, transport, convey, move, take, Colloq tote: She
was borne round the stadium on the shoulders of her team-mates.
2 carry, support, sustain, shoulder, hold up, uphold; suffer,
undergo, experience, endure: Looking after her invalid mother
while working is a heavy burden to bear. 3 merit, be worthy of,
warrant; provoke, invite: Gordon's suggestion bears looking
into. 4 stand, abide, tolerate, brook, survive, endure, stand
up to; reconcile oneself to, admit of, Colloq put up with: How
can you bear such boring people? His actions will not bear
examination. I cannot bear to see you unhappy. 5 have, carry,
show, exhibit, display, sustain: The getaway car bore German
licence plates. The knight bore the scars of many battles. She
bears her grandmother's name. 6 produce, yield, develop, breed,
generate, engender; give birth to, spawn, bring forth: Our
apple tree did not bear any fruit this year. She bore thirteen
children and still had time to write books. 7 entertain,
harbour, wish: He bore her no ill will, despite her
accusations. 8 bear on or upon. relate or have relevance or be
relevant to or pertain to, touch on or upon, affect, concern,
have a bearing on or upon, influence: I don't quite see how
your illness bears on which school James attends. 9 bear out.
confirm, support, corroborate, substantiate, uphold, back up:
The evidence bears out what I said. 10 bear up. a survive,
hold out, stand up, hold up, withstand: Can Alex bear up under
the strain of keeping two jobs? b support, cheer, encourage:
What hope have you to bear you up? 11 bear with. put up with,
be patient with, make allowance(s) for: Please bear with me,
I'm sure you'll think it was worth waiting when you see the
finished result.
bearable adj. tolerable, supportable, endurable, acceptable, manageable:
The heat last summer was made bearable only by frequent dips in
the swimming-pool.
bearing n. 1 carriage, deportment, manner, behaviour, conduct, aspect,
demeanour, posture, stance, air, attitude, mien, presence:
Lewis's noble bearing makes him noticeable, even in a crowd. 2
sustaining, supporting, endurance, enduring: Thomas Jefferson
considered the government of England totally without morality
and insolent beyond bearing. 3 aspect; relation, reference,
relationship, correlation, pertinence, relevance, connection,
relevancy, applicability, application, germaneness,
significance: The legal bearing of the case will become obvious
in court. It is unclear exactly what bearing your remarks have
on the situation. 4 Often, bearings. direction, orientation,
(relative) position: The bearing of the lighthouse is now 180ш.
Which way is north? - I have lost my bearings entirely.
beast n. 1 animal, creature, being: He loves all the beasts of the
field, of the sea, and of the air. 2 brute, savage, animal,
monster: I've seen that beast hitting his wife in public.
beastly adj. 1 uncivilized, uncultivated, uncivil, rude, crude,
boorish, unrefined, coarse; cruel, inhuman, savage, barbaric,
barbarous, bestial, brutal: Priscilla treats Cyril in a beastly
way. 2 abominable, intolerable, offensive, unpleasant, awful,
terrible, ghastly, horrid, disagreeable, horrible, hateful,
execrable; foul, vile, nasty, rotten, dirty, filthy: If this
beastly weather keeps up, the plane may be delayed.
beat v. 1 strike, pound, bash, smite, batter, pummel or pommel,
belabour, pelt, clout, thrash, give (someone) a thrashing or
beating, drub, manhandle, thump, whack, cane, scourge, whip,
bludgeon, club, cudgel, fustigate; whip, flog, lash , Colloq
clobber, wallop, give (someone) a once-over: At first he
refused to tell them, but then they beat it out of him. 2
defeat, best, worst, win (out) over, vanquish, trounce, rout,
outdo, subdue, overcome, overwhelm, pre-empt; surpass, conquer,
crush, master, US beat out: Can they beat Manchester United for
the cup? He first beat the Danes, then the Russians. 3 throb,
pulsate, palpitate, pound, thump: I could feel my heart beating
against my ribs. 4 Nautical tack: Close-hauled, the sloop was
beating to windward against the howling gale. 5 hammer, forge,
shape, form, fashion, make, mould: They shall beat their swords
into ploughshares. 6 mix, whip, stir, blend: Beat two eggs,
then add the flour and sugar. 7 tread, wear, trample: The
hunters beat a path through the forest. 8 beat it. depart,
leave, abscond, run off or away, Slang US take it on the lam,
lam out of here, US hit the road: You'd better beat it before
the cops come. 9 beat off. drive off or away, rout: We beat
off our attackers, who fled into the forest.
--n. 10 stroke, blow: The signal was to be three beats of a
tin cup on the pipes. 11 rhythm, tempo, measure; pulse, throb,
stress, pulsation: In boogie-woogie the beat is eight to the
bar. 12 course, round, tour, route, circuit, run, path; area,
bailiwick: In the old days, it was the bobby on the beat who
prevented a lot of crime. As a reporter, my beat is the
financial news.
--adj. 13 dead beat, exhausted, spent, drained, worn out,
weary, bone-tired, fatigued, fagged: I was really beat after
completing the marathon.
beautiful adj. 1 attractive, charming, comely, lovely, good-looking,
fair, pretty, alluring, appealing, handsome, radiant, gorgeous,
Formal pulchritudinous, Scots bonny; Colloq smashing: She's not
only intelligent, she's beautiful. She entered on the arm of
some beautiful youth. 2 excellent, first-rate, unequalled,
skilful, admirable, magnificent, well done; superb, spectacular,
splendid, marvellous, wonderful, incomparable, superior,
elegant, exquisite, pleasant, pleasing, delightful, Colloq
smashing: The garage did a beautiful job in tuning the engine.
Armand's arranged a beautiful wedding reception for us.
beautifully
adv. 1 attractively, chicly, fashionably, delightfully,
charmingly, splendidly, magnificently, Colloq smashingly: The
princess was beautifully dressed in a rose satin ball-gown. 2
admirably, superbly, excellently, wonderfully, marvellously,
splendidly, spectacularly, magnificently, Colloq smashingly:
Emily played her solo beautifully.
beautify v. adorn, embellish, decorate, ornament, titivate, elaborate,
garnish, deck (out), bedeck: The old fa‡ade was removed and the
building beautified by refacing it with white marble.
beauty n. 1 loveliness, attractiveness, handsomeness, pulchritude:
The beauty of the actress took my breath away. 2 belle, Colloq
looker, knockout, dream, dreamboat, stunner: She was one of the
great beauties of her day. 3 attraction, strength, advantage,
asset: The beauty of the plan lies in its simplicity.
beckon v. signal, gesture, motion; summon, bid, call: The manager
beckoned to me and I went over to see what he wanted.
become v. 1 turn or change or transform into: The princess kissed the
prince, who immediately became a frog. 2 grow or develop or
evolve into; mature or ripen into: It's hard to believe that
this dull caterpillar will eventually become a splendid
butterfly. 3 enhance, suit, fit, befit, be proper or appropriate
for, behove or US behoove: Moonlight becomes you, It goes with
your hair. 4 grace, adorn: Walter was a man who became the
dignity of his function as a commissionaire. 5 become of. come
of, happen to: What will become of you if you don't go to
school?
becoming adj. enhancing, beautifying, seemly; attractive, comely,
fetching, chic, stylish, fashionable, tasteful; appropriate,
fitting, fit, meet, befitting, proper, suitable: Your new
hairdo is most becoming, Frances.
bedlam n. pandemonium, uproar, hubbub, commotion, confusion, tumult,
turmoil, furore or US furor, chaos; madhouse: The chancellor's
announcement created instant bedlam in the Commons.
bedraggled
adj. soiled, dirty, muddy, muddied, untidy, stained,
dishevelled, scruffy, messy; wet, sloppy, soaking or sopping or
wringing wet, soaked, drenched, Colloq gungy, US grungy: We
took the two bedraggled waifs in out of the pouring rain.
befitting adj. fitting, becoming, due, suitable or suited (to),
appropriate (to), apropos, proper (to), seemly (for): He really
ought to behave in a manner befitting his position as chairman.
This must be done with a befitting sense of awe.
before adv. 1 previously, earlier, already, beforehand; formerly, in
the past; once: I have told you before, don't count your
chickens. 2 ahead, in advance, in front, in the forefront,
first, in the vanguard, Colloq up front: He let his wife walk
before, as he knew the road was mined. 3 ahead, in the future,
to come: Before lie the prospects of surrendering or dying.
--prep. 4 ahead of, in advance of, in front of, forward of:
The king indicated that the page should go before him. 5 in
front of; in the presence of: The entire valley was spread out
before me. 6 preceding, previous or anterior to, prior to; on
the eve of: Before my departure I have to kiss Annie goodbye.
7 in preference to, rather than, sooner than, more willingly
than: They said they would die before yielding.
--conj. 8 previous to or preceding the time when: This was a
nice place before the day-trippers arrived.
beg v. 1 entreat, beseech, plead (with), crave, implore, importune,
wheedle, cajole, supplicate (with), pray; ask for, request: She
begged me to stay. 2 solicit, sponge, Colloq cadge, scrounge,
US panhandle: When he was an alcoholic, he used to beg drinks
off everyone.
beggar n. 1 mendicant, supplicant, suppliant, alms-man, sponger,
tramp, vagrant, pauper, Colloq cadger, scrounger, US panhandler:
We were approached by beggars on every street corner. 2 fellow,
man, person, Colloq chap, guy, bloke: I feel sorry for the poor
beggar who lost his wallet at the station.
--v. 3 impoverish; want, challenge, defy, baffle: The misery
of those people beggars description.
begin v. 1 start (out or off or in or on), initiate, enter on or
upon, set out or about, set out on or upon, Rather formal
commence: We began the journey full of enthusiasm. 2 start
(off), inaugurate, originate, open, launch, create, establish,
found, set up; go into: We began the company five years ago. 3
arise, start, originate, Rather formal commence: The greatness
of the Prussian monarchy begins with Frederick II. The
paragraph begins in the middle of the page.
beginning n. 1 start, commencement, outset, onset, inception, dawn,
dawning, birth, genesis, origin, creation, day one; origination,
source, well-spring: There are several competing theories about
the beginning of life on earth. The beginning of the idea can be
traced to Galileo. 2 opening, start, inception, commencement: I
have plenty of energy at the beginning of the day. The book is
good at the beginning, but then it gets boring.
begrudge v. 1 resent, envy, grudge: She doesn't begrudge him his
success. 2 give (be)grudgingly or unwillingly or reluctantly,
deny, refuse: He begrudges her the slightest consideration.
beguile v. 1 delude, deceive, cheat, swindle, dupe, fool, mislead,
hoodwink, bamboozle, take in: She was easily beguiled by his
solicitude. 2 defraud (of), deprive (of), cheat (out of or
into), swindle (out of): Let no man beguile you of your reward.
3 charm, divert, amuse, distract, fascinate, engross, engage,
allure: I always meet the most beguiling people at Daphne's
parties.
behalf n. on or US in behalf of or on or US in one's behalf. for, as a
representative of, in place of, instead of, in the name of, on
the part of; in the interest of, for the benefit or advantage
of: The lawyer is acting on behalf of the heirs.
behave v. act, react, function, operate, perform, work, conduct or
deport or comport or bear (oneself); act obediently, act
properly, be good: The boy behaved with great insolence. I wish
the children would behave themselves.
behaviour n. conduct, demeanour, deportment, bearing, manners,
comportment; action(s): His behaviour in the presence of the
royal couple was abominable.
behead v. decapitate, guillotine, Archaic decollate: Criminals and
enemies of the state were formerly beheaded.
behold v. see, look at, regard, set or lay eyes on, descry, notice,
note, espy, perceive, discern, remark, view: As we emerged from
the gorge, we beheld the mountain looming above us.
beholden adj. obliged, obligated, indebted, grateful, in debt, under
(an) obligation: She said that she was beholden to him for
everything he had done.
behove v. US behoove; be required of, be incumbent on, be proper of,
be fitting of or for, befit; be advisable for, be worthwhile
for, be expeditious for or of, be advantageous to or for, be
useful to or for, be beneficial to or for: It behoves you to be
respectful to the chairman of the board.
belabour v. thrash, beat, pummel or pommel, buffet, pelt, lambaste: We
tried to stop the drover from belabouring the poor horse with a
whip.
belated adj. late; behind time, behindhand, out of date; delayed,
detained: I forgot your birthday, so here's a belated gift.
belief n. 1 trust, dependence, reliance, confidence, faith, security,
assurance: He retains his belief in the divine right of kings.
2 acceptance, credence; assent: His statements are unworthy of
belief. 3 tenet, view, idea, sentiment, conviction, doctrine,
dogma, principle(s), axiom, maxim, creed, opinion, persuasion:
The belief that there is no God is as definite a creed as the
belief in one God or in many gods. 4 intuition, judgement: It
is her belief that nuclear energy will eventually prove
economical.
believe v. 1 accept, put faith or credence in or into, find credible,
find creditable; allow, think, hold, maintain, feel; take it,
suppose, assume: He still believes that the moon is made of
green cheese. 2 believe in. trust to or in, rely upon or on,
have faith or confidence in, put one's trust in, be convinced
of, swear by, credit; have the courage of one's convictions: Do
you believe everything you read in the papers? The chairman
believes in your ability to carry out the plan. 3 make believe.
pretend, suppose, imagine, fancy, conjecture, assume: I used to
make believe I was a great detective.
belittle v. diminish, minimize, disparage, slight, decry, detract from,
depreciate, trivialize, deprecate, degrade, denigrate,
downgrade, de-emphasize, discredit, criticize, derogate; reduce,
mitigate, lessen, undervalue, underestimate, underrate,
minimize, Colloq play down, pooh-pooh: He belittles the efforts
of others but accomplishes nothing himself.
belligerent
adj. 1 warring; warlike, militant, warmongering, hawkish,
jingoistic, bellicose, martial: The belligerent nations have
agreed to discuss an accord. 2 quarrelsome, pugnacious,
contentious, disputatious, truculent, aggressive, hostile,
combative, antagonistic, bellicose: I cannot see why you have
to take such a belligerent attitude towards the chairman.
--n. 3 warring party, antagonist, contestant; warmonger, hawk,
jingoist, militant: Our country has refused to sell arms to the
belligerents in the conflict.
bellow v. 1 roar; yell, shout, blare, trumpet, howl, Colloq holler:
Father was bellowing that he couldn't find his pipe. The
public-address system bellowed out my name.
--n. 2 roar; yell, shout, Colloq holler: The bull gave a
bellow and charged.
belong v. 1 be a member (of), be affiliated or associated or connected
(with), be attached or bound (to), be a part (of): Does he
belong to the Green party? He didn't want to belong while his
wife was a member. 2 have a (proper) place (in), be proper (to):
Do you ever get the feeling that you don't belong here? 3
belong to. be owned by, be the property or possession of: That
coat belongs to me.
belonging n. association, connection, alliance, relationship, affinity,
relation: She says the Church gives her a strong sense of
belonging.
belongings
n. (personal) property, effects, possessions, goods, things,
chattels: He returned home to find all his belongings in the
street.
beloved adj. 1 loved, cherished, adored, dear, dearest, darling,
precious, treasured; admired, worshipped, revered, esteemed,
idolized, respected, esteemed; valued, prized: He denied
nothing to his beloved children. She was their beloved queen.
--n. 2 sweetheart, darling, dearest, love; lover, paramour,
inamorata or inamorato, Colloq flame: He wrote poems to his
beloved.
below adv. 1 lower down, further down, farther down: Please see the
explanation given below. The department head could no longer
resist the pressures from below. 2 beneath, underneath, under;
downstairs, Nautical below-decks, Brit below-stairs: Can you
hear someone walking about below? They put the captain in irons
below. 3 on earth, here, in this world, under the sun: Man
wants but little here below.
--prep. 4 under, underneath, beneath: Below the sea live
creatures we have never even seen. Barely discernible below his
nose was a tiny moustache. Sign your name below 'Yours truly'. 5
less or lower or cheaper than: The sale price is below cost. 6
deeper or further or farther down than: The current is
strongest about six feet below the surface. 7 under, beneath,
underneath: Her bright eyes peered at him from below the wide
hat. 8 lower or less than, under: The temperature was 20
degrees below zero. 9 inferior or subordinate to, lower than:
He gives orders to the servants below him. 10 inferior or
secondary to, under, beneath, lower than: In exports, the USA
and UK are below Japan. 11 beneath, unworthy of, unbefitting,
not worth: Mugging old ladies is below contempt.
belt n. 1 sash; Literary girdle, cestus, cincture, zone: At her
belt she wore a dagger in a golden scabbard. 2 zone, band,
strip, circuit, perimeter; area, swath, tract, region, district:
The planners ensured that each city would be surrounded by a
green belt.
--v. 3 strike, hit, punch; beat, thrash: When he insulted her,
I simply belted him. 4 belt out. sing or perform stridently or
loudly; put over or across: Sophie Tucker was there, belting
out 'One of These Days'.
bemoan v. lament, mourn or grieve or weep or moan for: She bitterly
bemoaned the loss of her sole companion, her canary.
bemuse v. 1 confuse, muddle, mix up, addle, befuddle, perplex,
bewilder, puzzle, Colloq US and Canadian discombobulate: The
actors were thoroughly bemused by the sudden appearance of a
horse on stage. 2 stupefy, benumb, numb, paralyse: I found him,
completely bemused, with the empty bottle beside him.
bend n. 1 curve, turn, turning, corner; bow, angle, crook, hook,
curvature, flexure: Go left at the bend in the road. If you put
a bend in a wire hanger, you can fish out the obstruction.
--v. 2 arch, bow, curve, crook: Soak the branch in water and
it will bend easily. Stop bending my arm - it hurts! 3 bow;
curtsy or curtsey; kowtow, salaam; kneel, genuflect: The
cannibal bent down before a pile of skulls. 4 incline, channel,
focus, direct, steer, set; fix: He bent his attention on more
important matters. She bent her steps towards the cemetery. 5
submit, bow, yield, give way, be pliant or subservient or
tractable: The cabinet bends to the will of the prime minister.
6 incline, turn, deflect: As you can see, the ray is bent by
the lens.
bender Colloq n. drunk, spree, bout, revel, carousal, carouse,
bacchanal; Slang binge, jag, US toot: He goes off on a bender
whenever his wife leaves him.
beneath adv. 1 low or lower down, below, under, underneath: Please
sign beneath if you agree the terms. 2 below, underneath,
under; underground: The flowers are above the ground, the roots
beneath.
--prep. 3 under, underneath, below: Beneath that gruff
exterior of his beats a heart of gold. 4 below, unworthy of,
unbefitting, undeserving of, not (even) meriting, lower than:
Your behaviour is beneath criticism.
benefactor
n. patron, supporter, sponsor, donor, philanthropist; backer,
investor, supporter, Colloq angel: Our benefactor has made a
donation that will enable the mission to carry on its work.
beneficial
adj. 1 advantageous, serviceable, useful, profitable, helpful,
supportive, favourable, constructive, good: No measures could
have been more beneficial to the kingdom. 2 healthful, healthy,
salutary, salubrious; efficacious, effective: A certain amount
of sunshine is quite beneficial.
benefit n. 1 advantage, profit, good, sake, gain, aid, help, service:
It would be to their benefit to call off the strike. 2 Often,
benefits. perquisite(s), emolument(s), allowance(s), extra(s),
fringe benefit(s), Colloq perk(s): We offer one of the best
schemes in the industry for employee benefits.
--v. 3 improve, aid, help, better, promote, further, advance,
forward: Enrolling on a management course could benefit your
chances for advancement. 4 profit, gain: No one has ever
personally benefited a penny from these contributions.
benevolence
n. 1 charity, kindness, kindliness, humanity, humanitarianism,
beneficence, charitableness, goodness, altruism, good will,
unselfishness, philanthropy, generosity, magnanimity: The poor
people in the village used to rely on his benevolence. 2 gift,
grant, contribution, donation, beneficence: The victims of the
famine were recipients of the benevolence of the British people.
benevolent
adj. charitable, well-disposed, gracious, good, kind, kindly,
humane, humanitarian, well-wishing, thoughtful, considerate,
sympathetic, caring, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, compassionate,
benign, benignant; liberal, generous, magnanimous, open-handed;
beneficial, helpful, salutary: That hypocrite has cast himself
in the role of a benevolent despot.
benighted adj. unenlightened, na‹ve, uninformed, ignorant: That poor,
benighted fool believes that the doctors can cure him.
benign adj. 1 kindly, gracious, good, kind, kind-hearted, benevolent,
benignant, warm, warm-hearted, cordial, genial, congenial,
tender, tender-hearted, compassionate, sympathetic,
soft-hearted: It was Grandad's benign goodwill that kept us
together in those hard times. 2 bland, gentle, mild, warm: A
benign smile lit the headmaster's face as he announced the
awards for scholastic achievement. 3 kind, favourable,
fortunate; salutary, salubrious, mild, congenial, propitious:
She recovered rapidly in that most benign climate. 4 non-fatal,
non-malignant, non-virulent, curable, harmless: Fortunately,
the biopsy showed that the tumour was benign.
bent adj. 1 curved, deflected, bowed, crooked, distorted: He
complained to the waiter just because the fork was bent. 2
strange, weird, peculiar, twisted, deviant, warped, wry, awry,
corrupt, corrupted; perverted, perverse, abnormal: You'd be
bent, too, if you'd been in prison for fifteen years. 3
dishonest, crooked, illegal: That share deal sounds a bit bent
to me: I'll pass. 4 determined, intent, set, resolved,
resolute, decided, set: Garvey is bent on running in the
marathon, despite his sprained ankle.
--n. 5 turn, inclination, direction, disposition,
predisposition, tendency, bias, leaning, proclivity, propensity,
partiality, prejudice; ability, aptitude, talent, gift: She
wished to follow the bent of her own taste. He has a natural
bent for music.
bequeath v. leave, make over, will, pass on, hand down or on, transmit,
Law devise: Aunt Margaret has bequeathed her collection of
music boxes to the museum.
bequest n. legacy, inheritance: A huge bequest was received by the
hospital.
berate v. scold, chide, rate, upbraid, revile, abuse, rail at,
excoriate, castigate, objurgate; harangue: In the square an
ancient virago was berating a butcher.
bereave v. deprive; strip, rob, dispossess: The accident bereaved him
of his child.
berserk adj. amok, mad, violent, wild, crazed, frenzied, maniacal: He
went berserk, destroying tables and chairs.
beseech v. supplicate, entreat, implore, plead (with), beg, importune,
obsecrate: The prisoners beseeched the king to have mercy on
them.
beset v. encompass, surround, besiege; assail, attack, harass, harry,
hector, bother, afflict, trouble: She was beset by all the
problems involved in having a job and a family.
beside prep. 1 alongside, near, next to, with, close to, hard by,
nearby, by: A handsome young man walked up and sat down beside
her. 2 away from, wide of, apart from, unconnected with, off:
The fact that I owe you money is entirely beside the point. 3
beside oneself. out of one's mind or wits, at the end of one's
tether, overwrought, agitated, upset, crazy, mad: She was
beside herself with grief when she heard the news.
besides adv. 1 in addition, additionally, also; further, furthermore,
moreover, as well, too; to boot, on top of everything else, into
the bargain: Maria is our choice for the post and, besides,
she's the only qualified person available. On their anniversary
he gave her a diamond ring and a sapphire brooch besides.
--prep. 2 over and above, above and beyond, in addition to,
additionally to, as well as; aside from, barring, excepting,
except for, excluding, exclusive of, not counting or including,
beyond, apart from, other than: St Paul became acquainted with
many Christians besides his converts.
besiege v. 1 lay siege to, beleaguer: For ten years Troy was besieged
by the Greeks. 2 blockade, block, block off or up, hem in, cut
off; surround, crowd round: The strikers have besieged the
factory gates, not allowing anyone in or out. 3 importune, sue,
petition, assail, pressurize or US pressure, press, overwhelm,
inundate: The Home Office has been besieged by requests for
leniency in your case.
best adj. 1 superlative, unexcelled, finest, pre-eminent, first,
superb, unsurpassed, superior, excellent, paramount, first-rate,
Colloq A-1, A-one: Henry VIII was the best rider, the best
lance, and the best archer in England. 2 kindest, most
beneficent, nicest: Which of your brothers is the best to you?
3 foremost, choicest, pre-eminent, most suitable, most
appropriate, most qualified, most talented, most desirable, most
outstanding: We want the best person to fill the job. 4
largest, most, greatest: She had travelled the best part of the
way by ship. 5 richest, wealthiest; first-class, upper crust,
upper-class: He associates only with those he considers to be
the best people.
--n. 6 finest; first: The best is yet to come. 7 finery, best
clothes, Colloq best bib and tucker: He was all decked out in
his Sunday best. 8 greatest or maximum effort: He did his best
but it wasn't enough to win.
--adv. 9 most excellently, to the fullest extent, in the most
suitable way, most adroitly, most skilfully, most superbly, most
artistically: All the children performed well, but Alice
performed best. 10 with greatest satisfaction, most
successfully: He who laughs last laughs best.
--v. 11 win (out) over, conquer, beat, surpass, overpower, get
the better of, subdue, defeat, worst, vanquish, trounce, rout,
crush, master, outdo, overwhelm, overcome, outwit: He was
bested in three falls out of four.
bestow v. confer; give, award, present, donate, grant: The country
has bestowed its highest honours on her.
bet n. 1 wager, stake, risk, venture, Brit punt, Colloq Brit
flutter: He could not afford more than a small bet.
--v. 2 wager, stake, gamble, risk, hazard, play, lay, put,
chance, venture, Brit punt: Every week he bet a small amount on
the lottery.
betray v. 1 be or prove false or disloyal to, sell out, break faith
with, let down, fail, inform on, Colloq sell down the river,
Slang Brit shop: He betrayed her to the enemy. 2 reveal,
disclose, divulge, impart, tell; expose, lay bare: She betrayed
their hide-out to the police. He betrayed an unsuspected streak
of cowardice. 3 lead astray, mislead, misguide, deceive, dupe,
fool, hoodwink: He has been betrayed by his own arrogance.
betrayal n. 1 treachery, treason, disloyalty, perfidy, traitorousness,
faithlessness, bad faith, breach of faith: His delivery of the
country into the hands of an invader was an outright act of
betrayal. 2 revelation, divulging, disclosure, divulgence:
People should not be led into betrayals of their secret
opinions.
better° adj. 1 superior: You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din. Can
you suggest a better investment than the Channel Tunnel? I know
of no better invention than the wheel. 2 more; greater, larger,
bigger: I waited for her the better part of two hours. 3
wiser, safer, well-advised, more intelligent: It would be
better to wait till tomorrow to tell her. 4 healthier, haler,
heartier, less ill or US sick, improved; cured, recovered: You
will feel better after you have eaten something.
--adv. 5 preferably, best; more wisely, more advisedly, more
safely: We had better go before the trouble starts. 6 better
off. a improved, happier, well-advised: You'd be better off
attending a technical college. b wealthier, richer: She is
better off than any of us. 7 think better of. reconsider, think
twice, change one's mind: He was going to fight but thought
better of it.
--n. 8 advantage, mastery, superiority, control: Don't let the
obstacle course get the better of you. 9 betters. superiors:
That young imp should learn how to address his elders and
betters!
--v. 10 improve, ameliorate, advance, raise, elevate: It was
impossible in those days for labourers to better their
condition. 11 surpass, excel, outdo, outstrip, beat, improve:
She bettered her record in the 100-metre hurdles by two-tenths
of a second.
betterэ n. gambler, speculator, wagerer, gamester, Brit punter, US
bettor, Colloq crap-shooter, sport: The betters were gathered
round the craps table.
bewail v. lament, mourn, bemoan, moan or mourn over, shed tears or
whimper over, weep or cry or keen over, beat one's breast over:
Instead of bewailing his condition, why doesn't he do something
about it?
beware v. take heed, be careful, be wary, be cautious, be on one's
guard, exercise caution, mind, watch out, look out, take care:
There are shoals nearby, so beware. Beware the ides of March!
bewilder v. confuse, confound, perplex, puzzle, mystify, befuddle,
baffle, bemuse: I was bewildered by differential calculus.
bewitch v. enchant, entrance, spellbind, charm, fascinate, beguile,
cast a spell over, captivate, enrapture: She easily bewitches
men with her sultry good looks and her husky, low voice.
bias n. 1 prejudice, partiality; inclination, leaning, bent,
disposition, propensity, tendency, predilection, predisposition,
proclivity: She shows a marked bias in favour of the Irish. 2
angle, slant, diagonal: Cut the fabric on the bias. 3
influence, impulse, weight: If he is under any bias, it is on
the side of fairness.
--v. 4 influence, affect unduly or unfairly, sway, incline,
prejudice, colour, taint, predispose: Artists are seldom good
critics of art because they have been biased.
biased adj. biased, prejudiced, partial; warped, distorted, jaundiced:
I don't want to listen to your biased opinions about women's
rights.
bicker v. dispute, quarrel, wrangle, argue, squabble, tiff, Colloq
spat: The couple next door are always bickering about trifling
matters.
bid v. 1 offer, make an offer (for), tender, proffer: We bid њ500
for the painting. 2 Archaic or literary ask, pray, press,
entreat, beg, request, suggest, invite: She bade me leave her
to mourn alone. 3 Formal command, demand, order, tell, enjoin,
dictate: Please bid him enter. Custom bade him blow his horn.
bidding n. 1 invitation, summons: We attended the ceremony at the
bidding of the vice-chancellor. 2 command, order, dictate,
direction, instruction, demand: The letter was sent to all
theatre directors at the bidding of the Arts Minister.
big adj. 1 large, great, grand; huge, enormous, immense, gigantic,
giant, tremendous, colossal, Brobdingnagian, jumbo, Colloq Brit
socking or whacking big or great, US humongous: We live in a
big house in the country. 2 ample, hefty, huge, bulky, fat,
obese; large, hulking, beefy, burly, brawny, strapping,
gargantuan, elephantine, enormous, gigantic, immense, monstrous:
The sumo wrestler was one of the biggest men I'd ever seen. 3
tall, grown, mature, grown-up, large: Christopher is certainly
big for his age. 4 important, significant, outstanding,
weighty, consequential, major, grave, momentous, notable,
noteworthy, telling: Changing careers can be one of the biggest
decisions of your life. 5 important, prominent, illustrious,
noteworthy, notable, renowned, eminent, distinguished, esteemed:
Mr Johnson is a big man in our town. 6 generous, magnanimous,
charitable, unselfish, giving: It was very big of her to take
on the support of the orphanage. 7 popular, famous, well-known,
successful: That band is very big with the kids these days. 8
capital, large, upper case, majuscule: Always spell London with
a big L.
--adv. 9 pompously, boastfully, conceitedly, arrogantly,
pretentiously: Alfred talks big at home, but he's very modest
when he's with his friends. 10 successfully, well,
oustandingly,effectively: I think your speech went over big
with those opposed to the new budget.
bigoted adj. prejudiced, intolerant, biased, jaundiced, one-sided,
partial: The judge was bigoted against Blacks, which accounts
for the unfair decision.
bigotry n. prejudice, intolerance, bias, partiality: No government
that practises bigotry can survive long.
bigwig n. 1 boss, kingpin, king, queen, nabob, VIP, Colloq big-shot,
big gun, big cheese, big wheel, hotshot, chief, brass hat, US
(chief) honcho, Mr Big: The bigwig sits here, at the head of
the table. 2 bigwigs. brass, brass hats: Don't let the bigwigs
find out what we've done.
bilious adj. ill-tempered, bad-tempered, ill-natured, peevish, testy,
cross, petulant, tetchy, choleric, dyspeptic, angry, wrathful:
The director was absolutely bilious when he heard we had lost
the account.
bill° n. 1 invoice, account; tally, reckoning, tabulation, US
(restaurant) check, Colloq US tab: Have you paid the telephone
bill? 2 US and Canadian note, banknote, paper money, Colloq
folding money: The robbers took only small bills, which they
could spend easily.
--v. 3 invoice, charge: I haven't got my cheque-book with me,
please could you bill me.
billэ n. beak, neb, nib, pecker; jaws: One of the birds had a fish
in its bill.
bind v. 1 tie, fasten, secure, make fast, tie up: The thieves bound
him hand and foot. 2 constrain; hold, oblige, obligate: The
contract we signed is equally binding on both parties. The union
is bound by an agreement that expires in a month. 3 gird,
encircle, wreathe, wrap, cover, swathe, bandage: They were
binding his wounded head. 4 cement, stick, cause to adhere;
attach, connect: Ordinary glue will bind these pieces together.
--n. 5 Colloq US dilemma, predicament, tight spot, (difficult)
situation, Colloq pickle, fix, jam: I'm in a real bind because
I've invited two girls to the party. 6 Colloq Brit annoyance,
irritant, bother, bore, trial, ordeal, irritation, vexation,
Colloq pain (in the neck or arse): It was a bit of a bind
having to wait three hours at the airport.
birth n. 1 childbirth, delivery, Technical parturition, Old-fashioned
confinement: Nicole is expecting the birth of her first baby in
early April. 2 origin, creation, emergence, beginning, start,
origination: I believe we may be present at the birth of a
powerful idea. 3 nativity, origin, extraction; parentage, line,
lineage, ancestry, descent, family, blood: She is Scottish by
birth. Hortense is of noble birth.
bisexual adj. 1 hermaphrodite or hermaphroditic(al), androgynous: Many
of these microscopic animals are bisexual and self-fertilizing.
2 Colloq AC/DC, swinging both ways, Facetious ambisextrous: He
was known to have had bisexual relationships.
--n. 3 androgyne, hermaphrodite: Statistics showed that more
women than previously believed were bisexual.
bit n. 1 morsel, piece, scrap, fragment, shred, particle, grain,
crumb: We didn't have a bit of food in the house. 2 jot,
tittle, whit, scintilla, trace, touch, hint, suggestion,
suspicion, particle, iota, speck, atom: There's not the
slightest bit of evidence to link her with the crime. 3 moment,
minute, second, flash, Colloq two shakes (of a lamb's tail):
I'll be with you in a little bit. 4 piece, share, equity,
segment, portion, part, fraction: He owns a little bit of the
business.
bitch n. 1 shrew, nag, termagant, virago, harpy, fury, spitfire,
scold: That greedy bitch has the house, and now she's suing me
for half my income. 2 whore, prostitute, bawd, harlot,
call-girl, trollop, strumpet, trull, drab, tart, floozie,
streetwalker, Colloq bimbo, pro, US hooker, tramp, hustler,: He
roamed the street every night, ending up with some bitch he
found in a bar.
--v. 3 complain, object, protest, grumble, Colloq gripe: Oh,
stop your bitching and get on with it! 4 bungle, botch, ruin,
spoil: They bitched the job by using too little paint.
bite v. 1 nip; chew, gnaw: That dog of yours bit a piece out of my
ankle. 2 sting: She was bitten by a mosquito.
--n. 3 mouthful, morsel, scrap, bit, piece, taste; snack, Slang
nosh: The survivors hadn't had a bite of food for three days.
Come round for a bite on Sunday evening before the concert. 4
sting: These mosquito bites itch horribly.
biting adj. severe, harsh, cutting, piercing, penetrating, keen,
sharp, bitter; cold, wintry, freezing: The biting wind went
right through his thin coat.
bitter adj. 1 harsh, acerbic, acrid, sharp, caustic, mordant: I added
some cream to the sauce to try and make it taste less bitter. 2
unappetizing, distasteful, unsavoury, unpleasant, hard (to
swallow or take), irritating, obnoxious, disagreeable, nasty,
painful, unwelcome, unpalatable: The demand for additional tax
payments was a bitter pill. 3 miserable, grievous, dispiriting,
distressing, cruel, distressful: Dismissal after all those
years in the firm was a bitter experience. 4 resentful,
embittered, rancorous; hateful: Andrew felt bitter at not being
selected as chairman. 5 stinging, cutting, biting, harsh,
reproachful, vicious, acrimonious, virulent; cruel, unkind,
unpleasant, nasty: His bitter denunciation of other candidates
lost him the campaign. 6 sharp, keen, cutting, severe, biting,
cold, wintry, freezing: A bitter gale lashed at the rigging.
bitterness
n. 1 harshness, acerbity, acrimony, acrimoniousness,
bitterness, spleen, Literary gall and wormwood: The bitterness
of his opponent's attack was totally uncalled for. 2 animosity,
hatred, resentment; hostility, antagonism: She felt bitterness
in her heart over the way she had been treated.
bizarre adj. 1 eccentric, unusual, unconventional, extravagant,
whimsical, strange, odd, curious, peculiar, queer, offbeat,
fantastic, weird, incongruous, deviant, erratic, Slang kinky:
The police thought his behaviour somewhat bizarre and invited
him down to the station for questioning. 2 grotesque, irregular,
nonconformist, nonconforming, outlandish, outr‚, quaint,
fantastic, unconventional: His house is a bizarre mixture of
baroque and modern design.
blab Colloq v. broadcast, tattle, babble, betray, reveal, disclose,
divulge, expose: Don't tell Frieda - she'll blab your secrets
all over town.
blabbermouth
Colloq n. tell-tale, babbler, chatterer, gossip, Colloq blab,
tattle-tale, big-mouth: Oscar is such a blabbermouth that you
can't tell him anything you don't want everyone to know.
black adj. 1 jet, jet-black, coal-black, inky, sooty, swart, swarthy,
raven, ebony, dusky, Literary ebon, hyacinthine: Her hair was
as black as coal. 2 Negro, Negroid, coloured, dark-skinned:
Most of the Black races live near or south of the equator. 3
dark, pitch-black, jet-black, coal-black, Stygian; starless,
moonless: He bundled his coat round himself and walked into the
black night. 4 dark, sombre, dusky, gloomy, menacing,
glowering, louring or lowering, threatening, funereal: The sky
became black with storm clouds. 5 malignant, baleful, baneful,
deadly, deathly, sinister, dismal, hateful, disastrous: It was
a black day when he came into my life. 6 bad, foul, iniquitous,
wicked, evil, diabolical, infernal, hellish, atrocious, awful,
malicious, abominable, outrageous, vicious, villainous,
flagitious, vile, disgraceful, unscrupulous, unconscionable,
unprincipled, blackguardly, knavish, perfidious, insidious,
nefarious, dastardly, treacherous, unspeakable, disgraceful,
shameful, scurvy, criminal, felonious: You have told the
blackest lies about me. 7 angry, wrathful, furious, frowning,
bad-tempered, sulky, resentful, clouded, threatening, glowering:
She gave him a black look and he withered in abject fear.
--v. 8 boycott, embargo, blacklist, ban, interdict: Because of
the dispute over plumbers' wages, the other building-trades
unions have blacked every manufacturer in the business.
blacken v. 1 darken, smudge, begrime: The chimney sweep's face was
blackened with soot. 2 slander, libel, asperse, cast aspersions
on, traduce, smear, sully, soil, besmirch, taint, tarnish,
defame, revile, malign, vilify, discredit, denigrate: His
article has blackened my reputation.
blackleg n. scab, strikebreaker: Despite the strike, the plant is being
operated by blackleg labour.
blackmail n. 1 extortion, ransom, tribute, US graft: Even if you pay the
blackmail, that is no guarantee that he won't demand more later.
--v. 2 extort money from; force, coerce, compel, make: They
had discovered his indiscretions and were blackmailing him. He
blackmailed her into signing the alimony settlement.
blade n. 1 knife, cutting edge: Don't hold the knife by the blade.
2 Literary sword, rapier, sabre, dagger, poniard, stiletto,
cutlass, bayonet, knife, penknife, jackknife: She plunged the
blade in up to the hilt. 3 leaf, leaflet, frond, shoot: The
blades of grass were flattened where he had walked. 4 Rather
old-fashioned playboy, ladies' man, man about town, fop, dandy:
He was quite a gay blade in his youth.
blame v. 1 find fault with, censure, criticize, fault; accuse,
charge, indict, condemn, point to, point (the finger) at,
rebuke, reprimand, recriminate, reproach, scold, reprehend,
reprove: Don't blame me if you can't get to school on time. 2
hold responsible, fix (the) responsibility upon or on, put or
place or lay (the) blame on, lay at someone's door, denounce,
incriminate: Why blame Carol for the mess?
--n. 3 censure, criticism, reproof, rebuke, recrimination,
disapproval, disapprobation, reproach, objurgation,
condemnation, reprehension: The cyclist put the blame for the
accident on me. 4 culpability, responsibility; guilt, Slang
rap: Why should you take the blame for something that Donald
did?
blameless adj. faultless, guiltless, innocent, irreproachable,
unimpeachable: Hugh has led a blameless life.
bland adj. 1 gentle, soothing, smooth, mild, suave, urbane, cool,
unruffled, calm, composed, unemotional, nonchalant, insouciant:
His reaction to the news of the invasion was bland indifference.
2 insipid, boring, dull, uninteresting, ennuyant, tasteless,
Colloq US plain vanilla; Slang US blah: The play is a bland
mixture of clich‚s embedded in a tired plot.
blank adj. 1 empty, plain, bare: I stared at the blank paper, unable
to write even my name. 2 unornamented, unadorned, undecorated,
void: Whenever Irena sees a blank wall she feels compelled to
hang a painting on it. 3 vacant, empty: The actor's mind went
completely blank
--he had forgotten his lines. 4 passive, impassive,
expressionless, emotionless, vacuous, mindless, unexpressive:
He gave us a blank look when asked about the missing rare
stamps. 5 disconcerted, discomfited, nonplussed, confused,
helpless, resourceless, perplexed, dazed, bewildered: The two
old men looked at each other with blank and horror-stricken
faces. 6 unrelieved, stark, sheer, utter, pure, unmixed,
absolute, unqualified: Jack faced the blank prospect of
solitary confinement.
--n. 7 space; line, box: Please fill in the blanks on the
form. 8 nothing, zero, nil; void, emptiness: I asked her when
the baby was coming, but I drew a blank.
blare v. 1 blast, bellow, trumpet, ring, boom, thunder, roar, bray;
resound, echo, reverberate, resonate: Everyone in the
neighbourhood can hear your hi-fi blaring.
--n. 2 blast, bellow, ring, roar, boom, noise, sound, clamour:
The games began with a blare of trumpets.
blas‚ adj. 1 bored, jaded, weary, unimpressed, ennuy‚: Her blas‚
attitude does little to endear her at job interviews. 2
indifferent, cool, superior, supercilious, sophisticated,
unmoved, nonchalant, emotionless, phlegmatic, apathetic,
pococurante, carefree, light-hearted, insouciant: His blas‚
behaviour hides his basic feelings of insecurity.
blaspheme v. 1 curse, swear, imprecate, execrate, profane, damn: They
were denounced for blaspheming against God. 2 abuse, malign,
calumniate, defame, disparage, revile, put down, decry,
deprecate, depreciate, belittle: The ungrateful wretches
blaspheme the charitable soul who would help them.
blasphemous
adj. profane, impious, irreverent, disrespectful, sacrilegious,
irreligious, sinful, wicked, evil, iniquitous: He was
excommunicated for his blasphemous writings.
blast n. 1 blow, gust, wind, gale: The door opened and a blast of
icy air made us shiver. 2 blare, sound, noise, racket, din,
bellow, roar; boom: At the trumpet-blast thousands of Goths
descended screaming on the camp. 3 explosion, burst, eruption,
discharge; detonation: A blast of dynamite levelled all the
houses in the vicinity. 4 (at or in) full blast. fully, at full
tilt, at the maximum, completely, thoroughly, entirely,
maximally, Slang with no holds barred, US to the max: The
factory was going full blast before the strike.
--v. 5 blow up, explode, dynamite, demolish, destroy, ruin,
waste, lay waste, shatter, devastate: The pillbox was blasted
out of existence by our guns. 6 defame, discredit, denounce,
criticize, attack; ruin, destroy: The candidate has been
blasted by the press. 7 curse, damn: The minister continued to
blast the proposal till the legislature dropped it.
blatant adj. 1 obvious, flagrant, palpable, obtrusive, arrant,
shameless, unashamed, brazen, overt, glaring: Those hooligans
have shown a blatant disregard for the law. 2 noisy, clamorous,
loud, bellowing, strident, vociferous, rowdy, boisterous,
obstreperous, uproarious: The blatant radical faction insists
on making itself heard.
blaze n. 1 flame, fire, holocaust, inferno, conflagration: The fuel
barrels exploded, feeding the blaze. 2 outburst, eruption,
flare-up: Her speech fanned the Lower House into a blaze of
resentment. 3 light, brightness, brilliance, brilliancy, glow:
The blaze of lamps lit up the whole square.
--v. 4 burn, flare up, flame: In a few minutes the logs were
blazing merrily. 5 blaze away (at). fire, shoot, open fire,
blast; bombard, shell: The enemy appeared, and we just blazed
away at them.
bleach v. 1 whiten, lighten, fade, blanch, blench, Technical etiolate:
My jeans are all bleached by the sun.
--n. 2 whitener, chlorine: Add a little bleach to the laundry.
bleak adj. 1 cheerless, dreary, depressing, dismal, gloomy, sombre,
melancholy, sad, unhappy, mournful: 1940 was one of the
bleakest periods in British history. 2 cold, chilly, raw,
bitter: The days were getting shorter, and the bleak winter was
setting in. 3 barren, bare, exposed, windswept, desolate: How
depressing the bleak landscape of the Russian steppes can be in
winter!
blemish v. 1 deface, mar, scar, impair, disfigure: They did nothing to
blemish the beauty of the landscape. 2 tarnish, stain, sully,
spoil, mar, flaw, harm, damage, scar, injure, bruise, besmirch:
She has blemished my reputation by spreading those stories about
me.
--n. 3 disfigurement, scar, mark, impairment, stain, smear,
blot; defect, flaw, error, fault, imperfection, error, erratum:
Her complexion was entirely without blemish.
blend v. 1 mix, mingle, combine, meld, commingle, intermingle: The
Latakia is blended with the Virginia to produce a fine smoking
tobacco. 2 shade, grade, gradate, graduate, merge, coalesce,
fuse, unite: Note how the pink sky and the tinted clouds blend
in this Turner painting.
--n. 3 mixture, mix, combination, mingling, meld, commingling,
intermingling: His humour is a fine blend of the sardonic with
slapstick.
bless v. 1 consecrate, hallow, sanctify; extol, glorify, praise,
revere, adore: God bless this ship and all who sail in her.
Bless the Lord. 2 give, make happy or fortunate, endow, favour,
furnish, provide, supply, grace: She is blessed with one of the
most beautiful soprano voices that I have ever heard.
blessing n. 1 benediction, prayer, consecration: Each spring the vicar
officiated at the blessing of the fleet. 2 boon, favour,
advantage, good fortune, godsend, luck, profit, gain, help,
asset, gift, bounty: Hot, sunny days are a blessing for wine
growers.
blight n. 1 affliction, disease, plague, infestation, pestilence,
scourge: The crops were visited with a blight that lasted seven
years. 2 misfortune, curse, trouble, woe, calamity: Genius may
suffer an untimely blight.
--v. 3 afflict, infest, plague, scourge; wither, mar, taint,
blast: Central Africa has been blighted by famine after famine.
blind adj. 1 sightless, eyeless, unsighted, purblind, stone-blind:
He has been blind from birth. 2 imperceptive, slow,
insensitive, thick, dense, obtuse, stupid, weak-minded,
dull-witted, slow-witted, dim-witted, Colloq Brit gormless: How
blind some parents are! There's another case of the blind
leading the blind. 3 indiscriminate, undiscriminating, heedless,
reckless, rash, impetuous, inconsiderate, unreasoning, mindless,
senseless, thoughtless, unthinking, irrational, delusional: He
did her bidding with the blind obedience of a dog. 4 blind to.
unaware or unconscious of, impervious or insensible to,
unaffected or untouched or unmoved by: The critics were blind
to her merits as a novelist till many years had passed.
--v. 5 deceive, blindfold, blinker; bamboozle, hoodwink, fool:
Wolsey could not blind himself to the true condition of the
church. How jealousy blinds people! 6 conceal, hide, eclipse,
overshadow; dazzle, blindfold: The bright lights of the city
blinded our view of the airport runway. Her beauty blinded him
to her greed.
--n. 7 shade, curtain, screen, cover, shutter(s), awning: The
sun is too bright - please draw the blind. 8 pretence, pretext,
front, cover, smokescreen, stratagem, subterfuge, ruse, trick,
deception, Colloq dodge; Slang scam: The plumbing service is
merely a blind for getting into houses to rob them.
blindly adv. recklessly, heedlessly, deludedly, indiscriminately,
rashly, impetuously, irrationally, thoughtlessly, mindlessly,
senselessly, unthinkingly: Despite his parents' warnings, he
went blindly on, till one day he was arrested.
blink v. 1 wink, flicker, Technical nictitate: She blinked in the
strong light. 2 twinkle, flicker, gleam, glimmer, shimmer,
flash, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate: A billion stars blinked
in the wintry sky. 3 flinch, wince, shrink, quail, blench,
recoil, start, move: She didn't even blink when she had the
injection. 4 blink at. wink at, ignore, overlook, disregard:
That inspector has been known to blink at health violations.
--n. 5 wink, flicker: He switched the cards in the blink of an
eye. 6 on the blink. Colloq out of order, broken, in
disrepair, not working or operating, not operational, Slang US
out of whack, on the fritz: The fridge is on the blink again.
bliss n. happiness, blitheness, gladness, joy, blessedness, delight,
felicity, glee, enjoyment, pleasure, joyousness, cheer,
exhilaration, gaiety, blissfulness, rapture, ecstasy: The bliss
of our honeymoon has remained with us throughout our marriage.
blithe adj. 1 blissful, happy, cheerful, joyous, merry, light-hearted,
well-pleased, delighted, gay, joyful, elated, jubilant: His
spirit was blithe and his heart unquenchable. 2 happy-go-lucky,
insouciant, heedless, carefree, unconcerned, blas‚, casual,
detached, indifferent, uncaring, careless: She goes through
life with a blithe disregard for the feelings of others.
bloated adj. swollen, distended, fully, puffy; puffed up, overgrown,
inflated, pompous: He felt bloated after the enormous banquet.
That bloated, conceited, self-important petty official had the
gall to refuse me a visa.
blob n. gob, gobbet, globule, drop, droplet, bit, gout, lump, dab,
Colloq glob, Chiefly US and Canadian smidgen or smidgin:
There's a blob of jelly on your tie.
block n. 1 piece, chunk, hunk, lump, slab; stump; brick, cube: The
figure is carved out of a solid block of stone. 2 bar,
obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, stumbling-block, deterrent,
impediment, barrier: Her arrival should be no block to your
leaving.
--v. 3 obstruct, close off, barricade; bar, shut off; hinder,
hamper, balk, impede, prevent: Entry to the playing field was
blocked by the police. 4 block out. a rough out, design,
outline, sketch, lay out, plan: The colonel blocked out a
strategy for our escape. b mask, screen, blank (out), erase,
eliminate, exclude, blot out, deny: She has blocked out that
part of her life from her mind. 5 block (up). stuff (up),
congest, clog, Colloq Brit bung up: My nose is all blocked up
because of this awful cold.
bloodshed n. slaughter, carnage, butchery, killing, murder,
blood-letting; violence; genocide: Let's settle this peaceably
and avoid bloodshed.
bloodsucker
n. leech, extortionist, extortioner, blackmailer; parasite,
barnacle, Colloq sponge, freeloader, scrounge, scrounger; Slang
US moocher: He's nothing but a bloodsucker, always demanding
more and more money.
blot n. 1 stain, spot, mark, smudge, blotch, blemish, disfigurement,
smear, smirch, scar, Colloq splodge or US also splotch: An ink
blot covered the date of the document. There are a few blots on
his record from his time in the army.
--v. 2 stain, spot, spatter, smudge, mark, blur: You have
blotted these pages where you wrote with a fountain-pen. 3 blot
one's copybook. err, destroy or ruin or mar or spoil one's
reputation, commit an indiscretion, transgress, sin: She's
certainly blotted her copybook by having an affair with that
subaltern. 4 blot out. a obscure, conceal, cover (up), hide,
eclipse, dim: The clouds blotted out the sun for a few minutes.
b obliterate, destroy, erase, demolish, efface, annihilate,
delete, rub or wipe out: He subconsciously blotted out all
memory of the accident.
blow° v. 1 breathe, puff, exhale; expel: If the crystals turn green
when you blow into the tube, it means that you've had too much
to drink. Blow some air into the balloon. 2 waft, puff, whistle,
whine, blast: An icy wind blew through the cracks in the
windows. 3 Colloq bungle, botch, make a mess of, muff,
mismanage, Colloq screw up, mess up, fluff, bugger up, Taboo
fuck up: It was my last chance to win and I blew it. 4 Colloq
spend, lavish, squander, waste, throw out or away: She blew
hundreds on that dress and now she won't wear it. 5
short-circuit, burn out: All the fuses blew when I turned on
the electric heater. 6 blow hot and cold. vacillate, hesitate,
dither, Colloq shilly-shally: The sales manager has been
blowing hot and cold over my proposal for a month now. 7 blow
out. a extinguish: I blew out all the candles in one breath.
The match blew out in the wind. b explode, burst: One of my
tyres blew out on the way over here. c short-circuit, burn out:
The lights blew out during the storm. 8 blow up. a become
furious or angry or enraged, flare up, lose one's temper, Slang
blow one's top or US also stack, flip one's lid: She really
blew up when I said I was going to the pub. b explode, burst,
shatter, Colloq bust; detonate, dynamite, destroy, blast: The
bridge blew up with a roar. Demolition experts will blow up the
dam. c enlarge, inflate, embroider, magnify, expand, exaggerate,
overstate: The tabloid press has blown up the story out of all
proportion. d enlarge, magnify, amplify, expand, increase: Can
you blow up just this corner of the photograph? e inflate;
distend, swell: We were busy blowing up balloons for the party.
--n. 9 gale, storm, tempest, whirlwind, tornado, cyclone,
hurricane, typhoon, north-easter, nor'easter: We can expect a
big blow tonight - winds of gale force, they say.
blowэ n. 1 stroke, punch, clout, whack, hit, knock, thump, thwack,
Colloq wallop: He was felled by a blow to the chin in the
fourth round. 2 shock, surprise, bombshell, jolt, bolt from the
blue, revelation: It came as a blow to learn that she was
leaving in a month.
blue adj. 1 depressed, low-spirited, dispirited, sad, dismal, down,
down in the mouth, gloomy, unhappy, glum, downcast, crestfallen,
chap-fallen, dejected, melancholy, despondent, downhearted,
morose: I've been feeling blue since Kathleen left me. 2
obscene, vulgar, indecent, titillating, pornographic, dirty,
filthy, lewd, smutty, risqu‚, bawdy, sexy, X, X-rated, 18, US
XXX; indelicate, suggestive, off colour, erotic, coarse,
offensive, improper: There's a place nearby that shows blue
movies.
bluff° v. 1 deceive, hoodwink, dupe, mislead, delude, trick, cozen,
fool, Colloq bamboozle: I bluffed him into believing that I
held four aces. 2 pretend, feign, bluster, fool, Colloq kid;
Slang bullshit: She became frightened, unaware that I was only
bluffing.
--n. 3 bombast, bravado, boasting, bragging, bluster, show,
puffery; deception, blind; Literary rodomontade, gasconade;
Colloq hot air: Roger's ranting is all bluff - he's really very
timid.
bluffэ adj. 1 blustering, gruff, rough, abrupt, blunt, curt, short,
crude: Fred's bluff manner puts many people off. 2 frank,
open, hearty, straightforward, plain, plain-spoken, outspoken,
affable, approachable, good-natured, friendly: That comment is
typical of his bluff honesty.
--n. 3 cliff, escarpment, precipice, scarp, headland,
promontory, palisades: As you sail down the lower Hudson river,
the tall bluffs form a natural wall along the western bank.
blunder v. 1 stumble, flounder: I had somehow blundered into a meeting
of the local crime syndicate. She blundered upon the truth when
she saw them together.
--n. 2 mistake, error, gaffe, faux pas, slip, slip-up, howler,
Colloq boo-boo, screw-up, fluff, boner, US goof, goof-up: I
made a stupid blunder in telling him about the plans.
blunt adj. 1 dull, worn: This knife is too blunt to cut bread. 2
abrupt, curt, rough-spoken, plain-spoken, short, direct, candid,
frank, unceremonious, undiplomatic, inconsiderate, thoughtless,
brusque, outspoken, bluff, brash, indelicate, rude, uncivil,
ungracious, discourteous, impolite; straightforward, straight,
uncomplicated, uncompromising: Ralph may be blunt, but at least
you know exactly where you stand with him.
--v. 3 dull, take the edge off: You've blunted the scissors
cutting that cardboard. 4 soften, mitigate, mollify, soothe;
efface, dim, obscure, blur, weaken: Mother's love is an
absorbing delight, blunting all other sensibilities.
blur n. 1 indistinctness, dimness, haziness, cloudiness, fogginess:
We were unable to pick out the star from the blur of the Galaxy.
2 fog, haze, Brit fuzz: Without my spectacles, everything is a
blur.
--v. 3 dim, befog, obscure, bedim; efface: My vision was
momentarily blurred, and I didn't see the oncoming car. 4
obscure, hide, conceal, veil, mask; weaken: The Honourable
Gentleman has blurred the distinction between the unemployed and
the unemployable.
blurt v. Usually, blurt out. burst out with, utter; reveal, disclose,
give away, divulge, Colloq blab: She blurted out the name of
her accomplice.
blush v. be or act ashamed, redden, flush, colour: He blushed when
asked if he still loved Belinda.
bluster v. 1 storm, rage, harangue: It won't do any good to bluster on
about the postal service. 2 swagger, strut, talk big, boast,
brag, blow one's own horn or trumpet, show off, crow: He's
always blustering about his conquests.
--n. 3 swaggering, storming, raging, raving, haranguing,
tumult; hot air, puffery, bravado, grandiloquence, Literary
rodomontade: He's all bluster and will do nothing despite his
threats.
board n. 1 plank, scantling, timber: We nailed the last board in
place and the house was finished. 2 table, gaming-table, game
table or surface: I have the chessmen, have you brought the
board? 3 food, meals, provisions: I am moving to the country,
where room and board are cheaper. 4 council, committee,
directors, directorship, management, cabinet, panel, trustees,
advisers: That issue will be discussed at the meeting of the
board. 5 on board. aboard, on: Young children are not allowed
on board the boat.
--v. 6 go aboard, ship aboard; enter, embark on: We all
boarded the ship but it didn't leave for an hour. 7 feed; eat,
take meals; accommodate, lodge, house, billet, quarter; lodge,
stay, live, room; Colloq put up: Mrs O'Brien already boards
three gentlemen at her house, but she has agreed to let me board
there too.
boast n. 1 brag, bragging: They did not make good their boasts of
being the fastest in the competition.
--v. 2 brag, vaunt, crow, show off, Colloq US blow or toot
one's (own) horn or trumpet; Slang lay it on thick, talk big:
He boasted that he was the best poker player in the casino.
boastful adj. ostentatious, show-off, bragging, vainglorious,
egotistical, vain, conceited: She's boastful about her wealth,
but it was all left to her by her mother.
boat n. vessel, craft, skiff, small craft, motor boat, speedboat,
knockabout, runabout, yacht, motor yacht, sailing-yacht, Brit
rowing-boat, sailing-boat, US row-boat, sailboat, Colloq ship:
I bought a 30-foot boat at this year's show. They went off on a
slow boat to China.
bode v. portend, promise, augur, betoken, forebode, presage;
foreshadow: The weather bodes well for the picnic.
body n. 1 corpse, cadaver, remains, carcass, Slang stiff: A body
has been dragged up from the lake. 2 trunk, torso: They found
the body, but the arms, legs, and head were missing. 3 main
part or portion, hull, fuselage: The body of the plane remained
intact, though the wings and superstructure broke away. 4
substance, essentials, main part, essence, heart, centre, core:
The body of the book is all right, but the index needs work. 5
majority, bulk, main part or portion, mass(es): Under Henry
VIII the main body of the people were prosperous. 6
association, league, band, corps, confederation, fraternity,
society; committee, council; group, assemblage, assembly,
congress, company: It is not within the power of this body to
do more than vote on the proposal. 7 richness, substance,
firmness, consistency, solidity, thickness, density, fullness,
viscosity, fullness: This wine has excellent body. Add a little
cornflour to give the sauce more body.
bog n. 1 swamp, fen, marsh, quagmire: The peat bogs have yielded
interesting fossils. 2 bog down. impede, slow, hamper,
encumber, stymie, stick, handicap, clog, check, set back, hold
back: Traffic is bogged down owing to roadworks.
bogus adj. counterfeit, spurious, fake, false, fraudulent, sham,
imitation, fictitious, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The
police reported that a gang was trying to pass bogus money to
unsuspecting shopkeepers in the area.
Bohemian adj. nonconformist, unconforming, unconventional, unorthodox,
casual, free and easy: In the '60s she became a flower person
and adopted a Bohemian way of life.
boil° v. 1 bubble, seethe; simmer, stew, steam: A pot of soup was
boiling on the kitchen stove. 2 seethe, fume, sizzle, smoulder,
chafe, fulminate, ferment, sputter, splutter, bluster: When she
learned what he had been saying about her, she boiled with
furious indignation.
boilэ n. abscess, carbuncle, pustule, Technical furuncle: The doctor
said the boil had to be lanced at once.
boisterous
adj. rowdy, clamorous, rough, noisy, lively, exuberant, unruly,
wild, undisciplined, tempestuous, stormy, turbulent, Colloq
rambunctious: The boys were sent outside because of their
boisterous behaviour.
bold adj. 1 courageous, brave, plucky, confident, stout-hearted,
lion-hearted, daring, enterprising, audacious, fearless,
unafraid, intrepid, resolute, dauntless, undaunted, valiant,
stout, valorous, stalwart, adventurous, venturesome; reckless,
foolhardy, incautious, daredevil, rash: It would take a bold
man to enter the ring with the champion. 2 audacious,
presumptuous, forward, immodest, brazen, impudent, temerarious,
impertinent, shameless: It was very bold of you to speak your
mind to the boss. 3 pronounced, outstanding, striking,
vigorous, clear, strong, vivid, distinct, conspicuous: He wrote
down their demands in a good, bold hand.
bolster v. support, prop (up), brace, shore up, buttress, uphold, back
(up), reinforce, aid, help, assist, further, advance: The
miners cited a lack of safety measures to bolster their
arguments.
bolt n. 1 arrow, dart, projectile, missile, Historical quarrel: He
had only three bolts remaining for the crossbow. 2 pin, bar,
rod, catch; latch: We hoped that the bolt would prevent their
opening the door. 3 machine screw: Bolts can be tightened or
removed, unlike rivets. 4 roll, length: We sell only full
bolts of fabric. 5 lightning flash, thunderbolt, Formal
fulguration: One bolt travelled down the television aerial and
blew out the set. 6 bolt from or out of the blue. surprise,
shock, bombshell, bomb, blow, revelation, eye-opener, Colloq
shocker: The news of her resignation came like a bolt from the
blue. 7 shoot one's bolt. exhaust or use up one's resources,
Slang burn out, US poop out: He was fast early in the marathon,
but he'd shot his bolt long before the finishing line.
--v. 8 spring, dart, shoot off, take flight, run (away or off),
rush (off or away), break away, flee, decamp, abscond, escape,
fly, dash (off or away), Colloq skedaddle, scram, Brit scarper,
do a bunk, do a moonlight flit, US take a (run-out) powder,:
The youths bolted as soon as they saw the police. The couple in
room 315 bolted without paying their bill. 9 gulp (down),
swallow whole: When the bell rang, she bolted her breakfast and
ran out of the back door. 10 fasten, lock, latch, secure: Make
sure you bolt your door at night and don't let anyone in. 11
fix, attach, fasten, connect, make fast to: The motor must be
securely bolted to the workbench.
--adv. 12 bolt upright. erect, straight, rigidly, stiffly:
When her name was called, Penny sat bolt upright in her chair.
bomb n. 1 bombshell, shell, explosive: One of the bombs blew up the
school.
--v. 2 bombard, shell, batter, blow up: Last night the railway
station was bombed.
bombard v. 1 batter, bomb, shell: The artillery continued to bombard
the enemy with everything in their arsenal. 2 assail, attack,
assault, set upon; besiege: The Prime Minister was bombarded
with requests to amend the law.
bombast n. pretentious language, flatulence, bluster, show,
grandiloquence, magniloquence, hot air, bravado, boast,
boasting, Literary gasconade, rodomontade; Colloq puffery: The
speaker continued to bore the audience with his pompous bombast.
bombastic adj. high-flown, extravagant, pompous, grandiose,
grandiloquent, magniloquent, inflated, fustian, flatulent,
turgid, Literary euphuistic: The Minister made a bombastic
speech full of emotive appeals, but his actual arguments were
unconvincing.
bombshell n. surprise, shock, eye-opener, bomb, blow, revelation, bolt
from or out of the blue, Colloq shocker: Then came the
bombshell - she and Tony had been married the week before.
bona fide adj. genuine, authentic, attested, real, veritable, legitimate,
true, valid; in good faith, sincere, honest: The jeweller
affirmed that it was a bona fide ruby. I don't believe her
reasons are bona fide.
bond n. 1 tie(s), shackles, chains, fetters, manacles, handcuffs,
trammels, thongs, cord(s), rope(s); restraint(s), constraint(s),
check(s), control(s), rein(s): The council is hampered by the
bonds of the old regulations. 2 covenant, pact, contract,
agreement, engagement, compact, treaty: To unite the party a
bond of confederacy was formed. 3 connection, link, linkage,
union, tie, relationship: The main bond between us was a shared
love of the theatre. The bond between the veneer and the board
should hold with a little more glue.
--v. 4 cement, bind, hold together, stick, cohere: They use
mortar to bond the bricks together.
bondage n. slavery, servitude, subjection, subjugation, enslavement,
serfdom, thraldom; vassalage, villeinage: The poor souls were
kept in bondage for most of their lives, forced to row in the
galleys till they died.
bonny adj. beautiful, comely, attractive, pretty, lovely: She's
grown into quite a bonny lass.
bonus n. reward, largesse, hand-out, perquisite, extra, honorarium,
tip, gratuity, remuneration, compensation, Colloq perk:
Employees often receive a Christmas bonus.
book n. 1 volume, tome, work, publication; hard-cover, soft-cover,
paperback: Our personal library contains more than 5000 books.
2 libretto, words, lyrics: Richard Rodgers wrote the music and
Oscar Hammerstein the book for several hit shows. 3 rules, laws,
regulations: He always insists that we go by the book.
--v. 4 engage, reserve; earmark, ticket; order, register,
enrol, list, enlist, log, record, post: Please phone the
restaurant and book a table for four for seven-thirty.
bookkeeper
n. clerk; accountant, Brit chartered accountant, CA, cashier;
US CPA, certified public accountant: The office was haunted by
the melancholy ghosts of departed bookkeepers.
bookworm n. bibliophile, book-lover, inveterate or ardent reader, Formal
bibliophage: Fiona is such a bookworm, she hardly does anything
but read.
boom v. 1 sound, resound, resonate, blast, rumble, thunder, roar,
bang, explode: We heard the cannons booming in the distance. 2
prosper, thrive, flourish, progress, grow, increase, burgeon or
bourgeon: Business is booming in every sector.
--n. 3 blast, rumble, explosion: There was a resounding boom
and the car went up in flames. 4 prosperity, profitability;
growth, increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning: In this business
it is either boom or bust.
boomerang v. rebound, recoil, backfire, miscarry, redound: His plan
boomeranged.
boon n. gift, favour, award, reward, gratuity, present; blessing,
benefit, advantage: The mobile library service is a great boon
to the elderly in the area.
boor n. 1 rustic, peasant, yokel, (country) bumpkin, provincial,
backwoodsman, US hayseed, hill-billy, Juke, Kallikak, Slang
hick: The boor is blind to the beauties of nature. 2
barbarian, yahoo, oaf, clod, clodhopper, philistine, clown,
Grobian; hoyden, Colloq lummox, Slang galoot, slob, US goop,
slobbovian: The guests behaved like boors, throwing their food
at each other.
boorish adj. rustic, barbarian, rude, crude, ill-mannered, uncultured,
coarse, clownish, uncouth, loutish, oafish, gawky, vulgar,
ill-bred: How can you even think of inviting such a boorish
fellow?
boost n. 1 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), Colloq leg up; rise,
raise: If you give me a boost up, I can reach the window ledge.
2 encouragement, help, aid, assistance, support: With a boost
from your constituency, Trevor should win the vote. 3 increase,
rise, US raise, hike: He was given a slight boost in salary as
an incentive to stay.
--v. 4 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), raise: He boosted
her over the fence. The second stage is intended to boost the
rocket beyond the atmosphere. 5 encourage, promote, help, aid,
support, assist, improve: A talk from the manager before the
game helped to boost the players' morale. 6 increase, raise:
Her salary was boosted twice in one year.
boot n. 1 to boot. in addition, into the bargain, in addition,
besides, moreover, as well, also, too, additionally: He's
stingy and cruel - and ugly to boot. 2 shoe, riding-boot,
bootee: I need a new pair of boots for my walking holiday.
--v. 3 eject, expel, shove, propel, push, Colloq kick: The
landlord booted three rowdies out of the pub. 4 Literary
profit, avail, help, be in aid of: What boots it to complain?
booth n. 1 stall, stand: Our company has taken three booths at the
book fair. 2 compartment, cubicle, box, kiosk: We walked
across the road to a telephone booth and phoned a garage.
bootless adj. pointless, unavailing, vain, purposeless, useless, futile,
worthless, unproductive, ineffective, inefficacious, fruitless,
unprofitable, profitless, unremunerative, unrewarding, wasteful,
time-wasting, Sisyphean: It's a bootless task trying to
persuade him of the importance of a good education.
booty n. plunder, gain, spoil(s), contraband, takings, loot, Slang
swag, boodle, (hot) goods, take: The pirates fought over the
booty seized from the Spanish galleon.
booze n. 1 drink, (hard) liquor, spirit(s), whisk(e)y, alcohol, US
demon rum, John Barleycorn, mountain dew, white lightning, white
mule; Slang rot-gut, poison, fire-water, mother's ruin, US and
Canadian sauce, juice, hooch, red-eye: I ordered plenty of
booze for the party.
--v. 2 drink, tipple; Humorous bibulate; Slang hit the bottle,
US hit the sauce: He has a terrible hangover after boozing all
night.
border n. 1 edge, margin, hem, binding, trimming, trim, edging,
periphery, purfle, purfling: The border of the tablecloth is
beautifully embroidered with flowers. 2 Usually, borders.
limit(s), bound(s), confines: Sometimes Tony exceeds the
borders of good taste. 3 boundary, frontier: You won't be able
to cross the border without a passport. 4 frame, frieze,
moulding; dado, wainscot or wainscoting or wainscotting: The
border of the fresco is in Greek fretwork design. 5 borderline,
edge, verge, brink: She is just on the border of becoming a
born-again Christian. 6 bed, flowerbed, herbaceous border:
Hollyhocks are growing in the border.
--v. 7 edge, trim, bind, fringe, purfle: The hem of the skirt
is bordered with lace. 8 resemble (closely), approach
(closely), verge upon or on: Isabel's attempts at playing the
tuba border on the ludicrous. 9 lie alongside, adjoin, abut (on
or upon), verge upon or on, touch, be adjacent to: The
territory of the Gauls bordered the western lands of the
Germans.
bore° n. 1 hole, drill-hole, borehole: A bore of six inches was
carried to a depth of 2086 feet.
--v. 2 pierce, perforate, drill, penetrate, puncture, tap,
punch, stab, prick; sink, tunnel, dig (out), gouge (out); hollow
out: Bore a hole through this sheet metal. The oil rig is
boring through solid rock.
boreэ n. 1 annoyance, nuisance: Reggie is such a bore - always
talking about himself.
--v. 2 weary, wear out, tire, exhaust, jade: The programme so
bored me that I fell asleep.
boredom n. dullness, dreariness, ennui, tedium, monotony: I have to
look forward to the boredom of an evening of chamber music.
boring adj. dull, monotonous, tedious, humdrum, tiresome, dreary,
flat, dead, uninteresting, unexciting, ennuyant, stale, tired,
dry, dry-as-dust, arid; tiring, wearying, wearisome, exhausting,
soporific; repetitious, wordy, prolix, unending, long-drawn-out:
Felicity's boring old stories put me to sleep.
borrow v. take, appropriate, draw, adopt, refer to, obtain, Colloq
sponge, cadge, touch (someone) for, US bum; Slang mooch: Has
Fred borrowed my lawnmower again?
Borstal n. youth custody centre, approved school, Now chiefly US reform
school, reformatory: He was too young to go to prison, so he
was sent to a Borstal.
bosom n. 1 breast, chest, bust; Slang boobs, knockers, tits, titties,
pair, jugs, Brit Bristols: The sex goddess's lack of talent was
more than compensated for by her ample bosom. 2 midst, interior,
heart, core, centre: She was welcomed into the bosom of the
family as if she had been their own child. 3 soul, heart, heart
of hearts, bowels, blood, Colloq gut: I know he loves me, I can
feel it in my bosom.
--adj. 4 close, intimate, dear, beloved, cherished, boon,
special, confidential: We were once bosom companions.
bosomy adj. big-busted, busty, well-endowed: This tabloid always has
a bosomy model on page 3.
boss n. 1 chief, supervisor, head, administrator, manager, foreman,
superintendent, overseer; employer, director, proprietor, owner,
Brit managing director , US president, Dialect himself, Colloq
supremo, Brit governor, gov., gaffer, US super, leader, kingpin,
big cheese, the man, Slang honcho, head or chief honcho, Mr Big,
prex or prexy: If you have to leave early, check with the boss.
The company boss was interviewed on television last night.
--v. 2 supervise, head, manage, run, oversee, overlook, direct,
control, superintend, command, take charge, be in charge: Clive
has been here only a year and he's already bossing a department.
3 domineer, push or shove around or about, dominate, order
about, lord it over: That slave-driver had better stop bossing
me about or I'll quit!
bossy adj. overbearing, domineering, dictatorial, tyrannical,
despotic, imperious, lordly: Her boyfriend is awfully bossy -
and they're not even married yet.
botch v. bungle, mismanage, spoil, Colloq screw or louse up, blow,
mess up, muck up, make a mess or hash or muddle of; Slang
bollocks or ballocks or US bollix up: Give Gordon an assignment
and he's sure to botch it.
bother v. 1 annoy, pester, worry, irritate, trouble, hector, harass,
hound, dog, nag, plague, needle, Colloq hassle; Slang US nudge:
I wish they'd stop bothering me about paying the telephone bill.
2 trouble (about), fuss (at), make a fuss (about), concern
oneself (with), burden: Too few people are interested in
bothering about the welfare of others. 3 confuse, bewilder,
perplex, perturb, upset, disconcert, discomfit: She was
increasingly bothered by her inability to understand the local
language.
--n. 4 trouble, inconvenience: Those pets must be a lot of
bother. 5 worry, annoyance, vexation, nuisance, irritation,
trouble, effort, disturbance, upset, Slang hassle: Painting the
lattice will be more bother than it's worth. 6 dither, flutter,
Colloq tizzy, pet, stew, lather, sweat: She seems to have
worked herself into quite a bother about something quite
insignificant. 7 pest, irritant, nag, nuisance, Colloq pain,
pain in the neck or Brit taboo arse or US taboo ass; Slang US
nudge: Mother is such a bother, always asking if I wear my
galoshes when it rains. 8 disturbance, to-do, ado, commotion,
fuss, trouble, disorder, stir, hubbub: We ran into a bit of
bother at the pub last night.
bottle n. 1 flask, container; fiasco, decanter: The milkman left two
bottles of milk. 2 courage, nerve, manliness, manfulness, grit,
backbone, gumption, mettle, pluck, Dutch courage, Slang guts;
Colloq spunk, starch, US moxie: He was going to tell her off
but lost his bottle at the last minute. 3 the bottle. alcohol,
alcoholic drink, spirit(s), liquor, booze, sauce: He's back on
the bottle after only two weeks of being on the wagon.
--v. 4 bottle up. a contain, restrain, hold back, control,
suppress, repress, hold or keep in check, stifle: All the
emotions, bottled up for so long, burst upon him at once, and he
wept pitiably. b trap, cut off, hem in, box in: With the help
of the posse, we can bottle up the gang in the canyon.
bottom n. 1 seat, buttocks, rear, behind, rear end, derriЉre, rump,
posterior, hindquarters, breech, fundament, gluteus maximus,
Colloq backside, butt, prat, Brit bum , US can, duff, keister or
keester, hinie; Taboo Brit arse, US ass; Slang US tokus or
tochis or tuchis, tushie or tushy or tush: He just sits there
on his bottom, never doing a bit of work. 2 base, foot,
foundation, groundwork, substructure, footing, underpinning,
fundament: A ditch was dug along the bottom of the wall. 3
basis, foundation, source, origin, cause, heart, nub: We have
to get to the bottom of the problem. 4 depths, Davy Jones's
locker; bed: The ship sank to the bottom of the sea. 5 at
bottom. basically, fundamentally, in the final or last analysis,
really, in reality, truly, in truth, essentially: Despite her
behaviour at the party, at bottom she is very reserved. 6
Bottoms up! Prosit!, To your (very good) health!, Cheers!,
Here's to -!, Skol!: Here's to the whole team - Bottoms up!
bottomless
adj. unfathomed, unfathomable, abyssal, abysmal, inexhaustible,
unlimited, immeasurable, unplumbable: The bottomless ignorance
of the man is incredible.
bounce n. 1 bound, leap, hop, recoil, ricochet, rebound: The ball
took a bad bounce and the infielder missed it. 2 vitality,
energy, verve, zest, vivacity, liveliness, animation, dynamism,
life, Colloq pep, zip, go, get-up-and-go: Betty has so much
bounce, she is a bit tiring to have around.
--v. 3 bound, rebound, hop; recoil, ricochet: The ball bounced
over the wall and into the river.
bound° n. 1 Usually, bounds. boundary, boundary-line, limit(s),
extent, border(s), confines: Please try to keep the dogs within
the bounds of the estate. Carl's plan is beyond the bounds of
common sense.
--v. 2 limit, restrict, confine, delimit, define, circumscribe:
The river bounds the property on the east.
boundэ n. 1 leap, jump, vault, spring; bounce, hop: With a great
bound, the dog was upon me. 2 by leaps and bounds. See leap, 7,
below.
--v. 3 leap, jump, hop, spring, vault, gambol, caper, romp,
frolic, bounce, Colloq galumph: The wolfhound came bounding
towards me across the meadow.
bound° adj. 1 tied, fast, fixed, fastened, confined, secured: We were
bound hand and foot and left in the cave. 2 obliged, obligated,
required, constrained, forced, compelled: In the circumstances,
Philippa was bound to do as she was told. 3 determined,
resolved: Otto is bound to go to the party if Antonia is going.
4 likely, certain, sure, destined, predestined, fated, doomed:
He is bound to get the sack if he goes on turning up late. 5
destined, scheduled, booked; headed, directed: We were bound
for Cardiff.
boundary n. border(s), limit(s), frontier(s); bound(s), confines,
perimeter: If you cross that boundary, you will be safely in
Switzerland.
boundless adj. limitless, unbounded, unlimited; illimitable, vast,
endless, unending, infinite, immense, enormous, immeasurable,
incalculable, measureless, unrestricted, unchecked,
inexhaustible, unstoppable, unbridled, uncontrolled, Literary
vasty: How can you keep up with a teenager's boundless energy?
bountiful adj. 1 generous, beneficent, munificent, liberal, unsparing,
unstinting, charitable, eleemosynary, magnanimous, Literary
bounteous: We are grateful to Sir Roger, our most bountiful
patron, for endowing this library. 2 ample, abundant, plenteous,
plentiful, copious, rich, Literary bounteous: Until the Stock
Exchange d‚bѓcle, these shares paid bountiful dividends.
bounty n. 1 generosity, liberality, munificence, charitableness,
philanthropy, charity, unselfishness, beneficence, goodness:
The poor used to be dependent on the bounty of the local gentry.
2 gift, present, largesse, grant, subsidy, endowment,
subvention: People should be given work and not live off the
bounty of the state. 3 reward, award, premium, bonus, gratuity:
In America they paid a bounty of њ50 for every dead wolf.
bouquet n. 1 nosegay, posy, bunch, arrangement, spray: I sent her a
bouquet of spring flowers for her birthday. 2 aroma, scent,
odour, fragrance, perfume: This '83 burgundy certainly has a
fine bouquet. 3 compliment(s), praise, commendation: Mrs
Campbell received many bouquets for her performances.
bourgeois adj. 1 middle-class, conventional, philistine, capitalistic,
propertied; materialistic, greedy, money-grubbing, money-hungry:
The yuppies constitute the modern bourgeois element in society.
2 working-class, proletarian, plebeian: In his bourgeois mind,
he had only his labour to offer.
bout n. 1 turn, round, time, occasion, spell, period, session: He's
just got over a bout of pneumonia. 2 chance, spree, stint,
opportunity, innings: We had long planned this bout of
shopping. 3 contest, match, boxing-match, prizefight, meet,
set-to, struggle, encounter, engagement; duel: A bout has been
arranged between the heavyweight champion of the world and a
challenger from Puerto Rico.
bow n. 1 nod; curtsy or curtsey, salaam, kowtow, genuflection,
prostration, obeisance: We all bowed respectfully before the
emperor.
--v. 2 defer, yield, submit, give in, bend, bow down,
capitulate: I bow to your greater knowledge of the subject. 3
bend, incline, lower: The servants bowed their heads when the
master entered. 4 weigh down, crush, overload, bend down,
burden: Michael was bowed down by the responsibilities of his
new family. 5 nod, curtsy or curtsey, salaam, kowtow,
genuflect, prostrate oneself, salaam, make obeisance: The
natives bowed as the king passed by.
bowels n. interior, insides, depths; heart, centre, core, intestines,
viscera, vitals, belly, gut, Colloq innards, guts: We descended
the shaft into the very bowels of the earth. She hates me, I can
feel it in my bowels.
bowl° v. move, trundle, wheel, roll, spin: We saw him in his car,
bowling along at about 40.
bowlэ n. dish; basin, pan: She brought me a bowl of cereal.
box° n. 1 case, receptacle, crate, carton, container, casket,
coffer, caddy, chest: She keeps her valuables in a small
tortoise-shell box on the dressing-table.
--v. 2 crate, encase, package: The candles are boxed in
dozens. 3 box in or up. trap, confine, bottle up, hem in,
enclose, surround; pin down: They have the horses boxed in and
are now driving them into the corral.
boxэ v. 1 fight, engage in fisticuffs, spar, battle: When he was in
the army, he boxed for his regiment. 2 strike, buffet, punch,
hit, Colloq slug, sock, whack, thwack, clout, belt, thump,
lambaste, whomp: Every time she heard him swear, she'd box his
ears.
--n. 3 blow, buffet, punch, hit, strike, Colloq slug, sock,
whack, thwack, clout, belt, thump, whomp: How would you like a
box on the ear, you young rascal!
boy n. 1 lad, youth, young man, stripling, youngster, schoolboy,
fellow, urchin, brat, Colloq kid, guy, small fry, little shaver:
There were two girls and five boys in my family. 2 servant,
house-servant, attendant; lackey, slave, Archaic knave, varlet,
rogue, wretch, caitiff: Here! Boy! Bring me another gin and
tonic. 3 old boy. Brit (public) schoolmate; friend, chum, pal,
Archaic old bean, old egg, old crumpet, dear boy; crony: I say,
old boy, care for a rubber of bridge? Carruthers wouldn't be
where he is now if it weren't for the old-boy network.
boycott v. 1 blacklist, embargo; avoid, refuse, shun, reject, eschew,
pass over or by: They are boycotting Fern's Dairy because it
won't hire women. The US government is still boycotting cigars
from Havana.
--n. 2 embargo, blacklist, blacklisting, ban: A boycott of
their products soon forced them to change their policies.
boyish adj. 1 young, youthful, juvenile, adolescent: She liked his
boyish good looks. 2 childish, puerile, juvenile, immature:
Don't be too hard on them - it was just a boyish prank.
brace n. 1 bracket, stiffener, reinforcement, reinforcer, support,
buttress, prop, stay, strut, truss: Two steel braces have been
installed to steady the columns. 2 drill: He bored three holes
in the wood with his brace and auger. 3 clasp, clamp, buckle,
fastener, clip, holdfast, catch, coupler, coupling: Another
brace will be needed here to strengthen the handle. 4 pair;
couple, span, team (of two): A brace of duelling pistols was
sold at auction last week for њ20,000. Her carriage was drawn by
a brace of palominos.
--v. 5 steady, reinforce, support, strengthen, prop or shore
up: Iron bars are used to brace the arches. 6 brace oneself.
steady or gird or prepare oneself; hold or hang on: I braced
myself against the likelihood that she would refuse.
bracing adj. invigorating, tonic, stimulating, refreshing,
exhilarating, fortifying, restorative: I cannot live in the
tropics and need the more bracing climate of the north.
bracket n. 1 support, corbel, console: The mantelpiece rests on a pair
of stone brackets. 2 shelf: Her collection of glass
paperweights was arrayed on a bracket in the sitting-room. 3
category, class, set, group, grouping, classification, division,
level; order, grade, rank: He comes from an altogether
different bracket of society.
--v. 4 classify, rank, group; unite, combine, join, link: I
wish you wouldn't bracket her with me - our politics are as
different as day and night.
brag v. boast, crow, trumpet, vaunt, strut, swagger, show off,
Colloq talk big, blow or toot one's own horn or trumpet, go on
about: He's always bragging about what he did in the war.
braggart n. boaster, bragger, braggadocio, windbag, peacock, show-off,
Scaramouch or Scaramouche, Slang big-mouth, loud-mouth, gasbag:
That braggart William Smith talks about himself incessantly.
braid n. 1 plait: Katrina wore her blond hair in a tightly coiled
braid on top of her head. 2 trimming, embroidery, soutache,
lace, fillet, band, ribbon: The edges are decorated with narrow
braid containing gold thread.
--v. 3 plait, intertwine, interlace, weave, twist: At school
we learned how to braid leather laces into a belt.
brain n. 1 brains, intelligence, intellect, understanding, sense,
thought, imagination, capacity, perspicacity, perceptiveness,
perception, percipience; wisdom, sagacity, wit, discernment,
acumen; knowledge, cognition: Although she's not yet ten, she
has the brain to become a great mathematician. 2 genius,
mastermind, intellectual; leader, planner: Many people regard
Einstein as the greatest brain of the 20th century. Ivor was
clearly the brains of the operation.
brake n. 1 curb, check, restraint, restriction, constraint, control,
rein: The central bank applied a brake to the upward trend of
the dollar by buying Deutschmarks.
--v. 2 slow, slow up or down, put on or apply the brakes,
reduce speed, decelerate, slacken, hold up: He braked before
the bad curve. She braked the car going down the steep hill.
branch n. 1 offshoot, arm; limb, bough, stem, shoot, twig, sprig: The
branches of this tree need trimming. 2 department, section,
subsection, division, subdivision, office, part, ramification;
affiliate, subsidiary; spin-off: What branch of medicine are
you going to specialize in? The company maintains branches in
New York and Melbourne.
--v. 3 ramify, divide, subdivide, diverge; diversify: This
road branches off in three directions. The company will branch
out into electronics this year.
brand n. 1 kind, make, type, sort, variety; brand name, manufacturer,
maker, trade name, trade mark, label, mark, marque, Chiefly US
and Canadian name brand: Which brand of toothpaste do you
prefer? Our advertising agency is conducting a survey of brand
loyalty.
--v. 2 mark, stamp, identify, tag, label, trade-mark: We sell
only branded merchandise in our shops. 3 label, characterize;
stigmatize, discredit, disgrace: Because his actions at the
front were misinterpreted, Corporal Williams was branded as a
coward.
brand-new adj. new, unused, fresh, firsthand, mint, virgin: We bought a
brand-new car last week.
brash adj. 1 hasty, rash, impetuous, precipitate, impulsive,
headlong, reckless: He may be a brash young man, but I think
he's going places. 2 impudent, rude, impertinent,
disrespectful, insolent, forward, audacious, brassy, brazen,
bold, tactless, undiplomatic, presumptuous, Colloq cheeky,
fresh: Her brash behaviour has already landed her in trouble
with the headmistress.
brass n. effrontery, gall, nerve, temerity, impudence, insolence,
rudeness, Colloq cheek, nerve: He had the brass to turn down a
knighthood.
brassy adj. 1 impudent, forward, insolent, saucy, brash, rude, brazen,
shameless; coarse, flashy, florid, flamboyant; Colloq cheeky,
fresh: Our landlady was a big brassy blonde. 2 harsh,
strident, tinny, grating, dissonant, shrill, loud: She has just
the right kind of brassy voice for belting out songs like,
'There's No Business Like Show Business'.
bravado n. boldness, bluster, boasting, braggadocio, swagger, front,
self-assurance, Literary rodomontade, gasconade; arrogance,
pretentiousness, Colloq machismo, Slang Brit side: With an
attempt at bravado, the union leader refused to meet the
management representatives.
brave adj. 1 fearless, intrepid, bold, courageous, daring, gallant,
stout, stout-hearted, valiant, valorous, stalwart, plucky,
staunch, undaunted, dauntless, unafraid, unfearing, indomitable,
heroic, Colloq macho; Slang gutsy: Despite her misgivings about
her proposal, she put on a brave face in the boardroom. He was
brave to face the enemy alone. 2 fine, handsome, grand,
splendid, showy, colourful, spectacular, smart: The colonel
made a brave appearance in full Highland regalia.
--v. 3 challenge, defy, dare; brazen (out), face, confront,
encounter, meet: We had to brave the elements in the open boat.
I had to brave my father at breakfast.
bravery n. daring, courage, valour, heroism, fortitude, fearlessness,
intrepidity, intrepidness, pluck, determination, staunchness,
firmness, resoluteness, resolution, indomitability,
stalwartness, Colloq machismo: One has to admire the bravery of
a woman who supported suffrage in the early 1900s.
brawl n. 1 fight, m€l‚e or melee, battle, battle royal, Donnybrook,
fray, wrangle, dispute, disorder, brannigan, fracas, row,
quarrel, squabble, Colloq punch-up, free-for-all, scrap, ruckus:
The police had to be brought in to break up the brawl.
--v. 2 fight, wrangle; row, quarrel, squabble, Colloq scrap:
The two brothers always seem to be brawling.
brawn n. muscle(s), strength, robustness, brawniness, might, power,
Colloq huskiness: It must take a lot of brawn to lift those
weights.
brawny adj. muscular, strong, tough, robust, mighty, powerful, burly,
strapping, beefy, hefty, bulky, Colloq husky: That brawny
fellow tossing the caber is my brother.
brazen adj. brassy, shameless, barefaced, brash, outspoken, forward,
immodest, unashamed, audacious, candid, open, unabashed,
brazen-faced; rude, impudent, impertinent, insolent, saucy,
Colloq cheeky, fresh, US sassy: That's the last time I'll let
that brazen hussy near my husband!
breach n. 1 break, violation, infraction, disobedience,
non-observance, infringement, contravention: Their failure to
comply with paragraph 3 is a clear breach of our contract. 2
break, rift, gulf, split, break-up, separation, rupture,
severance, schism, split, alienation, estrangement: There seems
to be no way to heal the breach between them. 3 gap, fissure,
crack, split, hole, opening; chasm: Their cannon opened a
breach in the castle wall.
--v. 4 rupture; break through, invade: The sea has breached
the dyke. Someone breached the security measures set up for the
missile design.
breadth n. 1 width, wideness, broadness, beam, span, spread, thickness:
The breadth of the cloth is 54in. 2 extent, magnitude, degree,
amount, scope, expanse, range, area, depth, detail: I like the
breadth of coverage of the six o'clock news. 3 liberality,
largeness, catholicity, latitude: Great breadth of vision was
exhibited in the conference papers.
break v. 1 break apart or up or asunder, fracture, rupture, break
into bits, come apart, shatter, shiver, crack, crash, splinter,
fragment, split, burst, explode, Colloq bust: The ball flew
over the fence and broke my neighbour's window. She fell and
broke her wrist. 2 reveal, announce, disclose, divulge, tell,
make public: Break the news to him gently. 3 relax, ease up,
improve, ameliorate, change for the better: When will this
spell of wet weather break? 4 demolish, smash, destroy, crush,
ruin, defeat, foil, frustrate: The power of the dictator was
finally broken. 5 ruin, bankrupt: He's the man that broke the
bank at Monte Carlo. 6 weary, exhaust, wear out, weaken,
debilitate: Twenty years in the chain-gang had broken him
completely. 7 crush, overcome; cow, cripple, demoralize,
weaken, undermine, discourage: The divorce has broken her
spirit. 8 break in, tame, discipline, train, condition: I used
to break horses for a living. 9 violate, transgress, disobey,
contravene, defy, infringe, fail to observe, ignore, disregard,
flout: If you break the law, you'll regret it. They broke the
contract. 10 break off, discontinue, interrupt, sever, cut off;
give up, suspend, disrupt: We broke relations with Spain after
the incident. It is very difficult to break a habit of a
lifetime. The narrative breaks at this point, to be taken up
later. 11 break up, divide, disperse, scatter: The rain is over
and the clouds are breaking. 12 break loose or away or forth,
separate from, break out (of), escape (from), depart (from):
The ship broke from its moorings during the storm. 13 break
forth, burst forth; emerge or come out suddenly: The storm
broke in all its fury. After a little while, the sun broke
through. 14 demote, Colloq bust: He was broken from sergeant to
private. 15 break away. leave, depart, separate (oneself): A
small group broke away from the established church to worship as
they saw fit. 16 break down. a demolish, destroy: All right,
men, let's break down that wall. b decompose, break up;
analyse: The carbon dioxide molecules and water are broken down
by photosynthesis. c collapse, give way, disintegrate, be
crushed, be prostrated: His health has broken down completely.
17 break ground. initiate, begin, commence, found, set up,
establish, inaugurate, be innovative, innovate, Colloq break the
ice, take the plunge, start the ball rolling: Laser printers
have broken new ground in the area of computer printout. 18
break in. a interrupt, interpose, interject, burst in, intrude,
intervene, interfere, disturb: If the results of the election
become known, we shall break in to keep you informed. b train,
educate, prepare; accustom, condition, habituate, wear: We'll
break you in for a week or two on the new machine. Wear your new
boots for an hour each day to break them in. c rob, burgle,
burglarize, break and enter: Someone broke in and stole my
video recorder last night. 19 break off. a discontinue, stop,
cease, end: Sally broke off in mid sentence. After the Fashoda
Incident, Britain broke off relations with France. b disengage;
sever, detach, break: A large branch broke off from the tree
and crashed down, narrowly missing me. 20 break out. a escape;
emerge, appear: She broke out of prison in 1985 and hasn't been
seen since. b erupt, come out in, break out in or into: He
breaks out in a rash from eating strawberries. A war could break
out any minute. 21 break the ice. See 17, above. 22 break
through. penetrate, force or get through: Wit, like beauty, can
break through the most unpromising disguise. 23 break up. See
also 11, 16 (b), above. a disband, disperse; disintegrate:
Heraclius succeeded in breaking up the Persian power. b
fracture, fragment, comminute: In the spring, the ice on the
river breaks up. c See 24 (a), below. 24 break with. a break
up (with), separate from, leave, depart from: The leader broke
with the party and established a new organization. Sally has
broken up with Michael. b renounce, repudiate, disavow: They
have broken entirely with the traditions we valued so highly.
--n. 25 fracture, split, separation, rupture, breach, rift,
schism: There was a break in a gas pipe. Disagreement over the
fishing grounds has resulted in a break in relations. 26 gap,
opening, hole; crack, slit: You can escape through a break in
the wall near the bridge. 27 interruption, discontinuity,
discontinuation, hesitation, suspension, hiatus, gap, lacuna,
unevenness, irregularity: There was a five-minute break in
transmission from the ship. 28 rest, respite, rest period,
coffee-break, tea break, intermission, interlude, lull, pause,
playtime, US recess, Colloq breather: We take a break at ten
o'clock. 29 chance, stroke of luck, opportunity, opening: All
he needs is a break to get started.
breakdown n. 1 collapse, downfall, failure, foundering; destruction,
ruin: There was a breakdown of our computer system. The
arbitrators blamed a breakdown of communication between union
and management. 2 (mental) collapse, nervous breakdown, Colloq
crack-up: She had a bad breakdown after her daughter was
killed. 3 analysis, run-down, detailing, review; decomposition,
itemization, classification, dissection, distillation,
fractionation: I want a breakdown of these figures by noon. The
chemical breakdown of the substance indicated the presence of
arsenic.
breakneck adj. reckless, dangerous, daredevil; excessive, careless,
headlong, rash, Colloq hell for leather: The car came round the
corner at breakneck speed on two wheels.
breast n. 1 chest, bosom, bust; teat, Technical mamma, Slang boob,
knocker, tit, titty: He clasped the child to his breast. On
some beaches in Europe, women bare their breasts when
sunbathing. 2 soul, core, heart, heart of hearts: I feel in my
breast it is the right thing to do.
breath n. 1 gust, zephyr, breeze, puff, whiff, stirring, stir: There
wasn't a breath of air in the tent. 2 hint, suggestion,
indication, touch, murmur, whisper, soup‡on: She never allowed
the breath of scandal to affect her behaviour. 3 take one's
breath away. astound, astonish, surprise, amaze, dazzle,
startle, shock, stagger: The sheer beauty of the waterfall
takes your breath away.
breathe v. 1 live, exist: She believes that there never breathed a
wiser man than her father. 2 inhale and exhale, respire,
suspire: He was breathing regularly. 3 exhale, expel, puff,
blow: The banner depicts a dragon breathing fire. 4 whisper,
murmur, hint (at), suggest, tell, speak, say: She told me not
to breathe a word of it to anybody.
breathless
adj. 1 panting, out of breath, winded, gasping, exhausted,
spent, worn out, tired out, Colloq Brit puffed: We were
breathless after carrying the piano up two flights of stairs. 2
surprised, amazed, astonished, astounded, awestruck, staggered:
The news of Penny's having given birth to twins left me
breathless. 3 eager, agog, feverish, in suspense: We were all
breathless with anticipation as the compЉre opened the envelope.
breed n. 1 kind, sort, type, variety, species; race, lineage, stock,
family, strain: What breed of dog won at Crufts this year?
--v. 2 produce, generate, bring forth, create, engender, hatch,
beget, give rise to, develop, cause: The cheese is so old it's
breeding maggots. Familiarity breeds contempt. 3 raise, rear,
cultivate, propagate: Charollais cattle are widely bred in
Europe today. 4 arise, originate, appear; develop, grow,
increase, multiply: The sergeant allowed discontent and
jealousy to breed within his platoon.
breeding n. 1 rearing, bringing-up, raising, cultivation, development,
propagation: The breeding of sheepdogs has been Tom's hobby for
years. 2 (good) upbringing, (good) manners, civility,
politeness, politesse, gentility, (good) behaviour: You can
tell from the way she treats people that she has breeding.
breeze n. 1 breath, puff, zephyr, wind, draught, gust, Nautical
cat's-paw: A breeze sprang up from the north, and the little
boat moved forward. 2 easy or simple job or task, nothing,
Colloq snap, Slang cinch, US lead-pipe cinch: It ought to be a
breeze to find someone at that salary.
breezy adj. 1 airy, fresh, windy, draughty, brisk, gusty: The
afternoon was breezy and warm, ideal for walking. 2 casual,
carefree, light-hearted, cheerful, cheery, airy, lively,
spirited, blithesome, buoyant: The chairman's breezy opening of
the annual meeting made everyone feel comfortable.
brevity n. shortness, briefness, conciseness, concision, terseness,
succinctness, pithiness, compactness, laconicism or laconism,
economy: Brevity is the soul of wit.
brew v. 1 ferment, cook, boil; infuse: Our beer is brewed using the
best hops. 2 concoct, devise, plan, Colloq cook up; contrive,
prepare, bring about, cause, produce, hatch: They are brewing
up a plot to unseat the financial director. 3 start, go on,
hatch, begin, form; stew, simmer, Colloq cook: A storm is
brewing.
--n. 4 beer, ale, stout; tea; beverage, drink; concoction,
mixture: She served me some strange brew in which I could
detect cinnamon and nutmeg.
bribe n. 1 graft, inducement, Colloq kickback, Chiefly US payola, US
plugola: Some judges were offered bribes for reducing the
sentences of convicted felons.
--v. 2 pay or buy off, buy; corrupt, suborn, Colloq fix; Slang
oil, grease (someone's) palm, Brit nobble: The guards were
bribed to look the other way during the prison break.
bric-…-brac
n. bric-a-brac, curiosities, knick-knacks, collectables or
collectibles, trinkets, gewgaws, gimcracks; bibelots, curios,
objets d'art, objets de vertu: On Saturday she went to an
antiques fair and bought still more bric-…-brac to clutter up
the house.
brick n. 1 block, cube, chunk, hunk, slab; stone: I bought a brick
of ice-cream to serve for pudding. A university is not just
bricks and mortar. 2 pal, comrade, friend, Colloq chum, US and
Canadian buddy: You're a real brick to watch the children for
me till I get back.
bridal adj. nuptial, wedding; conjugal, connubial, marriage: The
bridal gown was white, with lace appliqu‚s.
bridge n. 1 span: We could build a bridge over the river here. 2
link, connexion or connection, tie, bond: She regarded teaching
as a bridge between her studies and a post in school
administration.
--v. 3 span, cross (over), go or pass over, traverse: The
viaduct bridges the swamp. 4 connect, link, unite, join, tie:
The gap between rich and poor is not easily bridged.
bridle n. 1 restraint, curb, check, control: Man has need of a bridle
on his passions.
--v. 2 curb, check, restrain, hold in, control: You must learn
to bridle your temper. 3 bristle, draw oneself up, be or become
indignant, take offence or umbrage or affront (at), be affronted
or offended (by): She bridled at the suggestion that she was
responsible for Keith's departure.
brief adj. 1 short, momentary, little, fleeting; short-lived,
transitory, transient, evanescent, passing, temporary,
ephemeral, fugitive: The lights went back on after a brief
interval. His glory was brief. 2 short, concise, succinct, to
the point; condensed, shortened, cut, curtailed, abbreviated,
compressed, abridged, thumbnail, compendious: The chairman made
a few brief remarks. Here is a brief description of what
happened. 3 curt, abrupt, terse, short, blunt, brusque: You
mustn't be so brief with little children.
--n. 4 summary, outline, digest, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, compendium,
abstract, condensation, abridgement or US only abridgment,
synopsis, extract: This is merely a brief; the full document
will follow. 5 in brief. briefly, concisely, in sum, in
summary, to sum up, succinctly, in a word: He is a cutthroat,
too - in brief, the greatest scoundrel living.
--v. 6 advise, inform, fill in, coach, instruct, enlighten;
explain, run through or down: Howard will brief you on the
details.
briefly adv. 1 concisely, tersely, succinctly, in a word, in short;
bluntly, curtly, in a nutshell, in a few words, to sum up:
Briefly, the plan is a complete non-starter. 2 momentarily, for
a few moments or seconds or minutes, fleetingly, hurriedly,
hastily, quickly: I stopped briefly at the post office on my
way home.
bright adj. 1 light, shining, gleaming, radiant, brilliant,
resplendent, glittering, flashing, Formal refulgent, effulgent,
fulgent, fulgid, fulgorous; alight, aglow, beaming, dazzling,
glowing, luminous, lambent, incandescent, ablaze with: We
arrived on a bright, sunny day. The water was bright with
phosphorescence. 2 clear, cloudless, fair, unclouded: It
certainly is a bright night - you can see every star. 3 shiny,
polished, lustrous, glossy, sparkling: I want that brass so
bright I can see my face in it. 4 hopeful, optimistic,
favourable, propitious, auspicious, promising, rosy: Glenys's
job prospects are not very bright. 5 brilliant, vivid, intense,
fluorescent, US trade mark Day-Glo: But you said you wanted the
room bright orange, Madam. 6 intelligent, clever, quick-witted,
witty, brilliant, keen-minded, sharp-witted, gifted, astute,
ingenious, alert, smart; precocious; Colloq brainy, on the ball:
No one can deny that Alison is a bright young woman. 7
illustrious, glorious, splendid, magnificent, distinguished,
outstanding: Today has been one of the brightest days in the
history of Britain. 8 cheerful, gay, happy, exuberant, lively,
animated, vivacious, spirited: It is a pleasure to see so many
bright faces in the audience.
brighten v. 1 illuminate, enliven, lighten, cheer up, liven up, Colloq
perk up: Replacing those heavy draperies with thinner curtains
ought to brighten the room. 2 shine, polish, burnish: The
silver could use a bit of brightening up.
brilliance
n. 1 brightness, radiance, lustre, splendour, magnificence,
sparkle, dazzle, glitter, effulgence, light: The brilliance of
the opening night rivalled that of Hollywood. 2 intelligence,
wit, intellect, keenness, sharpness, acuteness, genius, talent,
sagacity; precocity: Her brilliance shows in her books.
brilliant adj. 1 bright, shining, lustrous, radiant, resplendent,
dazzling, luminous; incandescent, glittering, sparkling,
scintillating, coruscating, twinkling, Formal effulgent: At the
show I saw the most brilliant display of diamonds. 2 splendid,
magnificent, superb, beautiful, distinguished, striking,
glorious, remarkable, exceptional, outstanding: The audience
rose for a standing ovation after the brilliant last movement of
the concerto. 3 illustrious, famous, noted, celebrated, eminent,
prominent, renowned, accomplished: Paul is one of the country's
most brilliant chemists. 4 intelligent, clever, gifted, bright,
talented, smart, expert, masterful, accomplished, ingenious,
imaginative, creative; quick-witted, sharp-witted, keen-witted,
enlightened; resourceful, discerning, able, competent:
Goddard's brilliant mind understood principles of practical
rocket flight.
brim n. 1 edge, margin, lip, rim; brink: I filled the cup to the
brim.
--v. 2 be full or filled, overflow: His cup was brimming with
steaming mulled wine. They are brimming over with confidence as
they approach the race.
bring v. 1 carry, bear, fetch, get, take; deliver: Don't forget to
bring some wine home for dinner tonight. 2 lead, conduct,
convey; escort, invite, accompany: The road brought me to your
house. You can bring anyone you like to the party. 3 draw,
attract, lure, allure: What brings you to London? 4 carry,
bear, convey; report: She brought word of the uprising. 5
bring on, bring about, occasion, give rise to, be the source or
cause of, create, cause, engender, produce; contribute to: The
thought of his mother brought tears to his eyes. 6 institute,
advance; invoke: She is bringing charges against him for
slander. 7 bring about. occasion, cause, bring on, accomplish,
effect, achieve, produce: The government has brought about
changes in the health service. 8 bring down. a overthrow,
depose, oust, unseat, dethrone, overturn, topple: A military
faction has brought down the government. b reduce, lessen,
diminish, cut (back or down): The chancellor promised to bring
down taxes in the next budget. 9 bring forth. a bear, give
birth to, produce; yield: The kangaroo brings forth young less
than an inch in size. b set forth, bring out or in or up,
introduce, present, produce, put out, submit, offer, advance:
Mr Hanson has brought forth a new sales plan. 10 bring in. a
earn, yield, produce, realize, fetch, return, sell for:
Advertising brings in more revenue than subscriptions. b See
def. 15, below. 11 bring off. succeed (in), carry out,
achieve, accomplish, do, carry out or off, perform, succeed,
pull off; Colloq put over: Do you really think she'll be able
to bring off her masquerade? 12 bring on. a produce, put on,
introduce, bring in: When the children in the audience began to
get restless, they brought on the clowns. b induce, produce,
occasion, bring about: Eating strawberries brought on a rash.
13 bring out. a display, feature, focus on, illuminate, set
off, make noticeable or conspicuous, emphasize, develop: The
colour of the dress brings out the blue of your eyes. b
publish, issue, release, make known or public, produce; put on,
stage: They've brought out a new edition of Dickens's works.
14 bring round or around. a revive, resuscitate, bring to;
restore: The smelling salts brought her round when she fainted.
b persuade, win over, convince, influence: Can he be brought
round to our way of thinking? 15 bring up. a rear, raise, care
for, look after, nurture, breed; educate, teach, train, tutor:
She has brought up six children on her own. b introduce,
broach, bring in, raise, pen (up), set forth, mention, touch on,
talk about, discuss; reintroduce, recall: Why bring up
irrelevant matters like his age? c raise, elevate: So far,
they have brought up only three survivors from the mine. d
vomit, throw up, regurgitate, disgorge: He woke up feeling sick
and brought up most of the previous night's meal.
brink n. 1 edge, brim, rim, margin, lip, border: He lost his footing
and almost went over the brink into the gorge. 2 verge, point:
He was on the brink of telling them everything, but suddenly
remembered his promise.
brisk adj. 1 active, lively, busy, vigorous: The poachers are doing
a brisk trade in rhinoceros horn. 2 quick, animated, sprightly,
spry, energetic, spirited: Patrick was a brisk lad, fresh from
Oxford. 3 strong, steady, fresh, refreshing, bracing,
invigorating, stimulating, crisp, biting, bracing, keen, nippy,
chill, chilly, cool, cold: A brisk breeze had started up from
the north, chilling us through. 4 energetic, vibrant,
invigorating, stimulating: After a brisk massage, Mariette felt
completely revitalized.
bristle n. 1 hair, whisker, barb, prickle, thorn, quill, Technical
seta: Shaving brushes are often made from badger bristles.
--v. 2 prickle, rise, stand up, Formal horripilate: He could
feel the hair on the back of his neck bristle. 3 seethe, become
angry or infuriated or furious or maddened, boil, flare up, see
red, bridle: He bristled with enraged frustration. 4 teem,
crawl, be thick, swarm, be alive: The sea urchin was bristling
with sharp spines.
brittle adj. 1 fragile, frangible, breakable; friable: My fingernails
become brittle in the cold and break easily. 2 frail, weak,
delicate, sensitive, fragile, insecure: She might seem strong,
but she has a very brittle nature and is easily upset.
broach v. introduce, raise, open (up), suggest, mention, hint at,
touch on or upon, bring up or in, talk about, advance: I didn't
dare broach the subject of money.
broad adj. 1 wide, expansive, large, extensive; spread out, ample,
spacious: The broad highway stretched out for miles before
them. Cattle graze in the broad pastures. 2 bright, plain, open,
full; unshaded: He had the nerve to kiss me in broad daylight,
in front of everyone! 3 plain, clear, obvious, emphatic,
explicit, pronounced, direct, unconcealed, undisguised,
unsubtle, evident: His wink gave a broad hint of what he really
had in mind. 4 main, general, generalized, rough, unspecific,
non-specific, approximate, sweeping: Without the details, here
is a broad outline of what happened. 5 plain-spoken, outspoken,
forthright, direct, unreserved, frank, candid, unrestrained:
When he reached the witness box, he repeated the accusation in
broad terms. 6 inclusive, general, widely applicable, extensive,
wide-ranging, comprehensive, wholesale; vague, imprecise,
indefinite, unfocused, non-specific, unspecified: We have broad
support for these policies. She formulated a broad rule to fit
all imaginable cases. 7 liberal, tolerant, catholic, ecumenical,
latitudinarian: The term 'Broad Church' is said to have been
coined by A. H. Clough. The judge feels that he must give the
broadest possible interpretation of the law. 8 dirty, blue,
coarse, rude, indecent, vulgar, improper, indelicate, off
colour, loose, gross, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy,
pornographic; inelegant, unrefined, unladylike, ungentlemanly,
titillating: Peter was in the corner telling some of his broad
jokes.
--n. 9 woman, girl, Slang dame, cookie or cooky, skirt, bimbo,
bird, chick, number, doll, piece (of baggage): We picked up a
couple of broads at the dancehall last night.
broadcast v. 1 air, transmit, relay; radio; televise, telecast: The
programme will be broadcast tonight. 2 announce, advertise,
publish, proclaim; disseminate: It may be a bad idea to
broadcast your plans in advance. 3 sow, scatter, seed: The
farmer broadcasts this seed instead of planting it.
--n. 4 programme, show; transmission, telecast: I heard the
broadcast on my car radio.
brochure n. pamphlet, booklet; catalogue; folder, leaflet; tract: The
brochure advertising the company's products will be ready
tomorrow.
broil v. grill, barbecue: I think hamburgers taste better broiled
than fried.
broke adj. penniless, indigent, down-and-out, poverty-stricken,
penurious, impoverished, insolvent, destitute, poor, needy,
bankrupt, ruined, Colloq on one's beam-ends, on one's uppers,
strapped, flat or dead or stony-broke, hard up, short, up
against it, US flat, on the skids; Slang Brit skint: I was
broke after paying the rent - I didn't even have money for food.
broken adj. 1 fragmented, shattered, shivered, splintered, ruptured,
cracked, split, smashed, pulverized, disintegrated, destroyed,
demolished: A broken Ming vase cannot be worth much. 2
fractured: With a broken leg, she certainly won't be competing
in the slalom. 3 enfeebled, weakened, crushed, defeated,
beaten, ruined; dispirited, dejected, discouraged, demoralized,
defeated, subdued, debilitated, Colloq licked: Rosa's running
away with a sailor left Hugh a broken man. 4 tamed, trained,
disciplined, obedient, docile, domesticated, subdued;
conditioned: What use is a horse that isn't broken? 5
violated, transgressed, disobeyed, contravened, defied,
flouted,disregarded, ignored, infringed: The rules of this club
are broken too often: we'll have to tighten things up. 6
interrupted, disturbed, discontinuous, disjointed, disconnected,
fragmented, fragmentary, intermittent, erratic, sporadic: I
couldn't stop worrying about the operation and had a terrible
night of broken sleep. 7 Also, broken-down. out of order or
commission, not working or functioning, in disrepair, Slang on
the blink, out of kilter, kaput, US on the fritz, out of whack:
My watch is broken. Why waste money repairing that broken-down
car of yours?
broken-hearted
adj. heart-broken, depressed, downhearted, dejected,
devastated, crushed, overwhelmed, heartsick, downcast, upset;
forlorn, sorrowful, disconsolate, inconsolable, grief-stricken,
miserable, wretched, melancholy, heavy-hearted, sad, doleful,
dolorous, woeful, woebegone, gloomy, morose, glum, cheerless,
Colloq down: She was broken-hearted when her puppy was lost.
broker n. stockbroker; agent, dealer, middleman, intermediary,
go-between, Brit stockjobber: I have phoned my broker to tell
him to sell all my shares.
brooch n. clasp, pin; fastening: She was wearing the cameo brooch I
had given to her mother.
brood n. 1 young, offspring, progeny; children, family: A mallard
was tending her brood among the rushes.
--v. 2 incubate, hatch, set, sit, cover: The old hen was
brooding three eggs. 3 Also, brood on or over. ponder (on or
over), meditate (on or over), contemplate, ruminate (on or
over), muse (on or over): He just sits there brooding over the
subject of his next novel. 4 mope, sulk, pout, pine, eat one's
heart out, fret, worry, agonize, despair: Don't just brood over
the problem, do something about solving it!
brook° n. stream, rivulet, run, runnel, rill, US and Canadian and
Australian and New Zealand creek; No. Eng. dialect beck, gill or
ghyll; Scots burn: The river is fed by numerous brooks from
every part of the country.
brookэ v. endure, tolerate, stand, abide, put up with, suffer, allow:
She runs the business in her own way and brooks no interference
from anyone.
broth n. stock, bouillon, consomm‚; soup; decoction: We tossed food
scraps into the large, simmering pot to make a broth.
brothel n. bordello, whore-house, house of ill fame or ill repute,
bawdy-house, bagnio; seraglio, harem, Obsolete stew, Colloq US
sporting house, Slang Brit knocking-shop, US cat-house: On
their first night in Paris, they visited a brothel.
brother n. sibling; relation, relative, kin, kinsman; fellow,
fellow-man, fellow-clansman, fellow-citizen, fellow-countryman,
fellow-creature; associate, colleague, confrЉre, companion,
Colloq pal, chum, Brit and Australian mate, US buddy: Some day,
perhaps all men will regard each other as brothers.
brotherhood
n. 1 brotherliness, fellowship, companionship, alliance,
friendship, comradeship, camaraderie, kinship: We should all
live together in harmony and brotherhood. 2 fraternity, guild,
society, association, order, league, union, organization, club,
community, circle, set, clique: The tribes fused into a united
and enthusiastic brotherhood.
brotherly adj. fraternal, kind, affectionate, cordial, friendly,
amicable, amiable, neighbourly, loyal, devoted: The boys grew
up together and maintained a brotherly relationship throughout
their lives.
browbeat v. bully, intimidate, threaten, badger, dominate, cow,
frighten, discourage, tyrannize, hector, harass, keep after,
nag, Colloq hassle: The foreman constantly browbeat anyone who
wasn't one of his drinking cronies.
browse v. look over or through, skim (through), scan, thumb or flip or
flick through: I was browsing through some recent acquisitions
at the second-hand bookshop.
bruise n. 1 injury, hurt, contusion, bump, welt, scrape, abrasion,
scratch, wound, black-and-blue mark, blotch, blemish, mark,
spot, discoloration, damage, Technical ecchymosis: I got this
bruise from walking into the corner of the table. The price is
lower if the fruit has a few bruises.
--v. 2 injure, contuse, hurt, scrape, harm; wound, damage: I
bruised my knee when I fell down. Being arrested certainly
bruised his self-esteem.
bruiser n. prizefighter, boxer, fighter; tough, ruffian, bodyguard,
thug, hoodlum, bouncer, Colloq hooligan, tough guy, toughie,
Brit minder, US roughneck, hood, gorilla, plug-ugly, torpedo,
enforcer: The heavyweight contender is really a big bruiser. Mr
Big strode in with two of his bruisers.
brunt n. (full) force, burden, onus, weight, impact; shock, stress,
violence, onslaught: As the head of the department was on
holiday, I had to take the full brunt of the customers'
complaints.
brush° n. 1 brushwood, shrubs, undergrowth, branches, scrub, brush,
bracken, brambles, underbrush, underwood: It took us three days
to clear the brush from around the house. 2 thicket, brake,
copse, grove, boscage: The fox disappeared into the brush,
which was too dense for the dogs to follow.
brushэ n. 1 hairbrush, toothbrush, clothes-brush, shoe-brush,
nail-brush, paintbrush; broom, dust-broom, besom, US whisk
broom: This brush is too harsh and may damage your teeth. 2
See brush-off. 3 encounter, engagement, skirmish, Colloq Brit
spot of bother: Mark has had several brushes with the law.
--v. 4 scrub, clean; groom, curry; sweep, whisk, gather: Brush
your teeth twice a day. I brushed down the mare before saddling
her. Brush the crumbs off the table. 5 graze, touch: He
deliberately tried to brush against her in the corridor. 6
brush aside or away. disregard, dismiss, put aside, shrug off:
Brushing aside the members' objections, he tried to force the
committee's acceptance of the new rules. 7 brush off. dismiss,
ignore, rebuff, send off or away or packing: He asked her out,
but she brushed him off. 8 brush up (on). review, restudy, go
over, refresh, study, Archaic con: You should brush up on your
geometry before taking trigonometry.
brush-off n. dismissal, rebuff, rejection, snub, Colloq cold shoulder,
put-down, slap in the face, the (old) heave-ho; Chiefly US and
Canadian walking papers: Tanya has given Theo the brush-off -
said she never wants to see him again.
brusque adj. blunt, rude, overbearing, impolite, uncivil, discourteous,
ungracious, ill-mannered, unmannerly; churlish, gruff, abrupt,
short, curt, sharp, terse, brash, bluff: I could tell that the
interviewer had already decided against me by her brusque
attitude.
brutal adj. 1 inhuman, savage, cruel, pitiless, harsh, severe,
barbaric, barbarous, beastly, bestial, sadistic, murderous;
inhumane, heartless, hard-hearted, unkind, fierce,
stony-hearted, insensitive, unfeeling, cold-blooded,
unsympathetic, remorseless, ruthless, ferocious, atrocious,
Draconian or Draconic, Literary fell: Few survived the brutal
treatment in the concentration camps. 2 rude, ill-mannered,
coarse, unrefined, boorish, ill-bred, rustic, crass, uncouth,
uncultured, uncultivated, rough, crude: His brutal behaviour
made him unfit to represent the Crown.
brute adj. 1 brutish, dull, unfeeling, senseless, blind,
unintelligent, unthinking, thoughtless, mindless, unreasoning,
irrational, instinctive, physical, material; insensate,
unconscious: He was able to lift the safe without help, by
sheer brute strength.
--n. 2 animal, beast, savage: He wrote that man was the middle
link between angels and brutes. George behaved like an absolute
brute to her.
bubble n. 1 blister, air pocket, globule, droplet: This painted
surface is full of air bubbles. 2 bubbles. froth, foam, suds,
lather, spume; effervescence, carbonation, fizz: The cider is
full of bubbles.
--v. 3 foam, froth, boil, seethe, fizz: A pot of soup was
bubbling on the stove.
bubbly adj. 1 effervescent, foamy, frothy, fizzy, sparkling: I could
see that the surface was all bubbly. 2 effervescent, merry,
ebullient, bouncy, animated, vivacious, cheerful, cheery,
lively, excited: Janet is known for her bubbly personality.
--n. 3 champagne, sparkling wine, sparkling burgundy, Asti
spumante, Colloq Brit champers: Let's open a bottle of bubbly
and celebrate.
bucket n. pail, scuttle: Keep this bucket of coal near the hearth.
buckle n. 1 clasp, fastener, clip, fastening, hook, catch: The buckle
broke on my belt and my trousers fell down.
--v. 2 collapse, cave in, crumple, bend, warp, distort, twist,
bulge: The support gave way and the entire wall buckled.
bug n. 1 insect, beetle, larva, grub, caterpillar, butterfly,
mosquito, fly, spider, Colloq Brit creepy-crawly, US no-see-em:
There's a bug on your collar. 2 microbe, germ, virus; disease,
affliction, illness, sickness, ailment, disorder, malady,
infection; condition, complaint, infirmity, indisposition:
She's caught some kind of bug and won't be in for a few days. 3
obsession, craze, fad, mania, rage: Almost everyone in those
days succumbed to the hula hoop bug. 4 enthusiast, faddist,
fan, fanatic; hobbyist: She's turned into a fruit machine bug.
5 listening device; microphone, transmitter, electronic
eavesdropper, tap: They planted a bug in the ambassador's
telephone. 6 fault, error, mistake, failing, shortcoming,
Colloq hang-up, glitch: There's a bug in the program that's
preventing the list from being sorted. They can't market the
device till they've ironed out all the bugs.
--v. 7 annoy, irritate, pester, irk, harass, bother: I wish
Mum'd stop bugging me about my homework. 8 tap, spy on: They
bugged her phone and recorded all her conversations.
bugger n. 1 buggerer, sodomite. 2 chap, fellow, man; boy, lad, child,
tot; Slang chiefly Brit geezer , US jerk; Colloq guy , Brit
bloke, fool, idiot: He's a cute little bugger, isn't he? Who's
that silly-looking bugger with Christina?
--v. 3 Also, bugger up. ruin, destroy, botch, bungle, wreck;
make a mess of, Colloq mess or screw up, Brit bollocks or
ballocks up, balls up, make a balls-up of, cock up, US ball up,
bollix up; Taboo fuck up: He's buggered the recording, so we'll
have to start again at the beginning. Why does she bugger up
everything I try to do? 4 bugger about or around. a fool about,
waste time, dawdle, Colloq US lallygag or lollygag; Taboo fuck
about or around: He buggers about the house all the time
instead of looking for a job. Don't bugger about with my hi-fi.
b cause complications for, create difficulties for: She
pretends to be helping me, but she's just buggering me about. 5
bugger off. go away, depart, leave, clear off or out, Colloq
make tracks, skedaddle, beat it, Slang piss off; Taboo fuck off:
Oh, bugger off and leave me alone!
build v. 1 construct, erect, raise, set up, assemble: I hope to
build my own house in another year or so. 2 found, establish,
base: The theory is built on the principle that light travels
at 186,000 miles per second. 3 develop: She built the company
in about five years. 4 Also, build up. intensify; increase,
develop, enlarge, strengthen: The distant hum of voices
gradually built to a mighty roar.
--n. 5 physique, figure, body, shape, Slang bod: He has a good
build from working out at the gym.
building n. edifice, structure, construction, erection: The building
where I work is air-conditioned.
bulge n. 1 lump, hump, protuberance, bump, swelling, projection:
This wallet is making a bulge in my jacket.
--v. 2 protrude, stick out, swell (out): His stomach bulges
out over his belt.
bulk n. 1 volume, magnitude, mass, enlargement, largeness, size:
The sausage-makers add bread just for bulk. 2 majority: The
bulk of the people voted for the proposal.
bulky adj. large, voluminous, unwieldy, awkward, ungainly,
cumbersome, Brit chunky: The package, though quite bulky,
didn't cost much to post.
bulletin n. message, notice, communication, announcement, communiqu‚,
dispatch or despatch, report, account, flash, news item,
newsflash: And now, here's a bulletin from the centre court at
Wimbledon.
bully n. 1 persecutor, intimidator, tyrant: That bully Roderick is
always beating up the younger boys.
--v. 2 persecute, intimidate, tyrannize, torment, browbeat,
daunt, awe, cow, terrorize; hector, harass, push around:
Roderick even bullied his best friend into parting with his
allowance.
--adj. 3 Old-fashioned jolly, worthy, admirable: Ah, there you
are, my bully boy!
--interj. 4 Usually, Bully for (someone)! Bravo!, Great!,
Fantastic!, Fabulous!, Marvellous!, Spectacular!; So what?, What
of it?; US Peachy!, Dandy!, Neat-oh!; Old-fashioned
Fantabulous!: 'David's won the snooker competition again.'
'Bully for him!'
bulwark n. 1 defence or US defense, safeguard, redoubt, bastion,
buffer, barrier, rampart, fortification: A strong defence is
the best bulwark against aggression from outside.
--v. 2 defend, protect, shelter: Marnie's indifference to
others bulwarks her against any feelings of contrition.
bum n. 1 buttocks, posterior, hindquarters, fundament, behind,
rump, bottom, behind, derriЉre, rear end, backside, seat, rear,
Colloq Brit arse, US fanny, can, hinie, tush, tushy or tushie,
tokus or tochis or tuchis, keister or keester, ass: Why don't
you get off your fat bum and go out and get a job?! 2 tramp,
panhandler, beggar, vagrant, loafer, drifter, vagabond, hobo,
derelict, gypsy; Brit caird, tinker, traveller; US
(shopping-)bag lady: Along the Bowery the doorways and
pavements are strewn with bums. 3 improper, unjustified, false,
trumped up, untrue, fabricated, made-up, bogus: That auto theft
charge was a bum rap, but he still served 18 months.
--adj. 4 bad, awful, unfair, dishonest, poor, rotten, Slang
lousy, crummy: I still think you got a bum deal on that
toaster.
--v. 5 borrow, beg, sponge, Colloq scrounge, cadge, touch, put
the touch on, US mooch, hit, hit up: Can I bum a cigarette from
you?
bump n. 1 blow, collision, thud, hit, knock, buffet, clunk, whack:
That bump on the head seems to have affected him. 2 lump,
protuberance, welt, swelling, tumescence, knob, bulge: How did
you get that bump on your forehead?
--v. 3 knock (against), strike, hit, collide (with), run into,
ram; smash, crash, Colloq wallop: I bumped into the car in
front as I was parking. 4 bump into. meet, encounter, run into
or across, come across, stumble over: I bumped into Philippa at
the hairdresser's. 5 bump off. murder, kill, put away,
assassinate, do away with, execute, liquidate, dispatch or
despatch, Slang take for a ride, destroy, eliminate, rub out,
wipe out, do in, US waste, ice: They bumped off Wimpy, boss; he
was pulled out of the river wearing concrete overshoes.
bumpy adj. lumpy, rough, uneven, irregular, knobby, knobbly, pitted;
potholed, bouncy, jarring, jerky, rutted: The skin on his
forehead is a bit bumpy. This is the bumpiest road in the town.
bunch n. 1 bundle, cluster, batch, clump; bouquet, nosegay, posy,
spray: That's a nice-looking bunch of grapes. Mr Herbert
arrived with a bunch of flowers for me. 2 crowd, knot,
collection, group, lot, gathering, cluster, clutch, batch,
assortment, mass: A bunch of people stood outside the
courtroom, awaiting news of the verdict.
--v. 3 sort, class, classify, categorize, assort, group
together, bracket: It would be a mistake to bunch all different
kinds of liberals into the same category. 4 bunch up. gather;
smock; collect, crowd, group, cluster: The fabric is all
bunched up at the bottom. Don't let the people bunch up in front
of the exits.
bundle n. 1 bunch, collection, package, parcel, packet, pack; bale,
sheaf; Archaic fardel: I have to leave this bundle at the
laundry today. Bring this bundle of hay for the horse.
--v. 2 gather (together), tie up (together), collect, pack,
package: He bundled up all his belongings. 3 bundle off or
out. dispatch or despatch, pack off, hustle or hurry off or
away, send away or off; decamp, scurry off or away, Colloq Brit
do a moonlight flit: We bundled Aunt Mary off home as soon as
the storm subsided. That couple have bundled out of room 429.
bungle v. spoil, botch, mismanage, stumble, bumble, Golf foozle,
Colloq foul or screw or louse up, blow, mess or muck up, make a
mess or hash or muddle of, muff, Slang Brit bugger, US snafu,
Taboo fuck up: Smith has bungled the job again; we'll have to
replace him.
buoy n. 1 (navigational or channel) mark or marker, float; nun
(-buoy), can (-buoy), bell (buoy), gong (-buoy), siren, signal,
mooring-buoy, spar-buoy, lollipop: Returning to port, always
leave the red buoys to starboard.
--v. 2 Often, buoy up. lift, raise, elevate, support, hearten,
sustain, keep up: We sang songs to buoy up our spirits while
the rescuers dug their way towards us.
buoyant adj. 1 afloat, floating, floatable: The wood was water-logged
and no longer buoyant. 2 light, resilient, lively, vivacious,
bright, cheerful, carefree, blithe, animated, jaunty, bouncy,
ebullient, light-hearted , Colloq peppy: One had to admire his
buoyant optimism, even under adverse conditions.
burden n. 1 load, weight, gravamen; strain, pressure, trouble, onus,
millstone, cross, albatross: The old man put down his burden.
The burden of the evidence is against them. His feeling of guilt
over her death in the crash was a terrible burden to bear.
--v. 2 load, weigh down, saddle with, encumber; tax, oppress:
The mules were heavily burdened with a month's supply of food.
Don't burden me with your problems.
burdensome
adj. onerous, cumbersome, oppressive, weighty, troublesome,
wearisome, bothersome, distressing, worrying, worrisome,
vexatious, irksome: A tax on food is burdensome for those on a
low income.
bureau n. 1 Brit (writing-)desk, US chest of drawers, chest, dresser,
chifferobe, chiffonier: Simon has a beautiful antique bureau in
his office. One of my cuff-links rolled under the bureau. 2
office, agency, department, division, section, subdivision,
subsection, desk: I sent the form to the bureau a month ago,
but I still don't have my visa.
bureaucracy
n. officialdom, officialism, government, red tape,
administration, authorities: The bureaucracy survives because
the officials rely on graft for their income.
burglar n. housebreaker, thief, robber; sneak-thief, cat burglar, US
second-story or second-storey man: The burglars, remarkably,
didn't take the most valuable paintings.
burial n. interment, funeral, entombment, obsequies, sepulture: His
six ex-wives attended the burial.
burlesque n. 1 caricature, lampoon, spoof, parody, satire, mockery,
travesty, Colloq take-off; (grotesque) imitation, vulgarization,
exaggeration: In the mid-19th century, burlesques drove
pantomimes off the stage. 2 US striptease, strip show, nudie or
girlie show: The old comedians insist that burlesque acts were
an art form, but the audience went just for the girls.
--v. 3 satirize, take off, lampoon, spoof, parody, caricature,
travesty: Cervantes burlesqued the old romances in Don Quixote
.
--adj. 4 satirical, derisive, mock-heroic, mock-pathetic: She
sang a burlesque opera based on Hamlet, called 'Omelette'.
burly adj. stout, sturdy, corpulent, large, big, hefty, stocky,
thickset, brawny, chunky, heavy, beefy, muscular, strong,
strapping, rugged, tough, Colloq husky: Two rather burly
gentlemen were called in to help me out of the place.
burn v. 1 blaze, flame, flare, smoulder: A fire was burning on the
hearth. 2 ignite, set on fire, fire, light, kindle, incinerate,
Slang torch: He burnt the incriminating papers in the
fireplace. 3 desire, yearn, wish, long, itch: He wrote
'Darling, I am burning to be with you tonight'. 4 waste, throw
or fritter away, squander: Don't worry about Norman, he has
money to burn. 5 overcook, blacken, char, singe: If you're not
careful, you'll burn the toast again.
burning adj. 1 flaming, blazing, fiery; ablaze, aflame, afire, on fire:
When we arrived, the entire building was burning. 2 vehement,
ardent, excited, passionate, fervent, fervid, intense, fiery,
enthusiastic: She had a burning desire to join that illustrious
company. 3 raging, violent, parching: His burning fever had
finally subsided a little. 4 hot, blazing, scorching, seething,
withering: She was married on a burning hot day in July.
burrow n. 1 excavation, hole, warren, tunnel: The rabbit retreated to
its burrow under the hedge.
--v. 2 dig, delve, tunnel, bore; excavate: The larvae burrow
into the wood where the birds can hear them moving about.
burst v. break (asunder), rupture, shatter, explode, blow up;
puncture; Slang bust: If it keeps raining the dam will burst
and the valley will be flooded.
bury n. 1 inter, inhume, lay to rest: They buried her next to her
husband as she had requested. 2 abandon, forget, consign to
oblivion, eradicate, extirpate: The residents buried their
differences and united to repel the town planners. 3 submerge
(oneself), exile (oneself), plunge, become engrossed or
absorbed: She buried herself in her book. 4 conceal, obscure,
hide, cover up: The real story was by now completely buried
beneath the mass of legend. 5 overwhelm, overcome, inundate:
I'm so buried in work I can't take a holiday.
business n. 1 duty, function, occupation, calling, vocation, trade,
profession, work, province, area, subject, topic, concern,
affair, responsibility, role, charge, obligation: Her business
is supplying models for fashion shows. Mind your own business
and don't be such a Nosy Parker. 2 matter, job, task, subject,
question, problem, issue, point, affair: Gentlemen, let us call
the meeting to order and attend to the business at hand. 3
dealing, transaction; trade, commerce, traffic: We've never
done any business with that company. 4 concern, establishment,
organization, company, firm, house, enterprise; corporation,
partnership, proprietorship: Rodney wants to sell the business
and retire to Spain.
busy adj. 1 occupied, engaged, employed, involved: I can't talk to
you now, I'm busy. 2 working, industrious, active, diligent;
bustling, hectic, lively, hustling, energetic: Are you very
busy at the office these days? The diamond district is certainly
a busy place. 3 ornate, elaborate, detailed, complicated,
complex, (over-)decorated, intricate, Baroque, Rococo: Some of
the late Victorian architecture is far too busy for my taste.
--v. 4 occupy, involve, employ, divert, absorb, engross: She
has busied herself with charity work to get her mind off the
tragedy.
busybody n. pry, snoop(er), peep(er), gossip, meddler, Paul Pry, Colloq
Nosy Parker, Slang US buttinsky: If he so much as sees us
talking together, that busybody will probably cook up some sex
scandal.
butcher n. 1 murderer, slaughterer, killer, ripper, cutthroat,
executioner, annihilator: That cold-blooded butcher dismembered
his victims after strangling them. 2 destroyer, bungler,
muddler: Look what that butcher of a tailor has done to my
suit!
--v. 3 slaughter, massacre, murder, cut or hack or hew to
pieces, dismember, disembowel, exterminate, annihilate, kill,
liquidate: The entire crew was butchered by the islanders. 4
botch, bungle, foul up, Colloq mess up, make a mess or hash of;
Slang louse up, screw up, Brit bollocks or ballocks up, US
bollix up; Taboo fuck up: He butchered the restoration of my
antique cabinet.
butt° n. target, end, object, prey, victim, dupe; gull, Colloq
pigeon, sucker; Brit Aunt Sally, Slang US and Canadian patsy:
He was always the butt of their jokes.
buttэ v. 1 abut, join, meet: This wall butts up against my garage.
2 butt in or into. interfere, intrude, interrupt, Colloq US
kibitz; meddle: Please let me finish a sentence without butting
in. Don't butt into my affairs.
buttocks n. bottom, behind, derriЉre, seat, rear, rear end, backside,
posterior, hindquarters, fundament, Colloq Brit bum, arse , US
hinie, can, tush or tushy or tushie, tokus or tochis or tuchis,
keister or keester, butt, tail, prat, ass; Slang cheeks, duff:
A person with large buttocks should not wear tight shorts.
buttonhole
v. 1 corner, detain, accost, importune, waylay: A reporter
buttonholed one of the senators for details of the new tax bill.
--n. 2 corsage, US boutonniere or boutonniЉre: He wore a rose
for a buttonhole.
buttress v. sustain, support, strengthen, prop (up), brace, reinforce,
shore up: Huge beams were needed to buttress the walls after
the bombing.
buxom adj. 1 hearty, healthy, vigorous, lusty, attractive, comely,
plump, Colloq hefty: Sylvia was a buxom serving-wench at the
Bugle Horn. 2 busty, bosomy, chesty, well-endowed, big-busted:
The centrefolds in this magazine usually show quite buxom women.
buy v. 1 purchase; acquire, obtain, get, procure, gain, come by,
secure: Where did you buy that hat? 2 accept, allow, take,
believe, swallow, go for: Did you buy his story about having
his car stolen? 3 bribe, suborn, pay off, buy off, corrupt:
That customs man must have been bought or he wouldn't have let
the package through.
--n. 4 purchase, acquisition: We made a bad buy at the last
auction. 5 Also, good buy. bargain, Colloq US and Canadian
steal: If you paid only њ2,000, that was a real buy.
buyer n. customer, consumer, client, purchaser: Is it likely that
you will find many buyers of Basque dictionaries in this
country?
buzz n. 1 hum, murmur, drone: I lay and listened to the buzz of the
bees. 2 stir, ferment, talk, undercurrent: A ringing could be
heard above the buzz of conversation. 3 phone call, ring: I
think I'll give him a buzz to see if our appointment is still
on. 4 thrill, feeling of excitement, sensation, stimulation,
kick, Colloq high: I got quite a pleasant buzz from that drink.
--v. 5 hum, murmur, drone: The flies were buzzing around the
dead squirrel. 6 fly down on, zoom on to: The pilot was
grounded for a month for buzzing the airfield. 7 telephone,
ring (up), call (up), phone; summon, signal, buzz or ring for:
She said she'd buzz me if she needed anything.
by prep. 1 near, beside, next to, close to, alongside: I park my
car by my house. 2 via, by way of, through; past: I go home by
High Wycombe. 3 by means of, on: I often travel by train. 4
before, not later than, sooner than: I have to leave by Monday.
5 during, at: We travel only by night.
--adv. 6 Often, close by. near, nearby, at hand, close, about,
around, Literary nigh: When she is close by I get a tingling
sensation. 7 past, nearby: When he walked by I nearly died. 8
away, aside: We put by a little for a rainy day.
bygone adj. past, former, olden; of old, of yore: In bygone times,
the fashion was for high-button shoes.
bypass v. 1 avoid, evade, circumvent, sidestep, skirt, go or get
round, detour; ignore, Slang give the go-by: I shall bypass
many problems if I take that route.
--n. 2 detour, alternative (way, route, etc.), alternate way or
route: Take the bypass and avoid the town traffic.
bystander n. spectator, onlooker, observer, witness, non-participant,
passer-by, eyewitness: He has always claimed he was an innocent
bystander, but I'm not so sure.
byword n. proverb, proverbial saying, parable, maxim, adage, motto,
slogan, apophthegm or apothegm, aphorism, catchword,
catch-phrase: My byword has always been, Honesty is the best
policy.
3.0 C
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
cab n. taxi, taxi-cub, Obsolete (horse-drawn) hackney, hansom
(cab); Old-fashioned US hack: A cab picked me up and dropped me
at the hotel.
cabal n. 1 intrigue, plot, conspiracy, scheme: The cabal against
Washington found supporters exclusively in the north. 2 junta or
junto, clique, set, coterie, faction, band, league; unit, party,
caucus, club; ring, gang: A cabal of artists was formed.
--v. 3 intrigue, plot, conspire, connive, machinate: The
barons began to sow dissension and to cabal against his
succession.
cabaret n. 1 nightclub, club, nightspot: The ever-popular entertainer
Mimi opened at the Golden Palm cabaret last night. 2 floor show,
show, entertainment, amusement: The dinner was poor, but the
cabaret was marvellous.
cabin n. 1 hut, shack, cottage, cot, shanty; bungalow, lodge, chalet;
Scots bothy: The old trapper lives in a cabin in the forest.
You are welcome to come skiing with us and stay in our cabin. 2
stateroom, compartment, berth: We had a cabin on the starboard
side.
cabinet n. 1 cupboard, bureau, chifferobe, commode, chiffonier, chest
(of drawers), chest-on-chest, tallboy, US highboy, lowboy: The
aspirin is in the medicine cabinet. Our china cabinet is,
unfortunately, not a genuine Chippendale. 2 council, ministry,
committee, advisors, senate: At the age of thirty, he became
the youngest member of the cabinet.
cable n. 1 wire, line, rope, hawser, chain, mooring, strand, guy:
The cable broke and we were set adrift. 2 telegram, wire,
cablegram, radiogram, US Mailgram: Send a cable to Jones about
the meeting.
--v. 3 telegraph, wire; radio: Cable Jones to come at once.
cache n. 1 hiding-place, hole, vault, repository: There was a small
cache concealed by the panelling in the library. 2 store,
hoard, supply, reserve, nest egg, stockpile, Colloq US and
Canadian stash: The wise hunter keeps a cache of supplies
buried along his route.
--v. 3 hide, store, conceal, squirrel away, secrete, bury,
Colloq stash (away): I cached the money in a biscuit tin.
cachet n. 1 stamp, feature, distinguishing mark, identification: The
cachet of good taste is simplicity of design. 2 distinction,
prominence, importance, prestige, dignity: Her new job doesn't
pay much, but it has a certain cachet.
cadaver n. corpse, (dead) body, remains, Slang stiff: The medical
students and doctors once paid to have cadavers exhumed for
anatomical study.
cadence n. measure, beat, rhythm, tempo, accent, pulse, metre, lilt,
swing: The snare drum marked the cadence for the marching band.
caf‚ n. coffee-house, coffee bar, coffee-shop, bistro, snack bar,
brasserie; tearoom, lunch-room, restaurant, eating-house,
canteen; cafeteria, US diner, Colloq eatery; Slang Brit caff, US
greasy spoon: We stopped at a caf‚ for refreshment.
cage n. 1 crate, enclosure, pen, pound, coop, hutch: He keeps rooks
in a cage.
--v. 2 Also, cage up or in. confine, enclose, pen, impound,
shut up, or in, coop (up), imprison; restrict, restrain, hem in:
They keep the kitten caged like a wild animal. I don't like to
stay caged up in my office all day.
cajole v. wheedle, coax, beguile, jolly (along), cosy along, seduce,
inveigle, persuade, Colloq soft-soap, butter (up), stroke,
sweet-talk: Robert's wife always has to cajole him to go and
visit her mother.
cajolery n. wheedling, coaxing, blandishment, beguilement, jollying,
persuasion, seduction, inveigling, inveiglement, Colloq soft
soap, buttering-up, sweet talk: She uses cajolery rather than
threats to get what she wants.
cake n. 1 pastry, bun, Brit gateau: Right now, I should like to
have a glass of milk and a piece of chocolate cake. 2 piece,
chunk, bar, block, cube, lump, loaf, slab: Barbara gave me a
cake of fancy perfumed soap for my birthday.
--v. 3 harden, solidify, thicken, congeal, dry, coagulate,
encrust, consolidate: You can see where the paint has caked.
calamitous
adj. distressful, dire, tragic, disastrous, destructive, awful,
devastating, fatal, deadly, pernicious, cataclysmic,
catastrophic, ruinous, dreadful, terrible: They seemed unaware
of the calamitous consequences of what they were doing to the
environment.
calamity n. 1 disaster, destruction, ruin, catastrophe, cataclysm,
devastation, tragedy, misadventure, mischance, mishap: Calamity
befell the town when it was engulfed in a landslide. 2
distress, affliction, trouble, hardship, misery, tragedy,
misfortune, adversity, reverse, ruin, ruination, desolation,
wretchedness: So full is the world of calamity that every
source of pleasure is polluted.
calculate v. compute, reckon, add up, assess, evaluate, count, figure
(out), estimate, gauge, determine, ascertain, work out: Bradley
was able to calculate the velocity of light. They calculated
where the sun would come up at the equinox and built their
temple accordingly.
calculated
adj. 1 arranged, designed, planned, prepared, adjusted,
adapted, fit, fitted, intended, suited: The coach was
calculated to carry six regular passengers. 2 deliberate,
purposeful, intentional, premeditated, planned: The so-called
accident was really a calculated attempt to kill me.
calculating
adj. shrewd, conniving, crafty, sly, scheming, designing,
Machiavellian, manipulative, canny, contriving: She is a
calculating woman, who knows what she wants and manoeuvres
people to help her get it.
calculation
n. 1 computation, reckoning, counting, estimation, figuring,
determining: We needn't number them one by one, for the total
can be arrived at by calculation. 2 answer, product, result,
figure, count, estimate, amount: This calculation is wrong, so
please do it again. 3 estimate, forecast, expectation,
prediction, deliberation; circumspection, cautiousness,
wariness, caution, prudence, forethought, discretion: His
attack was not the inspiration of courage but the result of
calculation.
calculator
n. computer, adding machine; abacus: According to my
calculator, the answer should be 7.1592.
calendar n. 1 appointment book, schedule, slate, Brit diary, US
date-book, US law docket: I have next week's lunch date in my
calendar. 2 almanac, chronology, chronicle, annal(s): The
ecclesiastical calendar lists today as St David's Day.
calibrate v. adjust, graduate; standardize: This balance has been
dropped on the floor, and you'll have to calibrate it again.
calibre n. 1 diameter, size, bore, gauge: You need a .38 calibre
bullet to fit a .38 calibre pistol. 2 merit, ability, talent,
capability, competence, capacity, quality, strength, stature:
They should be playing against a team of their own calibre. 3
degree, measure, stamp, quality: I doubt that you will find
anyone of equal calibre to Julia in artistic sensibility.
call v. 1 shout, cry (out), hail, yell, roar, bellow, call out,
Colloq holler: I heard someone calling my name. 2 name,
designate, denote, denominate, term, style, nickname, label,
title, entitle, tag, identify, dub, christen, baptize: My real
name is Angus, but they call me Scotty. A person from Glasgow is
called a Glaswegian. 3 call up, telephone, phone, ring (up),
dial, Colloq buzz: As it's her birthday, I must call my mother
in Australia. Don't call us, we'll call you. 4 summon, invite,
assemble, convoke, convene, bid, gather, collect, muster, rally:
From the minaret, the muezzin was calling the faithful to
prayer. Many are called but few are chosen. 5 visit, attend;
call in; call on: My great aunt Frederica came to call last
Sunday. 6 awake, awaken, wake up, rouse, Colloq Brit knock up:
Please call me at six. 7 call down. a appeal to, invoke,
petition, request, entreat, supplicate: He called down the
wrath of God on the Philistines. b reprimand, chastise,
castigate, upbraid, scold, reprove, rebuke: He was called down
for having left the house after curfew. 8 call for. a demand,
request, ask for, order, require, claim: The people in room 429
have called for clean towels. The problem calls for your urgent
attention. b pick up, fetch, come for, get, accompany, Colloq
collect: I'll call for you at seven o'clock. 9 call forth.
summon, invoke, draw on or upon, evoke; elicit, inspire: Susan
called forth all her courage and faced her accusers. He failed
to call forth much enthusiasm in his listeners. 10 call on or
upon. a request of, entreat, ask, address; apostrophize: The
teacher called on me today to recite Hamlet's soliloquy. b
supplicate, apostrophize, appeal to: He called on ’olus, god of
the winds, for a fair breeze to carry his ship home. c visit:
The vicar called on us when we first moved in. 11 call off.
cancel; discontinue; postpone: The picnic has been called off
because of rain. 12 call up. a summon, enlist, recruit,
conscript, US draft: Father was called up as soon as war was
declared. b call, telephone, phone, ring (up): Call me up
sometime.
--n. 13 shout, cry, yell, whoop, Colloq holler: I'll be out in
the garden, so give me a call if you want me. 14 summons,
invitation, bidding, notice, notification, order, request,
demand, command; telephone call, phone call, Brit ring; Colloq
tinkle: She received a call to report at once for duty. 15
reason, justification, cause, need, occasion, right, excuse;
requirement: You have no call to be abusive, regardless of what
you think about him. 16 on call. ready, on duty, standing by, on
stand-by, awaiting orders: They had to remain on call from
midnight till eight o'clock. 17 within call. within earshot or
hearing or (easy) reach: Please stay within call in case I need
you.
calling n. vocation, occupation, profession, business, trade,
employment, work, line, job, m‚tier, pursuit, career, area,
province, (area of) expertise, Brit speciality or US specialty,
Colloq racket: He found his calling as a veterinary surgeon
very satisfying.
callous adj. hardened, thick-skinned, unfeeling, uncaring, insensible,
insensitive, hard, hard-hearted, tough, hardbitten, cold,
cold-hearted, heartless, indifferent, unsympathetic, apathetic,
Colloq hard-boiled, hard-nosed: It was callous of Gerry to go
off to the snooker club right after the funeral.
callow adj. inexperienced, immature, juvenile, na‹ve, green,
guileless, unsophisticated, innocent, raw, unfledged, untried,
Colloq (still) wet behind the ears: It was a mistake to let a
callow youth take out the boat alone.
calm n. 1 quiet, stillness, tranquillity, serenity, hush, peace,
peacefulness: A storm raged outside, but in the harbour was a
breathless calm. 2 calmness, composure, placidity, placidness,
peace, repose, sang-froid, coolness, self-control, equanimity,
self-possession: The calm exhibited by the passengers during
the hijacking was admirable.
--adj. 3 quiet, still, tranquil, serene, peaceful, balmy,
halcyon, mild, undisturbed, unagitated, placid, pacific;
motionless, smooth, even; windless: The sea is never calm in
the same sense as a mountain lake. 4 composed, cool,
cool-headed, self-controlled, impassive, dispassionate, unmoved,
unruffled, serene, tranquil, sedate, staid, stoical, Colloq
together: She remained calm while the others panicked.
--v. 5 Also, calm down. quiet, quieten, still, soothe, hush,
lull, pacify; mollify, appease, placate, become or make quiet or
pacified or less agitated, Colloq cool off or down: The
arbitrator did his best to calm the two litigants by suggesting
a compromise. After everyone had calmed down, the speaker
continued.
camouflage
n. 1 disguise, concealment, cover-up, cover, guise, cloak,
mask, screen, blind, (false) front, show, fa‡ade, pretence,
trickery, deception; protective colouring or coloration,
Technical apatetic or aposematic or cryptic colouring or
coloration: Camouflage prevented the enemy from seeing our
tanks.
--v. 2 disguise, cloak, mask, cover (up), hide, conceal,
screen, veil; misrepresent, falsify: We camouflaged our
movements by fastening twigs and leaves to our helmets.
camp° n. 1 camping-ground, camp-ground, bivouac, encampment,
camp-site; settlement; camping-site, Brit caravan site: The
name 'Chester' derives from Latin castrum, meaning 'camp', for
the city was originally the site of a Roman camp. Is there a
camp where we can stay overnight? 2 faction, set, coterie,
clique, group, party, body: On this issue, the politicians are
divided into two camps.
--v. 3 encamp, pitch camp, tent: Our family likes to go
camping in the mountains during the summer. 4 lodge, bivouac,
settle: The platoon camped by the river. 5 camp out. Slang
crash: Mind if I camp out in your pad tonight?
campэ adj. 1 outr‚, outrageous, exaggerated, artless, affected,
inartistic, extravagant, artificial, Dadaistic, theatrical,
mannered, flamboyant, showy, ostentatious, effeminate, Colloq
campy: Some of the kitsch produced in the 1930s was the epitome
of camp. His manner is a bit too camp for my taste.
--v. 2 exaggerate, show off, strut, flaunt, flounce, prance,
posture, Colloq ham: Clarence just loves to camp it up whenever
there are women around.
campaign n. 1 operation(s), manoeuvre(s), crusade, action; drive,
offensive, push, effort; struggle: Napoleon's Russian campaign
ended in disaster. Our next sales campaign will be aimed at
teenagers. 2 competition, contest, rivalry, race: Presidential
campaigns last for more than a year.
--v. 3 run, electioneer, compete, Brit stand; US and Canadian
stump; Colloq throw or toss one's hat in the ring: Next week
the Labour candidate will campaign in Yorkshire.
cancel v. 1 void, annul, invalidate, nullify, quash; revoke, rescind,
redeem, repeal, abolish, retract, withdraw, recall, repudiate,
abrogate, countermand, deny: The bonds have been cancelled and
are worthless. She cancelled the incorrect cheque. 2 delete,
obliterate, cross or strike or blot out, dele, rub out, erase,
expunge, efface, eradicate, quash, deracinate; eliminate, do
away with: I was forced to cancel the chapter of my book that
dealt with M.I.5 activities. 3 Sometimes, cancel out.
neutralize, nullify, counterbalance, countervail, compensate
(for), make up for, offset, counteract: His later kindnesses
cancel his previous injustices.
cancellation
n. 1 cancelling, annulment, nullification, rescinding, voiding,
rescission, revocation, abolition, abandonment, withdrawal,
abrogation; repeal: We found a hotel room in the end because of
a late cancellation. 2 invalidation, revocation, abolition,
discontinuance, termination, suppression: If you fail to pay
the premium, the policy is subject to cancellation. 3
elimination, abolition; stoppage, cessation: Owing to the
storm, some trains are subject to cancellation.
candid adj. 1 frank, open, plain, sincere, ingenuous, straight,
straightforward, truthful, forthright, direct, unequivocal,
plain-spoken, plain-speaking, outspoken, honest, artless, blunt,
guileless, open-hearted, above-board, undeceitful, undeceiving,
undeliberative, uncalculating, uncalculated, unpremeditated,
uncontrived , Colloq upfront: Henry offered a very candid
account of his feelings. Let us be candid and speak our minds. 2
just, impartial, objective, fair, equitable, unbiased,
unprejudiced, even-handed; unbigoted: The speaker expressed a
candid view of all of the proposals. 3 unposed, informal,
impromptu: Here is a candid photo of the two of us in Rome.
candidate n. aspirant, seeker, office-seeker, runner, nominee; applicant,
entrant; prospect, possibility: There are quite a few
candidates for the post.
candour n. 1 openness, frankness, ingenuousness, simplicity, na‹vety,
outspokenness, unreservedness, forthrightness, honesty,
sincerity, directness, straightforwardness, unequivocalness: I
admire her candour, but the truth sometimes hurts. 2
impartiality, fairness, justice, objectivity, open-mindedness:
In criticism candour is as rare as bigotry is frequent.
candy n. sweet(s), bon-bon(s), sweetmeat(s), confectionery: Eating
candy can be bad for your teeth.
cannibal n. anthropophagite, man-eater: They were said to have been
captured by cannibals living in remote regions.
cant n. 1 hypocrisy, insincerity, sham, pretence, humbug,
sanctimony, sanctimoniousness, lip-service, affectedness,
pretension: He wasn't really enthusiastic - all that talk was
just cant. 2 jargon, shop, shop-talk, argot, vernacular, slang,
dialect, patois, Creole, pidgin, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,
Colloq lingo: The criminals use a cant not understood by those
outside their fraternity.
cantankerous
adj. ill-natured, quarrelsome, perverse, cross, choleric,
cross-grained, crabby, curmudgeonly, crusty, grumpy, surly,
irascible, snappish, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, bearish,
bilious, peevish, testy, irritable, touchy, disagreeable,
tetchy, contrary, Colloq crotchety, grouchy, US cranky: Simon
used to be so friendly, but he's become a cantankerous old
codger.
canvass v. 1 solicit, electioneer, campaign, poll, US and Canadian
stump: The candidates will be canvassing in farming areas next
week. 2 survey, poll, study, analyse, examine, investigate,
interview, question: The statisticians are not satisfied that
enough women were canvassed to provide an accurate sample.
--n. 3 solicitation, campaign: The party's canvass of rural
areas for new supporters was not very successful. 4 survey,
study, investigation, poll, examination, tally: A canvass of
editors shows they have a conservative view of the language.
canyon n. gorge, ravine, gully or gulley, pass, defile, Brit dialect
gill or ghyll, US and Canadian coul‚e, gulch; US gap, arroyo:
The canyon created by the river is more than a thousand feet
deep.
cap n. 1 hat, head covering: The plumber took off his cap and
scratched his head. 2 lid, top, cover: Screw the cap on tight.
3 cap in hand. humbly, meekly, servilely, submissively,
subserviently, docilely, respectfully: He went cap in hand to
ask for a pay rise.
--v. 4 surpass, outdo, outstrip, better, beat, exceed, top,
excel: Betty capped her earlier triumphs by winning the
semifinals. 5 cover, protect: As it's begun to rain, you'd
best cap the camera lens.
capability
n. ability, power, potential, capacity, means, faculty,
wherewithal; talent, proficiency, aptitude, adeptness, skill,
competence: Deirdre has the capability to be first in her form.
capable adj. 1 able, competent, efficient, proficient, qualified,
talented, gifted, skilled, skilful, accomplished, apt, adept,
clever, effective, effectual; expert, masterly, masterful:
Halliwell is quite capable of speaking for himself. He is a
capable violinist, but scarcely a virtuoso. 2 capable of.
disposed to, inclined to, predisposed to: Though violent, he is
not capable of murder.
capacity n. 1 volume, content, size, dimensions; room, space: What is
the capacity of this bottle in litres? The car is of sufficient
capacity to hold only four adults. 2 potential, ability,
capability, competence, intelligence, wit, brain(s), talent,
aptitude, acumen, understanding, sense, judgement, perspicacity,
perceptiveness, perception, mother wit, intellect, genius,
skill, gift, faculty, power, potential, Colloq chiefly US right
stuff, the goods: They don't yet have the capacity to absorb
advanced theory. 3 position, condition, character, place, post,
role, job, office, duty, responsibility, province, sphere,
function; Law competency, qualification: She has every right to
sign cheques in her capacity as director.
cape° n. headland, promontory, peninsula, neck, point, Archaic ness:
We sailed round the cape and made for the harbour.
capeэ n. mantle, shawl, stole, cloak: His black cape reached to the
floor.
caper n. 1 skip, leap, spring, frolic, hop, gambol, frisk, curvet,
gambado: He can dance, though he does not cut capers. 2
escapade, stunt, mischief, prank, high jinks, US crime,
burglary, robbery, Colloq shenanigan, dido, lark, Slang US and
Canadian job: The capers we used to get up to after lights-out
in the dormitory!
--v. 3 skip, hop, frolic, leap, jump, frisk, romp, gambol,
prance, cavort, curvet: She capered about like a lamb in a
meadow.
capital n. 1 head, top, crown, cap: The column was surmounted by a
finely carved capital. 2 seat (of government): Winnipeg is the
capital of Manitoba. 3 money, assets, funds, finance(s), cash,
wherewithal; wealth, means, property, resources, savings,
principal: My capital is invested in land at the moment. 4
majuscule, upper case, large letter, initial, Colloq cap: The
chapter titles should be set in capitals.
--adj. 5 chief, main, major, important, cardinal, central,
principal, prime, primary, paramount, pre-eminent, foremost,
leading: Our capital responsibility is to ensure the
passengers' safety. 6 first-class, first-rate, excellent,
superior, matchless, peerless, choice, select, outstanding,
fine, superb, splendid, marvellous, extraordinary, Colloq
smashing, great, super, Brit brill, Old-fashioned topping,
top-hole, ripping, ripsnorting: Eating out tonight was a
capital idea.
capitulate
v. 1 surrender, yield, give up, submit, succumb: Want of
provisions quickly obliged the fortress to capitulate. 2
acquiesce, concede, relent, give in, yield: He begged so
piteously that the king finally capitulated and allowed him to
live.
capricious
adj. whimsical, erratic, flighty, fickle, mercurial, unsteady,
variable, unstable, wayward, unpredictable, undependable,
changeable, impulsive, crotchety, quirky, unreliable,
inconstant, fanciful, wanton: His decisions are capricious and
not based on sound judgement. The weather in March is
capricious: as Mark Twain said, if you don't like it, just wait
five minutes.
capsize v. upset, overturn, turn turtle or upside down, tip (over),
keel over, invert: When the wind capsized the boat, we lost all
our gear overboard.
captivate v. enthral or US enthrall, enslave, fascinate, hypnotize,
entrance, beguile, charm, enamour, enchant, bewitch, enrapture,
dazzle, infatuate, attract, allure, seduce, win: Her beauty
captivated film-goers everywhere.
captive n. 1 prisoner, convict, hostage, detainee, internee; slave,
bondman or bondsman, bondservant: The captives were kept in a
wretched hole.
--adj. 2 imprisoned, incarcerated, confined, caged, locked up,
under lock and key: Captive animals lose their free spirit.
captivity n. confinement, imprisonment, internment, detention, custody,
incarceration, restraint; bondage, slavery, thraldom or US also
thralldom, enslavement, servitude; Archaic durance: Some wild
creatures do not survive in captivity. Entire populations of
conquered territories were taken into captivity in ancient
times.
capture n. 1 seizure, taking, catching, arrest, apprehension, Slang
pinch, collar: They celebrated the capture of the Spanish
galleon. The State has offered a reward for the capture of the
bank robbers.
--v. 2 seize, take, catch, lay or take hold of, grab,
apprehend, arrest, Slang pinch, collar, nab, Brit nick:
Eventually, they captured the thief on the roof.
car n. 1 (motor) vehicle, motor car, automobile, passenger car,
Old-fashioned or slang motor; Chiefly US auto; Colloq jalopy,
heap, pile, crate, machine, buggy, transport; Slang wheels:
Borrow a car and drive down for the weekend. 2 (railway)
carriage: The body was found in a sleeping car of the Orient
Express.
card n. 1 playing-card, Slang pasteboard: The winning card was the
ten of diamonds. 2 calling-card, visiting-card, carte de
visite, business card: Visitors used to leave their cards on
the silver tray at the front door. 3 greetings card, Christmas
card, birthday card, anniversary card, condolence card, Easter
card, New Year card: I sent Jacquelyn a card for her birthday
last year. 4 postcard, US postal card: Drop me a card when you
get there, just so I'll know you're all right. 5 index card,
file card: The names and addresses of our members, formerly
held on cards, are now stored in the computer. 6 membership
card; press card; union card: I showed my card at the door and
they let me in without any problem. 7 dance-card: She told me
that her dance-card was full - and was likely to be for the next
ten years. 8 US car-card, window-card, show-card: At the cost
of a card on the New York buses, we'd never get our money back.
9 credit card; bank card: You may pay by card or cheque. They
won't accept your cheque without a card. 10 identity or
identification card, I.D. (card): The police asked to see my
card. 11 joker, prankster, practical joker, wag, humorist,
comedian, funny man: That Oscar - he's quite a card, isn't he?
12 on or esp. US in the cards. destined, fated, slated, in the
offing; likely, probable, possible, liable: I doubt that a
change of government is on the cards for some time to come. 13
play one's cards right, well, badly, etc. act, behave, take
action; plan, use strategy: If Francis plays his cards right,
he may be made head of department when Mark leaves. 14 put or
lay one's cards on the table or show one's cards. act openly,
reveal all, be forthright, be direct, be open, be honest, be
unsecretive, Colloq come clean: I'm going to put my cards on
the table, and let you know all my plans.
cardinal adj. important, chief, key, special, main, central, principal,
prime, primary, essential, necessary, fundamental; supreme,
paramount, highest, first, foremost, leading, pre-eminent: The
cardinal virtues are justice, prudence, temperance, and
fortitude, to which some writers add faith, hope, and charity.
care n. 1 anxiety, worry, trouble, anguish, disquiet, distress,
grief, sorrow, dolour, sadness, suffering, misery, woe,
tribulation: His haggard look reflected a life of care. 2
concern, regard, vigilance, mindfulness, heed, solicitude;
heedfulness, attention, pains, carefulness, meticulousness,
punctiliousness; caution, circumspection: The essence of
public-spiritedness is care for the common good. He looks after
his moustache and beard with great care. Open with care. 3
responsibility, charge, protection, guardianship, custody,
keeping, safe keeping; control, direction, supervision: The
child has been released into our care. 4 take care of. look
after, attend to, be responsible for, take charge of, take
responsibility for; tend, nurse: You should take care of your
money. Does she have enough experience to take care of someone
who is ill?
--v. 5 be concerned, trouble oneself, feel interest, worry,
fret, trouble, Brit mind: Do you care whether Arnold gets the
job he wants? I don't care who you are, you can't come in here!
6 care for. a look after, tend, attend (to), watch over,
protect, take care of, provide for; nurse: He cared for his
ailing parents for about twenty years. b like, fancy, be
attracted to, be fond of, love, be keen on, be enamoured of:
Jennifer admitted last night how much she cares for David.
careen v. heel over, keel over; US loosely career, sway, tip, pitch,
veer, swerve, lurch: We hauled out the boat, careened her, and
proceeded to caulk her seams.
career n. 1 employment, occupation, calling, vocation, pursuit,
(life's) work, job, business, livelihood; profession, trade,
craft, m‚tier: She has made a career out of helping others. He
is undecided whether to pursue a career in accountancy.
--v. 2 speed, race, rush, dash, fly, tear, hurtle, bolt, shoot,
Colloq zoom: A bicycle came careering around the corner and
knocked him down.
carefree adj. nonchalant, easy, easygoing, insouciant, light-hearted,
blithe, happy-go-lucky, breezy, airy; blas‚, indifferent,
unconcerned, unworried, trouble-free, worry-free, contented,
happy: Till he graduated from university, he had lived an
entirely carefree life.
careful adj. 1 cautious, wary, circumspect, chary, prudent, watchful,
aware, alert, vigilant: These days one cannot be too careful
about walking in the city at night. 2 meticulous, painstaking,
attentive, punctilious, (well-)organized, systematic, precise,
fastidious, thorough, scrupulous, conscientious, particular,
finicky, finical, fussy: The police conducted a careful search
for weapons.
careless adj. 1 unconcerned, untroubled, unworried, casual, indifferent,
heedless, thoughtless, inconsiderate, uncaring, devil-may-care,
irresponsible, cursory, lackadaisical, perfunctory: No one
could approve of the careless way he treats his family. 2
inattentive, negligent, thoughtless, absent-minded, neglectful,
remiss; unobservant, unthinking, imprudent, unmindful,
incautious, unwary, reckless, slapdash, rash: Many of the
errors come from being careless. 3 inaccurate, imprecise,
inexact, incorrect, wrong, error-ridden, erroneous, Colloq
sloppy: You won't get a good mark for such a careless paper. 4
unstudied, ingenuous, artless, casual, nonchalant: I dislike
his careless way of dressing, but it does show some style.
caress n. 1 pat, stroke, fondling, blandishment; cuddle, embrace, hug;
nuzzle, kiss: He submitted willingly to her caresses.
--v. 2 touch, pat, pet, fondle, stroke; cuddle, embrace, hug;
nuzzle, kiss: The kitten approached warily and Isabella
caressed it.
cargo n. shipment, consignment, shipload, truckload, wagon-load,
load, trainload, US carload; freight, goods, merchandise: The
cargo of rifles was delivered to the warehouse. The ship was
lost with all its cargo.
caricature
n. 1 cartoon, parody, burlesque, lampoon, satire, pasquinade,
Colloq take-off, spoof, Brit send-up: The cartoon in the
newspaper showed a caricature of the Prime Minister.
--v. 2 parody, satirize, lampoon, burlesque, ridicule, mock,
distort, Colloq take off, Brit send up: Hogarth caricatured
Churchill in the form of a bear.
carnage n. slaughter, butchery, massacre, blood bath, holocaust,
killing, Shoah, Churban or Hurban: The battle was fought with
much carnage on both sides.
carnal adj. fleshly, sensual, animal, bodily, lustful, voluptuous,
libidinous, lecherous, concupiscent, sexual, erotic, lascivious,
licentious, lewd, prurient: She is intent on satisfying her
carnal desires.
carouse v. 1 make merry, revel, Colloq party, pub-crawl, make whoopee,
go on a bender or tear or binge or toot, paint the town red,
binge, booze: After the cup final, we all caroused till the wee
hours.
--n. 2 revel, spree, fling, wassail, carousal, drunk,
bacchanal, Colloq binge, bender, booze, boozer, Brit knees-up,
US tear, toot: They go on a carouse on Burns Night every year,
then need a day to sleep it off.
carp v. find fault, criticize, cavil, complain, nag, pick at, pick
on, bully, bullyrag or ballyrag, Colloq knock, pick holes (in),
gripe, Brit whinge: She said that she would leave him if he
kept on carping at her about her cooking.
carriage n. 1 (railway) coach, US car: We moved our belongings into the
next carriage. 2 bearing, mien, air, manner, deportment,
conduct, demeanour, attitude, posture, stance, presence,
behaviour, comportment: His upright carriage immediately
identified him as a military man. 3 freight, freightage,
transportation, cartage, shipping; postage: Carriage is free
within mainland Britain.
carrier n. 1 bearer, porter; transporter, drayman, shipper, haulier or
US hauler; carter: The company we use as a carrier is
expensive. 2 transmitter, Immunology vector, US Typhoid Mary:
She couldn't have caught the disease directly, only through some
carrier.
carry v. 1 transport, convey, bear, lug, drag, cart, move, Colloq
tote, Slang US schlep: He shouldn't carry such heavy packages
at his age. 2 conduct, convey, lead, take, transport, transfer,
transmit: This cable carries the power to the town. 3 drive,
impel, conduct, convey, take, move: He travelled aimlessly,
wherever the wind carried his ship. 4 support, maintain,
finance: I had a wife and four children and was unable to carry
my brother's family as well. 5 bear, hold up, uphold, maintain:
Despite her troubles, she carried her head high. 6 win, take,
sweep, capture, gain, secure: She carried the election easily.
7 stock, sell, offer; display: We don't carry purple shoes in
this shop, Madam. 8 broadcast, disseminate, offer, release;
communicate, present, read, report, announce; give: The news is
carried on this station every night at nine. 9 carry away.
transport, excite, enrapture, delight: He was quite carried
away by her attentions. 10 carry off. a win, gain, capture,
secure: She managed to carry off the first prize for the third
year running. b abscond with, kidnap, take, purloin, Colloq
Brit pinch, nick: I'm afraid that some of your chickens have
been carried off by a fox. c accomplish, perform, effect, do,
succeed, handle or manage successfully, bring off, carry out:
We carried off the raid without loss of a single man. d kill,
be or cause the death of, cause to die: He was carried off by
yellow fever in his eightieth year. 11 carry on. a continue,
proceed, go on, persist, keep on or at, persevere: Don't stop -
just carry on with what you were doing. b manage, conduct,
operate: Despite the fire, we are carrying on our business as
usual. c misbehave, Colloq act up, fool around, Brit play up:
The children are carrying on so, I can't get any work done. 12
carry out or through. perform, effect, implement, complete,
execute, accomplish, continue, conclude: Henry is carrying out
his father's wishes according to the terms of his will.
cart n. 1 handcart, pushcart, trolley, barrow, wagon or Brit also
waggon: You'll need a cart to carry all these things to the
car.
--v. 2 carry, convey, move, lug, drag, tote, transport, bring,
haul, Colloq US schlep: Why do you cart that heavy bag
everywhere you go?
carte blanche
n. licence, permission, sanction, free rein, authority,
discretion: She was given carte blanche to spend the money any
way she wished.
carve v. 1 hew, cut, sculpt, sculpture, shape, chisel, model,
fashion, engrave, incise, grave, whittle, chip: The bust is
carved out of solid marble. 2 Often, carve up or out. divide
(up), cut (up), subdivide, apportion, parcel out, allot,
partition: The gang-leaders carved up the territory, and the
killings stopped for a while.
case° n. 1 instance, example, event, occurrence; happening, occasion,
circumstance, state, situation: In a recent case a farmer was
attacked by a man-eating tiger. Holmes is investigating a case
of a missing necklace. 2 action, suit, lawsuit, dispute; cause:
I lost my case. 3 patient, invalid, victim: Four new cases
were admitted to the hospital yesterday. 4 specimen, instance,
example: Howard is an odd case, isn't he? 5 in any case. in
any event, come what may, at all events, anyhow, anyway: In any
case, your decision won't affect me. 6 in case. a lest, for
fear that: He was worried in case his wife found out where he
had been. b if, in the event that, if it happens or proves or
turns out that, if it should happen or prove or turn out that:
In case you were thinking of leaving, remember that we have your
car keys. 7 in case of. in the event of; for fear of: In case
of fire, you must use the staircase. We insured the house in
case of fire. 8 the case. the fact, the actuality, the truth,
the reality, what really happened or took place: She said he
was drunk, but that's not the case.
caseэ n. 1 box, container, carton, crate; chest, holder, receptacle;
trunk, suitcase, casket: Please order two cases of paper for
the copying machine. The cosmetics came in a fitted case lined
in velvet. 2 covering, cover, protection, casing, envelope,
wrapper: The engraving was on the inside of the watch-case. The
book came in a case of fine calfskin.
--v. 3 encase, box, crate, pack, package, containerize: The
computer arrived, completely cased in rigid foam.
cash n. 1 money, currency, bills, notes, banknotes, change, hard
cash or money, specie, coin of the realm, legal tender, Slang
moolah, dough, bread, loot, spondulicks or spondulix, Brit
lolly, ready, readies, US scratch, gelt, mazuma: The shop
accepts only cash, no charge cards.
--v. 2 Also, cash in. change, sell, liquidate, exchange;
realize: She cashed some bonds to pay off the overdraft.
casket n. 1 chest, box, container, case, coffer, receptacle: She
keeps her jewels in a leather casket on the dressing-table. 2
coffin; sarcophagus: After the funeral, the pallbearers carried
the casket from the church.
cast n. 1 throw, toss, pitch, shy, lob, thrust, chuck: In his next
cast, the bowler lightly struck the jack. 2 dramatis personae,
actors and actresses, players, performers, troupe, company: We
invited the cast to a party after the show. 3 form, shape,
mould; formation, formulation, arrangement: She can appreciate
the turn of the phrase, the happy cast and flow of the sentence.
4 model, casting, mould; stamp, type: The Ming vase was copied
from a cast. There are not many men of the cast of Crocker. 5
twist, turn, irregularity, warp; squint: The mare had a cast in
her gallop. The pirate had a cast in his left eye. 6 turn,
inclination, bent, hint, touch; tinge, tint, colouring: He has
a melancholy cast of mind.
--v. 7 throw, toss, pitch, fling, sling, hurl, dash, send,
Colloq chuck, shy: She tore off the gold necklace and cast it
into the lake. 8 assign, delegate, appoint, designate, name,
nominate, choose, pick, select: He has cast me as the villain
in his little drama. 9 form, mould, found: The king's
death-mask, cast in plaster, was on the floor of the tomb. 10
cast about for. search for, look for, seek: He was casting
about for an excuse to avoid going to the Fordyces' for dinner.
11 cast aside. reject, discard, cast or throw away or out, get
rid of: The expensive toys had been cast aside and the children
were playing with the boxes and wrappings. 12 cast away. maroon,
shipwreck: Jim O'Shea was cast away upon an Indian isle. 13
cast off. throw off, shed, doff: One's upbringing cannot be
cast off like an old overcoat. 14 cast out. expel, drive out,
throw out, evict, eject, oust, exile, remove, cast aside: She
was cast out of the house by her mother, who had married a
biker.
castaway n. reject, cast-off, outcast, pariah, exile: She always looked
after the moral well-being of the castaways of society.
caste n. (social) class, rank, order, level, stratum, standing,
position, station, status, estate: The women of her caste
practised suttee.
castigate v. chastise, punish, correct, penalize, discipline, rebuke,
reprimand, read (someone) the riot act, keelhaul, chasten,
criticize, Colloq tell off, dress down, Chiefly Brit tick off,
Brit carpet, haul over the coals, US and Canadian chew out, rake
over the coals, put or call on or on to the carpet: They were
castigated in the press for their extravagant lifestyle.
castle n. 1 fortress, stronghold, citadel: The king moved to Windsor
Castle during the winter. 2 mansion, palace, manor-house, hall,
chѓteau: Mr Mooney lives alone in his castle and has nothing to
do with his neighbours.
casual adj. 1 accidental, chance, random, fortuitous, unexpected,
unforeseen, unpremeditated, unplanned, unforeseeable,
unpredictable, serendipitous: It was only a casual remark, but
it was taken very seriously. We interviewed casual passers-by.
2 uncertain, unsure, haphazard, occasional, random, irregular,
unsystematic, sporadic, erratic: The budget includes provision
for both certain and casual revenues. 3 indifferent,
nonchalant, offhand, insouciant, apathetic, cool, unconcerned,
uninterested, pococurante, dispassionate, blas‚, relaxed,
lackadaisical: He may seem casual, but he is genuinely
concerned about the patients. 4 informal; lounge: Dinner dress
is not required: you may come in casual clothes. 5 offhand,
happy-go-lucky, natural, easy, easygoing, devil-may-care,
unconcerned, relaxed, d‚gag‚, unconstrained: Phil is quite
casual about losing money at roulette.
casualty n. 1 disaster, catastrophe, calamity, accident, mischance,
misadventure, mishap: The company insures against casualties at
sea. 2 a victim, fatality, Colloq statistic: I'm afraid that
Jeff was a casualty of last year's cut in personnel. She was
only one of thousands of casualties of the earthquake. b
Usually, casualties. Chiefly military wounded, injured,
missing, missing in action, dead, fatalities, US MIA(s), body
count: The casualties were mounting.
catastrophe
n. 1 disaster, calamity, cataclysm: The eruption of Vesuvius
was one of the major catastrophes in recorded history. 2
misfortune, bad luck, shock, blow, tragedy, disaster; mishap,
mischance, misadventure, accident, fiasco, failure: Cook
reported a catastrophe with the layer cake.
catch v. 1 capture, seize, apprehend, take or get (hold of), grab,
grip, grasp, take captive, hold, arrest, take prisoner, Colloq
nab, pinch, collar, Brit nick: The police caught him when he
returned to the scene of the crime. 2 trap, ensnare, entrap,
snare, net, bag, hook, round up, corral: We caught three trout
this morning. I caught all the horses that had broken through
the fence. 3 take, get on or on to, board: You can catch the
London train at Aylesbury. 4 surprise, discover, find: They
fired him after catching him with his hand in the till. 5 be
seized or taken hold of by or with, come down with, be afflicted
by or with, contract, get, suffer from: You'll catch a cold if
you don't wear a hat. 6 strike, hit, deliver, fetch, box: She
caught him a great blow on the ear and he went down. 7 tangle,
become entangled or stuck or trapped or hooked: His foot caught
in the stirrup when he fell, and he was dragged along. 8
restrain, stop, check, curb: She caught herself before telling
the police where the thief was hiding. 9 intercept, grab, seize,
snatch: He caught the ball before it touched the ground. 10
understand, see, comprehend, grasp, apprehend, fathom, perceive,
discern, follow, take in, gather, Colloq figure out, get, catch
on (to), get the drift (of), Brit twig: I didn't quite catch
what you said - please can you repeat it? 11 captivate, charm,
bewitch, enchant, fascinate, seduce, attract, entice, allure:
She knows how to use her charms to catch a man. 12 attract,
draw: A very slight movement caught my eye. 13 catch on. a
understand, grasp, see (through), comprehend, get (it), Brit
twig: I didn't catch on to what she planned to do it till it
was too late. The joke's on you and you still don't catch on, do
you? b take hold, succeed, become popular or fashionable: Do
you think the hula hoop will catch on again? 14 catch up. a
absorb, involve, enthrall, immerse: He was completely caught up
in the plot of the new novel. b reach, overtake, overhaul: I
finally caught up with her as she neared the house.
--n. 15 capture, take, bag, prize, trophy: The catch of the
day was a 20-pound pike. 16 acquisition; conquest: She was
considered quite a catch. 17 clasp, hook, pin, clip, fastening,
fastener: The catch on the necklace opened and pearls spilt all
over the floor. 18 trick, disadvantage, hitch, snag, fly in the
ointment, catch-22, trap, problem, drawback , Colloq US hooker:
The first book is free, but the catch is that you have to buy
four more at the regular price.
catching adj. 1 contagious, infectious, transmissible, transmittable,
communicable: The doctor said that what I have is not catching.
2 attractive, captivating, fascinating, enchanting, bewitching,
entrancing, winning, enticing, alluring, fetching: The strange
object in the shop window was most catching to the eye of a
passer-by.
categorical
adj. direct, explicit, express, unconditional, firm, positive,
unreserved, unrestricted, absolute, outright, downright,
unequivocal, unambiguous, specific; emphatic, unqualified,
authoritative, dogmatic, Technical apodeictic or apodictic: His
denial was clear and categorical.
categorize
v. classify, class, sort, organize, assort, rank, order,
section, departmentalize, group, arrange: Should plankton be
categorized under zoology or botany?
category n. class, classification, type, sort, kind, variety, group,
grouping, listing, rank, ranking, list, grade, department,
division, section, sector, area, sphere; head, heading: Into
which category would you put the partially disabled?
cater v. 1 provision, victual; purvey, provide: We cater exclusively
for housebound gourmets. 2 cater for or to. indulge, humour,
serve, dance attendance on, pamper, baby, coddle, minister to,
spoil, mollycoddle, cosset, pander to: She caters for him night
and day. Our music group caters for all levels of ability.
catholic adj. universal, general, inclusive, all-inclusive, broad, wide,
comprehensive, widespread, all-embracing, eclectic, liberal:
Her musical tastes are catholic - they range from Bach to Berry
(Chuck, that is).
cattle n. livestock, stock, beef; cows, bulls, bullocks, steers,
bovines, oxen: He spent 20 years as a cowboy, herding cattle in
Texas.
cause n. 1 origin, occasion, source, root, genesis, agent, prime
mover, well-spring: The cause of the train crash is not yet
known. 2 originator, creator, producer, agent, agency: His
indecision was the cause of many of our problems. 3 ground or
grounds, justification, reason, basis, call, motive: You have
no cause to be dissatisfied. 4 case, matter, issue, concern;
movement, undertaking; ideal, belief: We appealed the miners'
cause to the high court.
--v. 5 make, induce: What causes hot air to rise? 6 effect,
bring on or about, give rise to, result in, produce, create,
precipitate, occasion, lead to, induce, generate, provoke,
promote; engender; motivate, compel: Overeating causes
indigestion.
caustic adj. 1 burning, corrosive, destructive, mordant, astringent:
Sulphuric acid is the caustic agent that eats away the metal. 2
sarcastic, biting, acrimonious, sharp, bitter, biting, sardonic,
cutting, trenchant, critical, scathing, acid, harsh, pungent,
virulent: His caustic remarks do not earn him many friends.
caution n. 1 warning, admonition, admonishment, caveat, monition,
advice, counsel, injunction: A word of caution is needed before
you go ahead. 2 wariness, prudence, care, vigilance,
forethought, heed, watchfulness, alertness, circumspection,
discretion: Drivers should exercise extra caution in bad
weather.
--v. 3 warn, admonish, forewarn, tip (off); advise, counsel:
Some employees had to be cautioned about arriving on time.
cautious adj. wary, heedful, careful, prudent, circumspect, watchful,
vigilant, alert, circumspect, discreet, guarded: They were very
cautious about letting their children go out on their own.
cave n. 1 cavern, grotto, hollow, hole, cavity, den: In the cave
were prehistoric wall paintings.
--v. 2 cave in. a collapse, break down, give way, subside,
fall in or inwards: The earthquake caused the walls of the
house to cave in. b yield, submit, give way; surrender; Colloq
buckle, knuckle under: After eight hours of questioning, he
caved in and told them everything.
cavil n. 1 quibble, complaint: There is a minor cavil at the wording
of the statutes.
--v. 2 carp, quibble, split hairs, complain, find fault,
censure, criticize, dispute, object, demur, Colloq nit-pick:
They cavilled at a mere misspelling.
cavity n. pit, hole, hollow, opening, crater, gap; space: The
limestone is marked with a pattern of cavities. Vowel sounds
resonate in the oral cavity.
cavort v. curvet, prance, caper, frisk, bound, gambol, romp, skip,
leap, jump, dance: Stop cavorting about and settle down.
cease v. 1 stop, end, finish, leave off, terminate, halt,
discontinue, desist (from), break off (from), refrain (from):
Will that noise never cease?
--n. 2 without cease. ceaselessly, endlessly, unendingly,
incessantly, interminably, continuously, continually,
constantly, ad infinitum, infinitely, perpetually, forever,
eternally, everlastingly, non-stop, unremittingly: Sisyphus was
condemned to roll his burden uphill without cease.
cede v. yield, give way, give up, grant, give, surrender, deliver
up, turn or make or hand over, convey, transfer, relinquish,
abandon, renounce, abdicate: Let private concerns always cede
to the common good. The territory was ceded to our government in
1792.
celebrant n. officiant, official; priest: The celebrant at High Mass was
the archbishop.
celebrate v. 1 hold, perform, solemnize, ritualize, observe, keep,
honour, officiate at; sanctify, hallow, consecrate, dedicate:
The archbishop himself celebrated holy communion. 2 rejoice (in
or at), memorialize; have a party, revel, make merry, wassail,
Colloq party, paint the town red, whoop it up: The entire town
celebrated the opening of the bridge with a huge party. 3 extol,
praise, exalt, glorify, laud, eulogize, honour; lionize: She
was widely celebrated for her achievements. 4 publicize,
advertise, broadcast: The stones themselves would find a Voice,
To celebrate his Praise.
celebrated
adj. famous, renowned, well-known, famed, prominent, noted,
eminent, noteworthy, distinguished, illustrious, acclaimed:
Their son became a celebrated brain surgeon.
celebration
n. 1 observance, observation, performance, solemnization,
hallowing, sanctification, memorialization, commemoration: The
celebration of the Eucharist was delayed because the vicar had
been called to a sickbed. 2 praising, extolling, honouring: The
ceremony was a celebration of their achievements in space
exploration. 3 party, f€te, gala, festivities, frolic, revelry,
merrymaking: The New Year's celebration is planned at Jill's
house this year.
celebrity n. 1 renown, fame, repute, reputation, prominence, eminence,
distinction, prestige, famousness, popularity, notability,
stardom; notoriety: Dr Johnson was not enriched in proportion
to his celebrity. 2 notable, dignitary, star, luminary, toast
of the town, personage, name, personality, superstar: The hotel
lobby was packed with celebrities from show business.
celestial adj. 1 heavenly, divine, spiritual, godly, paradisiac(al) or
paradisaic, sublime, empyrean, Elysian, ethereal, immortal,
supernatural: They worshipped Jupiter and other celestial
beings. 2 astronomical, astral: We studied celestial
navigation and how to use a sextant.
celibacy n. 1 bachelorhood, spinsterhood, singleness: People who say
they enjoy celibacy may simply have not met the right partner. 2
chastity, virginity, continence, (self-)restraint, abstinence,
purity: They have to take a vow of celibacy before entering the
priesthood.
celibate adj. 1 unmarried, single, unwed: Both brother and sister
remained celibate all their lives. 2 abstinent, abstemious,
continent, ascetic; virgin(al), pure, chaste, unsullied,
undefiled, virtuous, immaculate: He led the celibate life of a
monk for twenty years.
--n. 3 bachelor, spinster: She belonged to an order of female
celibates.
cell n. chamber, room, apartment, cubicle; stall: As a friar, he
lived in a small, plain cell for most of his life.
cellar n. basement, vault: She led me down to the cellar to show me
her wine collection.
cement n. 1 mortar, bond, glue, gum, paste, solder; adhesive: You'll
need a special kind of cement to stick metal to glass.
--v. 2 stick, glue, paste, solder, weld, braze, bond; join,
bind, combine, unite; cohere, hold, cling, adhere: First cement
the tiles to the wall. The ashes and cinders cement readily into
a compact mass.
central adj. 1 middle, medial, median; inner, inside: The central
reservation between the carriageways will be planted with
bushes. 2 main, principal, important, chief, key, leading,
dominant, prime, primary, pre-eminent, cardinal, significant,
essential: Odysseus is the central figure of the poem.
centre n. 1 middle, core, heart; nucleus, focal point, hub, pivot,
nave; mid-point: He stood in the centre of the road. We
journeyed to the centre of the earth. The tower is at the centre
of the market square. The amount to be paid was at the centre of
the controversy. Mark the centre of the line.
--v. 2 focus, converge, meet, concentrate, cluster: The
business of the meeting centred on the nomination of a
chairperson. All my hopes were centred on getting the job as
supervisor.
ceremonial
adj. 1 ritual, celebratory, commemorative: We followed the
ceremonial procession. 2 formal, solemn, stately, dignified;
ceremonious, august: The ceremonial robes of his office were
white. The ceremonial rites of passage involve many
participants.
--n. 3 rite, ritual, formality, ceremony, service, observance:
These are the ceremonials prescribed in the Anglican service.
ceremonious
adj. 1 ceremonial, formal, dignified, solemn, Colloq stuffy,
stiff, starchy: There are many ceremonious procedures involved
in a coronation. 2 courtly, courteous, polite, civil, correct,
proper, conventional, punctilious, careful: He entered the room
and made a ceremonious bow.
ceremony n. 1 rite, observance, solemnity, service, ceremonial, ritual,
formality, function; obsequies: I had to attend my
grandmother's funeral ceremony and was absent from school. 2
motions, formalities or formality, conventions or convention,
niceties, proprieties, form, protocol; lip-service, appearances,
pro formas, etiquette, decorum: Going through the ceremony is
all they want - they don't care what you believe. Please sign
even if only for ceremony's sake.
certain adj. 1 determined, set, fixed, predetermined, decided, settled,
firm, stable, invariable, established, standard, constant,
unchanging, steady, unfluctuating, non-fluctuating, traditional:
He agreed to pay a certain yearly rent. She met him there every
day at a certain time. 2 sure, unerring, definite, dependable,
trustworthy, unfailing, infallible, reliable, assured,
guaranteed: How do you know that the dividend is certain? 3
sure, inevitable, inescapable, destined, predestined,
ineluctable, inexorable, unavoidable, definite, firm;
unchanging, changeless, infallible, permanent, Colloq on the
cards, a sure thing, US in the cards: It is not always certain
that justice will triumph. Nothing is certain but death and
taxes. 4 indubitable, indisputable, undisputed, undoubted, sure,
doubtless, unequivocal, incontestable, undeniable,
incontrovertible, absolute, irrefutable, unquestionable,
unquestioned, unarguable, valid: It is certain only that we
exist, according to Descartes. 5 confident; assured, sure,
positive, definite: I am certain that she did not steal the
money. 6 specific, particular, definite; unnamed, unspecified,
non-specified, non-specific: He gave us certain information
which we now have reason to doubt.
certainty n. 1 fact, actuality, reality, truth, Colloq sure thing: I
would not advise you to neglect a certainty for something
doubtful. 2 assurance, self-assurance, definiteness,
confidence, conviction, faith, authoritativeness, positiveness,
certitude: The certainty with which he played the card showed
he expected it to be a winner. 3 for a certainty. assuredly,
definitely, certainly, surely, positively; undoubtedly,
indubitably, without (a) doubt, undeniably, unquestionably,
absolutely, Colloq for sure: I know for a certainty that I
cannot fly.
certify v. 1 confirm, attest (to), verify, testify (to), affirm, aver,
asseverate, corroborate, substantiate, endorse, guarantee,
warrant; swear (to), bear witness (to), vouchsafe, vouch (for):
I will certify the accuracy of the report. She certified that
she was the owner of the car. 2 declare, classify, establish,
confirm: The magistrate certified the man insane.
chafe v. 1 rub, warm (up), heat (up): I took the chill off my hands
by chafing them a bit. 2 rub, abrade, fret, gall, irritate,
make sore: The skin is very tender where it was chafed. 3
fume, rage, seethe; ruffle, vex, fret, irritate: I chafed in
impotent rage and exasperation at the ridiculous regulations.
To chafe and vex me is a part of her nature.
--n. 4 sore, abrasion, bruise, soreness, irritation: The
saddle caused a chafe on the inside of my thigh.
chaff n. 1 banter, raillery, ridicule, badinage, joking, teasing,
twitting, Colloq kidding, ragging, Chiefly US and Canadian
joshing: After the speech, he had to put up with a lot of
good-natured chaff from the audience.
--v. 2 banter, tease, twit, rail at, Colloq kid, rag, Chiefly
US and Canadian josh: When he was in the navy, his family
chaffed him for having a girl in every port.
chain n. 1 string, series, combination; sequence, succession, train,
course, set, concatenation: He owns a chain of bookshops.
Interruption of the food chain can cause serious ecological
consequences. A curious chain of circumstances led me to a small
hotel at Torquay in February. 2 restraint, check, trammel,
control, confinement, fetter, bond, manacle, shackle, gyve: The
family finally threw off the chains of poverty.
--v. 3 shackle, secure, fasten, bind, gyve; confine, fetter,
restrain, confine, restrict, tie, limit: Prometheus was chained
to a rock as punishment for having brought fire to man.
Marguerite felt chained after twenty years of marriage.
chair n. 1 seat, armchair, stool, bench, easy chair, rocking-chair:
He offered me a chair so I sat down. 2 throne, bench, position,
cathedra, authority; professorship, directorship: Sue has been
offered a chair on the board. 3 chairperson, chairman,
chairwoman, presiding officer, leader, moderator: The chair
ruled on the matter after due consideration.
--v. 4 preside, lead, govern, moderate, run, direct, manage,
oversee: Katherine will chair the meetings during the absence
of the president.
challenge v. 1 question, dispute, defy, object to, take exception to,
contest, doubt, call into doubt, call into or to question,
impugn: I challenge the validity of your accusation. 2 invite,
dare, summon, call out, provoke: The duke was challenged to a
duel. 3 brave, dare, confront, defy, contest: We could
challenge criticism with an easy confidence.
--n. 4 question, dispute, doubt: His opinions are open to
challenge. 5 invitation, dare, summons, provocation,
confrontation, defiance; ultimatum: An older opponent might not
have issued such a challenge. 6 problem, demand, stimulation,
trial, test: Are you sure that Mr Wilson will be able to meet
the challenge of the new position?
chamber n. 1 assembly, body, legislature, judicature, house, congress,
judiciary, senate, diet; consortium: She is entitled to sit in
the Upper Chamber. 2 meeting-hall, reception room, assembly
room: The council chamber was packed with people. 3
compartment, niche, nook, cavity: We hid the gold in a small
chamber in the cave. 4 room, apartment; bedroom, bedchamber:
On the first floor are the magnificent royal chambers.
champion n. 1 victor, winner, conqueror, title-holder, prizewinner,
titleist: She is the women's singles champion for the fourth
year in a row. 2 defender, guardian, protector, hero,
supporter, backer, protagonist, advocate: He acquired a
reputation as champion of the low-paid. 3 fighter, combatant,
hero, warrior, campaigner, veteran: A stouter champion never
handled a sword. The boar is often regarded as the champion
among beasts.
--v. 4 defend, protect, guard; support, back, stand up for,
fight for, maintain, sustain, uphold; espouse, forward, promote,
advocate: He has always championed the cause of the underdog.
chance n. 1 fortune, luck, fate: We met, as chance would have it, at
the supermarket. Life is but a game of chance for those who
cannot control their destiny. 2 opportunity, time, turn;
occasion: You have had your chance to return the money, now it
is too late. 3 Also, chances. likelihood, probability,
prospect, odds, certainty, predictability; conceivability,
possibility: Chances are that he'll be late. The chance of
winning the lottery is pretty remote. 4 Also, chances. risk,
speculation, gamble: You are taking a chance going out there
without a weapon. I'll take my chances. 5 by chance. a
accidentally, unintentionally, inadvertently: By chance the
witness saw him talking to the suspect. b perhaps, maybe,
possibly, conceivably: Have you by chance a match?
--adj. 6 casual, incidental, accidental, unintentional,
inadvertent; unplanned, unpremeditated, unexpected, unforeseen;
unlooked-for: The affair began with a chance meeting at a pub.
--v. 7 happen; occur, come to pass, take place, come about;
befall, betide: We chanced to see him jogging in the park. It
chanced that a passer-by called the police. 8 risk, hazard;
imperil, endanger, jeopardize, stake, bet, wager: Few would
chance severe penalties or jail by lying on a tax return. Don't
chance everything you've worked for!
change n. 1 substitution, replacement, exchange, interchange, switch:
You have five minutes for a change of costume. This sunny
weather is certainly a change for the better. 2 variation,
difference, switch, variety, novelty: We prefer to live where
there is a change of the seasons, not in the tropics. 3
variation, alteration, change-over, mutation, shift, modulation,
modification, transformation, metamorphosis, revolution: I
can't believe the change that has come over Betty since the
divorce. 4 coin(s), coppers, silver; (hard) cash: I need some
change for the coffee machine.
--v. 5 exchange, interchange, switch, trade; replace (with),
substitute, Colloq swap or swop: I won't be a minute, I just
want to change my shoes. I'd like to change this shirt for a
larger size. 6 modify, alter, modulate; mutate, transform,
metamorphose: Antoinette has changed since her marriage. I
never thought anyone would be able to make her change her mind.
7 fluctuate, shift, vary; vacillate: The temperature often
changes very rapidly here. 8 change to or into. turn into,
become, transform, mutate, transmute, convert, metamorphose:
The alchemists tried to change base metal into gold. Every
winter changes into spring - sooner or later.
changeable
adj. 1 variable, mutable, protean, inconstant, unstable,
unsettled, shifting, uncertain, irregular, uneven,
unpredictable, labile, capricious, erratic, fickle, unreliable,
undependable, mercurial, volatile: The weather has been
changeable for the past week. 2 alterable, modifiable,
transformable, convertible: Their meeting-places were
changeable and known only to them.
changeless
adj. 1 unchanging, unvaried, eternal, permanent, fixed, stable;
unchangeable, immutable, unalterable, inevitable, uniform: We
studied photographs of the changeless Martian landscape. The
fundamental truths of the Gospel are changeless. 2 abiding,
permanent, constant, perpetual, everlasting, steadfast,
unvarying, unchanging: Nothing could alter my changeless love
for you.
channel n. 1 watercourse, canal, waterway, ditch, aqueduct, sluice,
trench, trough, gutter, moat; river-bed, stream-bed: The
engineers dug a channel to drain the swamp. 2 strait, narrows,
neck: The English Channel connects the North Sea with the
Atlantic Ocean. 3 furrow, groove, flute: The channels cut into
this column are not straight. 4 course, means, way, approach,
avenue, medium, path, artery, conduit: We have to open a new
channel of communication with the terrorists.
--v. 5 direct, convey, pass, guide, lead, conduct: Their
grievances are being channelled through the information officer.
chant n. 1 song, psalm, hymn, canticle, plainsong, plainchant,
mantra, paean, dirge, monody, descant, carol; singsong: The war
chant of the natives, echoing over the water, struck fear into
their enemies.
--v. 2 sing, intone, descant, carol: The choir chanted the
verses of a lugubrious threnody.
chaos n. formlessness, disorder, confusion; pandemonium, bedlam,
turmoil, tumult; entropy: The universe arose out of chaos. If
you want to see chaos, look in any teenager's bedroom. There was
chaos as the bank closed its doors and ceased trading.
chaotic adj. 1 formless, shapeless, incoherent, disordered, disorderly,
disorganized, unorganized, unsystematic, unsystematized,
unmethodical, haphazard, irregular, helter-skelter, confused,
topsy-turvy, jumbled, higgledy-piggledy, Brit shambolic: The
present solar system is thought to have condensed from a chaotic
mass of nebulous matter. The rules may seem chaotic at first
sight. 2 tumultuous, noisy, clamorous, uproarious, wild,
riotous, frenzied, hectic, turbulent, unstuck: The press
conference became chaotic when the president announced his
resignation.
chap n. fellow, lad, man, boy, Colloq guy, geezer, customer, gink,
Brit bloke, Australian cove, US buddy, gazabo or gazebo;
Old-fashioned Brit (old) egg, (old) bean, (old) crumpet, (old)
boy; Slang US bozo: I went with some of the chaps from the
club.
character n. 1 brand, stamp, mark, symbol, monogram, insigne, badge,
emblem, sign, seal, label; letter, number, figure, type, sort,
arbitrary, peculiar, rune, hieroglyphic or hieroglyph: They
used to brand the character of a horse on the forehead of their
slaves. We shall need to obtain a set of Cyrillic characters if
we are going to print Russian texts. 2 characteristic, quality,
distinction, trait, feature, mark; sort, kind, type, nature,
description, attribute; idiosyncrasy, peculiarity: He now tried
to give the war the character of a crusade. It is the character
of some people to be curious. 3 morality, honesty, integrity,
respectability, rectitude, honour, courage, goodness: Everyone
agrees that she is a person of outstanding character. 4 person,
personage, personality, individual: Cobbett had more sagacity
and foresight than any other public character of his time. 5
role, part, personality, characterization, dramatis persona: He
played the character of Caesar. 6 eccentric, card, Colloq
oddball, nut, nutter, loony, bat, weirdo, nutcase, screwball,
crackpot, fruit cake, Australian and old-fashioned Brit cove:
She was regarded as quite a character because of her many
strange habits. 7 role, position, status, capacity: He assumes
the character of a Dutch uncle when he speaks to me. 8 in
character. fitting, proper, suitable, in keeping, typical,
normal, expected, characteristic: It is completely in character
for Len to criticize everything he encounters. 9 out of
character. untypical, atypical, uncharacteristic, abnormal,
unexpected, unfitting: It would be out of character for Janet
to refuse help to someone in need.
characteristic
adj. 1 typical, representative; emblematic, symbolic,
distinctive, idiosyncratic, symptomatic: How characteristic it
is of them to refuse to go to the dance! These subjects are
characteristic of the early Impressionists.
--n. 2 mark, trait, attribute, feature, quality, property,
peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, character, earmark: It is a
characteristic of bees to swarm.
characterize
v. delineate, describe, portray, depict, represent, define,
brand, label, mark, note, identify: She has consistently
characterized him as a buffoon. 'Virago' is the term that would
best characterize Felicity.
charade n. travesty, absurdity, mockery, farce, parody: He has made a
charade of what could have been a serious relationship.
charge n. 1 load, burden, weight, onus, impediment; care, concern,
obligation: She feared that she would become a charge on her
children. 2 price, fee, cost: What is the charge for
admission? 3 debt, debit, expense, assessment, liability: Any
charge against the estate of the deceased will be paid in full.
4 care, custody, protection, guardianship, wardship,
supervision, jurisdiction, control, responsibility, safe
keeping: We left the children in the charge of Nanny and Nanny
in charge of the children. 5 order, mandate, injunction,
precept, command, dictate, direction, instruction, demand,
exhortation: The judge's charge to the jury was to ignore the
evidence given by the caretaker. 6 accusation, imputation,
indictment, allegation: The charge is murder. The police
decided to drop the charges against him. 7 attack, onset,
action, assault, sally, raid, foray, sortie: At the signal the
cavalry began their charge.
--v. 8 fill, imbue, load, instil, pervade, permeate, saturate,
suffuse: The air was highly charged with a stench from the
kitchen. 9 burden, entrust, commission, assign; afflict, tax:
He was charged with the supervision of all the military schools.
10 command, order, bid, enjoin, exhort, urge, require, instruct,
direct: I charge you not to speak of this matter to anyone. 11
blame, censure, accuse; indict, cite, name; allege, assert: She
charged him with being a hypocrite. He has been charged with
assault. It is charged that she was present at the commission of
the crime. 12 bill, invoice, assess, debit: Please charge these
items to my account. Do not charge me for merchandise not
shipped. 13 ask, demand, claim, require, expect: How much do
they charge for asparagus at the supermarket? 14 attack,
assault, storm, assail, do battle (with): Four thousand
horsemen stood ready to charge the enemy.
charitable
adj. 1 generous, liberal, bountiful, munificent, unselfish,
open-handed, magnanimous, philanthropic, public-spirited,
unsparing, eleemosynary: Despite her income, Irena has always
been most charitable when it comes to worthwhile causes. 2
well-disposed, kindly, kind, beneficent, benevolent,
well-wishing, lenient, tolerant, forgiving, indulgent,
understanding, compassionate, humane, sympathetic, considerate,
well-meaning, good: They took a charitable view of the matter
and decided not to press charges.
charity n. 1 generosity, alms-giving, munificence, liberality,
open-handedness, magnanimity, beneficence, philanthropy,
unselfishness, humanity, humanitarianism, good will: Your
charity towards this hospital has been unequalled by any other
donor, Sir Keith. 2 leniency, big-heartedness,
large-heartedness, benevolence, magnanimity, indulgence,
considerateness, consideration, compassion, understanding,
sympathy, kind-heartedness: We are all urged to show charity
towards those who wrong us. 3 alms, donation, contribution,
largesse, Colloq Brit dole, US welfare, relief: I want the
opportunity to work, not the government's charity.
charm n. 1 amulet, talisman, fetish, rabbit's foot, good-luck piece:
She wears a charm to ward off evil spirits. 2 attractiveness,
appeal, fascination, allure, magnetism, desirability, elegance,
urbanity, sophistication, sophisticatedness, suavity, grace,
refinement, cultivatedness, cultivation, culture, polish; magic,
enchantment, spell, sorcery: To Diderot we go not for charm of
style but for a store of fertile ideas. To get ahead Colin
relies more on his charm than on his ability. 3 charms. beauty,
attractiveness, pulchritude, prettiness, handsomeness, appeal,
allure, magnetism, pull, draw: For all her charm, I would not
trust her one inch. 4 like a charm. successfully, perfectly,
miraculously, marvellously, extraordinarily, especially well:
His appeal to their egos worked like a charm.
--v. 5 influence, control, subdue, bind, put a spell on,
bewitch, enchant, seduce, hypnotize, mesmerize, enthral or US
enthrall, captivate, delight, fascinate, Literary enrapture: He
charmed them with some tale and they gave him their money. 6
overcome, subdue, calm, soothe, allay, assuage, hypnotize,
mesmerize: Music is said to have qualities capable of charming
savages.
charmed adj. 1 bewitched, spellbound, enchanted, magical: Apollonius
considered the use of charmed rings essential to quackery. 2
fortified, protected: He must lead a charmed life to have
survived all those battles. 3 pleased, delighted, enchanted,
happy: I am charmed to meet you at last, Madam President.
charmer n. enchanter, enchantress, sorcerer, sorceress, magician; vamp,
siren, Circe, Cleopatra, Lorelei, temptress, seductress;
seducer, Romeo, Valentino, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova,
lady-killer, ladies' man; flatterer; smooth talker, Colloq
(big-time) operator, con artist or man, Old-fashioned smoothie,
wolf: Charlotte has run off with some charmer she met at a
party.
chart n. 1 sea-chart, map: According to the chart, we are fifty
miles west of the Lizard. 2 map, table, tabulation, graph,
diagram; blueprint: A weather chart appears on page 23. Here is
a chart of the highest-yielding unit trusts. She drew up a
genealogical chart of the descendants of Queen Victoria.
--v. 3 plot, plan, map (out), design: He charted a course of
action for the company. Have you charted the shortest route
between Gibraltar and Cyprus?
charter n. 1 document, contract, compact, agreement, covenant: This
year we again commemorate the signing of the United Nations
charter. 2 permit, permission, licence or US license, authority,
franchise, right, privilege, concession: He was given an
exclusive charter to export furs in 1679. 3 lease, contract:
We have the yacht under charter for the summer.
--v. 4 license, authorize, document, commission, approve,
certify, franchise, qualify; recognize: He is a chartered
accountant, she a chartered surveyor. 5 let, lease, rent, hire,
engage, contract: I chartered the sloop for three weeks.
chase n. 1 hunting, hunt, pursuit: Police dogs entered the chase and
the prisoner was finally caught. 2 run after, follow, pursue,
track, go (out) after; court, woo: The police were chasing a
man down the street. Stop chasing women and settle down. 3 chase
away, off, out, etc. rout, put to flight, hound; drive away,
off, out, etc.: I chased the cat away from the birdcage.
chaste adj. 1 pure, virginal, virgin, celibate, abstinent, continent,
virtuous, undefiled, stainless, unstained, unsullied,
unblemished, decent, clean, good, wholesome, moral: Only a
knight who was wholly chaste would find the Grail. 2 subdued,
severe, restrained, unadorned, austere, unembellished, simple,
pure, undecorated, clean: In some respects, modern architecture
emulates the chaste style of the ancient Egyptians.
chasten v. 1 discipline, correct, chastise, punish, castigate: He used
every means to chasten the unruly and disobedient. 2 moderate,
temper, subdue, curb, restrain, repress, tame, suppress: I am
not as sanguine as I was - time and experience have chastened
me.
chastise v. punish, beat, thrash, belabour or US belabor, spank, whip,
flog, scourge, birch, cane; discipline, chasten, correct,
censure, berate, scold: Pupils are not being chastised as in
the old days.
chastity n. purity, continence, virginity, maidenhood, maidenhead,
virtue, celibacy, abstinence, abstention, abstemiousness,
restraint, self-restraint, forbearance: She was a nun and had
taken a vow of chastity.
chat n. 1 conversation, colloquy, talk, small talk, gossip, palaver,
chit-chat, t€te-…-t€te, heart-to-heart, Colloq gab, Chiefly Brit
chin-wag, confab, Brit witter, natter, US and Canadian rap,
gabfest, bull session: We'd get together for a chat every now
and then.
--v. 2 converse, gossip, talk, chit-chat, Colloq gab, chew the
fat or the rag, jaw, Brit witter, natter; Slang US and Canadian
rap, bullshit: We were just chatting when I smelt something
burning. 3 Brit chat up. flirt or dally with, persuade, induce,
prevail upon, tempt, lure, entice, inveigle, seduce,
proposition: Rick chats up every girl he meets.
chatter v. 1 prattle, gabble, jabber, prate, patter, gibber, cackle,
jibber-jabber, Brit chaffer, Colloq gab, jaw, Brit natter,
witter, rabbit on or away, waffle: He just kept chattering on
about nothing. 2 clatter, rattle: It was so cold my teeth were
chattering.
--n. 3 prattle, prate, patter, gossip, cackle, jabbering,
chattering: I don't want to hear any more chatter in the
library.
cheap adj. 1 inexpensive, low-priced, bargain-priced, low-cost,
sale-priced, cut-price, reasonable; economy, budget(-priced):
He was chewing on a cheap cigar. Everything used to be a lot
cheaper when I was younger. 2 economical; reduced: Eggs are
cheaper by the dozen. 3 shoddy, base, shabby, tawdry, sleazy,
tatty, seedy; inferior, low-grade, poor, second-rate, trashy,
worthless, Brit twopenny or tuppenny; Colloq tacky, Brit tinpot,
Slang US two-bit, lousy, chintzy: Those cheap pictures ruin the
look of the place. 4 stingy, miserly, penurious, niggardly,
penny-pinching, cheese-paring, frugal, tight, tight-fisted,
Scrooge-like, skinflinty: That cheap brother of yours wouldn't
give even a penny to a beggar.
--adv. 5 inexpensively, cheaply, for a song, Brit for twopence
or tuppence: You can buy those cheap from any street vendor. 6
cheaply, easily, reasonably, for a song, Brit for twopence or
tuppence: She has sold cheap that which she holds most dear.
--n. 7 on the cheap. inexpensively, reasonably, cheaply, at or
below cost, for a song, Brit for twopence or tuppence; Slang for
peanuts: We buy these watches on the cheap and sell them to
tourists.
cheat n. 1 swindler, deceiver, impostor, fraud, faker, fake,
swindler, trickster, confidence man, con man, operator,
charlatan, mountebank, rogue, shark, Colloq phoney or US also
phony, US snake-oil artist: It is amazing how many cheats are
out there waiting to take advantage of you.
--v. 2 swindle, deceive, bilk, trick, con, take, fleece,
defraud, euchre, hoax, hoodwink, Colloq con, take in, rook,
flimflam, finagle, diddle, fiddle, move the goalposts,
bamboozle, take for a ride; Slang rip off: His own solicitor
cheated him out of his inheritance. If you paid ten pounds for
that painting, you were cheated.
check v. 1 stop, arrest, stay, halt, obstruct, block, limit; retard,
slow, brake, curb, hinder, hamper, impede, thwart: They are
trying to check the spread of the disease in West Africa. 2
restrain, control, repress, stay, inhibit, contain, curb,
restrict: The animal population is checked only by availability
of food. 3 authenticate, verify, confirm, substantiate,
validate, corroborate, check into, check out, check up on:
Please check his story to make sure he's not lying. 4 enquire
about or after or into, check into, check (up) on, examine,
investigate, inspect, make sure of, verify, monitor, test,
study, scrutinize: You'd best check the temperature in the
kiln. 5 correspond, coincide, agree, jibe, tally, conform,
check out, fit, mesh; compare: His alibi doesn't check with the
witness's statement. 6 check in. arrive, report: We check in
for work at 0800. 7 check in or into. register, sign in or on,
enrol, log in: We checked into the hotel. 8 check into.
investigate, check out, check up on, verify, check: The
detective checked into the backgrounds of all applicants. 9
check off. tick (off), mark, check: Check off the names in red.
10 check out. a depart, leave; go: He checked out of the hotel
and took a taxi to the airport. b investigate, research,
explore, enquire into, look into or at or over, scrutinize,
examine, inspect, probe, survey, check up on, check, check into,
check over: You had best check out her references before hiring
her. c pass, pass muster or scrutiny, meet approval, be
verified, check: According to our records, his story checks
out. d Slang cash in one's checks or chips, kick the bucket,
croak: Sam checked out last week - heart attack, I think. 11
check over or out. review, verify, authenticate, check: Please
check over my figures before I submit them to the accountant.
12 check up (on). a investigate, do research, probe, explore,
check: I don't know her name, but I'll check up and let you
know. b determine, discover, find out, look into, check: I
want you to check up on where they eat lunch.
--n. 13 stop, stopping, cease, surcease, hesitation, cessation,
stoppage, interruption, break, pause, balk or baulk,
discontinuity, discontinuation, discontinuance, suspension: The
visitors continued to arrive without check, far into the night.
14 restraint, repression, inhibition, limitation, curb,
restriction, control, constraint, hindrance, obstruction,
impediment, damper: He keeps a good check on the foreman. This
tax will serve as a check against free trade. 15 control, test,
inspection, examination, scrutiny, verification, substantiation,
authentication, confirmation, validation, corroboration: We do
a thorough check on the quality of every product. 16 US tick,
mark, dash, X: Place a check in the box alongside your choice.
17 token, receipt, counterfoil, stub; voucher, chit,
certificate: Don't lose your baggage check. 18 chip, counter:
Let's cash in our checks and go home. 19 Chiefly US bill, tab,
charge(s): In the U.S.A., people generally add 15 per cent to
the check for a tip.
cheeky adj. impudent, impertinent, insolent, audacious, disrespectful,
rude, uncivil, forward, brazen, pert, saucy: That cheeky little
brat told me to get lost!
cheer n. 1 disposition, frame of mind, spirit: They were of good
cheer, considering their predicament. 2 cheerfulness, gladness,
mirth, joy, gaiety, blitheness, happiness, buoyancy,
light-heartedness, merrymaking: There wasn't much cheer at the
pub when we learnt of what had befallen poor Grover. 3 comfort,
solace, encouragement, consolation: She brought in a little
breath of cheer from the outside world. 4 shout, cry, hurrah,
rah, huzzah, hurray or hooray: Three cheers for Penelope!
--v. 5 comfort, console, solace, encourage, inspirit, warm,
Colloq buck up: Your friendly note cheered me considerably. 6
gladden, enliven, cheer up, hearten, buoy up, brighten, elate,
brighten, uplift, lift up: Let thy heart cheer thee in the days
of thy youth. 7 applaud, shout, hurrah, clap, yell; Colloq Brit
and Australian and New Zealand barrack for: The crowd cheered
for five minutes when Mr Flews stood to speak.
cheerful adj. 1 joyous, glad, gladsome, blithesome, blithe, happy,
cheery, of good cheer, joyful, jolly, exuberant, jubilant,
gleeful, gay, light-hearted, merry: I am pleased to see that
Agatha is so cheerful. Why do you cry at weddings, which are
supposed to be such cheerful occasions? 2 cheering, gladdening,
animating, bright, enlivening, cheery, gay, buoyant,
invigorating: She has redecorated the bedroom in more cheerful
colours.
chequered adj. 1 chequer-board, checked; patchwork; plaid, tartan: You
cannot use a chequered tablecloth for a formal dinner. 2
variegated, diversified, alternating, variable, good and bad,
varying, fluctuating, up and down; uncertain: David Williams
had a rather chequered career in the army.
cherish v. 1 treasure, hold or keep dear, prize: I know that she
cherishes every moment you were together. 2 foster, tend,
cultivate, preserve, sustain, nurture, nourish, nurse, cosset:
For their sweetness gillyflowers are cherished in gardens. We
cherish little Edward and probably spoil him a bit too much.
chest n. 1 box, coffer, trunk, strongbox, caddy, casket, case: It
took four men to carry the chest outside, where we could open
it. Martha kept her jewels in a small chest on the dresser. 2
breast; thorax: The wrestler was pounding his chest and
shouting 'I am the greatest!'
chew v. 1 masticate, grind, munch; bite, gnaw: Make sure to chew
each mouthful thoroughly. The puppy chewed up my slipper. 2 chew
the fat or rag. gossip, palaver, chat, converse, talk, Slang US
and Canadian bullshit: We sat round the fire and chewed the fat
all evening. 3 chew out. scold, rebuke, reprimand: The
sergeant chewed out the recruit because his boots were dirty. 4
chew over. think about or on or over, consider, review, ponder,
ruminate on, meditate on or over: I'll chew over your proposal
and let you know.
chic adj. 1 stylish, fashionable, … la mode, modish, smart,
tasteful, elegant; sophisticated; Colloq trendy: Susanna was
always a chic dresser.
--n. 2 style, fashion, good taste, tastefulness, elegance,
stylishness, modishness: There is an air of chic about him that
repels many men but attracts many women.
chicanery n. trickery, sophistry, deception, quibbling, sharp practice,
cheating, deviousness, duplicity, pettifoggery, double-dealing,
artifice, skulduggery: They lost the case because of the
chicanery of their lawyers.
chief n. 1 head, leader, principal, superior, supervisor,
superintendent, manager, overseer, captain, master, ringleader,
chieftain, Dialect himself, Colloq boss, bossman, Brit governor,
gov., supremo, US man, kingpin, (head or chief) honcho, number
one, numero uno, headman, big White Chief, big Chief, Great
White Father, big Daddy, super; Slang big cheese, Brit gaffer,
Chiefly US Mr Big: You'd best ask the chief for permission to
fly to Rome.
--adj. 2 head, leading, ranking, superior, supreme, foremost,
premier, first, greatest, outstanding: Terry is your chief
competition for the singles trophy. 3 principal, most
important, essential, key, paramount, (first and) foremost,
primary, prime, main: The chief reason I came was to see you.
Here is a list of the chief crimes committed in the area last
year.
chiefly adv. mainly, in particular, especially, particularly, above
all, most of all, pre-eminently, principally, primarily, mostly,
predominantly, largely, by and large, on the whole, in the main,
generally, in general, usually, as a rule: Inflation affected
chiefly the price of food. The Anatomy of Melancholy consists
chiefly of quotations.
child n. 1 offspring, descendant, son or daughter, little one,
youngster, Formal progeny, issue, Colloq kid, nipper, Slang Brit
sprog: How many children do you have? 2 foetus, newborn,
neonate, infant, baby, babe, toddler, boy or girl, lad or lass,
stripling, youngster, youth, juvenile, adolescent, teenager,
young man or woman, young gentleman or lady, Chiefly Scots
laddie or lassie: No children were born in the village for five
years. These miscreants are mere children, who should not be
punished as adults.
childhood n. infancy, babyhood, boyhood or girlhood, youth, puberty,
minority, adolescence, teens: During her childhood the family
moved to Kent. She spent most of her childhood dreaming about
travelling to the moon.
childish adj. childlike, juvenile, puerile, infantile, babyish;
immature, inexperienced, na‹ve, undeveloped, underdeveloped,
retarded; silly, US sophomoric: They thought his reaction to
their criticism was childish and petulant.
childlike adj. youthful, young, innocent, trustful, ingenuous,
unsophisticated, na‹ve, trusting, credulous, open,
undissembling, unassuming, guileless, artless: There is a
childlike simplicity to some primitive paintings.
chill n. 1 coldness, cold, coolness, sharpness, nip: We put on our
jackets to ward off the chill of the evening. 2 cold, flu,
influenza, (la or the) grippe, ague, Technical coryza, Colloq
(the) sniffles, sneezles and wheezles: Take off those wet
clothes before you catch a chill. 3 coolness, iciness,
frigidity, aloofness; unfriendliness, hostility: Mrs Marlow
felt the chill in the stare of her husband's ex-wife.
--adj. 4 cold, cool, numbing, chilling, chilly, raw,
penetrating, icy, frigid, wintry, frosty, arctic, polar,
glacial: A chill easterly wind made me shiver. 5 shivering,
chilled (through), numb, numbed, numbing, benumbed: She kissed
me with a lip more chill than stone. 6 cold, cold-blooded,
aloof, indifferent, insensitive, unemotional, unsympathetic;
chilly: The prison commandant viewed the corpses with chill
detachment.
--v. 7 cool, freeze, refrigerate, ice: The fruit tastes better
if it has been chilled. 8 dampen, dispirit, depress, deject,
dishearten, distress: The news of mother's illness chilled us
all.
chilly adj. 1 cool, coldish, cold, frigid, nippy, frosty, icy, crisp,
chill: The weather has been quite chilly for May. 2 chill,
unenthusiastic, unresponsive, unreceptive, frosty, unwelcoming,
crisp, cool, cold, unfriendly, hostile; distant, aloof: The
suggestion that the charity fair be held in her garden met with
a chilly response from Lady Griffiths.
chime n. 1 bell, set of bells, carillon, ring, peal: Our church has
a full chime of eight bells. 2 ringing, peal, chiming, tolling,
tintinnabulation, clanging, ding-dong, striking; tinkle, jingle,
jangle: We could hear the chimes of Big Ben from our hotel
room.
--v. 3 ring, peal, toll, sound, tintinnabulate, clang, strike:
The clock chimed on the hour. 4 mark, denote, indicate,
announce: The carillon chimed the hour at noon. 5 chime in. a
join in, blend, harmonize: When singing this round, chime in at
the third bar. b interrupt, intercede, intrude, interfere,
break in, Colloq chip in; Slang butt in: I was about to speak
when he chimed in with some silly remark.
chink n. fissure, rift, crack, crevice, gap, opening, cleft, slit,
aperture, cranny: We could see daylight through a chink in the
fence.
chip n. 1 fragment, piece, shard or sherd, splinter, flake, sliver,
scrap, morsel, bit: A chip of slate rattled down off the roof.
2 counter, marker, token; plaque, US check: He put his chip on
number 14.
--v. 3 chisel, whittle, hew: He chipped away at the stone till
it fitted perfectly into the hole. 4 chip in. a contribute;
participate: All the neighbours chipped in to pay for the
street decorations. b interrupt, break in, intrude, interfere,
intercede, interpose, Colloq chime in: Clive chipped in with
his usual silly comment.
chirp v. 1 tweet, peep, twitter, chirrup, warble, trill, cheep,
chitter, chirr, pipe: I was awakened by the birds, chirping
away in the forest.
--n. 2 tweet, peep, twitter, chirrup, warble, trill, cheep,
chitter, chirr: The canary gave two chirps and jumped onto its
perch.
chisel v. 1 carve, cut, pare, groove, shape, engrave, grave: He was
chiselling the figure of an eagle out of the board. 2 cheat,
defraud, swindle, bilk, trick, fool, dupe, gull, Colloq
bamboozle: The gamblers chiselled him out of a week's wages.
chivalrous
adj. courtly, gracious, courteous, polite, gallant, noble,
knightly, gentlemanly, considerate, kind, charitable,
magnanimous: It was quite chivalrous of you to drive me home.
chivalry n. knight-errantry; honour, bravery, courage, courtesy,
politeness, courtliness, gallantry, nobility, virtuousness,
righteousness, justness, fairness, impartiality, equitableness:
All the noble sentiments blended together constitute chivalry.
choice n. 1 selection, election, preference, choosing, pick,
acceptance: I don't care for his choice of language. 2 option,
realm of possibilities; alternative, voice, determination: She
was given no choice in selecting her husband. 3 pick, ‚lite,
flower, best, select, cream, crЉme de la crЉme: The king's
guard is made up from the choice of the kingdom.
--adj. 4 select, exquisite, special, superior, prime,
high-quality, excellent, pre-eminent, best, prize, first-rate,
exceptional, preferred, desirable, ideal, rare, Colloq Brit
plummy: She has the choicest wines in her cellar. 5 selected,
select, hand-picked, well-chosen, fit, appropriate, fitting:
The eulogy was disposed of in a few choice words.
choke v. 1 suffocate, asphyxiate, smother, stifle, strangle,
throttle, garrotte or garrote or garotte, burke: He choked his
elderly victims, then stole their money. 2 stop, fill (up),
block (up), obstruct, congest, clog, dam (up), constrict: The
channel is completely choked with weeds. 3 Also, choke off.
smother, suppress, stifle, prohibit, frustrate, deny, obviate,
cut off, stop, put a stop to; dissuade, discourage: His
policies choked off any chance for innovation. 4 choke back or
down. suppress, repress, stifle, restrain: He choked back the
tears when he saw the gravestone.
choose v. select, elect, pick (out), determine, judge; decide, prefer,
opt, settle upon or on: She had the right to choose the course
that seemed the best to her. Given the options, I chose to stay.
choosy adj. selective, discriminating, discerning, fastidious, finicky
or finical, particular, fussy, demanding, exacting, difficult,
hard to please , Colloq picky: If you weren't so choosy, you
wouldn't have to pay so much.
chop v. 1 Also, chop away or down or off. cut, hack, hew, lop, crop,
cleave, sever: Chop away that underbrush. I tried to chop off
the end. Don't chop down that tree! 2 Also, chop up. mince;
dice, cube; hash: Chop up the parsley very fine before adding
it to the sauce.
--n. 3 cut, blow, stroke: With a quick chop of the axe, the
branch was severed.
christen v. 1 baptize, anoint: They are going to christen the baby next
week. 2 name, call, dub: The child was christened Madelaine.
The highest peak in Wales is christened Snowdon.
chronic adj. 1 long-lasting, long-standing, lingering, inveterate,
persistent, continuing, lasting, long-lived: The doctor said
that the condition, for which there is no cure, is chronic. 2
inveterate, persistent, dyed in the wool, confirmed, habitual,
hardened: Abby is a chronic liar.
chronicle n. 1 record, history, diary, chronology, account, narrative,
description, report, register, annal(s), archive: She has
written a chronicle of the events leading up to the War of
Jenkins' Ear.
--v. 2 record, register, list, enter, archive, document,
describe; tell, recount, narrate, report, relate, retail: In
the Iliad Homer chronicled the legends of the Trojan War.
chronology
n. account, record, calendar, almanac, journal, log; sequence:
Describe the chronology of events preceding your discovery of
the body.
chubby adj. podgy or US pudgy; stumpy, stubby, chunky, tubby, plump,
dumpy, thickset, heavy-set, heavy, ample, overweight: She was a
bit chubby when a teenager but became a professional model when
she was 21.
chuckle v. 1 laugh, chortle, crow, snigger, giggle, titter: Robin
always chuckled when the subject of embezzlement came up.
--n. 2 chuckling, laugh, chortle, crowing, giggle; laughter,
snigger, sniggering: It was hard to resist a chuckle when we
saw the looks on their faces.
chum n. 1 friend, comrade, companion; confidant(e), familiar;
fellow, colleague, Colloq pal, sidekick, Chiefly Brit and
Australian and New Zealand mate, Chiefly US and Canadian buddy:
I invited a chum of mine for the weekend.
--v. 2 Often, chum around. associate, Colloq pal (around):
Yes, we used to chum around together in the army. 3 chum up
with. ally (oneself) with, be friendly with, go with, associate
with, Colloq pal (up or about or around) with, US team up with:
Lionel chummed up with Ashley to go swimming.
chummy adj. friendly, sociable, intimate, close, thick, Colloq pally,
US palsy-walsy, buddy-buddy: You were very chummy with Peter
once, weren't you?
chute n. 1 waterfall, rapid: The canoe skimmed down the chute with
lightning speed. 2 slide, shaft, channel, ramp, runway, trough,
incline: The parcels come down this chute and you have to sort
them by postcode.
circle n. 1 disc or chiefly US disk, ring, hoop, loop, band, wheel,
annulus, ringlet; cordon: Using a compass, he carefully drew a
circle. We formed a circle around the speaker. 2 set, coterie,
clique, class, division, group, crowd; society, fellowship,
fraternity, company: John and I don't move in the same circles.
--v. 3 encircle, circumambulate, go round or around, tour;
circumnavigate: For exercise, I circle the lake in the park
every morning. 4 encircle, surround, gird, enclose,
circumscribe: Twenty small diamonds circle each star sapphire.
circuit n. 1 compass, circumference, perimeter, periphery, girth,
border, boundary, edge, limit, ambit, margin, outline,
confine(s), bound, pale: The circuit of the area amounts to 72
miles. 2 round, tour, ambit, circle, orbit, course, lap: The
rider completed the circuit of the ranch, mending the fence as
he went.
circular adj. 1 round, disc-shaped or chiefly US disk-shaped, disc-like
or chiefly US disk-like, discoid; ring-shaped, ring-like,
annular: Notice the circular pattern of growth of this ivy. 2
roundabout, indirect, circuitous, tortuous, twisting, twisted,
anfractuous; periphrastic, circumlocutory; devious: We had to
take a circular route because the road was closed. Why can't she
say what she means instead of being so circular? 3 illogical,
inconsistent, redundant, fallacious, irrational, Formal
sophistic or sophistical: To say that you exist because you
think and that you think because you exist is an example of
circular reasoning.
circulate v. 1 move or go about or round or around, orbit, flow, course,
run, circle: The blood circulates from the heart through the
arteries and veins and back to the heart. 2 spread, distribute,
disseminate, issue, publish, air, announce, proclaim, make
known, noise abroad, bruit about, report, broadcast, reveal,
divulge, advertise, publicize, promulgate, put about, bring or
put out, pass out or round or around: He has been circulating
the story that his ex-wife cheated on her income tax. 3 spread,
go round or around, be bruited about, come out: A rumour has
been circulating about your behaviour at the office party.
circulation
n. 1 circuit, course, orbit, flow, flowing, motion: It was
Harvey who discovered the circulation of the blood. 2 spread,
spreading, dissemination, transmission, passage, distribution,
diffusion, publication, advertisement, announcement, issuance,
issuing, pronouncement, proclamation, promulgation, broadcast,
broadcasting: The state has again forbidden the free
circulation of information.
circumstance
n. 1 Often, circumstances. situation, condition(s), state (of
affairs); status, station, resources, income, finances: In the
circumstances, all leave is cancelled. Each person will be
helped according to the individual circumstance. 2 event,
incident, episode, occurrence, affair, happening, occasion: Any
unforeseen circumstance could set off a shooting war.
circumstantial
adj. 1 indirect, presumptive, evidential or evidentiary,
interpretive, deduced, presumed, presumptive, presumable,
implicative, implied, inferred, inferential: Some
circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a gun
in the suspect's house. 2 accidental, incidental, hearsay,
indirect, unimportant, adventitious, provisional, secondary,
unessential, non-essential, fortuitous, chance, extraneous:
Such circumstantial trivia have no bearing on the case. 3
detailed, particular, precise, explicit, specific: We cannot
believe that he invented so circumstantial a narrative.
citizen n. 1 voter; native; householder, resident, inhabitant, denizen,
dweller, freeman; Brit patrial, ratepayer; US taxpayer: All
citizens are entitled to certain rights. 2 city-dweller,
town-dweller, townsman, townswoman, villager, burgess, oppidan:
She considers herself a citizen of Oxford.
city n. metropolis, municipality, borough, burgh; conurbation,
megalopolis; Brit urban district; see, diocese, bishopric; New
Zealand urban area; Colloq town, US burg, big apple: We gave up
our flat in the city and moved to the country.
civil adj. 1 civilian, non-military, lay, laic, laical, secular:
There is a distinction between civil law and canon law. 2
domestic, internal; public: The economic conditions have led to
civil strife. 3 polite, courteous, respectful, well-mannered,
proper, civilized, cordial, formal, courtly, urbane, polished,
refined: They are civil enough, but I always have the feeling
they really despise tourists.
civility n. courtesy, politeness, respect, comity, urbanity, amiability,
consideration, courteousness, cordiality, propriety, tact,
diplomacy, politesse, protocol: Despite his rude behaviour at
her dinner-party, she treats him with great civility.
civilization
n. 1 culture, refinement, cultivation, enlightenment,
edification, sophistication, polish: The Romans brought
civilization to many peoples who had been quite barbarous. 2
culture, mores, custom(s): He has studied Egyptian civilization
all his life.
civilize v. 1 enlighten, refine, polish, edify, educate, acculturate:
Civilized people do not behave in such a boorish way. 2 tame,
domesticate; broaden, elevate, acculturate: The claim that they
civilized the Aborigines means only that they forced them to
conform to the White man's notion of civilization.
claim n. 1 demand, assertion, request, requisition, petition,
application; requirement: As far as the land is concerned, his
claim has been denied. 2 right(s), call, title: What possible
claim could the Miss Dashwoods have on his generosity?
--v. 3 demand, seek, ask or call (for), exact, insist (on or
upon), require, command, be entitled to: She has every right to
claim a share in the estate. 4 declare, assert, allege, state,
put or set forth, affirm, contend, maintain: These measurements
lack the degree of accuracy claimed for them. She claims that
she was the first person to ring the police.
clammy adj. 1 moist, sticky, gummy, pasty, viscous, slimy: In the
swamp the police found a clammy pistol that they believe to be
the weapon. 2 moist, damp, humid, close, muggy, wet, misty,
foggy: It was the kind of clammy summer's day when your shirt
sticks to your back.
clamp n. 1 clasp, vice, brace, clip, fastener: Use a clamp to hold
the pieces together till the glue dries.
--v. 2 fasten (together), clip (together), bracket, make fast,
clasp: You should clamp the planks together and plane the edges
of both.
clan n. 1 tribe, family, dynasty, line, house: There had been a
feud of long standing between the two clans, which culminated in
the massacre of Glencoe. 2 fraternity, brotherhood, party, set,
clique, coterie, circle, crowd, group, fellowship, society,
faction, family, tribe; band, ring, gang: He regards social
scientists as a clan quite separate from other scientists.
clap v. 1 applaud; cheer, acclaim: Everyone clapped when the boxer
climbed into the ring. 2 slap, strike, pat: He clapped me on
the shoulder in the friendliest way. 3 put, place, slap, fling,
toss, cast , Colloq stick: He had no sooner set foot in the
town when he was clapped in jail. 4 impose, lay, apply: The
magistrate clapped a severe fine on me for speeding.
--n. 5 crack, slap, report, crash, bang, snap: There was a
loud clap of thunder, making the house shake.
clapper n. tongue: We attached a rope to the clapper of the bell.
clarify v. 1 elucidate, make clear, simplify, make plain, clear up,
explain, shed or throw light on or upon, illuminate, explicate:
She offered to clarify any points about which we had questions.
2 clear, purify, clean: The trout should be lightly basted with
clarified butter.
clarity n. 1 clearness, transparency, limpidity, pellucidity: The
clarity of the sea in the tropics is owing to a lack of
plankton. 2 lucidity, definition, definiteness, distinctness;
comprehensibility, understandability, intelligibility,
unambiguousness: One cannot argue with the clarity of her
explanation of Hegelianism.
clash n. 1 crash, clang, clank, clangour: The concerto ends with a
clash of cymbals. 2 collision, smash, (hostile) encounter,
conflict, engagement, fight, battle, disagreement, difference,
argument, dispute, altercation, quarrel, squabble: He has
witnessed many a clash between the prime minister and
parliament.
--v. 3 conflict, fight, battle, disagree, differ, argue,
dispute, quarrel, squabble, feud, wrangle, cross swords: My
brother and I always clash on the question of who should pay our
father's hospital bills. 4 conflict, disharmonize, jar, be at
odds or out of keeping: The pink of the blouse and the fuchsia
of the skirt clash badly.
clasp n. 1 fastener, fastening, hook, catch, clip, pin, brooch: The
ends were fastened together with a diamond clasp. 2 embrace,
hug, hold, grasp, grip: He held her tight in his clasp.
--v. 3 fasten, secure, close, hold, hook, clip, pin, clamp:
The robe was clasped by an emerald pin. 4 hold, embrace, take
hold of, hug, enclose, envelop: The beggar clasped my hand, his
eyes seeking mine in piteous supplication. 5 grab, grasp,
seize, clutch, grip: They clasped hands in friendship.
class n. 1 rank, grade, level, order, stratum; caste, lineage, birth,
pedigree, stock, extraction, descent: He was born in the l940s
into a family of the middle class. 2 category, division,
classification, group, genre, league, realm, domain; kind, sort,
type: As a dancer, she in a class by herself. 3 excellence,
merit, refinement, elegance, prestige, importance, taste,
discernment, distinction, bearing, presence, savoir faire,
savoir vivre, breeding: He may be a good drinking companion,
but he has no class whatsoever. 4 year, form, US grade: We
were in the same class at school.
--v. 5 classify, group, arrange, assort, type, categorize,
rank, grade, rate, order: They are classed as self-employed for
these purposes.
classic adj. 1 standard, leading, outstanding, prototypical,
definitive, model, ideal, archetypal, paradigmatic: His
military career is a classic example of what family connections
can achieve. 2 legendary, immortal, enduring, deathless,
ageless, timeless, undying, venerable, time-honoured;
outstanding, first-rate, superior, excellent, noteworthy,
notable, exemplary: By the time she was ten, she had read most
of the classic works of English literature. He collects classic
cars.
--n. 3 paragon, epitome, outstanding example, exemplar, model,
paradigm, prototype: When it comes to comedians, Ronnie is a
classic. 4 masterpiece, master-work: The Rolls-Royce Silver
Ghost is regarded as a classic by collectors.
classical adj. 1 standard, model, exemplary, traditional, established,
influential, authoritative, serious, weighty: Classical authors
are those who are regarded as being of good credit and authority
in the schools. Montaigne is the earliest classical writer in
the French language. 2 Greek, Latin, Roman: Architectural
styles of the 18th century harked back to Classical designs.
claw n. 1 talon, nail: The cat had scratched her badly with its
claws.
--v. 2 scratch, tear, scrape, rake, slash: She clawed at his
face to break his grip on her throat. 3 grapple, grab, catch,
scrape, scrabble: He tried to climb up the embankment, clawing
at the steep wall.
clean adj. 1 pure, undefiled, unsullied, unmixed, unadulterated,
uncontaminated, unpolluted, uninfected, unspoiled or unspoilt,
sanitary, disinfected; antiseptic, decontaminated, purified,
sterile: The laboratory reports that our well water is
absolutely clean. You must use a clean bandage. 2 unsoiled,
untainted, unstained; unsullied; cleansed, cleanly, (freshly)
laundered or washed, scrubbed; spotless, immaculate: She puts
on clean underwear every day in case she's involved in an
accident. 3 clean-cut, neat, simple, definite, uncomplicated,
smooth, even, straight, trim, tidy: The edges of the fracture
are clean and will mend quickly. 4 innocent, blameless,
inoffensive, respectable; decent, chaste, pure, honourable,
good, undefiled, virtuous, moral: The suspect was completely
clean - he was out of town at the time of the robbery. 5
non-radioactive: They say they've produced a clean bomb, but I
don't believe it. 6 unarmed, weaponless: Frisk that suspect
and make sure he's clean.
--adv. 7 completely, entirely, thoroughly, fully, totally,
wholly, altogether, quite, utterly, absolutely: Geoff's clean
out of his mind if he believes that. With one blow he cut the
orange clean through. 8 come clean. confess, acknowledge, make a
clean breast, admit, make a revelation, reveal, Colloq own up,
spill the beans; US dialect fess up; Slang sing: In the end he
saw that he was trapped and decided to come clean.
--v. 9 cleanse, wash, lave, (take a) shower, sponge, mop,
scrub, scour, sweep, dust, vacuum, polish, launder, dry-clean,
Brit hoover; tidy, neaten, do up, straighten up or out,
unclutter; Brit bath; US and Canadian bathe: When we cleaned
the urn, we could read the inscription. I have told Richard a
thousand times to clean his room. 10 clean out. a exhaust,
deplete: The gambler cleaned her out of every penny she had in
the world. b empty, leave bare, clear out, evacuate: We must
clean out the larder before it can be painted. 11 clean up. a
clean, cleanse, wash, (take a) shower, Brit bath; US take a
bath, bathe, wash up: Clean up, please, dinner is almost ready.
It took us a week to clean up the stables. b purge, purify,
disinfect, depollute, decontaminate, clear, sanitize: The
council has led the way towards cleaning up the wetlands of
chemical waste.
cleanse v. 1 clean, absterge, deterge, wash, scour, scrub: You need a
scrubbing brush to cleanse the tub. 2 purify, depurate; purge,
wash away, expiate: Each prayer repeated has a certain value in
cleansing away sin.
clear adj. 1 unclouded, cloudless, sunny, fair, sunlit, fine: On a
clear day, you can see the lighthouse several miles away. 2
transparent, limpid, crystalline; translucent, uncloudy,
unclouded, pellucid: The water was clear enough to see the
bottom. 3 bright, lustrous, shining, shiny, sparkling, Formal
nitid: We painted the bathroom a lovely clear blue. 4 bright,
fresh, unblemished, unscarred: She has a lovely clear
complexion. 5 distinct, sharp, well-defined, definite; legible,
readable; acute, vivid: The notes were written in a large clear
hand. 6 understandable, intelligible, perspicuous, lucid,
comprehensible, apprehensible, discernible, plain, obvious,
unambiguous, unequivocal, explicit, definite, unmistakable,
indisputable, undisputed, unquestionable, incontrovertible: He
has made himself very clear on that point. 7 distinct,
unclouded, unconfused, explicit, plain, definite, clear-cut,
palpable: I have a clear recollection of her words. 8 evident,
plain, obvious, patent, manifest, apparent: It became clear
that someone was trying to compromise her. 9 perceptive, acute,
sensitive, perspicacious, discerning, keen: It was only his
clear vision of the situation that saved us all. 10 certain,
sure, convinced, confident, positive, determined, definite,
assured: I am not clear that the subject was a good one. 11
pure, unwavering, well-defined, distinct, clarion, bell-like:
We heard father's clear voice calling from below. 12 pure,
guileless, unsophisticated, innocent, blameless, faultless; not
guilty: I still cannot look her in the eye with a clear
conscience. 13 unencumbered, free, net: In our first year we
made a clear profit of 25 per cent. 14 unlimited, unqualified,
unquestioned, unquestionable, absolute, complete, entire; pure,
sheer, perfect: You must allow three clear days for the ascent.
15 disengaged, disentangled, unentangled, free, freed, rid,
quit, loose, unencumbered, released: When the line is clear of
any obstruction, hoist sail and let's be off. 16 open,
unencumbered, free, unblocked, unobstructed, unimpeded, direct:
There is a clear view of the park from here.
--adv. 17 brightly, effulgently, radiantly, luminously,
lambently: The stars were shining clear in the night sky. 18
distinctly, clearly, starkly, perceptibly, discernibly,
understandably, prominently: When you see the reef, sing out
loud and clear. 19 completely, utterly, entirely, cleanly,
clean, wholly, totally: The thief got clear away in the
confusion.
--v. 20 clarify, cleanse, clean, purify: The chemical soon
cleared the water of all sediment. 21 exonerate, absolve,
acquit; excuse, forgive: He has been cleared of all charges and
released. 22 Also, clear up. explain, elucidate, explicate,
clarify, make plain or clear, disambiguate: We should be able
to clear up the mystery by this evening. 23 Also, clear up.
become fair or cloudless or sunny: I hope the weather clears in
time for the game. 24 open (up), free; unblock, unclog, unstop;
disencumber, dislodge: We were able to clear a path through the
jungle. He cleared his throat and began to speak. 25 empty:
Clear the land of trees before farming it. 26 Also, clear away
or out. remove, eliminate, take; cut away or down: Clear those
branches from the paths. 27 disburden, unburden, purge, free,
rid: He has cleared his conscience of any responsibility in the
matter. 28 leap or jump over, vault: She cleared the fence
easily. 29 Also, clear up. settle, discharge, pay, square,
defray, satisfy: The company has cleared all its debts. 30
clear off or out. leave, depart, decamp, go or run off, get out,
withdraw, Slang beat it, scram, Taboo Brit sod off, Chiefly
Australian shoot through, US and Canadian take a (run-out)
powder: I told them to clear off and stop bothering me. 31
clear up. a eliminate, remove, settle; clarify: I hope we can
clear up any misunderstanding between us. b tidy (up), neaten
(up), put or set in order, clear: I'll clear up after dinner.
--n. 32 in the clear. innocent, not guilty; exonerated,
forgiven, absolved; unburdened, disburdened, unencumbered, free:
The other chap confessed, leaving me in the clear.
clearance n. 1 space, gap, hole, interval, separation, room, margin,
leeway, allowance: You must allow a clearance of 2 millimetres.
2 approval, endorsement, authorization, consent; licence, leave,
permission: He cannot get security clearance with his prison
record.
clearly adv. 1 distinctly; starkly, plainly: With spectacles, I can
see everything more clearly. 2 evidently, apparently,
manifestly, obviously, certainly, definitely, positively,
unequivocally, unquestionably, incontestably, without doubt,
undoubtedly, indubitably, demonstrably, absolutely, utterly:
His statement is clearly untrue. 3 audibly, distinctly,
understandably: I wish she would speak more clearly.
cleave v. split, divide, cut, cut or chop or hew in two or asunder,
bisect, halve, separate, slit, rive: With a mighty blow the log
was cleaved cleanly in two.
clergyman n. 1 ecclesiastic, churchman, cleric, reverend, divine, man of
the cloth, holy man, priest, minister, chaplain, father, rabbi,
pastor, parson, rector, vicar, dean, canon, presbyter,
prebendary or prebend, deacon, sexton, sacristan, guru,
ayatollah, imam: In his black frock coat he looked like a
clergyman. 2 monk, friar, brother, monastic, religious: A
clergyman was responsible for his religious education. 3
preacher, gospeller, evangelist, revivalist, missionary,
sermonizer: She was moved by the clergyman's sermon.
clerical adj. 1 ecclesiastical, churchly, pastoral, sacerdotal,
priestly, hieratic, rabbinical, ministerial, monastic,
apostolic, prelatic, papal, pontifical, episcopal, canonical:
He was wearing his clerical vestments. 2 white-collar, office,
professional, secretarial, stenographic, accounting,
bookkeeping: He runs the shop and his wife has the clerical
responsibilities.
clever adj. 1 skilled, talented, skilful, adroit, dexterous, gifted,
agile, quick-witted, intelligent, perceptive, discerning, sharp,
sharp-witted, adept, able, Colloq brainy: She was very clever
at mathematics. 2 shrewd, cunning, guileful, canny, artful,
crafty, sly, wily, foxy: It was a clever move to sound out the
chairman before the meeting. 3 intelligent, wise, sage,
sagacious; ingenious, original, resourceful, Daedalian,
inventive, creative, smart, imaginative: It was very clever of
her to memorize the record-book for the competition. 4 deft,
adroit, nimble-fingered, dexterous, handy, skilful: The old
woman is clever with her hands.
clich‚ n. stereotype, bromide, trite saying, old saw or maxim, truism,
platitude, commonplace, banality, Colloq chestnut: The report
was full of clich‚s and convinced no one.
client n. customer, patron, shopper; patient: She opened a law
practice and already has a number of clients.
clientele n. clients, patrons, customers; custom, business, trade,
patronage, following: What sort of clientele do you expect to
attract?
cliff n. precipice, bluff, escarpment, scarp, crag, rock-face,
cuesta, scar or Scots scaur: The commandos are trained to scale
a 100-foot cliff.
climate n. 1 weather, Literary clime: We are retiring to the Maldives
because we like a sunny climate. 2 atmosphere, ambience or
ambiance, air; feeling, mood, aura, milieu, feel: In the
present climate of opinion, we'd best delay introducing the
bill.
climax n. 1 culmination, height, acme, apex, summit, zenith, apogee,
peak, high point, maximum, supreme moment: The war reached its
climax at the battle of Arbela. 2 turning-point, crisis,
crossroads: The climax of the play occurs in the third act. 3
orgasm: She told her psychiatrist that she had never reached a
climax with her husband.
--v. 4 culminate, peak, crest, come to a head: The week's
events climaxed with the presentation of the gold medal.
climb v. 1 Also, climb up. mount, ascend, go up, scale, shin (up),
clamber up, US shinny (up): In one of the games we had to climb
a greased pole. Two Japanese teams have climbed Mount Everest. 2
creep, trail, twine; grow: The ivy has climbed all over the
garden wall. 3 rise, arise, ascend, go up, mount; advance:
Watch the smoke climb into the sky. 4 climb along. creep, edge,
clamber, crawl, inch: The cat burglar climbed along the ledge
till he reached the window. 5 climb down. a descend, go down:
We shall need a rope to climb down from here. b Usually, climb
down from. retreat (from), withdraw (from), back away (from),
give up, abandon, renounce: He has climbed down from his
earlier position regarding women in the priesthood.
--n. 6 grade, incline, route, pitch; ascent; descent: It was a
steep climb to Camp Four.
clinch v. 1 secure, settle, confirm, determine, conclude, dispose of,
complete, wind up, finalize Colloq sew up: He clinched the
argument by resigning.
--n. 2 close quarters, hug, clasp, embrace; cuddle: The boxers
went into a clinch to regain their breath.
clincher n. finishing touch, pay-off, punch-line, coup de grѓce, final
or crowning blow: The point about saving costs proved to be a
clincher, and we were given the go-ahead.
cling v. 1 stick, adhere, attach, fasten, fix: The detectives found
that one of the victim's hairs had clung to the suspect's lapel.
2 favour, be or remain devoted or attached to, embrace, hang on
to, retain, keep, cherish: He still clung to his old-fashioned
notions of honour. 3 cling together or to one another. embrace,
hug, cleave to one another, clasp one another, clutch one
another, hold (fast) to one another, grasp one another: The
children clung together in the darkness.
clip° v. 1 clasp, fasten, fix, attach, hold, clinch; staple: Please
clip these papers together.
--n. 2 clasp, fastener: That clip isn't strong enough to hold
all these papers.
clipэ v. 1 trim (off), lop (off), cut (off), crop, bob, snip: The
barber clipped my hair short. Roger has clipped two seconds off
the record. 2 shorten, reduce, abbreviate, diminish, cut
(short): The film was clipped by fifteen minutes for
television. In her rapid-fire way of speaking, she clipped each
word. 3 strike, hit, punch, smack, box, cuff, whack, Colloq
wallop, clout; Slang sock: He was clipped on the jaw and
knocked out. 4 cheat, swindle, bilk, overcharge, Slang rook:
They clipped him out of a week's wages. She was clipped for a
ten per cent 'service fee'.
--n. 5 segment, interval, section, part, portion, extract,
cutting, excerpt, cutting, bit, snippet, scrap, fragment: We
were shown a film clip of the cheese-making process. 6 blow,
cuff, punch, hit, strike, smack, whack, box, Colloq wallop,
clout; Slang sock: She gave him a clip at the side of the head
and he went down. 7 pace, rate, speed: I was riding along at a
good clip when my horse shied and I was thrown off.
clique n. set, coterie, crowd, circle, group: There was the usual
clique from the Sales Department standing round the bar.
cloak n. 1 mantle, cape, robe, wrap, poncho; coat, overcoat: She
pulled her cloak around her in the chill night air. 2 mantle,
concealment, cover, screen, shroud, veil: He stole away under
the cloak of darkness.
--v. 3 conceal, hide, mask, screen, veil, shroud, cover up;
disguise: All of the spies' activities were cloaked in secrecy.
clod n. 1 lump, mass, gob, wad, hunk, chunk; piece of sod or turf;
Colloq glob: A clod of earth was stuck between the spikes of my
golf shoes. 2 idiot, fool, dolt, blockhead, simpleton, dunce,
dope, oaf, Neanderthal, lout, ass, boor, clown, ninny,
ninny-hammer, bumpkin, clodhopper, Slang vegetable, US and
Canadian jerk: He felt a bit of a clod standing there with no
idea which way to go.
clog v. hamper, encumber, impede; obstruct, choke (up), block,
congest, jam: The road was clogged with returning
holiday-makers. A piece of orange peel had clogged the sink
drain.
close v. 1 shut, close up, seal; close off, lock, padlock, secure,
fasten: I closed my eyes. Please close the door behind you. 2
make inaccessible, shut, Chiefly US place off limits: The
Bodleian Library will be closed for a week. 3 conclude, end,
finish, complete, bring to a close or end, terminate, climax,
Colloq wind up: A brilliant flourish closes the first movement
of the symphony. 4 conclude, sign, seal, make, settle, clinch,
agree, arrange, work out, establish: Union and management
closed a deal, and the strike was called off. 5 Also, close
down. discontinue, terminate, stop, suspend, shut down, go out
of business, cease operations, close (up), Colloq wind up, shut
up shop, put up the shutters: Competition from the supermarket
forced the greengrocer to close down. 6 Also, close off. seal,
make inaccessible, shut (off), obstruct, obturate: This wing of
the museum has been closed off temporarily. 7 close one's eyes
to. ignore, overlook, disregard: You have always closed your
eyes to his faults. 8 close up. a close, shut (up), lock up,
close (down): It's time to close up for the night. b close,
come or draw or bring together, unite, join; connect: We closed
up ranks and stood at attention.
--adj. 9 near; adjacent, proximate, proximal: He claims to
have had a close encounter with an extraterrestrial. There
certainly is a close resemblance between Kathy and her daughter.
10 closed, shut (up), fixed, fast, secure, tight: The hostages
spent a month in close confinement. 11 dense, compact, tight,
cramped, compressed, tiny, minuscule, minute: I could hardly
read the close writing on the matchbox. 12 stuffy, musty,
stale, fusty, confining, oppressive, airless, unventilated,
confined, stifling, suffocating: They locked me in a room that
was so close I could hardly breathe. 13 nearly equal or even,
close-matched, neck and neck, tight: It was a close race, but
Flanagan won by a hair. 14 careful, assiduous, precise,
detailed, concentrated, strict, rigorous, minute, searching,
attentive, alert, intent, intense, thorough, painstaking: Close
analysis has revealed that the handwriting is that of a
left-handed adult. 15 attached, intimate, devoted, familiar,
inseparable, close-knit, solid, confidential; fast; Colloq
thick, thick as thieves, pally, US and Canadian palsy-walsy,
buddy-buddy: They are a very close family. She and her father
are very close. 16 private, privy, secret, guarded, closely
guarded, confidential: Although it should have been a close
secret, the press managed to get hold of it. 17 secretive,
reticent, taciturn, reserved, close-mouthed, tight-lipped,
silent: She is very close about the whereabouts of her husband.
18 stingy, mean, miserly, niggardly, tight-fisted, close-fisted,
parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring,
Scrooge-like, skinflinty, Colloq near, Brit mingy: He's so
close he charges his own mother rent. 19 secluded, concealed,
shut up or away, hidden: The fugitives decided to lie close
till nightfall.
--adv. 20 near, in the neighbourhood (of), not far (from),
adjacent (to); alongside; at hand, nearby, close by: The murder
took place close to my house. I'm frightened, so please stay
close by. 21 close to or on or onto. nearly, almost, about,
practically, approximately, nigh unto, approaching: For close
to two thousand years the site lay untouched.
--n. 22 end, termination, conclusion, finish, completion,
cessation; culmination: By the close of trading, share prices
had risen again.
cloth n. 1 fabric, material, textile, Chiefly Brit stuff: The
curtains are made of cloth, not plastic. 2 the cloth. the
clergy, the (religious) ministry, the priesthood: He is a man
of the cloth.
clothe v. 1 dress, attire, garb, apparel, outfit, fit out or up,
accoutre or US also accouter, Brit kit out or up, Colloq tog up
or out: He earns barely enough to clothe and feed his family.
2 endow, invest, caparison, endue: They tried to clothe their
transactions with the raiment of honesty.
clothes n.pl. clothing, apparel, attire, wear, dress, garments,
raiment, wardrobe, outfit, ensemble, vestment(s), Old-fashioned
duds, Colloq togs, gear, get-up Slang glad rags, Brit clobber;
Slang US (set of) threads: Put on some old clothes and make
yourself comfortable.
clown n. 1 jester, fool, zany, comic, comedian, funny man: Of all
the performers at the circus, I like the clowns best. 2
buffoon, boor, rustic, yahoo, oaf, lout, clod, dolt, bumpkin,
clodhopper, provincial, peasant, yokel, Colloq lummox; Slang
chiefly US jerk; Old-fashioned galoot or galloot; Slang chiefly
US and Canadian hick: That's the kind of language we expect to
hear only from the most ignorant clowns.
--v. 3 Often, clown around or about. fool (around), play the
fool, horse around or about, caper, cut a caper or capers,
engage in high jinks or hijinks, US cut up, cut didos: Stop
clowning around with that hose and help water the garden.
club n. 1 cudgel, bat, bludgeon, mace, billy, truncheon, baton,
staff, stick; cosh, Chiefly US and Canadian blackjack: The blow
from the club required six stitches. 2 association, society,
organization, fraternity, sorority, fellowship, brotherhood,
sisterhood, federation, union, guild, lodge, alliance, league,
order, consortium, company: Our sailing club holds an annual
race. 3 clubhouse: The society's club is near Pall Mall. 4
nightclub, cabaret, Colloq nightspot: After the theatre, we
stopped at Oscar's club for a nightcap.
--v. 5 beat, cudgel, bludgeon, bat, belabour or US belabor;
lambaste, baste, thrash, trounce: The guerrillas caught the
traitor and clubbed him to death. 6 Often, club together. band
or join or league (together), team (up), join forces, combine,
ally, associate, confederate, cooperate: We clubbed together to
purchase the antique clock.
clue n. 1 hint, suspicion, trace, intimation, suggestion, inkling,
indication, pointer, lead, tip, tip-off, evidence, information,
advice; key, answer, indicator: There is no clue pointing to
anyone in particular. Any clue to the solution of the mystery
disappeared in the fire.
--v. 2 clue someone in or Brit also up. hint, suggest, imply,
intimate, inform, advise, indicate: She clued us in as to who
might have sent the letter.
clump n. 1 lump, mass, clod, chunk, hunk, wad, gob, Colloq glob: As
the soup cooled, clumps of fat formed on its surface. 2 bunch,
cluster; thicket, copse; wood, Chiefly Brit spinney: The deer
disappeared into a clump of trees. That clump will provide good
cover for us.
--v. 3 lump, mass, heap, collect, gather, bunch, pile: She
wore her hair clumped on top her head.
clumsy adj. awkward, ungainly, unwieldy, ungraceful, gawky, maladroit,
unhandy, unskilful, inept, bungling, bumbling, cloddish,
ox-like, bovine, uncoordinated, lubberly, oafish; gauche, Colloq
butter-fingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, cack-handed: He made a
clumsy attempt to put the key in the lock. She gave a clumsy
excuse for being in the bank after hours.
cluster n. 1 collection, bunch, clutch, tuft, bundle: Notice that
cluster of flowers near the top of the plant. 2 collection,
bunch, group, knot, body, band, company, gathering, crowd,
assembly, congregation, throng, flock, assemblage, swarm: A
cluster of well-wishers stood talking with the minister.
--v. 3 collect, bunch, group, band, gather, crowd, congregate,
throng, assemble, accumulate, mass, aggregate: A number of
people clustered round the new sculpture. Why do these flowers
cluster at this tree?
clutch v. 1 seize, snatch, grab, grasp, take or lay hold of; hold; US
snag: She clutched feebly to the rope before losing her grip
and plunging into the abyss below. He clutched the child to his
bosom.
--n. 2 clutches. a grasp at, hold; embrace: We watched as the
gazelle deftly eluded the cheetah's clutches. b influence,
control, power, domination, dominance, possession: He fell into
the clutches of the Triads.
clutter n. 1 mess, litter, jumble; mishmash, olla podrida, confusion,
hash, gallimaufry, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, muddle,
farrago, medley: I must insist that you clear up the clutter in
your room at once. That philosophy is a clutter of competing
ideas. 2 confusion, tangle, chaos, disarray: The town was a
clutter of narrow, crooked, dark, and dirty lanes.
--v. 3 Often, clutter up. mess up, litter, strew, make a
shambles of: Please don't clutter up my desk with newspaper
cuttings.
coach n. 1 carriage, bus, omnibus, motor coach: The sightseeing
coach broke down near Exeter. 2 tutor, trainer, instructor,
teacher, mentor, Brit crammer: Her voice coach says she's not
yet ready for grand opera.
--v. 3 tutor, train, instruct, guide, direct, drill, prepare,
prompt, school, exercise, Brit cram: Her lawyers have coached
her in what to say in court.
coagulate v. congeal, gel, jell, clot, curdle, set: The white of the egg
had coagulated, but the yolk was still runny.
coarse adj. 1 rough, uneven, scratchy, prickly, bristly; crude,
rough-hewn, unfinished, unrefined: He has a three-day coarse
growth of beard. The surface on the furniture is still too
coarse. 2 rude, boorish, loutish, crude, ill-mannered,
unpolished, rough, uncouth, impolite, uncivil, unrefined:
Nigel's behaviour is coarse, and he spits when he talks. 3
rude, indecent, improper, indelicate, obscene, lewd, vulgar,
gross, smutty, dirty, filthy, foul, offensive, lascivious,
ribald, bawdy; foul-mouthed: Don't use that kind of coarse
language with me. 4 inferior, low-quality, second-rate, shoddy,
tawdry, trashy; kitschy: That shop stocks only the coarsest
merchandise.
coast n. 1 seaside, seashore, shore, sea-coast, strand, beach,
littoral, coastline, seaboard: Be careful of rocks if you sail
near the coast.
--v. 2 glide, skim, slide, sail: The children coasted down the
hill on the toboggan.
coat n. 1 overcoat, greatcoat; jacket, anorak, parka, Brit cagoule,
Colloq Brit cag: Put on your coat, it's cold out. 2 coating,
layer, covering, overlay; film: Two coats of paint ought to be
enough. There was a coat of dust on everything.
--v. 3 cover, paint, spread: We coated the floor with three
layers of varnish.
coax v. persuade, urge, wheedle, cajole, beguile, charm, inveigle,
jolly, manipulate: She coaxed me into spending a weekend with
her at Blackpool.
cocky adj. overconfident, arrogant, haughty, conceited,
self-important, egotistical, proud, vain, prideful, cocksure,
saucy, cheeky, brash: Since she won the beauty contest, Claire
has been entirely too cocky.
coddle v. pamper, baby, cosset, mollycoddle, indulge, humour, spoil,
Brit cocker: Give him a cold bath and don't coddle him so much.
code n. 1 law(s), regulation(s), rule(s), jurisprudence, jus
canonicum 'canon law', jus civile 'civil law', jus divinum
'divine law', jus gentium 'universal law', jus naturale 'natural
law', corpus juris, pandect, lex non scripta 'common law,
unwritten law', lex scripta 'statute law': In the present code
there is no statute that forbids keeping a pet gnu. 2 cipher or
cypher, cryptogram: Our agents send all their messages in code.
3 system, practice(s), convention(s), standard(s), criterion
(criteria), principle(s), rule(s), maxim(s), custom(s),
pattern(s), structure, tradition(s), organization, protocol,
orthodoxy: Our code of behaviour is completely foreign to the
islanders.
--v. 4 encode, encipher or encypher, encrypt: It took an hour
to code the information.
coffin n. casket, pall, (pine) box; sarcophagus: The coffin was
slowly lowered into the grave.
cog n. 1 tooth, gear-tooth, sprocket, ratchet: Stripping the gears
means breaking the cogs off them. 2 underling, pawn,
subordinate, nonentity, zero, cipher or cypher, nothing, nobody,
small fry: He's only a small cog in the organization - we're
after the big wheel himself.
cognizance
n. knowledge, awareness, knowledge, perception, notice,
consciousness, mindfulness: They ran the gambling den with the
full cognizance of the police.
coherent adj. 1 consistent, orderly, organized, well-organized, logical,
rational, reasonable, well-ordered: The MP set forth a coherent
argument against an excise tax. 2 understandable, sensible,
comprehensible, intelligible, articulate, lucid, clear: He was
so frightened and hysterical that he was unable to tell a
coherent story.
cohort n. 1 troop, squad, squadron, platoon, brigade, unit, cadre,
wing, legion, detachment, contingent: Ten select Roman cohorts
were sent against the Mitanni. 2 company, band, group, faction,
set, body, corps: She was a member of a small cohort of
suffragettes. 3 companion, confederate, accomplice, associate,
fellow, comrade, friend, confrЉre: Gerald then arrived with a
few of his cohorts.
coil v. 1 wind, twist, coil, snake, wrap, enwrap, spiral, Nautical
fake or flake (down): The rope is coiled round a capstan.
--n. 2 winding(s), circle(s), loop, whorl, spiral, helix,
twist: His foot caught in the coil of rope and he was carried
overboard.
coin n. 1 specie, money, currency; change, cash, silver: I have
only a few coins in my pocket. As he had no notes he had to pay
in coin.
--v. 2 mint, stamp: The US government has stopped coining
silver dollars. 3 invent, create, conceive, originate, start,
make up, fabricate, frame, concoct, think or dream up: James
Joyce coined the word 'quark'. 4 coin it in or US only coin
money. earn or make money, become wealthy, enrich oneself,
Colloq rake it in: Those rock stars really coin it in from
their record sales.
coincide v. fall or come or go together, line up, co-occur, correspond,
synchronize, match, tally, agree, (be in) accord, equal, jibe:
This year, Easter and Passover coincide. The southern boundary
coincides with the Thames.
coincidence
n. 1 co-occurrence, simultaneity, correspondence, concurrence,
consistency, contemporaneity, synchronism, synchrony,
coextension, coevality, coinstantaneity: The coincidence of
twelve by the clock with noon by the sundial is exact only four
times in the year. 2 congruence, matching, jibing, agreement,
concord, accord, harmony, accordance, conformity, congruity,
consonance, concomitance: Fortunately there was a coincidence
of views on the main issues. 3 chance occurrence, fluke,
chance, accident, luck, fortuity, fortuitousness, US and
Canadian happenstance: By sheer coincidence, I met my next-door
neighbour on the train from Glasgow.
coincidental
adj. chance, lucky or unlucky, fortuitous, accidental,
unexpected, unpredicted, unpredictable, unforeseen: It was
entirely coincidental that we were on the same train.
cold adj. 1 chill, chilly, frosty, icy, keen, nippy, freezing,
frigid, ice-cold, stone-cold, bitter, bitter-cold, raw, biting,
biting-cold, numbing, gelid; wintry, hibernal, brumal; arctic,
glacial, polar, hyperborean or hyperboreal, Siberian: It was so
cold that the canal had completely frozen over. 2 chilly,
chilled; unheated, heatless: The room is cold; we'd better put
the heating on. 3 indifferent, apathetic, chilly, chilling,
cool, icy, dispassionate, unsympathetic, aloof, unresponsive,
spiritless, frigid, unfriendly, uncordial, lukewarm, frigid;
cold-blooded, insensitive, uncaring, unemotional,
undemonstrative, reserved, unmoved, spiritless, callous, remote,
distant, standoffish, unapproachable, stony-hearted,
emotionless, unfeeling, cold-hearted: My ideas received rather
a cold reception. Because she had offended him, he was quite
cold to her. 4 depressing, cheerless, chilling, gloomy,
dispiriting, deadening, disheartening, bleak, dismal,
discouraging: The sweat stood out on his brow in cold
apprehension. 5 unmoving, stale, trite, stereotyped; dead: The
coldest word was once a glowing new metaphor. 6 weak, faint,
stale, old, dead: The trail of the tiger had grown cold. 7
unprepared, unready: She hadn't studied and went into the exam
cold. 8 Often, getting cold. far, distant, remote, off the
track: As I searched for the weapon, I felt I was getting cold
the further I went from the kitchen.
--n. 9 coldness, frigidity, iciness: Last winter, the cold
killed off many of our shrubs. 10 head or chest or common cold,
influenza, ague, (la or the) grippe, Technical coryza, gravedo,
Colloq sniffles, the flu, bug, sneezles and wheezles: I caught
a cold waiting for you in the rain.
--adv. 11 completely, thoroughly, entirely, absolutely,
unhesitatingly, promptly, immediately, unreservedly, abruptly:
His application to join the police was turned down cold.
cold-blooded
adj. 1 Technical poikilothermic or poikilothermal: Reptiles
are cold-blooded. 2 unexcited, unemotional, cool,
unimpassioned, unfeeling, callous, thick-skinned, insensitive,
heartless, uncaring, stony, steely, stony-hearted, cold-hearted,
imperturbable, unmoved, indifferent, unresponsive,
unsympathetic, apathetic, dispassionate: The murder appeared to
be the act of a cold-blooded killer. 3 cruel, brutal, savage,
inhuman, barbarous, vicious, barbaric, merciless, pitiless,
ruthless: They were victims of a cold-blooded policy of
repatriation.
cold-hearted
adj. insensitive, unsympathetic, apathetic, indifferent,
unfeeling, uncaring, callous, thick-skinned, cold, cool, frigid,
hard-hearted, heartless, unkind, thoughtless, unthoughtful,
uncharitable, ruthless, pitiless, unmerciful, cruel, merciless,
mean: Putting that kitten out on a snowy night is the most
cold-hearted thing you ever did.
collaborate
v. cooperate, join (forces), work together, team up: We
collaborated in writing both the lyrics and music.
collapse v. 1 fall (down or in or apart), crumple, cave in, deflate,
crumble, tumble down, break down, go: When he opened the valve,
the balloon collapsed. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in the
earthquake. 2 fail, (come to an) end, fall through, peter out,
disintegrate, dissolve, fall flat, founder, come to naught or
nought, break up or down; decline, diminish; disappear,
evaporate, go up in smoke, go bankrupt, go under, Brit go to the
wall, Colloq fizzle out: After the imprisonment of their
leader, the entire movement collapsed. Owing to the recession,
many businesses collapsed. 3 pass out, faint, drop, Colloq keel
over; Old-fashioned or literary swoon: He collapsed on-stage
and they took him to his dressing-room. 4 break down
(mentally), have a (nervous) breakdown, go to pieces, come or
fall apart , Colloq crack up, US also crack: She finally
collapsed from overwork and is now in a sanatorium.
--n. 5 cave-in, breakdown: The collapse of the house was
attributed to termites. 6 failure, downfall, ruin;
disappearance, disintegration, dissolution, bankruptcy: Will he
be able to survive the collapse of his financial empire? 7
(mental) breakdown, prostration, Colloq crack-up: He suffered a
mental collapse when his family was killed in a car crash.
colleague n. team-mate, fellow-worker, co-worker; associate, comrade,
ally, confrЉre, mate, consociate, Chiefly Brit and Australian
mate, US buddy: I have asked some of my colleagues from the
office to join us for dinner.
collect v. 1 gather (together), get or bring or come or together,
amass, accumulate, assemble, compile, pile up, heap up, rack up;
convene, congregate, converge, rally, meet: A crowd had
collected outside the mayor's home. They were collecting
evidence for their case. 2 summon (up), draw (up), muster,
gather (up), concentrate: She collected all her courage to ask
for an increase in salary.
collected adj. calm, serene, controlled, cool, sedate, composed,
nonchalant, poised, unruffled, unperturbed, at ease,
comfortable, tranquil, unexcited; imperturbable; confident:
Considering what she's just gone through, Tanya seems quite
collected.
collection
n. 1 collecting, gathering, solicitation, garnering, gleaning,
accumulation, amassment, aggregation, Colloq Brit whip-round:
The collection of donations in this neighbourhood is going well.
2 accumulation, hoard, store, assemblage, omnium gatherum;
anthology, chrestomathy: Would you like to come up to see my
collection of etchings? They have published some very
interesting collections.
collector n. gatherer, accumulator; connoisseur, art-lover: The rent
collector is coming tomorrow. We are collectors of paintings by
unknown artists.
collide v. 1 crash, strike or dash together: The cars collided at the
bridge. 2 collide with. crash into, smash into, run into, bump
into, smack into: The car collided with the bus at the
crossing.
collision n. smash-up, smash, crash, wreck, pile-up, Colloq Brit prang;
US crack-up: There has been a major collision on the Tring
road.
colossal adj. 1 huge, vast, enormous, gigantic, giant, mammoth, massive,
gargantuan, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian, immense, monumental,
titanic, Herculean, elephantine, jumbo: Mystery surrounds the
exact methods used in moving the colossal stones used in the
pyramids. 2 spectacular, stupendous, wonderful, awe-inspiring,
staggering, extraordinary, incredible, overwhelming,
unbelievable: The old Hollywood extravaganzas were described by
press agents as 'colossal'. I think you have made a colossal
mistake in failing to hire Cynthia.
colour n. 1 hue, tint, tincture, shade, tone, cast, tinge,
pigmentation; pigment, dye: The colours of the curtains don't
match the wall. 2 colours. a flag, ensign, standard, pennant,
banner, burgee: The sloop hoisted the British colours. b
device, badge, emblem, insigne or pl insignia, symbol(s),
identification; identity, appearance, face; loyalties: The
investigators found he'd been operating under false colours.
She has shown her true colours at last.
--v. 3 tint, dye, stain, paint, crayon, tincture, tinge;
pigment: These sections will stand out better if you colour
them red. 4 influence, affect, distort, falsify, taint, warp,
twist, slant, pervert, bias: Jealousy colours his opinion of
his supervisor. 5 blush, redden, flush: After their affair,
she visibly coloured whenever they met. 6 falsify, distort,
misrepresent, disguise, mask, conceal: He feigns confusion when
he wishes to colour his true feelings.
colourless
adj. 1 pale, pallid, blanched, white; wan, ashen, sallow,
waxen, sickly, washed out: You could see from his colourless
complexion that he had not been outside for months. 2 dull,
drab, uninteresting, vacuous, vapid, lifeless, boring, tedious,
spiritless, dry, dry-as-dust, dreary, characterless, insipid,
bland, namby-pamby, lacklustre, uninspiring, uninspired: She
has led a colourless life. Few people have so colourless a
personality as he.
combat n. 1 fight, encounter, engagement, duel, battle, conflict, war,
warfare; skirmish: The two men were locked in single combat. 2
struggle, contest, strife, controversy, dispute, quarrel,
disagreement, altercation, vendetta, feud: There was endless
combat between father and son. 3 opposition, difference,
confrontation: The combat between good and evil can never end.
4 action, fighting, battle, war: He was in combat on three
occasions. Have you seen any combat?
--v. 5 fight, (do) battle, war, clash, contend, duel, joust,
wrestle, come to blows, spar, grapple (with): The soldiers are
combating hand to hand in the trenches. 6 fight, struggle or
strive against, contest, oppose, defy, enter the lists against,
withstand: There was broad support for measures to combat crime
and pollution.
combination
n. 1 union, conjunction, mixture, mix, grouping, set, array:
They always serve the same combination of foods. 2 association,
alliance, coalition, union, federation, confederation, combine,
syndication, syndicate, consortium, trust, bloc, cartel, party,
society, organization, league, cabal, conspiracy, clique;
claque: When they get together they form an unbeatable
combination. 3 mixture, amalgam, compound, compounding, mix,
alloy, conglomerate, conglomeration, aggregate, aggregation,
amalgamation, blend, emulsion, suspension, colloid, solution,
composition, Technical parasynthesis, parathesis; mosaic,
patchwork: From a combination of ingredients the witch made a
slimy love potion. A combination of every colour of the rainbow
covered the walls.
combine v. 1 unite, unify, join, connect, relate, link, conjoin, band,
ally, associate, integrate, merge, pool: Combine forces, and
we'll win. 2 blend, mix, amalgamate, mingle, consolidate,
compound, incorporate, put together: Combine the water, butter,
and salt in a saucepan. 3 blend, fuse, synthesize, bind, bond,
compound, unite, coalesce, come together, commingle, mingle:
When heated, the silver combines with the chlorine.
come v. 1 approach, advance, (draw) near, move, Archaic or literary
draw nigh: The car came towards us. She has come to me for
comforting words. Winter is coming. 2 arrive, appear, make or
put in an appearance, Colloq blow in, report (in), turn or show
up, check in, sign in, clock on or in, roll in: Winter has
come. When Cora comes, we'll ask her. 3 enter: Come into the
light, where I can see you. 4 come about. a occur, happen,
take place, come up; befall, Loosely transpire: I cannot
imagine how this state of affairs came about. b Nautical tack,
go about: After the marker, come about and hoist the spinnaker.
5 come across. a find, discover, encounter, meet (up or up
with), run across or into, happen or chance upon or on, hit or
light on or upon, stumble upon or on, Colloq bump into: I came
across some information about Charles. b pay (up), settle;
yield, give up, submit: Frank owes me money but refuses to come
across. c be communicated or understandable, penetrate, sink
in: I am not sure that my points came across. 6 come along.
fare, do, progress, move along: How is William coming along at
his new school? 7 come apart. disintegrate, crumble, fall or
fly to pieces, separate, break (apart or up or down): The
carburettor came apart in my hands. 8 come at. attack, assault,
charge, rush (at), fly at, descend upon or on, Colloq go or make
for: She came at me waving her umbrella. 9 come by. a
acquire, obtain, get, procure, secure, find, take or get
possession of, get or lay hold of, get or lay or put (one's)
hands or US also fingers on; be given: The tax inspector
wondered how she came by such valuable property. b win, earn,
attain; be awarded: I came by that trophy fair and square. 10
come clean. See clean, 8, above. 11 come down on or upon.
pounce on or upon, rebuke, criticize, revile, reprimand, bear
down on, blame: Mother really came down on us when she
discovered who had taken the pie. 12 come down with. succumb to,
contract, catch, be stricken or afflicted with, acquire: He's
come down with pneumonia. 13 come in. a win, succeed; Colloq
finish (in the money): My horse came in. b be, prove, turn out
or prove to be: Knowing someone on the council can come in
handy. c finish, end up, arrive: Donald came in first in the
backstroke. d enter: Don't come in, I'm dressing. 14 come
off. a occur, happen, come to pass, take place , Loosely
transpire: I doubt that the performance will ever come off. b
emerge, result as: We came off the winners in Saturday's game.
15 come out. a be revealed, become public or known or common
knowledge, get about or around, get or leak out, emerge: The
story has come out that he tried to bribe the inspector. b be
published or issued or produced or distributed, be shown, be in
print, premiЉre: The new edition of the dictionary has just
come out. c end, conclude, turn out, terminate, finish: How
did the chess match come out? 16 come over. a go over,
communicate, come across, be communicated, succeed, be received:
How did my speech come over? b affect, influence, possess: I
can't imagine what's come over Louis. c visit, drop or stop by
or in: Quentin and his wife came over for dinner last night.
17 come through. a recover (from), recuperate (from), get well
or better: He came through his operation with flying colours.
b conclude or end (up) or finish or wind up successfully or
satisfactorily, succeed, arrive, not fail or disappoint: I knew
he'd come through. 18 come to. a amount to, add up to, total,
aggregate: My bill came to more than I had with me. b regain
or recover consciousness, awake(n), revive, wake up, come
(a)round: When I came to, I was on the floor with a terrific
headache. c regard, concern, relate to, be a question of,
involve, be relevant to, be involved: When it comes to real
ale, Mario is the expert. 19 come up. a arise, surface,
present itself, be brought up, be broached, come about, turn up,
rise, Colloq crop up: The question of religion never came up.
b grow, thrive, appear: None of my tulips came up this year. c
rise, arise: The moon came up just as the sun was setting.
comedian n. humorist, comic, wit, wag, jokesmith; clown, buffoon, funny
man, funster, jester, fool, zany, merry andrew: The new
comedian at the variety show is very funny.
comely adj. good-looking, pretty, bonny, lovely, fair, beautiful,
handsome, attractive, appealing, wholesome, winsome, buxom: She
is a comely woman who has had no shortage of suitors.
come-on n. lure, attraction, enticement, inducement, temptation, bait;
loss-leader: The free glassware is a come-on to buy a tankful
of petrol.
comfort v. 1 console, solace, soothe, assuage, reassure, relieve,
hearten, cheer, gladden: It might comfort you to know that
Roderick has recovered completely. He comforted her when the
pain became unbearable.
--n. 2 consolation, solace, relief, cheer: I derived some
comfort from knowing that my attacker had been caught. 3 ease,
luxury, security, abundance, plenty, opulence: Cordelia lived
out her days in comfort after inheriting a fortune from her
aunt.
comfortable
adj. 1 at ease, easy, tranquil, serene, relaxed, contented,
untroubled, undisturbed: After the operation, the nurses did
everything they could to make me comfortable. 2 well off,
carefree, insouciant, contented, satisfied; self-satisfied,
complacent, smug: They don't have a lot of money, but they're
comfortable enough. 3 likeable, easy, congenial, amiable,
cordial, warm, pleasant, agreeable, enjoyable, relaxing: Daphne
is a very comfortable sort of person to be with. 4 suitable,
acceptable, adequate, satisfactory, reasonable: The radio was
on very loud, so I turned down the volume to a more comfortable
level.
comic adj. 1 funny, droll, comical, humorous, hilarious,
side-splitting, mirthful, jocose, jocular, witty, waggish,
clever, facetious, amusing: Barry's comic routines have made
him a popular performer for years.
--n. 2 See comedian.
command v. 1 order, direct, bid, enjoin, charge, request, require,
demand, instruct; say, prescribe, decree: What the Queen
commands must be done. 2 control, dominate, have or maintain or
wield authority or control or sway or influence over, hold sway
over; lead, rule, govern, have under one's thumb, call the tune;
head (up): Whoever commands the sea commands the town. He
commanded a battalion during the war. 3 master, draw upon or on,
control, summon: The work required all the skill the sculptor
could command. 4 attract, earn; exact, compel, demand: Gunga
Din's bravery commanded the respect of the entire regiment. 5
dominate, control, overlook, look down on; have, enjoy, possess:
The tower commands a view of the entire valley.
--n. 6 order, direction, behest, mandate, charge, bidding,
instruction: Your wish is my command. 7 control, authority,
power, sovereignty, dominion, regulation, direction, management,
government, oversight, leadership, charge, sway, stewardship,
jurisdiction: The unit is under the command of the colonel. 8
mastery, control, (thorough) grasp or knowledge: He has a good
command of three languages.
commemorate
v. memorialize, remember, celebrate, observe, dedicate,
consecrate, solemnize, sanctify, hallow, reverence, revere,
honour, venerate, pay tribute or homage to, salute; immortalize:
We are here to commemorate deeds of valour and the men who
performed them.
commence v. 1 begin, enter upon, start, initiate, launch, embark on or
upon: Tomorrow morning, we commence the ascent of Mont Blanc.
2 begin, start, open: The ceremonies are about to commence. 3
begin, start, initiate, launch, inaugurate, establish: We
commenced operations at this plant last year.
comment n. 1 remark, reference, animadversion, note, annotation,
criticism, exposition, explanation, expansion, elucidation,
clarification, footnote: The author's comments on his sources
appear in the appendix. 2 commentary, opinion, remark, view,
observation, reaction: The judge's comments are not for
publication.
--v. 3 remark, observe, opine, say: He commented that he knew
nothing about the minister's private life. 4 comment on or
about. discuss, talk about, remark on; reveal, expose: She
declined to comment on what had happened the previous night.
commerce n. trade, business, mercantilism, marketing, merchandising,
traffic, trafficking: All commerce consists in the exchange of
commodities of equal value. My husband is in commerce.
commit v. 1 entrust, consign, transfer, assign, delegate, hand over,
deliver, give; allot, pledge, allocate: They committed the
goods to traders with strong distribution facilities. 2
sentence, send (away), confine, shut up, intern, put away,
imprison, incarcerate: The judge committed her to prison. You
can be committed for such behaviour. 3 perpetrate, do, perform,
carry out: They committed murder for money. 4 commit oneself.
pledge, promise, covenant, agree, assure, swear, give one's
word, vow, vouchsafe, engage, undertake, guarantee, bind
oneself: He committed himself to buying the company after
seeing the books.
committee n. council, board, cabinet, panel, body, commission: They have
set up a committee to oversee park planning.
common adj. 1 ordinary, everyday, commonplace, prosaic, usual,
familiar, customary, prevalent, frequent, run-of-the-mill,
general, normal, standard, conventional, regular, routine,
stock, average, proverbial; plain, simple, garden-variety,
common or garden, workaday, undistinguished, unexceptional:
Intermarriage is a common occurrence among the members of the
sect. We planted a common variety of carrot. 2 mutual,
reciprocal, joint, shared: Our common heritage must be
protected. 3 low-class, ordinary, plain, simple, plebeian,
bourgeois, proletarian, run-of-the-mill, vulgar, unrefined:
Kings avoid dealing with the common people. 4 inferior,
low-grade, mean, cheap, base: He was smoking a cigar of the
commonest type. 5 public, general, community, communal,
collective, non-private, universal; well-known: The contents of
the library are the common property of everyone. Their romance
is common knowledge in the village. 6 trite, stale, hackneyed,
worn out, banal, tired, overused, stereotyped, clich‚d,
stereotypical: The term 'yuppie' has become too common to have
much impact any longer.
communicate
v. 1 make known, impart, confer, transmit, transfer, hand on or
down, share, pass on or along, send on, spread; tell, divulge,
disclose, reveal, announce, transmit, promulgate, proffer,
tender, offer, convey, deliver, present, give, yield, supply:
Moral qualities are sometimes thought to be communicated by
descent. I communicated to them the information that I had
about the missiles. 2 Also, communicate with. be in
communication (with), converse (with), talk (with), chat (with);
correspond (with); associate (with), be in contact or touch
(with), reach: Donald and I haven't communicated in years.
Instead of communicating with him by telephone, she did so via
personal notices in the newspaper. 3 get or put across, make
understandable; get through to, reach, be of one mind, be in
tune, relate, be in or en rapport, make oneself understood ,
Slang be or vibrate on the same frequency or wavelength: He has
difficulty in communicating his ideas to his students. We might
talk, but are we communicating?
compact adj. 1 packed, compacted, closely-knit, condensed,
concentrated, consolidated, compressed; dense, solid, firm,
thick: The sesame seeds are mixed with honey and pressed into a
compact block. 2 tight, small, snug, little: The table folds up
into a compact unit for storage. 3 condensed, terse, laconic,
close, pithy, succinct, concise, brief, compendious, laconic,
epigrammatic, aphoristic: The information is given in a compact
form with many abbreviations and symbols.
companion n. 1 fellow, associate, comrade, colleague, confrЉre, Colloq
chiefly Brit and Australian mate, US and Canadian buddy: For
ten years they had been constant companions. 2 vade-mecum,
manual, handbook, guide, reference book, enchiridion: They
publish a pocket companion listing the month's events. 3
escort, chaperon(e), attendant, (in Spain, Portugal) duenna:
Aunt Dinah is too old to be alone, so we have engaged a
companion for her.
companionship
n. fellowship, camaraderie, comradeship, company, society,
amity, friendship, fraternity: I often enjoy the companionship
of an older person.
company n. 1 companionship, society, fellowship; attendance, presence;
associates, friends, companions, comrades: It was a stormy
night, and I was only too glad to have his company. A man is
known by the company he keeps. 2 assemblage, party, band, group,
retinue, entourage, suite, train, coterie, ensemble, troop,
followers, following, flock; circle, assembly, gathering,
convention, body, crowd, throng, Theatre troupe, cast, players,
actors, performers: The king arrived with his company at the
gate of the city. The speaker addressed the assembled company.
The company leaves today for a month on the road. 3 guest(s);
visitor(s), caller(s): Are you having company for dinner
tonight? 4 firm, business, house, concern, institution,
establishment, enterprise; proprietorship, partnership,
corporation, Brit public limited company, plc, Australian and
New Zealand and South African private limited company, Pty: The
company was founded in 1867.
compare v. 1 liken, associate, make (an) analogy (with), refer,
analogize: How can you compare your collection to mine? 2
compare with. resemble, be or look like, be on a par with, be in
a class or the same class with, correspond, match, parallel,
approach, approximate, bear or merit comparison (with); rival,
compete with or against, be a match for: Your paintings compare
well with Picasso's. The new recordings don't begin to compare
with the old ones. 3 contrast, measure against, weigh,
juxtapose, set side by side, relate, correlate: We need to
compare the results of the two surveys.
comparison
n. 1 contrasting, contrast, juxtaposing, juxtaposition,
balancing, balance, weighing: His comparison of the candidates
is prejudiced. 2 match, similarity, resemblance, likeness,
comparability, relation, relationship, commensurability,
kinship, point of agreement or correspondence: There is no
comparison between a racing car and a family car.
compartment
n. division, section, partition, part, space, chamber, bay,
alcove, cell, pigeon-hole, locker, cubby-hole, niche, cubicle,
slot: Each specimen is in its own separate compartment.
compensate
v. 1 recompense, make up (for), make restitution or reparation,
offset, make good, indemnify, repay, reimburse, redress,
requite; expiate, atone, make amends (for): The company
compensated us for the loss of the car. Arriving at school early
today, Gerard, does not compensate for having been late
yesterday. 2 balance, counterpoise, counterbalance, equalize,
neutralize, even (up), square, offset: Deduct six ounces to
compensate for the weight of the container. 3 pay, remunerate,
reward, repay, recompense: Two pounds does not compensate me
adequately for an hour's work.
compensatory
adj. compensative, remunerative, restitutive or restitutory,
expiatory, reparative or reparatory, piacular: His huge
donation to the church was a compensatory offering for his past
sins.
compete v. contend, vie, struggle, strive, conflict, joust, fence;
fight, battle, clash, collide: They are competing to see who
will become chairman of the company. These two designs compete
with one another for the viewer's attention.
competent adj. 1 adequate, suitable, sufficient, satisfactory,
acceptable, all right, Colloq OK or okay: Colquhon will make a
competent bureau chief. 2 qualified, fit, capable, proficient,
able, prepared: Do you really think that fellow Johnson
competent to write a dictionary?
competition
n. 1 rivalry, contention, striving, struggle: The competition
for newspaper circulation becomes keener every day. 2 contest,
match, meet, game, tournament, event; championship: We entered
the competition as underdogs. 3 See competitor.
competitor
n. rival, opponent, competition, opposition, adversary;
antagonist, contestant, contender: Our main competitor has just
announced a new product.
compile v. collect, put together, gather, accumulate, assemble, amass,
collate, organize, order, systematize; anthologize, compose: He
has compiled a large butterfly collection. Every year she
compiles a volume of the best stories.
complain v. grumble, moan, groan, wail, grouse, carp (at), whimper, cry,
lament, bemoan, Colloq gripe, squawk, grouch, Brit whinge, Slang
bitch, beef, US kick: What are you complaining about now?
complaint n. grumble, grievance, grouse, Colloq gripe, squawk , Slang
beef, US kick: I have no complaints about my treatment while I
was in hospital.
complement
v. 1 completion, perfection, confirmation, finishing touch,
consummation: The grand tour was considered the necessary
complement of an English education in the 18th century. 2 crew,
team, company, band, outfit; quota, allowance, quorum: The
regiment's full complement was attained by selecting from among
the recruits.
--v. 3 complete, perfect, round out or off, set off, top off;
flesh out: The setting was complemented by a huge floral
arrangement. His argument was complemented by evidence from rare
documents. 4 supplement, enhance, add to: These are facts that
complement but do not contradict her story.
complete adj. 1 entire, whole, intact, uncut, unbroken, undivided,
unabridged, full, undiminished, unabated, unreduced: The
complete works of Dickens are available in paperback. They
performed the complete opera, a six-hour marathon. 2 finished,
ended, concluded, over, done, accomplished, terminated; settled,
executed, performed: The company's figures are not yet
complete. When will your building plan be complete? 3 entire,
total, thorough, absolute, utter, unqualified, unmixed,
unalloyed, pure, unmitigated, rank: I attribute the disaster to
a complete breakdown of communication, together with the
complete incompetence of the site manager. 4 perfect,
consummate, exemplary, ideal, model, superior, superlative,
superb, faultless, flawless: Her dissertation is a work of
complete scholarship.
--v. 5 conclude, finish, end, bring to an end, accomplish,
achieve, do, Colloq wrap up; finalize: He stopped after
completing ten ciruits of the track. Have you completed the
prospectus? 6 round out, round off, perfect; crown, culminate:
The unit was completed by the addition of five platoons. A
golden cupola completed the top of the dome.
completely
adv. 1 entirely, fully, quite, wholly, totally, altogether, in
toto, thoroughly, perfectly, exactly, precisely, down to the
ground, from start to finish, from beginning to end, from A to
Z, from the word go, in full; lock, stock, and barrel; hook,
line, and sinker; heart and soul; root and branch; en masse:
The currency does not completely represent the wealth of the
country. 2 unqualifiedly, unconditionally, thoroughly, utterly,
totally, absolutely, quite, altogether, unreservedly: He's
completely mad if he thinks that thing will fly. 3 clearly,
expressly, explicitly, unambiguously, entirely, fully, totally,
wholly, altogether, unequivocally, truly, categorically, flatly:
I am completely in agreement with your policy.
completion
n. 1 conclusion, end, close, termination, fulfilment,
culmination, realization, accomplishment, finish: The
completion of the building phase is scheduled for next July. 2
finishing, finalization, wind-up, finishing-off, completing:
The completion of the house is scheduled for next October.
complexity
n. 1 complication, convolution: We are finding it difficult to
understand the complexities of the agreement. 2 intricacy,
involvement, complicatedness; inscrutability: The complexity of
her theory makes it difficult to interpret.
complicate
v. 1 mix up, entangle, snarl, tangle, confound, muddle,
confuse: You only complicate matters by bringing up the
question of religion in a discussion of money. 2 make
complicated or complex, make involved or intricate, make a
shambles or mess or muddle of, mess up, Colloq screw up: The
phenomena of tides and currents greatly complicate coastwise
navigation.
complicated
adj. involved, intricate, complex, compound, elaborate; ornate,
Byzantine, Daedalian, tangled, knotty, confused, labyrinthine:
In birds the eye is a more complicated organ than in our own
species. His plan is too complicated to understand.
complication
n. 1 complexity, involvement, intricacy, convolution: The
complications of the diagram make it almost impossible to
understand. 2 difficulty, problem, predicament, dilemma,
obstacle, obstruction, snag, drawback: Asking for more money
might create complications.
compliment
n. 1 praise, homage, commendation, honour, tribute, flattery,
bouquet, favour: The greatest compliment given to my work has
been its success. 2 Usually, compliments. respects, regards,
good or best wishes, felicitations, salutations, greetings: I
stopped by to pay my compliments to your mother.
--v. 3 honour, praise, pay homage or tribute to, commend, laud,
congratulate, felicitate; flatter: She came backstage to
compliment me on my performance.
complimentary
adj. 1 laudatory, commendatory, encomiastic, panegyrical,
eulogistic, congratulatory, flattering: The duke was most
complimentary about my sculpture. 2 free, gratis, on the house:
The shoehorn is complimentary when you buy a pair of shoes.
comply v. agree, obey, conform, consent, acquiesce, concur, submit,
yield, accede; accord: They require your signature and I hope
you'll comply.
compose v. 1 constitute, form, make (up), be a constituent or
ingredient or component or element of, be a part of: Clouds are
composed of countless particles of water. 2 write, create,
imagine, think up, originate, frame, formulate, make (up),
author, devise; contrive; set to music, arrange: He composed
the poem while travelling on the Flying Scotsman. That symphony
was composed in 1873. 3 be composed of. consist of or in,
comprise, be formed or made (up) of, be constituted of: The new
government is composed of a coalition of three parties. 4
compose oneself. calm (down), quiet or quieten (down), pacify,
control oneself, get control of or over oneself: They stopped
crying and composed themselves.
composition
n. 1 theme, essay, article, paper, story: The teacher required
each of us to write a thousand-word composition every week. 2
combination, make-up, structure, form, assembly, set-up,
organization, layout, arrangement, configuration, shaping;
balance, harmony, proportion, placement, placing, construction:
Notice the composition of the various elements in this painting.
3 combination, aggregate, mixture, compound, compounding, mix,
formulation, formula, composite, amalgam, alloy, m‚lange,
medley: The medication was a composition of several odd
ingredients. 4 creation, origination, formulation, fashioning:
The composition of the opera was begun in 1837. 5 make-up,
constitution: What goes into the composition of brass?
compound v. 1 put together, combine, mix, concoct, compose, make (up),
formulate, blend: They compound curry powder from different
spices. 2 blend, merge, coalesce, combine, unite, fuse or US
also fuze, come or go together: Sometimes two words compound to
form one, as in 'ingrown', 'outgrow', and 'uptake'. 3 aggravate,
intensify, exacerbate, heighten, augment, add to, worsen,
increase; enhance, multiply: Demanding your money back now will
only compound the problem.
--adj. 4 intricate, complex, involved, complicated; composite,
multiple, multiform, multifaceted, Technical parasynthetic,
parathetic: The compound eye of the fly / Lets it see far
better than I. A compound sentence is composed of two or more
clauses joined by one or more coordinating conjunctions, express
or understood.
--n. 5 composite, blend, synthesis, combination, consolidation,
Technical parasynthesis, parathesis; mixture, amalgam, alloy,
merging, merger, mix: Table salt is a compound of the metallic
element sodium and the gaseous element chlorine. 'Slithy' is a
compound of 'slimy' and 'writhe'.
comprehend
v. understand, see, grasp, conceive, take in, apprehend,
realize, fathom, perceive, discern, absorb, assimilate,
appreciate: Do you comprehend how serious the matter has
become?
comprehensive
adj. inclusive, encompassing, thorough, extensive, full,
exhaustive, complete, sweeping, wide, broad, encyclopedic or
encyclopaedic: We hope to give comprehensive coverage to all
aspects of the subject in our new book.
compulsive
adj. compelling, obsessive, coercive, urgent, forceful,
overwhelming, constrained: She is such a compulsive workaholic
that she double-checks everything done by her staff.
compunction
n. 1 remorse, contrition, regret, uneasiness of mind, pang or
pricking of conscience, self-reproach: He has no compunction
about hurting your feelings. 2 hesitation, reluctance, reserve,
disinclination, qualm, misgiving, unwillingness, fear: She has
no compunction about speaking her mind.
compute v. calculate, reckon, figure (out), work out, determine,
ascertain, estimate: My accountant computed my income tax for
this year and told me that I was entitled to a refund.
comrade n. colleague, associate, friend, companion, chum, crony,
confrЉre, Colloq pal, chum, Chiefly Brit and Australian mate,
Australian cobber, US buddy: None of my comrades from the old
regiment attended the reunion this year.
conceal v. 1 hide, secrete, bury, cover, disguise, camouflage: Packets
of a white powdery substance were concealed inside each doll. 2
keep secret or hidden, keep quiet about, disguise, not reveal;
dissemble: He concealed his true identity even from his wife.
concede v. 1 admit, allow, grant, acknowledge, confess, own (up or to
or up to), accept: I conceded that I had no business in the
bank after closing. 2 grant, yield, surrender, cede, give up,
submit, resign, relinquish, abandon, waive: In chess, upon the
loss of a queen, many players will concede. She has conceded
any right to the estate of her uncle.
conceit n. 1 vanity, pride, egotism, self-esteem, self-admiration,
self-love, narcissism, vainglory, amour propre; arrogance: His
conceit is matched only by his incompetence. 2 fancy, whim,
caprice: Some have a conceit their drink tastes better / In an
outlandish cup than their own. 3 elaborate figure (of speech),
affectation, strained or far-fetched metaphor: A conceit would
be calling the waves 'nodding hearse-plumes'.
conceited adj. vain, egotistical, self-centred, egocentric,
self-admiring, narcissistic, prideful, proud, arrogant,
self-involved, self-important, self-satisfied, smug, complacent,
vainglorious, snobbish, Colloq stuck-up; Slang snotty: That
conceited ass really thinks the world of himself.
conceive v. 1 have, bear, beget, sire, father, give birth to; become
pregnant (with): After the twins, they conceived three boys. 2
formulate, devise, plan, contrive, create, plot, hatch, develop,
evolve, fabricate, think or make up, form, frame, design: He
conceived a scheme for swindling that poor woman out of her life
savings. 3 think (up), imagine, speculate (on), perceive, see,
understand, realize, comprehend, envision, envisage, conjure up,
dream up, hypothesize, postulate, posit, suggest, suppose: I
cannot conceive of any reason why she shouldn't be allowed to
take part.
concentrate
v. 1 focus, direct, centre, centralize, converge, consolidate:
The council concentrated its efforts on refurbishing the
schools. 2 condense, reduce, distil, intensify, refine,
strengthen: The sap of the sugar maple is concentrated by
boiling. 3 gather, collect, congregate, draw or bring together,
crowd, cluster, group: Much of the population is concentrated
around the large cities. 4 think, focus one's thoughts or
attention, apply oneself: I cannot concentrate with the radio
on.
conception
n. 1 birth, beginning, genesis, inception, commencement,
emergence, start, inauguration, initiation, launch, launching,
origin, origination, formation, formulation, introduction: We
were excited to be in at the conception of the scheme. 2 idea,
notion, inkling, clue, concept; id‚e re‡u; understanding,
knowledge, appreciation, comprehension: He has no conception of
what is involved in maintaining a yacht. 3 design, plan,
scheme, proposal, outline: Transporting a building from another
site instead of constructing one was a bold conception.
concern v. 1 refer or relate to, have relation or reference to, be
about, pertain or appertain to, be pertinent or relevant to,
regard, apply to, be connected or involved with, bear on, be
germane to, be connected with, involve, apply to, touch (on):
The matter concerns your inheritance, Cosgrove. 2 affect, have
(a) bearing or (an) influence on, involve, touch; interest, be
of importance or interest to: This war concerns us all. 3
worry, trouble, disturb, bother, perturb, unsettle, upset,
distress: He doesn't let anything concern him.
--n. 4 business, affair, problem; responsibility, duty, charge,
task, involvement, Colloq thing; Slang bag, shtick: What she
does is no concern of yours. The safety of the passengers is his
concern. 5 interest, regard, consideration, care, thought,
awareness, attention: You should show more concern for those
less fortunate than you. 6 anxiety, worry, solicitude,
apprehension, distress, apprehensiveness, uneasiness, malaise,
disquiet, disquietude: It's only a cold, and no cause for
concern. 7 business, firm, company, house, establishment,
enterprise, organization: The business is being sold as a going
concern. 8 matter, affair, issue: The preservation of wildlife
is an international concern.
concerned adj. 1 involved, responsible, interested, active; caring,
solicitous: The best governments are run by a concerned
citizenry. 2 troubled, vexed, anxious, worried, distressed,
uneasy, perturbed, bothered, upset, disturbed: They were not at
all concerned about the state of my health.
concerning
prep. about, regarding, relative or relating to, referring to,
with or in reference to, as regards, in or with regard to, with
an eye to, with respect to, respecting, apropos (of), as to or
for, in the matter of, on the subject of, re, Formal anent:
Concerning your recent application, please phone this office.
concise adj. brief, terse, laconic, compact, direct, succinct,
epigrammatic, cogent, pithy, compendious, summary, epigrammatic,
trenchant, compressed, condensed, short; shortened, abridged,
curtailed, abbreviated: He gave a concise summary of the
findings. This is a concise edition of the dictionary.
concrete adj. real, actual, literal, realistic, authentic, valid,
genuine, bona fide, reliable; specific, particular, definite,
definitive, clear-cut, material, physical, tangible,
substantial: Have you any concrete evidence for the existence
of UFOs?
condemn v. 1 censure, blame, criticize, remonstrate with or against,
denounce, disparage, reproach, rebuke, reprove, scold,
reprimand, upbraid: The council was condemned for failing to
provide adequate health care. 2 convict, find guilty; sentence,
doom: The judge condemned them to twenty years imprisonment. 3
Usually, condemned. doomed, damned, destined, fated, ordained,
foreordained; consigned: He has been condemned to wander
forever.
condescend
v. stoop, deign, lower or humble or demean oneself, come down
off one's high horse: She wouldn't condescend to talk to the
stable-boy directly.
condescending
adj. patronizing, belittling, disdainful, contemptuous,
pompous, overbearing, high-handed, imperious, snobbish, haughty,
Colloq snooty, Brit toffee-nosed; Slang snotty: He thinks he's
better than everyone, and I can't stand his condescending
manner.
condition n. 1 state; circumstance(s), shape: What condition is the
house in? My bank account is in a poor condition. 2
stipulation, proviso, demand, requirement, term, qualification,
contingency, requisite, prerequisite: The terrorists have
announced their conditions for releasing the hostages. 3 working
order, fitness, shape, form, fettle; health: He's in good
condition, but his car isn't. 4 conditions. circumstances;
quarters; environment: The ship's crew live in very crowded
conditions.
--v. 5 ready, get or make ready, prepare, equip, outfit, fit
(out or up), adapt, modify: The mechanics are conditioning the
plane for high-altitude flights. 6 train, educate, teach;
brainwash; influence, mould, persuade: The children were
conditioned to avoid talking to strangers. 7 accustom, inure,
adapt, acclimate, acclimatize: At this training base, we
condition the commandos to all kinds of hardships.
conduct n. 1 behaviour, actions, demeanour, manners, deportment,
comportment, attitude: Such conduct will not be tolerated in
this school. 2 guidance, direction, management, supervision,
leadership, administration, government, running, handling,
control, command, regulation, operation: Had the conduct of the
war been left up to him, we should have lost.
--v. 3 guide, direct, supervise, manage, carry on, run,
control, administer, regulate, operate: They conduct a
remarkably successful business. 4 lead, guide, escort, show (in
or out), usher: We were conducted through the gallery by the
curator herself. 5 channel, carry, transmit, convey; direct:
Electrical power is conducted by the cable. 6 conduct oneself.
behave, act, demean, deport, comport, acquit: For a
six-year-old, he conducted himself very well.
confer v. 1 converse, consult, deliberate, talk (over), discuss, take
counsel: I shall have to confer with my colleagues on that
matter. 2 When transitive, confer on. give, grant, present,
award; bestow (on): The prizes will be conferred after the
dinner. He was bewildered by the honours conferred on him.
conference
n. meeting, convention, symposium, congress, seminar, forum,
colloquium; discussion, talk, colloquy, US bull session: In
1988, the conference was held in Budapest.
confess v. disclose, acknowledge, admit, own (up or to or up to),
declare, avow, make a clean breast (of); reveal, divulge,
confirm, concede, affirm, aver, testify; disbosom oneself,
Colloq come clean: She confessed her part in the swindle.
Confronted with the evidence, he confessed.
confidence
n. 1 trust, reliance, faith; belief: Your parents have a great
deal of confidence in you. 2 assurance, self-confidence,
self-assurance, self-reliance, poise, aplomb, coolness;
conviction, certitude, boldness, courage, nerve: We admire the
confidence she shows in her daring plan. 3 in confidence. in
secrecy, in privacy, privately, confidentially, intimately,
Colloq on the q.t. or Q.T.: I am telling you this in
confidence.
confident adj. 1 secure, sure, certain, assured, positive, convinced: I
feel confident that we shall get the contract. 2
self-confident, self-assured, self-possessed, reliant,
self-reliant, dauntless, bold, cool, cocksure, fearless,
courageous, Colloq cocky: He strode into the room with a
confident air.
confidential
adj. private, secret, intimate; classified; Colloq hush-hush:
These confidential papers must never be out of your possession.
confirm v. 1 ratify, sanction, authorize, endorse, support, sustain,
approve, uphold, back up, validate, verify, recognize;
authenticate, accredit: By-laws shall not take effect unless
confirmed by the local authority. 2 establish, settle, affirm,
ensure, clinch, substantiate, guarantee, bind, seal: The king
thereby confirmed his control over the islands. 3 strengthen,
encourage, fortify, reinforce, corroborate, substantiate,
buttress, prove: Later events confirmed his opinion.
confiscate
v. appropriate, seize, impound, sequester, sequestrate,
expropriate, take (away), commandeer: The police confiscated my
car to use as evidence.
conflict n. 1 fight, battle, combat, engagement, struggle, war, fray,
fracas, affray, brawl, Donnybrook: Gurkha troops entered the
conflict. 2 dispute, argument, controversy, wrangle,
contention, disagreement, altercation, feud, quarrel, row;
squabble, tiff, Colloq spat: The counsellor was unable to
resolve the conflict between the sisters regarding the will. 3
clash, antagonism, difference, opposition, disagreement,
variance, discord: There is a basic conflict between the
interests of labour and of management.
--v. 4 clash, disagree, differ, be incompatible or at odds or
at variance, be in opposition (to): The plans conflict on only
one point.
conform v. 1 comply (with), follow, observe, obey, respect, abide by,
adapt or adjust (to): We agree to conform to the rules of the
club. 2 accord (with), agree (with), concur (with), coincide
(with), correspond (with), harmonize (with), square (with),
match, tally (with), fit (in with), be consistent (with), be in
accord or in accordance (with): Their behaviour did not conform
with what is expected in such circles. The two plans do not
conform.
confuse v. 1 disconcert, perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, baffle,
bemuse, befuddle, discomfit, confound, fluster, flummox, upset,
disorient, embarrass, abash, shame, dismay, Colloq rattle,
throw, Chiefly US discombobulate , US and Canadian buffalo: She
was completely confused by his offer to help. 2 disorder,
confound, disorganize, throw into disarray, muddle, mix up,
snarl (up), ensnarl, tangle (up), entangle, botch, Colloq mess
up, make a mess of, screw up, Brit make a balls-up of, US ball
up: He has done more to confuse the situation than to clear it
up. 3 mix up, confound, muddle, jumble, snarl (up), ensnarl;
blur: The identities of the children were confused at birth.
confused adj. 1 mixed up, jumbled, disordered, disorganized, disorderly,
muddled, muddle-headed, snarled (up), messy, baffling,
confusing, mystifying, puzzling, perplexing; contradictory,
ambiguous, misleading, inconsistent, mixed up, botched (up) ,
Colloq higgledy-piggledy: The accountants have provided a
confused set of figures. 2 bewildered, perplexed, puzzled,
baffled, (be)fuddled, mystified, disoriented, discomposed, at
sea, flummoxed, dazed, muddled, bemused, mixed up, nonplussed,
disconcerted, abashed, put off, put out, disturbed, flustered,
ill at ease, upset, at sixes and sevens, at a loss, Rare
metagrobolized, Colloq screwed-up, muzzy, out of it, not with
it, Chiefly US discombobulated, fouled up; Slang (all) balled
up, Brit (all) bollocksed or ballocksed (up), US (all) bollixed
(up), US and Canadian snafu: I have never seen anyone so
confused about a simple question of astrophysics. 3 jumbled,
mixed up, muddled, disorderly, confusing, messy, disorganized,
topsy-turvy; miscellaneous, motley, Brit shambolic: The books
lay in a confused heap on the floor.
confusion n. 1 disorder, mix-up, mess, jumble, muddle, disarray,
disarrangement, chaos, shambles: The files are in complete
confusion. 2 tumult, commotion, disorder, turmoil, pandemonium,
bedlam, chaos: Untold confusion resulted from sounding the
alarm. 3 mix-up, confounding; ambiguity, ambiguousness,
misunderstanding, contradiction, inconsistency: There is often
some confusion between the name of a thing and the thing itself.
4 mixing, combining, mixing up, intermingling: The removal firm
is responsible for the confusion of your books with mine. 5
assortment, mixture, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, hotchpotch or US
and Canadian also hodgepodge: A confusion of products lines the
shelves. 6 embarrassment, discomfiture, mortification,
abashment, shamefacedness, chagrin: He felt terrible confusion
when confronted with the evidence.
congested adj. (over)crowded, blocked (up), jammed, crammed, plugged,
stopped or stuffed (up), choked: The police are trying to deal
with traffic at congested intersections.
congratulate
v. felicitate, compliment: Her friends congratulated her on
winning the award.
congratulations
interjection. Felicitations!, Best wishes!, Well done!, Many
happy returns!, Colloq Nice going!, Good show!: Heartiest
congratulations! You've come in first!
connect v. 1 join or link or tie (together), unite: An old road
connects the two towns. 2 associate, affiliate, link, relate,
league, tie (in): The police connected him with the break-in.
The institute is connected with a pharmaceuticals company. 3
fasten, bind, unite, tie, link, join, attach, couple, put
together, secure, fit, fix, affix, stick, anchor, lock; rivet,
weld, braze, solder, screw, nail, stitch, sew, pin, hook,
staple, tack, glue, cement, fuse, seal, buckle, strap, bolt,
lash, chain, moor: Connect the parts to the frame.
connection
n. 1 uniting, joining, linking, connecting, coupling; union,
bond, joint, link: The US constitution forbids a formal
connection between Church and State. The connection between the
fittings has broken. 2 link, tie, (inter)relation(ship),
interplay, bearing, reference, relevance, appropriateness,
correlation, tie-in; coherence, consistency, association: Your
answer had no connection with the question. 3 Often,
connections. contact, ally, acquaintance, friend (at court);
influence, Colloq pull; Slang US drag: With their connections,
they can get away with anything. 4 connections. relatives,
relations, family, kin, kith and kin: They have connections in
Australia.
conquer v. 1 overcome, vanquish, beat, defeat, subdue, crush,
subjugate: The Moors conquered most of Spain. 2 capture,
seize, win, gain, acquire, obtain; occupy, annex, overrun: They
conquered the territory by force of arms. 3 overcome, triumph
or prevail over, beat, surmount, master, win out (over): He has
finally conquered the habit of biting his fingernails.
conquest n. 1 vanquishment, subjugation, defeat, domination, subjection:
Hernando Cort‚s is famous for his conquest of Mexico. 2
victory, triumph, mastery, win: He is credited with the
conquest of a number of diseases by means of this drug.
conscience
n. morality, morals, judgement, fairness, sense of right and
wrong, ethics, honour, standards, principles, scruples: In such
matters, your conscience must be your guide.
conscientious
adj. 1 scrupulous, principled, fair, moral, ethical, strict,
righteous, right-minded, upstanding, upright, honourable, just,
responsible, high-minded; incorruptible: Fetherby is a
conscientious arbitrator. 2 cautious, careful, scrupulous,
exacting, meticulous, punctilious, painstaking, diligent,
particular, rigorous, thorough: A conscientious effort was made
to restore the painting to its original condition. 3 prudent,
discreet, politic, careful, circumspect, heedful, attentive,
serious: Fred is conscientious about keeping secrets.
conscious adj. 1 aware, awake, alert: I was conscious of an eerie
presence. The victim of the attack is now conscious. 2
deliberate, intentional, purposive, purposeful, wilful, studied:
Lydia has been making a conscious effort to be friendlier to me.
consent v. 1 agree, comply, concur, accede, acquiesce, concede, yield,
submit, cede, conform, give in: He asked for payment in advance
and I consented. 2 consent to. permit, allow, agree to, give in
to, approve, authorize: Richard's parents consented to his
going on the outing.
--n. 3 approval, assent, permission, sanction, authorization,
imprimatur, seal of approval, Colloq OK, okay, go-ahead: Have
Richard's parents given their consent? 4 agreement, acceptance,
acquiescence, compliance, approval, concurrence: Taxes cannot
be raised without the consent of Parliament.
consequently
adv. so, therefore, as a result or consequence, accordingly,
ergo, hence, thus: He was found guilty and, consequently,
sentenced to death.
conservation
n. preservation, protection, safe keeping, maintenance, upkeep,
management, safeguarding; husbandry, economy: The conservation
of natural resources must be a priority.
conservative
adj. 1 reactionary, right, right-wing, rightist, Tory: In his
conservative view, no change is ever for the better. 2
cautious, careful, prudent, moderate, temperate,
middle-of-the-road, sober, stable; unprogressive, orthodox,
traditional, conformist, hidebound, conventional, standard,
fundamentalist, true-blue, dyed in the wool: The conservative
approach would be to study the problem before making a change.
The conservative members voted against electing certain members
to the club.
--n. 3 reactionary, rightist, right-winger, Tory,
fundamentalist; moderate, middle-of-the-roader: He's a
conservative and favours a classical education.
conserve v. 1 keep, preserve, hold on to, save, spare, reserve:
Conserve your energy for later, when we get near the top. 2
preserve, maintain, keep up, take care of: These buildings
should be conserved for later generations.
consider v. 1 think about or over, take into or under consideration,
deliberate (over or about), contemplate (on or over), weigh,
ponder, mull over, cogitate on, meditate (on or upon or over),
reflect (on or upon), ruminate (on or over), chew over, study,
examine: The council will consider your proposal. 2 heed,
mark, take into account or consideration, reckon with, bear in
mind, note, observe, make allowance for; esteem, respect, have
regard for: Consider your mother's feelings in the matter. 3
regard, look upon; judge, deem, take to be, think, believe,
gauge, rate, estimate, reckon: Consider yourself under arrest.
I don't consider Simon the best person for the job.
considerable
adj. 1 sizeable, substantial, large, big, great; appreciable,
respectable, noticeable, largish, biggish, goodly, decent, fair,
Colloq tidy: A considerable crowd were gathered outside. 2
important, worthy, of consequence, of distinction,
distinguished, illustrious, noteworthy, notable, remarkable,
estimable, influential, respectable: Some of the most
considerable citizens were banished.
considerate
adj. thoughtful, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, good-hearted,
helpful, friendly, neighbourly, gracious, obliging,
accommodating, charitable, generous, unselfish; sympathetic,
compassionate, sensitive; attentive; solicitous: It was very
considerate of you to offer your car.
consideration
n. 1 regard, concern, attentiveness, solicitude,
thoughtfulness, compassion, kindness, kindliness,
kind-heartedness, considerateness, respect, caring, care: Out
of consideration for your father, you should complete your
studies. 2 reward, compensation, remuneration, fee, payment,
recompense, emolument, tip, gratuity, pourboire, baksheesh or
backsheesh; honorarium: The boy will look after your luggage
for a small consideration, madam. 3 thought, deliberation,
reflection, contemplation, rumination, cogitation, study,
examination: After some consideration, we have decided that we
will finance the project.
considering
prep. in view of, in (the) light of, bearing in mind, making
allowance for, taking into consideration or account, looking at,
all in all, all things or everything considered, inasmuch as,
insomuch as: Considering your background, I doubt that you are
qualified.
consistent
adj. 1 agreeing, in agreement, in harmony, in keeping,
harmonious, in concordance, conforming, in conformance,
accordant, compatible, in accord or accordance, consonant: Her
story is not consistent with the facts. 2 dependable, regular,
predictable, undeviating, steady, steadfast, unchanging,
uniform, unswerving, constant: His behaviour, even under
pressure, has been quite consistent.
consistently
adv. 1 steadily, constantly, regularly, uniformly, daily, day
by day: Her piano technique is improving consistently. 2
dependably, unswervingly, staunchly, devotedly, firmly,
resolutely, faithfully, uniformly, unfailingly: The courts have
consistently upheld her claim to custody of the children.
console v. comfort, soothe, calm, assuage, solace, cheer (up): Ivan
made an effort to console the grieving widow.
conspicuous
adj. 1 obvious, clear, evident, plain, palpable, perceptible,
patent, prominent, apparent, clear-cut, unquestionable,
incontestable, incontrovertible: The sultan played a
conspicuous role in the kidnapping of the envoy. 2 obvious,
unmistakable, prominent, outstanding, noticeable, impressive,
vivid, obtrusive; striking, showy, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry,
blatant, lurid, vulgar, flashy, ostentatious: The silhouette of
the castle was conspicuous against the sky. Fingal was again
conspicuous, this time in a green wig and bowler. 3 notable,
noteworthy, exceptional, outstanding, eminent, unusual, marked,
extraordinary, remarkable, distinguished, impressive, awesome,
awe-inspiring, glorious: The medal is awarded for conspicuous
bravery.
conspiracy
n. plot, scheme, stratagem, intrigue, collusion, cabal,
connivance, foul play, dirty work: He suspected them of a
conspiracy to defraud their clients.
constable n. policeman, policewoman, (police) officer, US patrolman,
Colloq cop, copper , Brit bobby; Slang flatfoot, fuzz: A
constable was standing on the corner, and we asked him the way.
constant adj. 1 resolute, immovable, steadfast, firm, dependable,
unshakeable or unshakable, determined, unswerving, undeviating,
persevering, unwearying, unwearied, untiring, indefatigable,
tireless, unflagging, unwavering, unfailing, unfaltering,
persistent; loyal, true, tried and true, devoted, staunch,
trusty, faithful: He was her constant companion during her
troubles. 2 incessant, unceasing, ceaseless, perpetual,
persistent, uninterrupted, steady, regular, invariable,
unremitting, unvarying, relentless, unrelenting, continuous,
continual; unending, endless, never-ending, non-stop, perennial,
eternal, everlasting, Literary sempiternal: The constant pain
almost made me cry out. Their constant bickering is getting on
my nerves. 3 unchanging, unchanged, invariable, unvarying,
fixed, uniform, unalterable, immutable, changeless, persistent:
The numbers might change, but the ratio is constant.
construct v. 1 build, erect, make, put together, frame, set up, put up,
assemble: We constructed a summer-house in the garden. 2
fabricate, devise, create, forge, invent, formulate, compose,
shape, set up, fashion: He has constructed a complex argument
to support his theory.
constructive
adj. 1 helpful, useful, practicable, advantageous, practical,
productive, beneficial, positive: She provided much
constructive advice on how to design the factory. 2 virtual,
inferential, implicit, inferred, derived, deduced: As it turned
out, the shareholders were the constructive victims of the
fraud.
consult v. 1 Often, consult with. confer (with), discuss (with),
deliberate (with), talk over (with), inquire or enquire of, seek
advice from, ask (of), question, interrogate, take counsel (with
or of): I shall have to consult a doctor about my headaches.
You should consult with your lawyer. 2 refer to, look up, seek
information from: If in doubt, consult the dictionary.
consultant
n. 1 physician, doctor, specialist, expert: You ought to get
the opinion of another consultant. 2 adviser or advisor,
expert, counsellor or US counselor: Our financial consultant
tells us how to handle the company funds.
consume v. 1 devour, eat (up), gulp (down), swallow, drink (up), put
away, gobble (up); digest: When those teenagers come home, they
consume everything in sight. 2 use up, exhaust, deplete, drain,
expend, diminish, reduce: The new car has consumed all our
savings. 3 waste, occupy, squander, fritter away, dissipate,
absorb, lose, throw away, lavish, Slang blow: Too much of your
time has already been consumed by that problem. 4 destroy,
ruin, (lay) waste, demolish, wreck, gut, raze, Slang US and
Canadian total: Fire consumed the entire house. 5 overcome,
overwhelm, devastate, destroy, annihilate, ravage, (lay) waste,
wear out, ruin, eat up, devour, do in; preoccupy, obsess: He is
consumed by jealousy.
consummation
n. 1 completion, accomplishment, fulfilment, finish, end,
realization, attainment, achievement, success; completing,
accomplishing, fulfilling, finishing, ending, realizing,
attaining, achieving: Owning a Rolls Royce was the consummation
of her dreams. 2 acme, perfection, peak, culmination, finishing
touch, conclusion, grand finale, climax: The Nobel prize was
the consummation of an arduous life of research.
contact n. 1 junction, conjunction, connection: If the wires make
contact, the fuse will blow. 2 acquaintance, friend,
connection, Colloq US in: I have a contact on the board of
directors. 3 touch, communication, association: Are you still
in contact with Georgina?
--v. 4 get in touch with, communicate with, reach, get hold of;
phone, ring (up), telephone, speak to or with, write to,
correspond with: Try to contact the manager at his home.
contain v. 1 hold, have in it; bear, carry: The capsule contained a
deadly poison. 2 hold, have the capacity for, accommodate,
admit, carry; seat: This bottle contains no more than a quart.
The theatre can contain 200. 3 restrain, restrict, confine,
repress, control, hold back or in, curb, bridle, keep under
control, suppress, check, stifle: He could hardly contain
himself when he learnt he had passed the examination.
contaminate
v. defile, sully, pollute, corrupt, rot, stain, soil, taint,
infect, poison, foul, spoil, befoul; debase, adulterate,
vitiate: The river has been contaminated by effluent from a
nearby factory.
contemplate
v. 1 look or gaze at or on or upon, behold, view, survey,
observe, regard, eye; scan, scrutinize, inspect: I contemplated
the scene of the Grand Canal from my hotel room. 2 ruminate
(over), ponder (on or over), deliberate (over), muse (on or
over), meditate or reflect (on), think (about or over), mull
over, cogitate (over), turn over in one's mind, brood on or
over, chew on or over, consider, study, examine: She was
contemplating the events of the past night. Give me a moment to
contemplate. 3 plan, intend, think of or about, consider,
entertain the idea or notion of: After we broke up, I
contemplated emigrating to Australia.
contemporary
adj. 1 of the time, contemporaneous, coeval, coexistent,
concurrent, concomitant, parallel, synchronous, synchronic,
coincidental, coetaneous: We examined some of the documents
contemporary with his reign. 2 modern, current, present-day,
new, up to date, stylish, fashionable, modish, … la mode,
latest, in; novel, newfangled, Colloq trendy: She always keeps
up with contemporary fads in dress and make-up. I find much of
the contemporary metal-and-glass architecture rather boring.
contempt n. loathing, abhorrence, hatred, odium, hate; scorn, disdain,
contumely, disgust: She has nothing but contempt for cowards.
contemptible
adj. despicable, loathsome, detestable, scurvy, low, mean,
base, inferior, currish, wretched, vile, abject, ignominious,
unworthy, shabby, shameful: It was contemptible of you to give
away my secret.
contemptuous
adj. scornful, disdainful, sneering, derisive, insulting,
contumelious, insolent: The maestro was contemptuous of my
piano-playing.
content° n. 1 capacity, volume, size, measure: The content of the
barrel is exactly 55 gallons. 2 Usually, contents. ingredients,
components, constituents; load: The bottle broke and its
contents spilt on the floor. 3 substance, subject-matter;
significance, purport, import, essence, text, theme, topic,
thesis: The book is amusing but its content is quite trivial.
contentэ n. 1 pleasure, satisfaction, gratification, happiness,
contentment, contentedness, felicity, delight: He kept on
singing to his heart's content. 2 ease, comfort, tranquillity,
serenity, peace, peacefulness, contentedness: I have a feeling
of such content merely being with you.
--adj. 3 pleased, satisfied, happy, delighted, contented,
gratified, glad, cheerful; comfortable, fulfilled: I was quite
content to be home once more.
--v. 4 satisfy, please, gratify, soothe, cheer, gladden,
delight: It contented him to be near her.
contest n. 1 competition, match, tournament, championship, tourney,
meet, game, rivalry, trial: The contest was won by a woman from
Shropshire. 2 strife, controversy, dispute, contention, debate,
altercation, argument, velitation; conflict, struggle, fight,
battle, combat, war: The contest is between those for and those
against capital punishment.
--v. 3 contend, argue, dispute, debate; challenge, (call into)
question, oppose, counter, confute, object to, refute: David
has decided to contest his father's will.
contestant
n. contender, competitor, opponent, rival, adversary, entrant,
player, participant: The winner is the contestant from
Chearsley.
context n. structure, framework, environment, situation,
circumstance(s); ambience or ambiance, surround, surroundings,
frame (of reference), setting, background: It is often hard to
understand something taken out of its context.
continual adj. constant, incessant, perpetual, non-stop, persistent,
uninterrupted, regular, steady, unbroken, unceasing, ceaseless,
constant, eternal, unremitting, interminable, endless, unending;
Loosely continuous: She has this continual ringing in her ears.
continue v. 1 carry on, proceed (with), keep up or on or at, go on
(with), pursue, persist (in), persevere (in): Please continue
whatever it was you were doing. 2 endure, last, go on, persist,
be prolonged, remain: How long will the curfew continue? 3
maintain, keep (on), prolong, perpetuate, carry on (with),
persist in or with, sustain, extend: My mother continued her
career throughout my childhood. 4 resume, pick up, take up,
carry on (with): Allow me to continue my story and don't
interrupt again. 5 proceed, go (on), extend: The road
continues for about a mile, ending at the sea.
continuous
adj. 1 connected, unbroken, uninterrupted: The wall is
continuous except for one gate. 2 incessant, persistent,
perpetual, non-stop, unceasing, ceaseless, constant,
unremitting, interminable, endless, unending; Loosely continual:
A continuous stream of refugees passed through the camp.
contract n. 1 agreement, understanding, deal, bargain, arrangement,
pact, commitment, obligation, compact: We have just signed a
contract to supply office equipment to a new electronics
company.
--v. 2 engage, agree, promise, covenant, undertake: Our
company contracted to maintain the roads in this area. 3 catch,
acquire, get, come down with, develop, become infected with,
Brit go down with: Eunice contracted diphtheria. 4 diminish,
shrink, draw together, roll (oneself), narrow, squeeze,
constrict, compress, condense, decrease, reduce: When
disturbed, the animal contracts itself into a ball. 5 wrinkle,
knit, crease, corrugate, pucker: His brow contracted into a
frown.
contradict
v. 1 deny, gainsay, dispute, controvert, argue against; oppose:
He is very opinionated, and doesn't like to be contradicted. 2
contravene, belie, refute, disallow, forbid, disaffirm, counter,
abrogate, nullify, annul, reverse, counteract: The evidence
yields nothing that contradicts my argument.
contradictory
adj. inconsistent, paradoxical, incongruous, conflicting,
incompatible, discrepant; ambiguous, ambivalent: The witnesses'
descriptions of the robbers are contradictory.
contraption
n. contrivance, device, gadget, mechanism, apparatus, Colloq
widget, thingumabob or thingamabob, thingumajig or thingamajig,
thingummy, whatsit, doodah, thingy, US gizmo or gismo, Rube
Goldberg (invention), whatchamacallit, Colloq Brit gubbins:
People began to build all sorts of contraptions that they hoped
might fly.
contrary adj. 1 opposite, opposing, opposed, different, contradictory,
conflicting, antagonistic: Set aside enough time to hear the
contrary side of the argument. 2 antagonistic, perverse,
contrarious, hostile, unfriendly, inimical, cross-grained,
refractory, contumacious, self-willed, argumentative,
unaccommodating, antipathetic, Literary froward: He can
disagree, but why must he be so contrary? 3 adverse,
unfavourable, inauspicious, unlucky, unfortunate, unpropitious,
untoward, inopportune, bad, foul: We ran into contrary winds
and were delayed.
--n. 4 opposite, reverse: Her present position is the direct
contrary of the one she took yesterday.
--adv. 5 perversely, oppositely, contrariwise, contrarily, in
opposition to: The rat in the maze acted contrary to the
expected pattern.
contrast v. 1 juxtapose, oppose, compare, distinguish, differentiate,
discriminate, set or place against; set off: Contrast life in
the 18th century with life today. 2 conflict, differ or diverge
or deviate (from): The two styles contrast sharply. Australian
speech contrasts with that of Canada in many respects.
--n. 3 comparison; difference, distinction, disparity,
dissimilarity: The author emphasizes the contrasts between the
two economic policies.
contribute
v. 1 give, furnish, donate, bestow, grant, present, provide,
supply: He contributed three paintings by Longchamp to the
museum. They contributed generously to the restoration fund. 2
contribute to. add to, promote, advance, help, aid, support,
forward, have a hand in, play a part or role in: They believe
that poor parental supervision contributes to juvenile
delinquency.
control v. 1 command, dominate, direct, steer, pilot, hold sway over,
rule, exercise power or authority over, govern, manage, lead,
conduct, be in control (of), call the tune, guide, oversee,
supervise: Does she really control the future of the company?
2 check, hold back or in check, curb, repress, contain: Try to
control yourself. 3 suppress, put down, master, subdue,
restrain, curb, manage: They were totally unable to control the
unruly teenagers.
--n. 4 command, direction, power, authority, leadership,
management, guidance, supervision, oversight, charge; sway,
rule, jurisdiction: Turn control of the mission over to Mrs
Beale. The court is under the control of the State. 5 restraint,
check, curb, mastery, command, dominance, domination: You must
get better control over your emotions. 6 knob, button, dial,
handle, lever, switch; device, mechanism: This control opens
the door to the safe.
controversial
adj. 1 debatable, disputable, questionable, moot, doubtful,
unsettled: Who will run the department is a controversial
matter. 2 polemical, dialectic, litigious, factious: She has
studied the controversial writings of the 19th-century
feminists. 3 disputatious, argumentative, contentious;
provocative: Race relations have remained a controversial issue
for centuries.
controversy
n. 1 dispute, debate, contention, argument, argumentation,
disputation, wrangling, confrontation, questioning,
disagreement: The inquest went ahead without controversy. 2
argument, dispute, disagreement, quarrel; squabble, tiff, Colloq
spat: Controversy still rages over the theory of natural
selection.
convalesce
v. recover, improve, get better, recuperate: The doctor said I
needed only a week to convalesce after the operation.
convenient
n. 1 suitable, commodious, useful, helpful, handy, serviceable,
expedient, opportune, advantageous: The bus is quite convenient
for getting to and from the airport. 2 handy, nearby, within
(easy) reach, at one's fingertips, close at hand, available,
accessible; (at the) ready: There's a convenient post office
round the corner.
convention
n. 1 assembly, meeting, gathering, congregation, congress,
conference, symposium, council, conclave, diet, synod, seminar:
The annual convention of cat fanciers will take place in June.
2 rule, practice, custom, tradition, usage, formality,
conventionalism: According to convention, this year's
vice-president becomes president next year.
conventional
adj. customary, habitual, usual, normal, regular, standard,
orthodox, traditional, established, ordinary, everyday, common,
commonplace, accustomed, received, agreed; reactionary,
old-fashioned, stodgy, stuffy, old hat: Conventional methods of
teaching mathematics are being criticized.
converge v. come or go together, meet, join, unite, merge, coincide;
blend: The roads converge in the valley.
conversation
n. discussion, talk, chat, dialogue, colloquy, parley;
chit-chat, gossip, discourse, palaver, Colloq chiefly Brit
chin-wag: The conversation about the situation in the Middle
East ended abruptly. I want action, not conversation.
conversationalist
n. deipnosophist: It was a pleasure to have dinner with an
intelligent conversationalist for a change.
converse v. discuss, talk, speak, chat, parley, discourse, gossip,
chatter: The men were conversing about her over dinner.
convert v. 1 change, modify, alter, transform, transmute, mutate,
transfigure, transmogrify, remodel, remake, metamorphose: We
converted our rowing-boat into a sailing dinghy. 2 proselytize,
switch, change (over): To avoid the horrors of the Inquisition,
many Spanish Jews converted to Catholicism.
--n. 3 proselyte; neophyte, catechumen, disciple: Converts are
often the most passionate believers.
convict v. 1 find or prove guilty: She was convicted of theft.
--n. 2 prisoner, captive, Slang con, jailbird orBrit also
gaolbird, Brit lag: The rioting convicts burnt down two prison
buildings.
conviction
n. 1 proof of guilt: After his conviction, he was sentenced to
life imprisonment. 2 belief, opinion, view, persuasion,
position: It is her conviction that the painting is by Titian.
3 certainty, sureness, positiveness, confidence, assurance,
certitude: He doesn't have the courage to back up his
convictions.
convince v. win over, talk into, persuade, bring (a)round, sway: I have
at last convinced them of the need for more resources.
cool adj. 1 chilly, chill, chilling, cooling, unheated; chilled,
cold, refreshing, fresh: It's rather cool outside today. I'd
prefer some cool lemonade. 2 calm, serene, collected,
level-headed, quiet, unexcited, unemotional, undisturbed,
unexcitable, unruffled, unflappable, cool-headed, relaxed,
controlled, under control, self-possessed, self-controlled,
unperturbed, phlegmatic, composed, imperturbable: He remains
cool even in a crisis. 3 dispassionate, cold, cold-blooded,
emotionless, deliberate, cold-hearted, calculated, wilful,
premeditated, purposeful, purposive: It was clearly the cool
act of a professional criminal. 4 uninvolved, distant, remote,
aloof, detached, removed, uninterested, unconcerned,
unsympathetic, apathetic, cold, cold-hearted, cold-blooded: How
can you be so cool where human lives are concerned? 5 lukewarm,
distant, uncordial, unfriendly, unsociable, unapproachable,
standoffish, forbidding, unwelcoming, cold, frigid: After the
affair, she was distinctly cool towards him. 6 bold, audacious,
brazen, overconfident, presumptuous, shameless, unabashed,
impertinent, impudent, insolent: I cannot account for the cool
way he insulted his host.
--n. 7 coolness, chill, chilliness, Colloq coolth: I shall
have a sherry to ward off the cool of the evening. 8 aplomb,
poise, sedateness, control, self-control, composure, sang-froid:
He really lost his cool when she told him he was a lousy driver.
--v. 9 chill, refrigerate, ice: Cool the pudding before
serving. 10 diminish, reduce, lessen, abate, moderate: Her
interest quickly cooled when she discovered he was married.
cooperate v. 1 collaborate, work together, join, unite, interact, team
up, join forces, act jointly or in concert: If we cooperate,
the work will be done in half the time. 2 participate,
contribute, lend a hand, help, assist: You must learn to
cooperate and not just sit there.
cooperation
n. 1 collaboration, teamwork, interaction, synergism or
synergy: Only through cooperation will we be able to achieve
success. 2 support, help, aid, assistance, patronage, backing,
advocacy, favour, helping hand, friendship, blessing,
sponsorship, auspices, backup: We needed the cooperation of
people like you to mount the exhibition.
coordinate
v. 1 organize, classify, order, arrange, systemize,
systematize, codify, categorize, group, match (up), dispose,
rate, rank, grade: Coordinate the information before preparing
the report. 2 harmonize, correlate, unify, mesh, synchronize,
integrate, Colloq pull together: We must coordinate our efforts
for the best results.
--adj. 3 equivalent, parallel, correspondent, complementary,
correlative, equal, reciprocal, coordinating, coordinative,
Technical paratactic: The two systems are coordinate and
operate in parallel.
cope v. 1 manage, get along or by, make do, survive, subsist, come
through: Even with seven children to care for, she copes very
well. 2 cope with. be a match for, withstand, contend with or
against, handle, deal with, dispose of: I cannot cope with all
the work I have been given to do.
copy n. 1 reproduction, replica, facsimile, likeness, imitation,
double, twin, duplication, duplicate, transcript, replication,
carbon (copy), photocopy, print: She found a copy of the lost
manuscript. 2 example, sample, specimen: How many copies of
the book have been sold? 3 text, writing: The copy is ready;
we are waiting for the illustrations.
--v. 4 reproduce, duplicate, replicate, transcribe: Don't copy
others' work - they might be wrong. 5 imitate, mimic,
impersonate, emulate, ape, parrot, echo: Ted copies the rock
stars in every possible detail of their dress and behaviour.
cord n. string, line, twine; rope: Tie the cord around the parcel
twice.
cordial adj. friendly, warm, affable, amiable, kindly, genial,
gracious, welcoming, pleasant, good-natured, nice; courteous,
polite: After a cordial greeting at the door, the guests were
served champagne.
core n. 1 centre, heart, middle, nucleus, inside(s): Remove the
core of the apple first. 2 essence, marrow, heart, pith, gist,
quintessence, sum and substance: The core of the problem is her
refusal to consider any alternative.
--v. 3 pit, seed: The pie might have tasted better if you'd
cored the apples first.
corps n. body of men or women, troop, cadre, unit, detachment,
cohort, division, battalion, brigade, platoon, squad, column,
squadron: We delivered supplies to the medical corps.
corpse n. body, remains, cadaver, Slang stiff; (of an animal) carcass:
The corpses were buried in a mass grave.
correct v. 1 right, set or put right, amend, redress, rectify, remedy,
repair, fix; cure: A good mechanic will be able to correct the
faults in the engine. 2 scold, admonish, rebuke, reprimand,
berate, chide, reprove; censure, blame: You mustn't correct
people for their bad manners. 3 punish, chastise, chasten,
discipline, castigate: The boys were corrected for swearing at
the teacher. 4 reverse, offset, counteract, counterbalance,
neutralize, nullify, make up for, annul, cancel; adjust, change,
modify: Adding this fertilizer should correct the acid content
of the soil. 5 mark, grade: The exam papers haven't yet been
corrected.
--adj. 6 proper, decorous, decent, appropriate, suitable, fit,
right, meet, fitting, befitting, apt, de rigueur, comme il faut,
Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo: I have found her behaviour
correct at all times. 7 conventional, established, set,
standard, normal, orthodox, approved, in order, de rigueur,
comme il faut, usual, natural, customary, traditional, done,
right, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo: Sending flowers to the
funeral parlour would be the correct thing to do. 8 accurate,
right, precise, exact, factual, valid, true, proper, fitting,
apt, suitable, appropriate; faultless, perfect, unimpeachable:
Joanna gave the correct answer.
correction
n. 1 improvement, emendation, rectification, redress, remedy,
reparation, amendment; corrigendum: With these corrections, the
work will be vastly better. 2 punishment, castigation,
chastisement: He resented her continual correction of him for
trivial things.
correspond
v. 1 agree, conform, tally, comply, accord, harmonize, be
congruous, match, coincide: The results of the surveys
correspond. 2 write, communicate, be in touch or contact: We
have been corresponding for years.
correspondent
n. newspaperman, newspaperwoman, pressman, presswoman,
journalist, reporter, stringer, newsman, newsperson: Here is a
report from our correspondent in Sydney.
corridor n. hall, hallway, passage, passageway: We met in the corridor
outside my room.
corrupt adj. 1 dishonest, untrustworthy, dishonourable, underhand(ed),
venal, Colloq crooked: He got off by bribing a corrupt judge.
2 debased, depraved, perverted, subverted, evil, wicked,
degenerate, degraded: The inhabitants practised a corrupt form
of Christianity.
--v. 3 debase, pervert, subvert, degrade, deprave, warp: A
funds manager could easily be corrupted by all that money. 4
adulterate, contaminate, pollute, taint, defile, infect, spoil,
poison: Drainage from the site has corrupted the purity of the
water. 5 bribe, suborn, buy (off): He thought he knew a juror
who might be corrupted.
cost n. 1 price, outlay, payment, charge, expense, expenditure,
rate, tariff: The gold strap will double the cost of the watch.
If the cost increases, the selling price must go up.
--v. 2 sell for, get, fetch, bring in, Colloq set (someone)
back: This would cost twice as much in London.
costume n. dress, clothing, attire, clothes, garb, apparel, raiment,
garments, outfit, vestment, livery, uniform, kit, Colloq gear,
togs, get-up; Slang rags, US threads: What kind of costume is
Celia wearing to the fancy-dress ball?
cosy adj. 1 comfortable, snug, warm, restful, secure, relaxing,
easy, US cozy, Colloq comfy: They bought a cosy little
rose-covered cottage in the Cotswolds. 2 convenient, expedient,
self-serving, underhand(ed): He has a cosy arrangement with the
planning board.
cot n. bed, crib; cradle, bunk: The baby is asleep in his cot.
cottage n. hut, shack, cabin, bungalow, shanty, Literary cot; US and
Canadian lodge, chalet: She's going to stay at our cottage for
a week.
couch n. 1 sofa, settee, settle, divan, love-seat, chaise (longue);
day-bed; t€te-…-t€te, vis-…-vis, siamoise; US Davenport: Come
and sit by me on the couch.
--v. 2 embed, frame, style, express, phrase: Her warning was
couched in friendly words.
council n. 1 assembly, meeting, conclave, conference, synod,
consistory, convention, congress, congregation, gathering,
convocation, US caucus: The council voted to ban nuclear arms.
2 board, ministry, directors, cabinet, panel, committee, body,
directorate, directory, caucus: She was elected to the council
last year.
counsel n. 1 advice, judgement, direction, opinion, guidance,
instruction, recommendation, exhortation, Technical par‘nesis:
Your counsel has always been wise in the past. 2 consultation,
discussion, deliberation, consideration: We took counsel with
the cabinet on the matter. 3 adviser or advisor, guide,
counsellor; lawyer, Brit barrister; US attorney: My counsel
suggests we settle out of court.
--v. 4 advise, recommend to, suggest to, instruct; guide: I
have counselled her to pursue the matter.
counsellor
n. adviser or advisor, counsel, lawyer, Brit counsellor-at-law,
barrister, US counselor, counselor-at-law, attorney: We have
retained Vestley and Stock as our counsellors.
count v. 1 count up or off, enumerate, number, calculate, add up,
total, reckon, compute, tally, figure up, quantify, Colloq
figure out: Maddie counted the number of pencils in the box. 2
include, consider, regard, deem, judge, look on or upon: You
can count me among those who favour the idea. 3 count on or
upon. rely on or upon, depend on or upon, be sure of, trust,
bank on, be confident of, Chiefly Brit or US dialect reckon on
or upon, Chiefly US figure on or upon: I knew I could count on
Moira to do the right thing.
counter n. 1 token, disc, chip, piece, marker: She placed three
counters on the number 14. 2 table, bar: We do not serve beer
at this counter.
counteract
v. counterbalance, neutralize, correct, annul, nullify, cancel,
oppose, mitigate: The coffee counteracted the effect of the
sleeping-pill.
counterfeit
adj. 1 forged, fake, fraudulent, imitation, bogus, spurious,
Colloq phoney or US also phony: The bank reported the
counterfeit money to the police. 2 make-believe, sham,
pretended, pretend, feigned, insincere, fake, faked, false,
artificial, meretricious, pseudo, factitious, synthetic, unreal,
simulated: You were warned about his counterfeit sincerity.
--n. 3 fake, imitation, forgery, reproduction, Colloq phoney or
US also phony: This is the original deed, that one is a
counterfeit.
--v. 4 forge, copy, reproduce, falsify, imitate; Slang hang
paper: He made a living counterfeiting passports. 5 feign,
pretend, simulate, put on, fake: The suspects have shown signs
of wealth that are difficult to counterfeit.
counterfeiter
n. Slang paper-hanger: The counterfeiter, who forged only
five-pound notes, was arrested today.
country n. 1 nation, state, power; territory, realm: How many
countries belong to the British Commonwealth? 2 (native) land,
homeland, fatherland, motherland, mother country: I would
gladly fight for my country. 3 countryside, rural area or
surroundings, provinces, hinterlands; mountains, woods,
wilderness, outback, Colloq sticks, US boondocks, boonies: We
are spending our holiday in the country.
couple n. 1 pair, duo, twosome; brace, span, yoke, team: They
certainly make a nice couple. 2 a couple of. a few, several, a
handful (of), one or two, three or four: I'll be with you in a
couple of minutes.
--v. 3 join, link, yoke, combine, unite, match up, connect:
The two carriages are easily coupled together.
courage n. bravery, valour, boldness, intrepidity, gallantry,
dauntlessness, daring, fearlessness, heroism, nerve, Colloq
grit, guts, pluck, spunk, US moxie, sand, Slang Brit bottle:
She had the courage to face the two of them alone.
courageous
adj. brave, valiant, valorous, bold, intrepid, gallant,
dauntless, daring, fearless, heroic, Colloq plucky: The
soldiers were very courageous and fought against tremendous
odds.
course n. 1 path, way, orbit, route, run, track, ambit, line, circuit,
passage: We continued on our course. The sun pursued its fiery
course across the heavens. 2 movement, progress, headway,
advance, progression; speed: The driver slackens his course at
the curves. 3 procedure, process, performance, routine,
conduct, order, practice, dispatch or despatch, execution: In
the course of her duties, she handles a great deal of money. 4
direction, tack: If we stay on this course we'll run aground.
5 class, lecture, seminar, programme: You should sign up for a
course in English grammar. 6 of course. naturally, surely,
certainly, positively, obviously, definitely, assuredly, by all
means; undoubtedly, indubitably, without (a) doubt, no doubt,
Colloq US sure: Of course I'll go to the theatre with you!
courteous adj. polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, gentlemanly,
ladylike, well-bred, polished, urbane, civilized, respectful,
civil, courtly, proper, decorous, tactful, considerate,
diplomatic: He might have been rude to you, but he was always
quite courteous to me.
courtesy n. politeness, elegance, courtliness, politesse, courteousness,
respect, respectfulness, good manners, formality, civility,
ceremony: I much appreciated the courtesy with which they
treated me.
cover v. 1 protect, shelter, shield, screen; guard, defend, command:
The guns covered the approaches to the town. 2 Also, cover up
or over. conceal, hide, bury, mask, shroud, obscure; dissemble;
enclose, envelop: I was unable to cover my embarrassment. Her
face was covered by the hood of the cloak. 3 overlie, spread
over, overspread, lie on, layer, coat, blanket: Oil covers the
surface of the lake. 4 wrap, swaddle: Mother covered us with
warm blankets. 5 dress, clothe, garb, attire, robe, sheathe:
She was covered in silk from neck to ankle. 6 extend or stretch
over, occupy, engulf, inundate, submerge: A lake has covered
the original site of Abu Simbel. 7 include, comprehend, provide
for, comprise, extend over, contain, embody, incorporate,
account for, take into account, take in, deal with: This report
covers our activities over the past year. 8 act, take
responsibility or charge, stand or sit in, substitute, take
over, run things, double: Go and get some coffee - I'll cover
for you. 9 traverse, complete, pass or travel over, travel,
cross: With frequent stops, we could not cover more than 50
miles a day. 10 compensate for, defray, be enough or sufficient
for, counter, offset, counterbalance, make up for, insure or
protect against: The policy covers losses of up to a million.
--n. 11 lid, top, cap, covering: I can't find the cover for
this pot. 12 binding, boards, wrapper, dust-jacket, jacket:
You can't tell a book by its cover. 13 Often, covers. blanket,
quilt, eiderdown, duvet, bedclothes, bedding, (bed) linen;
coverlet, counterpane; US comforter: I crept into bed and
pulled the covers over my head. 14 shelter, protection,
concealment, hiding-place, hide-out, retreat, refuge; hide, US
and Canadian blind; Colloq Brit hidey-hole: We tried to find
some sort of cover till the sun went down. 15 cloak, screen,
disguise, concealment, pretence, front, camouflage, smokescreen,
cover-up, mask, covering: His bluster and bullying were only a
cover for his cowardice.
coward n. poltroon, craven, dastard, sissy or cissy, baby, mouse,
milksop; Scaramouch or Scaramouche; Colloq chicken, Slang
yellow-belly; US and Canadian milquetoast: He's such a coward
that he's afraid of his own shadow.
cowardice n. cowardliness, chicken-heartedness, faint-heartedness,
timidity, timorousness, pusillanimity: Owing to the cowardice
of the lieutenant, the troop surrendered without a shot being
fired.
cowardly adj. timid, fearful, frightened, afraid, scared, faint-hearted,
timorous, chicken-hearted, chicken-livered, lily-livered,
white-livered, craven, namby-pamby, dastardly, pusillanimous,
vitelline, Slang yellow, yellow-bellied: The cowardly rascals
ran from the battle.
coy adj. shy, modest, diffident, demure, timid, bashful,
self-conscious, sheepish, timorous, unassuming, unpretentious;
reserved, self-effacing, retiring, evasive, reluctant,
recalcitrant: She was so coy she would disappear whenever we
had guests.
crack n. 1 break, fracture, chink, crevice, rift, gap, flaw, split,
fissure, slit, cleft, split, check, rupture, breach: The crack
in the dam was caused by an earthquake. 2 snap, report, bang,
clap, shot: I ducked when I heard the crack of the rifle. 3
moment, instant, time, second: She gets up at the crack of
dawn.
--v. 4 snap: He cracks the whip and the horses start up. 5
break, fracture, rupture; shiver, shatter, smash: He fell
backwards on the pavement and cracked his skull. 6 fissure,
craze, crackle, US alligator: The heat of the sun caused the
paint to crack.
craft n. 1 skill, ability, artisanship, handiwork, ingenuity,
skilfulness, art, talent, dexterity, cleverness, mastery,
expertness, expertise, flair, genius , Colloq know-how:
Considerable craft is required to make that kind of jewellery.
2 deceit, guile, cunning, fraud, trickery, wiliness, foxiness,
artfulness, craftiness, duplicity: He exhibits that crooked
wisdom called craft. 3 trade, occupation, calling, vocation,
m‚tier; profession: He was a member of one of the medieval
craft guilds. 4 vessel, ship, boat; hovercraft; aircraft,
aeroplane, plane; spaceship, spacecraft, rocket: One day there
will be at least as many craft in space as there now are in the
air.
--v. 5 make, fashion, fabricate: She crafted the figures out
of solid wood.
crafty adj. artful, cunning, clever, shrewd, foxy, canny, wily, sly,
scheming, calculating, designing, plotting, tricky, sneaky,
deceitful, shifty, dodgy, guileful, insidious, double-dealing,
two-faced, duplicitous, treacherous: That crafty beggar has
made off with my life's savings.
crag n. cliff, bluff, tor, peak, rock, escarpment, scarp, precipice,
US palisade: Soaring above us was a huge crag that we still had
to climb.
cram v. 1 pack, stuff, overstuff, overcrowd, jam, fill: The car was
crammed to the top with suitcases. 2 study, burn the midnight
oil, Literary lucubrate, Colloq grind, Brit swot: Bob can't go
out because he's cramming for an exam.
cramped adj. tight, crowded, incommodious, uncomfortable, close: The
tiny cabin was too cramped to hold all of us at once.
crank n. 1 eccentric, character, oddity, Colloq nut; Slang Brit
nutter, nutcase: Pay no attention to Jason, he's just a crank.
2 monomaniac, zealot, fanatic: The restaurant is patronized
mainly by health-food cranks.
cranky adj. 1 eccentric, odd, weird, strange, queer, peculiar, quirky,
capricious, whimsical: He's a cranky old bird who hardly goes
out at all. 2 testy, grouchy, crabby, short-tempered, surly,
irascible, waspish, churlish, gruff, curmudgeonly, cantankerous,
choleric, snappish, petulant, peevish, contentious, querulous,
irritable, splenetic, Colloq crotchety: He's always cranky
before breakfast.
cranny n. chink, crevice, crack, fissure, check, fracture, break,
furrow, split, cleft: Flowers grew from the crannies in the
ancient wall.
crash v. 1 fall, topple: The vase crashed onto the stone floor. 2
force, drive, run, smash: He crashed the car into a wall. 3
bang, boom, explode: The thunder crashed all around us.
--n. 4 boom, bang, smash, explosion, blast: We heard a great
crash as the building collapsed. 5 disaster, collapse, failure:
The stock-market crash has had a devastating effect.
crawl v. 1 creep, worm, wriggle, wiggle, squirm; edge: A spider is
crawling on your collar. 2 inch, creep, drag: For a solid hour
the cars just crawled along at a snail's pace. 3 cower, cringe,
grovel, toady, fawn: Don't worry, he'll soon come crawling,
begging you to take him back. 4 teem, abound, swarm, be overrun
or swamped: The scene of the crime crawled with police.
craze n. fad, fashion, trend, enthusiasm, rage, mania, thing,
obsession; last word, dernier cri: The craze for printed
T-shirts goes on and on.
crazy adj. 1 mad, insane, demented, deranged, unbalanced, unhinged,
lunatic, non compos mentis, daft, certifiable, mental, touched
(in the head), out of one's mind or head, mad as a March hare or
hatter, maddened, crazed, Colloq barmy or balmy, cuckoo,
cracked, crackers, crack-brained, dotty, daffy, dippy, gaga,
goofy, crackpot, loony, off one's rocker, have a screw loose,
screwy, batty, bats, bats in the belfry, Brit barmy (in the
crumpet), potty, bonkers, round the bend or twist, off one's
chump, doolally, US off one's trolley, out of one's gourd,
screwball, nuts, nutty (as a fruit cake); Slang bananas, US out
to lunch, meshuga, flaky, flaked-out, (plumb) loco: His wife
thinks he's crazy to want to walk around the world. 2 silly,
absurd, foolish, nonsensical, inane, ridiculous, preposterous,
laughable, risible, ludicrous, asinine, stupid, moronic,
imbecile or imbecilic, idiotic, feeble-minded, hare-brained,
Colloq crackpot: Someone came up with a crazy idea of a square
tennis ball to slow down the game. 3 impractical, impracticable,
unworkable, unsound, pointless, imprudent, rash, reckless,
ill-considered: Columbus' plan to sail round the world was
thought to be crazy at the time. 4 enthusiastic, eager, avid,
zealous, keen, excited: I'm really crazy about windsurfing. 5
infatuated, keen on or about, wild, mad, Colloq dotty, US nuts,
nutty; Slang US ape: Marjorie, I'm absolutely crazy about you.
create v. 1 make, produce, form, bring into being, originate,
conceive; sire, father: The question remains whether God
created Man or vice versa. 2 engender, beget, spawn, generate,
invent, imagine, think up, frame, forge, fashion, fabricate,
manufacture, develop, design, contrive, devise, produce, dream
up, initiate: Here is where they create many of the most
successful television advertisements.
creation n. 1 beginning, origin, birth, start, inception, genesis,
making, formation: The creation of the lake began with the
damming of the stream. 2 the world, the universe, the cosmos:
He was the most wicked man in the history of all creation.
creative adj. imaginative, inventive, originative, artistic, original,
ingenious, resourceful: A truly creative artist seldom lacks
for inspiration.
creator n. 1 originator, author, initiator, founder, father, inventor,
architect, designer, framer, maker, prime mover: The creator of
this painting must have been a genius. 2 God, Supreme Being,
the Deity: Some day you will have to answer to your Creator for
your sins.
creature n. 1 being, organism, entity, living thing: The hound had the
saddest face I have ever seen on any creature. 2 creature
comforts. (physical or bodily or material or mundane or
superficial or non-spiritual) luxuries: He has the money to
enjoy all the creature comforts.
credit n. 1 belief, faith, trust, credence: I don't give much credit
to what they say. 2 creditation, acknowledgement or
acknowledgment, attribution, ascription: Credit for inventing
the telegraph goes to Guglielmo Marconi. 3 trust, confidence,
faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, honesty, probity,
dependability; solvency: Her credit rating at the bank is
excellent. 4 honour, commendation, praise, tribute, acclaim,
esteem, recognition, merit: The team's victory in the finals
has brought credit to the school.
--v. 5 believe, trust, hold accountable, put or place one's
faith or confidence in, have faith or confidence in, rely on,
accept, depend on or upon: If you credit the Bible, the world
was created in six days. 6 ascribe, acknowledge, attribute,
assign; impute: The goal was credited to Barnes.
creed n. tenet, dogma, doctrine, credo, teaching, principles, belief,
set of beliefs: She adheres to the creed of the Golden Rule.
creek n. 1 Brit inlet, bay, cove, harbour: Overnight we moored in a
little creek, sheltered from the sea. 2 US and Canadian stream,
streamlet, brook, rivulet, rill, runnel, run, burn: We used to
fish in the creek behind the house.
creep v. 1 crawl, slither, inch, squirm, wriggle, wiggle: A tiny
lizard was creeping up the wall. 2 crawl, drag: The hours
creep by slowly when you have nothing to do. 3 steal, sneak;
slink, skulk, tiptoe, Colloq pussyfoot: The thief must have
crept in through the kitchen window. Someone is creeping about
out there in the dark.
crescent n. 1 demi-lune, semi-lune, lune, lunette: The moon's crescent
hung low in the western sky.
--adj. 2 crescent-shaped, demi-lune, semi-lune, biconcave,
concavo-concave: For chopping, the chef uses a crescent blade
that just fits into a curved wooden bowl.
crest n. 1 top, summit, pinnacle, peak, head, ridge: The surfers
rode in on the crest of a wave. 2 seal, device, figure, badge,
emblem, insigne, symbol, design: The school crest shows an
inkpot and a scroll.
--v. 3 top, crown, surmount, cap: The ancient walls were
crested with ivy. 4 culminate, reach, top, US top out: The
flood-waters crested at nine feet.
crevasse n. gorge, chasm, abyss, ravine, fissure, crack, furrow: One of
the climbers fell into a crevasse in the glacier.
crevice n. crack, fissure, chink, cleft, cranny, groove, furrow, break,
split, rift: Water ran down the crevices in the rocks.
crew n. group, company, band, troupe, party, gang, team, corps,
body: We shall need a crew of twenty for tomorrow's job.
crime n. offence, violation, misdeed, wrong; felony, misdemeanour;
lawlessness: The number of crimes of violence is increasing.
criminal adj. 1 illegal, unlawful, illicit, lawless, dishonest, Colloq
crooked: Arson is a criminal act. We have to weed out the
criminal element. 2 wicked, evil, bad, wrong, corrupt, vile,
black, immoral, amoral, sinful, villainous, iniquitous,
flagitious, depraved; disgraceful, reprehensible: The way they
treat their children is absolutely criminal.
--n. 3 felon, convict, lawbreaker, outlaw, culprit, offender,
miscreant, malefactor, wrongdoer, villain, scoundrel, knave,
blackguard; gangster, Mafioso, desperado, racketeer; hoodlum,
thug, hooligan, tough, ruffian, terrorist, Colloq roughneck, bad
guy, black hat, bad hat, baddie or baddy, crook; Slang hood, US
mobster: He was arrested for consorting with known criminals.
cringe v. 1 cower, wince, flinch, quail, recoil, blench, tremble,
quiver, quake or shake in one's boots or shoes, shrink: That
dirty little coward cringed even when they called his name. 2
defer, kowtow, grovel, crawl, fawn, boot-lick, US apple-polish;
Slang kiss someone's arse or US and Canadian ass, Taboo slang
brown-nose: The man cringed before the magistrate, his eyes
downcast, tugging his forelock.
cripple n. 1 amputee, paralytic: He has been a cripple since the
accident.
--v. 2 disable, lame, incapacitate, handicap, maim; impair,
damage, weaken, debilitate, emasculate, enervate: She was
crippled when a child. The dictator's power was crippled by the
revolt.
crippled adj. 1 disabled, lame, handicapped, incapacitated; weakened,
weak, debilitated: He takes care of his crippled mother. The
crippled party platform succumbed to attack from the far left. 2
damaged, immobilized, inoperative: The crew stayed with the
crippled vessel.
crisis n. 1 turning-point, critical time or moment: She has passed
the crisis and will be better tomorrow. 2 disaster, emergency,
calamity, catastrophe, danger: The storm has created a crisis
and the residents are being evacuated.
crisp adj. 1 brittle, crunchy, friable, breakable, crumbly,
frangible: Keep the biscuits crisp in this special jar. 2
curly, crispy, crinkly, frizzy, frizzled: His hair is brown and
crisp, just like his father's. 3 US chip: I'll bet you can't
eat just one potato crisp.
critical adj. 1 carping, fault-finding, censorious, disparaging,
depreciatory or depreciative, depreciating, deprecatory or
deprecative, deprecating, judgemental: The article was highly
critical of the council. 2 crucial, important, essential,
basic, key, decisive, pivotal, vital, momentous: The meeting at
the bank will be critical for us. 3 grave, serious, dangerous,
uncertain, perilous, severe, touch-and-go, ticklish, sensitive,
touchy, Colloq parlous: His illness has reached the critical
stage.
criticism n. 1 judgement, evaluation, appraisal, analysis, assessment,
estimation, valuation: Their criticism was generally
favourable. 2 censure, disapproval, condemnation,
disparagement: I was very upset by her criticism of my
behaviour. 3 critique, review, commentary: My sister writes
the theatre criticisms for the local paper.
criticize v. 1 judge, evaluate, value, assess, appraise, estimate;
discuss, analyse: He criticizes books for the quarterly. 2
censure, find fault (with), carp (at), cavil (at), condemn,
attack, denounce, disapprove (of), put down, impugn, blast,
lambaste, Colloq pan, knock, Brit slate: His book was
criticized because of its poor scholarship. Why must he
constantly criticize, even when there's nothing wrong?
crooked adj. 1 criminal, dishonest, illegal, unlawful, illicit, wrong,
perverse, Slang Brit bent: Selling a stolen painting is
crooked. 2 bent, bowed, askew, awry, deformed, distorted,
contorted, lopsided, twisted, misshapen, disfigured, warped,
gnarled: Because of the constant west wind, the trees are all
crooked.
cross n. 1 crucifix, rood: In ancient times, it was common to
execute certain criminals by nailing them to a cross. 2 hybrid,
cross-breed, mongrel; blend, combination: This fruit is a cross
between a plum and a pear.
--v. 3 cross off or out. strike out, erase, cancel, rub out,
delete, wipe out: After that remark, I'm crossing you off my
list. 4 meet, intersect, join: The roads cross further on. 5
cross over, go across, pass over, span, traverse: The bridge
crosses the river here.
--adj. 6 peevish, irritated, annoyed, piqued, irritable, testy,
snappish, irascible, surly, choleric, splenetic, grouchy,
huffish or huffy, pettish, cranky, grumpy, touchy, moody,
fractious, vexed, curmudgeonly, petulant, waspish, querulous,
cantankerous, crusty, short-tempered, on a short fuse, Colloq
crotchety, Slang Brit shirty: He's cross because he has a
headache. 7 annoyed, irritated, angry, irate, furious: I was
very cross that you took the car without permission.
crouch v. bend (down), squat (down), hunker down, stoop (down): If
you crouch down, no one will see you in the bushes.
crowd n. 1 throng, multitude, horde, swarm, mass, press, flood, mob,
flock, pack: A huge crowd descended on the village square. 2
company, set, circle, lot, bunch, group, coterie, clique,
claque, faction: She doesn't associate with our crowd any
longer.
--v. 3 throng, swarm, herd, pour, pile, press, cluster, gather,
get together, flood, flock, assemble, congregate: People
crowded into the stadium. 4 push, press, drive, shove, thrust,
force, load, pack, cram, jam, corral: The police crowded the
hooligans into vans. 5 compress, squeeze, pack, jam, cram,
collect; stuff: We were so crowded in the cabin we could hardly
breathe.
crown n. 1 coronet, diadem, wreath, fillet, circlet, tiara: The
princess wore a golden crown set with jewels. 2 sovereignty,
rule, dominion, authority, government, realm, rulership,
jurisdiction: They discovered many lands and annexed them to
the Crown. 3 monarch, ruler, sovereign, potentate; king, queen,
emperor, empress, His or Her Majesty, His or Her Highness: The
Crown has very little real power these days.
--v. 4 enthrone, Colloq US coronate: He was crowned on the
death of his father. 5 cap, top, surmount, culminate, climax,
consummate, fulfil, reward: All her years of practising the
violin were finally crowned with success.
crucial adj. critical, decisive, pivotal, vital, momentous, major,
important, essential: It is crucial that you press the right
button.
crude adj. 1 unrefined, raw, natural, original, unprocessed: Those
are the prices of crude oil, not the petrol used in cars. 2
rough, unpolished, rudimentary, immature, undeveloped,
primitive, unrefined, unfinished: At this stage, she has only a
crude idea of the design. 3 rough, coarse, rude, unrefined,
uncouth, crass, gross, rustic, uncivil: Don't you despise his
crude manners? 4 blunt, brusque, unsophisticated,
inconsiderate, tasteless, indelicate, offensive, improper,
vulgar: How crude of him to ask her how long since her husband
had 'croaked'!
cruel adj. 1 merciless, pitiless, hard-hearted, harsh, stony-hearted,
heartless, unsparing, callous, beastly, cold-blooded, ruthless,
unkind, hard: It was cruel of you to refuse to help. 2
ferocious, inhuman, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, savage,
bloodthirsty, vicious, sadistic, fiendish, diabolical, hellish,
atrocious, Neronian or Neronic or Neroic: His captors subjected
him to the cruellest tortures.
cruise v. 1 sail, coast, travel, journey, voyage; yacht: We cruise in
the Caribbean during the winter.
--n. 2 sail, voyage, journey, boat or yachting trip: I took a
three-day cruise around the Isle of Wight.
crumb n. fragment, morsel, bite, scrap, particle, shred, snippet,
sliver, bit, speck, scintilla, mote, molecule, atom: There
isn't a crumb of food in the house.
crumble v. disintegrate, fragment, break apart, break up, shiver, come
to pieces: Acid rain has caused the stone fa‡ade to crumble. In
the face of the attack, his resolve crumbled.
crumple v. wrinkle, crush, crease, rumple, mangle, crinkle: Your
jacket is all crumpled.
crunch v. 1 chew, bite, crush, grind, munch: He crunched the nuts
between his teeth.
--n. 2 moment of truth, decision time, crisis, critical moment,
showdown, crux, juncture: You can count on me when it comes to
the crunch.
crusade n. 1 campaign, expedition, holy war; jihad or jehad: He joined
the crusade against the Saracens.
--v. 2 campaign, war, battle; take up a cause, lobby, fight:
She is crusading for equal rights for women.
crush n. 1 break, smash, crunch, pulverize, shiver, splinter, pound,
grind: The vandals crushed the statue to bits with hammers. 2
crumple, wrinkle, crease, crinkle, rumple, mangle: The shirts
came back crushed from the laundry. 3 squash, pulp, mash,
squeeze, compress, press: The machine crushes the oranges and
extracts the juice. 4 overcome, defeat, conquer, vanquish,
beat, thrash; subdue, put down, quash, quell, overwhelm,
squelch, suppress, repress: The title-holder crushed the
challenger. The junta crushed the uprising without bloodshed. 5
abash, embarrass, shame, mortify, depress, devastate, humiliate,
disgrace: She was really crushed when he refused to see her.
--n. 6 press, pressure, crowd: When the fire alarm sounded, I
was almost caught in the crush of the people trying to escape.
cry v. 1 weep, sob, wail, keen, bawl, shed tears: Paul cried when
they took his mother away. 2 whimper, snivel, pule, mewl,
whine, moan, groan, fret, Colloq turn on the waterworks, Brit
grizzle: Don't cry over spilt milk. 3 cry out for. demand,
need, call for, beg for, plead for: Her hair is so untidy it
cries out for trimming. Wanton murder cries out for vengeance.
--n. 4 scream, shriek, wail, howl, yowl: I heard the mournful
cries of those being tortured. 5 shout, whoop, yell, howl:
Uttering blood-curdling cries, the rebels attacked. 6 call,
sound, note: The noise was the cry of the lesser grebe to its
mate. 7 war cry, battle-cry, slogan, watchword: 'Down with the
king!' was the cry used to rally the rabble. 8 a far cry. a
long way, quite a distance, remote, distant, not, not quite,
very different (from): This report is a far cry from what I had
expected.
crypt n. tomb, vault, mausoleum, sepulchre, grave, catacomb; cellar,
basement: He is buried in the crypt of St Paul's.
cryptic adj. 1 secret, occult, mystical, hidden, esoteric, mystic,
cabbalistic: The sarcophagus was covered with cryptic symbols.
2 obscure, mysterious, unclear, nebulous, vague, inscrutable,
recondite, arcane, enigmatic, puzzling: I cannot make head or
tail of her cryptic remarks.
cuddle v. 1 snuggle up (to), nestle or huddle (against): She cuddled
the baby closer to her. 2 caress, embrace, fondle, hug, pet,
bill and coo, make love (to), Colloq neck, smooch, Australian
and New Zealand smoodge or smooge, Slang US make out (with),
watch the submarine races: The couple were cuddling in the back
seat.
--n. 3 hug, embrace, snuggle: Give us a cuddle, Janie.
cue n. 1 prompt, hint, reminder, signal, sign: Give her the cue to
start singing.
--v. 2 signal, prompt, remind: She was cueing me to begin, but
I'd lost my voice.
culprit n. 1 accused, prisoner: How does the culprit plead? 2
offender, criminal, malefactor, wrongdoer: They caught the
culprit red-handed.
cultivate v. 1 till, plough, farm, work: These lands have been
cultivated since time immemorial. 2 grow, raise, tend, produce:
What crops can be cultivated in this climate? 3 develop,
promote, further, encourage, foster, advance: She's been
cultivating a friendship with her boss. 4 woo, make advances
to, ingratiate oneself with, court, pay court to, curry favour
with, Colloq work on, Slang suck up to, butter up, US shine up
to; Taboo slang brown-nose: He is cultivating Trevor only
because he wants something from him.
cultivated
adj. sophisticated, cultured, educated, refined, elegant,
soign‚(e), civilized, polished, aristocratic, urbane, suave,
cosmopolitan: She prefers to go out with cultivated older men.
culture n. 1 cultivation, refinement, sophistication, urbanity,
suavity, elegance, (good) breeding, background, erudition,
education, enlightenment, learning, taste, discrimination,
savoir faire, savoir vivre, discernment: She is a lady of
considerable culture as well as beauty. 2 civilization, mores,
customs, lifestyle, way of life, (sense of) values: In their
culture, biting someone is a sign of love and respect.
curb n. 1 check, restraint, control: You should put a curb on your
tongue.
--v. 2 check, restrain, bridle, control, contain, repress,
subdue, suppress: Try to curb your exuberance.
cure n. 1 course of treatment, therapy, remedy, medication,
medicament, medicine, drug, prescription; cure-all, nostrum,
panacea: The doctor said there was no cure for her illness.
--v. 2 heal, mend, restore to health or working order, remedy,
rectify, correct, repair, fix: What can't be cured must be
endured. 3 smoke, pickle, dry, salt, preserve, corn, marinate:
That cured ox tongue is simply delicious!
curiosity n. 1 inquisitiveness, interest: His insatiable curiosity next
led him to study astronomy. 2 snooping, prying, peeping,
intrusiveness, meddlesomeness, interference, Colloq nosiness,
Nosy Parkerism: Curiosity killed the cat. 3 curio, oddity,
rarity, conversation piece, objet de virtu or vertu, objet
d'art, found object; bric-…-brac or bric-a-brac, knick-knack,
bauble, trinket, gewgaw: The shop sells curiosities, like
goblets made from ostrich eggs. In those days, every house had
a curiosity cabinet.
curious adj. 1 inquisitive, inquiring, interested: I am curious to
know what you were doing in there all night. 2 snooping,
prying, intrusive, meddlesome, interfering, Colloq nosy: Our
neighbours are entirely too curious about our activities. 3
odd, peculiar, eccentric, strange, outr‚, queer, unusual,
outrageous, offbeat, weird, bizarre, unconventional, freakish,
exotic, singular, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, erratic,
pixilated, quaint, outlandish, grotesque, aberrant, abnormal,
singular, irregular, deviant, deviate, Colloq kinky, nuts,
nutty; Slang Brit barmy: How do you explain Frieda's curious
behaviour?
current adj. 1 contemporary, ongoing, present, contemporaneous,
simultaneous, coeval: The current issue of the magazine came
out last week. 2 prevalent, prevailing, common, popular,
accepted, known, widespread, reported, in circulation, going
round or around, bruited about, widely known, in the air,
present-day: The current theories reject those of a decade ago.
3 fashionable, stylish, … la mode, modish, in vogue, latest, up
to date, Colloq trendy: The current trend is towards shorter
skirts. 4 US up to date, in the know, informed, advised, in
touch, aware, posted, au courant, au fait, on the qui vive: The
Financial Journal keeps me current on stock prices.
--n. 5 stream, flow, undercurrent: The canoe was caught in the
current and carried away. 6 course, progress, tendency, tenor,
drift, trend, inclination, mainstream: The current of public
opinion is turning in favour of policies that are more
environmentally responsible.
curse n. 1 malediction, imprecation, denunciation, damnation,
execration, oath: He heaped curses on all those who opposed
him. 2 evil, bane, misfortune, affliction, torment, harm,
scourge, cross to bear: The curse of our generation is that so
few of us deeply believe anything. 3 profanity, oath, blasphemy,
obscenity, bad language, dirty word, swear-word, curse-word: A
stream of curses issued from the bathroom when Joe cut himself
shaving.
--v. 4 damn, execrate, blast, denounce, anathematize,
excommunicate: He was cursed by the priests and forbidden ever
to enter a temple again. 5 swear at, blaspheme at: The muleteer
was cursing his team. 6 burden, saddle, weigh down, handicap:
She was cursed with bad eyesight and had to wear thick glasses.
cursory adj. superficial, hasty, hurried, passing, quick, slapdash,
perfunctory, rapid, summary: She gave the note a cursory glance
and threw it away.
curt adj. abrupt, short, terse, brief, laconic, concise; blunt,
gruff, harsh, brusque, unceremonious, snappish, crusty, rude:
His answer was a curt 'No', without any explanation.
curtail v. shorten, abbreviate, cut short, abridge, diminish, reduce,
cut, cut back, cut down: Both our working week and our salaries
were curtailed.
cushion n. 1 pillow, bolster, pad: The women of the harem sat on
cushions on the floor.
--v. 2 soften, absorb, mitigate, reduce, buffer, insulate,
mollify, lessen: They offered me a month's paid holiday to help
cushion the blow of being transferred.
custody n. 1 care, custodianship, safe keeping, protection, charge,
guardianship, keeping: She was granted custody of the children.
2 imprisonment, detention, incarceration, confinement: The
police took three troublemakers into custody.
custom n. 1 practice, habit, usage, fashion, way, wont, tradition,
routine, convention, form: According to custom, the warriors of
the tribe paint their bodies. 2 customs. toll, duty, impost,
tax, excise, levy, dues, tariff: He was assigned to collect
customs and port duties. 3 patronage, support, business, trade:
The new butcher needs as much custom as possible.
--adv. 4 specially, especially, expressly, exclusively,
particularly; to order: All her clothes are custom-made.
customary adj. 1 usual, normal, conventional, routine, everyday, common,
commonplace, ordinary: Is it customary for them to eat lunch on
the premises? 2 accustomed, habitual, regular, traditional,
wonted: I took the customary way home.
customer n. 1 client, patron, buyer, purchaser; consumer: Mrs Morris is
one of our regular customers. 2 chap, fellow, character,
person, guy, Colloq Brit bloke: She would never go out with an
ugly customer like that.
cut v. 1 gash, slash, slit; open: I cut my finger on the glass. 2
slice, cut off, carve: Please cut me a thick piece of steak. 3
Often, cut up. hurt, wound, pain, upset, grieve, distress,
aggrieve, slight, insult, offend, affront: I was really all cut
up by her nasty remarks. 4 trim, snip, lop, clip, crop,
shorten, shear, chop off; mow; dock: The barber has cut too
much off the sides. 5 abbreviate, shorten, crop, condense,
abridge, edit, cut back, reduce, cut down; epitomize, abstract,
digest, summarize, curtail: Cut this script to make it fit into
the allotted time. 6 dilute, thin, water (down), weaken;
degrade, adulterate: They cut the rum with water to make grog.
7 avoid, fail to attend, eschew: Cynthia cut classes three days
this week. 8 lower, reduce, lessen, cut back (on), cut down
(on), slash, diminish, decrease, retrench (on), curtail: We
shall have to cut expenses if the company is to survive. 9
conclude, settle, agree: Once the deal was cut, there was no
going back on it. 10 prepare, draw, write, sign: We'll have
accounting cut your cheque and send it at once. 11 cut back. a
See 5, above. b See 8, above. 12 Often, cut dead. snub,
slight, spurn, shun, ignore, give the cold shoulder (to):
Cornelia had the gall to cut Jason dead at his own party. 13
cut down. a fell, chop or hew down: Don't cut down that tree!
b kill, cut off, murder, assassinate: He was cut down in his
prime. 14 cut in. interrupt, intrude, interfere, Colloq butt
in: Please don't cut in on our conversation. 15 cut off. a
cleave, sever, chop or lop or hack off: Cut the branch off near
the trunk. b intercept, interrupt, discontinue, end, stop,
terminate, break off: There was a click and our phone
conversation was cut off. c separate, sever, split, estrange:
He's been cut off from the family for years. d disinherit,
disown, reject: She was cut off with a shilling. 16 cut out.
a delete, remove, excise, strike or cross out, edit out, omit,
cut, kill, Technical dele: The publishers made me cut out parts
of the book that they were advised might be libellous. b
extract, excise, remove, resect: My appendix was cut out years
ago. c stop, cease, desist (from), quit: Whenever it rains the
engine cuts out. Cut out the clowning around. d suit, equip,
fit: I don't think Cyril's cut out to be a lumberjack. e plan,
prepare, ready, organize, destine: He certainly has his work
cut out for him! 17 cut up. a chop (up), dice, cube, mince,
cut, divide (up), carve (up): Cut the celery up very small. b
misbehave: The football supporters began to cut up rough. 18
cut up rough. get angry, lose one's temper, show resentment:
The driver began to cut up rough when I refused to pay.
--n. 19 gash, slash, incision, nick, wound: I got a nasty cut
from that razor. 20 share, portion, percentage, piece,
dividend, commission: Blatchley gets a cut on every car we
sell. 21 reduction, cut-back, curtailment, decrease: The
government's cuts in spending affect us all. 22 deletion,
excision, omission: The author refuses to approve the cuts in
the script. 23 affront, insult, offence, slight, snub, dig,
jibe, slap in the face, cold shoulder: The unkindest cut was
the accusation of cheating. 24 engraving, plate: This cut is
too badly worn for use now. 25 artwork, picture, illustration,
plate, drawing, line cut, line engraving, half-tone: The book
has 300 cuts and only 20 pages of text.
--adj. 26 separated, detached, severed: I prefer cut flowers
to a plant. 27 abridged, abbreviated, cut-down, shortened,
edited, curtailed: The magazine published a cut version of the
novel. 28 reduced, diminished, lowered, discounted: This shop
sells everything at cut prices. 29 cut and dried. a clear-cut,
settled, arranged, decided, predetermined, prearranged:
Unfortunately, the solution to this problem is not cut and
dried. b stale, unoriginal, trite, hackneyed, old; dull,
boring: His suggestions for improvement are always cut and
dried. c manufactured, automatic, unchanging, unchanged: Mr
Mackay will again present his old cut and dried plan.
cute adj. 1 pretty, attractive, adorable, dainty, lovely, beautiful,
Colloq US cunning: There were a lot of cute children at the
beauty competition. 2 clever, shrewd, ingenious, adroit,
crafty, cunning: It was very cute of him to suggest his brother
for the job.
cutthroat n. 1 murderer, pirate, killer, thug, hatchet man, gunman,
assassin, Slang US gunsel, torpedo, hit man: Those streets are
frequented by thieves and cutthroats.
--adj. 2 merciless, ruthless, unmerciful, unprincipled,
relentless, pitiless, brutal, cold-blooded, cold-hearted: Her
cutthroat tactics call for dismissing all executives. 3
murderous, homicidal, lethal, deadly, barbaric, fierce, cruel,
barbarous, savage, inhuman, brutal, brutish, violent, ferocious,
bloodthirsty, sanguinary, bloody, feral, vicious, truculent: He
was once a member of a gang of cutthroat hoodlums.
cutting adj. 1 severe, biting, chill, cold, icy, frigid, freezing, raw,
piercing, penetrating: A cutting wind seemed to go right
through me. 2 sarcastic, sardonic, bitter, scornful, sneering,
acid, scathing, acerb(ic), wounding, stern, harsh, caustic,
mordant, acrimonious, contemptuous; malevolent, malicious,
invidious, vicious, venomous: Her cutting remarks completely
devastated me.
--n. 3 scion, slip, clipping: Mrs Galloway allowed me to take
a cutting from her rose bush.
dab v. 1 daub, pat, tap, tamp, touch: Dab a little more paint into
the crevices.
--n. 2 touch, drop, trace, bit, mite, hint, suggestion, pinch,
dash, spot, tinge, Colloq dollop, smidgen or smidgin: Add just
a dab of mustard to the sauce. 3 daub, poke, pat, tap, touch:
Wipe it away with a dab of a damp cloth.
dabble v. 1 dip, splash, spatter, sprinkle, bespatter, besprinkle,
bedabble: I sat on the rock, dabbling my toes in the pool. 2
dabble in or with or at. tinker, trifle (with), potter or US
putter, dally, Colloq fool (around or about or with or about
with): She's not seriously interested in music - she just
dabbles in it.
dab hand n.phr. past master, expert, master, adept, authority, wizard,
Colloq ace: Oscar is a dab hand at wood-carving.
daft adj. 1 foolish, silly, giddy, senseless, absurd, ridiculous,
stupid, nonsensical, fatuous, fatuitous, imbecile or imbecilic,
idiotic, moronic, obtuse, cretinous, boneheaded, fat-headed,
dim-witted, witless, asinine, attocerebral, weak-minded,
simple-minded, brainless, feeble-minded, feather-brained,
rattle-brained, hare-brained, slow-witted, halfwitted,
fat-witted, addle-pated, addle-brained, Brit gormless; Colloq
dumb, dopey or dopy, daffy; Slang cock-eyed, US cockamamie or
cockamamy, running on 'Empty': He has the daft idea that he
will be appointed managing director. 2 See crazy, 1, above. 3
daft about. mad about, infatuated with, besotted by or with,
sweet on, Colloq nuts about, crazy about: Those two are daft
about each other.
dagger n. knife, poniard, skean, short sword, stiletto, dirk, blade,
kris, bowie knife, bayonet: It was his dagger that was sticking
out of the man's back.
daily adj. 1 diurnal, circadian, everyday, quotidian: The daily
papers reported nothing about the fire. 2 ordinary, common,
commonplace, everyday, routine, regular: Her trip to the market
has become a daily occurrence.
--adv. 3 constantly, always, habitually, day after day,
regularly, every day, continually, continuously: The trains run
daily between here and London.
dainty adj. 1 delicate, graceful, fine, elegant, exquisite, neat: The
value lies in this dainty border painted round the edge of the
cup. 2 fastidious, sensitive, squeamish, finicky or finical,
over-nice, overrefined, genteel, mincing: He seems somewhat
dainty in his choice of words. 3 choice, delicious, delectable,
tasty, appetizing, palatable, toothsome: They were given a few
dainty morsels to nibble while waiting.
--n. 4 delicacy, sweetmeat, treat, comfit, titbit or US tidbit,
morsel: A plate of dainties was placed beside the bed each
night.
damage n. 1 harm, injury, hurt, impairment, mutilation, destruction,
devastation: Fortunately, there was little damage from the
storm. 2 expense, price, cost; bill, invoice, US check: At the
restaurant, the damage came to њ50. 3 damages. compensation,
reparation, indemnity: We won the suit and were awarded damages
of њ10,000 for defamation of character.
--v. 4 harm, hurt, injure; wound; mutilate, disfigure, mar,
deface; wreck, ruin, spoil, impair: Although the car was badly
damaged, the passengers escaped unharmed. Will this news damage
your chances of a promotion?
damn v. 1 condemn, criticize, find fault with, berate, castigate,
upbraid, attack, blast, reprimand, reprove, remonstrate,
denounce; blame: Some would damn him for saving the murderer
from drowning, others would damn him if he didn't. 2 doom,
condemn, sentence: Sisyphus was damned for all eternity to roll
a heavy stone up a hill. 3 curse (at), swear (at), execrate: I
damned the day I first set foot in that house.
--n. 4 jot or tittle, brass farthing, Slang hoot, two hoots (in
hell), Slang tinker's damn or cuss: His opinion isn't worth a
damn. 5 give a damn. care, mind, be concerned, worry, Slang
give a hoot: Why should he give a damn if the critics panned
his play?
damnable adj. awful, terrible, horrible, horrid, atrocious, abominable,
dreadful, hideous, execrable, accursed, cursed, detestable,
hateful, abhorrent, despicable, loathsome, wicked, sinful,
offensive, heinous, pernicious, infernal, malicious, malevolent,
outrageous, foul, rotten, base, vile, odious: He has been
telling the most damnable lies about her since they broke up.
damp adj. 1 clammy, moist, wettish; humid, dank, misty, dewy,
steamy, muggy: Wipe off the table with a damp cloth. Nothing
dries out in this damp weather.
--n. 2 moistness, moisture, dampness, clamminess, humidity:
The mould on the walls is the result of the damp.
dampen v. 1 damp, moisten, sprinkle, bedew: Dampen the clothes before
ironing them. 2 stifle, deaden, damp, check, chill, cool,
restrain, retard, lessen, diminish, reduce, suppress, abate,
moderate, allay, subdue, temper, dull, discourage: His constant
chattering on about himself dampened her ardour.
dance v. 1 cavort, gambol, caper, skip, leap, romp, trip the light
fantastic (toe), US cut a rug, sashay, Colloq bop, hoof it: We
danced for joy when we heard the news. Would you care to dance?
--n. 2 ball, social, dancing party, th‚ dansant, US tea dance,
promenade, Colloq shindig or shindy, hop, bop, US and Canadian
prom: I have invited her to the dance on Saturday evening.
dandy n. 1 fop, coxcomb, (gay) blade, beau, gallant, lady-killer,
ladies' or lady's man, rake, Colloq swell, clothes-horse, Brit
toff, blood, US dude: He was a great dandy, and spent hours
dressing every day.
--adj. 2 fine, splendid, first-rate, great, marvellous, neat,
spectacular: Penny's father bought her a dandy new car.
danger n. 1 peril, risk, threat, hazard, jeopardy: The danger of an
avalanche is too great to go skiing. 2 in danger of. likely (to
be), liable (to be): If you drink and drive, you are in danger
of causing a road accident.
dangerous adj. 1 risky, perilous, hazardous, unsafe, precarious, rickety,
Colloq chancy, iffy: Rock-climbing is very dangerous. 2
threatening, menacing, harmful, treacherous: He is a dangerous
criminal, wanted for murder.
dangerously
adv. 1 perilously, hazardously, unsafely, precariously,
recklessly: He's a mountain-climber who likes to live
dangerously. 2 ominously, alarmingly: She is standing
dangerously close to the edge.
dangle v. 1 hang (down), droop, depend, swing, sway: The rope dangled
from the top of the flag-pole. 2 flaunt, brandish, wave,
flourish: Competitors often dangle big salary increases in
front of those who agree to leave our company. 3 wait, Slang
cool one's heels: They have kept me dangling for weeks for
their decision.
dapper adj. neat, spruce, smart, trim, well-dressed, well turned out,
stylish, fashionable, elegant, chic, dressy; Colloq got up or
dressed to the nines, dressed to kill, swanky or swank, ritzy;
Slang snazzy, nifty, spiffy, sharp, swell, classy: Tony looks
very dapper in his new Savile Row suit.
dapple adj. 1 spotted, dotted, mottled, speckled, flecked, dappled;
brindled; pied, piebald, skewbald, paint, flea-bitten, US pinto:
Take the chestnut mare - I'll ride the dapple grey.
--v. 2 spot, dot, mottle, speckle, bespeckle, stipple: Dapple
paint on the wall with a sponge to get a mottled effect.
dare v. 1 challenge, defy, provoke; throw down the gauntlet: She
dared me to jump, so I jumped. 2 risk, hazard, gamble, venture,
face, make bold, be so bold as: I would never dare to talk to
my father that way.
--n. 3 challenge, provocation, taunt; ultimatum: She took the
dare and swam across the lake.
daredevil n. 1 exhibitionist, showman, stunt man, stunt woman;
adventurer, soldier of fortune, Colloq show-off: William
finally got a job as a daredevil in the circus.
--adj. 2 reckless, rash, death-defying, impulsive, daring,
dashing, impetuous, incautious, imprudent, wild, foolhardy,
madcap, devil-may-care; audacious, bold, brave, fearless,
gallant, courageous, intrepid: Do you consider ski-jumping a
sport or an example of daredevil madness?
daring n. 1 courage, boldness, bravery, valour, intrepidity,
fearlessness, grit, pluck, spirit, mettle, adventurousness,
derring-do, Colloq guts, spunk, nerve; Slang Brit bottle:
Diving from a cliff into the sea takes a lot of daring.
--adj. 2 bold, audacious, courageous, brave, valorous,
intrepid, fearless, unafraid, plucky, mettlesome, adventurous,
venturesome, hardy; rash, reckless, Colloq gutsy, US nervy: In
the 19th century, a few daring explorers penetrated the jungles
of Africa.
dark adj. 1 unlit, unlighted, unilluminated, ill-lighted, ill-lit,
sunless; black, Stygian, pitch-dark, inky, jet-black: We
cowered in a recess in the dark cave. 2 dim, murky, tenebrous,
shady, shadowy: I could scarcely see ahead of me in the dark
forest. 3 gloomy, dismal, dreary, dull, drab, subfuscous,
subfusc, bleak, cheerless, mournful, dour, pessimistic, sombre,
doleful, joyless, grim, sad, melancholy, sorrowful: Why do you
always look at the dark side of things? 4 evil, wicked, vile,
base, foul, iniquitous, nefarious, black-hearted, villainous,
sinister, satanic, devilish, hellish: Nostradamus predicted
that dark forces would overrun the world. 5 murky, overcast,
cloudy, threatening, black, dusky, louring or lowering; foggy,
misty; US glowering: Another dark day on the moor and I thought
I'd go mad. 6 mysterious, deep, profound, incomprehensible,
enigmatic, puzzling, impenetrable, unfathomable, abstruse,
recondite, arcane, obscure: She took her dark secret to the
grave. 7 hidden, concealed, secret, occult, mystic(al),
cryptic: The true reason for his leaving was always kept dark
in the family. 8 brunette; black, swarthy, brown; (sun)tanned,
Old-fashioned swart: One is fair with dark hair, the other has
dark skin. 9 ignorant, unenlightened, benighted: Our culture
passed through a dark phase before the Renaissance.
--n. 10 night, night-time, nightfall: We waited till dark to
make good our escape. 11 darkness, blackness, gloom,
gloominess, murk, murkiness: At fifty, isn't he a bit old to be
afraid of the dark? 12 obscurity, ignorance: She was always
kept in the dark about his true identity.
darling n. 1 sweetheart, beloved, love, dear, dearest, true-love: She
insists on buying all her darling's clothes. 2 pet, favourite,
apple of one's eye, Brit blue-eyed boy; US fair-haired boy:
Frank might have been the black sheep of the family, but he was
always his mother's darling.
--adj. 3 beloved, loved, cherished, adored, dear, precious,
treasured: He travelled everywhere with his darling niece. 4
pleasing, fetching, attractive, adorable, enchanting, lovely,
alluring, engaging, bewitching, charming: Josephine was wearing
a darling frock she'd just bought at the Corner Boutique.
dash v. 1 crash, smash, shatter, break, shiver, fragment, split;
destroy, ruin, spoil, frustrate, obliterate: The mirror was
dashed to smithereens when it fell. The ship didn't see our
raft, and our hopes of rescue were dashed. 2 hurl, toss, throw,
fling, cast, pitch, Colloq chuck: We drank a toast, then dashed
our glasses into the fireplace. 3 rush, run, dart, spring,
bolt, bound, race, sprint; hasten, fly, hurry, speed: I'll have
to dash to catch my train. 4 dash off. scribble: I've just
dashed off a note to mother.
--n. 5 dart, bolt, rush, run, spurt, spring, bound, sprint: He
made a dash for the door but it was too late. 6 flourish, ‚lan,
flair, liveliness, style, panache, spirit, brio, verve, zest,
spice; ardour, fervour, vigour, energy: She is known for her
beauty as well as her dash and courage. 7 bit, pinch, soup‡on,
hint, suggestion, touch, trace, tinge, taste, drop, piece,
Colloq smidgen or smidgin, US tad: Add a dash of nutmeg at the
end.
dashing adj. 1 spirited, lively, impetuous, energetic, vigorous,
dynamic, animated, Colloq peppy: She is now going out with a
dashing young fellow from the City. 2 fashionable, stylish,
chic, … la mode, modish, smart, elegant, dapper, Colloq Brit
swish: That's a dashing coat, Felicia. 3 flamboyant, showy,
ostentatious, pretentious: George Hutton was a bit too dashing
for her taste.
data n. facts, information, statistics, figures, details, matter,
observations, material(s); text; evidence: We shall process the
data on the computer and print out the results.
date n. 1 time, year, season, period, day; age, era, epoch, stage,
phase: These artefacts are from an earlier date than was first
supposed. 2 appointment, meeting, engagement, rendezvous,
assignation, tryst; fixture: She already has a date for
Saturday night. 3 escort, companion, friend, boyfriend,
girlfriend, girl, woman, boy, man, swain, beau, lover, Colloq
steady: Bob is Sally's date for the dance. 4 out of date.
old-fashioned, old, ancient, archaic, antiquated, dated, pass‚,
outmoded, obsolete, obsolescent, Colloq old hat: This timetable
is out of date. Why do you wear those out of date clothes? 5 up
to date. modern, latest, current, contemporary, … la mode,
fashionable, Colloq trendy: Her taste in music is quite up to
date. Use this up-to-date edition of the encyclopedia.
--v. 6 show one's age, make obsolete or obsolescent or
old-fashioned: That pompadour hair-do really dates her. 7
entertain, escort, go out (with), go steady (with): Does
Michael still date Patsy? Those two are still dating.
daunt v. intimidate, cow, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve,
shake, upset, disconcert, discomfit, put off, awe, overawe,
appal, alarm, threaten, frighten, terrify, scare, terrorize: He
was daunted by the prospect of facing the entire council.
dauntless adj. fearless, undaunted, unafraid, unflinching, stalwart,
brave, courageous, bold, audacious, intrepid, valorous, daring,
gallant, heroic, venturesome, plucky, stout-hearted, valiant:
Dauntless, the knight rode into the thick of the fray.
dawdle v. linger, loiter, straggle, delay, procrastinate, dally,
lounge, laze, idle, lag, lie about, waste time, Colloq
dilly-dally, shilly-shally: We have to catch the next train, so
stop dawdling.
dawn n. 1 daybreak, sunrise, break of day, crack of dawn, first
light, dawning, cock crow, Literary aurora, day-spring, US
sun-up: We shall attack the castle at dawn. 2 dawning,
beginning, commencement, start, birth, awakening, inception,
genesis, outset, onset, origin, appearance, arrival, advent,
emergence, inauguration, rise, first occurrence: The dawn of
western civilization has been placed in Anatolia.
--v. 3 gleam, break, brighten, lighten: The day dawned on the
deserted beach. 4 begin, originate, commence, arise, appear,
emerge, start, arrive, develop, unfold: The day of the computer
had not yet dawned when I was a child. 5 dawn on or upon. occur
to, come to mind, become apparent or evident to: It slowly
dawned on me that he had been lying all along.
day n. 1 daytime, daylight, broad daylight, light of day: Sunrise
quickly turned night into day. 2 time, hour, age, period, era,
epoch, date, prime, heyday; lifetime: Her day will come. In his
day, there was no telephone.
day-dream n. 1 reverie, wool-gathering, fantasy, fancy, dream, musing,
castle in the air or in Spain, pipedream: The realities of life
have cured me of many day-dreams.
--v. 2 fantasize, imagine, fancy, envision, dream: She still
day-dreams that a knight in shining armour will come and carry
her away.
daylight n. 1 sunlight, sun, sunshine, light: Coming from the cave, we
were blinded by the daylight. 2 open, broad daylight, light of
day, full view, full knowledge, clarity: We must bring his
treachery out into the daylight.
daze v. 1 stun, stupefy, blind, dazzle, bedazzle, shock, stagger,
startle, astonish, astound, amaze, surprise, overcome,
overpower, dumbfound, benumb, paralyse, Colloq bowl over, floor,
flabbergast; Slang blow one's mind: She was dazed to learn her
husband was still alive. 2 befuddle, confuse, bemuse, bewilder,
puzzle, mystify, baffle, perplex, nonplus, blind: He was dazed
by the difficulty of the examination.
--n. 3 confusion, flurry, spin, whirl: The entire week was a
continuous daze of cocktail parties and dinner parties. 4 in a
daze. stupefied, in a trance, bewildered, confused, perplexed,
disoriented, dizzy, dazzled, bedazzled, overcome, overpowered,
nonplussed, befuddled, flustered; startled, surprised, shocked,
stunned, astonished, astounded, amazed, staggered; bemused,
baffled, puzzled, mystified, Colloq flabbergasted, bowled over,
floored: Arthur was in a daze to find himself the centre of
attention.
dazzle v. 1 impress, bewitch, enchant, charm, beguile, intrigue,
captivate, fascinate, spellbind, entrance, hypnotize, mesmerize:
Every man in the room was dazzled by Mrs d'Arcy's brilliant wit
and good looks. 2 See daze, def. 1.
--n. 3 brilliance, splendour, magnificence, sparkle, glitter,
Slang razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz: Many actors are lured to New
York by the dazzle of Broadway.
dazzling adj. bright, brilliant, resplendent, blinding, bedazzling,
radiant, splendid, magnificent, glorious, sparkling,
scintillating; stunning, overwhelming, overpowering, stupefying,
dizzying; gorgeous; Colloq splendiferous, mind-boggling: In the
chest was a dazzling collection of the finest jewels.
dead adj. 1 deceased, defunct, extinct, gone, departed, late,
lifeless, no more, Colloq done for, Slang Brit gone for a
burton: Both his parents are dead, and his only brother lives
in Australia. Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime. 2 insensate,
insensible, numb, paralysed, benumbed, unfeeling: After the
accident, my left thumb was completely dead. 3 insensible,
unconscious, out, dead to the world, deathlike, deathly: At the
news of her son, she fell in a dead faint. 4 insensitive,
unemotional, unfeeling, emotionless, apathetic, lukewarm, cool,
cold, frigid, unresponsive, unsympathetic, indifferent,
unconcerned, uninterested; numb, wooden, callous, hardened,
impervious, inured, inert: He has always been dead to others'
problems. 5 out, smothered, extinguished: The fire is dead. 6
inanimate, lifeless, inert, inorganic: Dead stones speak
volumes to the geologist. 7 extinct, obsolete, perished, past,
outmoded, disused, expired, pass‚: Latin is a dead language. 8
barren, unfruitful, infertile, unproductive: That area off the
coast is dead as far as fishing goes. 9 tired (out), exhausted,
worn out, fatigued, tired out, spent, collapsing, in a state of
collapse, Slang bushed, beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian
pooped: We were completely dead after the hike into town. 10
dull, lustreless, flat, neutral, vapid, empty, bland,
colourless, grey, beige, dun: The walls of the prison were
painted a dead white. 11 stagnant, motionless, still, standing,
static, inert, unmoving, inactive, quiet, calm: There were
small pools of dead water covered with a green slime. Without a
breath of air stirring, the boat was dead in the water. 12
boring, dull, tedious, tiresome, monotonous, prosaic,
uninteresting, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, commonplace, dry,
insipid, bland, flat, two-dimensional, lifeless, stiff, rigid,
stony: The play was bad, the performance dead. 13 dull,
muffled, deadened, anechoic, unresounding, non-resonant: One
room in the laboratory was built to be dead to all sound. 14
complete, entire, total, absolute, downright, thorough, through
and through, utter, all-out, out-and-out, unqualified,
unrelieved, unbroken, categorical, outright: My investment in
the anti-gravity pill has so far been a dead loss. 15 profound,
deep: I fell into a dead sleep. 16 sudden, abrupt, complete,
full: The train came to a dead stop. 17 certain, sure,
unerring, exact, precise, accurate, crack: According to the
records, Calamity Jane was a dead shot.
--adv. 18 completely, entirely, absolutely, totally, utterly,
categorically, thoroughly, unconditionally, unqualifiedly: You
are dead right about Pontefract. 19 completely, entirely,
absolutely, totally; abruptly, suddenly: He stopped dead in his
tracks and stared at me. 20 directly, exactly, precisely: An
enormous maelstrom lay dead ahead of the fragile craft.
--n. 21 depth(s), extreme, midst, middle: She used to visit
his room in the dead of night.
deaden v. 1 numb, benumb, paralyse, anaesthetize, desensitize, dull;
damp: This injection will deaden your hand and you'll feel no
pain. 2 weaken, moderate, soothe, mitigate, assuage, reduce,
lessen, diminish, alleviate, cushion, soften, mollify, blunt,
dull: He took to drink to deaden the shock of losing his only
son.
deadlock n. 1 standstill, impasse, stalemate, stand-off, draw, stoppage,
Colloq US Mexican stand-off: Union and management negotiators
have reached a deadlock on the pension issue.
--v. 2 bring or come to a standstill or impasse, stall, stop,
halt: The Congress is likely to deadlock on the question of
expanding national health benefits.
deadly adj. 1 lethal, fatal; dangerous, pernicious, poisonous,
noxious, toxic; baleful, harmful, nocuous: This drug is deadly
if taken in large doses. 2 mortal, implacable, ruthless,
savage: They were deadly enemies long after the war was over.
3 murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty, brutal, vicious,
ferocious, barbarous, barbaric, savage, inhuman, cold-blooded,
heartless, ruthless, pitiless, merciless: Two deadly killers
have escaped from Dartmoor prison. 4 deathly, deathlike, pale,
pallid, ghostly, cadaverous, ghastly, wan, white, livid, ashen:
He turned a deadly hue, as if he had seen a ghost. 5 boring,
excruciating, dull, tiresome, tedious, dreary, humdrum,
lacklustre, wearying, wearisome: It was a deadly play put on by
deadly actors. 6 exact, precise, accurate, true, unerring,
unfailing: Each arrow hit the bull's-eye with deadly accuracy.
deaf adj. 1 hard of hearing, stone-deaf: Sean is slightly deaf in
his left ear. 2 unhearing, unheedful, heedless, insensible,
insensitive, impervious, indifferent, oblivious, unresponsive,
unmoved, unconcerned, unyielding: The judge was deaf to all
appeals for clemency.
deal v. 1 distribute, dole out, give out, parcel out, mete out,
allot, apportion, administer, dispense: Deal thirteen cards to
each of the four players. She dealt out her own brand of justice
to criminals. 2 buy and sell, handle, stock, do business, trade,
traffic: This shop deals only in the most expensive linens. 3
behave, act, conduct oneself: Simon has never dealt openly, so
you mustn't trust him. 4 deal with. treat, handle, take care
of, have to do with, attend to, see to, reckon with, grapple
with, act on; practise, administer, engage in: I shall deal
with the matter tomorrow.
--n. 5 transaction, arrangement, negotiation, agreement,
contract, bargain, understanding: The deal to sell the textbook
division is off. 6 Often, great deal. (large or great) amount,
lot, (large or huge) quantity; extent: There's been a great
deal of crime in that neighbourhood.
dealer n. trader, businessman, businesswoman, merchant, tradesman,
retailer, shopkeeper, vendor, merchandiser; wholesaler, jobber,
distributor, stockist, supplier; broker, agent, salesman, US
storekeeper: He has been a dealer in precious gems for years.
dealings n.pl. business, commerce, exchange, trade, traffic,
transactions, negotiations; relations, relationships, affairs:
All his business dealings are reviewed by his solicitor.
dear adj. 1 beloved, loved, adored, darling, precious, cherished,
prized, valued, treasured, favoured, favourite, pet, esteemed,
admired, venerated, honoured: He was my nearest and dearest
friend. 2 expensive, costly, high-priced, highly priced, Colloq
pricey: Tomatoes are much too dear at this time of the year.
--n. 3 darling, sweetheart, beloved, love, true-love, sweet,
honey, precious, pet, favourite, treasure, precious, Colloq
sweetie, sweetie-pie, Slang baby: My dear, I hope we'll be
together always.
--adv. 4 dearly; at great cost or expense, at a high or
excessive price: That little error will cost you dear, my
friend.
dearly adv. 1 greatly, very much, indeed, sincerely: I should dearly
like to go, but I cannot. 2 affectionately, fondly, lovingly,
tenderly: He loves his mother very dearly. 3 expensively,
dear, at great cost or expense, at a high or excessive price,
punitively: The victory at Thalamos was dearly bought.
dearth n. scarcity, want, need, lack, deficiency, sparseness or
sparsity, scantiness, insufficiency, inadequacy, shortage,
paucity, exiguity, poverty, exiguousness; absence: There is a
dearth of major roles for black actors.
death n. 1 demise, decease, passing, dying, end: She was overcome
with grief at the news of his death. 2 end, termination,
cessation, expiration, expiry: Nobody mourned the death of the
bill in the lower house. 3 end, finish, termination;
extinction, destruction, extermination, annihilation,
eradication, obliteration, eradication, extirpation,
liquidation, ruin, downfall, undoing: The invasion marked the
death of the Roman Empire.
deathless adj. eternal, everlasting, immortal, undying, imperishable,
permanent, unending, timeless, never-ending: In his opinion,
his novel was another example of his deathless prose.
debase v. 1 lower, degrade, devalue, depreciate, depress, demote,
deprecate, belittle, diminish, reduce, disparage: Words which
denote fine qualities are in time debased. 2 adulterate,
contaminate, taint, pollute, corrupt, mar, spoil, impair,
vitiate, abase, defile, bastardize; poison: To increase
profits, the manufacturer has debased the traditional formula.
debatable adj. controversial, arguable, questionable, doubtful, dubious,
problematic or problematical, disputable, open or subject to
dispute or doubt or question, in dispute or doubt or question,
moot, polemic or polemical, unsure, uncertain, unsettled,
undecided: Whether he is the best person for the job is
debatable.
debate n. 1 discussion, argument, dispute, altercation, controversy,
wrangle, contention, polemic; argumentation: I refuse to take
sides in the debate over social services. 2 deliberation,
consideration, (careful) thought, reflection, cogitation,
meditation, contemplation: Payment of reparations to the
victims of the disaster is a matter for debate.
--v. 3 argue, wrangle, dispute, contest, contend; discuss,
moot, question: We debated only the most important issues. 4
deliberate, consider, reflect (on), mull over, ponder (over),
weigh, ruminate (over), meditate (on or over), think (over or
on), think through: I have often debated in my own mind the
question of capital punishment.
debonair adj. 1 suave, soign‚(e), elegant, urbane, refined, dapper,
genteel, well-bred, courteous, civil, mannerly, gracious,
polite, affable, obliging, pleasant, Colloq smooth: Despite his
vicious temper, he was most debonair in company. 2 carefree,
insouciant, gay, nonchalant, light-hearted, dashing, charming,
cheerful, buoyant, jaunty, sprightly: Being handsome and
debonair, he was much sought after by hostesses.
debt n. 1 obligation; due, indebtedness, liability, responsibility,
accountability, encumbrance: He owes a debt of gratitude to his
wife for her moral support. The company takes care of all debts
promptly. 2 in debt. under obligation, owing, accountable,
beholden, indebted, responsible, answerable for, liable,
encumbered, in arrears, straitened, in dire straits, in
(financial) difficulty or difficulties, in the red, Colloq US
and Canadian in hock: I shall always be in debt to you for your
help. The London branch is in debt for ten million pounds.
d‚but n. 1 premiЉre, introduction, initiation, inauguration, launch
or launching, coming out: The young soprano's d‚but at La Scala
was a triumph.
--v. 2 launch, come out, enter, appear: His plan is to d‚but
with a zither accompaniment.
decadent adj. 1 declining, decaying, deteriorating, debased,
degenerating, falling off, on the wane, withering, degenerative:
The decadent literature of the period was a reflection of the
decline in moral standards. 2 corrupt, dissolute, immoral,
debauched, dissipated, self-indulgent, degenerate: His decadent
behaviour brought him to the attention of the police.
decay v. 1 a decline, wane, ebb, dwindle, diminish, decrease: The
magnetic field rapidly decays when the power is removed. b
decline, waste away, atrophy, weaken, wither, degenerate,
deteriorate, disintegrate; crumble: Her great beauty decayed
quickly. 2 rot, decompose, moulder, putrefy, spoil; turn, go
bad, go off: The flesh has decayed and only a skeleton remains.
--n. 3 decline, weakening, failing, fading, deterioration,
decadence, degeneration, wasting, atrophy, dilapidation,
disintegration, collapse; downfall: The buildings were in an
advanced state of decay. 4 rot, rotting, decomposition, mould,
putrefaction, mortification: The decay has weakened the timbers
supporting the bridge.
deceit n. 1 deception, deceitfulness, fraud, fraudulence, cheating,
trickery, chicanery or chicane, dissimulation, dishonesty,
misrepresentation, double-dealing, duplicity, hypocrisy,
treachery, underhandedness, guile, craft, slyness, craftiness,
cunning, knavery, funny business, Colloq hanky-panky, monkey
business: Inside traders on the Stock Exchange profit
enormously from deceit. 2 trick, subterfuge, stratagem, ploy,
ruse, manoeuvre, artifice, wile, hoax, swindle, double-cross,
misrepresentation, pretence, sham, contrivance, shift,
confidence trick, subreption, gloze, Brit dialect or colloq US
flam; Colloq flimflam; Slang scam, con, con trick, con game:
She was sick of all his lies and deceits.
deceitful adj. dishonest, underhand(ed), untrustworthy, misleading,
crooked, insincere, false, fraudulent, counterfeit,
disingenuous, lying, mendacious, untruthful; wily, crafty, sly,
cunning, scheming, guileful, artful, sneaky, double-dealing,
two-faced, hypocritical, duplicitous, Colloq phoney or US also
phony: It was deceitful of you to pretend you loved her when
all you wanted was her money.
deceive v. mislead, delude, impose on or upon, fool, hoax, trick,
cheat, swindle, betray, double-cross, lead on, lead up or down
the garden path, lead astray, pull the wool over (someone's)
eyes, inveigle, cajole, Archaic cozen; Colloq con, bamboozle,
take in, take for a ride, two-time, move the goalposts; Slang US
take: He deceived even his friends and family into believing he
had been a war hero.
decent adj. 1 becoming, suitable, appropriate, proper, seemly,
fitting: Despite the life she led, the woman should have a
decent burial. 2 seemly, decorous, tasteful, dignified,
mannerly, nice, clean, respectable, polite, modest, presentable,
acceptable: Hereafter, you will use only decent language when
speaking to me! 3 adequate, acceptable, passable, fair,
competent, mediocre, middling, fair to middling, moderate,
respectable, not bad, ordinary, so so, not outstanding,
unimpressive, average, neither here nor there, all right,
reasonable, tolerable, satisfactory, good enough, Colloq OK or
okay: Sales in the first quarter were decent but hardly
outstanding. 4 courteous, proper, right, fair, honest,
honourable, friendly, considerate, gracious, nice, thoughtful,
obliging, kind, generous, accommodating: You can count on David
to do the decent thing. 5 chaste, pure, virtuous, modest,
well-bred, decorous, well brought up, nice, respectable:
Caroline is a decent girl, but no great brain or beauty.
deception n. 1 duplicity, deceit, intrigue, hypocrisy, fraud, cheating,
trickery, chicanery or chicane, dissimulation, double-dealing,
subterfuge, sophistry, treachery, knavery, tergiversation; see
also deceit 1, above: He practised deception even in his family
relationships. 2 trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, subterfuge,
manoeuvre, wile, imposture, hoax, sham, pretence; see also
deceit 2, above: He tried every deception in the book to
separate her from her money.
deceptive adj. 1 misleading, false, illusory, deceiving, unreliable: He
has the look of an athlete, but appearances can be deceptive. 2
fraudulent, deceitful, dishonest, untruthful, fake, false,
shifty, fallacious, specious, spurious, bogus, counterfeit,
pseudo, sophistical; tricky, dodgy, evasive, elusive, slippery,
Colloq phoney or US also phony: The bank is being deceptive
about his credit rating.
decide v. 1 determine, settle, resolve, conclude, take or reach or
come to a decision or conclusion, make up one's mind, arbitrate,
judge, adjudicate, referee, umpire: She decided that you were
right. They decided the case in my favour. 2 decide on or upon.
fix or fasten or settle on or upon, choose, select, pick (out),
elect, opt (for), commit oneself (to): I have decided on a
British-made car.
decided adj. 1 definite, pronounced, marked, unmistakable, unambiguous,
unequivocal, certain, sure, absolute, obvious, clear, evident,
unquestionable, unquestioned, indisputable, undisputed,
undeniable, irrefutable, incontestable, unqualified,
unconditional, incontrovertible, solid: The party was a decided
success. 2 fixed, firm, resolute, determined, adamant, stony,
unhesitating, decisive, definite, unfaltering, assertive,
asseverative, unswerving, unwavering: They are decided in their
approval of her plan.
decipher v. 1 decode, decrypt; unravel, unscramble, disentangle,
translate, work out, explain, solve, Colloq figure out: It was
Champollion who deciphered the Rosetta Stone. 2 read,
interpret, make out, Colloq figure out: I can't decipher
Theresa's handwriting or what she's trying to say.
decision n. 1 settlement, determination, resolution, settling,
resolving, arbitration: The decision is the umpire's
responsibility. 2 judgement, conclusion, resolution, verdict,
sentence, ruling, finding, decree, settlement, outcome:
According to the decision, the victims will receive compensatory
damages. 3 determination, firmness, decidedness, resolve,
decisiveness, conclusiveness, steadfastness, purpose,
purposefulness: She asserted her position with decision.
declaration
n. 1 statement, assertion, attestation, deposition,
asseveration, affirmation, avowal, announcement, proclamation,
pronouncement, profession: Henrietta desperately wanted to
believe Henry's declaration of love. 2 proclamation,
announcement, pronouncement, promulgation, pronunciamento,
edict, ukase, manifesto, notice: The colonists issued a
declaration of independence.
declare v. 1 assert, say, offer, submit, affirm, state, aver,
asseverate, avow, avouch, profess, protest, swear, claim,
proclaim; confirm, certify, ratify: I solemnly declare that the
testimony I am to give is true, so help me God. 2 announce, make
known, pronounce, decree, rule, proclaim, herald, promulgate,
publish, broadcast, trumpet (forth): Robert has declared his
intention to make Marianne his wife.
decline v. 1 refuse, turn down, deny, reject, demur, forgo, veto,
avoid, abstain from: She declined help with the packages. Roger
was offered a professorship at the university but he declined. 2
diminish, lessen, decrease, wane, flag, go down, fall or taper
off, subside, ebb, abate, dwindle, shrink, fade, Colloq peter
out, run out of steam, US run out of gas: Demand for hula hoops
declined. 3 slope or slant (downwards), descend, drop or fall
off, dip, sink: The meadow declines towards the river. 4
deteriorate, degenerate, worsen, fail: My health has declined
over the last year. 5 go or drop down, settle, dip, sink, set:
The sun was declining as I went home.
--n. 6 diminution, decrease, lessening, ebb, downturn,
fall-off, reduction, abatement, slump, descent: There has been
a steady decline in the value of the pound. 7 degeneration,
deterioration, loss, diminution, weakening, debility, weakness,
worsening, decay, failing: We noted a decline in the physical
condition of those living nearby. 8 declivity, (downward) slope
or slant, descent, downgrade, incline: The path led down a
steep decline towards the pond.
decompose v. 1 disintegrate, separate, fall or come apart, break up or
down, take apart, dissect, anatomize, atomize, resolve,
decompound, analyse: By absorption the scientists decomposed
the green light into yellow and blue. 2 rot, disintegrate,
decay, moulder, putrefy; spoil, go off or bad, turn sour: The
meat will decompose if it is left outside the fridge.
decorate v. 1 embellish, adorn, ornament, garnish, embroider, elaborate,
bedeck, deck (out), trim, dress (up), spruce or smarten up,
beautify, Literary caparison, Colloq Brit tart up: We decorated
the pub for the Christmas holidays. 2 Brit paint, wallpaper,
redecorate, furbish, refurbish, renovate, fix up, restore: All
the bedrooms have been decorated.
decoration
n. 1 garnish, trim, trimming, adornment, embellishment,
ornament, ornamentation, garnishment: There's a bit too much
decoration on the cake. 2 medal, laurel, award, badge, colours,
order, ribbon, star, garter: Captain Harder won many
decorations in the war.
decorous adj. becoming, dignified, decent, correct, mannerly, seemly,
refined, elegant, polite, well-behaved, genteel, demure,
polished, gentlemanly, ladylike, seemly: Your behaviour was
less than decorous at last night's party.
decorum n. 1 etiquette, proper behaviour, propriety, good form,
mannerliness, politeness, dignity, gentility, good manners,
respectability, courtliness, deportment: The decorum of the
meeting was disturbed by rabble-rousers. 2 correctness,
propriety, protocol, punctilio, conformity: Please observe
proper decorum when visiting the embassy.
decoy n. 1 bait, lure, trap, attraction, enticement, inducement,
stool-pigeon: The hunters set out their decoys and waited for
the ducks.
--v. 2 lure, entrap, entice, attract, induce, seduce, bait,
trick, tempt, ensnare, inveigle, allure: He was decoyed into a
dark alley and robbed.
decrease v. 1 diminish, reduce, decline, lessen, lower, abate, fall off,
shrink, shrivel (up), contract, dwindle, ebb, subside, wane,
taper off, de-escalate, slacken, let up, ease (off or up),
curtail, cut (down or back), Colloq run out of steam, US run out
of gas: Demand for tickets to rock concerts has decreased over
the years. The number of applicants for work is decreasing.
--n. 2 diminution, reduction, decline, lessening, lowering,
abatement, falling off, shrinking, shrivelling, contraction,
decrement, dwindling, ebb, subsidence, tapering off, wane,
de-escalation, slackening, easing (off or up), curtailment, cut,
cut-back: There has been no noticeable decrease in the price of
houses in the south-east. Have you noticed the decrease in
arrests for dangerous driving?
decree n. 1 order, mandate, directive, ordinance, edict, law, statute,
regulation, enactment, act, ruling, dictum, dictate, injunction,
sanction, manifesto, proclamation, promulgation, determination,
decision, judgement, rescript, prescription, pronunciamento,
firman, ukase, Rom Cath Ch decretal: The star chamber issued a
decree restricting the freedom of the press.
--v. 2 order, command, direct, rule, mandate, ordain, dictate,
charge, enjoin, proclaim, pronounce, prescribe, decide,
determine, adjudge, Scots law decern: The council has decreed
that no spirits can be sold on Sundays.
decrepit adj. 1 feeble, enfeebled, weak, weakened, frail, infirm,
wasted, worn out, unfit, debilitated, enervated, disabled,
incapacitated, crippled, doddering; out of shape, in bad shape;
aged, old, elderly, ancient, superannuated, senescent, senile,
Colloq gaga: The old man was so decrepit he was unable to lift
the cup to his lips. 2 dilapidated, deteriorated, crumbling,
decayed, decaying, withered, wasted, antiquated, tumbledown,
broken-down, rickety, unstable, shaky, ramshackle, derelict,
creaking, creaky, run-down: The barn was so decrepit we had to
tear it down.
decrepitude
n. 1 feebleness, weakness, infirmity, debilitation, enervation,
incapacity, old age, superannuation, senescence, senility,
caducity, dotage: Her decrepitude was so extreme that she could
neither walk nor understand what was said to her. 2
dilapidation, deterioration, decay, ruin: The house is in an
advanced state of decrepitude.
dedicate v. 1 devote, consecrate, give (up or over), yield, offer,
surrender, commit, pledge, assign: She dedicated her life to
helping the poor. 2 consecrate, bless, sanctify, hallow: There
stands the temple dedicated to Apollo. 3 inscribe; address,
assign: This book has been dedicated to you.
dedication
n. 1 devotion, assignment, pledge, commitment, allegiance,
adherence, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty, devotedness,
wholeheartedness, single-mindedness, fixedness, fealty: I
admire Rudolph's dedication to duty. 2 inscription, address;
message: The dedication reads, 'To my mother and father'. 3
consecration, sanctification, hallowing: The ceremony for the
dedication of the youth centre will be held tomorrow.
deduce v. conclude, infer, understand, gather, assume, presume,
derive, draw, work out, divine, glean, take it, suppose,
surmise, suspect, Slang Brit suss out: From the tone of his
letter she deduced that he was going to change his mind.
deduct v. subtract, take away or out or off, take from, remove,
withdraw, Colloq knock off: Deduct six from ten and you're left
with four.
deduction n. 1 subtraction, diminution, decrease, reduction, withdrawal,
removal, abstraction: After deductions for expenses, you'll be
left with nothing. 2 conclusion, inference, finding, reasoning,
result: After considering the evidence, my deduction is that
the butler didn't do it.
deed n. 1 act, action; performance: Their deeds did not match their
promises. 2 exploit, feat, achievement, accomplishment: We are
here to honour her for her many deeds, both on and off the
tennis court. 3 title(-deed), document, instrument, indenture,
contract, agreement: The bank holds the title-deed until the
mortgage is paid off.
deep adj. 1 extensive, bottomless, abyssal, unfathomable, profound;
wide, broad, yawning, chasmal or chasmic: All our supplies were
lost in a deep crevasse in the glacier. 2 profound, arcane,
recondite, difficult, abstruse, obscure, esoteric,
incomprehensible, beyond or past comprehension, impenetrable,
unfathomable, inscrutable, mysterious, mystic(al), occult,
weighty, serious, Colloq heavy: Religious philosophy is too
deep a subject to discuss at breakfast. 3 wise, learned, sage,
sagacious, astute, perspicacious, profound, discerning, acute,
intense, penetrating, knowledgeable, knowing: Margaret is one
of the deepest thinkers on the subject. 4 rapt, absorbed,
engrossed, occupied, preoccupied, intent, intense, involved,
engaged, immersed, lost, Colloq into: Don't disturb him when
he's deep in thought. 5 devious, cunning, shrewd, crafty,
canny, clever, knowing, scheming, artful, designing: He thinks
there is a deep plot against him. 6 profound, intense, sincere,
serious, heartfelt, earnest, ardent, fervent, poignant,
deep-rooted: I know of your deep concern for her. 7 low,
resonant, booming, resounding, sonorous, rumbling: The deep
sound of thunder rolled across the valley. 8 rich, dark,
intense, strong: The sky was a deep blue.
--n. 9 the deep. the ocean, the main, the sea, the waters, the
high seas, the briny (deep), the wave(s), Davy Jones's locker,
Neptune's or Poseidon's kingdom or domain: It was midnight on
the waters and a storm was on the deep.
--adv. 10 deeply, far down, profoundly, intensely, earnestly,
heavily: We drank deep of the cooling liquid.
deepen v. 1 dig out, burrow, sink, dredge, excavate, scoop (out):
We'll have to deepen the hole to support the flag-pole. 2
intensify, increase, concentrate, strengthen, expand, magnify:
The programme reflects a deepening interest in education.
deeply adv. 1 deep, (far) downwards or inwards, way down, deep down:
The glacier was deeply fissured. She swam to the surface and
inhaled deeply. 2 profoundly, intensely, strongly, powerfully,
very much, acutely, keenly, gravely, greatly, to a great extent,
extremely, thoroughly, completely, entirely, seriously,
severely, irrevocably, unreservedly; passionately, heavily,
emotionally: She is deeply involved with a man from Kent. They
were deeply committed to the labour movement.
deface v. mar, disfigure, spoil, ruin, deform, blemish, damage,
mutilate, harm, impair, injure, destroy: Nothing should be
allowed to deface the beauty of these buildings.
default n. 1 failure, fault, defect, neglect, negligence, dereliction,
lapse, oversight, non-performance, non-fulfilment, inaction: We
won the case because of their default on the contract. The other
contestant failed to appear, so Gordon won the match by default.
2 non-payment, delinquency: Default in the rent may result in
eviction.
--v. 3 fail, neglect, dishonour, lapse, fall short, come (up)
short: He has defaulted on a car payment.
defeat v. 1 overcome, conquer, vanquish, be victorious over, get the
better of, beat, subdue, overwhelm, overpower, prevail over,
triumph over, bring down, worst, thrash, rout, repulse,
overthrow, trounce, whip, crush, destroy, do in, best: The
champion defeated the contender in a ten-round match. 2 thwart,
frustrate, disappoint, check, balk, stop, terminate, end,
finish, foil: He never let his handicap defeat his hopes of
winning.
--n. 3 conquest, overthrow, beating, repulse, trouncing, rout,
vanquishment: The defeat of our team must be charged to lack of
training. 4 frustration, undoing, failure, miscarriage,
set-back; Waterloo: The stock market crash spelled the defeat
of the company's plan for a share issue.
defecate v. void (excrement), move the bowels, excrete, eliminate,
evacuate (the bowels), have a (bowel) movement or bm, open the
bowels, relieve oneself, Babytalk do number two , Euphemistic go
to the men's or ladies' (room), go to the toilet or bathroom or
lavatory, excuse (oneself), wash (one's) hands, go to the
bathroom, go to the powder-room; Mincing go to the little boys'
or girls' room; Colloq Brit spend a penny, Colloq Brit go to the
loo, pass a motion, Taboo slang (take a) crap or shit: The
first symptoms of bowel disease are problems when defecating.
defect n. 1 shortcoming, deficiency, lack, want, inadequacy,
insufficiency, shortfall, failure, weakness, frailty, weak
point, imperfection, irregularity, liability: See the doctor
about that hearing defect. 2 blemish, imperfection, failing,
weakness, flaw, fault, mark, stain, irregularity, mistake,
error: The products should be inspected for defects before
shipping.
--v. 3 desert, change sides or loyalties, turn traitor, go
over; escape: Ropovich tried to defect, but the Albanians sent
him back.
defective adj. 1 imperfect, faulty, flawed, deficient, broken, out of
order, impaired, marred, Colloq on the blink, US on the fritz:
The brakes on his car were defective. 2 retarded, simple,
feeble-minded, (mentally) deficient or incompetent, backward,
subnormal, Brit education ESN ('educationally subnormal'), US
education exceptional: Found to be defective, he could not
stand trial.
defector n. deserter, apostate, turncoat, traitor, renegade, Colloq rat:
Some political defectors were suspected of being spies.
defence n. 1 shelter, protection, cover, guard, safeguard, shield:
There is no defence against certain illnesses. 2 fortification,
armour, barricade, screen, bulwark, rampart: Shore defences
were set up, including barbed wire entanglements and concrete
pillboxes. 3 excuse, apology, reason, apologia, explanation;
justification, vindication, argument, plea, advocacy, support:
His defence for decreasing welfare payments was inadequate. She
spoke in defence of nationalizing industry.
defenceless
adj. unprotected, exposed, vulnerable, unguarded; helpless,
weak, powerless, impotent: Would you take advantage of a poor,
defenceless creature?
defend v. 1 protect, watch over, guard, safeguard, keep (safe),
shelter, shield, screen, preserve; fight for: We must defend
our civil rights. 2 fortify, arm, secure; fend or ward off,
parry: Can you defend your position from attack? 3 plead for,
speak or stand up for, stick up for, go to bat for, support,
uphold, stand by, champion, stand with or behind or beside,
argue for or in behalf of, hold a brief for, espouse: The
lawyers defended her right to free speech.
defer° v. put off, postpone, delay, shelve, lay or put aside, adjourn,
US table; Colloq Brit kick into touch: The judge has deferred
his decision.
deferэ v. Often, defer to. give in (to), give ground or way (to),
yield (to), submit (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), cede (to),
accede (to), acquiesce (to); comply (with), agree (to): I'll
defer to your decision in the matter.
deference n. 1 respect, regard, politeness, civility, courtesy,
consideration, esteem: They treated him with deference owing to
his age. 2 obeisance, submission, acquiescence, obedience,
compliance: Considering her accomplishments, she is paid little
deference.
defiant adj. challenging, bold, brazen, audacious, daring; rebellious,
disobedient, stubborn, recalcitrant, obstinate, refractory,
unyielding, insubordinate, mutinous, unruly, self-willed,
aggressive, headstrong, contumacious, pugnacious, hostile,
belligerent, antagonistic, Slang gutsy, spunky: His defiant
attitude towards authority often gets him into trouble.
deficient adj. 1 wanting, lacking, defective, incomplete, unfinished,
short, insufficient, inadequate, sketchy, skimpy, scarce: Some
foods are deficient in vitamins. 2 faulty, impaired, flawed,
imperfect, incomplete, defective, inferior, unsatisfactory:
Many have a deficient knowledge of their legal rights.
deficit n. loss, deficiency, shortfall, shortage, default: At the end
of the year there was a considerable deficit.
define v. 1 determine, establish, fix, demarcate, mark off or out,
delimit, limit, lay or set down, circumscribe, specify,,
identify, delineate, describe: You must first define the
subjects to be covered. 2 describe, explain, interpret, spell
out, detail, clarify, delineate, expand on, expatiate on or
upon, delineate; characterize, state, name: No one dictionary
defines all the words of a language. Please define exactly what
you want me to do.
definite adj. 1 specific, particular, exact, pronounced, explicit,
express, precise: She came here with a definite purpose. 2
sure, positive, certain, assured, fixed, settled, confirmed:
Then we have a definite appointment for two o'clock? 3 clear,
plain, well-defined, unambiguous, unequivocal, distinct,
clear-cut, obvious: The plans for revision are definite.
definitely
adv. positively, absolutely, surely, to be sure, assuredly,
certainly, indubitably, undoubtedly, categorically,
unequivocally, unquestionably, decidedly, finally, once and for
all; plainly, clearly, obviously, patently: Then you're
definitely not going to the dance with Waldo? That was
definitely the worst movie of the year.
definition
n. 1 delineation, delimitation, demarcation, outlining;
acutance, resolution, distinctness, clarity, sharpness, focus,
precision: The definition at the edge of the photograph is
fuzzy. 2 description, explanation, explication, clarification,
statement (of meaning), sense, meaning: How many definitions
are there for the word 'good'?
definitive
adj. 1 decisive, final, conclusive, ultimate: My definitive
answer will be given tomorrow. 2 thorough, through and through,
exhaustive, ultimate, consummate, complete, authoritative,
reliable: She has written the definitive work on the axolotl.
3 clarifying, unambiguous, categorical, absolute, unqualified,
accurate, exact, precise: We expect a definitive statement from
the union regarding their claims.
deflect v. avert, turn away or aside, deviate, change, swerve, switch,
divert, shy, veer, sidetrack; fend off: The trajectory of a
bullet is deflected by gravity. By deflecting a bit to their
left, they managed to regain their original course.
deformed adj. 1 misshapen, malformed, distorted, twisted, grotesque,
gnarled, crooked, contorted, awry, warped, bent: This tree is
deformed because of the constant wind. 2 disfigured, crippled,
lame, misshapen; abnormal: He was born with a deformed foot. 3
distorted, warped, bent, perverted, twisted, grotesque;
abnormal: The deformed personalities of his patients are the
subject of my book.
defraud v. cheat, swindle, trick, beguile, cozen, dupe, delude, fool,
bilk, fleece, victimize, take in, deceive, humbug, hoodwink,
flimflam, Colloq do, diddle, con, slip one over on, put
(something) over on, pull a fast one on, fast-talk, rope in,, US
take; Slang take for a ride, gyp, rob, rip off, rook; Dialect
flam: Shareholders are defrauded by insider trading schemes.
defray v. pay, settle, meet, discharge, liquidate, clear, cover,
reimburse, Colloq pick up the bill or tab or US check (for),
foot the bill (for): The company defrays the cost of all
travelling expenses.
defunct adj. 1 dead, deceased, extinct: The dinosaurs have been
defunct for millions of years. 2 inoperative, inapplicable,
unused, unusable, invalid, expired, obsolete, pass‚, dead,
expired, non-existent, outmoded, out: Although still on the
books, that law is defunct.
defy v. 1 challenge, dare, face, confront, brave, stand up to,
flout, brazen out, thumb one's nose at, Colloq Brit cock a snook
at: The defendant defied the prosecutor to prove the
allegations. 2 frustrate, thwart, baffle, resist, withstand,
repel, disobey, repulse: Her feats of legerdemain defy the
imagination. Copeley has invented a device that defies the law
of gravity.
degenerate
adj. 1 debased, degraded, corrupt, corrupted, vitiated,
decadent, depraved, reprobate, dissolute, ignoble, base, low,
inferior, vile: He was a degenerate descendant of a once noble
lineage. Ben sank into the depths of a degenerate existence
after Penelope left him.
--v. 2 decline, deteriorate, decay, sink, worsen; backslide,
regress, retrogress, weaken, go to the dogs, go to rack and
ruin, Colloq go to pot: He felt that art had degenerated since
the days of Rembrandt.
--n. 3 reprobate, debauchee, wastrel, profligate, rake,
rakehell, rou‚; pervert, deviate: The detective said that only
a degenerate could have committed such a crime.
degradation
n. 1 degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration, corruptness,
corruption, vitiation, baseness, depravity, turpitude: History
records the moral degradation of a whole society. 2 disrepute,
discredit, shame, humiliation, ignominy, dishonour, disgrace,
abasement, debasement: He had to face the degradation of an
accusation of child molestation.
degrade v. 1 downgrade, demote, break, Military cashier, Ecclesiastical
unfrock, Law disbar; depose, unseat; disfranchise or
disenfranchise; Military drum out (of the corps), Chiefly naval
disrate; US military bust: They degraded him from captain to
lieutenant. 2 disgrace, dishonour, humble, shame, discredit,
debase, demean, abase; humiliate, mortify, belittle, deprecate,
depreciate, cheapen, reduce, lower: He has been degraded to
mopping the floor. 3 dilute, adulterate, weaken, thin, water
(down), alloy: Cologne is, essentially, degraded perfume.
degrading adj. demeaning, humiliating, shameful, shaming, debasing,
lowering, discreditable: Why should you deem selling a
degrading occupation?
degree n. 1 grade, level, stage, class, caste, rank, order, scale,
standing, status, station, position, situation, estate,
condition: He is entertaining a lady of high degree. 2
measure, magnitude, extent, limit, point; lengths, step: All
our needs, desires, and goals are biologically determined to
some degree. 3 by degrees. little by little, bit by bit, step by
step, inch by inch, inchmeal, gradually, slowly, (almost)
imperceptibly: By degrees, her health has improved. 4 to a
degree. a rather, somewhat, quite: She is to a degree a better
dancer than he. b substantially, considerably, highly,
decidedly, exceedingly, to a considerable extent: She must be
stupid to a degree if she believes in levitation.
deign v. condescend, stoop, vouchsafe, concede; yield, agree: Lord
Worthington deigned to say good morning to us.
deity n. god, goddess, Supreme Being, creator, demiurge: Deities in
various religions are represented as men, women, or animals.
dejected adj. downcast, downhearted, depressed, dispirited, discouraged,
despondent, down, low, chap-fallen, crestfallen, melancholy,
sad, unhappy, gloomy, glum, miserable, blue, low-spirited, in
low spirits, forlorn, woebegone, disconsolate, sorrowful,
morose, heartbroken, heavy-hearted, in the doldrums, Colloq down
in the dumps, down in the mouth: She was bound to feel dejected
when she couldn't find a job.
delay v. 1 postpone, put off or aside, defer, temporize, suspend,
shelve, hold off or up (on), put on hold, hold in abeyance, put
or keep in a holding pattern, pigeon-hole, put on ice, put in or
into the deep-freeze, Colloq put on the back burner, Brit kick
into touch, US hold off or up (on), table: We shall delay our
decision till next month. 2 hold up or back, detain, impede,
hinder, retard, keep, bog down, set back, slow (up or down);
stop, arrest, halt, check; obstruct: Delivery of the mail has
been delayed by the strike. We were delayed by traffic. 3
loiter, procrastinate, hesitate, poke or drag (along), tarry,
wait, lag (behind), dawdle, hang back, stall, linger, dally,
mark time, potter or US putter; vacillate; Colloq dilly-dally,
shilly-shally, drag one's feet: Stop delaying and get to work.
--n. 4 postponement, deferral, deferment, wait, hold-up;
set-back: There will be a ten-day delay in paying the rent. 5
lull, interlude, hiatus, interruption, gap, interval, lacuna,
stop, stoppage, wait, waiting, hold-up, suspension: After an
hour's delay, service was resumed. 6 tarrying, loitering,
dawdling, Colloq dilly-dallying, shilly-shallying: There should
be no further delay in shipping the order.
delectation
n. delight, enjoyment, amusement, entertainment, diversion,
pleasure, satisfaction: For your delectation, Le Moulin Rouge
presents La Goulue!
delegate n. 1 envoy, agent, legate, representative, ambassador,
plenipotentiary, minister, emissary, commissioner, (papal)
nuncio, (papal) internuncio, spokesperson, spokesman,
spokeswoman, go-between: They kowtowed to the delegate from His
Imperial Highness.
--v. 2 depute, commission, appoint, designate, assign, name,
nominate, accredit, authorize, empower, mandate: The president
delegated Ambassador Foxley to represent him at the meeting. 3
assign, give, hand over or on, pass over or on, depute,
transfer, entrust, relegate, Colloq pass the buck for, US buck:
She has delegated the responsibility to one of the directors.
delete v. erase, cancel, rub or cross out or off, remove, blot out,
expunge, efface, eliminate, obliterate, wipe out, eradicate,
strike out, cut or edit (out), Publishing blue-pencil; Printing
dele: Delete the old address and insert the new one.
deliberate
adj. 1 intentional, planned, studied, wilful, intended,
premeditated, calculated, conscious, prearranged, purposeful,
preconceived, considered; cold-blooded: The insult was
deliberate, not a slip. 2 slow, methodical, careful, unhurried,
paced, measured, regular, even, steady, sure, unhesitating,
unfaltering, confident: He moved across the room with a
deliberate step and tore the medals from the general's tunic. 3
careful, prudent, cautious, painstaking, discreet, considered,
considerate, thoughtful, well thought out, thorough, methodical,
systematic, fastidious, orderly, punctilious, dispassionate,
cool, composed, collected, calm, serene, unruffled: A
deliberate speaker, he chose his words with care.
--v. 4 consider, ponder, think (about or over), weigh, debate,
meditate (on or over), reflect (on or over), cogitate (on or
over), study: I shall need a few days to deliberate on that
question.
deliberately
adv. intentionally, on purpose, purposely, wilfully or US
willfully, consciously, wittingly, calculatedly, calculatingly,
knowingly, pointedly, resolutely, of one's (own) free will, on
one's own, with one's eyes (wide) open: She did that
deliberately, not by accident.
delicacy n. 1 fineness, exquisiteness, gracefulness, beauty, lightness,
daintiness: Notice the delicacy of the tracery in the rose
window. 2 fragility, fragileness, frailty, frailness, weakness,
infirmity, feebleness, tenderness; susceptibility: Because of
the delicacy of his constitution, even a cold might be fatal. 3
sensitivity, difficulty, ticklishness, finesse, nicety,
sensibility: The delicacy of the situation demands the utmost
diplomacy. 4 luxury, sweetmeat, dainty, titbit or US tidbit,
savoury: The table was laden with delicacies from all over the
world.
delicate adj. 1 fragile, breakable, frail, tender, frangible, dainty;
perishable, flimsy: This filament is extremely delicate, so be
careful. 2 fine, exquisite, dainty, graceful, elegant, subtle:
A delicate border of lace sets off the collar. 3 feeble, weak,
sickly, frail, debilitated, weakened, enfeebled, unhealthy: Her
condition is too delicate for her to be moved. 4 critical,
ticklish, sensitive, dangerous, tricky, precarious, touchy,
Slang hairy; Colloq sticky: Rescuing the survivors of the
avalanche was a delicate operation. 5 dainty, squeamish,
queasy, fastidious, prudish, Victorian, finicky, finical,
refined, discriminating, discerning, sensitive, puristic,
proper, coy, modest, demure: In those days ladies were thought
to be too delicate to mention such matters. 6 gradual, subtle,
nice, precise, muted, soft, faint, subdued: The delicate
shading at the horizon is characteristic of this artist.
delicious adj. 1 delectable, luscious, ambrosial, savoury,
mouth-watering, toothsome; choice, flavourful, tasty,
appetizing, palatable, Colloq scrumptious; Slang yummy: Larry's
fried chicken is quite delicious. 2 enjoyable, delightful,
pleasurable, pleasing, pleasant, choice, enchanting,
fascinating; agreeable, charming, engaging; amusing,
entertaining: I heard the most delicious bit of gossip about
the Browns.
delight v. 1 please, gratify, satisfy, gladden, cheer, tickle, amuse,
entertain, divert, excite, thrill, captivate, entrance,
fascinate: We were delighted to hear the Mighty Allen Art
Players once again. 2 delight in. enjoy, appreciate, like,
relish (in), savour, revel in, glory in; love, adore; Colloq get
a kick from or out of; Slang get off on: She delights in any
kind of jazz.
--n. 3 pleasure, gratification, joy, satisfaction, enjoyment,
delectation; bliss, ecstasy, rapture: She takes great delight
in playing practical jokes on her guests. In his dreams he
visited the garden of earthly delights.
delighted adj. pleased, happy, charmed, thrilled, enchanted, enchant‚(e):
I am delighted to meet you. 'Miss Smith, meet Mr Brown.'
'Delighted!'
delightful
adj. 1 pleasing, agreeable, pleasurable, enjoyable, joyful,
pleasant, lovely, amusing, entertaining, diverting, exciting,
thrilling: We spent a delightful evening together. 2
attractive, congenial, winning, winsome, charming, engaging,
exciting; captivating, ravishing, fascinating, enchanting:
Georgina is one of the most delightful people I have met in a
long time.
delinquent
n. 1 malefactor, (young or youthful) offender, wrongdoer,
lawbreaker, culprit, criminal, miscreant; hooligan, ruffian,
roughneck: The police rounded up six juvenile delinquents and
charged them with rowdyism.
--adj. 2 neglectful, negligent, derelict, remiss, failing,
defaulting: I have been delinquent in my obligations to my
mother. 3 overdue, past due, in arrears, late, unpaid: All
these delinquent accounts should be collected as soon as
possible.
delirious adj. 1 wild, hysterical, distracted, incoherent, rambling,
irrational, raving, ranting, frenzied, frantic, disturbed,
demented, deranged, unhinged, mad, insane, crazy, lunatic: He
is still delirious and doesn't know what he's saying. 2 wild,
excited, crazed, thrilled, ecstatic: She was delirious with joy
that Ken was coming home.
deliver v. 1 carry, bring, convey, distribute, give or hand out;
purvey, take round; cart, transport: Only in a few places in
the world do they still deliver milk to the door. 2 hand over,
give, surrender, cede, yield, make over, relinquish, give up or
over, commit, transfer, turn over, resign: We were forced to
deliver our children to the enemy as hostages. 3 set free,
liberate, enfranchise, extricate, release, save, rescue;
emancipate, manumit, redeem; disencumber, disburden, ransom:
They were delivered from certain death by the arrival of the
helicopter. Modern appliances have delivered millions of women
from the drudgery of housework. 4 give, present, utter, read,
broadcast; proclaim, announce, declare, set forth, communicate,
make known, express, publish, hand over, hand out, promulgate,
pronounce, enunciate: He has to deliver a speech tonight. The
police delivered an ultimatum to the terrorists. 5 give,
administer, inflict, deal, direct, send, launch, impart, throw;
cast, hurl, shoot, discharge, fire: He delivered a blow on the
chin that knocked me out. The ball was delivered with enormous
speed. 6 bring forth, bear, give birth to, bring into the world:
In the next three years, she delivered three more girls. 7
produce, perform, put one's money where one's mouth is: Roger
had better deliver, or we shall have to take drastic measures.
delivery n. 1 distribution, delivering, deliverance, conveyance,
transportation, transport: The strikers have caused delivery of
newspapers to stop. 2 liberation, release, deliverance,
emancipation: His delivery from poverty was still a few years
away. 3 childbirth, parturition; confinement: Many women find
that their second child is an easier delivery. 4 presentation,
performance; utterance, enunciation, articulation,
pronunciation, expression, execution: He is an accomplished
orator, with a spellbinding delivery.
delusion n. 1 deception, trick, stratagem, artifice, ruse, pretence: It
was a snare and a delusion to represent the painting as genuine.
2 false or mistaken impression, fallacy, illusion, mistake,
error, misconception, misbelief, hallucination: He suffers
under the delusion that he is a great pianist.
demand v. 1 require, order, bid, call (for); insist, command: I
demand that you retract that remark! She demanded to know where
he was going. 2 claim, ask (for), require, insist on; exact:
They had paid for tickets and demanded entrance. 3 require,
call for, need, want, necessitate, cry out for: This superb
dish demands an excellent claret. 4 ask (for), inquire or
enquire, request; requisition: We demanded help from the
police.
--n. 5 request, bid, behest, requisition, order, insistence;
outcry: Our demand for service went unheeded. 6 want, need,
requirement, desire; market (demand), marketability; consumer or
customer acceptance: The demand for our products is low at the
moment. 7 in demand. wanted, needed, requested, coveted,
popular, sought after, desired, desirable, Brit in request, US
on request: Bright graduates are always in demand. 8 on
demand. on call, on request, on presentation, when requested or
required; at once, immediately, without delay: These notes are
payable on demand.
demanding adj. 1 difficult, hard, exigent, tough, exacting, trying,
taxing: Edwards is a demanding boss. Diamond cutting is
demanding work. 2 insistent, clamorous, urgent, nagging,
persistent: Your demanding fans want another encore.
democratic
adj. egalitarian, classless; republican, representative,
popular, self-governing, autonomous: The colonists voted for a
democratic form of government.
demolish v. 1 tear or pull down, dismantle, reduce to ruin(s), smash,
pull to pieces, knock down, raze, topple, destroy, level: This
building will have to be demolished to make room for the new
shopping mall. 2 destroy, end, bring to an end, make an end of,
put an end to, devastate, terminate, annihilate, overturn,
overthrow, crush, defeat, refute, disprove, dispose of,
suppress, squelch, quash: With just one phrase he demolished
their entire argument.
demon n. 1 devil, evil spirit, fiend, cacodemon or cacodaemon;
monster, ghoul, ogre, harpy, vampire: Medieval demons are
generally depicted as having horns, hoofs, and tails. 2 fanatic,
fiend, enthusiast, addict, Colloq freak: He's a real speed
demon when he gets onto the motorway.
demonstrable
adj. provable, confirmable, attestable, verifiable; evident,
self-evident, obvious, undeniable, apparent, manifest,
indisputable, unquestionable, positive, certain, conclusive:
The judge showed a demonstrable bias against my client.
demonstrate
v. 1 show, prove, make evident, establish, evince, evidence,
exhibit, manifest: The increase in arrests demonstrates the
efficiency of the police. 2 display, explain, expose, describe,
present; illustrate: The salesman demonstrated the new camera
for us. 3 picket, march, parade, rally, protest: More than
5000 people demonstrated against the fraudulent election.
demonstration
n. 1 proof, evidence, testimony, confirmation, verification,
substantiation; manifestation, exhibition, display,
illustration, indication: I have seen sufficient demonstration
of her ineptitude. 2 presentation, display, show, explanation,
description, clarification, elucidation, exposition, Colloq
demo: The student gave an excellent demonstration of how a
computer works. 3 picketing, march, parade, protest, rally,
sit-in, Colloq Brit demo: There have been numerous
demonstrations against the government's policies.
demonstrative
adj. 1 open, unrestrained, unconstrained, unreserved,
expansive, effusive, emotional, warm, tender, affectionate,
loving: Pat is quite demonstrative, often causing me to blush.
2 illustrative, indicative, representative, probative,
evidential; provable, evident: Her point was proved by several
demonstrative arguments. The hostility of these few is
demonstrative of what to expect of the entire group.
demoralize
v. 1 dispirit, daunt, dishearten, discourage, defeat; weaken,
cripple, enervate, devitalize, depress, subdue, crush: The
party's crushing defeat in the election thoroughly demoralized
its supporters. 2 corrupt, pervert, deprave, vitiate, debase,
debauch: The committee consider him a demoralizing influence
and insist he should resign. 3 bewilder, discomfit, unnerve,
shake (up), confuse, fluster, disconcert, unnerve, perturb,
disturb, upset, Colloq rattle: The demonstrators were
completely demoralized when arrested for loitering.
denial n. 1 contradiction, negation, repudiation, refutation,
disavowal, disclaimer, disaffirmation: Her denials
notwithstanding, she was found guilty. 2 retraction,
recantation, renunciation, withdrawal: The arbitrary denial of
civil rights to some is unconscionable. 3 refusal, rejection,
negation; veto: The boy's persistent denial of authority went
into his record.
denizen n. inhabitant, dweller, occupant, frequenter, resident;
citizen: The depths of the seas harbour some strange denizens.
Carl is a denizen of The Bottle and Glass.
denomination
n. 1 sect, persuasion, school, church, order: He is a member
of the Mormon denomination. 2 sort, kind, type, nature,
variety, unit, size, value; grade, class, genus, species, order,
classification: The kidnappers demanded the ransom money in
used notes of small denomination. 3 designation, appellation,
name, identification, style, title, tag, term; designating,
naming, identifying, styling, classifying, titling, entitling,
tagging, terming, denominating: The denomination of people by
race, creed, colour, or sex is discriminatory.
denote v. 1 indicate, specify, designate, distinguish, signify, mark,
note: Hypothetical linguistic forms are denoted by an asterisk.
2 mean, name, symbolize, represent, betoken: The word mother
denotes 'female parent', but its connotations are far more
extensive.
denounce v. 1 accuse, brand, stigmatize, charge, blame, incriminate,
implicate, complain about: He has been denounced for the
blackguard he is. 2 betray, inform against, report, reveal: He
denounced his own son to the authorities. 3 criticize, condemn,
decry, denunciate, attack, assail, censure, impugn, declaim or
rail (against), vituperate, revile, vilify, inveigh against;
ridicule, (hold up to) shame, pillory, (heap) scorn (upon), cast
a slur on: The playwright was denounced as a neo-Nazi.
dense adj. 1 compact, thick, compressed, condensed, close, solid,
heavy, impenetrable: The fox escaped into a dense thicket. 2
crowded, packed, tight, impenetrable, impassable: There was a
dense crowd blocking the exit. 3 stupid, slow, slow-witted,
thickheaded, dull, thick-witted, obtuse, stolid, dim,
dim-witted, foolish, Colloq thick, dumb: He may be a gifted
artist but he is dense when it comes to money matters.
deny v. 1 contradict, gainsay, refute, controvert, disaffirm,
disclaim, confute, negate, dispute: She denies ever having met
the defendant. 2 reject, refuse, withhold, forbid, turn down,
decline, disallow; recall, revoke, recant: He asserts that his
right to counsel was denied. 3 disavow, repudiate, renounce,
disown, forswear, disclaim: The witch-doctor demanded
sacrifices, saying that the angry gods would not be denied.
depart v. 1 go, go away or out or from or off, leave, quit, retire
(from), retreat (from), withdraw (from), exit (from), set out or
forth or off, decamp, abscond, fly, cut and run, skip (out), run
off or away or out, take to the road, take one's leave, check
out, disappear, vanish, evaporate, Jocular toddle off,
Imperative Begone!, Colloq beat it, scram, shove off, make
oneself scarce, Brit scarper, US hit the road, be out of
(someplace), Slang split, Imperative get lost, US cut (on) out,
vamoose, take a (run-out) powder, lam (on) out, take it on the
lam, Brit do a moonlight flit, Usually imperative bugger off,
buzz off , Taboo, imperative fuck off: Our bags are packed and
we depart at noon. 2 Often, depart from. deviate (from),
change, diverge (from), turn (aside or away) (from), differ
(from), vary (from), break away (from), leave, abandon, stray
(from), veer (from): She refused to depart from established
practices.
department
n. 1 division, subdivision, branch, office, bureau, section,
segment, unit, part: Some departments are in another building.
2 responsibility, concern, worry, sphere, bailiwick,
jurisdiction, domain, control, area or sphere of influence or
activity: He was only responsible for the launch of the
missiles - where they came down was not his department.
depend v. 1 depend (on or upon). be contingent or dependent or
conditional on, turn on, hinge on, pivot on, hang on, be subject
to, rest on, be influenced or determined or conditioned by: The
plans for our picnic depend on the weather. 2 depend on or
upon. trust (in), rely on, count on, reckon on, bank on, be sure
of, put one's faith or trust in: I knew we could depend on you,
Giles, to do the right thing.
deplorable
adj. 1 lamentable, regrettable, sad, woeful, grievous,
wretched, miserable, unfortunate, awful, distressing,
disturbing, troubling, upsetting, grave, serious, oppressive,
difficult, desperate, hopeless, tragic, disastrous: Orphaned at
six, he had a deplorable childhood. 2 shameful, disgraceful,
scandalous, disreputable, awful, bad, appalling, dreadful,
abominable, execrable, terrible, reprehensible: What did you
think of Annie's deplorable behaviour at last week's dance?
That's a deplorable painting.
deposit v. 1 place, leave, set or put or lay (down), drop, Colloq US
plunk down: You are requested to deposit litter in the bin. 2
entrust, leave, lodge, consign, keep, place, put; store, save,
set aside, bank, lay or put away, Brit pay in, Colloq stash
away: Each morning she deposits the children at the day nursery
and goes to work. He deposits money every week in a pension
fund.
--n. 3 down payment, part or partial payment, advance payment:
A small deposit will hold your purchase until you are ready to
pay for it in full. 4 precipitate, sediment, silt, alluvium,
dregs, lees, accumulation, deposition: There is a dark deposit
at the bottom of the coffee-pot.
depreciate
v. 1 devalue, devaluate, decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce,
lower, depress, cheapen, mark down: The abundant harvest has
depreciated the price of commodities. 2 disparage, diminish,
deride, decry, underrate, undervalue, underestimate, minimize,
belittle, slight, derogate, deprecate, discredit, denigrate, run
down, vilipend, Colloq play down, US talk down: When he
depreciates another's work he adds nothing to the value of his
own.
depredation
n. plunder, plundering, pillage, pillaging, despoliation,
despoiling, ravaging, sacking, laying waste, devastation,
destruction; ransacking, robbery, looting; ravages: The
depredation caused by ten years of war is unimaginable.
depress v. 1 deject, dispirit, oppress, sadden, grieve, cast down,
dishearten, discourage, dampen, cast a gloom or pall over,
burden, weigh down: He's very depressed right now because he
failed to get a promotion. 2 weaken, dull, debilitate,
enervate, sap; depreciate, cheapen, devalue, devaluate;
diminish, lower, bring down, reduce: The news about a new oil
field depressed the market today. 3 press (down), push (down)
(on), lower: If the pressure gets too high, just depress this
lever.
depression
n. 1 indentation, dent, dimple, impression, pit, hollow,
recess, cavity, concavity, dip: When the box fell, its corner
left a small depression in the top of the metal cabinet. 2
dejection, despair, gloom, downheartedness, sadness, melancholy,
discouragement, despondency, gloominess, glumness, the blues,
unhappiness; Colloq the dumps: A general feeling of depression
came over us at the doctor's words. 3 recession, slump,
(economic) decline, downturn, US and Canadian bust: The
analysts are unable to predict accurately either booms or
depressions.
deprive v. withhold, deny, refuse; withdraw, remove, strip, dispossess,
take away, expropriate, divest; mulct: They deprived him of the
right to have visitors.
deprived adj. needy, in want, in need, impoverished, badly off,
destitute, poor, poverty-stricken, Euphemistic underprivileged,
disadvantaged: As a deprived family, they are entitled to a
number of benefits.
depth n. 1 deepness, extent, measure, profundity, profoundness: The
depth of the cavern was at least three miles. 2 profundity,
profoundness, abstruseness, obscurity, reconditeness,
complexity, intricacy: There is great depth of meaning in many
proverbs. 3 profundity, wisdom, sagacity, sageness,
understanding, perception, astuteness, perspicacity,
perspicaciousness, insight, intuition, acumen, penetration: One
would scarcely characterize Mickey Mouse as possessed of great
depth. 4 intensity, profundity, strength; vividness, brilliance,
brilliancy, brightness, richness: It is hard for me to express
the depth of my feeling for you. The depth of colour is much
better in this picture. 5 depths. deep(s), abyss, abysm, chasm,
bowels of the earth, (bottomless) pit, nethermost reaches or
regions, nadir: As we descended into the depths the temperature
increased. She is in the depths of despair and needs your moral
support. 6 in depth. thoroughly, comprehensively, in detail,
profoundly, deeply, extensively, intensively, concentratedly,
probingly: The specialists have looked into the problem in
depth and have no answer yet.
deputy n. substitute, replacement, surrogate, stand-in, reserve,
proxy; agent, operative, representative, go-between,
intermediary, spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman, delegate,
ambassador, minister, emissary, envoy, legate, (papal) nuncio;
Chiefly US alternate: She excused herself from the meeting,
leaving her deputy in charge.
deranged adj. mad, insane, demented, lunatic, unhinged, unbalanced,
berserk, crazy, crazed, psychotic, irrational, non compos
mentis, out of one's mind or senses or head, not all there, of
unsound mind, crack-brained, mad as a hatter or March hare, off
the rails, Colloq touched, dotty, daft, cracked, bats, cuckoo,
Brit potty, US have nobody home (upstairs), out to lunch,
off-the-wall; Slang bonkers, dippy, barmy or balmy, batty,
screwy, loony, nuts, nutty, wacky, bananas, off one's rocker,
off one's trolley, mental, missing a few marbles, not having all
one's marbles, kooky, with a screw loose, Chiefly Brit off one's
chump, Chiefly US (plumb) loco, meshuga: Police said that the
killer was completely deranged and should be approached with
caution.
derelict adj. 1 deserted, abandoned, forsaken, neglected; ruined,
dilapidated, run-down, tumbledown: The council has a scheme for
the renovation of derelict buildings in the inner city. 2
negligent, remiss, neglectful, delinquent, dilatory, careless,
heedless, lax, slack, irresponsible, slipshod, slovenly, Colloq
sloppy: He was accused of having been derelict in his duty.
--n. 3 vagrant, tramp, outcast, pariah, loafer, wastrel,
good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, malingerer, vagabond, slacker,
down-and-out, US and Canadian hobo, Colloq US bum: Because of
alcohol, he ended up as a derelict.
deride v. mock, ridicule, scoff (at), jeer (at), laugh (at), make fun
or sport (of), tease, taunt, twit, poke fun (at), make a
laughing-stock (of), sneer (at), scorn, flout, disdain,
pooh-pooh, belittle, diminish, disparage, laugh off, Brit rally,
Colloq knock, Brit take the mickey or micky out of: His
classmates had always derided his attempts at getting anywhere
with the girls.
derision n. ridicule, mockery, raillery, laughter, sarcasm, scoffing,
contempt, scorn, contumely, disrespect; satire, lampoon,
pasquinade, burlesque, caricature, travesty: Her suggestion was
greeted with derision.
derisory adj. mocking, ridiculing, scornful, derisive, disdainful,
contemptuous, taunting, insulting, contumelious, jeering;
sardonic, sarcastic, ironic(al), satirical: He felt crushed by
their derisory laughter.
derivation
n. origin, descent, extraction, source, beginning, foundation,
ancestry, genealogy, etymology, root: The derivations of many
words are unknown.
derivative
adj. 1 derived, borrowed, procured, obtained, acquired;
unoriginal, second-hand, copied, imitative, plagiarized,
plagiaristic: He created nothing of his own - all his
compositions were highly derivative.
--n. 2 derivation, offshoot, development, spin-off, by-product:
French, Italian, and other Romance languages are derivatives
from Latin.
derive v. 1 draw, extract, get, obtain, acquire, procure, receive,
secure, gain, elicit, deduce, educe, infer, gather, collect,
harvest, glean, cull, winnow: I derive no pleasure from
punishing you. I derived from her remark that she didn't like
the play. 2 derive from. arise from or out of, originate in or
with or from, emerge from or out of, come (forth) from or out
of, arrive from, issue from, proceed from, develop from, spring
from, flow from, emanate from, stem from, be traceable or traced
to: The word delicate derives from Latin. All our knowledge is
derived from experience.
derogatory
adj. depreciatory, depreciating, depreciative, disparaging,
abasing, debasing, lowering, denigrating, belittling,
diminishing, demeaning, detracting, deflating, minimizing,
mitigating; uncomplimentary, offensive, insulting: The family
took a somewhat derogatory attitude towards commerce. He said
something derogatory about my wife, so I punched him.
descend v. 1 come or go down, move down, climb down, get down: The sun
was setting as he descended from the mountain. 2 decline,
incline (downwards), slope, slant, dip, drop, fall, plunge,
plummet: Beyond the curve, the road descends suddenly for a
mile. 3 stoop, condescend, sink, lower oneself: If you start
shouting, you're just descending to Basil's level. 4 descend
on. attack, assault, invade, pounce on or upon, swoop down on or
upon: Fighter planes descended in droves and destroyed the base
entirely.
descendant
n. offspring, progeny, issue, heir, posterity, family; child,
son, daughter, grandchild, scion; offshoot: They claim to be
descendants of Tsar Nicholas.
describe v. 1 tell (of), recount, relate, give an account (of), narrate,
recite, report, chronicle; retail: He described his adventures
in Rio. 2 detail, define, explain, specify, delineate: Please
describe exactly where you found the body. 3 characterize,
portray, paint, depict, identify, label, style; represent: I
would describe her as careless rather than uncaring. 4 trace,
mark out, outline, traverse, draw: The trail of the comet
described a perfect arc in the black sky.
description
n. 1 portrayal, characterization, depiction, (thumbnail)
sketch, portrait: Her description of her boss was far from
flattering. 2 account, narrative, story, report,
representation, statement, definition; explanation, commentary;
chronicle, history, record, narration; memoir: I want your
detailed description of what led up to the argument. 3 sort,
kind, nature, character, type, variety, brand, breed, species,
category, genus, ilk, genre, class; stripe, kidney, feather:
Carstairs is a rou‚ of the worst description.
desecrate v. profane, defile, blaspheme (against), dishonour, degrade,
debase, befoul, contaminate, pollute, corrupt, violate, pervert,
vitiate: Vandals desecrated the temple of Minerva.
desert° n. 1 waste, wilderness, wasteland, dust bowl: The nearest
oasis was fifty miles away across the desert.
--adj. 2 barren, desolate, uninhabited, unpeopled, lonely,
deserted; arid, bare, vacant, empty, wild, uncultivated: I was
marooned on a desert island.
--v. 3 forsake, leave, abandon; jilt, throw over; maroon,
strand, leave to twist (slowly) in the wind; Colloq run or walk
out on, leave flat or in the lurch, leave high and dry: His
courage deserted him when he saw the child's eyes. He has
deserted his wife for some floozie. 4 abscond, quit, run away
(from), defect, abandon; Military slang go over the hill: He
deserted and will be court-martialled.
desertэ n. Often, deserts. payment, recompense, requital, compensation,
due, right; retribution, justice, Slang comeuppance, what's
coming to one: She'll get her just deserts one of these days.
deserted adj. abandoned, desolate, forsaken, neglected, uninhabited,
unpeopled, vacant, vacated, unfrequented, unvisited, unoccupied,
empty; stranded, rejected, God-forsaken, isolated, solitary,
lonely, friendless: At that hour the streets are completely
deserted.
deserter n. runaway, fugitive, escapee, absconder, defector, renegade,
outlaw; traitor, turncoat, Colloq rat: Deserters are shot when
caught.
deserve v. merit, earn, be entitled to, be worthy of, rate, warrant,
justify: You ought to be nicer to him - he really doesn't
deserve such unkind treatment.
deserved adj. merited, earned, just, rightful, suitable, fitting, fit,
appropriate, proper, right, fair, equitable, meet, warranted,
condign: Carla was never given her deserved credit for catching
the thief.
deserving adj. meritorious, worthy, merited, commendable, laudable,
praiseworthy, creditable, estimable: Perhaps you should leave
your money to a deserving charity.
design v. 1 plan, draw up, think of, conceive of, contemplate, devise,
lay out, visualize, envisage, envision, sketch (out), pattern,
set up: The building was originally designed as the
centre-piece for a whole new development. 2 plan, sketch (out),
delineate, outline, draft, work or map or block out, lay out,
devise, invent, contrive, create, conceive, originate, think up,
develop, organize, frame, shape, mould, forge, make, construct,
form, fashion: John Smithers has designed a new sales strategy
for the company. 3 sketch, draft, lay out, draw; form, devise:
Who designed the company's new logo? 4 intend, mean, plan;
purpose, destine; scheme, plot: The building was originally
designed to be a school. The book was designed for children.
--n. 5 plan, scheme, conception, study, project, proposal,
undertaking, enterprise; blueprint, pattern, chart, diagram,
layout, map, drawing, draft, sketch, model, prototype: The
grand design for rebuilding the city was not approved. 6 form,
shape, configuration, pattern, style, motif, format, layout,
make-up, delineation, arrangement, organization, composition,
structure, construction: I don't much care for her new design
of my monogram. 7 aim, purpose, intention, objective, object,
goal, point, target, intent: My design had been to go at once
to London. 8 designs. plot, intrigue, stratagem, cabal,
conspiracy, conniving, manipulation, connivance, evil intent or
intentions: His designs against me have borne bitter fruit.
designate v. 1 indicate, specify, pinpoint, particularize, delineate,
point out, identify, state, set forth, write or put down, name:
You should designate your heirs in your will. 2 appoint,
nominate, name, identify, denominate, select, pick, choose,
elect, assign, appropriate, delegate, depute: She has not yet
designated her successor. 3 mean, stand for, symbolize, denote,
represent: The Greek letter pi designates the ratio of the
circumference of a circle to its diameter. 4 call, name, style,
term, label, christen, dub, nickname, entitle: Elvis was
publicly designated 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll'.
designer n. 1 creator, originator, architect, artificer, author,
deviser, inventor; (interior) decorator, artist; draughtsman:
Raymond Loewy was a designer of locomotives and fountain pens.
Lady Mendl was the best-known interior designer of the 1920s. 2
intriguer, schemer, conniver, plotter, conspirator: He is a
cunning designer who has wormed his way into favour with the
management.
designing adj. scheming, plotting, conniving, conspiring, intriguing,
calculating, wily, tricky, cunning, sly, underhand(ed), crafty,
artful, shrewd, Machiavellian, guileful, deceitful,
double-dealing, devious, treacherous, Colloq crooked: The
prince has fallen prey to designing courtiers.
desirable adj. 1 sought-after, wanted, coveted, longed-for, looked-for,
desired: Few things are more desirable than security in old
age. 2 attractive, pleasant, pleasing, agreeable, winning,
winsome, captivating, seductive, alluring, fetching: Their
daughter had grown up into a most desirable young lady. 3 good,
goodly, excellent, choice, fine, superior, superb, Colloq Brit
plummy: The company has produced some very desirable motor
cars. 4 profitable, worthwhile, beneficial, advantageous,
valuable, worthy, estimable, commendable, admirable: Lady
Chelm's plan possesses many desirable attributes.
desire v. 1 crave, want, fancy, covet, wish for, hope for, long or
yearn for, pine or sigh for, hanker after, have an eye or taste
for, hunger or thirst for or after, die for, have one's heart
set on, give one's eye-teeth for, Colloq have a yen for, Slang
US have the hots for: I desire nothing but your happiness. He
desired her more than anything else in the world. 2 ask for,
request, order, demand, solicit, importune, summon, require: Do
you desire anything further, sir?
--n. 3 longing, craving, yearning, hankering, hunger, thirst,
appetite; passion, lust, libido, lustfulness, concupiscence,
lecherousness, lechery, lasciviousness, salaciousness,
prurience, Slang hot pants, US the hots; Colloq yen: He felt
desire rising in him like a fever. 4 wish, request, urge,
requirement, order, requisition, demand, desideratum; appeal,
entreaty, petition: He fulfils her every desire.
desirous adj. wishful, desiring, longing, yearning, hopeful, hoping: I
was desirous to learn more about his whereabouts.
desolate adj. 1 solitary, lonely, isolated, deserted, forlorn, forsaken,
friendless, alone, abandoned, neglected; desert, uninhabited,
empty, unfrequented, bare, barren, bleak, remote: He felt
desolate after his wife's death. Tristan da Cunha is a group of
four desolate islands in the Atlantic. 2 laid waste, ruined,
devastated, ravaged, destroyed: The explosion left the
surrounding countryside desolate. 3 dreary, dismal, wretched,
joyless, cheerless, comfortless, miserable, unhappy, down,
disconsolate, sad, melancholy, sorrowful, forlorn, mournful,
woebegone, gloomy, broken-hearted, heavy-hearted, inconsolable,
dejected, downcast, downhearted, dispirited, low-spirited,
depressed, melancholy, spiritless, despondent, dismal,
distressed, discouraged, hopeless: He has brought some
happiness into her desolate existence.
--v. 4 depopulate: The country was desolated by famine. 5
destroy, devastate, ruin, lay waste, despoil, ravage, demolish,
obliterate, annihilate, raze, gut: Invaders desolated the
countryside. 6 dismay, dishearten, depress, daunt, dispirit,
sadden, deject, dispirit, discourage: He was either buoyed up
by renewed hope or desolated by despair.
desolation
n. 1 destruction, ruin, devastation, waste, spoliation,
despoliation, sack, depredation, extirpation, obliteration,
ravagement, barrenness, havoc, chaos: We had to shape a new
life from the desolation left by the war. 2 grief, sorrow,
dreariness, despair, gloom, distress, melancholy, sadness,
misery, woe, anguish, wretchedness, dolour, dolefulness,
unhappiness: She felt the desolation of loneliness after her
husband's death.
despair n. 1 hopelessness, desperation, discouragement, disheartenment,
despondency, dejection, depression, gloom, gloominess, misery,
melancholy, wretchedness, distress, miserableness, anguish;
resignation: The despair of the prisoners was evident in their
ravaged faces.
--v. 2 give up or lose hope; surrender, quit: We despaired of
ever seeing our children again.
desperate adj. 1 reckless, foolhardy, rash, impetuous, frantic, frenzied,
panic-stricken: Desperate measures are required in such a
desperate situation. 2 careless, hasty, devil-may-care, wild,
mad, frenetic, furious: They made a last desperate attack on
the fort. 3 anxious (for), craving, hungry (for), thirsty
(for), needful (of), desirous (of), covetous (of), eager (for),
longing or yearning (for), wishing (for), hoping (for), aching
(for), pining (for): She is desperate for attention. 4 urgent,
pressing, compelling, serious, grave, acute, critical, crucial,
great: There is a desperate need for medicines at the disaster
site. 5 precarious, perilous, life-threatening, hazardous,
dangerous, tenuous, hopeless, beyond hope or help: Avalanches
are making the climbers' situation even more desperate. 6 at
one's wits' end, forlorn, despairing, despondent, wretched, at
the end of one's tether, frantic: With no one to turn to for
help, he was truly desperate.
desperation
n. 1 recklessness, impetuosity, rashness, foolhardiness,
imprudence, heedlessness: Penniless and half-starved, he was
driven to desperation and stole a loaf of bread. 2 despair,
anxiety, anguish, anxiousness, despondency, depression,
dejection, discouragement, defeatism, pessimism, hopelessness,
distress, misery, melancholy, wretchedness, gloom, sorrow: In a
final act of desperation, he attempted suicide.
despicable
adj. contemptible, below or beneath or beyond contempt or scorn
or disdain, mean, detestable, base, low, scurvy, vile, sordid,
wretched, miserable, ignoble, ignominious, shabby; shameful,
shameless, reprehensible: He is a thoroughly despicable person
and you should have nothing more to do with him.
despise v. disdain, scorn, look down on or upon, be contemptuous of,
sneer at, spurn, contemn; hate, loathe, detest, abhor: She
despised her servants and treated them badly. He despised anyone
who had not been to university.
despite prep. in spite of, notwithstanding, undeterred by, regardless
of, in the face or teeth of, in defiance of, without
considering, without thought or consideration or regard for,
ignoring: We went sailing despite the fact that gales had been
forecast.
despondent
adj. dejected, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, melancholy, blue,
depressed, down, downcast, downhearted, low, morose, miserable,
disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, low-spirited, down in the
mouth, Colloq down in the dumps: He's been despondent since she
went away.
despot n. absolute ruler, dictator, tyrant, oppressor, autocrat:
History has painted Ivan the Terrible as one of the cruellest
despots of all time.
despotic adj. dictatorial, tyrannical, oppressive, authoritarian,
imperious, domineering, totalitarian, absolute, autocratic,
arbitrary: The country was under the despotic rule of a callous
tyrant.
despotism n. autocracy, monocracy, autarchy, totalitarianism, absolutism,
dictatorship, tyranny, oppression, suppression, repression: She
denounced the new laws as another instance of the brutal
despotism of the regime.
dessert n. sweet, Brit pudding, Colloq Brit pud, afters: For dessert,
I had ice-cream and she had a fruit tart.
destination
n. journey's end, terminus, stop, stopping-place; goal, end,
objective, target: Our destination is Bristol.
destine v. 1 fate, predetermine, predestine, ordain, foreordain,
preordain; doom: His only ambition was to be a successful
farmer, but the gods destined him for greater things. 2 design,
intend, mean, devote, assign, appoint, designate, purpose, mark,
earmark, set aside: He beheld the chariot destined to carry him
heavenwards.
destined adj. 1 meant, intended, designed, predetermined, foreordained,
predestined, fated; doomed, written; US in the cards: His
destined end was to be shot while escaping. Oliver was destined
to fail at everything he tried. It was destined that the boy
would become king. 2 certain, sure, bound, ineluctable,
unavoidable, inevitable, inescapable: Being devoured by
monsters is the destined demise of all who dare to enter there.
destiny n. fate, doom, fortune, lot, kismet, karma: It is my destiny
to be ignored when living and forgotten when dead.
destitute adj. 1 in want, impoverished, poverty-stricken, poor, indigent,
down and out, needy, on one's uppers, badly off, penniless,
penurious, impecunious, insolvent, bankrupt, Colloq hard up,
broke, US on skid row: Why distribute food to destitute
families only at Christmas? 2 Usually, destitute of. bereft of,
deficient in, deprived of, devoid of, lacking (in), wanting
(in), in need, needful (of), without: The landscape was
entirely destitute of trees.
destroy v. 1 demolish, tear or pull down, raze, wipe out, ravage,
wreck, smash, ruin, break up or down, annihilate, crush,
eradicate, extirpate, exterminate, devastate, commit mayhem, lay
waste, vandalize, Slang US trash: The invading hordes destroyed
everything, leaving desolation in their wake. The storm
destroyed fifty houses. 2 ruin, do away with, end, make an end
of, bring to an end, bring or put an end to, terminate, finish,
kill: Realizing what he had done, he destroyed himself. The
trial destroyed his career. 3 counteract, neutralize, nullify,
annul, cancel (out), reverse; stop, interfere with: Caught
embezzling, Martin destroyed everything he had worked for.
Sunspot activity destroyed radio transmission this week. 4
disprove, refute, confute, deny, contradict, negate, overturn,
overthrow, ruin, spoil, undermine, weaken, enfeeble, devitalize,
exhaust, disable, cripple: By pointing out just one flaw, she
destroyed his entire argument.
destruction
n. 1 demolition, razing, wrecking, ruin, ruining, ruination,
breaking up or down, mayhem, havoc, annihilation, devastation,
tearing or knocking down, laying waste, ravagement; rack and
ruin, Colloq wiping out: The destruction of the city took place
in 1942. 2 slaughter, annihilation, killing, eradication,
murder, extermination, holocaust, liquidation, massacre,
extinction, genocide, assassination, slaying, putting to death,
putting an end to, making an end of, doing away with, putting
away, Colloq doing in, wiping out; Slang US rubbing out,
rub-out: They were bent on the destruction of an entire people.
3 undoing, end, ruin, ruination, downfall, termination, breakup,
breakdown, collapse: The imprisonment of the bosses spelt the
destruction of the entire crime network.
destructive
adj. 1 harmful, injurious, baneful, pernicious, dangerous,
hurtful, toxic, poisonous, virulent, noxious, bad, malignant,
baleful, unwholesome, damaging, detrimental, deleterious,
devastating; deadly, fatal, lethal, fell, killing, internecine:
The spray keeps away insects but is destructive of the plant
life. 2 negative, adverse, opposing, opposed, contrary,
contradictory, antithetical, conflicting, unfavourable,
condemnatory, derogatory, disparaging, disapproving, critical:
The playwrights feared and disliked him because of his
destructive criticism.
desultory adj. shifting, devious, unsteady, irregular, wavering,
inconstant, fitful, spasmodic, unmethodical, disconnected,
unsystematic, disorderly, disordered, unorganized, disorganized,
inconsistent, random, haphazard, chaotic, erratic, shifty: He
made no more than a desultory effort to stop smoking. The
countries engaged in intermittent, desultory warfare for
decades.
detach v. separate, uncouple, part, disjoin, disengage, disunite,
disconnect, disentangle, free, unfasten, undo, cut off, remove:
She carefully detached the printer lead from the back of the
computer.
detached adj. 1 disconnected, unattached, separate(d), free, isolated,
disentangled, unfastened, removed, cut off, divided, disjoined:
He suffered from a detached retina. Their new house is detached.
2 disinterested, aloof, uninvolved, unemotional, dispassionate,
d‚gag‚(e), reserved, impersonal, impartial, neutral, objective,
unbiased, unprejudiced: She seemed rather detached and did not
get involved in the discussion.
detachment
n. 1 separating, unfastening, disconnecting, detaching,
disengaging; separation, disconnection, disengagement: Most
young birds cannot survive a prolonged period of detachment from
their parents. 2 aloofness, unconcern, indifference, coolness,
inattention, insouciance: He viewed the carnage of the battle
with regal detachment. 3 See detail, 3, below.
detail n. 1 particular, element, factor, point, fact, specific,
technicality, component, item, feature; aspect, respect, count:
He gave us a general idea of the plan but not a single detail.
2 details. particulars, minutiae, niceties, fine points,
specifics, technicalities: Must we go into all the details of
his dismissal? 3 detachment, squad, party, cadre, duty,
fatigue, group: The sergeant appointed a detail to police the
area. 4 in detail. specifically, particularly, thoroughly, in
depth, item by item, point by point, exhaustively,
comprehensively, inside out, perfectly: We examined the report
in detail.
--v. 5 specify, spell out, itemize, delineate, catalogue, list,
tabulate, enumerate, particularize, recount, cite (chapter and
verse): She detailed every little move I was to make. 6
assign, appoint, charge, delegate, name, specify, send: We have
been detailed to act as your bodyguard during your visit.
detailed adj. 1 itemized, exhaustive, comprehensive, thorough, full,
complete, inclusive, particularized, precise, exact, minute,
blow-by-blow, circumstantial: He kept a detailed report of
everything that happened on D-Day. 2 intricate, complex,
complicated, elaborate, ornate: Note the detailed scrollwork on
this screen.
detect v. 1 uncover, find (out), discover, locate, learn of,
ascertain, determine, dig up, unearth: The pathologist detected
the presence of prussic acid in the victim's bloodstream. 2
perceive, note, notice, identify, spot, observe, sense, read,
scent, smell, discern, feel, catch, find: Did I detect a tone
of sarcasm in your reply, young man?
detective n. investigator, private investigator, CID man, policeman,
constable, Colloq private eye, sleuth, Sherlock, snoop, snooper,
Brit tec, US P.I., dick, Hawkshaw; Slang cop, copper, US and
Canadian gumshoe, peeper: Detectives have at last solved the
case of the missing weapon.
detention n. custody, confinement, imprisonment, captivity, internment,
incarceration, restraint, Archaic or literary durance: The
culprit was kept in detention for a week.
deter v. dissuade, discourage, inhibit, intimidate, daunt, frighten
off or from or away, scare off or from; prevent, stop, obstruct,
check, hinder, impede: I was deterred from entering by three
large dogs. Regular spraying of plants helps to deter aphid
infestation.
detergent n. 1 cleaner, cleanser, soap (powder or flakes or liquid);
surfactant, surface-active agent, detersive: You put too much
detergent into the washing machine and it overflowed.
--adj. 2 cleaning, cleansing, washing, purifying, detersive:
The detergent effect is reduced if too much soap is used.
deteriorate
v. 1 worsen, decline, degenerate, degrade, spoil, worsen, get
worse, depreciate, slip, slide, Colloq go to pot, go to the
dogs, go downhill: We have watched their relationship
deteriorate over the years. 2 decay, decline, disintegrate,
fall apart, decompose, crumble, erode: The building slowly
deteriorated and is now uninhabitable.
determination
n. 1 resoluteness, resolution, firmness, resolve,
steadfastness, tenacity, perseverance, fortitude, doggedness,
persistence, constancy, single-mindedness, will (power), Colloq
grit, guts: The idea is a good one, if only she has the
determination to see it through. 2 settlement, resolution,
resolving, decision, solution, judgement, verdict, outcome,
result, upshot, conclusion, end, termination: None of us could
live in peace till the determination of the border dispute. 3
fixing, settling, ascertainment, ascertaining, delimitation,
definition: The determination of our position is critical in
setting our course.
determine v. 1 settle, decide, clinch, arbitrate, judge, adjudge,
conclude, terminate, end: The ambiguity must be determined one
way or the other. 2 ascertain, find out, discover, conclude,
infer, draw, learn, detect; verify: From the evidence, they
determined the identity of the intruder. 3 decide, choose,
select, resolve, make up one's mind, settle on or upon, fix on
or upon: You alone can determine which candidate you want to
vote for. 4 affect, influence, act on, shape, condition,
govern, regulate, dictate: There were many factors determining
my choice.
determined
adj. 1 decided, resolute, resolved, purposeful, dogged,
strong-willed, strong-minded, single-minded, tenacious, intent,
firm, unflinching, unwavering, fixed, constant, persistent,
persevering, steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unyielding,
stubborn, obstinate, adamant: He was determined not to go. We
made a determined effort to locate the wreck. 2 fixed,
determinate, definite, exact, precise, distinct, predetermined,
ascertained, identified: They worked to a previously determined
plan. They agreed to pay a percentage of the determined price.
deterrent n. hindrance, impediment, discouragement, disincentive,
dissuasion, check, hitch, obstacle, obstruction,
stumbling-block; catch, snag, rub, fly in the ointment, bar,
drawback: Some experts hold that the death penalty is no
deterrent to murder. The only deterrent to your plan is that we
are likely to be caught.
detest v. despise, loathe, hate, abhor, execrate, abominate: They
served turnips, which I detest, and sat me next to Ida, whom I
also detest.
detour n. 1 diversion, deviation, circuitous route or way, roundabout
way, bypass: The detour took us five miles out of our way.
--v. 2 deviate, turn (away) from, divert, bypass: I detoured
from the main road and took a short cut.
detract v. detract from. diminish, reduce, take away from, subtract
from, lessen, depreciate, disparage: Once you are in the public
eye, your slightest fault detracts from your reputation.
detriment n. disadvantage, drawback, liability; damage, harm, ill,
impairment, injury, hurt, loss: He has a tendency to support
lost causes, to his own detriment. Seeds survive without
detriment where their plants would perish.
detrimental
adj. disadvantageous, harmful, injurious, hurtful, damaging,
deleterious, destructive, prejudicial, adverse, unfavourable,
inimical, pernicious: I know nothing detrimental about either
one of them.
devastate v. 1 lay waste, ravage, destroy, waste, sack, raze, ruin,
desolate, spoil, wreck, demolish, level, flatten, gut,
obliterate: The island was completely devastated by the tidal
wave that followed the typhoon. 2 disconcert, confound,
discomfit, take aback, nonplus, shatter, overwhelm, abash,
shock; humiliate, mortify, embarrass, chagrin, Colloq floor, US
discombobulate: She was devastated by the news of Bertie's
expulsion from college.
devastating
adj. 1 keen, incisive, mordant, penetrating, trenchant,
telling; sardonic, sarcastic, bitter, acid, caustic, savage,
satirical, virulent, vitriolic: Because of his bland manner,
his devastating wit often caught people by surprise. 2
ravishing, captivating, enthralling, stunning, overpowering,
bewitching, spellbinding; spectacular: Kathy was wearing a
devastating black silk dress.
develop v. 1 bring out or forth, advance, expand (on or upon), broaden,
enlarge (on or upon), amplify, evolve, expatiate (on or upon),
elaborate (on or upon), reveal, lay open, expose, unfold,
disclose, bare, (cause to) grow, realize the potential (of);
cultivate, improve, promote, exploit, strengthen: The plot is
fine, but the characters need to be developed more fully. It is
the aim of the school to develop the students' natural
abilities. 2 (make) grow, mature, ripen, age, expand; flower,
blossom, bloom, increase: You can't develop that idea without
financial backing. These shrubs will be fully developed next
year. 3 exhibit, display, show, demonstrate, manifest: She has
recently developed an interest in cooking. 4 emerge, arise,
appear, come out, come to light, evolve, originate, begin,
commence, happen, occur, come about; come forth, result: A
serious fault has developed in the rocket's fuel line. His
natural talent for music developed when he joined the school
band.
development
n. 1 occurrence, happening, event, incident, circumstance,
situation, condition, phenomenon: William Nye will report new
developments from the scene. 2 evolution, growth, evolvement,
maturation, unfolding, maturing, maturity, increase, expansion,
enlargement, increment; advance, advancement, progress;
improvement: She has studied the region's economic development.
deviant adj. 1 deviating, divergent, different, abnormal, strange,
uncommon, unusual, odd, peculiar, curious, aberrant, eccentric,
idiosyncratic, deviate, queer, quirky, weird, bizarre, offbeat,
singular, Slang kinky, freaky, Chiefly Brit bent: They have
been observing his deviant behaviour for some time. 2 See
homosexual, 2, below.
--n. 3 See homosexual, 1, below.
deviate v. 1 turn aside or away, swerve, veer, wander, stray, drift,
digress, diverge; divert: He has chosen a path that deviates
from the straight and narrow.
--adj., n. 2 See deviant, 1, 3, above.
device n. 1 contrivance, mechanism, machine, machinery, implement,
utensil, apparatus, instrument, appliance, tool, gadget,
gimmick, Colloq contraption, widget, thingumajig or thingamajig,
Brit gubbins: She has patented a device for peeling hard-boiled
eggs. 2 stratagem, scheme, trick, artifice, ruse, plot, ploy,
gambit, strategy, manoeuvre, machination; machinery, apparatus,
mechanism, contrivance, gimmick, tool, weapon: They resorted to
a variety of devices in order to achieve their ends. That lawyer
used every device he could think of to separate Cornelia from
her inheritance. 3 design, emblem, figure, (heraldic) bearing,
insigne, cadency mark, mark of cadency, hallmark, trade mark,
symbol, badge, coat of arms, seal, crest, colophon, logotype,
logo, monogram, charge, cognizance, signet; motto, slogan,
legend: The device - a closed eye - is that of Lord Boring. 4
devices. pleasure, disposition, will, inclination, fancy,
desire, whim: Left to his own devices, he'll survive very well
indeed.
devil n. 1 Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub, Asmodeus,
Abaddon, Apollyon, Belial, Lord of the Flies, prince of
darkness, spirit of evil, evil spirit, cacodemon or cacodaemon,
evil one, wicked one, archfiend, Fiend, deuce, Scots Clootie;
Colloq Old Harry, (Old) Nick, US (Old) Scratch: In medieval
times the devil was given horns, a tail, and cloven hooves. 2
brute, fiend, demon, beast, ogre, monster, rogue, scoundrel,
rake, knave, rakehell, villain, ghoul, hell-hound, vampire,
barbarian; witch, hell-cat, shrew, termagant, vixen, virago,
ogress, harpy, hag, Xanthippe or Xantippe, crone: If you hit me
again I'll phone the police, you devil! 3 fellow, person, chap,
wretch, bloke, guy, beggar, unfortunate, Colloq bugger, Brit
sod: The poor devil lost an arm at Gallipoli. 4 imp, scamp,
rascal, fox, slyboots, sly dog, rapscallion, confidence man,
trickster, Colloq operator, smoothie, smooth or slick operator,
con man, con artist: The little devil has stolen our hearts.
The devil wormed his way into our confidence and then made off
with our money. 5 like the devil. exceedingly, extremely,
excessively, violently, speedily, confoundedly, deucedly: The
car was going like the devil when it hit the tree. She fought
like the devil to protect the house. 6 - the devil. in heaven's
name, the dickens, in the world, on God's green earth, in hell:
What the devil do you think you are doing? Who the devil is she?
Where the devil have you put my trousers?
devilish adj. diabolic(al), satanic, Mephistophelian, fiendish, demonic,
cacodemonic, demoniac(al), infernal, hellish, villainous,
sinister, wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, flagitious, heinous,
malign, malevolent, malignant, cruel, maleficent; impish,
mischievous, prankish, naughty, crazy, madcap: He has come up
with a devilish plan for stealing the secret formula.
devilry n. 1 deviltry, mischief, mischievousness, roguery, naughtiness,
rascality, roguishness, diablerie, archness, knavery,
knavishness: His latest bit of devilry is hiding father's
bedroom slippers. 2 deviltry, devilishness, wickedness, evil,
fiendishness, diablerie, cruelty, malice, malevolence,
viciousness, perversity, iniquity, hellishness, villainy: That
traitor is up to some devilry.
devious adj. 1 deceitful, underhand(ed), insincere, deceptive,
misleading, subreptitious, sneaky, furtive, surreptitious,
secretive, double-dealing, treacherous, dishonest, shifty,
smooth, slick, slippery, scheming, plotting, designing, foxy,
vulpine, wily, sly, crafty, tricky Colloq crooked: The plot to
poison the queen was the product of a devious mind. 2 indirect,
roundabout, zigzag, evasive, circuitous, crooked, rambling,
serpentine, tortuous, sinuous, anfractuous: That is about the
most devious bit of reasoning I have ever heard!
devise v. 1 concoct, make up, conceive, scheme, contrive, dream up,
design, draft, frame, form, formulate, plan, arrange, work out,
think up, originate, invent, create, Colloq cook up: He devised
a method for making sandals out of leather scraps. 2 bequeath,
will, convey, hand down, give, assign, dispose of, transfer,
bestow: I devise to my nephew, Ian Ferguson, my property in
Yorkshire.
devote v. 1 apply, appropriate, assign, allot, commit, allocate, set
aside or apart, put away or aside, dedicate, consecrate: Each
of the chapels was devoted to a separate sect. 2 apply, pledge,
dedicate, commit, give up: She has devoted her life to helping
others.
devoted adj. faithful, true, dedicated, committed, devout, loyal,
loving, doting, staunch, tender, staunch, steadfast, constant;
ardent, loving, caring, fond, earnest, zealous, enthusiastic:
Your brother was my most devoted friend throughout his life.
devotee n. fan, aficionado, adherent, votary, enthusiast, addict,
Colloq buff, fiend, US hound; Slang bug, nut, freak, US head,
junkie, groupie: The band was followed about on tour by scores
of screaming devotees of rock music.
devotion n. 1 devotedness, devoutness, reverence; earnestness,
religiousness, piety, religiosity, pietism, godliness, holiness,
spirituality, sanctity; worship, prayer, observance, ritual:
The sect was noted for its devotion to martyrs and their relics.
It is gratifying to see such devotion amongst the younger
members of the congregation. They interrupted the holy man at
his devotions. 2 dedication, consecration, attachment, loyalty,
devotedness: His devotion to duty will be remembered by his
fellow soldiers. 3 zeal, ardour, fervour, ardency, intensity,
fanaticism, eagerness, enthusiasm, earnestness, readiness,
willingness; love, passion, infatuation, fondness, affection,
attachment, adherence, loyalty, allegiance: They would dedicate
themselves with slavish devotion to some brutal master.
devour v. 1 wolf (down), gulp (down), bolt, swallow (up), gorge,
gobble (up), gormandize, cram, stuff, eat (up) greedily, Archaic
gluttonize; Colloq Brit pig, US and Canadian pig out (on): He
was so hungry when he came in that he devoured two whole pies
and a plate of chips. 2 consume, waste, destroy, wipe out,
ravage, annihilate, demolish, ruin, wreak havoc (up)on,
devastate, obliterate, eradicate: A quarter of Europe was
already devoured by the plague. 3 relish, revel in, absorb, be
absorbed by; engulf, consume, drink in, eat up, swallow up, take
in; swamp, overcome, overwhelm: He eagerly devoured all of
Dickens's novels. The sea devoured its victims silently.
devout adj. 1 devoted, pious, religious, reverent, worshipful,
faithful, dedicated, staunch, churchgoing; holy, godly, saintly,
pure: When I last saw him, he had become a devout Christian. 2
devotional, reverential, religious, solemn: Through devout
prayer one might see the kingdom of heaven. 3 earnest, sincere,
genuine, hearty, heartfelt, devoted, ardent, zealous: You have
my devout best wishes for your happiness.
dexterity n. 1 touch, nimbleness, adroitness, deftness, facility, knack,
skill, proficiency; sleight of hand: Much fine rug-weaving is
done by little children because of the dexterity of their small
fingers. 2 cleverness, ingenuity, ingeniousness, tact,
astuteness, keenness, sharpness, shrewdness, cunning, guile,
canniness, artfulness: I admire his dexterity in arguing the
case in court. He exercised great dexterity in eluding capture.
dexterous adj. 1 dextrous, deft, lithe, nimble, supple, agile, quick,
skilful: He was a dexterous archer. 2 clever, ingenious,
astute, keen, sharp, shrewd, cunning, guileful, canny, artful,
crafty, slick: She was devout in religion, decorous in conduct,
and dexterous in business. He was the most dexterous of our
political leaders.
diabolic adj. 1 diabolical, devilish, satanic, Mephistophelian, demonic,
demoniac(al), fiendish, hellish, infernal: His interest in the
supernatural included participation in diabolic rituals of the
most repulsive kind. 2 diabolical, cruel, wicked, iniquitous,
evil, fiendish, appalling, dreadful, inhuman, atrocious,
execrable, abominable, awful, terrible, damnable, accursed,
horrid, horrible, hideous, monstrous, odious, vile, base,
corrupt, foul, depraved, flagitious, heinous, malicious,
malevolent, malign, maleficent, sinister, sinful, impious, bad:
The prisoners suffered the most diabolic treatment.
diagnose v. identify, name, determine, recognize, distinguish, pinpoint,
interpret; analyse: The doctor diagnosed the symptoms as those
of rheumatoid arthritis.
dialect n. speech (pattern), phraseology, idiom, accent, pronunciation,
patois, vernacular; jargon, cant, slang, argot, language,
tongue, Creole, pidgin; brogue, burr, Colloq lingo: Some of the
regional dialects are hard to understand.
dialogue n. 1 duologue, conversation, discussion, conference, talk,
chat, colloquy, communication: I wrote down that dialogue - it
was hilarious! 2 parley, conference, meeting, huddle,
t€te-…-t€te, colloquy, Colloq US and Canadian rap session: A
meaningful dialogue between labour and management could easily
settle the question.
diary n. appointment book, date-book, calendar, engagement book;
journal, chronicle, log, record, annal(s): According to my
diary, the date we dined was the lst.
dicey n. risky, tricky, dangerous, difficult, ticklish,
unpredictable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, Colloq iffy, chancy
or chancey, hairy: Asking for another pay rise could be pretty
dicey, Daniel.
dicker v. 1 bargain, trade, barter, deal, haggle, negotiate: If I
dicker with him, he may drop his price.
--n. 2 bargain, deal, haggle, negotiation: We had a bit of a
dicker but finally settled on a figure.
dicky adj. dickey, shaky, unreliable, unsteady, unsound, faulty,
Colloq dodgy: The engine sounds a bit dicky to me - you'd
better have it seen to.
dictate v. 1 say, prescribe, ordain, decree, demand, command, lay down
(the law), order, direct, pronounce, impose: It is our leader
who dictates what we may say and do.
--n. 2 decree, demand, command, order, direction, instruction,
charge, pronouncement, edict, fiat, ukase, mandate, caveat,
injunction, requirement, bidding, behest: Each must act in
accord with the dictates of his conscience.
dictator n. autocrat, absolute ruler or monarch, despot, overlord,
oppressor, tsar or czar, tyrant, Fuehrer or FЃhrer: Among
monarchs, Henry VIII certainly could have been characterized as
a dictator.
dictatorial
adj. 1 absolute, arbitrary, totalitarian, authoritarian,
autocratic, all-powerful, omnipotent, unlimited: The peoples of
some countries often confer dictatorial powers on their leaders.
2 despotic, tyrannical, authoritarian, iron-handed, domineering,
imperious, overbearing, Colloq bossy: The dictatorial way she
runs the department makes those who work there miserable.
diction n. 1 language, wording, (verbal or writing) style, expression,
usage, expressiveness, terminology, word choice, vocabulary,
phraseology, phrasing, rhetoric: Please go over my paper and
correct the diction. 2 articulation, pronunciation,
enunciation, delivery, elocution, oratory, presentation, speech,
intonation, inflection: That course in public speaking,
improved Brian's diction enormously.
dictionary
n. lexicon, glossary, wordbook; thesaurus: My dictionary gives
the pronunciation, etymology, and meanings of hundreds of
thousands of words.
die v. 1 lose one's life, lay down one's life, perish, expire,
decease, suffer death, Euphemistic depart, give up the ghost, be
no more, (go to) meet one's Maker, breathe one's last, go to the
happy hunting-grounds, go to one's reward, go to one's final or
last resting-place, go west, pay the debt of nature, pay one's
debt to nature, pass through the pearly gates, pass away or on,
join the majority, go the way of all flesh; Slang pop off, bite
the dust, kick the bucket, croak, Brit snuff it, go for a
burton, pop one's clogs, US turn up one's toes, cash in one's
chips or checks: He died of tuberculosis, a rare affliction
these days. 2 Often, die down or out or away. dwindle, lessen,
diminish, decrease, ebb, decline, wane, subside, wither (away),
wilt, melt (away), dissolve, peter out, fail, weaken,
deteriorate, disintegrate, degenerate, fade (away), droop,
moulder, sink, vanish, disappear: We lost the race because the
breeze died down. After the third try, her enthusiasm died. The
sound of the flute died away among its echoes. 3 expire, end,
stop, cease: Your secret will die with me. 4 Usually, die off
or out. become extinct, perish: By about 200 million years ago,
all the dinosaurs had died out. 5 long, pine, yearn, crave,
hanker, want, desire, hunger, ache: He said he was dying to
meet a real movie star.
diet° n. 1 fare, food, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance,
subsistence, victuals, intake, aliment: A well-balanced diet is
very important. 2 regimen, regime: She is on a diet of bread
and water.
--v. 3 fast, abstain; slim; reduce: I am dieting to lose
weight.
dietэ n. council, congress, parliament, senate, legislature, house,
chamber, assembly: In Japan, the legislature is called a diet .
differ v. 1 diverge, deviate, be separate or distinct, be dissimilar
or different, contrast; depart: Even the leaves of the same
tree differ from one another. These substances differ in their
magnetic properties. 2 disagree, conflict, contradict, be
contradictory, vary, be at variance, take issue, part company,
fall out, quarrel, argue: Opinions differ as to the best way to
bring up children. She differed with me on many subjects.
difference
n. 1 distinction, dissimilarity, discrepancy, unlikeness,
disagreement, inconsistency, diversity, variation, imbalance;
inequality, dissimilitude, incongruity, contrast,
contradistinction, contrariety: Difference of opinion can be
constructive in a business partnership. Being colour-blind, he
cannot tell the difference between red and green. 2 Often,
differences. dispute, quarrel, argument, disagreement,
dissension, conflict: We were able to settle our differences
amicably. 3 change, alteration, metamorphosis, reformation,
transformation, conversion, adjustment, modification: Since her
operation, the difference in Philippa is surprising. 4
idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, characteristic, character, nature:
There are important differences between socialism and communism.
5 rest, remainder, leftovers, balance: After each had taken his
share, the difference was 12, which we divided equally among the
four of us.
different adj. 1 unlike, unalike, dissimilar, conflicting; contrary,
discrete, contrastive, contrasting, disparate, divergent,
diverse, distinct, opposite, separate, distinguishable; another
or other: We both enjoy boating but in different ways. When
modelling, she assumes a different pose every few seconds. 2
unique, unusual, peculiar, odd, singular, particular,
distinctive, personal, extraordinary, special, remarkable,
bizarre, rare, weird, strange, unconventional, original, out of
the ordinary; new, novel, exceptional, unheard-of: And now, for
something completely different, we present a juggling trick
cyclist. 3 assorted, manifold, multifarious, numerous, abundant,
sundry, various, varied, divers, many, several: Different kinds
of breakfast cereal are now available.
differentiate
v. 1 distinguish, discriminate, contradistinguish, separate,
contrast, oppose, set off or apart, tell apart: They must learn
how to differentiate one species from another. 2 modify,
specialize, change, alter, transform, transmute, convert, adapt,
adjust: All organisms possess the power to differentiate
special organs to meet special needs.
difficult adj. 1 hard, arduous, toilsome, strenuous, tough, laborious,
burdensome, onerous, demanding: He found it difficult to work
the longer hours. The first birth is sometimes difficult. 2
puzzling, perplexing, baffling, enigmatic(al), profound,
abstruse, obscure, recondite, complex; thorny, intricate,
sensitive, knotty, problematic(al), ticklish, scabrous: Some of
the questions in the exam were very difficult. The analyst
raised a lot of difficult issues which I had to confront. 3
intractable, recalcitrant, obstructive, stubborn, unmanageable,
obstinate, contrary, unaccommodating, refractory, unyielding,
uncompromising; naughty, ill-behaved; Colloq Brit bloody-minded:
Tessa has three difficult teenagers in the house these days. 4
troubled, troubling, tough, burdensome, onerous, demanding,
trying, hard, grim, dark, unfavourable, straitening: We have
been through some difficult times together. 5 fussy,
particular, demanding, finicky, finical, fastidious, critical,
troublesome, difficile, awkward, Colloq nit-picking: I'll go
wherever you like; I don't want to be difficult about it. Sharon
can be a very difficult person to be with.
difficulty
n. 1 strain, hardship, arduousness, laboriousness,
formidableness, tribulation, painfulness: Despite much
difficulty she succeeded. 2 hardship, obstacle, problem,
distress, pitfall, dilemma, predicament, problem, snag,
hindrance; Gordian knot: He has encountered difficulties during
his career. 3 Often, difficulties. embarrassment, plight,
predicament, mess, strait(s), trouble, scrape, Colloq hot water,
jam, pickle, fix; hot potato: She always seems to be in
financial difficulties.
diffuse adj. 1 spread (out or about or around), scattered, dispersed,
widespread; sparse, meagre, thin (on the ground): A few diffuse
clouds could be seen on the horizon. 2 wordy, verbose, prolix,
long-winded, loquacious, discursive, digressive, rambling,
circumlocutory, meandering, roundabout, circuitous,
periphrastic, ambagious, diffusive, pleonastic: The style of
the book is very diffuse, being extravagantly uneconomic of
expression.
--v. 3 spread, circulate, distribute, dispense, disperse;
dispel, scatter, broadcast, sow, disseminate; dissipate: The
colour rapidly diffused, turning the liquid crimson. She has
successfully diffused her ideas of female equality throughout
the community.
dig v. 1 excavate, burrow, gouge, scoop, hollow out; tunnel: He
dug a hole in which to set the post. 2 nudge, thrust, stab,
jab, plunge, force, prod, poke: I dug my spurs into my horse
and rode off. He kept digging me in the ribs with his finger. 3
appreciate, enjoy, like, understand: They really dig the jazz
of the big-band era. 4 notice, note, look at, regard: Hey,
man, dig that crazy gear! 5 dig into. probe (into), delve into,
go deeply into, explore, look into, research, study: We dug
into many books of forgotten lore to find the words of the magic
spell. 6 dig out or up. unearth, disinter, exhume, bring up,
find, obtain, extract, ferret out, winkle out, discover, bring
to light, expose, dredge up, extricate, come up with, Australian
fossick: I dug out an old book on witchcraft. She has dug up
some interesting information about your friend Glover.
--n. 7 thrust, poke, jab, stab, nudge: She playfully gave him
a dig in the ribs. 8 insult, insinuation, gibe, slur; taunt,
jeer; Colloq slap (in the face), wisecrack, crack, US low blow:
Referring to him as a Dartmoor graduate was a nasty dig.
digest v. 1 assimilate: She has trouble digesting milk. 2 bear,
stand, endure, survive, assimilate, accept, tolerate, brook,
swallow, stomach: The attack was too much for even him to
digest. 3 comprehend, assimilate, understand, take in,
consider, grasp, study, ponder, meditate (on or over), reflect
on, think over, weigh: I need a little time to digest the new
regulations. 4 abbreviate, cut, condense, abridge, compress,
epitomize, summarize, reduce, shorten: Her assistant had
digested the report into four pages by noon.
--n. 5 condensation, abridgment or abridgement, abstract,
pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, synopsis, summary, conspectus, abbreviation: I
never did read the original novel, only a digest.
dignify v. distinguish, ennoble, elevate, raise, exalt, glorify,
upraise, lift, uplift, enhance, improve, better, upgrade: The
critic wrote that he wouldn't deign to dignify the book by
calling it a novel.
dignitary n. personage, official, notable, worthy, magnate, power,
higher-up; celebrity, lion, luminary, star, superstar, Colloq
VIP, bigwig, big shot, big wheel, big name, big gun, hotshot,
hot stuff, big noise, big White Chief, big Chief, big Daddy,
Brit Lord or Lady Muck, high-muck-a-muck, Slang big cheese,
Chiefly US Mr Big, biggie, fat cat: Anyone with a lot of money
is treated today as a dignitary.
dignity n. 1 nobility, majesty, gravity, gravitas, solemnity,
courtliness, distinction, stateliness, formality, grandeur,
eminence; hauteur, loftiness: She entered and walked with
dignity to the throne. 2 worth, worthiness, nobility,
nobleness, excellence, honour, honourableness, respectability,
respectableness, standing, importance, greatness, glory,
station, status, rank, level, position: The real dignity of a
man lies not in what he has but in what he is. 3 self-respect,
self-regard, amour propre, self-confidence, self-esteem, pride,
self-importance: It was beneath her dignity to speak directly
to a footman.
digression
n. 1 aside, departure, deviation, detour, obiter dictum,
parenthesis, apostrophe, excursus: His numerous digressions
made it difficult to focus on the main points of the speech. 2
digressing, deviating, divergence, going off at a tangent,
rambling, meandering, straying, wandering, deviation:
Digression from the main theme of his speech only diluted his
argument.
dilapidated
adj. ruined, broken-down, in ruins, gone to rack and ruin,
wrecked, destroyed, falling apart, decrepit, derelict, battered,
tumbledown, run-down, ramshackle, crumbling, decayed, decaying,
rickety, shaky, shabby, Brit raddled: We shall have to fix up
that dilapidated barn if we expect to use it.
dilemma n. predicament, quandary, double bind, catch-22, impasse,
deadlock, stalemate; plight, difficulty, trouble; stymie,
snooker; Colloq bind, box, fix, jam, spot, pickle, squeeze: He
was faced with the dilemma of killing the injured animal or
allowing it to die in agony.
dilettante
n. dabbler, trifler, aesthete, amateur: You know art like a
curator; I am a mere dilettante.
diligent adj. persevering, persistent, industrious, assiduous, sedulous,
intent, steady, steadfast, focused, concentrated, earnest,
attentive, conscientious, hard-working, indefatigable, tireless,
constant, painstaking, careful, thorough, scrupulous,
meticulous, punctilious: Only through diligent application was
she able to get through law school.
dilute v. water (down), thin (down or out), cut, weaken, doctor,
adulterate; mitigate, lessen, diminish, decrease: For the
table, wine was often diluted with water. He dilutes his
argument by citing irrelevancies.
dim adj. 1 obscure, obscured, vague, faint, weak, weakened, pale,
imperceptible, fuzzy, indistinct, ill-defined, indiscernible,
undefined, indistinguishable, foggy, clouded, cloudy, nebulous,
blurred, blurry, unclear, dull, hazy, misty, dark, shadowy,
murky, tenebrous, gloomy, sombre, dusky, crepuscular: Her
beauty made The bright world dim. We could barely see in the dim
light of the cave. 2 stupid, obtuse, doltish, dull, dull-witted,
foolish, slow-witted, dim-witted, dense, Colloq thick, dumb:
Anyone who can't understand that is really quite dim.
--v. 3 obscure, dull, becloud: His natural feelings of
compassion had been dimmed by neglect. 4 darken, bedim, shroud,
shade: Twilight dims the sky above. The stage-lights dimmed and
the curtain fell.
diminish v. 1 decrease, decline, abate, lessen, reduce, lower, shrink,
curtail, contract, lop, crop, dock, clip, prune, cut, truncate,
cut down, abbreviate, shorten, abridge, compress, condense, pare
(down), scale down, boil down: As the height increases, the
pressure diminishes. The need for police patrols was diminished
when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade,
downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase,
deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue,
cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject: His
abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes. 3
wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede,
subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (off),
Colloq run out of steam: Soaking in the hot water, I felt the
tensions of mind and body gradually diminishing. The campaign
finally diminished to a negligible effort.
diminutive
adj. small, tiny, little, miniature, petite, minute, minuscule,
mini, compact, undersized, pocket, pocket-sized, pygmy, elfin,
Lilliputian, midget, wee, microscopic; micro, infinitesimal; US
vest-pocket, vest-pocket-sized, Colloq teeny, teeny-weeny or
teensy-weensy: The bride and groom appeared with their
diminutive page-boys and bridesmaids behind them.
din n. 1 noise, clamour, uproar, shouting, screaming, yelling,
babel, clangour, clatter, commotion, racket, row, hullabaloo,
hubbub, hurly-burly, rumpus, hollering, blare, blaring, bray,
braying, bellow, bellowing, roar, blast, roaring, pandemonium,
tumult: We couldn't hear the speech above the din of the crowd.
--v. 2 instil, drum, hammer: The names and dates of the
British monarchs were dinned into me in childhood.
dine v. eat, banquet, feast, sup, break bread, breakfast, lunch,
have a bite or snack, nibble, Colloq feed, Slang nosh: We'll
dine at 8.00, so don't be late.
dingy adj. dark, dull, gloomy, dim, lacklustre, faded, discoloured,
dusky, drab, dreary, dismal, cheerless, depressing, gloomy,
shadowy, tenebrous, smoky, sooty, grey-brown, smudgy, grimy,
dirty, soiled: He was a dingy man, in dingy clothes, who lived
in a dingy house.
dip v. 1 immerse, plunge, duck, dunk, douse, bathe, submerge: He
dipped each dish into the soapy water. 2 decline, go down,
fall, descend, sag, sink, subside, slump: The road dips after
the next curve. The price of shares has dipped again. 3 dip in
or into. dabble in, play at; skim, scan: I haven't had time to
read it, but I dipped into it here and there.
--n. 4 swim, plunge; immersion; Brit bathe: We are going for a
dip in the pool before dinner. 5 lowering, sinking, depression,
drop, slump, decline: This dip in the price of oil means
nothing.
diplomacy n. 1 tact, tactfulness, adroitness, discretion: She was able
to get rid of that rude boor with her customary diplomacy. 2
statecraft, statesmanship, negotiation; intrigue,
Machiavellianism, machination, manoeuvring or maneuvering:
Cardinal Richelieu is considered the founder of modern
diplomacy.
diplomatic
adj. tactful, discreet, prudent, wise, sensitive, politic,
courteous, polite, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious,
thoughtful: How diplomatic it was of you to have invited
Frances's husband!
direct v. 1 manage, handle, run, administer, govern, regulate,
control, operate, superintend, supervise, command, head up,
rule; Colloq call the shots: She directs the company with an
iron hand. 2 guide, lead, conduct, pilot, steer, show or point
(the way), be at the helm; advise, counsel, instruct,
mastermind; usher, escort: He has directed the company for 40
years, through good times and bad. Can you direct me to the post
office? 3 rule, command, order, require, bid, tell, instruct,
charge, dictate, enjoin; appoint, ordain: He directed that the
attack be launched at dawn. 4 aim, focus, level, point, train;
turn: That bullet was directed at my heart. Direct your
attention to the front of the room. 5 send, address, post, mail:
Please direct the letter to my home.
--adj. 6 straight, unswerving, shortest, undeviating, through:
We turned off the direct road to take in the view. 7
uninterrupted, unreflected, unrefracted, without interference,
unobstructed: She cannot remain in direct sunlight for very
long. 8 unbroken, lineal: He claims to be a direct descendant
of Oliver Cromwell's. 9 straightforward, unmitigated, outright,
matter-of-fact, categorical, plain, clear, unambiguous,
unmistakable, to the point, without or with no beating about the
bush, unqualified, unequivocal, point-blank, explicit, express:
I expect a direct answer to my direct question. Have you direct
evidence of his guilt? That was a gross insult and a direct lie!
10 straightforward, frank, candid, outspoken, plain-spoken,
honest, blunt, open, uninhibited, unreserved, forthright,
honest, sincere, unequivocal; undiplomatic, tactless: She is
very direct in commenting about people she dislikes.
direction n. 1 directing, aiming, pointing, guiding, guidance,
conducting, conduct, instructing, instruction, managing,
management, administering, administration, governing,
government, supervising, supervision, operating, operation,
running, leadership, directorship, directorate, control,
captaincy, handling, manipulation, regulation, rule, charge:
The Freedom Party's direction of the country has led to many
reforms. 2 Often, directions. instruction(s), information;
bearing, road, way, route, avenue, course: To assemble the
appliance, follow the directions printed in the leaflet. Can you
give me directions to the nearest filling-station?
directly adv. 1 straight, in a beeline, unswervingly, undeviatingly, as
the crow flies: This road should take me directly to the beach.
2 immediately, at once, straight away, right away, quickly,
promptly, without delay, speedily, instantly, Colloq US and
Canadian momentarily: She called and I went directly. 3 soon,
later (on), anon, presently, in a (little) while, shortly: The
doctor will be here directly. 4 exactly, precisely, just;
completely, entirely: My garage is directly opposite. The
cricket pitch is directly at the centre of the park.
--conj. 5 as soon as, when: The police arrested him directly
he entered the building.
director n. 1 executive, administrator, official, principal; chairman,
president, vice-president; governor; head, chief, boss, manager,
superintendent, supervisor, overseer, foreman, headman, Colloq
kingpin, number one, numero uno, Mr Big, the man; Slang top dog,
top banana, Brit gaffer, US big cheese, head or chief honcho:
The sale of the company was announced at the meeting of the
board of directors. 2 guide, leader; steersman, helmsman, pilot,
skipper, commander, commandant, captain; cicerone; maestro,
concert-master, conductor; impresario: We were lucky to have a
director who really knew what he was doing.
dirt n. 1 soil, mud, muck, mire, grime, slime, sludge, ooze, slop;
dust, soot; excrement, ordure; filth, waste, refuse, trash,
garbage, rubbish, offal, junk, dross, sweepings; leavings,
scrap, orts; Slang Brit gunge, US grunge: This vacuum cleaner
is guaranteed to pick up any kind of dirt. 2 soil, earth, loam,
ground, clay: Hydroponics is the technique of farming without
dirt, using only liquid nutrients. 3 indecency, obscenity, smut,
pornography, foulness, corruption, filth, vileness: Customs
confiscated much of the dirt before it could enter the country.
4 gossip, scandal, talk, rumour, inside information , Colloq
low-down, dope, Slang US scuttlebutt: I got the dirt from David
about what really happened at the party.
dirty adj. 1 foul, unclean, befouled, soiled, begrimed, sooty, grimy,
filthy, mucky, besmeared, besmirched, befouled, polluted,
squalid, sullied, stained, spotted, smudged, slovenly, unwashed,
bedraggled, slatternly, untidy, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy: If
you think his shirt was dirty, you should have seen his body! 2
smutty, indecent, obscene, ribald, off colour, prurient, risqu‚,
salacious, lewd, lascivious, salacious, pornographic, coarse,
licentious, rude, blue, scabrous: His parents were shocked to
hear him telling dirty jokes. 3 unfair, unscrupulous,
unsporting, dishonest, mean, underhand(ed), unsportsmanlike,
dishonourable, deceitful, corrupt, treacherous, perfidious,
villainous, disloyal; malicious, malevolent, rotten, filthy: It
was a dirty trick of Sue's to tell the teacher. 4 bad, foul,
nasty, stormy, rainy, windy, blowy, blowing, squally, sloppy:
We're in for some dirty weather, Mr Christian, so you'd best
reduce sail. 5 bitter, resentful, angry, furious, wrathful,
smouldering: She gave me a dirty look when I said anything
about her sister. 6 sordid, base, mean, despicable,
contemptible, ignoble, scurvy, low, low-down, ignominious, vile,
nasty, infamous: That villain has done his dirty work and now
we must all suffer. He's nothing but a dirty coward!
--v. 7 stain, sully, befoul, soil, begrime, besmirch, pollute,
muddy, smear, defile; blacken, tarnish: She refused to so much
as dirty her hands to help us. Are you afraid it will dirty your
reputation to be seen with me?
disability
n. 1 handicap, impairment, defect, infirmity, disablement:
James is unable to play tennis owing to his disability. 2
inability, incapacity, unfitness, impotence, powerlessness,
helplessness: The teacher helped her to overcome her
disability.
disabled adj. incapacitated, crippled, lame; damaged, ruined, impaired,
harmed, non-functioning, inoperative, Slang Brit scuppered:
Disabled ex-servicemen ought to receive compensation. No parts
could be found for the disabled machines.
disadvantage
n. 1 deprivation, set-back, drawback, liability, handicap,
defect, flaw, shortcoming, weakness, weak spot, fault: Being
colour-blind has not been a disadvantage in his kind of work. 2
detriment, harm, loss, injury, damage; prejudice, disservice:
Failure to send in a tax return will be to your distinct
disadvantage.
disagree v. 1 differ, dissent, diverge: She disagrees with most of my
ideas. I said the painting was by Hockney, but he disagreed. 2
conflict, dispute, quarrel, argue, contend, contest, bicker,
fight, fall out, squabble, wrangle, debate: Those who agree on
major principles often disagree about trifles, and vice versa.
disagreeable
adj. 1 unpleasant, unpleasing, offensive, distasteful,
repugnant, obnoxious, repellent, repulsive, objectionable,
revolting, odious: He found the heat and humidity in the
tropics most disagreeable. 2 offensive, noxious, unsavoury,
unpalatable, nauseating, nauseous, nasty, sickening, disgusting,
revolting, repellent, abominable, objectionable: A disagreeable
odour arose from the beggar on the doorstep. 3 bad-tempered,
ill-tempered, disobliging, uncooperative, unfriendly, uncivil,
abrupt, blunt, curt, brusque, short, uncourtly, impolite,
bad-mannered, ill-mannered, discourteous, rude, ill-tempered,
bad-tempered, testy, grouchy, splenetic, cross, ill-humoured,
peevish, morose, sulky, sullen: Brian became quite
disagreeable, and I did not see him again.
disagreement
n. 1 difference, discrepancy, discord, discordance,
discordancy, dissimilarity, disaccord, diversity, incongruity,
nonconformity, incompatibility: Can you resolve the
disagreement between the results of these experiments? 2
dissent, opposition, conflict, contradiction, difference,
disparity: The problem arises from a basic disagreement in
their principles. 3 quarrel, strife, argument, dispute,
velitation, altercation, controversy, contention, dissension,
debate, clash, Colloq US rhubarb: Their mother had to settle
the disagreement between the brothers.
disappear v. 1 vanish, evaporate, vaporize, fade (away or out), evanesce,
Poetic evanish: After granting my wish, the genie disappeared,
laughing diabolically. 2 die (out or off), become extinct,
cease (to exist), perish (without a trace): The dinosaurs,
though enormously successful as a species, suddenly disappeared
from the earth.
disappoint
v. 1 let down, fail, dissatisfy: Miss Sheila disappointed her
public by refusing to sing. 2 mislead, deceive, disenchant,
Colloq stand up: She disappointed me by saying she would be
there and then not arriving. 3 undo, frustrate, foil, thwart,
balk, defeat: How can I answer you truthfully without
disappointing your expectations?
disappointed
adj. 1 frustrated, unsatisfied, dissatisfied, disillusioned,
disenchanted, discouraged, downhearted, disheartened, downcast,
saddened, unhappy, dejected, discontented, let down: There will
be a lot of disappointed children at Christmas this year. 2
foiled, thwarted, balked, defeated, undone, failed, let down:
Though she campaigned energetically, Theodora was among the
disappointed candidates.
disappointing
adj. discouraging, dissatisfying, unsatisfactory, unsatisfying,
disconcerting; poor, second-rate, sorry, inadequate,
insufficient, inferior, pathetic, sad: The former champion
turned in a disappointing performance yesterday evening.
disappointment
n. 1 frustration, non-fulfilment,unfulfilment, unsatisfaction,
dissatisfaction, set-back, failure, let-down, defeat, blow,
fiasco, calamity, disaster, fizzle, Brit damp squib, Colloq
wash-out: Recently he has had one disappointment after another.
2 dejection, depression, discouragement, disenchantment,
distress, regret, mortification, chagrin: I cannot tell you the
disappointment your father and I felt when you failed to get
into university.
disapproval
n. disapprobation, condemnation, censure, criticism, reproof,
reproach, objection, exception, disfavour, displeasure,
dissatisfaction: The council voiced their disapproval of
holding a carnival in the village square.
disapprove
v. condemn, criticize, censure, object to, decry, denounce, put
or run down, deplore, deprecate, belittle, look down on, frown
on or upon, Colloq knock, look down one's nose at, tut-tut: I
don't care if you disapprove of my marrying Eustace. The
monopolies commission has disapproved the merger.
disarm v. 1 unarm; demilitarize, demobilize, disband, deactivate:
After the war, most - but not all - European countries disarmed.
2 win over, put or set at ease, mollify, appease, placate,
pacify, reconcile, conciliate, propitiate, charm: I was
completely disarmed by her friendly disposition. Many people
found his na‹vety disarming.
disaster n. catastrophe, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, misfortune,
d‚bѓcle, accident, mishap, blow, act of God, adversity, trouble,
reverse: The flooding of the river was as much of a disaster as
the earlier drought.
disastrous
adj. 1 calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, tragic,
destructive, ruinous, devastating, appalling, harrowing, awful,
terrible, dire, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, dreadful,
fatal: There has been a disastrous earthquake which killed
thousands. 2 awful, terrible, unlucky, unfortunate,
detrimental, grievous, harmful: The postal strike has had
disastrous effects on the mail-order business.
disband v. disperse, disorganize, scatter, break up, dissolve,
demobilize, deactivate, retire: After the war, the special spy
force was disbanded.
discard v. 1 get rid of, dispense with, dispose of, throw away or out,
toss out or away, abandon, jettison, scrap, Colloq trash, dump,
Slang ditch: We discarded boxes of old photographs when we
moved house.
--n. 2 reject, cast-off: I felt like a discard from the lonely
hearts club.
discernible
adj. 1 perceptible, visible, seeable, perceivable, apparent,
clear, observable, plain, detectable; conspicuous, noticeable:
A small sailing-boat was discernible on the horizon. 2
distinguishable, recognizable, identifiable, distinct: To me
there is a discernible difference between puce and burgundy.
discharge v. 1 release, let out, dismiss, let go, send away; pardon,
exonerate, liberate, (set) free, acquit, let off, absolve: She
was discharged from hospital yesterday. He was discharged from
police custody last week. 2 expel, oust, dismiss, cashier,
eject, give notice, Colloq sack, give (someone) the sack, fire,
kick out: He was discharged from his job yesterday. 3 shoot,
fire (off); set or let off, detonate, explode: It is illegal to
discharge a firearm or other explosive device in this area. 4
emit, send out or forth, pour out or forth, gush; disembogue;
ooze, leak, exude; excrete, void: The sore in his leg continued
to discharge pus. We can ill afford to discharge those effluents
into the sea. 5 carry out, perform, fulfil, accomplish, do,
execute: He faithfully discharges the duties of his office. 6
pay, settle, liquidate, clear, honour, meet, square (up):
Before going off on holiday, we discharged all our financial
obligations. 7 unload, offload, disburden, empty: After
discharging its cargo, the vessel rode high in the water.
--n. 8 release, dismissal: What is the date of his discharge
from the clinic? 9 expulsion, ouster, dismissal, ejection,
notice, Colloq the axe or US ax, the sack, the boot, Chiefly US
and Canadian walking papers, Slang US and Canadian the bounce,
the gate: Her discharge from the firm was rather ignominious.
10 shooting, firing (off), report, shot; salvo, fusillade,
volley; detonation, explosion, burst: The discharge of a pistol
could not be heard at that distance. I heard the discharge from
the guns of the firing squad in the courtyard below. The
discharge of the bomb maimed three children. 11 emission,
release, void, voiding, excretion, excreting, emptying, flow;
ooze, oozing, pus, suppuration, secretion, seepage: The
discharge of blood from the wound continued. 12 performance,
fulfilment, accomplishment, execution, observance, achievement:
The discharge of my family responsibilities will have to await
my return from the front. 13 payment, settlement, liquidation,
squaring (up), clearance: The bank expects full discharge of
all debts before they lend any money. 14 unloading,
disburdening, offloading, emptying: The customer will pay in
full after the discharge of his cargo.
disciple n. 1 apprentice, pupil, student, proselyte, learner, scholar:
Pietro Zampollini was a disciple of the great artist Ravelli. 2
follower, adherent, devotee, admirer, votary; partisan, fan,
aficionado: She is a disciple of Louis Armstrong's.
disciplinarian
n. taskmaster, martinet, drill-sergeant; tyrant, despot,
dictator: The headmaster at Briarcliffe was a stern
disciplinarian who regularly used to beat us.
discipline
n. 1 training, drilling, regimen, exercise, practice, drill,
inculcation, indoctrination, instruction, schooling: Strict
discipline is good for young people, according to my father. 2
punishment, penalty, chastisement, castigation, correction: The
discipline meted out to senior students was very harsh. 3
order, routine, (proper) behaviour, decorum: The sergeant is
there to maintain discipline among the recruits. 4 direction,
rule, regulation, government, control, subjection, restriction,
check, curb, restraint: There was far too much discipline
during my childhood, both at school and at home. 5 subject,
course, branch of knowledge, area, field, speciality or chiefly
US and Canadian specialty: Latin is a discipline which is fast
disappearing from our schools.
--v. 6 train, break in, condition, drill, exercise, instruct,
coach, teach, school, indoctrinate, inculcate; edify, enlighten,
inform: The aim of his education is to discipline him to
respond to orders. 7 check, curb, restrain, bridle, control,
govern, direct, run, supervise, manage, regulate, hold or keep
in check, US ride herd on: You have to discipline those
children or they will always misbehave. 8 punish, chastise,
castigate, correct, penalize, reprove, criticize, reprimand,
rebuke: Discipline that boy or he will just do it again.
disclose v. 1 reveal, impart, divulge, betray, release, tell, blurt out,
blab, leak, let slip, report, inform, Colloq spill the beans,
blow the gaff, Slang squeal, snitch, squeak, rat, peach, US
fink: To get a shorter sentence, he disclosed all to the
police. 2 bare, reveal, expose, uncover, show, unveil: When
the pie was opened, twenty-four blackbirds were disclosed.
discomfit v. 1 embarrass, abash, disconcert, disturb, confuse, make
uneasy or uncomfortable, discompose, fluster, ruffle, confound,
perturb, upset, worry, unsettle, unnerve, Colloq rattle, US
faze, discombobulate: Being short, she was discomfited by
references to her height. 2 frustrate, foil, thwart, baffle,
check, defeat, trump, outdo, outwit, overcome: Discomfited by
her violent reaction, her attacker fled.
discomfort
n. 1 uneasiness, hardship, difficulty, trouble, care, worry,
distress, vexation: She hasn't known the discomfort of being
the wife of a miner. 2 ache, pain, twinge, soreness,
irritation; bother, inconvenience, nuisance: Some discomfort
persisted in my legs long after the accident.
disconcerted
adj. discomposed, discomfited, ruffled, uneasy, put out or off,
uncomfortable, queasy, flustered, agitated, upset, shaken,
unsettled, perturbed, confused, bewildered, perplexed, baffled,
puzzled, US thrown off, Colloq rattled, US fazed,
discombobulated; Slang (all) shook (up): They were really
disconcerted by the arrival of the police.
disconcerting
adj. awkward, discomfiting, off-putting, upsetting, unnerving,
unsettling, disturbing, confusing, confounding, bewildering,
perplexing, baffling, puzzling: I found his persistence quite
disconcerting.
disconnect
v. separate, disjoin, disunite, uncouple, detach, unhook, undo,
disengage, unhitch; cut or break off; cut or pull apart, part,
divide, sever: They disconnected the engine after pushing the
carriages onto a siding. Disconnect the power before changing
the light-bulb.
disconnected
adj. 1 unconnected, separate, apart, unattached; split,
separated: A totally disconnected thought suddenly occurred to
me. 2 incoherent, irrational, confused, illogical, garbled,
disjointed, rambling, mixed-up, unintelligible, uncoordinated,
random: He lost the debate because his argument was
disconnected and lacked cogency.
discontent
n. displeasure, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, discontentment,
distaste, uneasiness; malaise: He felt discontent at being
barred from the club.
discontented
adj. displeased, dissatisfied, discontent, annoyed, vexed,
fretful, irritated, testy, piqued, petulant, disgruntled,
exasperated, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, pissed off, Brit
cheesed or brassed off: The umpire's decision made many fans
quite discontented.
discontinue
v. cease, break off, give up, stop, terminate, put an end to,
quit, leave off, drop; interrupt, suspend: Please discontinue
newspaper delivery until further notice.
discord n. strife, dissension, disagreement, conflict, disharmony,
contention, disunity, discordance, division, incompatibility:
The seeds of discord between the families were sown generations
before.
discordant
adj. 1 contrary, disagreeing, divergent, opposite, opposed,
adverse, contradictory, incompatible, differing, different,
conflicting, at odds, incongruous, in conflict, in disagreement,
at variance, dissimilar: The testimony of the fossils is
discordant with the evidence in the legend. 2 inharmonious,
dissonant, jarring, cacophonous, unmelodious, unmusical, harsh,
strident, jangling, grating: He struck some discordant notes on
his zither.
discount v. 1 reduce, mark down, deduct, lower, take or knock off: As I
was buying a dozen, he discounted the price by ten per cent. 2
diminish, lessen, minimize, detract from: One must discount
what she says when she's angry. 3 disregard, omit, ignore, pass
or gloss over, overlook, brush off, dismiss: Those statistics
are old and can be discounted.
--n. 4 reduction, mark-down, deduction, rebate, allowance: The
shop overstocked the item and is offering it at a big discount.
discourage
v. 1 dispirit, dishearten, daunt, unman, dismay, cow,
intimidate, awe, overawe, unnerve: We were discouraged by the
arrival of more enemy troops. 2 deter, put off, dissuade,
advise or hint against, talk out of, divert from; oppose,
disapprove (of), Colloq throw cold water on: They discouraged
me from applying again. 3 prevent, inhibit, hinder, stop, slow,
suppress, obviate: This paint is supposed to discourage
corrosion.
discourteous
adj. uncivil, impolite, rude, unmannerly, ill-mannered,
bad-mannered, disrespectful, misbehaved, boorish, abrupt, curt,
brusque, short, ungentlemanly, unladylike, insolent,
impertinent, ungracious: He had been discourteous and would not
be invited again.
discover v. 1 find (out), learn, perceive, unearth, uncover, bring to
light, turn or dig up, smoke or search out, root or ferret out;
determine, ascertain, track down, identify; locate: He
discovered the ninth moon of Saturn. We discovered why the tyre
had gone flat. 2 see, spot, catch sight or a glimpse of, lay
eyes on, behold, view, encounter, meet (with); notice, espy,
descry, detect, discern: He discovered Madagascar lying right
on their course. 3 originate, conceive (of), devise, contrive,
invent, make up, design, pioneer; come or chance or stumble
upon: She discovered a method for tin-plating gold.
discovery n. 1 finding, recognition, uncovering, determining,
ascertaining, unearthing; origination, invention, conception,
idea; development: Who is credited with the discovery of
Christmas Island? That year marks the discovery of a vaccine
against smallpox. 2 exploration, disclosure, detection,
revelation: He's off on a voyage of discovery.
discredit v. 1 detract, disparage, defame, dishonour, disgrace, degrade,
bring into disfavour or disrepute, deprecate, demean, lower,
devalue, depreciate, devaluate, belittle, diminish, reduce;
slur, slander, vilify, calumniate, sully, smear, blacken, taint,
tarnish, besmirch, smirch, stigmatize, asperse, malign, libel:
Both of them were thoroughly discredited by the scandal. 2
disbelieve, deny, dispute, doubt, question, raise doubts about,
distrust, mistrust, give no credit or credence to: As he's a
known liar, you can discredit whatever he tells you. 3
disprove, reject, refute, invalidate; mock, ridicule: The
phlogiston theory is generally discredited by most modern
chemists.
--n. 4 dishonour, degradation, disfavour, disrepute, ill
repute, disgrace, ignominy, infamy, odium, stigma, shame, smear,
slur, scandal, obloquy, opprobrium, humiliation: Her
performance has brought discredit to all female saxophonists. 5
damage, harm, reflection, slur, aspersion, slander, defamation,
blot, brand, tarnish, blemish, taint: The discredit to her
reputation is irreparable. 6 doubt, scepticism, dubiousness,
doubtfulness, qualm, scruple, question, incredulity, suspicion,
distrust, mistrust: The new evidence throws discredit on the
validity of the previous testimony.
discreet adj. careful, cautious, prudent, judicious, considerate,
guarded, tactful, diplomatic, circumspect, wary, chary, heedful,
watchful, circumspect: She has always been very discreet in her
business dealings with me.
discrepancy
n. gap, disparity, lacuna, difference, dissimilarity,
deviation, divergence, disagreement, incongruity,
incompatibility, inconsistency, variance; conflict, discordance,
contrariety: There is a great discrepancy between what he says
and what he means.
discrete adj. separate, distinct, individual, disconnected, unattached,
discontinuous: These items must be treated as discrete entities
and not taken together.
discretion
n. 1 tact, diplomacy, prudence, care, discernment, sound
judgement, circumspection, sagacity, common sense, good sense,
wisdom, discrimination: You can rely on my discretion not to
reveal the club's secrets. 2 choice, option, judgement,
preference, pleasure, disposition, volition; wish, will, liking,
inclination: Buyers may subscribe to insurance cover at their
own discretion.
discriminate
v. 1 distinguish, separate, differentiate, discern, draw a
distinction, tell the difference: He cannot discriminate
between good art and bad. 2 favour, disfavour, segregate, show
favour or prejudice or bias for or against, be intolerant: It
is illegal here to discriminate against people on the basis of
race, creed, or colour.
discriminating
adj. discerning, perceptive, critical, keen, fastidious,
selective, particular, selective, fussy, refined, cultivated:
From the wine you chose, I see you are a lady of discriminating
tastes.
discrimination
n. 1 bigotry, prejudice, bias, intolerance, favouritism,
one-sidedness, unfairness, inequity: In Nazi Germany
discrimination was practised against everyone except the Nazis.
2 taste, perception, perceptiveness, discernment, refinement,
acumen, insight, penetration, keenness, judgement, sensitivity;
connoisseurship, aestheticism: He exercises excellent
discrimination in his choice of paintings.
discursive
adj. wandering, meandering, digressing, digressive, rambling,
circuitous, roundabout, diffuse, long-winded, verbose, wordy,
prolix, windy: Frobisher was again boring everyone with his
discursive description of life in an igloo.
discuss v. converse about, talk over or about, chat about, deliberate
(over), review, examine, consult on; debate, argue, thrash out:
We discussed the problem but came to no conclusion.
discussion
n. conversation, talk, chat, dialogue, colloquy, exchange,
deliberation, examination, scrutiny, analysis, review;
confabulation, conference, powwow; debate, argument; Colloq
chiefly Brit chin-wag, US and Canadian bull session: The
subject of your dismissal came up for discussion yesterday.
disdainful
adj. contemptuous, scornful, contumelious, derisive, sneering,
superior, supercilious, pompous, proud, prideful, arrogant,
haughty, snobbish, lordly, regal; jeering, mocking, insolent,
insulting, Colloq hoity-toity, high and mighty, stuck-up,
highfalutin or hifalutin; Slang snotty: She was most disdainful
of our efforts to enter the cosmetics market.
disease n. 1 sickness, affliction, ailment, malady, illness, infection,
complaint, disorder, condition, infirmity, disability, Archaic
murrain, Colloq bug: The colonel contracted the disease while
in Malaysia. 2 blight, cancer, virus, plague; contagion: Panic
spread through the Exchange like an infectious disease.
diseased adj. unhealthy, unwell, ill, sick, ailing, unsound, infirm, out
of sorts, abed, infected, contaminated; afflicted, abnormal: We
must care for the diseased patients before those with broken
bones.
disembark v. land, alight, go or put ashore, get or step off or out,
leave; debark, detrain, deplane: Tomorrow we disembark at
Tunis.
disembodied
adj. incorporeal, bodiless; intangible, immaterial,
insubstantial or unsubstantial, impalpable, unreal; spiritual,
ghostly, spectral, phantom, wraithlike: She wafted before his
eyes, a disembodied spirit.
disenchanted
adj. disillusioned, disabused, undeceived, disappointed; blas‚,
indifferent, jaundiced, sour(ed), cynical: I'm afraid she's now
thoroughly disenchanted with her job.
disengage v. loose, loosen, unloose, detach, unfasten, release,
disconnect, disjoin, undo, disunite, divide, cleave (from),
separate, uncouple, part, disinvolve, extricate, get out (of),
get away (from), cut loose, throw off, shake (off), get rid of,
break (with or from), break (up) (with); unbuckle, unhitch,
unclasp, unlatch, unbolt, unlock, unleash, unfetter, unchain,
unlace, unhook, unbind, untie; (set) free, liberate,
disentangle: She was holding on to me so tenaciously that I
could hardly disengage myself.
disfavour n. 1 disapproval, dislike, displeasure, disapprobation,
unhappiness: Katerina regards your decision with disfavour. 2
disesteem, discredit, dishonour, disgrace, disrepute: After
last night's events, we are really in disfavour with the
management.
--v. 3 disapprove (of), dislike, discountenance, frown on or
upon: We strongly disfavour the merger.
disfigured
adj. marred, damaged, scarred, defaced, mutilated, injured,
impaired, blemished, disfeatured, deformed, distorted, spoilt or
spoiled, ruined: Plastic surgery has repaired her disfigured
face.
disgrace n. 1 ignominy, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, degradation,
debasement, dishonour, discredit, disfavour, disrepute,
vitiation, infamy; disesteem, contempt, odium, obloquy,
opprobrium: His conduct has brought disgrace on his family. 2
blemish, harm, aspersion, blot, scandal, slur, stigma,
vilification, smirch, smear, stain, taint, black mark: The way
she has been treated by the company is a disgrace.
--v. 3 shame, humiliate, embarrass, mortify: He has been
disgraced by his son's cowardice. 4 degrade, debase, dishonour,
discredit, disfavour, vitiate, defame, disparage, scandalize,
slur, stain, taint, stigmatize, sully, besmirch, smirch,
tarnish, smear, asperse, vilify, blacken, drag through the mud,
reflect (adversely) on: Once again his actions have disgraced
the family name.
disgraceful
adj. 1 shameful, humiliating, embarrassing, dishonourable,
disreputable, infamous, ignominious, degrading, debasing,
degraded, debased, base, low, vile, corrupt, bad, wrong, sinful,
evil, low, mean, despicable, contemptible, opprobrious: He was
forced to submit to the most disgraceful punishment. 2
shameless, outrageous, notorious, shocking, scandalous,
improper, unseemly, unworthy; indecent, rude, flagrant, lewd,
lascivious, delinquent, objectionable: Your drunken behaviour
at the party last night was a disgraceful performance.
disgruntled
adj. displeased, dissatisfied, irritated, peeved, vexed, cross,
exasperated, annoyed, unhappy, disappointed, discontented, put
out; malcontent, discontent, testy, cranky, peevish, grouchy,
grumpy, moody, sullen, sulky, ill-humoured, bad-tempered,
ill-tempered, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, Brit cheesed
off: He was disgruntled at the thought of having to go shopping
in the pouring rain.
disguise v. 1 camouflage, cover up, conceal, hide, mask: The van was
disguised as a hay wagon. 2 misrepresent, falsify, counterfeit,
fake, deceive: They have disguised the true profits to avoid
paying taxes.
--n. 3 guise, identity, cover-up, camouflage, appearance,
semblance, form, outfit, costume: She appeared in the disguise
of a policewoman. 4 pretence, deception, dissimulation, fa‡ade,
semblance, Colloq front: Disguise is seldom resorted to by
spies these days.
disgust v. 1 sicken, offend, nauseate, repel, revolt, put off, outrage,
appal, Slang gross out: His patronizing attitude disgusts those
who work for him.
--n. 2 revulsion, nausea, sickness, repugnance, fulsomeness,
outrage, distaste, aversion: One look at the food filled me
with disgust. 3 loathing, contempt, hatred, abhorrence, odium,
animus, animosity, enmity, antagonism, antipathy, dislike: Some
feel disgust at the thought of eating insects.
disgusted adj. nauseated, sickened, nauseous, queasy; offended, outraged,
Colloq fed up (with), sick (of), sick and tired (of); Slang US
grossed out: Disgusted customers complain about delays in
service.
disgusting
adj. nauseating, sickening, offensive, outrageous, sick-making,
fulsome, repulsive, revolting, repugnant, off-putting,
repellent, obnoxious, loathsome, gross, vile, foul, nasty;
unappetizing, unsavoury, objectionable, distasteful: Spitting
in public is now considered a disgusting way to behave.
dishonest adj. untrustworthy, underhand(ed), dishonourable, fraudulent,
fake, counterfeit, deceiving, deceptive, unfair, double-dealing,
thieving, thievish, knavish, cheating, deceitful, lying,
untruthful, mendacious, treacherous, perfidious, corrupt,
unscrupulous, unprincipled; two-faced, hypocritical; Colloq
crooked, shady; Chiefly Brit slang bent: He was so dishonest he
stole from his mother's purse.
dishonour v. 1 insult, abuse, affront, outrage, slight, offend, injure:
His slaughter of the prisoners has dishonoured our flag. 2
disgrace, degrade, shame, debase, humiliate, mortify, abase,
vitiate, humble: We were all dishonoured by our colleague's
defection. 3 defile, violate, ravish, rape, seduce, deflower,
debauch: The general learned that his wife had been dishonoured
by one of his adjutants.
--n. 4 disesteem, disrespect, irreverence, slight, indignity,
ignominy, disgrace, shame, disrepute, discredit, insult,
offence, affront, loss of face, depreciation, belittlement,
disparagement, detraction, derogation, obloquy: You cannot
retreat without dishonour. 5 aspersion, defamation, libel,
slander, blot, slur, smear, smirch, black mark, blemish,
denigration: His actions have brought us dishonour.
dishonourable
adj. 1 disgraceful, degrading, inglorious, ignominious,
shameful, shaming, base, debased: After the court martial, he
received a dishonourable discharge. 2 unprincipled, shameless,
corrupt, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, treacherous, traitorous,
perfidious, dishonest, hypocritical, two-faced, duplicitous,
disreputable, discreditable, base, despicable; disloyal,
unfaithful, faithless: A double agent is considered
dishonourable by both governments. 3 improper, unseemly,
unbecoming, unworthy, outrageous, objectionable, reprehensible,
flagrant, bad, evil, vile, low, mean, contemptible, below or
beneath criticism, foul, heinous, dirty, filthy: Informing on
your classmates is the most dishonourable thing you can do.
disillusion
v. disabuse, disappoint, disenchant, disenchant, break the
spell, enlighten, set straight, disentrance, disenthral,
undeceive: When I saw her without make-up, I was thoroughly
disillusioned.
disinclined
adj. averse, indisposed, reluctant, unwilling, loath, opposed,
unwilling; hesitant: I was disinclined to try skydiving.
disinfect v. clean, cleanse, purify, purge, sanitize, fumigate,
decontaminate, sterilize: The bedding will have to be
disinfected before it can be used.
disinfectant
n. germicide, antiseptic, sterilizer, bactericide, sanitizer,
fumigant, decontaminant, decontaminator, purifier, cleaner,
cleanser: Most disinfectants are poisonous.
disingenuous
adj. clever, artful, crafty, sly, on the qui vive, cunning,
insidious, foxy, wily, slick, smooth; insincere, false,
dishonest, tricky, devious, deceitful, underhand(ed), guileful,
shifty; double-dealing, two-faced, duplicitous, hypocritical,
scheming, plotting, calculating, designing, contriving: It is
disingenuous to ask for advice when what you want is assistance.
disintegrate
v. break up or apart, shatter, come or fall apart, come or go
or fall to pieces, crumble; decompose, rot, decay, moulder: The
fossil disintegrated in my hands.
disinterested
n. unbiased, impartial, unprejudiced, altruistic, objective,
fair, neutral, open-minded, equitable, just, dispassionate,
detached, even-handed, impersonal, uninvolved: The judge is
supposed to be a disinterested party.
disjointed
adj. 1 disjoined, separate(d), disconnected, unconnected,
dismembered, disunited, divided, split (up): The disjointed
parts of the building were kept in a warehouse. 2 ununified,
loose, incoherent, confused, aimless, directionless, rambling,
muddled, jumbled, mixed up, fitful, discontinuous, disorganized,
unorganized, disorderly: His speech was disjointed - total
gibberish.
dislike v. 1 be averse to, mind, turn from, disfavour, disesteem, be
put or turned off by; hate, loathe, scorn, despise, contemn,
detest, abominate, execrate: I no longer dislike spinach.
--n. 2 aversion, displeasure, distaste, disfavour, disesteem,
disrelish, disaffection, disinclination; loathing, hatred,
animus, animosity, antipathy, detestation, contempt, execration,
ill will; disgust, repugnance; hostility, antagonism: I took an
instant dislike to the fellow. She feels an intense dislike for
her father.
disloyal adj. unfaithful, faithless, untrue, false, untrustworthy,
recreant; treasonable or treasonous, treacherous, traitorous,
unpatriotic, subversive, perfidious, deceitful; renegade,
apostate, heretical: It would be disloyal of you not to vote
along party lines.
dismal adj. depressing, gloomy, cheerless, melancholy, sombre, dreary,
sad, bleak, funereal, lugubrious, forlorn, morose, solemn, dark,
grim, wretched, woebegone, woeful, black, blue, joyless,
doleful, dolorous, unhappy, miserable, lowering; pessimistic:
She was alone, alone on the dismal moor. The prospects for the
company looked very dismal.
dismay v. 1 alarm, frighten, scare, terrify, appal, panic, horrify,
petrify, intimidate, cow, disconcert, unnerve: We were dismayed
when the motor-cycle gang came to the house. 2 unsettle,
discompose, upset, discourage, take aback, startle, shock, put
off, dishearten: I was dismayed to hear she was still married
to Grimsby.
--n. 3 consternation, alarm, anxiety, agitation, terror, panic,
horror, shock, fright, fear, trepidation, apprehension, dread,
awe: The thought of the children alone in the boat filled me
with dismay.
dismiss v. 1 discharge, oust, release, give notice (to), let go, lay
off, throw out, toss out, remove, Chiefly military cashier,
Old-fashioned military drum out, Brit politics deselect, Colloq
fire, send packing, kick out, Brit sack, give (someone) the
sack, boot (out), turn off, US give (someone) his or her walking
papers, give (someone) a pink slip, can; Slang give (someone)
the (old) heave-ho: Gabney has been dismissed without notice.
2 reject, set aside, repudiate, spurn, discount, disregard, lay
aside, put out of one's mind, think no more of, write off,
banish, have or be done with, scorn, discard, ignore, shrug off;
belittle, diminish, pooh-pooh: She dismissed the story as just
so much gossip. 3 disperse, release, disband, send away: After
returning from the mission, the commando unit was dismissed.
dismissal n. 1 discharge, expulsion, notice, Colloq firing, bounce,
marching orders, Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Brit
sack, sacking, one's cards, US pink slip; Slang the (old)
heave-ho , Brit the boot: Cholmondley got his dismissal
yesterday. 2 cancellation, adjournment, discharge, end,
release; cong‚: The judge ordered dismissal of the charge of
murder.
disobedient
adj. 1 insubordinate, unruly, naughty, mischievous, bad,
ill-behaved, badly behaved, obstreperous, unmanageable,
refractory, fractious, ungovernable, uncomplying, unsubmissive,
wayward, non-compliant, incompliant, intractable, defiant;
delinquent, derelict, disregardful, remiss, undutiful:
Disobedient children will be kept in after school. 2 contrary,
perverse, wilful, headstrong, stubborn, recalcitrant, obdurate,
obstinate, contumacious, wayward, cross-grained, opposed,
mutinous, rebellious, revolting, anarchic, Colloq pigheaded: We
cannot tolerate disobedient recruits.
disobey v. defy, break, contravene, flout, disregard, ignore, resist,
oppose, violate, transgress, overstep, go counter to, fly in the
face of, infringe, thumb one's nose at, snap one's fingers at,
Brit cock a snook at; mutiny, rebel, revolt, strike: You cannot
play because you disobeyed the rules. If anyone disobeys, throw
him in irons.
disorder n. 1 disarray, confusion, chaos, disorderliness,
disorganization, untidiness, mess, muddle, jumble, hash,
mishmash, tangle, hotchpotch or US and Canadian also hodgepodge,
derangement, shambles, clutter: After the party, the place was
in terrible disorder. 2 tumult, riot, disturbance, pandemonium,
upheaval, ferment, fuss, unrest, uproar, hubbub, hullabaloo,
commotion, clamour, turbulence, turmoil, turbulence, violence,
bedlam, free-for-all, rumpus, brouhaha, fracas, affray, fray,
brawl, Donnybrook, scuffle, fight, m€l‚e or melee, battle royal,
battle, civil disorder, breach of the peace, Colloq Brit
kerfuffle or carfuffle or kurfuffle, Slang Brit bovver: The
army had to be called out to quell the disorder. 3 ailment,
illness, sickness, affliction, malady, affection, complaint,
disease: The doctors diagnosed it as a liver disorder.
--v. 4 upset, disarrange, muddle, confuse, confound, unsettle,
disorganize, discompose, shake up, disturb, mix (up), befuddle,
jumble, scramble, tangle, snarl: You obscure the sense when you
disorder the words.
disorderly
adj. 1 confused, chaotic, scrambled, muddled, disordered,
irregular, untidy, messy, messed-up, disarranged, disorganized,
unorganized, jumbled, cluttered, haphazard, in disarray,
pell-mell, helter-skelter, Colloq topsy-turvy,
higgledy-piggledy: The books lay about in disorderly array. 2
unruly, uncontrolled, undisciplined, ungoverned, disobedient,
mutinous, rebellious, lawless, obstreperous, refractory,
turbulent, violent, tumultuous, unrestrained, boisterous, noisy,
rowdy, wild; unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable,
intractable: He was charged with being drunk and disorderly.
disorientated
n. confused, bewildered, lost, adrift, (all) at sea, mixed up,
uncertain, unsure, insecure, disoriented, Colloq out of it, in a
fog, Brit off (the) beam, US off the beam: I left by another
door and was completely disorientated for a moment.
disparage v. 1 belittle, diminish, depreciate, devalue or devaluate,
cheapen, talk down, discredit, dishonour, decry, demean,
criticize, denigrate, deprecate, derogate, underrate,
undervalue, downgrade, reduce, minimize: She keeps making
remarks that disparage her husband. 2 run down, slander, libel,
defame, traduce, malign, backbite, vilify, insult, stab in the
back, US back-stab; Colloq poor mouth; Slang US and Canadian
bad-mouth: A loving person never disparages others.
disparity n. difference, discrepancy, gap, inequality, unevenness,
imbalance, dissimilarity, contrast, imparity, inconsistency,
incongruity: Our interests differ owing to the disparity in our
ages.
dispassionate
adj. 1 cool, calm, composed, self-possessed, unemotional,
unexcited, unexcitable, unflappable, level-headed, sober,
self-controlled, even-tempered, unruffled, unmoved, tranquil,
equable, placid, peaceful, serene: You can count on Henry for a
dispassionate treatment of the subject. 2 fair, impartial,
neutral, disinterested, detached, equitable, even-handed,
unbiased, just, objective, unprejudiced, open-minded, candid,
frank, open: The judge is known to be completely dispassionate
in his decisions.
dispatch v. 1 send off or away or out, send on one's way: We dispatched
a messenger with the parcel. 2 send, mail, post, transmit,
forward, ship, express, remit, convey , Chiefly US and Canadian
freight: Please dispatch this letter as quickly as possible. 3
kill, murder, slay, dispose of, put to death, execute, do away
with, do in, assassinate,- liquidate, finish (off), put an end
to, put away (for good), Slang polish off, bump off, eliminate,
gun down, silence, get, erase, rub out, knock off, bury, US ice,
hit, take for a ride, waste, zap: The gang soon dispatched all
their rivals. 4 hasten, hurry, speed up, accelerate, get done,
accomplish, get through, conclude, finish off, complete,
execute, do: The task was dispatched in just two days.
--n. 5 haste, speed, promptness, quickness, expedition,
expeditiousness, celerity, alacrity, swiftness, hurry, rapidity:
She concluded the interview with dispatch and sent me away. 6
communiqu‚, report, bulletin, story, news (item), communication,
message, piece: document, instruction, missive: Here is a
dispatch from our correspondent on Pitcairn Island. 7
execution, killing, murder, disposal, assassination,
dispatching, slaying: The dispatch of the consul left us
without a representative.
dispensable
adj. disposable, non-essential, unessential, inessential,
unnecessary, unneeded, expendable, superfluous, needless,
useless: He said that a dishwasher was a luxury and entirely
dispensable.
dispense v. 1 distribute, give out, hand or pass out, furnish, supply,
provide, give away, deal (out), dole out, parcel out, disburse,
mete out, share (out), issue, apportion, allocate, allot,
assign, Colloq dish out: The Red Cross dispensed medicines to
the stricken villagers. 2 administer, conduct, direct, operate,
superintend, supervise, carry out, execute, discharge, apply,
implement, enforce: It is the governor who dispenses justice in
these islands. 3 dispense with. a do without, forgo, give up,
eschew, relinquish, refuse, waive, forswear, abstain (from),
renounce, reject: Can we dispense with the jokes and get to
work? b do away with, get rid of, eliminate, do without,
dispose of, abolish, manage or do without, remove, cancel,
ignore, render unnecessary or superfluous: Building on solid
rock will dispense with the need for a foundation.
disperse v. 1 spread (out), scatter, broadcast, distribute, circulate,
diffuse, disseminate: The practice is now widely dispersed
throughout Asia. 2 disband, spread out, scatter, dissipate,
break up; disappear, vanish; dispel, dismiss, rout, send off or
away: The crowd dispersed quietly.
displace v. 1 move, transfer, shift, relocate, dislocate, misplace,
disturb, disarrange, disorder, unsettle: The entire population
of the village was displaced when the dam was built. 2 expel,
unseat, eject, evict, exile, banish, depose, remove, oust,
dismiss, discharge, cashier, Colloq fire, kick or throw out,
Brit sack: The voters displaced the corrupt council. 3 take
the place of, supplant, replace, supersede, succeed: Watching
television has displaced reading in many modern homes.
display v. 1 show, exhibit, air, put or set forth, make visible,
expose, evince, manifest, demonstrate, betray, reveal, unveil,
disclose; advertise, publicize: Her paintings are being
displayed at the gallery today. 2 unfurl, unfold, spread or
stretch or open out, present: The ship suddenly displayed the
Jolly Roger. 3 show off, flaunt, parade, flourish, vaunt,
Colloq flash: He goes on those quiz programmes only to display
his knowledge.
--n. 4 show, exhibition, exhibit, presentation, array;
demonstration; exposition, manifestation, revelation: We
visited a display of weapons at the armoury. I have seldom seen
such a display of ignorance. 5 ostentation, spectacle, flourish,
show, parade, ceremony, pageantry, pageant, splendour, array,
panoply, magnificence, grandeur, pomp, splash, ‚clat, ‚lan,
dash: The display put on for Queen Victoria's jubilee was truly
lavish.
displease v. offend, put out, dissatisfy, upset, provoke, exasperate,
worry, trouble, vex, annoy, irritate, pique, irk, nettle, peeve,
chafe, rile, ruffle, anger, infuriate, frustrate, get
(someone's) goat, Colloq miff; Slang US bug: Having to listen
to rock 'n' roll on your damned hi-fi is what displeases me
most.
displeasure
n. 1 dissatisfaction, disapproval, disfavour, discontentment,
distaste, dislike, discountenance: Your parents view your
giving up college with displeasure and disappointment. 2
annoyance, irritation, vexation, chagrin, indignation, dudgeon,
ire, anger, exasperation: He incurred the king's displeasure
and was banished from the land.
disposable
adj. 1 discardable, throw-away, non-returnable, paper, plastic,
biodegradable: The new product is packaged in a disposable
container. 2 available, liquid, spendable, usable, expendable,
obtainable: Her disposable assets include valuable government
bonds.
dispose v. 1 place, arrange, move, adjust, order, array, organize, set
up, situate, group, distribute, put: She is planning how to
dispose the furniture in the room. 2 incline, influence,
persuade, induce, bend, tempt, move, motivate, lead, prompt,
urge: Her actions disposed me to cut her out of my will. 3
dispose of. a deal with, settle, decide, determine, conclude,
finish (with): I hope we can dispose of these matters quickly.
b throw away or out, discard, get rid of, jettison, scrap,
Colloq dump, junk, US trash: Dispose of the remains of the
broken chair. c distribute, give out, deal out, give (away),
dispense, apportion, parcel out, allot, part with, transfer,
make over, bestow, sell: My grandfather disposed of his wealth
before he died. d do away with, finish off, put away, demolish,
destroy, consume, devour, eat, Slang kill (off), knock off,
polish off: She could dispose of four hamburgers at one
sitting. The boys disposed of Louie because he knew too much.
disposed adj. likely, inclined, apt, liable, given, tending or leaning
towards, prone, subject, of a mind to, minded, willing, ready,
predisposed: She was still awake when he got home and seemed
disposed to talk.
disposition
n. 1 character, temper, attitude, temperament, nature,
personality, bent, frame of mind, humour, make-up, spirit:
Alan's son David has a cheerful disposition. 2 arrangement,
organization, placement, disposal, ordering, grouping, set,
placing: I don't care much for the disposition of the
furniture. 3 transfer, transference, dispensation, disposal,
assignment, settlement, determination, bestowal, parcelling out,
distribution: The disposition of father's assets is not your
affair. 4 determination, choice, disposal, power, command,
control, management, discretion, decision, regulation:
Distribution of favours is at the disposition of the crown.
dispossess
v. evict, expel, oust, eject, turn or drive out, dislodge,
Colloq kick or throw out, Brit boot out, US bounce: The
landlord dispossessed them for non-payment of rent.
disproportion
n. inequality, unevenness, disparity, imbalance, asymmetry,
irregularity, lopsidedness, dissimilarity, inconsistency,
incongruity: Now that we're older, there isn't such a
disproportion in our ages.
disproportionate
adj. unbalanced, out of proportion, asymmetrical, irregular,
lopsided, dissimilar, inconsistent, incommensurate, incongruous;
unfair, unequal, uneven, disparate: The windows are
disproportionate to the size of the house. The contractor was
paid a disproportionate amount for his work.
disprove v. refute, confute, invalidate, contradict, negate, rebut,
discredit, controvert, puncture, demolish, destroy, Colloq shoot
or poke full of holes: Modern science has disproved the
phlogiston theory.
disputable
n. debatable, moot, doubtful, uncertain, dubious, questionable,
uncertain, undecided, unsettled, controversial; arguable: His
claim to ownership of the property is disputable.
dispute v. 1 argue with or against, question, debate, challenge,
impugn, gainsay, deny, oppose, fight (against), object to, take
exception to, disagree with, contest, confute, quarrel with,
doubt, raise doubts about, dissent (from): The council dispute
his right to build a hotel on that land. 2 argue (about),
debate, discuss, quarrel about, wrangle over, differ (on or
about): A bill of rights has occasionally been disputed in
Parliament.
--n. 3 argument, debate, disagreement, difference (of opinion),
controversy, polemic, conflict, quarrel, wrangle, velitation;
discussion; Colloq Brit argy-bargy or argie-bargie or
argle-bargle: There is a dispute about the runner's eligibility
for the race. 4 conflict, disturbance, fight, altercation, row,
disagreement, brawl, Donnybrook, feud, rumpus, fracas; strife,
discord; tiff, velitation, US spat: Four people have been
injured in the dispute.
disqualify
v. declare ineligible or unqualified, turn down or away,
reject, exclude, bar, debar, rule out: He was disqualified from
voting because of his age.
disregard v. 1 ignore, overlook, pay little or no heed or attention to,
take little or no notice or account of, dismiss from one's mind
or thoughts, turn a blind eye or deaf ear to, brush aside, pass
up, wink or blink at, make light of, let go by, gloss over, Rare
pretermit: I shall disregard those insulting remarks. 2 snub,
slight, turn up one's nose at, disparage, despise, contemn,
disdain, scorn, (give the) cold shoulder (to), cut; underrate,
underestimate, take little or no account of, undervalue,
minimize, dismiss, sneeze at, Slang brush off, give the go-by:
Visitors often disregard the cultural attractions of Las Vegas.
--n. 3 disrespect, contempt, indifference, inattention,
non-observance, neglect, heedlessness, Rare pretermission;
disdain, low regard, disesteem: Some drive with a profound
disregard for the law.
disrepair n. decay, ruin, collapse, dilapidation, deterioration,
ruination: The house is in a terrible state of disrepair.
disreputable
adj. 1 low, base, abject, contemptuous, unrespectable,
disrespectable, untrustworthy, discreditable, dishonourable,
disgraceful, reprehensible, shameful, despicable, ignominious,
bad, wicked, heinous, vicious, iniquitous, vile, opprobrious,
scandalous, louche, questionable, dubious, Colloq shady: She
keeps disreputable company. 2 dishevelled, unkempt, slovenly,
untidy, shabby, disordered, messy, dirty, bedraggled, scruffy,
seedy, threadbare, tattered, Brit down at heel, raddled, US down
at the heel(s), Colloq sloppy, Slang Brit grotty: That
disreputable beggar is your brother?
disrespect
n. rudeness, impoliteness, discourtesy, incivility,
unmannerliness, irreverence, impudence, impertinence, insolence,
indecorum, Colloq cheek: I meant no disrespect by keeping my
hat on, ma'am.
disrespectful
adj. impolite, rude, discourteous, uncivil, unmannerly,
ill-mannered, bad-mannered, irreverent, impudent, insolent,
indecorous, pert, saucy, forward, Colloq fresh, cheeky: Sara is
sometimes disrespectful to her elders.
disrobe v. undress, strip, bare oneself: She disrobed and put on a
swimsuit.
disrupt v. 1 disorder, upset, disorganize, disturb, unsettle, shake up,
disconcert, agitate: You've disrupted my plan completely. 2
interrupt, break in or into, interfere (with): They disrupted
the meeting with their loud outbursts.
dissatisfaction
n. 1 discontent, discontentment, unhappiness, displeasure,
non-fulfilment, disappointment, frustration, discomfort,
uneasiness, disquiet, malaise: I was left with a feeling of
dissatisfaction at the end of the play. 2 annoyance, irritation,
dismay, displeasure: Complaints concerning dissatisfaction with
the food plagued the hospital administrators.
dissatisfied
adj. discontented, displeased, disappointed, unsatisfied,
discontent, disgruntled, unhappy, unfulfilled, ungratified,
frustrated: We return the full purchase price to any
dissatisfied customer.
dissension
n. disagreement, dissent, discord, contention, strife,
conflict, discordance, friction: The issue has sown dissension
among the members.
disservice
n. harm, damage, injury, wrong, unkindness, bad turn,
disfavour, injustice: It was a disservice to tell my boss about
my expense account.
dissident n. 1 dissenter, nonconformist, protester or protestor, heretic,
rebel, apostate, recusant; revolutionary: Many dissidents were
released and allowed to leave the country.
--adj. 2 disagreeing, nonconformist, nonconforming, dissenting,
dissentient, apostate, non-compliant, heterodox, discordant,
conflicting, contentious: The couple spent ten years in Siberia
for promoting their dissident philosophy.
dissimilar
adj. different, unlike, unalike, distinct, separate,
contrasting, diverse, unrelated, heterogeneous: The styles are
entirely dissimilar.
dissimilarity
n. difference, dissimilitude, unlikeness, disparity;
discrepancy: The dissimilarities between art deco and art
nouveau are too numerous to mention.
dissimulate
v. pretend, dissemble, feign, disguise, camouflage, cover up,
conceal, deceive, misrepresent, fake, counterfeit: She's
dissimulating her real attitude towards the wealthy.
dissimulation
n. deception, misrepresentation, dissembling, deceit,
deception, hypocrisy, sham, pretence, duplicity, double-dealing:
There can be no dissimulation between honest people.
dissipate v. 1 scatter, spread (out), disperse, be dispelled, diffuse;
disseminate, sow, distribute; break up: The crowd had
dissipated by noon. 2 spread thin, evaporate, vanish,
disappear, vaporize, peter out, diminish: By the time we were
ready to go, the clouds had dissipated. 3 squander, waste,
fritter away, throw away, burn up, use up, exhaust, run through:
By the time he was twenty, he had dissipated a huge fortune. 4
revel, carouse, party, sow one's wild oats, burn the candle at
both ends, roister, make merry, debauch, go on a spree: Before
their marriage, he was seen dissipating in the fleshpots of
Europe.
dissipation
n. 1 squandering, waste, wastefulness, profligacy, abandon,
abandonment, self-indulgence, self-gratification,
overindulgence, intemperance, hedonism, fast or high living,
dolce vita, voluptuousness, sensualism, sybaritism,
dissoluteness, dissolution, excess(es), wantonness, debauchery,
carousing, prodigality, recklessness, extravagance, rakishness:
Owing to my dissipation, I had become an alcoholic vagrant. 2
disappearance, dispersion, dispersal, diffusion, scattering,
vanishing: The dissipation of the tear-gas was rapid in the
strong breeze. 3 distraction, amusement, diversion,
entertainment: Reading, once a dissipation, had become an
obsession.
dissociate
v. separate, cut off, sever, disassociate, disjoin, disconnect,
abstract, disengage, detach, isolate, distance, break off
(from), break up (with), divorce, set apart, segregate: I have
carefully dissociated myself from any political party.
dissolute adj. dissipated, debauched, abandoned, corrupt, degenerate,
rakish, profligate, wanton, rakehell, intemperate, incontinent,
loose, licentious, overindulgent, carousing, self-indulgent,
hedonistic, pleasure-bound, immoral, amoral, libidinous,
unrestrained, depraved: He has paid dearly for his dissolute
life.
dissolution
n. 1 disintegration, separation, breakup, breakdown,
separation, breaking up, breaking down, collapse, undoing: Much
ill will attended the dissolution of our marriage. 2
destruction, decomposition, decay, ruin, overthrow, dissolving,
disbandment, dismissal, dispersal, disorganization,
discontinuation; adjournment, ending, end, termination,
conclusion, finish: A vote of no confidence led to the
dissolution of Parliament.
dissolve v. 1 melt (away), liquefy, disperse, disintegrate, diffuse,
decompose, thaw (out), fuse, deliquesce; sublime; vanish,
disappear, fade (away), diminish, decline, peter out: Dissolve
one tablet in water. The sugar dissolved in the tea. 2
collapse, break into, melt into: She dissolved into tears
whenever he shouted at her. 3 break up, disperse, dismiss,
terminate, finish, conclude, adjourn, recess, disband, wind up;
liquidate: We took a vote and dissolved the meeting.
distance n. 1 remoteness, space, gap, interval, mileage, footage,
stretch: What is the distance from here to your house? 2
aloofness, detachment, reserve, coolness, haughtiness, hauteur,
stiffness, rigidity: He maintains a distance between himself
and the servants.
--v. 3 separate, detach, dissociate, disassociate: She
distanced herself from her students.
distant adj. 1 far, far-off, remote, far-away, long-way-off; removed:
The creature said he had come from a distant star. 2 away, off:
The ship is ten miles distant. 3 aloof, detached, reserved,
cool, cold, haughty, standoffish, unapproachable, inaccessible,
withdrawn, reticent, ceremonious, formal, stiff, rigid, frigid,
unfriendly: You find him warm, but I think him very distant.
distaste n. 1 dislike, disfavour, antipathy, disrelish, disinclination;
dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontentment: You know of my
distaste for cocktail parties. 2 aversion, revulsion, disgust,
nausea, abhorrence, loathing, repugnance, horror: She has a
distinct distaste for avocado pears.
distasteful
adj. disgusting, revolting, sick-making, nauseating, nauseous,
repugnant, repulsive, loathsome, fulsome, nasty, disagreeable,
foul, off-putting, unpalatable, obnoxious, objectionable,
offensive, unpleasing, unpleasant, displeasing: I found their
children's table manners quite distasteful.
distinct adj. 1 clear, perceptible, plain, understandable, vivid,
definite, well-defined, precise, exact, unmistakable or
unmistakeable, noticeable, recognizable, obvious, patent,
marked, manifest, evident, apparent, explicit, unambiguous,
clear-cut, palpable, unequivocal, lucid, sharp, pellucid,
limpid, transparent: There is a distinct outline of a figure on
the Turin shroud. 2 separate, detached, discrete, different,
dissimilar, distinguishable, distinguished; individual, sui
generis, unique, special, singular; peculiar, unusual, uncommon,
contrasting: The government of Puerto Rico is distinct from
that of the US. He has been charged with three distinct
offences.
distinction
n. 1 differentiation, discrimination, difference, contrast,
separation, division, dividing line; distinctiveness: Any
distinction between them is difficult to discern. 2 honour,
credit, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, superiority,
uniqueness, greatness, excellence, quality, merit, worth, value,
prestige, note, importance, significance, consequence, renown,
fame, repute, reputation, celebrity, glory, account: We all
know her as a scholar of distinction.
distinctive
adj. distinguishing, characteristic, unique, singular,
distinct, individual, typical, idiosyncratic, peculiar: She has
developed a distinctive style of her own.
distinguish
v. 1 differentiate, discriminate, tell the difference, tell
apart, determine, judge, decide, tell who's who or what's what:
He is still unable to distinguish between his own twin
daughters. 2 classify, categorize, characterize, individualize,
mark, identify, define, designate, denote, indicate, separate,
single out, set apart; grade, group: The male is distinguished
by his brighter colouring. 3 sense, make out, perceive,
discern, pick out, recognize, identify, detect, notice; see,
espy, descry; hear; smell; taste; feel: I could distinguish two
people in the dark. 4 call attention to, identify, mark, set
apart, separate, segregate, indicate, particularize: She
distinguished herself by her great beauty and her awful voice.
distinguished
adj. 1 celebrated, famous, illustrious, noted, renowned,
notable, noteworthy, pre-eminent, eminent, prominent, honoured,
respected, honourable: Churchill was one of the most
distinguished men of his day. 2 dignified, noble, grand,
stately, distingu‚, royal, regal, aristocratic: What is he
doing in this distinguished gathering?
distort v. 1 twist, warp, deform, misshape, contort, gnarl, bend,
disfigure, wrench: The car was completely distorted in the
crash. 2 twist, warp, slant, tamper with, colour, varnish,
torture, pervert, misrepresent, fabricate, falsify, misstate,
alter, change, bend, garble, violate: She distorted the facts
if she said it was Bill who had a gun.
distract v. 1 divert, deflect, sidetrack, turn aside, draw away: Sorry,
I was distracted for a moment - where were we? 2 divert, amuse,
entertain, gratify, delight, occupy, interest, absorb, engross:
We found the belly-dancers quite distracting. 3 bewilder,
confuse, confound, perplex, puzzle, discompose, befuddle,
mystify, disconcert, fluster, rattle, bemuse, daze, disturb,
agitate, trouble, bother: I am distracted with doubts about
whether to phone the police.
distraction
n. 1 bewilderment, befuddlement, disorder, disturbance, upset,
confusion, agitation: The princess loves you to distraction. 2
diversion, entertainment, amusement: I was never really
interested in him, he was merely a temporary distraction.
distraught
adj. distracted, agitated, troubled, disturbed, upset,
perturbed, wrought or worked up, excited, frantic, at (one's)
wits' end, overwrought, frenetic, nervous, frenzied, feverish,
wild, hysterical, delirious, irrational, crazy, mad, insane,
berserk, run(ning) amok: He is distraught with grief.
distress n. 1 anguish, anxiety, affliction, angst, grief, misery,
torment, ache, pain, suffering, agony, torture, woe, woefulness,
wretchedness; unhappiness, sorrow, sadness, depression,
heartache, desolation: It is impossible to imagine the distress
of a bereaved parent. 2 calamity, trouble, adversity,
catastrophe, tragedy, misfortune, difficulty, hardship, straits,
trial, disaster: Has he no sympathy for the distresses that
have beset his people?
--v. 3 bother, disturb, perturb, upset, trouble, worry, harrow,
harry, vex, harass, plague, oppress, grieve, torment, torture,
afflict: The thought of Miss Camberley as a hostage distressed
us all.
distribute
v. 1 deal or dole out, parcel out, give (out), mete out,
dispense, apportion, allot, share (out), partition, divide up,
assign, issue, circulate, pass out, pass round or around, hand
out, deliver, convey, Colloq dish or spoon out: Emergency
rations were distributed to the flood victims. 2 disperse,
scatter, strew, spread (round or around or about), diffuse,
disseminate: Mammals are uniformly distributed over the globe.
3 sort, classify, class, categorize, assort, arrange, group,
file, order: Distribute the packages according to their size.
distribution
n. 1 apportionment, allotment, allocation, assignment,
parcelling or US also parceling out, sharing; deployment: She
supervised the distribution of the prizes. 2 issuance,
circulation, dissemination, giving (out), dispersal,
dispensation; deployment: The distribution of food parcels is
being handled by charities. 3 arrangement, disposition,
grouping, classification, order, ordering, division,
cataloguing, codification; deployment: What is the distribution
of scientists among the population?
district n. territory, region, section, sector, division, partition,
part, precinct, locality, area, locale, department, province,
community, quarter, neighbourhood, ward: We need a new hospital
in our district.
distrust v. 1 mistrust, doubt, question, be sceptical of, be circumspect
or cautious about, suspect, be suspicious or wary of, discredit,
disbelieve, Colloq smell a rat; Colloq be leery of: I
distrusted her motives from the very beginning.
--n. 2 mistrust, doubt, doubtfulness, uncertainty,
misgiving(s), scepticism, suspicion, disbelief, incredulity,
incredulousness, hesitation, caution, wariness, qualm,
hesitancy: His claims were greeted with distrust.
distrustful
adj. distrusting, untrusting, mistrustful, doubting, chary,
wary, cautious, suspicious, sceptical, doubtful, dubious,
cynical, disbelieving, unbelieving, uneasy, nervous, hesitant,
hesitating, unsure, uncertain, Colloq leery: She is distrustful
of men who bring her flowers.
disturb v. 1 interrupt, disrupt, intrude (on), inconvenience, put out,
interfere (with); bother, pester, annoy, irritate, irk, upset,
plague, hector, harry, harass, worry, vex, provoke, pique,
peeve, get on (someone's) nerves, Colloq bug, miff, get under
(someone's) skin, get in (someone's) hair, drive nuts or crazy
or bats or batty or bananas or up the wall, hassle: The sound
of dripping water disturbed me. Please do not disturb the
animals. 2 agitate, stir or churn (up), shake (up), unsettle,
roil, disorder: The lake's surface was violently disturbed by
an enormous creature. 3 unsettle, affect, upset, damage, harm,
destroy: We put the delicate mechanism where it wouldn't be
disturbed by curious visitors. 4 trouble, disconcert, discomfit,
perturb, ruffle, fluster, upset, agitate, put off, bother,
discommode, put out, unsettle, distress; alarm, Colloq shake
(up): He was greatly disturbed by the death of his father. 5
affect, upset, confound, confuse, change, put off, ruin,
destroy, cancel, make ineffectual or ineffective, negate: Any
change in temperature will disturb the results of the
experiment.
disturbance
n. 1 disruption, disorder, disorganization, disarrangement,
disarray; upheaval, interruption, upset, intrusion,
interference: She won't tolerate any disturbance to her
schedule. 2 commotion, disorder, upset, outburst, tumult,
turmoil, turbulence, violence, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly,
uproar, brouhaha, rumpus, brawl, m€l‚e or melee, breach of the
peace, Donnybrook, fray, affray, fracas, trouble, Colloq ruckus,
Brit spot of bother, Slang Brit spot of bovver: There was a
disturbance at the pub yesterday.
disturbed adj. 1 upset, uneasy, uncomfortable, discomfited, troubled,
worried, bothered, agitated, anxious, concerned, apprehensive,
nervous: He's disturbed that Marie didn't come home last night.
2 psychoneurotic, neurotic, unbalanced, psychopathic, psychotic,
maladjusted, mad, insane, out of one's mind, depressed, Colloq
crazy, unable to cope, Brit bonkers, Slang nuts, screwy, batty,
off one's rocker, off the deep end, messed-up, screwed-up: She
looks after her sister, who is disturbed.
disturbing
adj. upsetting, off-putting, perturbing, troubling, unsettling,
worrying, disconcerting, disquieting, alarming, distressing:
There is disturbing news from the front.
disused adj. abandoned, neglected, unused; discontinued, obsolete,
archaic: We had to sleep in a disused railway carriage.
diurnal adj. daily, circadian; day-to-day, regular, everyday,
quotidian; daytime: Jet lag is a disturbance of the body's
diurnal rhythms. Are these animals nocturnal or diurnal?
dive v. 1 plunge, nosedive, sound, descend, dip, submerge, go under,
sink; jump, leap, duck; swoop, plummet: The submarine dived at
once.
--n. 2 plunge, nosedive: The plane went into a dive. 3 bar,
saloon, nightclub, bistro, club, Colloq nightspot, Slang joint,
US dump, honky-tonk, juke-joint: He met the woman in a dive in
Limehouse.
diverge v. 1 separate, radiate, spread (apart), divide, subdivide,
fork, branch (off or out), ramify, split: The roads diverge
further on. 2 deviate, turn aside or away, wander, digress,
stray, depart, drift, divagate: Our policy diverges from that
set up by the committee.
divergent adj. differing, different, dissimilar, disparate, variant,
separate, diverging, disagreeing, conflicting, discrepant:
There are divergent theories about the origin of the universe.
divers adj. various, several, sundry; miscellaneous, multifarious,
manifold, varied, assorted, variegated, differing, different;
some, numerous, many: We have the divers statements of the
witnesses.
diverse adj. different, varied, diversified, multiform, various,
assorted, mixed, miscellaneous; distinctive, distinct, separate,
varying, discrete, dissimilar, differing, divergent,
heterogeneous: Diverse subjects are available for study.
diversify v. vary, variegate, change, mix, change; spread, distribute,
divide, break up, separate; branch out: We must diversify our
investments to hedge against losses. Perhaps this is not a good
time to diversify into other areas.
diversion n. 1 digression, deviation, departure, distraction: George
created a diversion, while we robbed the safe. 2 detour,
sidetrack, deviation, bypass, deviation: Owing to roadworks, we
had to take a diversion off the main road. 3 amusement,
distraction, entertainment, pastime, recreation, divertissement,
game, play, relaxation: She prefers chess for diversion.
diversity n. 1 difference, dissimilarity, dissimilitude, unlikeness,
disparity, deviation, divergence, departure, distinctiveness,
diverseness, variation, variety, individuality, inconsistency,
contrariety, discrepancy, contrast: Flowers are impressive in
their diversity. 2 variety, range, extent, heterogeneity,
multiplicity, multifariousness, variegation, multiformity:
Democracy encourages diversity of opinion.
divert v. 1 switch, rechannel, redirect; change, alter, deflect:
Funds for the new civic centre have been diverted to housing.
We must divert the course of the river. 2 turn away, turn aside,
avert, re-route, deflect; change course, swerve (off or away),
shift, sidetrack, depart, deviate: Cars were diverted to avoid
flooded areas. We diverted from our route because of the
roadworks. 3 entertain, amuse, distract, interest, beguile,
engage, occupy, absorb: We found the stand-up comedian mildly
diverting but not really funny.
divest v. 1 strip, denude, rid, get rid, relieve, disencumber,
deprive, dispossess; despoil, mulct: The company has been
divested of all its assets. 2 divest oneself of. take or put
off, doff, remove; disrobe,unclothe, undress: She divested
herself of her fur coat.
divide v. 1 separate, split (up), break up, cleave, cut up or asunder,
partition, segregate, subdivide; disconnect, disjoin, detach,
sever, sunder, part: Argyle divided his mountaineers into three
regiments. A divided nation cannot stand. Some would like to see
Britain divided from continental Europe. 2 Sometimes, divide up.
distribute, share (out), measure out, parcel out, partition,
dole (out), deal (out), mete out, allocate, allot, apportion,
dispense, give (out): The remaining food was divided among us.
3 separate, split, cause to disagree, alienate, disunite, set at
odds, sow dissension (among), pit or set against one another,
disaffect: Racial issues still divide the people. 4 branch
(out), ramify, split, separate: The road divides there and
passes on each side of that huge rock. 5 categorize, classify,
sort, assort, grade, group, (put in) order, rank, organize,
arrange: You have to divide the books into several piles
according to size.
divine adj. 1 godlike, godly, holy, deiform, deific, angelic,
seraphic, saintly; heavenly, celestial; sacred, sanctified,
hallowed, consecrated, religious, spiritual: They believe in
the divine right of kings. He receives divine inspiration at
divine services. 2 superhuman, supernatural, gifted,
pre-eminent, superior, excellent, supreme, exalted,
transcendent, extraordinary: Even the divine Homer nods. 3
great, marvellous, splendid, superlative, glorious, superb,
admirable, wonderful, awesome, perfect, excellent, beautiful,
Colloq super, great, terrific, smashing, fantastic,
splendiferous, Colloq Brit ace, magic: They say that the new
musical is simply divine.
--v. 4 intuit, imagine, conjecture, guess, assume, presume,
infer, suppose, hypothesize, surmise, suspect, understand,
perceive, speculate, theorize, predict, foretell, have
foreknowledge of; determine, discover: He had divined that she
might be there.
--n. 5 holy man, priest, clergyman, cleric, ecclesiastic,
minister, pastor, reverend, churchman, prelate: At his club, he
enjoys the company of bishops, archbishops, and other divines.
division n. 1 dividing, split, splitting (up), breaking up, partition,
partitioning, partitionment, separation, separating, diremption,
segmentation, segmenting, compartmentation, sectioning,
apportioning, apportionment, allotment: In England a division
between Church and State is not recognized. 2 section,
compartment, segment; partition, separation: Egg crates have
144 divisions. 3 branch, department, sector, section, unit,
group, arm; part, set, category, class, classification: The
textile division of the company lost money last year. 4
boundary (line), border, borderline, frontier, margin, line,
dividing line: Where is the division between good and evil? 5
discord, disagreement, upset, conflict, strife, disunity,
disunion: The issue of equal rights has led to much division
within the movement.
divorce n. 1 separation, split, split-up, dissolution, severance,
disunion, break-up: Their divorce after twenty years surprised
everyone.
--v. 2 separate, divide, split (up), part, sever, detach,
dissociate, disassociate; dissolve: A splinter group has
divorced itself from the main party. We were divorced last year.
dizzy adj. 1 giddy, vertiginous, light-headed, faint, dazed,
tottering, unsteady, reeling, tipsy, Colloq woozy: I felt dizzy
after going down the helter-skelter. 2 confused, silly, giddy,
empty-headed, scatterbrained, muddled, befuddled, flighty,
feather-headed, feather-brained, rattle-brained, hare-brained,
frivolous: He is dizzy with power.
dock n. 1 wharf, pier, berth, jetty, quay: We went to the dock to
see them off.
--v. 2 (drop) anchor, berth, tie up, moor, land, put in: The
ship docks at noon.
doctor n. 1 physician, medical practitioner, M.D., general
practitioner, G.P., Colloq medic, medico, doc, sawbones, bones:
You ought to see a doctor about that cough.
--v. 2 treat, attend, medicate; cure, heal; practise medicine:
She knows very little about doctoring children, in spite of
having worked as a general practitioner. 3 mend, repair, patch
(up), fix: We doctored the tyre as best we could. 4 falsify,
tamper with, adulterate, disguise, change, modify, alter; cut,
dilute, water (down); spike; drug, poison: This sauce has been
doctored.
doctrine n. teaching, body of instruction, precept; principle, tenet,
dogma, article of faith, canon, conviction, creed, belief,
credo, opinion, idea, concept, theory, proposition, thesis,
postulate: Few believe the doctrine that all men are created
equal.
document n. 1 paper, certificate, instrument, report, chronicle, record:
All the legal documents are at my lawyer's office.
--v. 2 record, chronicle, particularize, detail, describe;
verify, validate, certify, authenticate, corroborate,
substantiate: Detectives have documented every move you made
since the murder.
doddering adj. shaking, quaking, palsied, trembling, trembly, quivering,
quavering, reeling, unsteady, shaky, staggering, shambling,
decrepit, faltering; feeble, weak, frail, infirm; aged, old,
superannuated, senile, anile: Once a vigorous sportsman, his
illness has reduced him to a doddering octogenarian.
dodge v. 1 dart, shift, move aside, sidestep, duck, bob, weave,
swerve, veer: He dodged here and there across the traffic. 2
avoid, elude, evade, escape from: He neatly dodged the punches
of his opponent. 3 escape from answering, sidestep, duck,
evade, hedge; quibble, tergiversate, double-talk, Colloq waffle:
She dodged the questions put to her by the interviewer.
--n. 4 trick, subterfuge, ploy, scheme, ruse, device,
stratagem, plan, plot, machination, chicane, deception,
prevarication, contrivance, evasion, Slang wheeze, racket:
Crenshaw worked out a new dodge to avoid paying tax.
dodgy adj. tricky, dangerous, perilous, risky, difficult, ticklish,
sensitive, delicate, touchy; uncertain, unreliable; rickety,
Colloq chancy, hairy, Brit dicky, dicey: Climbing up the sheer
face of that rock could be a bit dodgy. You shouldn't be
exerting yourself with your dodgy ticker.
dogmatic adj. arbitrary, categorical, dictatorial, imperious,
peremptory, overbearing, doctrinaire, authoritarian, emphatic,
insistent, assertive, arrogant, domineering; obdurate, stubborn;
opinionated, positive, certain, Rare thetic(al), Colloq pushy:
Patrick tends to be quite dogmatic when he is sure of his
ground.
dole n. 1 portion, allotment, share, quota, lot, allowance, parcel;
compensation, benefit, grant, award, donation, gift, largesse,
alms, gratuity; Slang hand-out: The prisoners received a daily
dole of bread. If you've lost your job, are you eligible for the
dole? 2 distribution, apportionment, allocation, dispensation:
The money was given to the disaster victims by dole.
--v. 3 give (out), deal (out), distribute, hand out, mete out,
share (out), dispense, allot, allocate, apportion, Colloq dish
out: They dole out the reparations on the basis of need.
doleful adj. sad, sorrowful, melancholy, gloomy, mournful, cheerless,
joyless, sombre, depressed, disconsolate, blue, down,
distressed, dejected, downhearted, forlorn, unhappy, lugubrious,
dolorous, wretched, miserable, woebegone, dreary, woeful, Colloq
down in the mouth, down in the dumps; distressing, funereal,
depressing, grievous, harrowing: From his doleful expression I
thought he would cry any minute. She lives in the most doleful
surroundings.
dolt n. fool, ass, blockhead, dunce, dullard, idiot, nitwit,
ignoramus, numskull or numbskull, donkey, nincompoop, ninny,
ninny-hammer, simpleton, dunderpate, dunderhead, bonehead,
simpleton, twit, fat-head, goon, moron, imbecile, Colloq dope,
dumb-bell, dim-wit, chump, dummy, halfwit, birdbrain, pinhead,
clot, clod, chucklehead, Brit muggins, US thimble-wit, jerk,
knuckle-head, lunkhead, meat-head, lame-brain, dingbat,
ding-a-ling, flake: The dolt actually tried to buy striped
paint!
domain n. 1 realm, dominion, territory, property, land(s), province,
kingdom, empire: At one time his domain included most of
Europe. 2 province, realm, territory, field, bailiwick, area,
department, sphere, discipline, speciality, specialization,
concern: As a dentist, he considered diseases of the throat
outside his domain.
domestic adj. 1 home, private, family, familial; residential, household:
Her domestic life is a shambles. This toaster is for domestic
use. 2 tame, domesticated, house-trained, house-broken: Tenants
are forbidden to keep domestic animals. 3 home, native,
indigenous, internal, autochthonous: The domestic market
accounts for most of the company's income.
--n. 4 servant, (hired) help, housekeeper, major-domo, steward:
Her domestics left and she now does the cleaning herself.
domicile n. 1 dwelling (place), residence, abode, home, habitation,
(living) quarters, housing, accommodation(s), lodging(s), Colloq
Brit digs, diggings, Slang pad: Domiciles in south-east England
have increased enormously in value.
--v. 2 locate, quarter, lodge, settle, establish, situate,
domiciliate: She is domiciled abroad, hence pays no income tax
here.
dominant adj. 1 commanding, authoritative, controlling, governing,
ruling, leading, reigning, influential, assertive, supreme,
superior, ascendant: He has taken a dominant role in promoting
foreign language teaching. 2 predominant, chief, main,
principal, primary, prevailing, outstanding, pre-eminent,
paramount: A large nose is a dominant characteristic in their
family.
dominate v. 1 command, control, govern, rule, direct, lead, reign
(over), exercise command or authority or control or rule over,
have the whip or upper hand (over), run (things), be in or have
under control, rule the roost or roast, Colloq call the shots or
the tune, wear the trousers or US the pants, be in the driver's
seat, rule with an iron hand, have under one's thumb: She
clearly dominates the board of directors. 2 overlook, look
(out) over, tower over or above, rise above, overshadow;
predominate: The Eiffel Tower dominates the Parisian skyline.
domination
n. 1 authority, control, rule, power, command, influence, sway,
supremacy, ascendancy, hegemony, the whip or upper hand,
pre-eminence, mastery: The tsar's domination lasted for more
than thirty years. 2 oppression, subjection, repression,
suppression, subordination, enslavement, enthralment;
dictatorship, despotism, tyranny: The Allies finally brought to
an end the Fascist domination of Europe.
domineering
adj. overbearing, imperious, officious, arrogant, autocratic,
authoritarian, high-handed, high and mighty, masterful,
arbitrary, peremptory, dictatorial, despotic, tyrannical,
oppressive, strict, hard, harsh, tough, Colloq bossy, pushy: A
classic character in humorous writing is the domineering spouse.
dominion n. 1 rule, authority, control, dominance, domination, grasp,
mastery, grip, command, jurisdiction, power, sovereignty, sway,
ascendancy, pre-eminence, primacy, supremacy, hegemony: The
magician claimed dominion over the entire universe. 2 domain,
realm, territory, region, area, country, kingdom: For six
generations the dynasty ruled over its dominions on five
continents.
donate v. give, provide, supply, present, contribute, subscribe (to or
for), pledge, award, bestow, confer, grant, vouchsafe, will,
bequeath: Lady Crayford donated two silver candlesticks to our
charity drive.
donation n. 1 gift, contribution, largesse, present, grant, award, alms,
offering, bequest: Donations have exceeded our expectations. 2
giving, contribution, bestowal, allotment, provision, offer: We
are seeking the donation of a piano for our theatre group.
donor n. giver, provider, supplier, benefactor or benefactress,
contributor, supporter, backer: Blood donors receive a suitably
inscribed certificate.
doom n. fate, karma, destiny, fortune, lot, kismet; downfall,
destruction, death, ruin, extinction, annihilation, death, end,
termination, terminus: The young warrior had defied the Snake
God, and his doom was sealed.
doomed adj. 1 fated, cursed, condemned, damned, destined, ordained,
foreordained, predestined: She was doomed to live for ever. 2
accursed, bedevilled, ill-fated, luckless, star-crossed,
bewitched, condemned: The doomed ship sank to the bottom of the
sea.
dope n. 1 See dolt. 2 narcotic, drug, opiate, hallucinogen,
psychedelic, Slang upper, downer: He was caught trying to
smuggle dope past customs. 3 information, data, facts, news,
details, story, scoop, Slang info, low-down, score, Brit gen, US
and Canadian poop: The real dope on the minister is
sensational!
dormant adj. 1 asleep, sleeping, slumbering, resting, at rest, quiet,
inactive, still, inert, unmoving, motionless, stationary,
immobile, quiescent, comatose, torpid, hibernating, slumberous,
somnolent, sleepy, lethargic, dull, sluggish: The bears are
dormant during much of the winter. 2 latent, potential, hidden,
concealed, undisclosed, unrevealed, unexpressed: The theory lay
dormant for centuries and has only recently been revived.
dose n. 1 portion, quantity, amount, measure, dosage: How big a
dose of the medication did the doctor prescribe?
--v. 2 dispense, administer, prescribe: I was dosed with
medicine and slept all day.
dot n. 1 spot, speck, point, jot, mark, iota, fleck, dab; decimal
point, Brit full stop, US period: Use three dots to denote text
omissions. 2 on the dot. exactly, precisely, punctually, to the
minute or second, on time, Colloq on the button: She arrived at
noon on the dot.
--v. 3 spot, fleck, speckle, stipple, bespeckle: The wallpaper
is dotted with tiny squares of colour.
dote v. Often, dote on or upon. be fond of, be infatuated with,
love, idolize, hold dear, adore, make much of; coddle, pamper,
spoil, indulge: I think she dotes on her husband at the expense
of the children. What we need is a doting grandmother to
babysit when we want to go out.
double adj. 1 twofold, paired, coupled, duplicate(d), doubled: The
forms banned and banning are spelt with a double n . 2 folded
or doubled or bent over, overlapped, two-ply: This wound needs
a double bandage. 3 dual, twofold, ambiguous, double-barrelled:
He pronounced it 'de-seat', giving deceit a double meaning. 4
twice: The plant had grown to double its size. 5 deceitful,
dishonest, treacherous, traitorous, insincere, hypocritical,
double-dealing, false: It was Maria who exposed Fernando as a
double agent.
--v. 6 duplicate, replicate; copy; increase, enlarge; magnify:
We'll have to double our milk order.
--n. 7 twin, duplicate, copy, replica, facsimile, clone, copy,
counterpart, doppelg„nger, look-alike, stand-in, understudy,
Slang (dead) ringer, spitting image or spit and image: He could
be Clint Eastwood's double. 8 at or on the double. quickly, on
the run, at full speed or tilt, briskly, immediately, at once,
without delay, Slang p.d.q. (= 'prety damned quick'): Put down
that book and come over here on the double!
double-cross
v. cheat, defraud, swindle, hoodwink, trick, betray, deceive,
mislead, play false with, Colloq two-time: He swore he'd give
me the money but he double-crossed me and kept it himself.
doubt v. 1 disbelieve, discredit, mistrust, distrust, have misgivings
(about), question, suspect: I doubted his ability to beat the
record. 2 hesitate, waver, vacillate, fluctuate, scruple, be
uncertain, entertain doubts, have reservations: Who ever
doubted about her honesty?
--n. 3 uncertainty, hesitation, misgiving, reservation(s),
qualm, anxiety, worry, apprehension, disquiet, fear: He has
harboured doubts about the success of the enterprise. 4
distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity, scepticism,
dubiousness, dubiety or dubiosity, lack of faith or conviction,
irresolution: Her doubts about his intentions have evaporated.
5 in doubt. See doubtful, below.
doubtful adj. 1 in doubt, dubious, questionable, open to question,
problematic, debatable, disputable, uncertain, unpredictable,
indeterminate, unsettled, unresolved, conjectural, indefinite,
unclear, obscure, vague, anybody's guess , Colloq up in the air:
The result is very doubtful. 2 sceptical, unconvinced,
distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, uncertain, unsure,
hesitant, hesitating, vacillating, indecisive: I am doubtful
whether an investigation will yield anything. 3 dubious,
questionable, shady, louche, disreputable, controversial: Those
are people of doubtful reputation.
doubtless adv. 1 doubtlessly, undoubtedly, no doubt, indubitably,
indisputably, unquestionably, surely, for sure, certainly, for
certain, naturally, without (a) doubt, beyond or without (a
shadow of) a doubt, truly, positively, absolutely, Colloq
absotively, posolutely, US make no mistake: You doubtless
remember my aunt? 2 probably, most or very likely, in all
probability, supposedly, presumably: He will doubtless be
refused entry into the country.
dour adj. 1 sullen, sour, unfriendly, cold, gloomy, morose, dreary,
grim, cheerless, dismal, forbidding: We went to Spain, away
from the dour northern climate. 2 hard, tough, austere, severe,
hardy, inflexible, obstinate, stubborn, unyielding,
uncompromising, strict, rigid, obdurate, stern, harsh, adamant,
Colloq hard-nosed: Her father was a dour Scot who wouldn't let
me in the house.
dowdy adj. frowzy, frumpy, drab, dull, seedy, shabby, unseemly,
unbecoming; slovenly, sloppy, messy, unkempt; old-fashioned,
unfashionable, Colloq US tacky: Aunt Patience looked
particularly dowdy in her dressing-gown and slippers.
down and out
adj. 1 indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, penniless, destitute,
impoverished, Colloq broke, US on the skids, on skid row, on the
bum, Slang Brit skint: Those vagrants are down and out and need
help, not pity.
--n. 2 down-and-out. derelict, beggar, outcast, tramp, vagrant,
vagabond, US bum: He took to drink and ended up a complete
down-and-out.
downfall n. ruin, undoing, d‚bѓcle, collapse, degradation, defeat,
overthrow, breakdown: Selling the company to the conglomerate
spelt its downfall.
downgrade v. 1 demote, dethrone, humble, lower, reduce, displace, depose,
dispossess, disfranchise or disenfranchise, US military bust;
Colloq bring or take down a peg: He was downgraded from
supervisor to foreman. 2 belittle, minimize, play down,
disparage, decry, denigrate, run down, US and Canadian downplay:
How could she downgrade her own sister?
--n. 3 descent, decline, declension, (downward) slope,
gradient, grade, inclination: Apply the brake as you approach
the downgrade. 4 on the downgrade. on the wane, waning,
declining, falling, slipping, falling off, losing ground, going
downhill, US and Canadian on the skids: After the drug scandal,
her popularity was on the downgrade.
downhearted
adj. discouraged, depressed, low-spirited, miserable, blue,
sad, downcast, dejected: Don't be so downhearted, we know you
can win the gold medal.
downpour n. rainstorm, deluge, inundation, cloudburst, thunder-shower,
thunderstorm, torrential rain, torrent; monsoon: We got caught
in that downpour without an umbrella.
downright adj. 1 direct, straightforward, plain, frank, open, candid,
plain-spoken, explicit, blunt, brash, bluff, not roundabout or
circuitous, unambiguous, out-and-out, outright, categorical,
flat, unequivocal, outspoken, unreserved, unabashed,
unrestrained, unconstrained, bold: She speaks with a downright
honesty you have to admire.
--adv. 2 completely, entirely, totally, thoroughly, certainly,
surely, (most) assuredly, definitely, absolutely,
unconditionally, unequivocally; very, extremely, unqualifiedly,
perfectly, uncompromisingly, unmitigatedly, utterly,
unquestionably, profoundly, undoubtedly, indubitably: It's
downright stupid of you to leave in this weather.
downtrodden
adj. subjugated, oppressed, burdened, plagued, afflicted,
exploited, overwhelmed, cowed, overcome, beaten, abused,
mistreated, maltreated, tyrannized, Colloq beat: This poor,
downtrodden wreck of a man had once been on top.
downward adj. declining, sliding, slipping, spiralling, descending,
going or heading or moving down: This downward trend in the
market will soon be reversed.
downwards adv. down, downward, below, lower: We moved downwards, towards
the centre of the earth.
doze v. 1 Often, doze off. (take or have a) nap, catnap, drowse,
sleep, slumber, Colloq snooze, have forty winks, drop or nod
off, grab some shut-eye, Chiefly Brit (have or take a) zizz,
Brit kip, US catch or log a few zees (Z's): I was dozing in the
sun when the phone rang.
--n. 2 nap, catnap, siesta, sleep; rest; Colloq snooze, forty
winks, shut-eye, Brit zizz, kip, lie-down: I'll have a short
doze before dinner.
drab adj. dull, colourless, dreary, dingy, lacklustre, lustreless,
dismal, cheerless, grey, sombre: She wore drab clothes and no
make-up.
draft n. 1 plan, sketch, drawing, outline, rough (sketch), blueprint,
diagram, prospectus: We must have the draft of the new design
by morning. 2 bill of exchange, cheque, money order, postal
order; letter of credit: Our customer issued a draft in full
payment.
--v. 3 sketch, delineate, outline, design, plan, frame, block
out, compose, diagram, draw (up): The art department has
drafted the layout for the new encyclopedia.
drag v. 1 pull, draw, haul, tow, tug, trail, lug: It took the two
of us to drag the desk into the other office. 2 pull, distract,
draw; induce, persuade, coax, wheedle: She's been unable to
drag him away from the TV. 3 trudge, slog, crawl, creep, inch,
shuffle, shamble: He's looking for a job and just drags along
from one employment agency to another. 4 trail (behind), linger,
dawdle, lag (behind), straggle, draggle, potter, loiter, poke
(along), dilly-dally, US lallygag: She just drags along after
us wherever we go. 5 (be) prolong(ed), (be) extend(ed),
(be)draw(n) out, (be) protract(ed), (be) stretch(ed) out, spin
out or be spun out: Why drag out the agony of uncertainty any
longer? His speech dragged on for another hour. 6 drag one's
feet or heels. delay, procrastinate, hang back; obstruct, block,
stall: The committee is dragging its feet on the housing issue.
--n. 7 bore, nuisance, annoyance; pest; Colloq drip, pain (in
the neck), headache: That course in botany is a real drag.
drain n. 1 ditch, channel, trench, culvert, conduit, pipe, gutter,
outlet, watercourse, sewer, cloaca: The storm drains have
overflowed. 2 depletion, reduction, sapping, sap, exhaustion,
strain, drag; outgo, outflow, withdrawal, disbursement,
expenditure: The cost of the new roof was a drain on our
resources. 3 down the drain. wasted, gone, thrown away, lost,
Slang up the spout: All that money spent on his education went
down the drain.
--v. 4 draw off, tap, extract, remove, take away, withdraw,
pump off or out; empty, evacuate, drink up or down, quaff,
swallow, finish: After washing the lettuce, drain off the
water. He drained the glass in one gulp. 5 consume, use up,
exhaust, sap, deplete, bleed, strain, tax, spend; weaken,
debilitate, impair, cripple: The car repairs drained my bank
account. After climbing to the top of the mountain, we were
completely drained. 6 seep, trickle, ooze, drip, leave, go or
flow from or out of, disappear (from), ebb: Let the pus drain
from the boil. The blood drained from his face when he saw her.
drama n. 1 play, stage play, photoplay, screenplay, (stage) show,
(theatrical) piece, (stage) production; scenario: He plays only
in dramas, never in musicals. 2 dramaturgy, stagecraft, theatre
art(s), Thespian or histrionic art(s), acting, theatre, dramatic
art: She has studied drama at RADA. 3 histrionics, dramatics,
theatrics, theatricalism, play-acting: There's always a drama
over who's going to wash up.
dramatic adj. 1 theatric(al), dramaturgic(al), Thespian, histrionic,
stage: She was studying the dramatic works of Shakespeare.
There will be a festival of dramatic arts at the centre next
week. 2 vivid, sensational, startling, breathtaking, sudden,
striking, noticeable, extraordinary, impressive, marked,
shocking, expressive, graphic, effective; complete,
considerable, radical, major: A dramatic change has come over
him since meeting her. 3 flamboyant, melodramatic, colourful,
showy, stirring, spectacular; theatrical, histrionic,
exaggerated, overdone: His presentation was quite dramatic,
well staged and with much arm-waving.
dramatist n. playwright, dramaturge, screenwriter, scriptwriter,
scenarist, tragedian, melodramatist: The actors failed to carry
out the dramatist's intentions.
dramatize v. exaggerate, overplay, overstate, overdo, make a production
or show (out) of, Colloq lay it on (thick), pile it on, ham
(something or it) up: He always dramatizes everything way out
of proportion.
drape v. 1 hang, festoon, swathe, deck, array, bedeck, adorn,
ornament, decorate: The coffin was draped with the national
flag.
--n. 2 drapery, curtain; hanging, tapestry: The drapes match
neither the carpet nor the wallpaper.
drapery n. drape, curtain; hanging, valance, pelmet, tapestry, arras,
portiЉre, lambrequin, drop: Which colour will you choose for
the drapery?
drastic adj. violent, severe, extreme, strong, powerful, potent,
puissant, fierce, forceful, vigorous, rigorous, harsh, radical,
Draconian, desperate, dire: I shall have to take drastic
measures if this misbehaviour continues.
draught n. 1 breeze, breath (of air), (light) wind, current (of air),
puff (of air or wind): You'll get a cold sitting in the
draught. 2 dose, portion, measure, quantity, drink, swallow,
sip, nip, tot, potation, dram, gulp, Colloq swig, tipple: The
doctor recommended a draught of this tonic before meals.
draw v. 1 pull, tug, tow, drag, haul, lug: The gypsy caravan was
drawn by two horses. 2 pull or take out, extract; unsheathe,
unholster: The cowboy drew his gun and began firing. 3 draw
off; pour; drain off or out: She drew two pails of water for
the horses. 4 attract, gather, allure, lure, bring out or
forth, elicit, Colloq pull: Anything will draw a crowd in New
York. 5 depict, sketch, portray, outline, delineate, design,
limn, paint: The artist was drawing pictures in chalk on the
pavement. 6 devise, draw up, draft, create, contrive, frame,
compose, prepare: The plans for the new civic centre have not
yet been drawn. 7 inhale, breathe (in), inspire; suck in:
She's very ill and may draw her last breath any minute. 8 draw
out, withdraw, take, receive, get, acquire, obtain, secure,
procure, extract, remove: I have to draw some money from my
bank account for groceries. 9 choose, pick, select, take: It
is your turn to draw a card. 10 draw back. retreat, recoil,
shrink (from), withdraw: He drew back quickly when he saw the
snake. 11 draw in. arrive, pull in: The train drew in to the
station. 12 draw off. a tap, pour: The barmaid drew off two
large beers from the keg. b withdraw, draw or go away, depart,
leave: The Indians drew off and waited to see what we would do.
13 draw on. a employ, use, make use of, exploit, have resort or
recourse to, resort to, fall back on, rely or depend on: She
drew on her years of experience as a doctor. b come close or
near, near, draw nigh, approach, advance: With the cold season
drawing on, we had to get in the crops. 14 draw out. a extend,
drag out, prolong, protract, lengthen, stretch, spin out: Her
visit has been drawn out to a week. b elicit, evoke, induce to
talk: I drew him out on his feelings about social security. c
See 8, above. 15 draw up. a halt, stop, pull up or over: A
taxi drew up and I got in. b draft, compose, prepare, put down
(in writing), frame, compile, put together, formulate: We drew
up the agreement only yesterday. c arrange, deploy, position,
order, rank, marshal: The troops were drawn up in full battle
array.
--n. 16 magnetism, attraction, lure, enticement, Colloq pull,
drawing power: The draw of the rock concert was extraordinary.
17 tie, stalemate, dead heat, deadlock: The race ended in a
draw for second place.
drawback n. disadvantage, hindrance, stumbling-block, obstacle,
impediment, hurdle, obstruction, snag, problem, difficulty,
hitch, catch, handicap, liability, flaw, defect, detriment,
Colloq fly in the ointment; Taboo nigger in the woodpile: Lack
of education is a serious drawback to getting a good job.
drawing n. picture, depiction, representation, sketch, plan, outline,
design, composition, black-and-white, monochrome: The book is
illustrated by some delightful pen-and-ink drawings.
drawn adj. haggard, worn out, tired, fatigued, strained, pinched,
tense, exhausted: Sidonia looks a bit drawn after her ordeal.
dread v. 1 fear, be afraid of, apprehend, anticipate, flinch, shrink
or recoil from, cringe or quail or blench or wince at, view with
horror or alarm: She dreads any kind of surgery.
--n. 2 fear, fright, fearfulness, trepidation, apprehension,
apprehensiveness, uneasiness, anticipation, alarm, nervousness,
qualm, queasiness, misgiving, dismay, worry, anxiety,
consternation, concern, distress, perturbation, disquiet,
aversion, horror, terror, panic, Colloq cold feet, butterflies
(in the stomach), the jitters; Slang the heebie-jeebies, the
willies, the collywobbles: I regarded the history exam with
dread.
--adj. 3 feared, dreaded, dreadful, terrifying, terrible:
Before us, breathing fire, was the dread dragon of the Druids.
dreadful adj. 1 bad, awful, terrible, Colloq rotten, Slang lousy: That
TV soap opera is simply dreadful. 2 grievous, dire, horrible,
horrendous, horrifying, horrid, monstrous, fearful, feared,
frightful, dread, frightening, shocking, alarming, appalling,
fearsome, hideous, ghastly, atrocious, heinous, wicked, evil,
iniquitous, villainous, flagitious, fiendish, diabolical,
devilish, demonic, malevolent, maleficent, malefic, Colloq
scary: They did the most dreadful things to political
prisoners.
dream n. 1 reverie, day-dream, delusion, fantasy, hallucination,
illusion, vision, mirage, pipedream, (flight of) fancy,
speculation: When I awoke I realized that my winning the
lottery had just been a dream.
--v. 2 imagine, fancy, conjure up, hallucinate: I dreamt I
dwelt in marble halls.
dreamer n. fantasizer, visionary, idealist, romantic, romanticist,
idealizer, Utopian; day-dreamer, escapist, fantasizer,
star-gazer: If you think people change, you're a dreamer.
dreamlike adj. unreal, fantastic, unbelievable, phantasmagoric(al),
hallucinatory or hallucinative or hallucinational, surreal,
delusionary or delusional, illusionary or illusional, delusive
or delusory, illusory or illusive, insubstantial or
unsubstantial, imaginary, chimeric(al), fanciful, fancied,
visionary: His plans have a dreamlike quality about them that
make them impractical.
dreamy adj. 1 dreamlike, vague, indefinite, indistinct, undefined,
intangible, misty, shadowy, faint: He has a dreamy recollection
of being awakened in the middle of the night. 2 absent-minded,
absent, far-away, abstracted, pensive, thoughtful; day-dreaming,
musing, occupied, in a reverie, in a brown study, in the clouds;
Colloq off somewhere: I was in a dreamy mood, my mind wandering
through old memories. 3 relaxing, soothing, calming, lulling,
gentle, tranquil, peaceful, peaceable, quiet; lazy, sleepy,
drowsy: It was one of those dreamy, hot midsummer days.
dreary adj. 1 dismal, joyless, cheerless, gloomy, bleak, drear,
sombre, doleful, depressing, wretched; sad, melancholy,
downcast, depressed, funereal, glum, unhappy, forlorn, mournful,
morose, blue, miserable: One more day on these dreary moors and
I shall go mad. Caroline was again in a dreary mood. 2 boring,
lifeless, colourless, ennuyant, drab, dull, arid, dry,
uninteresting, dead, monotonous, prosaic, tedious, tiresome,
tiring, wearisome, wearying, humdrum, ordinary, vapid,
run-of-the-mill, unstimulating, unexciting: Do you mean to tell
me that that dreary book is a best seller!
dregs n.pl. 1 sediment, grounds, lees, deposit, residue, solids,
remains; precipitate: Filter the coffee to remove the dregs. 2
outcasts, pariahs, rabble, riff-raff, scum, tramps,
down-and-outs, losers: That park is frequented by the dregs of
society.
drench v. soak, saturate, wet, flood, inundate, immerse, drown: She
had no coat or umbrella and got completely drenched in the
storm.
dress v. 1 clothe, put on (clothing or clothes), attire, apparel,
outfit, fit out, garb, accoutre or US also accouter; array,
bedeck, deck out, rig out, smarten up: They dressed him to look
like a prince. 2 array, equip, adorn, decorate, deck out,
arrange: He has a job dressing shop windows. 3 bandage, treat,
medicate, doctor: After dressing my wound they gave me a
sedative. 4 dress down. reprimand, scold, berate, castigate,
rebuke, reprove, upbraid, Colloq tell off, haul (someone) over
the coals, Brit tear (someone) off a strip, US and Canadian chew
out, US rake (someone) over the coals, tee off on (someone):
The colonel dressed us down and cancelled all leave. 5 dress
up. a put on dinner or formal clothes, put on one's (Sunday)
best (clothes), Colloq put on one's best bib and tucker or one's
glad rags: On the cruise, we dressed up in our dinner-jackets
every night. b (put on a) costume, disguise, masquerade,
camouflage, put on fancy dress: The children dressed up as
goblins for Hallowe'en.
--n. 6 frock, gown, outfit, costume, Colloq get-up: Why not
wear your new dress to the dance tonight?
dressmaker
n. seamstress, tailor, couturier or couturiЉre, modiste: She's
at the dressmaker's having a ball gown fitted.
dressy adj. 1 formal, dressed-up, elegant, fancy, chic: A black suit
is too dressy to wear tonight - it's not a dressy party. 2
elegant, smart, stylish, Colloq classy, ritzy, Brit swish:
That's a very dressy outfit, I must say!
drift v. 1 coast, float, waft: A log drifted by on the tide. 2
wander, roam, meander, stray, rove, ramble, Colloq mosey: He
seems just to drift through life, without a purpose.
--n. 3 trend, tendency, direction, course, current, bias,
inclination, flow, sweep, bent: The drift of the conversation
seemed to be towards politics. 4 intention, meaning, purport,
purpose, aim, object, tenor, tone, spirit, colour, essence,
gist, significance, import: Offended by the drift of her
remarks, I excused myself. 5 accumulation, pile, heap, mass,
bank, mound, dune: After the snowstorm, a huge drift blocked
the door.
drifter n. vagrant, tramp, vagabond, beachcomber, rambler, wanderer,
Colloq knight of the road, US bum, hobo: A drifter, he had no
place to call home.
drill v. 1 bore, penetrate, pierce, cut a hole: The thieves drilled
into the safe. 2 rehearse, train, practise, exercise, teach,
instruct, school, tutor, coach, indoctrinate; discipline: We
were thoroughly drilled in the Latin conjugations and
declensions.
--n. 3 auger, (brace and) bit, gimlet: The bit for this drill
is no longer sharp. 4 practice, training, repetition, exercise,
rehearsal; discipline: Tomorrow there will be a complete drill
of the parts of speech.
drink v. 1 quaff, imbibe, sip, gulp, swallow, swill, guzzle, toss
off, lap (up), Colloq wet one's whistle, swig, knock back, US
belt: She prefers not to drink beer. 2 tipple, nip, indulge,
tope, chug-a-lug, carouse, Colloq booze, bend the elbow, hit the
bottle, go on a binge or bender, drown one's sorrows, US and
Canadian go on a toot, Chiefly Brit pub-crawl: He threatened to
leave her if she continued to drink. 3 drink to. toast, salute,
celebrate, pledge: Let's drink to friendship!
--n. 4 beverage, potation, liquid refreshment, liquid, potable,
draught: After the match I was dying for a drink. 5 alcohol,
spirits, liquor, the cup that cheers; stirrup-cup; Colloq booze,
the bottle, hard stuff, mother's ruin, eye-opener, nightcap, US
hooch; Slang rot-gut, US the sauce, red-eye: After the
accident, he took to drink. 6 tot, nip, draught or US also
draft, schooner, pint, bumper, jigger, snifter, sip, taste,
glass, gulp, swallow, Scots (wee) deoch an doris or doch an
dorris, (wee) dram, Brit sundowner; Colloq snort, slug, swig:
Granny likes a drink before retiring. 7 the drink. the sea, the
ocean, the main, the deep, Nautical Davy Jones's locker, Colloq
the briny: The canoe tipped and our picnic went right into the
drink!
drip v. 1 dribble, trickle, drop; drizzle, sprinkle: The tap began
to drip and kept me awake all night.
--n. 2 dribble, trickle, drop, dripping: Yes, it was the drip
from the tap that kept me awake. 3 milksop, bore, wet blanket,
killjoy, damper, Colloq Brit wet, weed, Colloq wimp, Slang pill,
drag, US and Canadian milquetoast: Must you invite that drip
George?
drive v. 1 push, propel, impel, urge, press, thrust, move, motivate,
actuate, prod, spur, goad, urge, force, make, compel, coerce,
constrain, oblige, pressure or Brit pressurize, high-pressure,
induce, require; demand: What drove you to become a traitor? 2
operate, conduct, manoeuvre, manipulate, handle, steer, control;
pilot: Have you a valid licence to drive this car? 3 ride,
travel, motor, go, move, proceed, journey, tour, Colloq tool
along: Luckily, when the tyre blew out, we were driving at only
20 m.p.h. 4 stab, plunge, thrust, sink, push, send, dig, ram:
He has driven the dagger deep into the monster's heart. 5 herd,
drove, shepherd, ride herd (on): We used to drive the cattle up
the old Chisholm Trail to market in Abilene. 6 drive at. hint
(at), suggest, imply, intimate, allude or refer to, intend,
mean, have in mind, indicate, Colloq get at: He was so na‹ve he
had no idea what she was driving at.
--n. 7 ride, trip, outing, journey, run, tour, excursion,
Colloq spin, whirl: On Sundays we would go for a drive in the
country. 8 energy, effort, impetus, vigour, vim, spunk,
enterprise, industry, initiative, ambition, ambitiousness,
determination, persistence, urgency, zeal, enthusiasm, keenness,
aggressiveness, Colloq get-up-and-go, pep, zip, push, hustle:
She owes her success to her drive as well as her talent. 9
driveway, approach, (private) road or street, lane, byway,
(scenic) route: The drive up to the house is lined with trees.
10 campaign, effort, appeal, crusade: The club has had a
successful membership drive this year.
drivel v. 1 dribble, drool, slobber, slaver: You're drivelling all
over the front of your shirt! 2 babble, prate, prattle, gibber,
jabber, burble, gabble, chatter, blether or US blather, Colloq
jibber-jabber, gab, Brit rabbit or witter or natter on, US run
off at the mouth: She keeps drivelling on about her family.
--n. 3 gibberish, rubbish, (stuff and) nonsense, twaddle,
balderdash, hogwash, Colloq eyewash, tripe, garbage, malarkey,
hooey, hot air, bosh, boloney or baloney, Slang crap, bull,
bilge (water), codswallop, US horse feathers, Taboo bullshit,
balls, Brit (load of old) cobblers: I've never heard so much
drivel from a candidate in my entire life!
droop v. 1 sag, hang (down), wilt, dangle: Flags drooped in the
windless heat. 2 languish, weaken, flag, wilt, wither, be limp,
slump, sag: Halfway through the marathon she began to droop a
bit.
drop n. 1 globule, bead, drip, droplet, tear: A drop of sweat hung
from his nose. 2 bit, spot, particle, taste, dram, sip, nip,
pinch, dash, dab, Colloq smidgen or smidgin: Add a drop of milk
before kneading the dough. 3 descent, fall: There was a sheer
drop of a thousand feet from the ledge into the chasm below. 4
decline, slope, fall-off, drop-off, declivity, incline: The
drop is about 15 feet in 100.
--v. 5 drip, trickle, dribble: As the water drops, filling the
tube, the float rises. 6 fall, descend, sink, drop away or down
or off, dive, plunge, plummet, decline, collapse: The barometer
dropped 10 millibars in 10 minutes. Near that rock, the road
drops to the beach. At the first shot, we dropped to the ground.
7 desert, forsake, give up, abandon, leave, quit, throw over,
jilt, discard, reject, repudiate, renounce, Colloq chuck, ditch,
dump; relinquish, let go, discontinue, stop, cease, end: After
what he said, she dropped him like a hot potato. I wish you'd
drop the subject of my disability. 8 release, let go of, shed,
cast off, discard, doff: Deciduous trees drop their leaves in
winter. 9 omit, leave out, exclude, eliminate: To avoid
confusion with his father, he dropped his middle initial. 10
dismiss, let go, fire, discharge, oust, Colloq chiefly Brit
sack, give (someone) the sack: They dropped her after a week's
trial. 11 decline, decrease, drop or fall off, diminish,
slacken, slack or taper off, subside, lessen: Demand for
swimsuits drops during the winter. 12 drop in (on). visit, call
(on), pop in (on), come by, stop in: Viola dropped in for tea
yesterday. 13 drop out. withdraw (from), leave; rusticate,
depart, decamp, go away or off, take off, turn off: She dropped
out of school. After winning the award, Crater dropped out and
hasn't been seen since.
drown v. 1 flood, inundate, swamp, deluge, drench, immerse, submerge,
engulf: The village was completely drowned in the tidal wave.
2 overwhelm, overcome, overpower, engulf, swamp, deluge,
inundate: We were almost drowned by the responses to our
advertisement.
drowsy adj. sleepy, heavy-lidded, groggy, somnolent, dozy, oscitant;
nodding, yawning; torpid, sluggish, tired, weary, listless,
lethargic, lazy: We all felt a bit drowsy after that big
dinner.
drudgery n. toil, labour, moil, travail, (hack) work, donkey-work,
chore, slog, slogging, slavery, Colloq grind, sweat, Brit
skivvying, fag: She wanted some relief from the sheer drudgery
of housework.
drug n. 1 medication, medicine, medicament, pharmaceutical, remedy,
cure, treatment; cure-all, panacea: My doctor prescribes too
many drugs. 2 opiate, narcotic, stimulant, tranquillizer,
antidepressant, hallucinogen(ic), psychedelic, hypnotic,
soporific, sedative, analgesic, painkiller, Slang dope, downer,
upper: Can they control the traffic in drugs?
--v. 3 dose, medicate, treat: I was drugged with
antihistamines and unable to drive. 4 anaesthetize, dope,
deaden, knock out, sedate, stupefy, numb, benumb, dull,
narcotize; poison, Slang slip (someone) a Mickey (Finn): The
victim had been drugged and kidnapped.
druggist n. pharmacist, apothecary, Brit chemist: Only a druggist is
qualified to dispense this medication.
drunk adj. 1 drunken, intoxicated, inebriated, besotted, tipsy,
groggy, sotted, crapulent or crapulous, in one's cups, under the
weather, under the influence, maudlin, ebriate, ebriose,
ebrious, Colloq soused, pickled, high (as a kite), tight,
boozed, boozy, lit (up), half-seas-over, three or four sheets to
the wind, out (cold), under the table, Brit squiffy; Slang
pie-eyed, loaded, stoned, stewed (to the gills), (well-)oiled,
bombed (out of one's mind), crocked, plastered, tanked, sloshed,
polluted, stinko, smashed, blotto, pissed: He was so drunk he
tried to fly. 2 exhilarated, excited, exuberant, invigorated,
inspirited, animated, ecstatic; flushed, feverish, inflamed,
aflame, fervent, fervid, delirious: Since he became a director,
he's been drunk with power.
--n. 3 drunkard, drinker, toper, tippler, sot, soak, bibber,
winebibber; dipsomaniac, alcoholic, problem drinker; Colloq
guzzler, swiller, sponge, Slang wino, boozer, dipso, lush,
souse, alky, US juicer, juice-head, rummy: The drunks who
volunteered were registered for treatment. 4 carouse,
bacchanal, carousal, bacchanalia, revel, Slang bender, tear,
jag, bat, US and Canadian toot, Chiefly Brit pub-crawl: I went
off on a wild drunk the night before my wedding.
drunkenness
n. intoxication, insobriety, intemperance, sottishness,
bibulousness, inebriety, crapulence, crapulousness, tipsiness,
ebriety; dipsomania, alcoholism, ebriosity; Colloq boozing,
Slang hitting the bottle or US the sauce: Only a psychiatrist
could help cure his drunkenness.
dry adj. 1 dehydrated, desiccated, arid, sear, parched, waterless,
moistureless; barren, bare, fruitless: With no rain for a
month, the dry earth yielded no crops. 2 dreary, boring,
tedious, tiresome, wearisome, wearying, tiring, dull,
uninteresting, monotonous, prosaic, commonplace, stale,
uninspired; plain, unadorned, unembellished: The minister's
speech was as dry as could be, a litany of dry statistics. 3
witty, droll, wry, cynical, biting, sarcastic, cutting, keen,
sly, ironic: Oscar Wilde was known for his dry witticisms.
--v. 4 dehydrate, desiccate, parch: As the rainfall subsided,
the land dried and changed into a desert. 5 dry up or out,
wither, shrivel, shrink, wilt: The plants dried because they
weren't watered.
duck v. 1 bob, dodge, dip, dive, stoop, bow, bend, crouch: I ducked
to avoid hitting my head on the beam. 2 plunge, submerge,
immerse, dunk: In the pool, she ducked me when I least expected
it. 3 avoid, sidestep, evade, dodge, elude, shun, steer clear
of, shy away from; shirk: He is known for ducking his
responsibilities.
dud n. 1 failure, Colloq flop, lead balloon, lemon, washout, Colloq
US and Canadian dog, clinker: Her second novel certainly proved
a dud - it sold only ten copies.
--adj. 2 worthless, valueless, broken, unusable, useless,
inoperative, non-functioning, inoperative, malfunctioning,
Colloq kaput, bust(ed), Brit duff: They deliberately supplied
us with dud ammunition.
dude n. 1 dandy, fop, fancy dresser, Beau Brummell, popinjay,
boulevardier, man about town, Archaic coxcomb, macaroni; Slang
swell, Brit toff: He dressed like a real dude - zoot suit and
all. 2 man, fellow, chap, Colloq guy: Hey, man, who's that
dude in the tartan suit?
due adj. 1 payable, owed, owing, unpaid, outstanding, in arrears:
The rent is due tomorrow. 2 fitting, right, rightful, correct,
proper, appropriate, apropos, apposite, suitable, apt, meet;
deserved, (well-)earned, merited, just, justified: Was she
treated with due respect? 3 necessary, needed, adequate,
sufficient, enough, satisfactory; ample, plenty of: I do not
think my case was given due consideration. 4 expected,
scheduled, anticipated: He was due on the two o'clock plane.
--adv. 5 directly, exactly, precisely, straight: Go due east
to the river, then turn north.
dues n.pl. (membership) fee, charge(s): If you have not paid your
dues, you may not use the club's facilities.
duff adj. bad, useless, worthless, unworkable, inoperable,
inoperative, broken; fake, false, counterfeit, Colloq dud,
phoney or US also phony: We couldn't get that duff radio to
work. We were provided with duff papers for crossing the border.
duffer n. incompetent, blunderer, bungler, oaf, Colloq ox, lummox: He
may be an expert at computers but he's a duffer at golf.
dull adj. 1 stupid, slow-witted, dense, stolid, bovine, cloddish,
clod-like, backward, obtuse, doltish, crass, dumb, Colloq thick,
dim, dim-witted, Brit dim as a Toc H lamp: He might be a dull
student but he's a brilliant artist. 2 insensitive, numb,
insensible, imperceptive or impercipient, unresponsive,
indifferent, unfeeling, unsympathetic, callous, hardened, hard,
inured, obtundent: He knew that he could expect only a dull
response to his pleading. 3 lifeless, indifferent,
unresponsive, sluggish, slow, listless, inactive, torpid: The
market for luxury cars is a little dull now. 4 boring,
tiresome, tedious, monotonous, uninspired, uninspiring,
unoriginal, uninteresting, humdrum: All work and no play make
Jack a dull boy. 5 dismal, dreary, depressing, sombre, grey,
dark, murky, gloomy, cloudy, clouded, overcast, sunless: If the
day is dull, the photographs will show it. 6 blunted, blunt;
obtuse: I nicked myself with that dull razor. 7 hazy, blurry,
opaque, drab: Rub the dull film off that silver goblet. 8
muffled, numbing, deadened, muted, indistinct: I've had a dull
pain in my arm all day.
--v. 9 allay, assuage, relieve, mitigate, lessen, reduce:
Weeping dulls the inner pain. 10 dim, tarnish, obscure, bedim,
blur, cloud, becloud: A mist dulled the rich colours of the
glen. 11 stupefy, narcotize, numb, benumb, desensitize, deaden,
blunt, obtund: His war experiences had dulled his feelings
towards others.
duly adv. 1 properly, fittingly, deservedly, appropriately,
suitably, befittingly, rightly, correctly, accordingly: Those
elected were duly installed in office. 2 punctually, on time:
The train duly arrived.
dumb adj. 1 mute, speechless, voiceless; silent, quiet, taciturn,
mum, wordless; inarticulate: She was struck dumb with
astonishment. 2 dull, stupid, Colloq thick: He's too dumb to
understand what you are saying.
dumbfound v. dumfound, amaze, shock, surprise, startle, astonish,
astound, bewilder, stagger, stun, floor, nonplus, confuse,
confound, Colloq flabbergast, bowl over: Their offer for the
house dumbfounded us.
dumbfounded
adj. dumfounded, amazed, shocked, surprised, startled,
astonished, astounded, bewildered, staggered, floored,
nonplussed, overwhelmed, speechless, stunned, thunderstruck,
dazzled, dazed, dumbstruck, taken aback, confused, confounded,
bemused, perplexed, baffled, disconcerted, Colloq bowled over,
flabbergasted, knocked out, thrown (off), US thrown for a loss,
Brit knocked for six, knocked sideways: She is dumbfounded that
he proposed marriage.
dummy n. 1 mannequin, manikin or mannikin, model, figure: I saw the
coat on a dummy in the shop window. 2 sample, copy, reprint,
reproduction, likeness, substitution, imitation, sham, mock-up,
simulation, Colloq phoney or US also phony: Those aren't the
real crown jewels, they're just dummies. 3 fool, idiot, dunce,
blockhead, ninny, ass, dolt, numskull or numbskull, simpleton,
Colloq dim-wit, US thimble-wit: They're such dummies they don't
know that you're joking. 4 US pacifier: Give the baby the
dummy to suck.
dump v. 1 unload, offload, empty, drop, deposit, throw or fling
down, tip: They dumped the topsoil all over the path. 2 get
rid of, throw away, scrap, discard, ditch, jettison, dispose of,
reject, tip, toss out or away, Colloq junk, chuck out or away:
We dumped all the food when the fridge broke down.
--n. 3 junk-yard, rubbish heap or Brit tip, US garbage dump:
You'll have to take this garden refuse to the dump.
dumpy adj. stocky, pudgy, squat, chunky, chubby, tubby, stout, plump,
portly, fat: No one with a dumpy figure looks good in shorts.
dun v. press, importune, solicit, plague, nag, pester, Slang US
bug: The gas company has been dunning me to pay the bill.
dung n. manure, muck, droppings, cow-pats, fertilizer, guano,
excrement, faeces or US feces, US cow or buffalo-chips,
horse-apples, Taboo shit: The dung is spread on the fields.
dungeon n. donjon, keep, cell, prison, lock-up, oubliette, black hole,
stronghold: Throw the infidels into the dungeon and give them
twenty lashes!
dupe n. 1 fool, gull, victim, fair game, Colloq chump, Chiefly US
and Canadian fall guy; Slang sucker, sap, boob, pushover,
pigeon, mark, Brit mug, Chiefly US and Canadian patsy:
Swindlers often choose tourists as likely dupes. 2 cat's-paw,
pawn, tool, puppet, Slang stooge: I'm not going to be the dupe
in your little game!
--v. 3 deceive, fool, outwit, cheat, trick, take in, defraud,
humbug, hoax, swindle, hoodwink, bilk, gull, cozen, delude,
mislead, snooker, victimize, Colloq bamboozle, flimflam, put one
over on, pull a fast one on; Slang con, rip off, rook, take, US
and Canadian snow, do a snow job on: She was duped into
believing she had won the lottery.
duplicate adj. 1 identical; twin, matching: They sent me duplicate
tickets by mistake.
--n. 2 (exact or carbon) copy, photocopy, machine copy, double,
clone, (perfect) match, facsimile, twin, reproduction, replica,
replication, look-alike, Trade Mark Xerox (copy), Slang (dead)
ringer: This painting looks like a duplicate of the one you
bought.
--v. 3 copy, photocopy, clone, match, replicate, imitate,
reproduce, double, Trade Mark Xerox; repeat, equal: Would you
please duplicate this letter for me? Can he duplicate his
performance in the Commonwealth Games?
durable adj. enduring, long-lasting, stable, wear-resistant,
heavy-duty, hard-wearing, long-wearing, lasting, persistent,
indestructible, substantial, sturdy, tough, stout, strong, firm,
sound, fixed, fast, permanent, dependable, reliable: The
product is durable, guaranteed to last a lifetime.
duress n. 1 coercion, threat, pressure, constraint, compulsion; force,
power: The boys wash the dishes only under duress. 2
confinement, imprisonment, incarceration, captivity, restraint,
Literary durance: There were workhouses, prisons, and other
forms of duress.
dusk n. twilight, sundown, nightfall, evening, sunset, dark,
eventide: The workers came in from the fields at dusk.
dusky adj. 1 dark, black, ebony, sable, jet-black; swarthy, swart,
dark-complected, dark-complexioned: 'Dusky diamonds' is another
name for coal. A dusky gentleman offered to see her home safely.
2 shadowy, shady, dim, dark, unilluminated, unlit, murky,
subfusc, subfuscous, gloomy, obscure: An ominous figure was
lurking in the dusky area under the stairs.
dutiful adj. obedient, compliant, willing, obliging, filial, faithful,
conscientious, reliable, responsible, diligent, attentive,
punctilious, respectful, polite, considerate, deferential,
submissive, yielding, acquiescent, malleable, flexible, pliant,
accommodating, Formal or archaic duteous: A dutiful son, he
visits his parents weekly.
duty n. 1 responsibility, obligation, burden, onus, devoir, office,
work, task, assignment, job, stint, chore, occupation, calling,
function, role, part, bit, charge: Every man is expected to do
his duty. 2 respect, deference, loyalty, fealty, fidelity,
faithfulness, allegiance: I think she did it out of a sense of
duty to her family. 3 tax, excise, tariff, impost, levy,
customs: You will have to pay duty on that whisky.
dwarf v. overshadow, dominate, diminish, minimize: The new tower
dwarfs the older buildings.
dwell v. 1 reside, abide, live, lodge, stay, remain, rest, Formal
domicile: After the father's death, the mother dwelt with her
daughter. 2 dwell on or upon. harp on, persist in, emphasize,
stress, focus on, linger or tarry over, elaborate (on); labour:
Why must you always dwell on a person's shortcomings?
dwelling n. abode, habitation, dwelling-place, house, domicile, lodging,
quarters, home, residence, homestead: His dwelling is a shanty
in old shanty town.
dwindle v. diminish, decrease, shrink, lessen, wane, fade, contract,
condense, reduce, peter out, waste away, die out or down or
away, ebb, decline, subside, taper off, shrivel (up or away):
The last days of summer dwindled away. His funds have dwindled
until today he has nothing.
dying adj. expiring; sinking, slipping away, going, failing, fading
(fast), at death's door, on one's deathbed, with one foot in the
grave, in extremis; moribund: The doctor said the dying man was
in no pain.
dynamic adj. dynamical, vigorous, active, forceful, energetic, potent,
powerful, high-powered, lively, spry, vital, electric, spirited,
zealous, eager, emphatic: We are seeking a dynamic salesman for
our Reading office.
dynamism n. energy, vigour, pep, vitality, liveliness, spirit,
spiritedness, forcefulness, power, drive, initiative,
enterprise, Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, push: That woman has the
dynamism needed to get ahead in this organization.
dynasty n. line, family, heritage, house: The Ming dynasty ruled China
for more than 300 years.
5.0 E
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eager adj. avid, zealous, ardent, earnest, keen, enthusiastic, hot,
hungry, fervent, fervid, passionate, spirited, inspirited,
energetic, energized, vehement, animated, excited, vitalized,
stimulated; desirous, yearning, desiring, craving, wanting,
longing, itchy, impatient; anxious; Colloq dying, Slang US hot
to trot: We were particularly eager to spend our holiday in
Spain.
eagerness n. 1 avidity, zeal, earnestness, keenness, enthusiasm, fervour,
hunger, vehemence, animation, vitality, appetite, zest, relish,
spirit, spiritedness, gusto, verve, dash, ‚lan, vim, vigour,
energy, Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, go: Such eagerness for
learning is rare. In his eagerness to please everyone he
satisfies no one. 2 desire, longing, wishing, yearning: He
observed the eagerness, the open hunger, with which she now
waited for Mr Browning.
eagle-eyed
adj. sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, keen-eyed, keen-sighted,
lynx-eyed, hawk-eyed; perceptive, perspicacious, discerning,
sharp, watchful, alert: It would be impossible to deceive our
eagle-eyed supervisor.
ear n. 1 attention, heed, notice, regard, consideration: See if
you can get his ear for a moment between meetings. 2
sensitivity, appreciation, taste, discrimination: She has an
excellent ear for the right expression.
early adv. 1 beforehand, ahead (of time), prematurely: I arrived too
early and had to wait. 2 anciently, initially, originally, at
or near the start or beginning: Plants appeared early in the
development of life forms on earth. 3 betimes, at cock crow or
cock's-crow, at (the crack or break of) dawn, at daybreak:
You're up early this morning!
--adj. 4 untimely, premature; inopportune, inappropriate: The
early fruit isn't as sweet. 5 initial, beginning, original,
first, pioneer, advanced: He was one of the earliest writers on
the subject. 6 primeval, primitive, primordial, ancient, old,
prehistoric, antediluvian, original; antique, antiquated: The
Olduvai Gorge has yielded up many early humanoid fossils.
earn v. 1 merit, deserve, be worthy of, be entitled to, win,
warrant, rate, qualify for, have a claim or right to: Peter has
earned everyone's respect. 2 make, pocket, gross, net, clear,
realize, receive, get, procure, collect, reap, bring in, take
home; draw, Colloq US pull down: It is still the case that most
men earn more than their wives.
earnest adj. 1 serious, solemn, grave, sober, intense, steady,
resolute, resolved, firm, determined, assiduous, sincere,
dedicated, committed, devoted, thoughtful: He made an earnest
promise to do his best. 2 zealous, ardent, diligent, assiduous,
industrious, hard-working, devoted, eager, conscientious, keen,
fervent, fervid, enthusiastic, passionate: Burbridge is an
earnest pupil. 3 earnest-money. deposit, down payment, binder,
handsel, guarantee, security, pledge: The company paid њ10,000
earnest-money to secure the bid.
--n. 4 in earnest. serious, sincere: She said she would come,
but I doubt whether she was in earnest.
earnings n.pl. wages, salary, income, compensation, pay, stipend,
emolument, proceeds, return, revenue, yield, takings, Slang
take: The interest from tax-free bonds was not included in my
earnings.
earth n. 1 globe, mother earth, planet, world, blue planet, Terra:
Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere may be threatening life
on earth. 2 soil, dirt, loam, sod, clay, turf, ground, mould:
Pack the earth firmly around the roots.
earthly adj. 1 terrestrial, terrene, telluric: Extraterrestrial beings
might be unable to survive in our earthly atmosphere. 2 worldly,
mundane, material, materialistic, physical, non-spiritual,
sensual, carnal, fleshly, corporeal, base, natural: He has
forsaken earthly pleasures in favour of spiritual pursuits. 3
human, temporal, secular, profane, mortal, physical,
non-spiritual, material: His earthly remains were committed to
the sea. 4 conceivable, imaginable, feasible, possible: What
earthly reason could she have had for kissing me?
earthy adj. ribald, bawdy, unrefined, coarse, crude, shameless,
wanton, uninhibited, abandoned, vulgar, lusty, rough, dirty,
indecent, obscene: She found Henry Miller's books a bit too
earthy for her tastes.
ease n. 1 comfort, repose, well-being, relaxation, leisure, rest,
contentment, calmness, tranquillity, serenity, peacefulness,
peace, peace and quiet: After 50 years of hard work, she felt
entitled to a few years of ease. 2 easiness, simplicity,
facility, effortlessness, adeptness: He passed the other
runners with ease. 3 affluence, wealth, prosperity, luxury,
opulence, abundance, plenty: He has always led a life of ease,
never having had to work. 4 naturalness, informality,
unaffectedness, ingenuousness, casualness, artlessness,
insouciance, nonchalance, aplomb; unconcern: I admire the ease
with which she converses with complete strangers.
--v. 5 comfort, relax, calm, tranquillize, quieten, still,
pacify, soothe, disburden: It eased his mind to learn that
there was a reserve budget for emergencies. 6 lessen, diminish,
abate, mitigate, reduce, decrease, allay, alleviate, assuage,
mollify, appease, palliate, quiet, relieve: Her anxiety was
considerably eased by the news that John would not need an
operation after all. 7 manoeuvre, manipulate, inch, guide,
steer, slip: The helmsman eased the ship into dock. 8
facilitate, expedite, simplify, smooth, further, clear, assist,
aid, advance, forward, help: Having a wealthy father eased her
way in life.
easily adv. 1 smoothly, effortlessly, readily, simply, handily,
without a hitch, hands down, without even trying, comfortably,
with no or without difficulty, Colloq easy as pie: You can
easily tackle the job yourself. 2 by far, beyond or without
doubt or question, indisputably, indubitably, undoubtedly,
doubtless(ly), unquestionably, clearly, far and away,
definitely, definitively, conclusively, certainly, surely,
undeniably, obviously, patently: He is easily the best lawyer
in the firm. 3 probably, most or very likely, well, almost
certainly: We may easily be the first in Hampton to have
plaster flamingos on the lawn.
easy adj. 1 simple, effortless, plain, clear, straightforward, hands
down, uncomplicated, elementary, foolproof; easy as pie, easy as
can be: Feeding goldfish is an easy job that children can
undertake for themselves. 2 carefree, easygoing, casual,
lenient, undemanding, relaxed, quiet, serene, restful, tranquil,
peaceful, untroubled, undisturbed, unoppressive, gentle, mild,
calm, comfortable, cosy, unhurried, leisurely: He has a pretty
easy life now that he's retired. 3 light, lenient, undemanding,
mild, flexible, indulgent, tolerant: You really should be easy
on him after what he's been through. 4 tractable, pliant,
docile, compliant, submissive, acquiescent, amenable,
accommodating, soft, suggestible, credulous, trusting, weak,
easygoing: He was an easy victim for confidence tricksters. She
has the reputation of being a woman of easy virtue. 5
unstrained, gentle, moderate, unhurried, leisurely, even,
steady, undemanding, comfortable, unexacting: They kept up an
easy pace of about five miles a hour. 6 affable, friendly,
amiable, amicable, agreeable, outgoing, informal, unceremonious,
down-to-earth, unreserved, relaxing, natural, relaxed,
easygoing: We found them easy to be with.
--adv. 7 effortlessly; calmly, unexcitedly, temperately,
peacefully, tranquilly, serenely, nonchalantly, casually: Take
it easy and don't get so worked up about things.
eat v. dine, lunch, breakfast, sup, break bread, snack, have a
bite; consume, devour, take (in) nourishment, Colloq put or pack
away, Slang nosh, put or tie on the nosebag or US and Canadian
feed-bag: I'm not hungry, thank you: I've already eaten.
eavesdrop v. listen in, tap, overhear, snoop; spy, pry: They were
eavesdropping on our conversation, that's how they knew about
Martha.
ebb v. 1 recede, flow back, subside, go out, go down; fall back or
away, retreat, retrocede, retire: The tide ebbed, leaving the
boat stranded. 2 decline, flag, decay, wane, diminish,
decrease, drop, slacken, fade (away), drain (away), dwindle,
peter out, waste (away), deteriorate: His enthusiasm for
exercise is beginning to ebb.
--n. 3 low tide, low water, ebb tide, low point: The rocks
appear when the sea is at its ebb. 4 decline, decay, decrease,
diminution, wane, drop, slackening (off), dwindling, lessening,
deterioration, degeneration: She was no longer willing to
contend with the ebb and flow of his temper.
ebullient adj. bubbling, overflowing, effervescent, excited, effusive,
exhilarated, elated, buoyant, exuberant, enthusiastic, zestful:
The crowd was ebullient at the news from Mafeking.
eccentric adj. 1 unconventional, unusual, uncommon, idiosyncratic,
anomalous, unorthodox, out of the ordinary, irregular, atypical,
incongruous, errant, aberrant, exceptional, individual,
singular, unique; abnormal, odd, peculiar, strange, curious,
bizarre, outlandish, queer, quaint, quirky, weird, offbeat,
Colloq far-out, kinky, cranky: Yes, I would agree that walking
a canary is a bit eccentric.
--n. 2 original, individualist, nonconformist, queer fellow,
odd fish, Colloq character, card, freak, (nut) case, crank,
oddball, weirdo or weirdie, US oner: In today's conformist
society, anyone who isn't a carbon copy of his neighbour is
regarded as an eccentric.
eccentricity
n. 1 unconventionality, unusualness, uncommonness,
irregularity, nonconformity, individuality, individualism,
singularity, uniqueness, strangeness, oddness, bizarreness,
distinctiveness, capriciousness, weirdness: Why should someone
be criticized for eccentricity? 2 idiosyncrasy, quirk,
peculiarity, mannerism, crotchet, aberration, anomaly, oddity,
curiosity, caprice: Eating crackers in bed is only one of her
eccentricities.
echo n. 1 reverberation, repercussion, repetition, iteration,
reiteration: The echo of the church bells could be heard
throughout the valley. 2 imitation, copy, replica or
replication, duplication, reproduction, simulation, facsimile;
reflection, mirror image, repetition: Modern Rome is but a
feeble echo of its glorious past.
--v. 3 resound, reverberate, ring: The hall echoed with
children's laughter. 4 imitate, ape, parrot, mimic, copy,
duplicate, reproduce, simulate, repeat, emulate, mirror,
reflect: The poems are unoriginal and merely echo the works of
others.
eclipse v. 1 conceal, hide, blot out, obscure, block, veil, shroud,
cover, darken: A black cloud eclipsed the moon. 2 overshadow,
obscure, surpass, top, outshine: His career was eclipsed by his
wife's brilliant successes.
--n. 3 concealment, covering, hiding, blocking, blockage,
occultation, obscuring, obscuration, darkening, shading,
dimming: Though good may suffer an eclipse, it can never be
extinguished. 4 decline, downturn, slump; recession: After the
scandal, her career went into eclipse.
economic adj. 1 financial, fiscal, pecuniary, monetary, budgetary;
commercial, mercantile, trade: The economic indicators for July
affected the markets. 2 profitable, cost-effective,
money-making, remunerative, productive; solvent: Increased
demand for our products has made the company economic.
economical
adj. 1 cost-effective, money-saving, thrifty, unwasteful;
cheap, inexpensive, reasonable; economic: This car is very
economical to run. 2 provident, thrifty, sparing, economizing,
prudent, conservative, frugal; parsimonious, penurious, stingy,
cheap, miserly, niggardly, tight, close-fisted, tight-fisted,
mean, penny-pinching, scrimping: Aunt Gertrude was always a
very economical housekeeper.
economize v. save, cut back, husband, retrench; tighten one's belt, cut
corners or costs, scrimp, skimp, pinch pennies: Without the
extra income, we'll have to economize on something.
economy n. 1 thrift, husbandry, thriftiness, conservation,
conservatism, saving, restraint, control, frugality: We'll have
to exercise economy to get through the winter. 2 brevity,
briefness, succinctness, terseness, conciseness, concision,
compactness, restraint, curtness: He manages to get his ideas
across with an admirable economy of language.
ecstasy n. 1 delight, joy, rapture, bliss, transport, nympholepsy or
nympholepsia, happiness, gladness, elation, pleasure, enjoyment,
gratification; heaven on earth: The prospect of being with her
again filled me with ecstasy. 2 exaltation, frenzy, thrill,
elation, paroxysm, excitement: The ecstasy of space flight is
impossible to describe.
ecstatic adj. exhilarated, thrilled, exultant, blissful, euphoric,
rapturous, enraptured, nympholeptic, enchanted, transported,
rhapsodic, excited, elated, delighted, joyful, gleeful,
overjoyed, happy, glad, beside oneself, delirious, orgasmic,
Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon, in the seventh heaven,
cock-a-hoop, US in seventh heaven, flying: Our team had won an
Olympic gold medal, and we were truly ecstatic.
eddy n. 1 swirl, whirl, vortex, gurgitation; whirlpool, maelstrom,
Charybdis; dust devil, whirlwind, twister, tornado, cyclone,
typhoon, hurricane; waterspout: These treacherous eddies are
caused by tidal changes.
--v. 2 swirl, whirl, turn, spin: The wind eddied round us,
driving the dinghy this way and that.
edge n. 1 brink, verge, border, side, rim, lip, brim; fringe,
margin, boundary, bound, limit, bourn, perimeter, periphery: I
was hanging on to the very edge of the cliff. The edge of the
handkerchief was trimmed with lace. 2 acuteness, sharpness,
keenness: That hunting knife has quite an edge. 3 harshness,
sharpness, acrimony, pungency, force, urgency, effectiveness,
incisiveness, causticity, virulence, vehemence: There was an
edge to her voice when she told me not to bother her. 4
advantage, head start, superiority, lead, upper hand: You're
holding the gun, so I guess you have the edge on me. 5 on edge.
on tenterhooks, nervous, touchy, sensitive, prickly, itchy,
tense, irascible, crabbed, irritable, peevish, apprehensive,
with one's heart in one's mouth, edgy, anxious, ill at ease,
restive, restless, fidgety, Colloq uptight, like a cat on a hot
tin roof: She was on edge waiting for the exam results.
--v. 6 inch, move, sidle, crawl, creep, steal, worm, work
(one's way): The burglar was edging along the wall, 30 storeys
above the street.
edible adj. eatable, esculent, palatable, good or fit (to eat),
wholesome, Rare comestible: After the sell-by date, fresh food
is no longer considered edible.
edification
n. enlightenment, improvement, uplifting, enlightening,
guidance, education, information, tuition, teaching, schooling,
instruction: The exhibition is designed for both edification
and enjoyment.
edit v. 1 redact, copy-edit, rewrite, rephrase, modify, alter,
adapt, change, revise, correct, emend, style, restyle, polish,
touch up: His job is to edit the stories into idiomatic
English. 2 Often, edit out. blue-pencil, cut (out), delete,
censor, erase, bleep, blip; bowdlerize, expurgate, clean up:
They edited out all his slanderous asides before broadcasting
the interview. 3 cut, condense, compress, shorten, crop, reduce:
The story has to be edited so that it fits on one page. 4
prepare, compile, assemble, select, arrange, organize, order,
reorganize, reorder: Margoliouth edited the collected letters
of Andrew Marvell.
edition n. number, issue, printing, print run; copy; version: The
first Monday edition carried the news of the break-in, and a
later edition reported the detention of a suspect.
editor n. rewrite man or woman, rewriter, copy editor, redactor,
reviser; writer, columnist, journalist, editorial writer, Brit
leader-writer; editor-in-chief, managing editor, senior editor;
compiler, collector: The editor sent the reporter out to check
the facts of the story.
editorial n. Brit leader, leading article; op-ed article, think-piece,
opinion piece, position statement; essay, article, column: Did
you see the editorial about the Middle East situation in today's
paper?
educate v. teach, train, instruct, edify, tutor, school, inform,
enlighten, indoctrinate, inculcate, coach, drill, prepare,
ready, rear, bring up, cultivate, develop, civilize: It is the
responsibility of the state to educate the people.
educated adj. 1 cultivated, cultured, erudite, well-read, lettered,
literary, scholarly, learned; (well-)informed, knowledgeable,
enlightened: There is no real evidence that educated people
enjoy greater job satisfaction than those who leave school at
16. I haven't got the answer, but I could make an educated
guess. 2 refined, polished, cultivated, civilized; discerning,
critical, sensitive: She has an educated palate and really
knows her wines.
education n. 1 teaching, schooling, training, instruction, tuition,
tutelage, edification, tutoring, cultivation, upbringing,
indoctrination, drilling: His education was in the hands of
monks until he was twelve. 2 learning, lore, knowledge,
information, erudition: Education is gained from the experience
of others. 3 lesson, course (of study): The inhabitants gave
her an education in how to survive in the wilderness.
educational
adj. 1 academic, scholastic, pedagogical, instructional: This
is one of the best educational centres in the world. 2
informative, instructive, enlightening, edifying, eye-opening,
revelatory, educative: A year spent abroad is always
educational.
eerie adj. frightening, weird, strange, uncanny, ghostly, spectral,
dreadful, unearthly, frightful Poetic or Scots eldritch, Scots
mysterious, Colloq scary, creepy, spooky: I had the eeriest
feeling I was being watched.
effect n. 1 result, consequence, outcome, conclusion, upshot,
aftermath, impact: The effects of the storm could be seen
everywhere. 2 effectiveness, efficacy, force, power, capacity,
potency, influence, impression, impact, Colloq clout, punch:
His threats had no effect. 3 significance, meaning,
signification, purport, sense, essence, drift, implication,
import, tenor, purpose, intent, intention, object, objective:
She said 'Get lost', or words to that effect. 4 impact,
impression, form, sensation: He didn't mean that, he just said
it for effect. 5 in effect. effectively, virtually, for (all)
practical purposes, so to speak, more or less; actually, in
(point of) fact, really, essentially, basically, at bottom, in
truth, truly, to all intents and purposes, at the end of the
day, any way you look at it: She always spoke of him as her
adopted son and this, in effect, was what he was. 6 take effect.
become operative or operational, come into force, begin or start
to work or function or operate: The regulation doesn't take
effect till next week.
--v. 7 bring about, cause, make happen or take place,
effectuate, achieve, accomplish, secure, obtain, make, execute,
carry out, produce, create: The opposition was unable to effect
any change in the law.
effective adj. 1 effectual, efficacious, productive; capable, useful,
serviceable, competent, operative, able, functional, efficient:
The effective life of the battery is six months. 2 impressive,
remarkable, noticeable, conspicuous, outstanding, striking,
powerful, compelling, moving, telling, effectual: The stage
setting was very effective. 3 operative, operational, in
operation, functioning, real, actual, essential, basic, true:
The monthly interest may seem low, but the effective annual rate
is much higher.
effects n.pl. belongings, (personal) property, gear, possessions,
stuff, things, paraphernalia, chattels, goods, Colloq junk,
crap, Brit clobber, Taboo slang US shit: His personal effects
were left scattered around the house.
effectual adj. 1 effective, efficacious, efficient, functional,
productive, useful, telling, influential, powerful, forcible,
forceful; capable, adequate: What is the most effectual way of
stopping a take-over of the company? 2 effective, in force,
legal, lawful, binding, sound, valid: You must register the
agreement for it to be effectual.
effectuate
v. bring about, effect, carry out, implement, accomplish, do,
execute, realize, achieve; cause, make happen: It is unclear
just how she will effectuate her escape.
effeminate
adj. unmanly, womanish, womanly, sissy, weak, campy; gay,
homosexual; Slang Brit bent, poncey, US limp-wristed, faggy,
faggoty: He's too effeminate to play the part of Othello.
effervescent
n. 1 bubbling, fizzy, carbonated, sparkling, fizzing, gassy;
foaming, foamy, frothing, frothy, bubbly: I prefer effervescent
mineral water to still. 2 bubbling, bubbly, high-spirited,
vivacious, ebullient, lively, exuberant, buoyant, animated,
lively, exhilarated, excited, enthusiastic, irrepressible:
Jeanette's effervescent personality endeared her to everyone who
met her.
efficacious
adj. effective, effectual, productive, competent, successful,
efficient, useful, serviceable; capable: He was not very
efficacious in getting the council to change their policy.
efficiency
n. 1 effectiveness, efficacy, competence, capability,
adeptness, proficiency, expertness, expertise, know-how,
experience, skill, skilfulness, dexterity, adroitness: The
efficiency of the staff has been greatly improved. 2
productivity, effectiveness, efficaciousness: How does the
efficiency of a diesel compare with that of other engines?
efficient adj. unwasteful, economic, thrifty; effective, efficacious,
effectual, competent, productive, proficient, operative: The
technique for producing electrical power from tidal action has
not yet proved efficient.
effort n. 1 exertion, striving, struggle, strain, labour, pains,
energy, toil, application, trouble, travail, work, Colloq
elbow-grease: He's gone to a lot of effort to please her.
Getting the place cleaned up took a great deal of effort. 2
attempt, endeavour, essay, try, venture, Colloq stab, crack:
Her efforts to be pleasant met with a stony response. 3
achievement, accomplishment, creation, feat, deed, attainment,
exploit: Last year's fund-raising fair was a superb effort.
effortless
adj. easy (as pie or as A, B, C, or as 1, 2, 3), simple,
painless, smooth, trouble-free, uncomplicated: She admired the
apparently effortless grace of the dancer.
effrontery
n. impertinence, impudence, audacity, nerve, presumption,
presumptuousness, brazenness, boldness, insolence, temerity,
brashness, rashness, arrogance, front, indiscretion, Archaic
frowardness, Colloq gall, brass, nerve, cheek, lip, mouth, Slang
Brit side: He had the effrontery to call her 'Queenie'!
effusive adj. demonstrative, gushing, (over)enthusiastic, unrestrained,
unchecked, unreserved, expansive, emotional, exuberant,
rhapsodic, ebullient, lavish, voluble, profuse; fulsome: Her
aunt greeted her with an effusive outpouring of affection.
egoistic adj. egoistical, self-centred, egocentric, narcissistic,
self-seeking, self-absorbed, selfish, self-serving,
self-indulgent, self-important: She is too egoistic to consider
anyone but herself.
egotistical
adj. egotistic, conceited, proud, overweening, bragging,
boastful, boasting, swelled-headed or swell-headed or
swollen-headed, vain, vainglorious, self-worshipping,
self-admiring, vaunting, crowing: Considering his poor track
record, he has nothing to be so egotistical about.
eject v. 1 force or drive out, expel, oust, remove, get rid of,
evict, Colloq throw or kick or boot out: They were ejected for
causing a disturbance. 2 expel, emit, throw up or out, spew
(forth), discharge, spout, disgorge, vomit (up or forth), send
out or forth; ooze, exude, extravasate: The volcano ejected
boulders the size of houses. 3 discharge, dismiss, cashier,
drum out, lay off, declare or make redundant, Colloq fire, sack,
boot out, axe, give the sack or boot or axe, give (someone) his
or her marching orders or US also walking papers, send packing:
He was ejected for stealing paper clips.
ejection n. 1 expulsion, casting out or up, disgorgement, vomiting
forth, throwing out or up, discharge, emission, disgorging: The
ejection of lava was preceded by loud rumblings. 2 exile,
expulsion, banishment, deportation, ouster, removal; eviction,
dispossession: His ejection from the meeting angered his
supporters. My ejection by the landlord was illegal. 3
dismissal, discharge, cong‚, cashiering, lay-off, Colloq firing,
sacking, Slang the sack, the boot, the axe, the (old) heave-ho,
US the bounce: Business was bad, and the entire staff was faced
with ejection.
elaborate adj. 1 detailed, painstaking, meticulous, punctilious,
comprehensive, thorough, complete, exhaustive, intricate,
involved, minute, precise, exact: The escape had been worked
out in elaborate detail. 2 complicated, complex, convoluted,
ornate, fancy, Byzantine, laborious, laboured, extravagant,
showy; ornamented, decorated, baroque, rococo, busy, fussy,
gingerbread: We marvelled at the elaborate mosaics. His plan is
too elaborate and should be simplified.
--v. 3 ornament, decorate, complicate, embellish, garnish,
adorn: Later craftsmen elaborated the earlier Greek motifs. 4
enlarge, expand (upon or on), expatiate, develop, cultivate,
flesh out, enhance, refine, enrich, improve, better, ameliorate,
emend, polish: Later on, I shall elaborate on the recruitment
methods we used.
elaboration
n. 1 enhancement, refinement, enrichment, improvement,
amelioration, melioration, betterment; embellishment, adornment,
garnish, garnishment, decoration, over-decoration, gingerbread,
Slang bells and whistles: The customers always welcome
elaboration of the equipment. 2 enlargement, development,
amplification, expansion: The argument requires further
elaboration.
elapse v. pass (by), go (by), slip by or away, pass away, slide by,
glide by, transpire: Three weeks have elapsed since I last saw
her.
elastic adj. 1 flexible, stretchable, stretchy, stretch, bendable,
pliable, springy, plastic, extensile, extensible, expansible,
expandable, contractile, resilient, bouncy, compressible: Is it
elastic enough to stretch round that box? 2 adjustable,
adaptable, accommodating, flexible: The schedule for our main
project is elastic, so we can fit in additional tasks at very
short notice.
elasticity
n. 1 flexibility, resilience, rubberiness, plasticity,
ductility, springiness, stretchability, stretchiness, stretch,
suppleness, pliancy, Colloq give: Dry hair has no elasticity:
it's brittle and breaks easily when brushed or combed. 2
flexibility, adjustability, adaptability, tolerance, suppleness:
Their plan lacks the elasticity needed to accommodate changes.
elated adj. exhilarated, uplifted, elevated, gleeful, joyful,
jubilant, joyous, exultant, ecstatic, blissful, happy,
delighted, euphoric, overjoyed, excited, thrilled, transported,
pleased (as Punch), on top of the world, on cloud nine, Colloq
tickled, tickled pink, Brit chuffed, over the moon, in the
seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven: We were elated to learn
that our daughter had won first prize.
elder adj. 1 older, senior: My elder brother was born in 1930. 2
venerable, respected, (pre-)eminent; experienced, veteran:
Clemenceau was an elder statesman at the Geneva Convention.
--n. 3 senior, superior; patriarch, elder statesman, dean,
doyen or doyenne: Everyone paid great respect to the elders of
the tribe.
elderly adj. 1 old, past middle age, oldish, advanced in years, of
advanced age, along in years, grey, ageing, aged, venerable;
hoary, ancient, senescent, decrepit, superannuated; senile,
anile; Colloq over the hill, past it, long in the tooth, having
one foot in the grave, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish: Today, a
person isn't considered elderly till he's past 65.
--n. 2 the elderly. the retired, the old, senior citizens,
pensioners, O.A.P.'s, old-age pensioners, golden-agers, Colloq
old-timers, (old) geezers, (old) fogies or fogeys, Brit
wrinklies: The elderly constitute an increasingly large body of
voters.
elect v. 1 choose, select, pick, vote (for), determine, designate:
We must elect a new chairperson at the next meeting.
--adj. 2 chosen, elected, selected, picked out: The
president-elect takes office next month. 3 select, choice,
first-rate, first-class: An elect few make up the executive
committee.
election n. poll, vote, referendum, plebiscite; selection, choice,
choosing, nomination, designation, appointment; voting,
electing: They held an election and Michael lost. The election
of a new social secretary is required.
electioneer
v. campaign, canvass, support, back, promote: They are busy
electioneering for their candidate.
electric adj. charged, tense, energized, stimulating, exciting,
thrilling, galvanizing, electrifying, moving, stirring: As the
jury filed in, the atmosphere in the courtroom was electric.
electricity
n. excitement, verve, energy, tension, tenseness, fervency,
intensity, ardour; vibrations: I could feel the electricity
between us.
electrify v. 1 startle, shock, stun, jolt, stagger, astound, jar,
astonish, amaze: We were electrified by the news of the
disaster. 2 excite, galvanize, animate, move, rouse, stir,
stimulate, vitalize, fire, thrill, arouse: His fiery oratory
electrified the audience.
elegance n. 1 refinement, grace, tastefulness, good taste, gentility,
polish, courtliness, culture, politeness, politesse, propriety,
dignity: Where but in 18th-century France could one find such
elegance? 2 luxury, grandeur, luxuriousness, sumptuousness,
exquisiteness, splendour, beauty: The overwhelming elegance of
the palace took our breath away.
elegant adj. 1 tasteful, exquisite, handsome, beautiful, comely,
dapper, smart, well turned out; graceful, choice, superior,
fine, select, refined, delicate, discerning, artistic;
dignified, genteel, sophisticated, cultivated, polished, urbane,
Chesterfieldian, suave, soign‚(e), debonair, courtly, to the
manner born, well-bred, well-born, high-born: Desmond and
Elizabeth are such an elegant couple! 2 artistic, stylish,
modish, … la mode, chic, fashionable, Colloq in, with it: The
newly refurbished rooms are very elegant. 3 luxurious,
sumptuous, grand, opulent, plush, Colloq posh, swank, swanky,
ritzy, fancy: We stayed in a very elegant West End hotel. 4
apt, clever, ingenious, neat: What is needed is a more elegant
solution to the problem.
element n. 1 component, constituent, ingredient, essential,
fundamental, part, unit, piece, segment, feature, factor,
detail, particular: Each element was carefully designed with a
view to its place in the whole. 2 environment, atmosphere,
situation, locale, territory, sphere, habitat, medium, domain:
Ordway is really in his element at a party. 3 elements. a
(adverse or unfavourable) weather, climatic conditions: Stay
here tonight - there's no need to brave the elements. b
rudiments, basics, fundamentals, foundations, essentials,
principles: It was she who taught me the elements of flying a
helicopter.
elemental adj. basic, fundamental, primal, original, primordial,
primitive: Elemental religion focused on worship of the sun and
fertility.
elementary
adj. 1 simple, rudimentary, easy, straightforward,
uncomplicated, clear, understandable, plain: This is an
elementary mistake which most beginners make. 2 basic,
fundamental, primary, introductory, initial, beginning;
elemental: She received her elementary education in France.
elevated adj. 1 raised, upraised, uplifted, lifted (up): Only three
hands were elevated in opposition and the motion was carried. 2
uplifted, noble, lofty, high, grand, exalted, dignified,
eminent, pre-eminent, ennobled, prominent, notable, illustrious,
distinguished, imposing, impressive, sublime: He has rather
elevated notions of morality. 3 elated, cheerful, happy,
exhilarated, animated, joyful, glad: Her elevated spirits and
pleasant countenance make her a welcome guest.
elevation n. 1 altitude, height: The elevation of Denver, Colorado, is
one mile above sea level. 2 swelling, lump, wen, eminence,
prominence; hill, height, rise: From this elevation, you can
see seven counties. The doctor noticed a slight elevation in the
skin near the eye. 3 advancement, promotion, uplifting,
enhancement, advance: Since her elevation to the peerage, she
has had less time for local community work. 4 grandeur,
nobleness, loftiness, exaltation, sublimity, distinction,
dignity, refinement, cultivation: The elevation of his style
means that his work is not accessible to a mass readership.
elfin adj. 1 elvish, elfish, elf-like, impish, puckish, frolicsome,
sprightly, arch, playful, mischievous, tricky: I suppose she
has a certain elfin charm, but I don't like her. 2 small, wee,
diminutive, tiny, little, dainty, Lilliputian: This is a
delightful tale of elfin folk and magic birds.
elicit v. draw out, call forth, evoke, bring out or forth, bring to
light, extract, wring, wrest, wrench: They finally elicited the
fact that she had been lying about his whereabouts.
eligible adj. 1 fit, worthy, qualified, proper, suitable, appropriate,
fitting: Is he an eligible candidate for the post? 2 single,
unmarried, unwed, available: He is one of the few eligible
bachelors in the town.
eliminate v. 1 remove, exclude, rule out, reject, drop, leave out, omit:
Police have eliminated him from their enquiries. 2 take out or
away, omit, get rid of, dispose of, expel, knock out: He was
eliminated in the first heat of the 100-metre run. 3 erase,
eradicate, expunge, obliterate, strike (out), cross out or off,
cut (out), excise, delete, throw out, edit (out), blue-pencil,
cancel: The censors have eliminated all references to sex. 4
kill, murder, assassinate, slay, terminate, exterminate, dispose
of, liquidate, finish off, annihilate, stamp out, destroy, Slang
bump off, polish off, US rub out, take for a ride, bury, ice,
waste: They used a sub-machine gun to eliminate the
competition.
‚lite n. 1 elite, gentry, aristocracy, aristocrats, elect, upper
class, nobility, privileged class, blue bloods, crЉme de la
crЉme, haut monde, jet set, jet-setters, US Four Hundred,
F.F.V., First Families of Virginia, Colloq upper crust,
beautiful people, Brit nobs: The economic collapse had barely
touched the wealthy ‚lite.
--adj. 2 elite, aristocratic, elect, upper-class, privileged,
blue-blooded, noble, exclusive, choice, best, top: She
socializes with rather an ‚lite group of people.
elixir n. 1 panacea, cure-all, nostrum, wonder drug, miracle drug,
sovereign remedy: In the Middle Ages alchemists sought a
universal cure, an elixir. 2 essence, potion, extract,
tincture, compound, mixture: Ophidia's Elixir was the name of a
patent snake-oil medicine. 3 pith, core, kernel, heart,
essence, quintessence, principle, extract, base, basis, soul:
The elixir of life is wisdom and its mystic ingredient is not
knowledge but understanding.
eloquent adj. 1 expressive, articulate, silver-tongued, fluent,
well-spoken, effective, persuasive, convincing, cogent,
trenchant, incisive, graphic, vivid, striking, facile, smooth,
glib, oratorical, rhetorical: He was an eloquent speaker. He
rose and gave an eloquent speech. 2 suggestive, meaningful,
pregnant: His eyebrow was raised in eloquent scepticism.
elsewhere adv. somewhere else, to another place; in another place,
abroad, absent, away: She's not in the office so I assume she's
gone elsewhere. Elsewhere, winds have died down and temperatures
are slowly rising.
elude v. 1 evade, escape, avoid, dodge, slip away from, Colloq duck,
give the slip, shake off: The suspect has eluded the police for
a year. 2 evade, escape; baffle, puzzle, confuse, bewilder,
confound; frustrate, stump, thwart: The point of your argument
eludes me.
elusive adj. 1 evasive, slippery, tricky, shifty: One of the world's
most elusive guerrilla leaders was spotted in public yesterday.
2 evasive, evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, transitory,
indefinable, elusory, intangible, impalpable: The notion of
truth has always been elusive.
emaciated adj. emaciate, atrophied, shrivelled, wizened, shrunken,
haggard, gaunt, drawn, pinched, bony, skeletal, cadaverous,
withered, wasted, consumptive, phthisic, anorexic or anorectic,
wasting (away), scrawny, skinny, thin, lean, spare,
undernourished, underfed, starved, half-starved: The inmates of
the camp were so emaciated they could scarcely stand.
emanate v. 1 issue, come (out), emerge, proceed, flow, ooze, exude;
radiate: Black smoke emanated from the mouth of the idol. 2
radiate, give off or out, send out or forth, disseminate,
discharge, put out, emit; exhale, ooze, exude: The idol's eyes
emanated a blue light.
emancipate
v. release, set free, liberate, enfranchise, manumit, loose,
let loose, let go, set free, disenthral, unfetter, unchain,
unshackle; deliver: Britain emancipated the slaves almost 50
years before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
embargo n. 1 restraint, block, blockage, bar, ban, stoppage, cessation,
proscription, prohibition, interdiction, check, restriction,
barrier; hindrance, impediment: The government placed an
embargo on the export of oil.
--v. 2 restrain, block, bar, ban, stop, cease, proscribe,
prohibit, interdict, check, restrict, hold back, prevent;
hinder, impede, retard, hold up: They may embargo oil shipments
in case of war.
embark v. 1 board, go aboard; entrain; emplane or enplane: We
embarked and the ship sailed. 2 Often, embark on. commence,
begin, enter (upon), initiate, launch, start, go into, set
about, take up or on, engage in, assume, tackle: He will embark
on the new enterprise next month.
embarrass v. disconcert, discomfit, chagrin, abash, shame, mortify,
humble, humiliate, discountenance, discompose, fluster, upset,
distress, disgrace, Colloq show up: He embarrassed his
colleagues by his bad manners.
embarrassed
adj. 1 ashamed, shamefaced, blushing, disconcerted,
discomfited, chagrined, abashed, shamed, mortified, humiliated,
discountenanced, discomposed, flustered, distressed, red-faced,
uncomfortable, self-conscious, sheepish, red in the face;
humbled, disgraced: She was extremely embarrassed by all the
attention. 2 in debt, in the red, straitened, insolvent, Colloq
short, hard up, broke, Brit skint: I'm financially embarrassed
now but I'll pay you later.
embarrassing
adj. awkward, humiliating, mortifying, shaming, shameful,
uncomfortable, discomfiting, disconcerting, touchy, distressing,
worrying: I had a very embarrassing moment when I forgot the
client's name.
embarrassment
n. 1 bashfulness, awkwardness, clumsiness, discomposure,
abashment, uneasiness, discomfort, self-consciousness,
mortification, chagrin: My embarrassment made me blush. 2
difficulty, mess, predicament, dilemma, problem, trouble, Colloq
hot water, pickle, fix, scrape, bind: Finding them together
presented me with a real embarrassment. 3 excess, superfluity,
superabundance, over-abundance, embarras de richesse, embarras
de choix, oversupply, surplus, profusion: An embarrassment of
options was open to me.
embellish v. 1 beautify, improve, titivate or tittivate, dress (up),
trick out or up, enhance, elaborate, enrich, embroider, gild,
furbish (up), garnish, decorate, adorn, ornament, deck, bedeck,
trim, elaborate, caparison, rubricate, varnish; gild refined
gold, paint the lily, Misquote gild the lily: The saddles are
embellished with silver studs. 2 elaborate, exaggerate, overdo,
embroider, enhance, dress up: His reports are so embellished
that you cannot separate fact from fiction.
embellishment
n. 1 decoration, ornamentation, ornament, elaboration,
adornment, embroidery: The basic design, which is shoddy, is
unimproved by embellishment. Good pasta needs minimal
embellishment. 2 exaggeration, enhancement, tinsel, garnish,
gilding, frill: All the embellishments make her story totally
unbelievable.
embers n.pl. live coals; cinders, ashes; remains, remnants: The dying
embers of the fire symbolized her waning love for Darrin.
embezzle v. misappropriate, peculate, misapply, misuse, steal, make off
or away with, filch, pilfer, purloin, Law defalcate; Colloq have
one's hand in the till: The treasurer had embezzled half a
million from the company.
embezzlement
n. misappropriation, peculation, misapplication, misuse,
misusing, abstraction, stealing, theft, thievery, larceny,
filching, purloining, pilferage, pilfering, Law defalcation:
Wanted for embezzlement, he fled to Brazil.
embittered
adj. bitter, resentful, sour, soured, caustic, acrimonious,
acid, envenomed; angry, choleric, rancorous: His conviction for
fraud left him an embittered man.
emblem n. badge, insigne, symbol, representation, device, seal, crest,
token, sign; trade mark, logotype or logo: The white knight's
emblem was a pair of crossed flaming swords.
emblematic
adj. emblematical, symbolic(al), representative,
representational: The white dove is emblematic of peace.
embodiment
n. 1 incarnation, realization, concretization, manifestation,
expression, personification, materialization, actualization,
reification, substantiation: The golden section is the
embodiment of an ancient principle of proportion. 2
consolidation, collection, unification, incorporation,
inclusion, integration, combination, concentration,
systematization, organization, codification, synthesis, epitome:
This book is the embodiment of Arnolfo's theories of aesthetics.
embody v. 1 concretize, realize, manifest, express, personify,
materialize, reify, actualize, externalize, incarnate: Her
feminist convictions are embodied in her lifestyle. 2
exemplify, typify, represent, symbolize, stand for: Note how
this painting embodies Longchamp's unique notions of form. 3
consolidate, collect, unite, unify, incorporate, include,
integrate, combine, concentrate, systematize, organize,
comprise, codify, epitomize, synthesize: The teachings of the
sect are embodied in their scriptures.
embrace v. 1 hug, clasp, grasp, hold, enfold, cuddle, cleave together,
Archaic clip: She embraced him warmly when they met again. 2
adopt, espouse, take up or in, avail oneself of, use, make use
of, employ, accept, receive, welcome: They embraced Christian
ideals. 3 include, comprise, embody, incorporate, comprehend,
encompass: Their tribal territory embraces all areas south of
the mountains.
--n. 4 hug, squeeze, clutch, Slang clinch: He gave her a
tender embrace and left.
emerge v. 1 appear, come out, come forth, come up, rise; arise,
surface, come into view or notice, come to light, be revealed,
crop up, turn out, develop, become known, become apparent,
transpire, happen, evolve: It emerged that she had bought a
pistol that morning. 2 issue, emanate, come forth, proceed:
The train emerged from the tunnel.
emergence n. rise, surfacing, appearance; development, materialization,
manifestation: They were surprised by his emergence as leader.
emergency n. crisis, exigency, danger, predicament, difficulty, pinch:
In an emergency, put on lifebelts.
emigrant n. ‚migr‚, expatriate, displaced person, DP, refugee, boat
person; colonist, settler: For millions of European emigrants,
their first sight of the promised land was the Statue of Liberty
in New York harbour.
emigrate v. migrate, move, relocate, resettle; leave, quit, depart,
forsake: Her parents emigrated from Turkey and settled in
Scotland.
eminent adj. 1 distinguished, esteemed, exalted, respected, revered,
honoured, dignified, notable, noteworthy, important, noted,
outstanding, prominent, pre-eminent, conspicuous, superior,
great, illustrious, famous, renowned, well-known, celebrated:
McLeod is an eminent meteorologist. 2 conspicuous, outstanding,
marked: His suggestion made eminent good sense.
eminently adv. very, exceedingly, extremely, exceptionally, remarkably,
singularly, notably, signally: This man is eminently well
suited for his job.
emit v. discharge, eject, expel, emanate, send out or forth, pour
out or forth, give off or out, issue, vent, radiate; exhale;
exude, ooze: The factory has been emitting toxic gases into the
atmosphere.
emotion n. feeling, passion, sentiment, sensation: They say there is a
fine line between the emotions of love and hate.
emotional adj. 1 passionate, impassioned, ardent, enthusiastic, heated,
zealous, heartfelt, excited, fervent, fervid: She reacted in a
very emotional way to the suggestions. 2 tense, nervous,
excitable, highly-strung, high-strung, temperamental, volatile,
hotheaded, demonstrative: He is a very emotional person, who
should not be driving a bus. 3 sensitive, warm, sentimental,
tender, moving, poignant, stirring, emotive, affective,
touching: Their meeting after 50 years was certainly emotional.
4 frantic, agitated, irrational, hysterical, wild, ranting: She
became very emotional when the police took away her son.
emphasis n. importance, stress, significance, prominence, attention,
weight, gravity, force, moment, pre-eminence, priority,
underscoring, underlining, Technical paralipsis: They place too
much emphasis on the social aspects of school.
emphasize v. stress, accentuate, accent, underscore, point up, underline,
call or draw attention to, mark, highlight, play up, spotlight,
feature: The new procedures emphasize safety.
emphatic adj. firm, uncompromising, determined, decided, resolute,
dogged; earnest, definite, unequivocal, unambiguous, distinct,
dogmatic, categorical, peremptory, explicit, incisive,
insistent, affirmative, positive, sure, certain, unmistakable or
unmistakeable, specific, definitive, direct; forceful, vigorous,
energetic, assertive, intense; express, pronounced, strong: She
was emphatic about leaving then and there.
empirical adj. empiric, experiential, practical, observed, pragmatic,
experimental: He has been there and has empirical knowledge of
the system.
employ v. 1 hire, engage, enlist, recruit, enrol, sign (up), take on,
retain, commission: I have employed a solicitor to look after
my affairs while I am away. The company employed 120 engineers.
2 use, make use of, utilize, apply: We plan to employ the most
modern equipment. 3 occupy, take (up), engage, involve: He is
employed with his stamp collection.
employee n. worker, staff member, wage-earner; hand: The employees are
on strike.
employer n. 1 proprietor, owner, patron, manager, director, chief, head,
Colloq boss, Brit gaffer, governor, Eye dialect guv'nor, guv:
My employer comes in late every day. 2 company, firm,
corporation, business, establishment, organization, Colloq
outfit: She took her employer to court for unfair dismissal.
employment
n. 1 occupation, job, trade, work, business, profession,
vocation, calling, livelihood, pursuit, m‚tier, skill, craft,
Colloq line, Slang racket: My employment for many years has
been restoring antique furniture. 2 hire, hiring, engagement,
engaging, employing, taking on, retaining, enlistment,
enlisting: The employment of 50 people by the new firm will
help the town. 3 use, utilization, application, operation,
implementation: The job involves the employment of specialized
techniques.
emptiness n. 1 voidness, hollowness, vacantness, vacancy, vacuity,
blankness, bareness, barrenness, desolation, desertedness,
vacuum, void: He was again alone in the vast emptiness of
space. After she left, I felt a terrible emptiness. 2
senselessness, meaninglessness, pointlessness, aimlessness,
purposelessness, futility, uselessness, worthlessness,
hollowness: The emptiness of the candidate's words was apparent
to all. 3 vacuity, vacuousness, vacantness, blankness,
expressionlessness, emotionlessness: The emptiness of her
facial expression told me that she hadn't understood a word.
empty adj. 1 void, unfilled, hollow, bare, barren, vacant,
unfurnished, unadorned, undecorated; emptied, drained, spent,
exhausted: That empty space on the wall needs a painting. 2
vacant, unoccupied, uninhabited, untenanted: He finally found
an empty flat with two bedrooms. 3 deserted, desolate,
uninhabited, wild, waste, bare, barren; forsaken: He wandered
for days on the empty moor. 4 trivial, insincere, hypocritical,
hollow, cheap, worthless, valueless, meaningless, insignificant,
insubstantial, unsatisfying, idle: His promises were merely
words, empty words. 5 vacant, blank, deadpan, expressionless,
poker-faced; vacuous, fatuous, stupid, foolish, inane: He
looked at me with that empty expression of his. 6 blank, clean,
new, unused, clear: On an empty page write your name and the
date. 7 empty of. devoid of, lacking (in), wanting, in want of,
deficient in, destitute of, without, sans: Their hearts are
empty of compassion.
--v. 8 clear, remove, take out or away, put out, cast or throw
out, eject; vacate, evacuate; dump, drain, exhaust, pour out,
void, discharge, unload: Thieves emptied everything from the
house. The police are emptying the building because of a bomb
scare. Empty these bottles outside.
enable v. 1 qualify, authorize, entitle, permit, allow, sanction,
approve, empower, license,commission, entrust, depute, delegate,
assign, charter, franchise: An act was passed to enable them to
build the railway. 2 capacitate, facilitate, expedite, help,
aid, assist: The grant enabled me to continue my studies. 3
permit, allow, approve, assent to, go along with, agree to, give
the go-ahead or green light, Colloq OK or okay: Her press pass
enables her to get through police lines.
enact v. 1 pass, legislate, ratify; ordain, decree, rule, command,
order, authorize: The law was enacted to protect consumers. 2
act (out), represent, play, portray, depict, perform, appear as:
She enacted the role of a modern Lady Macbeth.
enchant v. 1 bewitch, cast a spell on, ensorcell or ensorcel,
spellbind, hypnotize, mesmerize, voodoo, Brit magic, US hex,
Colloq hoodoo: Circe enchanted Ulysses' men and turned them
into swine. 2 charm, fascinate, beguile, captivate, enthral,
enrapture, attract, allure, delight, entrance: With her sultry
looks she has enchanted the most cynical of men.
enchanted adj. pleased, delighted, happy, thrilled, French enchant‚(e):
I am enchanted to meet you at last, Mrs Thompson.
enchantment
n. 1 witchcraft, sorcery, magic, wizardry, thaumaturgy,
conjuration or conjury; spell, charm, jinx, US hex: Stories of
enchantment and magic fail to interest today's sceptical
five-year-old. When she worked her enchantment on me, I
succumbed completely. 2 charm, beguilement, allure, fascination,
rapture, mesmerism, bliss: She was completely carried away by
the enchantment of the moment.
encircle v. surround, gird, circle, enclose, ring, encompass, compass,
confine, hem or hold in; wreathe: When the horde encircled the
castle we thought we were doomed.
enclose v. 1 inclose, confine, shut in, close or hem in, surround, pen,
encircle, encompass, bound, envelop, hedge in, wall in, immure,
fence in or off, US and Canadian corral: A high wall encloses
the garden. 2 insert, include, contain; wrap: The cheque was
enclosed in the same envelope.
enclosure n. 1 fold, pen, cote, run, sty, yard, farmyard, barnyard,
courtyard, quadrangle or quad, square, compound, Brit close, US
and Canadian corral: We had trouble keeping the dogs in the
enclosure. 2 fence, wall, rail, railing, barrier, hedge,
barricade, boundary: The buildings serve as an enclosure.
encounter v. 1 meet, come upon, run into or across, happen upon, chance
upon, hit upon, light upon, stumble upon, Colloq bump into: She
encountered him again in the supermarket. 2 face, experience,
meet with, contend with, be faced with, come into contact with,
wrestle with: She encounters such problems every day. 3 come
into conflict with, contend with, assail, cross swords (with),
grapple with, engage, joust with, do battle with, confront,
clash with, join, meet: The ballad tells how he encountered the
black knight in single combat.
--n. 4 meeting: It was a chance encounter that brought us
together. 5 confrontation, brush, quarrel, disagreement,
dispute, altercation, engagement, action, battle, fight, clash,
conflict, skirmish, contest, competition, duel, contention,
struggle, war, Colloq dust-up, scrap, run-in, set-to: My uncle
took part in the bloody encounter in the Ardennes.
encourage v. 1 hearten, embolden, reassure, buoy (up), stimulate,
animate, support, inspirit, inspire, cheer (up), urge or spur on
or onward(s), incite, Colloq egg on, pep up: She encouraged him
in his study of medicine. 2 promote, advance, aid, support,
help, assist, abet, foster, forward, boost, Colloq give a shot
in the arm: The continued success of the team encouraged
attendance at the games.
encouragement
n. 1 heartening, reassuring, reassurance, buoying up,
stimulating, stimulation, stimulus, animating, animation,
supporting, support, promoting, promotion, inspiring,
inspiration, cheering, urging, spur, spurring, exhorting,
exhortation, prodding, urging, innervation, inciting,
incitement: Without her encouragement, I could never have won.
2 boost, stimulus, help, aid, support, Colloq pep talk: The
team gets a lot of encouragement from local merchants.
encroach v. Often, encroach on or upon. intrude, trespass, infringe,
invade, make inroads: When you mention arctophily, you're
encroaching on my territory.
encumber v. 1 burden, weigh down, load (up or down), overload,
overburden, strain, oppress, saddle, tax, overtax: Encumbered
with intolerable taxes, the people revolted. She almost drowned
because she was encumbered with her numerous petticoats. 2
hamper, impede, hinder, handicap, inconvenience, trammel,
retard, slow down: Though encumbered by an invalid husband, she
managed to qualify as a barrister.
encumbrance
n. weight, burden, onus, cross (to bear), albatross, millstone,
handicap, impediment, hindrance, obstacle, obstruction,
liability, disadvantage, drag: The children were regarded
merely as an encumbrance.
encyclopedic
adj. encyclopaedic, comprehensive, inclusive, broad, extensive,
universal, thorough, exhaustive, wide-ranging, complete: She
has an encyclopedic knowledge of Chinese art.
end n. 1 extremity, extreme, extent, bound, boundary, tip, limit,
terminus: That fence marks the southern end of the property. At
the end of the garden was a large shed. 2 close, termination,
conclusion, cessation, expiration, finish, completion, finale,
ending, wind-up; denouement or d‚nouement: At the end of the
film, the lights came on. 3 aim, purpose, intention, intent,
objective, object,goal, point, reason, raison d'€tre,
destination, motive, motivation, aspiration: To what end does
she persist so vehemently? 4 consequence, result, outcome,
effect, upshot: The end of the affair was that he had to leave
town. 5 destruction, death, ruin, extermination, annihilation,
death, termination, conclusion: That would spell the end to all
life on earth. 6 at a loose end or US and Canadian at loose
ends. unsettled, unoccupied, unemployed, uncommitted, undecided,
indecisive, ambivalent, vacillating, purposeless, aimless,
adrift, drifting, betwixt and between, neither here nor there:
My wife has gone off to visit her mother and I'm at a loose end.
7 on end. a upright, erect, standing: He can balance a ruler
on end. b continuously, uninterruptedly, unceasingly,
incessantly, consecutively: It rained for days on end. 8 the
end. a the worst, the last straw, the final blow, Colloq the
limit, too much: Brian's winning first prize is the absolute
end. b the best, the greatest: That disc by The What is the
living end.
--v. 9 terminate, conclude, bring to an end, stop, halt, cease,
wind up or down, settle, put an end to, discontinue, break off,
cut off, close, finish, culminate, end up, Brit put paid to; die
(out), expire, climax, peter out, vanish: We have ended our
relationship. The book ends with her returning to him. The year
ends on December 31st. 10 kill, put to death, annihilate,
exterminate, terminate, extinguish; destroy, ruin: He ended his
life last night with a bullet. 11 surpass, outdo, outclass,
outshine, outstrip, supersede: It is a disaster film to end all
disaster films.
endanger v. imperil, threaten, jeopardize, risk, put at risk, hazard,
expose (to danger), put in jeopardy, tempt fate: She endangered
her life while trying to save his.
endangered
adj. imperilled, threatened, near extinction: Every effort
must be made to protect endangered species.
endearing adj. attractive, engaging, likeable, appealing, winsome,
captivating, winning: He has a few endearing qualities, I
suppose.
endeavour v. 1 try, attempt, strive, make an effort, do one's best,
struggle, exert oneself, undertake; aim, aspire; Colloq take a
stab at, have a go or crack or whack or shot at: For years he's
endeavoured to see her.
--n. 2 effort, pains, attempt, try, striving, struggle,
venture, enterprise, Colloq stab, crack, whack, shot: Her
endeavours to be published have come to naught.
endless adj. 1 limitless, unlimited, boundless, unbounded, infinite,
immeasurable, eternal, unending: They found themselves in the
endless reaches of outer space. 2 ceaseless, uninterrupted,
incessant, unceasing, unending, constant, perpetual,
interminable, unremitting, non-stop, continuous, continual,
everlasting: I wish you two would stop your endless bickering.
endorse v. 1 indorse, approve, sanction, authorize, advocate, support,
back, subscribe to, sustain, confirm, countenance, put one's
stamp or seal (of approval) on, set one's seal (of approval) to,
give (something) one's imprimatur, Colloq OK, okay: The council
endorsed our application for planning permission. 2 indorse,
countersign: Endorse the cheque to cash it.
endorsement
n. 1 indorsement, approval, affirmation, sanction,
authorization, confirmation, ratification, support, backing,
approbation, seal or stamp of approval, imprimatur, Colloq OK,
okay: He is acting with the full endorsement of his union. 2
counter-signature: His endorsement is on the back of the
cheque.
endowment n. 1 grant, (financial) aid, subsidy, subvention, allowance,
allotment, contribution, donation, gift, present, award;
bequest, inheritance, dowry: The endowment was enough to
support me for a year. 2 gift, presentation, bestowal, award,
awarding, settlement: The endowment of the grant was approved
by the college. 3 endowments. qualities, talents, gifts,
abilities, aptitudes, capabilities, capacities, qualifications,
strengths; attributes, properties, characteristics: She is a
woman of considerable endowments.
endurance n. 1 stamina, staying power, perseverance, persistence,
resolution, fortitude, tenacity, patience, tolerance, Colloq US
stick-to-it-iveness: He showed remarkable endurance in the
pentathlon trials. 2 lasting quality, durability, longevity,
lifetime, continuation: In this film, he uses the river as a
symbol of endurance and timelessness.
endure v. 1 last, persist, stay, remain, abide, prevail, survive,
continue, hold, live (on), Colloq go the distance: Her fame as
a poet will endure. 2 stand, abide, tolerate, face, survive,
withstand, bear, weather, take (it), suffer, stomach, undergo,
hold out (against), Colloq hang in (there), stick or sweat (it
or something) out: He endured the pressure of his job as long
as he could. 3 suffer, undergo, bear, face, stand, put up with,
stomach, take: Consider the tyranny that Europe endured under
Hitler.
enduring adj. lasting, long-lasting, durable, abiding, continuing,
long-standing, persisting, persistent, remaining, steady,
steadfast; eternal, immortal, permanent: Their enduring faith
carried them through the ordeal.
enemy n. foe, antagonist, adversary, opponent, rival, competitor,
contestant, contender; the opposition, the other side: His
enemies were running a smear campaign against him.
energetic adj. lively, active, vigorous, invigorated, dynamic, animated,
spirited, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, sprightly, spry,
vital, high-powered, brisk, vibrant, zesty, zestful, Colloq hot,
peppy, full of pep, full of get-up-and-go, zippy, on one's toes,
zingy, full of beans: I feel most energetic at the start of the
day.
energize v. enliven, liven up, stimulate, animate, invigorate, activate,
actuate, move, motivate, galvanize, electrify, inspire,
inspirit, pep up, waken, rouse, stir, arouse, excite, egg on,
urge: Max's enthusiasm energized the whole of the research
team.
energy n. vitality, forcefulness, vivacity, liveliness, vigour,
animation, spirit, force, dynamism, drive, verve, dash, ‚lan,
intensity, power, determination, puissance, strength, might,
Colloq pep, vim and vigour, US stick-to-it-iveness,
get-up-and-go, zip, zing: At seventy, she just couldn't put as
much energy into her performance as she once did.
enervate v. weaken, tire, strain, enfeeble, debilitate, fatigue,
exhaust, drain, sap, wear out, devitalize, break, defeat: I
have always found the tropics quite enervating.
enforce v. 1 insist upon or on, stress, require, impose, support, put
into effect, apply, administer, carry out, inflict, bring to
bear, implement, prosecute, discharge; reinforce; Colloq crack
or clamp down: The police will enforce the curfew tonight. 2
force, compel, pressure or Brit pressurize, press, coerce, lay
stress upon or on, impose upon or on, impress upon or on, insist
upon or on, demand, require; intimidate, browbeat, bully,
railroad; Colloq lean on, twist (someone's) arm: They hired
thugs to enforce their claim.
engage v. 1 employ, hire, enrol or US also enroll, enlist, retain,
sign (up), contract with or for, indenture; rent, book, reserve,
secure, bespeak: She was engaged on a part-time basis. We
engaged rooms for the night. 2 occupy, engross, busy, absorb,
involve, tie up, preoccupy, employ: This task will engage all
available resources until the end of next month. 3 pledge,
undertake, bargain, agree, covenant, promise, guarantee,
contract: I engaged to complete the work by Tuesday. 4
attract, hold, capture, catch, draw: The museum has many
exhibits that will engage the interest of children. 5 join (in)
combat or battle with, meet, encounter, fight, combat, attack,
battle, clash with, grapple with: The enemy was engaged at
dawn. 6 engage in. participate (in), partake in, take part
(in), enter (into), undertake, embark on: She engages in many
out-of-school activities.
engaged adj. 1 betrothed, affianced, plighted, pledged, promised;
spoken for: They got engaged on St Valentine's Day. 2 busy,
occupied, tied up, involved, employed, absorbed, preoccupied,
wrapped up: He is otherwise engaged and cannot meet me today.
engagement
n. 1 appointment, meeting, date, rendezvous, arrangement,
commitment: I'm sorry, I have a previous engagement. 2
betrothal: Their engagement was announced in all the papers. 3
agreement, bargain, obligation, promise, pledge, covenant,
contract: The company undertook an engagement to provide the
steel. 4 job, position, post, commission, booking; employment,
work; Colloq spot, Slang (of a musician) gig: He has an
engagement with the newspaper. 5 fight, battle, conflict,
encounter, combat: The naval engagement lasted three days and
nights.
engaging adj. charming, pleasant, attractive, winsome, winning,
appealing, agreeable, delightful, pleasing, likeable, friendly,
open: With her engaging personality, it is no wonder she has so
many friends.
engine n. motor, machine, mechanism, appliance, apparatus; locomotive:
The invention of the internal combustion engine revolutionized
modern transport.
engineer n. 1 designer, originator, inventor, contriver, architect,
planner, mastermind: The engineer of this scheme was one David
Jones. 2 (engine-) driver, conductor, operator: He was the
engineer on the afternoon train out of Washington. 3 mechanic,
technician, repairman: The telephone engineers will be here on
Monday to install a new phone system.
--v. 4 devise, plan, develop, originate, contrive, invent,
mastermind, construct, build, make: It is said that Daedalus
engineered the first man-made wings. 5 manipulate, scheme,
plot, machinate, intrigue, connive, conspire, manoeuvre, rig,
set up, organize, arrange, put over, Colloq finagle, wangle,
swing: She tried to engineer the laundering of the money, but
was caught.
engrave v. 1 cut, carve, chisel, inscribe; etch: The ring was a plain
gold band, engraved with daisies. 2 impress, stamp, set, lodge,
fix, embed, imprint, ingrain: The horror of that night was
forever engraved in his mind.
engraving n. 1 intaglio, cameo, etching, dry-point, woodcut, linocut,
wood or steel engraving, anaglyph, block or US also cut: She
uses a burin to make these engravings. 2 print, impression,
etching, dry-point: The exhibition of DЃrer engravings closes
tomorrow.
enhance v. improve, better, augment, boost, raise, elevate, lift,
heighten, exalt, enlarge, swell, magnify, increase, add to,
amplify, intensify, enrich, embellish, complement, reinforce,
strengthen: His public image was greatly enhanced by his
support of charities.
enigma n. puzzle, conundrum, mystery, riddle, poser, problem: How he
escaped is an enigma to the police.
enjoy v. 1 delight in, appreciate, like, take or derive pleasure or
satisfaction in or from, relish (in), fancy, take to, Slang dig,
get a kick or lift or charge out of, get high on, get off on:
Bernard really enjoys Wagner. 2 benefit or profit from, take
advantage of, use, utilize, make use of, use to advantage, have,
possess: He cannot be charged because he enjoys diplomatic
immunity. 3 enjoy oneself. have a good time, make merry, Colloq
have a ball or the time of one's life: I enjoyed myself at your
party.
enjoyment n. 1 pleasure, delight, joy, gratification, satisfaction,
relish, zest, delectation, recreation, entertainment, diversion,
amusement: The public has derived much enjoyment from Shaw's
plays. 2 use, utilization, exercise, possession; benefit,
advantage: As a member, you are entitled to the enjoyment of
all club privileges.
enlarge v. 1 increase, expand, magnify, amplify, extend, swell, dilate,
spread, wax, widen, broaden, lengthen, elongate, stretch,
distend; add to, supplement, augment; inflate; Colloq blow up:
The government will enlarge the area devoted to public parks.
Enlarge the photographs and details appear. 2 enlarge on or
upon. expand on, expatiate on, amplify, expound; detail,
elaborate (on): The speaker was asked to enlarge on her plans
for building new hospitals.
enlighten v. inform, edify, instruct, teach, tutor, educate, coach,
apprise, make aware, advise, counsel: You must enlighten George
on how to behave in public.
enlightened
adj. well-informed, informed, educated, aware, knowledgeable,
literate, rational, reasonable, sensible, common-sense,
commonsensical, broad-minded, open-minded, liberal; cultivated,
civilized, sophisticated, Colloq in the know: In a democracy,
the press serves an enlightened public.
enlist v. 1 enrol, register, join (up), volunteer, sign up or on;
engage, recruit, induct, muster, conscript, impress, call up, US
draft: He enlisted in the navy at 17. 2 employ, hire, engage,
retain, make available, secure, obtain, get, procure, gather,
drum up, mobilize, Colloq organize: We must enlist all the help
we can.
enliven v. 1 invigorate, inspirit, animate, pep up, stimulate,
energize, vivify, vitalize, quicken, exhilarate, arouse, rouse,
awaken, wake up, spark (off), kindle, enkindle, fire (up),
inspire: Enlivened by the coach's talk, we were determined to
win. 2 brighten, cheer (up), buoy (up), gladden, uplift: The
room was considerably enlivened by the new curtains.
enormity n. outrageousness, outrage, atrociousness, atrocity,
wickedness, heinousness, flagitiousness, horribleness, horror,
barbarity, savagery, monstrousness, horridness, evil,
viciousness: The enormity of the crime shocked us all.
enormous adj. huge, immense, gigantic, elephantine, gargantuan, mammoth,
titanic, colossal, tremendous, vast, massive, stupendous,
Brobdingnagian, gross, monstrous, prodigious: An enormous
dragon blocked their way out of the cave.
enormousness
n. immensity, hugeness: I was staggered by the sheer
enormousness of the building.
enough adj. 1 sufficient, adequate, ample: There isn't enough food to
go round.
--n. 2 sufficiency, adequacy, ample supply, plenty: I have
enough for myself.
--adv. 3 sufficiently, adequately, reasonably, satisfactorily,
tolerably, passably: Your word is good enough for me.
enquire v. 1 inquire, ask, question, query: The police enquired
whether we had noticed any strange goings-on next door. 2 See
inquire.
enrage v. anger, infuriate, madden, incense, provoke, inflame, make
(someone's) blood boil, Colloq get (someone's) back or Irish or
hackles or dander up, make (someone) see red, wave a red flag
before (someone), make (someone's) blood boil, US burn (someone)
up, Slang US tick (someone) off, Taboo piss (someone) off, Brit
put (someone's) monkey up, US tee (someone) off: Lord Thimble
was enraged at being made to wait his turn.
enrapture v. enchant, entrance, transport, thrill, bewitch, spellbind,
fascinate, charm, enthral, captivate, beguile, delight: The
soprano quite enraptured her audience.
enrich v. 1 endow, enhance, improve, upgrade, better, ameliorate,
refine, add to: His novels have enriched our literature. 2
ornament, adorn, decorate, embellish; beautify, grace: Before
us rose a lofty dome enriched with precious stones.
enrol v. 1 enlist, register, sign up or on (for), join; volunteer;
recruit; Colloq join up: He enrolled at the university. 2
record, register, chronicle, put down, list, note, inscribed,
catalogue: Their names will be enrolled forever in the Book of
Heroes.
ensemble n. 1 outfit, costume, clothing, clothes, attire, apparel, garb,
garments, coordinates, Colloq get-up: A black hat, gloves, and
shoes completed the ensemble. 2 band, combination, orchestra,
group; chorus, choir; Colloq combo: A new chamber music
ensemble is performing tonight at the town hall. 3 assemblage,
composite, aggregate, collection, set, whole, entirety,
totality; agglomeration, conglomeration: A strange ensemble of
objects was on display.
enslave v. subjugate, yoke, fetter, enchain, shackle, trammel,
dominate; bind, indenture, Archaic enthral: The enslaved masses
rose and overcame their masters.
ensure v. 1 insure, assure, make sure or certain, confirm, certify,
guarantee; secure, effect: He must ensure that there is no
leak. 2 insure, protect, make safe, safeguard, guard, secure:
The captain is responsible for ensuring the safety of the
passengers.
entail v. involve, require, call for, necessitate, demand, occasion,
give rise to, impose; lead to, cause: The post has entailed
working an average 60-70 hours a week.
entangle v. 1 tangle, ensnarl, snarl, enmesh, catch (up), entrap, snag,
foul, implicate, knot (up), twist; impede; involve, embroil:
The propeller became entangled in the seaweed so that the boat
couldn't move. 2 confuse, mix (up), twist, snarl, ensnarl,
ensnare, hamper, complicate, confound, bewilder, perplex,
embarrass: He became entangled in a web of social and business
liaisons.
enter v. 1 go or come (in or into), pass (into): Please enter at the
left. 2 penetrate, pierce, stick (into), stab (into), puncture;
invade, infiltrate: The nail entered the tyre here. The iron
entered into his soul. 3 insert, inscribe, write, set or write
or put down, note, record, take or jot down, register; log,
document, minute: Enter your name on the dotted line. 4 enter
on or upon, begin, start, commence, undertake, set out on, take
up: I didn't want to enter the marathon if I couldn't finish.
5 enrol, enlist, sign on or up, join, become a member of: He
has entered the ranks of the unemployed. 6 present, offer,
proffer, tender, submit: More than 100 poems were entered in
the competition. 7 file, register, record, submit: The
defendant entered a plea of 'Not guilty'. 8 enter into. engage
or participate in, sign, be (a) party to, co-sign, countersign:
We entered into an agreement to buy the house.
enterprise
n. 1 undertaking, project, venture, adventure, effort,
programme, plan, scheme: His latest enterprise involves
establishing a chain of pizza shops. 2 boldness, daring,
courage, mettle, adventurousness, audacity, enthusiasm, zeal,
energy, spirit, drive, vigour, ambition, initiative, push,
eagerness, determination, resolve, purposefulness, purpose;
aggressiveness; Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, pep, gumption, guts,
US starch: It takes a lot of enterprise to start your own
business. 3 business, operation, firm, company, concern,
establishment: We began this enterprise on a shoestring.
enterprising
adj. resourceful, venturesome, adventurous, daring, courageous,
bold, brave, mettlesome, audacious, enthusiastic, eager, keen,
zealous, energetic, spirited, vigorous, ambitious, determined,
resolved, resolute, earnest, purposeful, purposive,
goal-oriented; aggressive, hard-working, indefatigable,
tireless, diligent, assiduous, industrious, persevering; Colloq
pushy, go-ahead: She is an enterprising young lawyer with her
own practice.
entertain v. 1 amuse, divert; delight, please; occupy: While we waited
the boy entertained us with his juggling. 2 receive,
accommodate, treat, be host (to), cater (for or to); have or see
people or guests or visitors or company; Colloq host: We
entertain on Tuesdays only. 3 contemplate, consider, have,
hold, harbour, foster, tolerate, allow, maintain, sustain,
support: They felt that they could not entertain the idea of
their daughter marrying the gardener's son.
entertaining
adj. amusing, diverting, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, fun,
pleasing, pleasurable, interesting, engaging; funny, comic,
humorous, witty: We find Laurel and Hardy films entertaining.
entertainment
n. 1 amusement, diversion, distraction, pastime, recreation,
sport, play, fun, pleasure, enjoyment, relaxation, relief: What
do you do for entertainment? 2 performance, presentation,
diversion, amusement, divertissement, exhibition, pageant,
spectacle, show, production, spectacular, extravaganza: They
put on a lavish entertainment for the queen.
enthralling
adj. captivating, entrancing, spellbinding, enchanting,
bewitching, beguiling, fascinating, gripping, absorbing,
intriguing, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, riveting: There was an
enthralling melodrama on TV last night.
enthusiasm
n. 1 eagerness, keenness, earnestness, fervour, avidity, zeal,
excitement, passion, ardour, interest, relish, devotion,
devotedness, gusto, exuberance, zest; fanaticism, mania, rage:
No one matches her enthusiasm for grand opera. 2 rage, passion,
craze; hobby, interest, pastime, diversion, amusement; Colloq
fad: His current enthusiasm is acid rock.
enthusiast
n. fan, devotee, aficionado, lover, admirer, zealot, addict,
fanatic, promoter, supporter, champion, follower, disciple,
adherent, US booster, Colloq teeny-bopper, bug, hound, buff,
fiend, Slang nut, freak, groupie, US head: They are model
railway enthusiasts.
enthusiastic
adj. eager, keen, fervent, fervid, hearty, ardent, avid,
energetic, vigorous, devoted, earnest, passionate, spirited,
exuberant, zealous, fanatic(al), unqualified, unstinting,
irrepressible: He's an enthusiastic supporter of the prime
minister's policies.
entice v. lure, allure, tempt, attract, draw, seduce, coax, persuade,
prevail on, beguile, cajole, blandish, wheedle; decoy, lead on,
inveigle, Colloq sweet-talk, soft-soap, Slang suck in: The
prospectus enticed 3.15 million people to buy shares in the
company.
enticement
n. 1 temptation, allurement, beguilement, seduction, cajolery,
wheedling, blandishment, coaxing, persuasion: Do you approve of
the system of enticement used to get you to buy time-share
holidays? 2 lure, bait, decoy, trap, inducement, attraction,
temptation, Colloq come-on, soft soap: Among the enticements
offered was a free weekend in Paris.
entire adj. 1 complete, whole, total, full, undivided, absolute,
thorough, unreserved, unrestricted, undiminished, unconditional,
express, unexceptional, unmixed, unalloyed: That problem has
occupied my entire attention all week. 2 intact, whole, sound,
unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, inviolate, without a scratch,
unscathed, in one piece: Twelve amphorae were recovered entire
from the wreck. 3 continuous, full, whole, complete,
uninterrupted: She has lasted an entire year in her new job.
entirely adv. 1 completely, wholly, altogether, fully, totally, utterly,
unreservedly, unqualifiedly, unexceptionally, in every respect,
in all respects, thoroughly, to a T, in toto, exhaustively, all
out, from head to toe or foot, (right) down to the ground, from
A to Z, lock, stock and barrel, root and branch, without
exception or reservation: She was entirely satisfied. I agree
with that entirely. 2 solely, exclusively, only, unambiguously,
unequivocally; positively, definitely, clearly: It was entirely
my fault.
entirety n. 1 completeness, unity, totality, wholeness, fullness,
integrity, perfection: Any chance of completing his mission in
its entirety had vanished. 2 whole, sum total, everything, all:
The entirety of the bequest amounted to a million francs.
entitle v. 1 allow, permit, qualify, make eligible, authorize, fit;
enfranchise, license, empower: This document entitles her to
half of the estate. 2 name, title, call, label, nickname, dub,
designate, term; christen, baptize: His first novel was
entitled Out of the Depths .
entity n. 1 thing, object, being, existence, quantity, article,
individual, organism: The emergence of the youth movement as a
separate entity posed problems for the party leadership. 2
essence, real nature, quiddity, quintessence, Metaphysics ens:
Every living creature has a distinct entity.
entrance° n. 1 (right of) entry, access, admission, admittance, entr‚e,
introduction: You need security clearance to gain entrance. 2
entry, entry-way, access, door, gate, passage, way (in);
ingress: The entrance is locked after midnight. 3 arrival,
appearance; coming, entry, coming or going in: Her entrances
were accompanied by cheers. He opposed our entrance into the
war. 4 beginning, start, commencement: Today marks his entrance
into his new duties.
entranceэ v. enchant, enrapture, fascinate, bewitch, spellbind,
transport, delight, charm, captivate, enthral, overpower,
mesmerize, hypnotize: He was entranced by her beauty.
entrenched
adj. rooted, deep-rooted, embedded, fixed, (firmly) planted,
established, set, deep-seated, unshakeable, ineradicable,
ingrained: We were unable to combat their entrenched opposition
to the proposals.
entrust v. intrust, trust, charge, assign, delegate, confide: I
entrusted her with my secret.
entry n. 1 access, entrance, entr‚e, admittance, admission: The
burglar gained entry through the skylight. 2 access, entrance,
entry-way, door, inlet, passage, way in: Both entries were
blocked. 3 entrance, arrival, coming or going in: His entry
was met with jeers. 4 record, item, memorandum, note, account,
listing; registration; Colloq memo: There is no entry in his
diary for the 15th of April. 5 competitor, contestant, player,
entrant, participant, candidate; rival, adversary, opponent:
Dennis was a late entry in the marathon.
entwine v. intwine, interlace, braid, interweave, intertwine, weave,
knit, plait, twist, coil, twine, splice; entangle, tangle: Her
hair was entwined with wild flowers.
enumerate v. 1 list, name, itemize, specify, detail, spell out,
catalogue, tick off, take stock of, cite, quote, recite,
recount, relate, narrate , US check off: I shall enumerate the
reasons why you may not go. 2 count, calculate, compute,
reckon, tally, add, number: The researcher could enumerate only
seven different species.
enunciate v. 1 articulate, pronounce, utter, voice, say, speak, vocalize,
express, deliver, present, Formal enounce: Foreign names should
be enunciated clearly. 2 state, proclaim, declare, promulgate,
announce, broadcast, pronounce, propound: The party platform
was enunciated in last night's speech.
envelop v. 1 wrap, enclose, enfold, enwrap, cover, engulf, swathe,
shroud, enshroud, swaddle: The body was enveloped in a white
robe. 2 shroud, enshroud, cover, conceal, hide, screen, shield,
obscure, veil, cloak: The motive for the murder was enveloped
in a mass of misleading clues.
enviable adj. desirable, wanted, desired, sought-after, covetable, in
demand: He is in an enviable financial position.
envious adj. jealous, covetous, resentful, begrudging, green-eyed,
green (with envy), desirous: He is envious of his wife because
she has a better job.
environment
n. surroundings, environs, atmosphere, ecosystem, conditions,
habitat, circumstances, medium, milieu; territory, locale,
setting, mise en scЉne, situation: Car exhaust fumes are
ruining our environment.
environmentalist
n. ecologist, conservationist, naturalist, preservationist,
nature-lover, green or Green: We have environmentalists to
thank for clean-air laws.
envisage v. 1 visualize, contemplate, imagine, picture, conceive (of),
fancy, think or dream or conjure up, Chiefly US envision:
Envisage a city built entirely of glass. 2 foresee, see,
predict, forecast, anticipate: I envisage a time when all
people will be free.
envision v. envisage, visualize, imagine, conceive of, foresee,
anticipate, predict, forecast, prophesy: I envision great
success for you.
envoy n. delegate, legate, ambassador, diplomat, minister, (papal)
nuncio, attach‚; representative, emissary, agent; Formal envoy
extraordinary, minister plenipotentiary: The government sent an
envoy to discuss trade.
envy n. 1 jealousy, enviousness, resentment: She was consumed with
envy of anyone who had more money than she did. 2 covetousness,
desire, longing: Success excites my envy.
--v. 3 covet, begrudge, resent: He envies his brother and his
new car.
epicure n. gourmet, connoisseur, aesthete, epicurean, sybarite,
hedonist, gastronome, bon viveur, bon vivant, Lucullus;
gourmand: An epicure, he refuses to eat any food not prepared
by his own chef.
epicurean adj. 1 sensual, sybaritic, luxurious, voluptuous, carnal,
self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, pleasure-oriented, hedonistic,
gluttonous, intemperate, overindulgent, crapulent or crapulous,
swinish, porcine, piggish, immoderate, orgiastic, libidinous,
wild, unrestrained, unconfined, dissolute, dissipated,
Bacchanalian, Saturnalian: The king's epicurean lifestyle
contrasted with that of his starving subjects. 2 Lucullan,
gourmet: That was truly an epicurean repast.
--n. 3 epicure: It was a meal that would have won the approval
of the greatest epicureans.
epidemic adj. 1 widespread, universal, prevalent, prevailing, rampant,
general, wide-ranging, pandemic: The disease has reached
epidemic proportions.
--n. 2 plague, pestilence, scourge, rash, growth, upsurge,
outbreak, spread: An epidemic of anthrax has affected the
cattle.
epigram n. 1 witticism, bon mot, quip, mot, turn of phrase, jeu
d'esprit, Atticism; pun, double entendre, jeu de mots, play on
words, equivoque; paronomasia: His epigram characterizing
Eskimos as 'God's frozen people' was widely quoted. 2 proverb,
aphorism, maxim, saw, saying, adage, apophthegm or apothegm:
'Nothing succeeds like success' is his favourite epigram.
epigrammatic
adj. pithy, terse, laconic, concise, succinct, compendious,
piquant, pungent, trenchant, sententious, witty, pointed,
proverbial, aphoristic, apophthegmatic or apothegmatic, Colloq
snappy, punchy: Oscar Wilde is known for his epigrammatic
sayings.
episode n. 1 event, incident, occurrence, happening, experience,
adventure, affair, matter: Please do not remind me of the
episode with the chicken. 2 chapter, scene, instalment, part:
Don't miss tonight's episode of your favourite soap opera.
epitome n. 1 essence, quintessence, embodiment, personification,
archetype, exemplar, (typical) example, model, prototype: My
secretary is the epitome of laziness. 2 summary, abstract,
condensation, synopsis, digest, compendium, abridgement,
abbreviation, conspectus, r‚sum‚, contraction; outline, pr‚cis,
syllabus: The chairman wants an epitome of the report by
lunch-time.
equable adj. 1 even-tempered, easygoing, serene, calm, placid,
composed, cool, imperturbable, collected, unruffled, tranquil,
peaceful, level-headed, Colloq unflappable: With his equable
temperament, Edgar is the man for the job. 2 uniform,
unvarying, unvaried, consistent, stable, steady, regular, even,
unchanging, invariable, constant: We moved to the Caribbean
because of its equable climate.
equal adj. 1 identical, the same (as), interchangeable, one and the
same, coequal, selfsame; like, alike, tantamount, similar (to),
equivalent, commensurate: This year's sales figures are equal
to last year's. 2 uniform, regular, corresponding,
correspondent, congruent, congruous, (evenly) balanced, (evenly)
matched, matching; equivalent, even; commensurate, comparable,
proportionate, (evenly) proportioned, harmonious, symmetrical;
Colloq fifty-fifty, Brit level pegging, US even Steven: Women
are entitled to equal employment opportunities. The scores are
equal. 3 equal to. up to, capable of, fit(ted) or suited or
suitable for, adequate for, Archaic or literary sufficient unto:
Are you sure that Renwick is equal to the responsibility?
--n. 4 peer, colleague, fellow, brother, mate, counterpart,
equivalent, alter ego, compeer: Constance is certainly anyone's
equal in intelligence.
--v. 5 match, meet, even, correspond (to), square (with), tally
(with), tie (with), parallel, come up to; rival: He will never
be able to equal the world record.
equality n. 1 parity, sameness, identity, coequality, uniformity: The
equality of the two bids was very suspicious. 2 similarity,
likeness, resemblance, equivalence, correspondence, conformity,
congruence, similitude, analogy, comparability, comparison,
coincidence: The equality between their performances is
surprising. 3 impartiality, fairness, justice; egalitarianism:
Surely we all deserve equality of treatment under the law.
equalize v. regularize, even up, square, balance, equate, match,
standardize, (make) equal: Equalize the amounts of liquid in
all the containers.
equip v. furnish, provide, supply, stock, outfit, fit (out or up),
rig (out or up), accoutre, array, attire, dress, deck (out),
caparison, clothe, Chiefly Brit kit out or up: We can equip you
with any scuba gear you may require.
equipment n. gear, apparatus, furnishings, accoutrements, appurtenances,
paraphernalia, kit, materiel or mat‚riel, tackle, outfit,
trappings, tack, equipage, Colloq Brit clobber: They spent a
fortune on mountain-climbing equipment.
equitable adj. fair, even-handed, just, impartial, objective, unbiased,
unprejudiced, square, fair-minded, open-minded, disinterested,
dispassionate, neutral, tolerant, unbigoted, reasonable,
judicious, ethical, principled, moral, proper, right-minded,
Colloq fair and square: Suspects have the right to equitable
treatment.
equity n. fairness, impartiality, even-handedness, justice, fair play,
objectivity, disinterest, fair-mindedness, equitableness,
open-mindedness, disinterestedness, neutrality, tolerance,
judiciousness, right-mindedness, high-mindedness: This court
recognizes the equity of your claim.
equivalent
adj. 1 tantamount, commensurate, alike, similar, close,
comparable, corresponding, interchangeable, equal, synonymous,
of a piece or a kind: He didn't really believe that women's
rights should be equivalent to men's.
--n. 2 match, equal, peer, counterpart, twin: The garage could
not supply the same part but they offered an equivalent.
equivocal adj. 1 evasive, misleading, roundabout, hedging, suspicious,
duplicitous, questionable, oblique, circumlocutory, ambagious,
ambivalent, amphibolic or amphibolous, Colloq waffling,
wishy-washy: When asked about the guarantee, they gave an
equivocal answer. 2 ambiguous, vague, hazy, indefinite,
unclear, indistinct, enigmatic(al), puzzling, perplexing,
indeterminate, uncertain, Colloq waffling: Just say Yes or No -
none of your equivocal responses.
equivocate
v. evade, mislead, hedge, deceive, quibble, dodge, weasel out
(of), double-talk, fence, sidestep, skirt, avoid, tergiversate,
prevaricate, Colloq waffle, beat about the bush, pussyfoot: I
wish she'd confirm or deny it and stop equivocating.
era n. age, period, time(s), day(s), epoch, stage; generation,
cycle, date: They lived in an era of peace.
erase v. 1 expunge, rub or scratch or blot or wipe out, delete,
cancel, efface, scratch, cross or strike out or off, obliterate:
The scribe erased one line and substituted another. 2 abolish,
destroy, obliterate, remove, eliminate, (get) rid of, eradicate,
efface: We erased every trace of evidence that we had been
there.
erect adj. 1 upright, standing, upstanding, straight, vertical,
perpendicular, plumb: There was a slight stoop now in what had
previously been a notably erect body.
--v. 2 build, construct, put up, raise; pitch: I could swear
that they erected that building overnight! 3 establish, found,
set up, form, institute, organize, create: Their religion was
erected on the principles of utilitarianism.
erode v. wear (down or away), eat away, grind down, abrade, gnaw away
(at), consume, corrode, wash away; deteriorate, destroy,
deplete, reduce, diminish: Water has eroded the rock. Their
continued lying has eroded my confidence in their honesty.
erosion n. wear (and tear), wearing (down or away), wasting away,
washing or grinding or rubbing away, corroding, corrosion,
abrading, abrasion, eating or gnawing away, chafing, fraying,
weathering, attrition: Erosion by rainwater has washed away the
topsoil.
erotic adj. 1 sensual, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, risqu‚,
bawdy, ribald, seductive, voluptuous, lustful, Colloq sexy:
Some insist that there is a difference between pornographic and
erotic literature. 2 amatory, venereal, amorous, anacreontic:
Many classical poets wrote erotic verse. 3 erogenous, naughty,
carnal, arousing, rousing, aphrodisiac, libidinous, lubricious
or lubricous, prurient, lascivious, lewd, concupiscent,
salacious, obscene, pornographic, dirty, filthy, nasty, Colloq
blue: He has a collection of photos that he calls erotic art.
err v. 1 be wrong, be in error, be mistaken, be inaccurate, be
incorrect, be in the wrong, go wrong, go astray, make a mistake,
miscalculate, (make a) blunder, bungle, botch, fumble, muff,
make a mess of, make a faux pas, mess up , US bobble; Colloq
goof (up), slip (up), drop a clanger, foul up, Brit drop a
brick, blot one's copybook, Slang screw up, Brit boob, Taboo
slang fuck up: The referee erred in ruling that the ball was
out. 2 misbehave, sin, transgress, trespass, lapse, fall, do
wrong: She has erred many times in her long life.
errand n. 1 trip, journey: She was on an errand of mercy. 2 mission,
charge, assignment, commission, task, duty: Francis is out
running some errands for me.
erratic adj. 1 irregular, unpredictable, inconsistent, unreliable,
capricious, changeable, variable; wayward, unstable, aberrant,
flighty: The buses run on an erratic schedule. 2 peculiar,
abnormal, wayward, odd, eccentric, outlandish, strange, unusual,
unorthodox, extraordinary, queer, quaint, bizarre, weird,
unconventional: He thinks that his erratic behaviour marks him
as an individualist. 3 wandering, meandering, directionless,
planetary, aimless, haphazard, discursive, errant, divagatory:
Their course was erratic, following the loss of their compass.
erroneous adj. wrong, mistaken, incorrect, inaccurate, inexact,
imprecise, amiss, awry, false, faulty, misleading, flawed,
botched, bungled, unsound, invalid, untrue, fallacious,
spurious, counterfeit, Colloq off the mark, off course, Brit off
beam, US off the beam: He gives the erroneous impression of
being intelligent. 'Seperate' is an erroneous spelling of
'separate'.
error n. 1 mistake, inaccuracy, fault, flaw, blunder, slip, gaffe;
misprint, typographical error, erratum, solecism; Brit literal,
Colloq slip-up, goof, clanger, fluff, boo-boo, howler, Brit
bloomer, Slang foul-up, boner, Brit boob: I cannot accept a
report so full of errors. 2 sin, transgression, trespass,
offence, indiscretion, wrongdoing, misconduct, iniquity, evil,
wickedness, flagitiousness: He seems to have seen the error of
his ways. 3 in error. a wrong, mistaken, incorrect, at fault:
She was in error about the date of the conference. b
mistakenly, incorrectly, by mistake, erroneously: I caught the
earlier train in error.
erupt v. 1 eject, discharge, expel, emit, burst forth or out, blow
up, explode, spew forth or out, break out, spout, vomit (up or
forth), throw up or off, spit out or up, belch (forth), gush:
The volcano erupted ash and lava. 2 appear, come out, break
out: A boil erupted on his chin.
eruption n. 1 outbreak, outburst, discharge, expulsion, emission,
bursting forth, explosion, spouting, vomiting (up or forth),
belching forth: The eruption of Vesuvius killed thousands in
Pompeii. 2 outbreak, rash: The doctor said the eruption would
disappear in a day.
escape v. 1 get away, break out or free, bolt, flee, fly, run away or
off, elope, decamp, abscond, steal or slip off or away, take to
one's heels, take French leave, disappear, vanish, Brit levant,
Colloq take off, clear out, cut and run, duck out, make oneself
scarce, do a disappearing act, Brit do a moonlight flit, US
vamoose, hightail it, skedaddle, US and Canadian skip (town),
fly the coop, cut out; Slang vamoose, Brit do a bunk, bugger
off, mizzle off, US and Canadian scram, blow, lam out, take it
on the lam, take a (run-out) powder, Chiefly Australian shoot
through: They escaped when I wasn't looking. 2 evade, elude,
avoid, dodge: They escaped detection for years by hiding in a
deserted monastery. 3 drain, leak, issue, seep, discharge,
emanate: Steam was escaping through a hole. 4 elude, evade,
baffle, stump, mystify, puzzle, be forgotten by, be beyond
(someone): How the thing started escapes me for the moment.
--n. 5 flight, getaway, departure, decampment, bolt, jailbreak,
prison-break, Colloq break, break-out: The escape was planned
for midnight. 6 distraction, relief, diversion, recreation: He
watches westerns as an escape. 7 leakage, leaking, seepage,
seeping, drainage, draining, leak, discharge, outpouring,
outflow, effluence, efflux, effluxion: An escape of radioactive
waste from the nuclear power station had been reported earlier.
escort n. 1 guard, convoy, bodyguard, protection, guardian, protector,
chaperon, cortege or cortЉge, retinue, entourage, safe conduct,
usher, companion: The king rode in with his armed escort. 2
guide, attendant, conductor, leader, cicerone: The curator
acted as our escort through the museum. 3 companion; date,
boyfriend, beau: Donald is Thea's escort to the ball.
--v. 4 accompany, shepherd, squire, usher, conduct, guide,
attend: Would you please escort Denise in to dinner? 5 guard,
convoy, protect, watch over: The oil tankers were escorted by
destroyers.
especially
adv. 1 particularly, specially, specifically, exceptionally,
conspicuously, singularly, remarkably, extraordinarily,
unusually, uncommonly, peculiarly, outstandingly, uniquely,
notably, strikingly, noticeably, markedly, signally: She was
especially good at mathematics. 2 chiefly, mainly,
predominantly, primarily, principally, first, firstly, first of
all, above all: He is especially interested in music.
essay n. 1 article, composition, paper, theme, piece; thesis,
dissertation, disquisition, tract: Her essay is on the life
cycle of the flea. 2 attempt, effort, try, endeavour, venture;
Colloq shot, go: This is his first essay into the financial
world.
--v. 3 try, attempt, endeavour, strive, make an effort,
undertake, venture, tackle, test, go about, Colloq take a crack
or whack or stab at, Slang have a go at, give (it or something)
a shot, have a go or bash (at): Let him essay to do better.
essence n. 1 quintessence, quiddity, (essential) nature, substance,
spirit, being, heart, core, pith, kernel, marrow, soul,
significance, (active) principle, crux, cornerstone,
foundation-stone, Colloq bottom line: The essence of her
argument is that animals have the same rights as people. 2
extract, concentrate, distillate, elixir, tincture: The room
smelled faintly of essence of roses. 3 in essence. essentially,
basically, fundamentally, materially, substantially, at bottom,
in the final analysis, au fond; in effect, virtually: In
essence, there is little to choose between Trotskyism and
Stalinism. 4 of the essence. essential, critical, crucial,
vital, indispensable, requisite, important: In this job, time
is of the essence.
essential adj. 1 indispensable, necessary, requisite, required,
important, imperative, vital, material, quintessential: A
strong defence is essential to peace. 2 fundamental, basic,
intrinsic, elemental, elementary, principal, primary, key, main,
leading, chief: Yeast or baking powder is an essential
ingredient of bread.
establish v. 1 found, create, institute, set up, start, begin,
inaugurate, organize, form, constitute; decree, enact, ordain,
introduce: The company was established in 1796. A new law was
established to protect consumers. 2 secure, settle, fix,
entrench, install or instal, seat, ensconce; lodge, locate;
station: Hitler became established as dictator in 1933. Are you
established in your new house? 3 prove, confirm, certify,
verify, affirm, determine, authenticate, demonstrate, show,
substantiate, corroborate, validate, support, back (up): It
will be difficult to establish exactly how the crime was
committed.
establishment
n. 1 foundation, founding, formation, organization,
construction, creation, origin, origination, institution,
inauguration, setting up: We look forward to the establishment
of a democratic government. 2 business, concern, firm, company,
enterprise, institution, organization; office; shop, store,
market: He works for a retail establishment. 3 the
Establishment. the system, the government, the authorities, the
administration, the power structure, the ruling class, the
(established) order, the conservatives,the powers that be; the
Church: The press must not be under the control of the
Establishment.
estate n. 1 property, holdings, domain, demesne, land, landed estate,
manor, mansion: They live on a large estate in the south of
France. 2 property, holdings, assets, capital, resources,
wealth, fortune; belongings, possessions, chattels: The estate
was divided among the heirs. 3 estate of the realm, class,
caste, order, standing, position, (social) status, state,
station, place, situation, stratum, level, rank: By virtue of
her high estate, she is entitled to certain privileges. 4
development, Brit (housing or industrial or trading) estate:
They live in a council house on an estate near Reading.
esteem v. 1 respect, value, treasure, prize, cherish, hold dear,
appreciate, admire, look up to, regard highly, venerate, revere,
reverence, honour, defer to; like, love, adore: The novels of
Virginia Woolf were greatly esteemed by a small intellectual
group. 2 consider, judge, deem, view, regard, hold, estimate,
account, believe, think, rate, rank, reckon, evaluate: The Duke
was esteemed throughout Europe as 'the perfect knight'.
--n. 3 estimation, (high) regard, respect, (high) opinion,
favour, admiration, appreciation, approval, approbation: He
holds her talents in very high esteem. My esteem for your
father's accomplishments is undiminished.
estimable adj. esteemed, respectable, respected, admirable, admired,
valuable, valued, creditable, worthy, meritorious, reputable,
honoured, honourable, laudable, praiseworthy, commendable,
excellent, good: I want you to meet my estimable friend,
Esterhazy.
estimate v. 1 approximate, gauge, determine, judge, guess; assess,
appraise, value, evaluate, reckon, calculate, work out, Colloq
guestimate or guesstimate: Experts estimated the cost of
restoration at њ10,000. 2 consider, think, believe, guess,
conjecture, judge: I estimate our chances of success as very
low.
--n. 3 approximation, gauge, guess, conjecture, assessment,
appraisal, evaluation, reckoning, calculation, Colloq guestimate
or guesstimate: What is your estimate of the company's value?
4 estimation, belief, opinion, judgement, thinking, feeling,
sentiment, sense, (point of) view, viewpoint: My estimate of
his abilities is that he is not the man for the job.
estimation
n. 1 opinion, judgement, view, (way of) thinking, mind: In my
estimation, the scheme will fail. 2 esteem, regard, respect,
admiration: Her estimation of his talent is unflagging. 3
estimate, approximation, guess, gauge: You must make an
estimation of the value for insurance purposes.
estranged adj. alienated, divided, separated, withdrawn, disaffected,
driven apart, dissociated, disassociated: Iain Carstairs has
had a lot of trouble with his estranged wife.
etch v. 1 engrave, incise, carve, inscribe, grave, cut, score,
scratch, corrode, eat into: After the design has been painted
on, acid is used to etch the metal plate. 2 impress, imprint,
engrave, ingrain: The scene will be etched into my memory
forever.
eternal adj. 1 everlasting, timeless, infinite, endless, immortal,
limitless: They pledged eternal love for one another. 2
unending, endless, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, perpetual,
constant, continuous, interminable, uninterrupted, non-stop,
unremitting, persistent, relentless; continual, recurrent: I'm
sick and tired of my neighbours' eternal arguing. 3 unchanged,
unchanging, immutable, invariable, unvarying, unalterable,
permanent, fixed, constant, everlasting, enduring, lasting,
undiminished, unfaltering, unwavering: To the north there was
only the eternal silence of the greatest desolation.
eternity n. endlessness, everlastingness, unendingness, boundlessness,
perpetuity, timelessness, infinity: Many religions believe in
the eternity of the soul.
ethical adj. moral, upright, righteous, right, just, principled,
correct, honest, proper, open, decent, fair, good, virtuous,
straightforward, high-minded, noble: It wasn't ethical of him
to disclose details of the report.
etiquette n. code (of behaviour), form, convention, ceremony,
formalities, protocol, rules, custom(s), decorum, propriety,
politesse, politeness, courtesy, (good) manners, civility,
seemliness: Etiquette requires that you address me as 'Sir'.
eulogize v. praise, extol, laud, applaud, compliment, sound or sing the
praises of, acclaim; appreciate, honour; flatter: Kirk was
eulogized for his contribution to space travel.
eulogy n. praise, commendation, acclaim, acclamation, tribute,
compliment, applause, homage, plaudits, encomium, accolade,
paean, panegyric: The eulogy listed Wotton's many achievements.
euphemism n. amelioration, mollification, mitigation, cushioning,
Technical paradiastole: Euphemism is saying 'not too good' when
you mean 'bad' or 'awful'.
evacuate v. 1 empty, clear (out), exhaust, drain, deplete, purge, get
rid of, void, discharge, vent; divest, deprive: In cases of
poisoning, they first evacuate the stomach. 2 vacate, desert,
leave, depart (from), withdraw or retire (from), go away (from),
quit, relinquish, abandon, decamp (from), move or pull out (of
or from): When the enemy approached, the troops evacuated the
area. 3 relocate, move: Thousands were evacuated to a safe
distance when the bomb was discovered.
evade v. 1 avoid, elude, dodge, sidestep, escape (from); get away
(from), get out of, duck, circumvent, shirk, Colloq chiefly US
and Canadian weasel out (of): The prisoner evaded capture.
Don't evade your responsibilities. 2 quibble, equivocate,
tergiversate, manoeuvre, hedge, shuffle, fudge, fence, parry,
Colloq waffle, Slang cop out: The witness continued to evade
the barrister's questions.
evaluate v. 1 value, appraise, assess: You must be an expert to
evaluate netsuke. 2 judge, rank, rate, gauge, estimate,
approximate, calculate, reckon, compute, figure, quantify,
determine, ascertain: How can they evaluate your importance to
the project?
evaluation
n. 1 appraisal, valuation, assessment: The insurance company
refused to accept a higher evaluation on my house. 2 estimate,
estimation, approximation, rating, opinion, ranking, judgement,
reckoning, figuring, calculation, computation, determination:
The committee meets annually to discuss the evaluation of each
employee's contribution.
evaporate v. 1 vaporize; boil off or out; dehydrate, desiccate: Much of
the surplus liquid will evaporate during cooking. 2 disappear,
disperse, dissipate, vanish, evanesce, evanish, dispel; fade
(away), melt away, dissolve: Opposition to his appointment
seems to have evaporated.
evaporation
n. 1 vaporization, drying (up or out), dehydration,
desiccation, exsiccation, parching, searing: Clouds are formed
by the evaporation of terrestrial water. 2 disappearance,
dispersion, dispelling, dissipation, evanescence,
dematerialization, dissolution, fading (away), melting (away):
He was pleased to note the evaporation of all serious
opposition.
evasion n. 1 escape, avoidance, shirking, dodging: They disapproved of
his evasion of his civic duties. 2 subterfuge, deception,
deceit, chicane or chicanery, artifice, cunning, trickery,
sophistry, excuse, dodging, prevarication, lying, fudging,
evasiveness, quibbling, equivocation, double-talk: All the
interviewers' questions were met with evasion.
evasive adj. devious, indirect, equivocating, equivocal, misleading,
oblique, ambiguous, sophistical, casuistic, shifty, dissembling,
cunning, tricky, deceitful, Colloq cagey, Jesuitical: When
asked if he had visited her, he gave an evasive reply. She too
was evasive about how she had spent the evening.
eve n. 1 evening or day or night before, time or period before;
vigil: It was Christmas Eve, and we went out carolling. 2
verge, threshold, brink: We met on the eve of my departure for
Hungary.
even adj. 1 smooth, flat, plane, level, regular, uniform, flush,
straight, true: Sand the edges till they are even. 2
Sometimes, even with. level or uniform (with), coextensive
(with), flush (with), parallel (with or to): Make sure that the
lines at the bottom of the columns are even. Is that board even
with the others? 3 steady, regular, consistent, constant,
uniform, unvaried, unvarying, methodical, unchanging, set,
equable, stable, measured, metrical, rhythmical, orderly,
ordered, monotonous, unbroken, uninterrupted: We walked along
at an even pace. 4 even-tempered, calm, equable, composed,
placid, serene, peaceful, cool, tranquil, unruffled,
imperturbable, undisturbed, impassive, steady, temperate,
equanimous, self-possessed, sober, staid, sedate, sober-sided:
People of even disposition are unexcited, unexcitable, and
unexciting. 5 balanced, equal, the same, identical, coequal,
level, drawn, on a par, tied, neck and neck; equivalent, Colloq
fifty-fifty, Brit level pegging, US even Steven: At half-time
the scores were even. I have an even chance of getting the job.
6 square, quits, equal: If I pay for this round, we'll be even.
7 fair (and square), square, impartial, disinterested, neutral,
just, even-handed, equitable, straightforward, on the level,
honest, upright, unbiased, unprejudiced: See that you make an
even distribution of the food parcels. 8 exact, precise, round,
rounded off or out or up or down: The bill came to an even
fifty pounds. 9 get even (with). repay, revenge oneself (on),
even or settle accounts or the score (with), requite,
reciprocate, retaliate, be revenged: I'll get even with her for
telling my mother. Whenever he feels that he's been insulted, he
wants to get even.
--adv. 10 still, yet; all the (more), indeed, (more) than ever:
He is even dumber than I thought. He is in debt to everyone,
even his daughter. 11 Sometimes, even with or though.
notwithstanding, despite, in spite of, disregarding: Even with
delays, we arrived on time. 12 even so. nevertheless,
nonetheless, still, yet, notwithstanding, all the same, in spite
of that, despite that: He refused to attend; even so, we sent
him an invitation.
--v. 13 Usually, even up or out. smooth, flatten, level,
equalize; align: This road will be fine when they even out the
bumps. 14 even out or up. equalize, balance (out), settle;
compensate: Unfortunately, our profits and our expenses evened
out.
evening n. nightfall, eventide, dusk, sunset, sundown, p.m., Literary
gloaming: The Klincks will join us for dinner this evening.
event n. 1 occurrence, happening, incident, episode, occasion,
circumstance, affair, experience: An event then took place that
changed the course of his life. 2 issue, outcome, consequence,
result, conclusion, upshot, end, effect: There is no merit in
preparing for a disaster after the event. 3 at all events or in
any event. come what may, in any case, at any rate, regardless,
anyhow, anyway: At all events, we were ready and waiting when
the raid started. 4 in the event. in the reality or actuality,
as it or things turned out, at the time, when it happened: In
the event, we left as soon as we could.
eventful adj. busy, full, active, lively, exciting, interesting;
important, significant, signal, consequential, notable,
noteworthy, momentous, memorable: What with your wedding and
the birth of your son, it certainly has been an eventful week.
eventual adj. 1 ultimate, final, last, concluding, resulting: The
eventual cost is impossible to forecast. 2 due, expected,
anticipated, inevitable, likely, consequent, resulting,
resultant, foreordained, preordained, unavoidable, destined,
predestined, unavoidable, ineluctable, probable: As they cannot
afford the mortgage payments, they are faced with the eventual
loss of their home.
eventuality
n. circumstance, contingency, event, occurrence, happening,
case; likelihood, chance, possibility, probability: We must
prepare for the eventuality of war.
eventually
adv. ultimately, finally, at last, in the end or long run, at
the end of the day, sooner or later, when all is said and done,
in the final analysis, in due course, in (the course of) time,
after all: We must all die eventually.
ever adv. 1 at all, (at) any time, at any point or period, on any
occasion, in any case, by any chance: Do you ever visit London?
2 always, for ever, yet, still, even, at all times, in all
cases, eternally, perpetually, endlessly, everlastingly,
constantly, continuously, continually, for ever and a day, till
the end of time, till the cows come home, till doomsday; all the
time: He is ever the one to make us laugh. Literacy is becoming
ever more important.
everlasting
adj. eternal, deathless, undying, immortal, infinite, timeless;
never-ending, perpetual, constant, continual, continuous,
permanent, unceasing, incessant, interminable, endless: They
believed in everlasting punishment after death. I wish that dog
would stop its everlasting barking.
everyday adj. 1 daily, day-to-day, quotidian, diurnal; circadian: In
our family a big breakfast was an everyday occurrence. 2
commonplace, common, ordinary, customary, regular, habitual,
routine, usual, run-of-the-mill, unexceptional, accustomed,
conventional, familiar: She found herself unable to cope with
everyday tasks that she used to take in her stride. 3 prosaic,
mundane, dull, unimaginative, unexciting, mediocre, inferior:
These are very everyday paintings of little value.
everyone pron. everybody, all (and sundry), one and all, each and every
one or person, the whole world, everybody under the sun, every
Tom, Dick, and Harry: Everyone will want to come to my party.
everything
pron. all, all things, the aggregate, the (whole or entire)
lot, the total, the entirety, Colloq the whole kit and caboodle,
the whole shooting match, Chiefly US and Canadian the whole
shebang: Everything was destroyed in the earthquake.
everywhere
adv. in all places, in or to each or every place or part, in
every nook and cranny, high and low, far and wide, near and far;
ubiquitously, universally, globally; throughout: She went
everywhere searching for clues. The smell of jasmine was
everywhere. Errors occur everywhere in his writings.
evict v. oust, dislodge, turn out (of house and home), expel, eject,
remove, dispossess, put out, Law disseise or disseize, Colloq
toss or throw or kick or boot out, Brit turf out: The landlord
evicted us for non-payment of rent.
eviction n. ouster, dispossession, dislodgement, expulsion, ejection,
removal, Law disseisin or disseizin, Colloq the boot: His
eviction from the club was for refusing to wear a tie.
evidence n. 1 proof, ground(s), fact(s), data, basis, support,
verification, attestation, affirmation, confirmation,
validation, corroboration, substantiation, documentation,
certification: Have we enough evidence to convict the suspects?
2 testimony, statement, deposition, affidavit, averment,
assertion: The prosecution will present its evidence tomorrow.
3 indication, sign, mark, token, manifestation, demonstration,
hint, suggestion, clue, trace, smoking gun: There is evidence
that there are mice in the house.
--v. 4 demonstrate, show, display, manifest, signify, exhibit,
reveal, denote, attest, prove, evince, testify, (bear) witness:
The destruction of the forests is evidenced by the open plains.
evident adj. clear, obvious, plain, apparent, manifest, patent,
palpable, conspicuous, clear-cut, express, unmistakable,
incontrovertible, understandable, comprehensible, recognizable,
perceptible, perceivable, discernible, noticeable: It was
evident that someone had been tampering with the mechanism.
evidently adv. 1 clearly, obviously, plainly, manifestly, palpably,
apparently, patently, indubitably, undoubtedly, doubtless(ly),
without a doubt, indisputably, incontestably, incontrovertibly,
undeniably, unquestionably, surely, certainly, to be sure: He
is evidently the culprit. 2 apparently, outwardly, seemingly,
it would seem, so it seems, as far as one can see or tell, to
all appearances, ostensibly: Evidently, there were two people
here, not just one.
evil adj. 1 bad, awful, wrong, immoral, wicked, sinful, nefarious,
iniquitous, base, corrupt, vile, accursed, damnable, villainous,
heinous, infamous, flagitious, foul, nasty, abominable,
atrocious, horrible, horrid, ghastly, grisly, dreadful,
depraved, vicious, malevolent, maleficent, malefic,
black-hearted, evil-minded: He was an evil tyrant who killed
anyone who opposed him. 2 treacherous, traitorous, perfidious,
insidious, unscrupulous, unprincipled, dishonest, dishonourable,
crooked, criminal, felonious, knavish, sinister, underhand(ed),
dirty, corrupt: He thought up an evil plan for getting rid of
his wife. 3 harmful, destructive, hurtful, injurious,
mischievous, detrimental, ruinous, deleterious, disastrous,
catastrophic, pernicious, noxious, malignant, malign, virulent,
toxic, poisonous, deadly, lethal: Evil policies were
promulgated against minority groups, and racist attacks
abounded. 4 unfortunate, unlucky, ominous, inauspicious, dire,
unpropitious, calamitous, infelicitous, woeful: Their business
had fallen on evil times. 5 bad, offensive, disgusting,
repulsive, awful, nasty, mephitic, noxious, foul, pestilential,
putrid, vile; disagreeable, unpleasant: An evil odour permeated
the crypt.
--n. 6 badness, sin, vice, wickedness, iniquity, turpitude,
immorality, profligacy, depravity, degeneracy, corruption,
degradation, devilry or deviltry, villainy, nefariousness,
viciousness, vileness, heinousness, flagitiousness, baseness,
foulness: The evil that men do lives after them, the good is
oft interred with their bones. 7 harm, hurt, injury, mischief,
damage, ruin, calamity, misfortune, catastrophe, destruction,
disaster, cataclysm; ill, misery, suffering, pain, sorrow, woe,
agony, anguish: Evil befell the residents of Pompeii.
evil-minded
adj. 1 dirty(-minded), smutty, obscene, depraved, lewd,
lascivious, lecherous, salacious, licentious, filthy, nasty;
foul-mouthed: Those anonymous phone calls were made by some
evil-minded degenerate. 2 wicked, sinful, flagitious, vicious,
hateful, malicious, spiteful, malevolent, evil, bad: The
evil-minded old witch grabbed Hansel and Gretel.
evoke v. summon (up), call up or forth, elicit, conjure up, invoke,
recall, reawake(n), (a)wake, wake(n), (a)rouse, raise: Seeing
her again evoked fond memories.
evolution n. development, advance, growth, progress, progression,
phylogeny, evolvement, developing, growing, evolving, formation,
maturation, production: This book traces the evolution of the
aeroplane. His treatise is on the evolution of insects.
exact adj. 1 precise, accurate, correct, faithful, true, faultless,
identical, literal, perfect, consummate: This is an exact copy
of the original. Were those her exact words? 2 careful,
meticulous, strict, rigorous, accurate, exacting, severe,
fastidious, scrupulous, thorough, painstaking, rigid,
punctilious: He has conducted the most exact experiments.
--v. 3 demand, extort, require, enforce, insist on or upon,
extract, impose, wrest, compel, enjoin, call for, requisition,
claim: The chief exacted tribute before releasing the
prisoners.
exacting adj. demanding, rigorous, difficult, rigid, stern, hard, tough,
severe, harsh, burdensome, taxing, stringent, imperative,
unsparing, oppressive, tyrannical: I know of no more exacting
job than that of air traffic controller.
exactly adv. 1 accurately, precisely, strictly, perfectly, correctly,
unerringly, faultlessly, faithfully, scrupulously, literally, to
the letter, word for word, verbatim, closely; methodically,
systematically: She translated the passage exactly, with no
errors. 2 definitely, absolutely, positively, undeniably,
surely, certainly, unequivocally, completely, in every respect,
in all respects, particularly, specifically, explicitly, just,
quite, expressly, precisely, accurately, truly, Colloq Brit bang
on: This is exactly the kind of house we want.
exaggerate
v. overstate, magnify, inflate, overdraw, embroider, embellish,
elaborate, enlarge, stretch, romance, overemphasize, overstress,
overplay, overdo, exalt, hyperbolize, paint, Colloq lay it on
thick, play up, pile it on: She exaggerates when she claims to
be the best actress in the world. He believes the health risks
are exaggerated.
exaggeration
n. overstatement, magnification, inflation, embroidery,
embellishment, elaboration, enlargement, stretch,
romanticization, extravagance, overemphasis, excess, exaltation,
enhancement, hyperbole; empty talk, bombast, bragging, boasting,
boastfulness, magniloquence, Literary gasconade, rodomontade,
Colloq fish story, puffery, Slang bull(shit), hot air: It was a
press agent's exaggeration to call the movie a 'colossal epic'.
exalt v. 1 elevate, raise or lift (up or on high), upraise, uplift,
upgrade, boost, promote, advance: The goalkeeper was exalted to
heroic status by the fans. 2 praise, honour, extol, glorify,
idolize, dignify, ennoble, revere, reverence, venerate, pay
homage or tribute to, celebrate; lionize: O magnify the Lord
with me, and let us exalt His name together. 3 stimulate,
excite, animate, (a)rouse, fire, inspire, electrify, awaken,
spur, stir (up), inspirit: Certain drugs have the effect of
exalting the imagination.
exalted adj. 1 elevated, lofty, high, eminent, notable, noted,
prominent, famous, famed, celebrated, distinguished, dignified,
honoured, prestigious, glorified, sublime, grand: During his
later life he enjoyed an exalted reputation. 2 elevated, noble,
lofty, superior, uplifting, heightened, high-flown; exaggerated,
pretentious, overblown, inflated: His writing is euphuistic,
that is, flowery or exalted. She has an exalted notion of her
importance. 3 elated, excited, exultant, ecstatic, jubilant,
overjoyed, joyful, rapturous, transported, blissful, happy,
joyous, in seventh heaven, uplifted, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit
over the moon: They were in too exalted a mood to be interested
in such mundane matters.
examination
n. 1 investigation, scrutiny, study, analysis, inspection,
inquiry or enquiry, probe, search, exploration, research,
survey, going-over, check-up, check(out), appraisal, assessment:
Examination of the finances revealed a secret Swiss bank
account. 2 testing, test, quiz, exam: There will be a written
examination on Friday. 3 interrogation, inquisition, inquiry or
enquiry, catechism, cross-examination, Colloq third degree,
grill(ing): Examination of the prisoners is left to
intelligence officers.
examine v. 1 investigate, scrutinize, study, peruse, scan, pore over,
analyse, sift, inspect, inquire or enquire into, go over or
through or into, look over or into, probe, search, explore,
research, survey, check up on, check (out), appraise, assess,
weigh, Brit vet, Slang case: The theory will be examined
thoroughly. 2 test; interrogate, quiz, catechize,
cross-examine, question, sound out, Colloq grill, pump: The
director closely examined all applicants for the position.
example n. 1 instance, case, sample, specimen, illustration: If this
is an example of your work, I'm afraid we aren't interested. 2
model, prototype, standard, archetype, exemplar, pattern,
benchmark, norm, criterion: You should set an example to the
children. 3 warning, admonition, lesson: The judge made an
example of him by giving him the maximum sentence. 4 for
example. for instance, as a case in point, as an illustration or
example, by way of illustration, to illustrate, e.g. or eg,
exempli gratia: Consider, for example, the following poem by
Wordsworth.
exasperate
v. 1 anger, infuriate, enrage, incense, madden, rile, drive
mad; embitter; inflame; Colloq drive crazy, drive up the wall:
Dealing with a bureaucracy can be exasperating for anyone. 2
irritate, irk, annoy, bother, harass, pique, gall, nettle,
rankle, provoke, vex, pester, torment, plague; hector, badger,
Colloq bug, needle, peeve, get, get under (someone's) skin, rub
(up) the wrong way, aggravate, Slang get (someone's) goat, piss
(someone) off: The child's constant questions were beginning to
exasperate me.
excavate v. 1 dig (out or up), hollow or gouge (out), scoop out, burrow
or cut (out): They are excavating a great hole in the centre of
the site. 2 unearth, uncover, expose, clear, lay bare, dig up,
disinter, bring up, exhume: A large part of Pompeii has been
excavated.
excavation
n. cavity, hole, pit, crater, cut, ditch, trench, trough,
burrow, hollow, shaft, tunnel; mine, quarry: Concrete for the
foundations will be poured into the excavation.
exceed v. 1 surpass, top, excel, be superior to, go beyond, beat,
overwhelm, better, outdistance, pass, overtake, outstrip,
outrank, outrun, outdo, outpace, transcend, outshine, outreach,
overshadow, eclipse: The success of the new product exceeded
our expectations. 2 overstep, go beyond, overextend: His
behaviour exceeded the bounds of decency.
exceeding adj. great, huge, enormous, extraordinary, excessive,
exceptional, surpassing: The exceeding poverty of the people is
heart-rending.
exceedingly
adv. very, extremely, especially, exceptionally, considerably,
incomparably, immeasurably, extraordinarily, remarkably;
excessively, greatly, hugely, enormously: She plays the violin
exceedingly well. Even for a dog, that is an exceedingly ugly
dog.
excel v. surpass, be superior (to), dominate, top, exceed, go beyond,
beat, outstrip, outrank, outdo, outpace, outshine, overshadow,
eclipse; shine, be pre-eminent: Few places excel the Caribbean
islands for beauty. He really excels when it comes to swimming.
excellence
n. superiority, merit, (high) quality, goodness, fineness,
greatness, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, distinction,
value, worth, supremacy: Those who attain excellence often
devote their lives to one pursuit.
excellent adj. superb, outstanding, exceptional, superior, matchless,
peerless, unequalled, without equal, nonpareil, supreme,
superlative, sterling, capital, first-class, first-rate, prime,
choice, select, distinguished, noteworthy, notable, worthy, the
best, tiptop, admirable, splendid, remarkable, marvellous,
extraordinary, Colloq A-1 or A-one, great, smashing, super,
terrific, fantastic, Brit magic, Dialectal champion,
Old-fashioned top-hole, ripping, tickety-boo, US A number 1,
major, Australian bonzer, Slang cool, ripsnorting: Thank you
for an excellent dinner. He is an excellent pianist.
except prep. 1 Sometimes except for. excepting, save, but, excluding,
exclusive of, barring, bar, with the exception of, omitting, not
counting, apart from, but for, other than, saving: There was no
one there except us. Except for us, no one came.
--conj. 2 except that. except or but (for the fact) that, but,
save that: He would have gone except that he has no car.
--v. 3 exclude, omit, leave out, excuse: As usual, the wealthy
were excepted from the tax increase.
exception n. 1 exclusion, omission: With the exception of those who are
absent, all members are entitled to a free T-shirt. 2 debarment,
blockage, lockout, shut-out: His wife was deeply offended by
his exception from membership of the country club. 3 departure,
anomaly, irregularity, special case; oddity, freak, rarity,
peculiarity, quirk: The exception proves the rule. Why does Viv
always have to be an exception? 4 take exception (to). make or
raise (an) objection (to or against), object (to), demur (at),
find fault (with), take offence or umbrage (at), be offended
(at); (call into) question, cavil, quibble, challenge, oppose,
disagree (with): She takes exception to everything I suggest.
If you propose to ban smoking at the meeting, will some people
take exception?
exceptionable
adj. objectionable, disputable, questionable, criticizable,
unacceptable, unsatisfactory: We found nothing exceptionable
about the service.
exceptional
adj. 1 special, unusual, especial, out of the ordinary,
extraordinary, uncommon, rare, singular; strange, irregular,
aberrant, odd, peculiar, anomalous: The candlesticks turned out
to be of exceptional value. He insisted that rainstorms in the
Sahara were not exceptional. 2 gifted, talented, superior,
outstanding, above average, excellent, prodigious,
extraordinary: Your child is exceptional, Mrs Einstein. 3
handicapped, below average, deficient, Brit ESN (='educationally
subnormal'): The boy attends a school for exceptional children.
excerpt n. 1 extract, selection, quotation, citation, passage,
pericope: The speaker read excerpts from well-known writers.
--v. 2 extract, select, quote, cite, cull (out), pick (out),
take: Parts of this book were excerpted from his earlier
writings.
excess n. 1 surplus, over-abundance, overflow, superabundance,
nimiety, superfluity, surfeit, plethora, glut, redundancy,
over-sufficiency, supererogation, leftovers; overkill: The
excess of income over expenses constitutes profit. There is an
excess of water on the road after a rainstorm. 2 Often,
excesses. debauchery, extravagance, immoderation, prodigality,
overindulgence, intemperance, dissipation, dissoluteness:
Because of their excesses they have been shunned by their
friends.
--adj. 3 surplus, extra, superfluous, excessive, leftover,
residual, remaining: After paying the bills, any excess money
goes into savings.
excessive adj. 1 immoderate, inordinate, disproportionate, extravagant,
exorbitant, superfluous, excess, undue, enormous, extreme,
unreasonable, unwarranted, unjustifiable, outrageous,
unconscionable: This job is making excessive demands on my
time. 2 overdone, fulsome, cloying, nauseating, disgusting: I
was sickened by her excessive sweetness.
exchange v. 1 trade, barter, switch, change, interchange, reciprocate,
return, Colloq swap or swop: We exchange gifts every Christmas.
--n. 2 trade, barter, change, traffic, commerce, dealing,
truck, transfer, interchange, reciprocity, reciprocation,
switch, quid pro quo, tit for tat, Colloq swap or swop: An
exchange of prisoners was negotiated. What can I do for you in
exchange? 3 altercation, argument, quarrel, disagreement,
unpleasantness: We had a brief exchange, then he struck me. 4
market, stock market, Stock Exchange, securities exchange, the
Market, the Board, the Big Board, the Exchange, the Bourse, Wall
Street, US the Street: The exchange reported little activity in
anticipation of the finance minister's speech.
excitable adj. volatile, jumpy, apprehensive, nervous, restive, restless,
fidgety, edgy, touchy, highly-strung, high-strung, mercurial,
emotional, quick-tempered, testy, hot-blooded, feverish,
hysterical, US on a short string: The director becomes very
excitable before each performance.
excite v. 1 (a)rouse, spur (on), stir (up), move, animate, enliven,
activate, motivate, invigorate, energize, stimulate, cause,
provoke, prod, agitate, incite, quicken, urge, (a)wake,
(a)waken, call forth, summon (up), elicit, inspire, inspirit,
rally, galvanize, electrify, foment, fire (up), inflame, kindle,
ignite, initiate, instigate, generate, occasion, begin, start,
bring about, effect, set in motion, Colloq get going, spark,
wind up, get (someone) (all) steamed up, hop up, US kick-start,
light a fire under: The speech excited the crowd's patriotic
fervour. 2 agitate, disturb, perturb, stir up, discompose,
fluster, ruffle, upset, disconcert: Don't excite the horses. 3
thrill, stir up, titillate, work up, arouse, inflame: Risqu‚
films are intended to excite viewers.
excited adj. 1 (a)roused, stirred (up), stimulated, agitated,
disturbed, perturbed, upset, worked up, wrought up, wound up,
keyed up, overwrought, discomposed, disconcerted, discomfited,
nervous, edgy, on edge, uneasy, flustered, ruffled, fidgety,
frantic, frenetic, aflame, feverish, frenzied, hysterical,
beside oneself, Colloq itchy, (all) hot and bothered, high, on a
high, off the deep end, out of one's mind: Turner was in a very
excited state by the time the police arrived. Don't get so
excited just because he called you a name. 2 ardent, zealous,
impassioned, passionate, eager, energized, energetic, active,
brisk, animated, lively, spirited, fervid, fervent, vehement,
stimulated, enthusiastic, galvanized, electrified, intoxicated,
Colloq turned on: The excited children scrambled into the boat.
She becomes excited listening to rock 'n' roll.
excitement
n. 1 restlessness, disquiet, disquietude, tension, agitation,
unrest, malaise, discomfort, jumpiness, nervousness,
freneticness, excitation: He had to give the patient an
injection to quell her excitement. 2 perturbation, upset,
action, ado, activity, ferment, furore or US furor, turmoil,
tumult, to-do, stir, commotion, hubbub, brouhaha, fuss,
hurly-burly, Colloq fireworks: The robbery caused a lot of
excitement at the bank. 3 animation, eagerness, enthusiasm,
exhilaration, ebullience: She could hardly contain her
excitement at winning the lottery.
exciting adj. 1 stimulating, intoxicating, heady, thrilling, stirring,
moving, inspiring, rousing, exhilarating, electrifying,
galvanizing, energizing, invigorating; overwhelming,
overpowering, astounding, astonishing, amazing, mind-boggling,
Colloq far-out, rip-roaring, mind-blowing: Orbiting the world
in the space shuttle was the most exciting experience of my
life. 2 seductive, sensuous, voluptuous, ravishing, captivating,
charming, tempting, enticing, alluring, provocative,
titillating, Colloq sexy: Fenella is truly an exciting young
woman.
exclaim v. call or cry (out), proclaim, vociferate, utter, declare,
ejaculate, shout, yell, bawl, bellow, burst out (with), blurt
out, Colloq holler: 'It's a girl!' he exclaimed.
exclamation
n. outcry, call, cry, utterance, ejaculation, interjection,
vociferation, shout, yell, bellow, Colloq holler: She gave an
exclamation of surprise at seeing me there.
exclude v. 1 Often, exclude from. keep out or away, lock or shut out,
ban, bar, debar, prohibit, interdict, forbid, proscribe, deny,
refuse, disallow: Women are excluded from participating in
certain religious ceremonies. Must we exclude Maria, too? 2
eliminate, leave out, reject, omit, except, preclude, repudiate,
count out: Exclude them from consideration as candidates. 3
eject, evict, expel, oust, get rid of, remove, throw out, Colloq
toss out, Slang bounce: He was excluded from the club because
of his behaviour.
exclusion n. 1 lockout, shut-out, ban, bar, prohibition, interdiction,
forbiddance, denial, refusal, disallowance, proscription: He
would not join a club that supported the exclusion of women
members. 2 elimination, rejection, omission, repudiation,
exception, preclusion: We must ensure the exclusion of
unqualified candidates. 3 ejection, eviction, expulsion,
ouster, removal, riddance: The exclusion of rowdies and
hooligans is in the club's best interests.
exclusive adj. 1 incompatible, inimical; unshared, unique, absolute,
restricted, limited: Exclusive concepts, like 'animal' and
'vegetable', do not coincide save in their both being 'alive'.
Our newspaper printed the exclusive story of the disaster. 2
chic, clannish, choice, upper-class, aristocratic, closed,
restricted, restrictive, private, snobbish, fashionable,
elegant, stylish, select, Colloq trendy, Slang classy: They are
seen in the most exclusive nightclubs. 3 only, single, one,
sole, singular, unique: Boats are the exclusive means of
transport here. 4 Usually, exclusive of. excluding, excepting,
except for, omitting, ignoring, leaving aside, apart from,
(de)barring, not counting, eliminating: Charges range from $220
to $350 a night, exclusive of meals.
excruciating
adj. tormenting, torturing, torturous, agonizing, painful,
racking, intense, extreme, unbearable, unendurable, severe,
acute, exquisite, harrowing, distressful, distressing, piercing,
insufferable: She was racked with excruciating pain.
excursion n. 1 trip, tour, outing, airing, expedition, voyage, cruise,
journey, junket, jaunt; ramble, stroll, walk, hike, trek, drive,
ride, sail: We left the city and took an excursion into the
mountains. 2 detour, deviation, side-trip, diversion,
digression, excursus: Forgive the excursion, but I'll return to
the subject in a minute.
excuse v. 1 forgive, pardon, overlook, absolve, clear, exonerate,
acquit, exculpate, pass over, disregard, wink at, ignore, be
blind to, look the other way, pay no attention or heed (to),
find or prove innocent (of): Please excuse my tardiness. 2
release, let go or off, liberate, free, relieve, exempt,
absolve; dismiss, Colloq let off the hook: She was excused from
attending class today. You may be excused. 3 condone, allow,
permit, defend, apologize for, justify, warrant, explain,
vindicate, rationalize, mitigate, extenuate, palliate: Poverty
does not excuse your stealing.
--n. 4 apology, explanation, story, reason, justification,
defence, plea, vindication, condonation, rationalization,
extenuation, mitigation, palliation; basis, grounds, foundation,
cause: Can you think of any excuse for your behaviour? 5
forgiveness, remission, pardon, indulgence, reprieve, clearing,
exculpation, absolution, exoneration, acquittal, disregard,
heedlessness, vindication, clearance, acquittance: Ignorance of
the law is not an excuse. 6 evasion, subterfuge, pretence,
pretext, makeshift, escape, loophole, way out, Colloq alibi,
stall, Slang cop-out: He always uses his grandmother's illness
as an excuse for missing school.
execute v. 1 accomplish, do, carry out or off or through, perform,
discharge, dispatch or despatch, bring about or off, implement,
engineer, cause, Colloq pull off, put over, Slang US swing, cut,
hack (out): She executes her duties satisfactorily. 2
complete, finish, deliver; achieve, consummate, fulfil, effect,
effectuate; sign, seal, validate, countersign: He executed the
portrait in an hour. The contract was executed yesterday. 3 put
to death, kill, put to the sword, butcher; liquidate,
assassinate, murder, remove, slay, Slang bump off, rub or wipe
out, snuff (out), knock off, US waste, ice: Convicted murderers
are no longer executed in this country. The mob executed the
rival gangleaders.
execution n. 1 accomplishment, performance, carrying out, doing,
discharge, dispatch or despatch, implementation, prosecution,
realization, enactment: His drinking interferes with the
execution of his responsibilities. 2 completion, fulfilment,
consummation, achievement, attainment, implementation, bringing
about, administration, pursuance: The company will pay ten
thousand dollars upon execution of the agreement. 3 killing,
capital punishment; assassination, murder, removal, liquidation,
slaying: The traitor's execution is tomorrow. There has been
another gangland style execution. 4 skill, art, mastery,
technique, style, manner, mode, touch, approach, delivery,
rendering, rendition, production: The cellist's execution was
superb.
executive n. 1 chairman (of the board), director, managing director,
chief executive, president, chief (executive officer), CEO,
manager, head, leader, principal, administrator, official;
supervisor, foreman, superintendent, overseer, boss, master,
Colloq Mr Big, (chief or head) honcho, number one, kingpin,
Slang top banana, big cheese, numero uno, top dog: She is an
executive in the local power company. 2 administration,
management, directorship, directorate, government, leadership,
supervision: Five people form the executive of the society.
--adj. 3 administrative, managerial, supervisory, official,
governing, governmental, gubernatorial, regulatory: He works in
the executive department of the government.
exemplary adj. 1 illustrative, typical, characteristic, representative,
archetypal; paradigmatic: The text contains passages exemplary
of good writing. 2 model, meritorious, outstanding, noteworthy,
admirable, commendable, praiseworthy, excellent, superior:
Private Jones is an exemplary soldier. 3 cautionary,
admonitory, warning, monitory: In addition to payment for the
damage, we were awarded exemplary damages.
exemplify v. 1 illustrate, typify, represent, epitomize, instance;
embody, personify: This painting exemplifies Picasso's blue
period. 2 demonstrate, display, show, exhibit, model, depict:
Early Mediterranean civilization is exemplified at Knossos.
exempt v. 1 Often, exempt from. free or liberate or release from,
excuse or relieve from, spare from, let off, absolve, except,
Colloq let off the hook: The doctor exempted Becker from
strenuous activity.
--adj. 2 exempted, free, liberated, released, excused,
relieved, spared, let off, excepted, immune, Colloq off the
hook: It seems that Becker is now exempt from doing any work.
exemption n. exception, immunity, freedom, release, impunity,
dispensation, exclusion: This document confirms his exemption
from jury service.
exercise v. 1 employ, use, apply, practise, bring to bear, put to use or
effect; discharge, exert, wield, execute; utilize, effect: Try
to exercise better judgement next time. The chairman exercises
too much authority. 2 work out, limber up, warm up, train,
drill: She exercises for an hour every day. 3 harass, annoy,
irritate, vex, harry, distress, worry, concern, burden, try,
trouble, perturb, disturb, agitate, make nervous, Colloq drive
crazy, drive up the wall: We have been much exercised over the
issue of acid rain.
--n. 4 activity, workout, working-out, warm-up, warming up,
callisthenics, aerobics, isometrics, gymnastics; training,
drill, drilling: Exercise is good for the heart. 5 action,
application, practice, performance, discharge, use, utilization,
employment, execution, operation: We expect the exercise of
your best endeavours.
exert v. 1 exercise, use, utilize, put to use or work or effect,
employ, wield, bring to bear, bring into play, expend: Please
exert your influence to have his conviction quashed. 2 exert
oneself. attempt, try, endeavour, make an effort, apply oneself,
strive, do one's best, work, strain, struggle, toil, push, drive
(oneself), go all out, give one's all, Colloq knock oneself out,
cudgel one's brains, beat one's brains out, do one's damnedest,
Slang bust a gut: If Peter exerted himself a bit more, we might
see some results.
exertion n. action, effort, striving, strain, work, struggle, toil,
drive, push, diligence, industry, assiduity, assiduousness,
sedulousness, sedulity, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: By
considerable exertion, we finished on time. He was tired after
all his exertions.
exhalation
n. 1 expiration, exhaling, breath, respiration, suspiration:
The doctor could detect the wheezing only on exhalation. 2
vapour, breath, air, puff, whiff, exhaust, emission, steam,
mist, gas, fog, fume, emanation, effluvium, evaporation:
Poisonous exhalations from vents on the side of the volcano had
destroyed all vegetation.
exhale v. breathe (out), blow, puff, huff, gasp, evaporate, pass off,
discharge, emit, emanate, issue (forth), respire, suspire, give
forth, blow off, eject, expel, exsufflate: Please exhale into
this balloon. The volcano continued to exhale noxious fumes.
exhaust v. 1 use (up), expend, consume, finish, deplete, spend,
dissipate, run through, squander, waste, fritter away, Slang
blow: In less than a year, he had exhausted all his funds. 2
tire (out), fatigue, weary, wear out, enervate, fag, overtire,
sap, strain, tax, weaken, prostrate, debilitate, disable, Colloq
frazzle: Working sixty hours a week would exhaust anyone. 3
empty, drain, evacuate, void, clean or clear out: The pump is
used to exhaust the chamber of air. 4 overdo, overwork, treat
thoroughly, deplete, drain, empty: I think we've exhausted that
topic. 5 empty (out), drain (off or out), vent, issue, escape,
discharge, run out: The fumes exhaust through this tube.
--n. 6 emanation, effluent, emission, fumes, gas: Car exhausts
are polluting the atmosphere.
exhausted adj. 1 (dead) tired, fatigued, weary, wearied, worn out,
enervated, debilitated, overtired, weak, weakened, prostrate,
worn or fagged or played or burnt-out, spent, all in, out on
one's feet, Colloq dog-tired, dead (on one's feet), wiped out,
drained, knocked out, all in, done in, frazzled, Slang (dead)
beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian pooped: I must sleep: I'm
exhausted. 2 empty, emptied, bare; depleted, consumed, done,
gone, at an end, finished: Our supply of paper-clips is
exhausted. 3 spent, worn out, depleted, impoverished, poor,
infertile, barren: It is impossible to grow anything in this
exhausted soil.
exhausting
adj. 1 tiring, fatiguing, wearying, enervating, wearing,
debilitating: Proofreading these figures can be exhausting. 2
arduous, laborious, back-breaking, strenuous, hard, gruelling,
crippling, difficult, burdensome, onerous: Harvesting sugar is
exhausting work.
exhaustion
n. 1 emptying, drawing out or forth, discharge, draining,
evacuation, voiding, depletion, consumption, finish(ing): The
exhaustion of air from the cylinder is accomplished by a
powerful pump. 2 tiredness, fatigue, enervation, debilitation,
weariness, lassitude: The survivors were suffering from
exposure and exhaustion.
exhaustive
adj. complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, thorough,
all-encompassing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, extensive,
thoroughgoing, far-reaching, sweeping, full-scale, in-depth,
maximal, maximum, Colloq all-out: The police conducted an
exhaustive investigation of the company's finances.
exhibit v. show, display, present, offer, expose; show off, parade,
brandish, flaunt; demonstrate, reveal, betray, manifest,
exemplify, evince, evidence, disclose, express: Her paintings
are widely exhibited. Such behaviour exhibits poor judgement.
exhibition
n. exposition, fair, show(ing), display, demonstration,
presentation, offering, US exhibit, Colloq expo, demo: The
craft exhibition will be held at the civic centre.
exhilarating
adj. 1 invigorating, bracing, stimulating, vivifying,
enlivening, rejuvenating, refreshing, vitalizing, fortifying,
restorative, tonic: We took an exhilarating walk round the
lake. 2 cheering, uplifting, gladdening, elating, inspiriting,
heartening, comforting, reassuring; happy, good, delightful: We
received the exhilarating news of Phoebe's complete recovery.
exile n. 1 expatriation, banishment, expulsion, deportation,
transportation; separation: Napoleon was sentenced to exile on
Elba. 2 expatriate, ‚migr‚(e), emigrant, outcast, deportee,
pariah, displaced person, DP; alien, foreigner, outsider: Many
of the exiles from Nazi Germany settled in Britain.
--v. 3 deport, expel, alienate, banish, expatriate, oust,
eject, displace, transport, drive or run or cast out, outlaw,
exclude, oust, evict, bar, ban; extradite; maroon: Many
criminals were exiled to Australia.
exist v. 1 be, continue, prevail, endure, abide; live, breathe: Some
believe that the universe exists only in our imagination. 2
survive, subsist, eke out a living or an existence, stay alive,
get by or along: How can the family exist only on his pension?
3 occur, happen, be found, be present, remain, persist; obtain,
prevail: A two-foot gap exists between the wall and the roof.
'Status quo' refers to the circumstances that exist.
existence n. 1 being, presence, actuality, fact: Most cultures believe
in the existence of one god or more. 2 life, living;
continuance, continuation, persistence, permanence, duration,
endurance: The early settlers had to struggle for existence. 3
entity, being, creature; ens, quiddity, essence: In Hindu
philosophy, there is no limit to the number of existences.
exit n. 1 way out, egress, door, gate; outlet, vent: Everyone left
by the emergency exit when the alarm rang. This is the exit for
the smoke. 2 departure, leave-taking, withdrawal, leaving,
retreat, retirement; flight, exodus, evacuation, escape:
Terribly embarrassed, they made their exit. The villain's exit
from the stage was marked by catcalls.
--v. 3 go (out or away), (take one's) leave, depart, take or
make one's departure, retire, (beat a) retreat, bid adieu,
withdraw, run, (take a) walk, walk out (on), quit, escape, take
to one's heels, show a clean pair of heels, vanish, disappear,
Colloq take off, skedaddle, kiss goodbye, US cut out; Slang beat
it, US and Canadian take it on the lam, lam (on) out of or from,
take a (run-out) powder: He exited from the party as soon as he
could.
exorbitant
adj. extraordinary, excessive, extravagant, outrageous,
immoderate, extortionate, extreme, unreasonable, inordinate,
disproportionate, unconscionable, preposterous, undue,
unwarranted, unjustifiable, unjustified: The price of petrol in
Britain is exorbitant.
exotic adj. 1 foreign, alien, non-native, imported: She raises exotic
plants. 2 strange, unfamiliar, unusual, bizarre, odd, peculiar,
unique, singular, extraordinary, remarkable, out of the
ordinary, different, outlandish, weird, crazy: His exotic
clothes make him stand out in a crowd. 3 striptease, belly,
go-go, topless, bottomless, nude: Her daughter is an exotic
dancer at the new disco.
expand v. 1 enlarge, spread (out), extend, increase, open (out or up),
swell, inflate, distend; unfold: His waistline began to expand
as he approached middle age. 2 prolong, lengthen, stretch,
dilate: An elastic valve expands easily. 3 increase, extend,
amplify, magnify, broaden, widen, augment, heighten, develop:
The minister sought to expand his influence. 4 Often, expand
on. detail, enlarge on, embellish, develop, amplify, expatiate
on or upon, elaborate (on); flesh out: The speaker expanded on
the topic of health insurance.
expanse n. stretch, extent, area, space, range, sweep, reach, length
and breadth, spread: The vast expanses of space are yet to be
explored.
expansion n. 1 increase, augmentation, development, enlargement,
extension, burgeoning or bourgeoning, flourishing, growth,
spread: How will the company finance its expansion in other
markets? 2 dilatation or dilation, stretching, distension or
distention, inflation, swelling: The animal moves by the
alternate expansion and contraction of the muscle.
expansive adj. 1 expansible or expandable or expandible, inflatable,
dilatable, extensible or extendible or extendable; extending,
expanding, enlarging, spreading, opening or stretching (out):
Increased temperature causes the enlargement of expansive
materials. 2 effusive, open, free, easy, genial, amiable,
friendly, warm, affable, sociable, outgoing, communicative,
outspoken, extrovert(ed) or extravert(ed), talkative,
loquacious, garrulous, frank, unreserved: William became
relaxed, almost expansive over the meal. 3 broad, extensive,
far-reaching, wide-ranging; comprehensive, widespread,
all-embracing, (all-)inclusive: We stood on the edge of an
expansive desert. The company has expansive interests in Europe.
expect v. 1 anticipate, look forward or ahead to, have or keep in
view, await, envisage, watch or look for, wait for, contemplate,
foresee, US envision: She expects to leave. He was expecting
her at noon. 2 assume, presume, suppose, imagine, believe,
think,trust, surmise, conjecture; foresee, US and Canadian
guess: I expect you will be hungry when you return. 3 look
for, want, require, wish, need, demand, reckon on or upon, hope
for, calculate or count on or upon: What did you expect me to
do?
expectant adj. expecting, (a)waiting, ready, eager, apprehensive,
anxious, with bated breath, hopeful, looking, watchful,
anticipating: The understudy waited, expectant, in the wings.
expectation
n. 1 anticipation, confidence, hopefulness, watchfulness,
apprehension, apprehensiveness, expectancy, suspense: There was
an air of expectation in the room. 2 hope, assumption,
presumption, surmise, supposition, belief, conjecture, US and
Canadian guess: Our expectation is that he will come on the
next train. 3 demand, requirement, wish, desire, want,
insistence, reliance: I think your expectations might be too
optimistic. 4 prospects, outlook: He had great expectations
from his rich uncle.
expecting adj. pregnant, gravid, with child, in a family way, enceinte,
Brit in the family way, US in a family way, Colloq in the club,
Brit preggers, Slang US with a bun in the oven: Monica is
expecting and will give birth any day.
expedient adj. 1 suitable, appropriate, fitting, fit, befitting, proper,
apropos, right, correct, meet, pertinent, applicable, practical,
pragmatic, worthwhile, politic: To cross the river, a bridge
would prove expedient. 2 advantageous, beneficial, advisable,
desirable, recommended, useful, practical, utilitarian, prudent,
wise, propitious, opportune, helpful, effective: Count on him
to do what is expedient and ignore what is honest.
--n. 3 device, resource, means, measure, contrivance, resort,
recourse: Life jackets are a useful expedient if the boat
sinks.
expedite v. 1 hasten, rush, hurry, speed or step up, accelerate;
dispatch or despatch: The shipment has been expedited and
should reach you tomorrow. 2 advance, facilitate, promote,
forward, ease, enable: The growing process can be expedited by
adding this chemical.
expedition
n. 1 exploration, journey, voyage, field trip, trip, tour,
excursion; enterprise, undertaking, mission, quest: She went on
an expedition up the Amazon to research herbal medicines. 2
speed, promptness, celerity, alacrity, dispatch or despatch,
haste, rapidity, swiftness, quickness: He was ordered to
complete his chores with expedition.
expeditious
adj. ready, quick, rapid, swift, fast, brisk, speedy, fleet,
efficient, diligent: We made an expeditious passage round Cape
Horn. The problem requires an expeditious solution.
expel v. 1 eject, dislodge, throw or cast out, drive or force out,
evict, put or push out, remove, run (someone) off or out,
displace, dispossess, show the door, suspend, dismiss, let go,
Colloq fire, Brit sack, turf out: They will expel the tenant at
the earliest opportunity. 2 banish, deport, exile, expatriate,
outlaw, maroon; proscribe, ban, bar, debar, dismiss, exclude,
blackball, drum out, cashier, discharge, oust: The leader of
the opposition was expelled from the country. The committee
voted to expel Horace from the club.
expend v. 1 pay out, spend, disburse, use, employ, Slang lay or dish
out, fork or shell out: Reduce the money expended on
entertainment. 2 use up, consume, exhaust, deplete, finish
(off), dissipate, sap, drain: I expended all my energies eking
out a bare living.
expendable
adj. dispensable, disposable, non-essential, inessential or
unessential, unnecessary, replaceable; unimportant,
insignificant: In terms of military strategy, the commando unit
was expendable.
expenditure
n. outlay, outgoings, disbursement, spending, payment, expense,
cost; price, charge, fee: The financial director must closely
examine all expenditures. I cannot justify that kind of
expenditure for a car.
expense n. 1 Often, expenses. payment, costs, outlay, outgoings,
disbursement, expenditure, spending, out-of-pocket (expenses);
cost, price, charge, fee, rate: Keep your expenses to a
minimum. Expenses for travel and entertainment will be
reimbursed by the company. 2 detriment, sacrifice, cost, loss,
impairment, ruin, destruction: They continue to smoke at the
expense of their health.
expensive adj. costly, dear, high-priced, up-market, valuable, precious,
priceless, extravagant; overpriced: Richard and Elizabeth flew
off for an expensive holiday in the sun.
experience
n. 1 knowledge, contact, involvement, practice, familiarity,
acquaintance, exposure; participation, observation: Her book on
nursing is based on personal experience. 2 incident, event,
happening, affair, episode, occurrence, circumstance, adventure,
encounter; trial, test, ordeal: He has lived through some
harrowing experiences. 3 common sense, wisdom, sagacity,
knowledge, know-how, savoir faire, savoir vivre, sophistication,
skill, judgement, Slang savvy: She is a woman of experience.
--v. 4 undergo, live or go through, suffer, endure, sustain,
face, encounter, meet (with), feel, sense, taste, sample, be
familiar with, know: Your problem is that you have never
experienced genuine hunger.
experienced
adj. 1 adept, skilled, skilful, accomplished, practised,
proficient, knowledgeable, knowing, wise, sage, sagacious,
shrewd, prepared, (well-)informed, trained, (well-)versed,
expert, master, masterly, qualified, professional, competent,
efficient, capable, au fait; Slang on the ball, US savvy: She
is an experienced surgeon. 2 mature, seasoned, sophisticated,
battle-scarred, seasoned, veteran; Slang in the know, US savvy:
We need an experienced leader.
experiment
n. 1 test, trial, investigation, inquiry or enquiry,
examination, experimentation, research, proof: Experiment has
shown that the ointment cures many minor skin ailments. 2
procedure, policy: Totalitarianism seems to have failed as a
political experiment.
--v. 3 experiment on or with. test, try, examine, investigate,
research, probe: The time has come to experiment on human
subjects. Artists now experiment with many media, from canvas to
computers.
experimental
adj. 1 hypothetical, theoretical, tentative, speculative,
conjectural, exploratory: Man's first attempts at flying were
purely experimental. 2 empirical, experiential: She has
profound experimental knowledge of what is involved.
expert n. 1 authority, professional, specialist, scholar, master,
connoisseur, pundit, Colloq wizard, whiz, pro, ace, Brit dab
hand, boffin, Slang US maven or mavin: We rely on experts to
verify the age of works of art.
--adj. 2 skilful, skilled, trained, knowledgeable, learned,
experienced, practised, qualified, adept, proficient,
accomplished, au fait, adroit, dexterous, polished, finished,
masterful, masterly, first-rate, excellent, superb, wonderful,
superior, champion(ship), A-one, A-1, virtuoso, Colloq
top-notch, Brit whizzo, wizard, US crackerjack, crack: Davis is
an expert snooker player.
expertise n. expertness, skill, knowledge, know-how, judgement, mastery;
dexterity, adroitness, Slang savvy: You need a great deal of
expertise to be a museum curator.
expiration
n. expiry, finish, (coming to an) end, termination, running
out, ending, conclusion, concluding, close, closing,
discontinuance, discontinuation: The expiration of the option
is in March.
expire v. 1 cease, (come to an) end, close, finish, terminate, run
out, conclude, discontinue: Your subscription expires with the
next issue. 2 die, breathe one's last, decease, perish, pass
away: His grandmother expired only last year, at the age of
110. 3 exhale, breathe out, expel: In the daytime we expire
more carbon dioxide than during the night.
explain v. 1 interpret, define, explicate, detail, delineate, make
plain, simplify, spell out, resolve, get across, clarify, clear
up, elucidate, illustrate, expound, describe, disclose, unfold,
unravel, untangle: The teacher explained the theory so that
even I could understand it. 2 Also, explain away. justify,
account for, excuse, rationalize, legitimate, legitimatize,
extenuate, palliate: You will be required to explain your
absence.
explanation
n. 1 interpretation, definition, explication, delineation,
simplification, resolution, clarification, elucidation,
description, illustration, exposition, account, disclosure;
exegesis, commentary, criticism, analysis: The encyclopedia
contains detailed explanations of how machines work. 2 excuse,
rationalization, justification, vindication: What is your
explanation for such outrageous behaviour? 3 cause, motive,
reason, key, signification, solution: The explanation for
aberrant behaviour often lies in hormonal imbalance.
explanatory
adj. explanative, elucidative, revelatory, interpretive or
interpretative, expository, descriptive; critical, exegetic(al):
Please read the explanatory notes below.
expletive adj. 1 wordy, verbose, prolix, repetitious, redundant,
tautological, iterative, reiterative, pleonastic; unnecessary,
unneeded, needless, unessential, non-essential, gratuitous,
superfluous: Her speech is punctuated by expletive words and
phrases, like 'like, you know', and so forth.
--n. 2 oath, swear-word, curse, obscenity, epithet, Colloq
cuss-word, dirty word, four-letter word: Expletives sometimes
lend an air of naturalness to written dialogue. 3 filler,
padding, redundancy, tautology, pleonasm: Some grammarians term
the 'It' in 'It is raining' an expletive.
explicit adj. 1 specific, categorical, (crystal-)clear, definite,
well-defined, distinct, unambiguous, precise, exact,
unequivocal, express, stated, plain, manifest, unmistakable,
positive, absolute, final, peremptory, unqualified,
unconditional: The children had explicit instructions to keep
away from the canal. 2 open, outspoken, unreserved,
unrestrained, candid, frank, direct, forthright,
straightforward, definite: She was explicit in her orders.
explode v. 1 blow up, burst, blast, fly apart, go off, erupt,
fulminate; set off, detonate: Police exploded the bomb after
clearing the area. Rockets exploded in the night sky. 2 reject,
discredit, refute, repudiate, disprove, debunk, belie, give the
lie to, Slang pick holes in, poke or shoot full of holes:
Ptolemy's geocentric theory has been thoroughly exploded. 3
lose one's temper, rant, rave, rage, storm, throw a tantrum,
Colloq get into a tizzy, blow one's top, fly off the handle, go
through or hit the roof, hit the ceiling; Slang lose one's cool,
go up the wall, US blow one's stack or cool, flip (one's lid),
freak out: He exploded when he learned his car had been smashed
up.
exploit n. 1 achievement, deed, feat, attainment, accomplishment: The
speaker regaled them with tales of his exploits as an explorer.
--v. 2 use, take advantage of, manipulate, make capital out of,
profit from, utilize, turn to account, manoeuvre, work: Far
from being your friends, they are exploiting you for their own
purposes. They need capital to exploit the country's natural
resources.
exploration
n. examination, investigation, search, probe, inquiry or
enquiry, study, research, analysis, review, scrutiny,
inspection, survey, reconnaissance, observation; expedition:
Exploration of the intestine revealed the presence of polyps.
He is noted for his exploration of the sources of the Nile.
explore v. 1 survey, tour, travel, reconnoitre, traverse: They are on
safari, exploring the Congo. 2 investigate, scrutinize,
examine, inquire or enquire into, inspect, probe, search,
research, look into, study, analyse, review, observe: We ought
to explore the possibility of your working for us.
explosion n. 1 blast, bang, report, burst, boom, clap, crack, eruption,
crash, outburst, fulmination; detonation: The explosion shook
the entire house. 2 outburst, outbreak, paroxysm, upheaval,
flare-up, eruption, burst, fit, spasm, tantrum, Colloq Brit
paddy or paddywhack or paddywack, wax: The unrest among the
people is building up to an explosion. 3 increase, burgeoning
or bourgeoning, expansion, welling up, mushrooming: The
population explosion has caused a housing shortage.
explosive adj. 1 volatile, sensitive, delicate, tense, anxious, fraught,
touch-and-go, touchy, inflammable, (highly) charged, unstable,
uncertain, unsound, shaky, hazardous, chancy, unpredictable,
precarious, dangerous, perilous, critical, nasty, ugly, Colloq
dicey, iffy: The explosive situation between the strikers and
management may lead to bloodshed.
--n. 2 dynamite, TNT, gunpowder, gelignite, plastic, plastique:
The car was blown up by a powerful charge of explosive.
expose v. 1 (lay) bare, reveal, uncover, show, exhibit, present,
display, disclose; divulge, unveil, unmask, discover, air,
ventilate, let out, leak, betray, bring to light, make known:
He unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his hairy chest. The facts of
the case will be exposed tomorrow. Will he expose the names of
his accomplices? 2 risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize, hazard:
Do not expose your house to danger of flooding by building it so
close to the river. 3 expose to. subject to, introduce to,
acquaint with, bring into contact with: Today children are not
taught, but 'exposed to education'.
exposition
n. 1 exhibition, show(ing), presentation, display,
demonstration, US exhibit , Colloq expo: There is a special
exposition of medieval farming implements in the museum. 2
description, declaration, statement, explanation, explication,
clarification, interpretation, exegesis: The exposition of his
argument was remarkably lucid. 3 paper, theme, article, essay,
thesis, dissertation, treatise, disquisition, study, critique,
commentary: She received high marks for her exposition on
Zoroastrianism.
exposure n. 1 baring, uncovering, laying open, unveiling, disclosure,
disclosing, unmasking, revealing, revelation, expos‚, airing,
publication, publishing, communicating, communication, leaking,
leak, divulging: The exposure of the spy was part of the plan.
2 jeopardy, risk, hazard, endangerment, vulnerability,
imperilment; danger, peril: By diversifying your investments,
you reduce your exposure to a loss in just one. 3 familiarity,
knowledge, acquaintance, experience, contact, conversancy: My
exposure to Chinese philosophy has been negligible. 4 aspect,
view, outlook, orientation, frontage; setting, location,
direction: She said that she preferred a bedroom with an
easterly exposure.
express v. 1 articulate, verbalize, phrase, utter, voice, state, word,
put (into words), set or put forth, put or get across,
communicate, depict, portray; say, speak, tell: She expressed
her thoughts on the subject very clearly. 2 show, indicate,
demonstrate, manifest, exhibit, evince, evidence, reveal,
expose, disclose, divulge, make known, intimate, betoken,
signify, embody, depict, designate, denote, convey: His tone of
voice expressed his resentment. 3 symbolize, represent,
signify, stand for, denote, designate: The ratio can be
expressed in the form of a fraction. 4 press or squeeze or
wring or force out, expel, extract: The oil is expressed from
ripe olives.
--adj. 5 explicit, clear, plain, unambiguous, unmistakable,
unqualified, outright, definite, out-and-out, downright,
straightforward, categorical, direct, specific, well-defined,
distinct, precise, accurate, exact, positive: We had an express
understanding not to enter into competition with one another. 6
specific, special, particular, clear-cut; true: Our express
purpose in coming was to see you. 7 quick, speedy, swift, fast,
rapid, prompt, immediate; direct, non-stop: The documents must
be sent by express delivery.
expression
n. 1 verbalization, airing, representation, declaration,
utterance, assertion, enunciation, asseveration, pronouncement,
communication, voicing, announcement: Any expression of
criticism of government is forbidden in many countries. 2
representation, manifestation, sign, token, symbol, show,
demonstration, indication, evidence: A curled lip is an
expression of scorn. 3 look, mien, air, appearance, face,
aspect, countenance: He had long straight hair and a completely
blank expression. Her smile twisted into an expression of
frustration. 4 tone, note, nuance, intonation, accent, touch,
nuance, shading, loudness, softness; expressiveness, emotion,
feeling, sensitivity, passion, spirit, depth, ardour, intensity,
pathos: There was much expression in her playing of the fugue.
5 word, term, phrase, idiom, turn of phrase, locution, saying:
Some find the expression 'Have a nice day' to be irritating. 6
wording, phrasing, phraseology, language, style, diction, usage,
speech, delivery: Writers are not the only ones who should
study effective expression.
expressive
adj. 1 indicative, suggestive, allusive, eloquent, revealing,
meaningful, significant, denotative: Her frown is expressive of
her disapproval. 2 pointed, pithy, explicit: Leave it to him
to make some expressive remark about Frieda's hat. 3 striking,
vivid, telling, pregnant, loaded, forceful, moving, emotional,
poignant, provocative, thought-provoking: His poetry contains
much expressive language.
expressly adv. 1 distinctly, definitely, categorically, explicitly,
absolutely, positively, directly, unambiguously, unequivocally,
unmistakably, plainly, pointedly, exactly, clearly: He
expressly denied the rumour. 2 purposely, especially,
purposefully, particularly, specifically, specially; on purpose:
The gift was intended expressly for you.
expulsion n. expelling, ejection, eviction, repudiation, ouster, removal,
dismissal, discharge; Colloq the (old) heave-ho, Brit the boot,
the sack, sacking, US the bounce: His expulsion from the pub
was accompanied by cheers from the patrons.
exquisite adj. 1 delicate, fine, elegant, graceful, excellent, choice,
well-crafted, well-made, well-executed, refined, elaborate:
They have a collection of exquisite miniature portraits. 2
ingenious, detailed, recherch‚, rare, subtle, deep, abstruse;
far-fetched: He is expert in the exquisite points of seduction.
3 beautiful, perfect, lovely, attractive, handsome, comely,
good-looking; smart, chic, elegant, striking: In her youth, she
was an exquisite blonde goddess. He wore an exquisite silk
costume. 4 acute, sharp, keen, excruciating, agonizing, intense;
elaborate: The most exquisite pain I have known is occasioned
by gout. Spies, subjected to exquisite torture, usually revealed
their secrets. 5 superb, superior, peerless, matchless,
incomparable, unequalled, rare, precious, choice, consummate,
outstanding, superlative, excellent, select, flawless, perfect,
wonderful, splendid, marvellous: She wore a tiara of exquisite
diamonds.
extemporaneous
adj. unstudied, unpremeditated, extempore, extemporary,
impromptu, improvised, spontaneous, unrehearsed, extemporized,
unprepared, unplanned, unscripted, offhand, ad lib, extempore,
Colloq off the cuff: Though extraordinarily well-organized,
Charlotte's speech was entirely extemporaneous.
extend v. 1 stretch or spread (out), outstretch, outspread, open
(out), unroll, unfold; reach, range; carry on, draw out,
continue, develop: The carpet extends from wall to wall. Her
reputation extends worldwide. The city walls extended to the
river. 2 lengthen, elongate, widen, continue; broaden, enlarge,
add to, augment; increase, stretch (out), supplement: We are
planning to extend the sitting-room. They asked the mortgage
company to extend the repayment period. 3 last, stretch,
continue, go or carry on; perpetuate, drag on or out, keep up or
on, prolong: Their visit extended until the following week. 4
offer, proffer, give, present, hold out, stretch forth, tender;
bestow; grant, impart, confer, accord, advance: She extended
her hand. The store does not extend credit to any customers.
extension n. 1 stretching, expansion, increase, enlargement,
augmentation, development, amplification, broadening, widening,
lengthening, spread, spreading: The extension of the plan is
scheduled for next year. 2 range, extensiveness, scope, extent,
magnitude, gauge, compass, sweep, reach, size, volume,
dimension(s), proportions, capacity, span; breadth, width,
height, length, spread, stretch: The extension of the mind
seems almost limitless. 3 addendum, addition, annexe, wing,
adjunct, ell, appendage; appendix, supplement: We have built an
extension to the house.
extensive adj. 1 broad, wide, expansive, far-reaching, far-ranging,
wide-ranging, far-flung, sweeping, widespread, comprehensive,
all-embracing; national, nationwide, international,
intercontinental, cosmopolitan, worldwide, global, universal,
vast; cosmic; catholic: The storm is responsible for extensive
crop damage. He has extensive business connections. 2 large,
big, great, huge, substantial, considerable, sizeable, immense,
enormous, vast, gigantic, massive; voluminous, spacious,
commodious, capacious: The extensive gold deposits were soon
depleted. The cave contains several extensive chambers.
extent n. 1 magnitude, dimensions, compass, size, range, scale, sweep,
scope, expanse, immensity, enormousness, capaciousness,
spaciousness, space, amplitude: The extent of space is
unimaginably vast. 2 limit, bounds, limitation, lengths; range,
scope: To what extent will he go to see justice done? 3 area,
region, tract, territory, compass: In the whole extent of
Europe you could find no better mushroom.
extenuating
adj. mitigating, lessening, tempering, palliating, moderating,
diminishing, qualifying: Owing to extenuating circumstances, he
could not be tried for murder.
exterior adj. 1 outer, outside, external, outward, superficial, surface:
The exterior covering of the capsule becomes very hot on
re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. 2 external, extrinsic,
extraneous, foreign, alien, exotic, outside: The problem can be
overcome without exterior help.
--n. 3 outside, surface, covering, coating, facing, face,
front, skin, shell, fa‡ade: The exterior is of pink stucco.
exterminate
v. destroy, root out, eradicate, extirpate, annihilate,
eliminate, weed out, get rid of, wipe out, obliterate, put an
end to, terminate, liquidate, massacre, murder, kill (off),
butcher, slaughter, Slang bump off, US rub out, waste: It is
his avowed intention to exterminate all the vermin of the
criminal fraternity.
external adj. 1 outer, outside, outward, exterior: This medication is
for external use only. 2 outside, exterior, extrinsic,
extraneous, alien, foreign, exotic: Do not ignore the external
influences on the nation's economy. 3 apparent, visible,
perceptible, superficial, surface: The external features of the
planet barely suggest what lies within.
extinct adj. 1 defunct, dead, died out, gone, departed, vanished:
These are the bones of an extinct species of flying mammal. 2
dated, outmoded, old-fashioned, antiquated, obsolete, archaic,
out of date, antediluvian, ancient, old hat, pass‚, d‚mod‚:
High-button shoes and bustles have been extinct for almost a
century. 3 out, extinguished, quenched, burnt- or put or
snuffed out; inactive, dormant: The lake is in the caldera of
an extinct volcano.
extinguish
v. 1 put or snuff or blow out, quench; turn off or out: We are
landing shortly, so please extinguish all smoking materials.
Extinguish the lights before leaving. 2 kill (off), annihilate,
destroy, obliterate, abolish, exterminate, eliminate, do away
with, nullify, eradicate, remove, banish, wipe or blot out: The
potion contained a drug that extinguished all memory of
unhappiness. 3 obscure, eclipse, dim, outdo, put in the shade,
overshadow, adumbrate, Colloq show up: His personality is
completely extinguished by the dazzle of his wife.
extol v. exalt, elevate, uplift, glorify, praise, laud, applaud,
commend, acclaim, cheer, celebrate, pay tribute or homage to,
sing the praises of, make much of, honour, congratulate,
compliment: William is always extolling the talents of some
dancer or other.
extort v. exact, extract, blackmail, bully, coerce, force, wring,
wrest, Colloq milk, bleed, put the arm on (someone):
Threatening to swear that it was my fault, she extorted a
promise from me to keep silent about the body.
extra adj. 1 additional, added, auxiliary, accessory, supplementary,
supplemental, further, ancillary, subsidiary, collateral,
adventitious: We had an extra person for dinner. Zenobia has an
extra toe on each foot. 2 leftover, excess, spare, surplus,
unused, superfluous, supernumerary, reserve: After all were
served, we had two extra desserts.
--n. 3 addition, addendum, accessory, appurtenance, supplement,
bonus, premium, dividend: As an extra, each customer receives a
free ball-point pen. 4 supplement, US mark-up, surcharge, Slang
US and Canadian kicker: There is an extra if you want bread and
butter. 5 supernumerary, walk-on, Colloq super, spear-carrier:
One could scarcely call being an extra a 'Hollywood career'.
--adv. 6 uncommonly, unusually, exceptionally, unexpectedly,
extraordinarily, remarkably, notably, surprisingly, amazingly,
very, particularly, especially, extremely, strikingly: Teacher
said that Philip was extra good today. 7 additionally, again,
more, in addition: They charge extra for room service.
extract v. 1 draw or pull (out), remove, withdraw, pluck or take out,
draw forth, extricate: The dentist extracted two teeth. I
extracted some important papers from your waste-paper basket. 2
draw, derive, deduce, develop, glean, extricate, distil, get,
obtain: I could extract little sense from her ramblings. 3
wrench, wring, wrest, extort, draw (forth), evoke, elicit,
extricate, winkle out, worm (out), prise (out), force (out):
Using torture, they finally extracted a confession from him. She
extracted money from her victims by threatening to tell their
wives. 4 copy, quote, cite, abstract, select, choose, glean,
cull: We extracted useful material from some old encyclopedias.
--n. 5 concentrate, distillate, essence, distillation,
quintessence, concentration, extraction, decoction: We boiled
off the water and used the extract as a salve. 6 excerpt,
abstract, quotation, citation, clipping, cutting, passage,
selection: Extracts from other works are printed in smaller
type.
extraction
n. 1 removal, extrication, withdrawal, uprooting, eradication,
extirpation, deracination: The extraction of my tooth was
completely painless. 2 extract, concentrate, distillate,
essence, distillation, quintessence, concentration, decoction,
separation, derivation: This syrup is an extraction from coffee
beans. 3 origin, birth, ancestry, descent, lineage, derivation,
blood, parentage, breed, strain, race, stock, pedigree: The
family is of Scandinavian extraction.
extraneous
adj. 1 unessential, non-essential, inessential, peripheral,
superfluous, unnecessary, unneeded, extra, added, additional,
adventitious, supernumerary, incidental, needless: Filter out
all the extraneous substances. 2 not pertinent, impertinent,
inapplicable, inapt, unapt, unfitting, inappropriate, unrelated,
irrelevant, inapposite, unconnected, remote, alien, foreign,
exotic, strange, outlandish, external, extrinsic, external, out
of place, off the mark or point or subject, beside the point or
mark: Why must you constantly bring up extraneous matters?
extraordinary
adj. 1 unusual, uncommon, remarkable, exceptional, particular,
outstanding, special, rare, unique, singular, signal,
unheard-of, curious, peculiar, odd, bizarre, queer, strange,
abnormal, unprecedented, unparalleled: She showed extraordinary
courage in coming here. 2 amazing, surprising, astonishing,
astounding, remarkable, notable, noteworthy, marvellous,
fantastic, incredible, unbelievable, impressive, fabulous,
miraculous, unparalleled, Colloq super, smashing, lovely,
gorgeous, Slang far-out, unreal: This is an extraordinary
example of the bookbinder's art.
extravagance
n. 1 wastefulness, waste, lavishness, profligacy, prodigality,
squandering, dissipation, improvidence, exorbitance,
recklessness, overspending, excess: Our present debts are the
result of extravagance. 2 immoderation, immoderateness,
excessiveness, outrageousness, unrestraint, superfluity,
superfluousness, over-sufficiency, preposterousness,
unreasonableness, irrationality, absurdity; capriciousness,
whim, fantasy, flightiness: His tawdry life belied the
extravagance of his dreams.
extravagant
adj. 1 wasteful, lavish, profligate, prodigal, improvident,
reckless, excessive, spendthrift, profuse, extreme, immoderate:
She cannot afford to maintain her extravagant way of life for
long. 2 unrestrained, uncontained, wild, outrageous,
preposterous, immoderate, ridiculous, foolish, fanciful,
unreasonable, absurd, impractical; undeserved, unjustified,
unjustifiable: The speaker lavished extravagant praise on the
award winners. 3 expensive, costly, extortionate, unreasonable,
overpriced, exorbitant, high; dear; Colloq steep: That trip to
Istanbul by private jet was extravagant to say the least. 4
gaudy, garish, ostentatious, showy, ornate, flashy, loud,
flamboyant; exaggerated, high-sounding: She appears at parties
wearing the most extravagant costumes.
extravaganza
n. spectacular, spectacle, pageant, production, show,
exposition: An extravaganza was staged to celebrate the opening
of the Channel Tunnel.
extreme adj. 1 unusual, uncommon, exceptional, outstanding, notable,
noteworthy, abnormal, different, extraordinary, remarkable: We
experienced extreme difficulty driving home. 2 immoderate,
excessive, severe, intense, acute, maximum, worst: This
equipment is made to withstand extreme arctic conditions. 3
outermost, endmost, farthest, ultimate, utmost, uttermost,
remotest, last, far-off, far-away, distant, very: She walked to
the extreme end of the pier. 4 rigid, stern, severe, strict,
conservative, hidebound, stiff, stringent, restrictive,
constrictive, uncompromising, Draconian, harsh, drastic:
Grandfather favoured taking extreme measures against terrorists.
5 unconventional, radical, outrageous, wild, weird, bizarre,
queer, outrageous, offbeat, exotic, eccentric, different, outr‚,
Slang far-out, way-out, US and Canadian kooky: I find your
outfit too extreme to wear in public. 6 beyond the pale or
limits or bounds, extravagant, inordinate, excessive,
disproportionate, outrageous: Because of your extreme
behaviour, you will be confined to the house for a week.
--n. 7 Often, extremes. limit(s), bounds, utmost, maximum,
Colloq swing: Try to be more moderate and to avoid extremes. 8
Often, go to extremes. limit(s), bounds, maximum, acme, zenith,
pinnacle, summit, height, apex, apogee, peak, extremity; depth,
nadir: Thea's moods varied between the extremes of joy and
grief. 9 in the extreme. extremely, very, exceptionally,
exceedingly, extraordinarily, unusually: His table manners are
rude in the extreme.
extremely adv. very, exceedingly, outrageously, extraordinarily,
unusually, uncommonly, exceptionally, damned, hellishly, to the
nth degree, Colloq Brit bloody, US darned: The service was
extremely bad. They are extremely stupid.
extremity n. 1 end, termination, limit, edge, boundary, bound, border,
margin; periphery; frontier: A fence marks the eastern
extremity of our land. 2 extremities. fingers, fingertips,
toes; hands, feet; arms, legs, limbs; paws, trotters, hooves,
wings: His extremities were numb with frostbite. 3 extreme,
utmost, maximum, limit(s), bounds: The situation tested the
extremity of my patience. They were driven to extremities in
their search for food.
extricate v. unravel, disentangle, untangle, disengage, (set) free, turn
loose, release, liberate, rescue, save, deliver: You helped
extricate me from a terrible predicament.
extrinsic adj. external, extraneous, irrelevant, exterior, unrelated,
outside; outer, outward: Such extrinsic factors may be excluded
from the discussion.
exuberance
n. 1 cheerfulness, joy, joyfulness, ebullience, effervescence,
exhilaration, buoyancy, animation, spirit, spiritedness,
sprightliness, liveliness, vitality, vivacity, enthusiasm,
excitement, zeal, zest, energy, vigour: It is hard to imagine
the dog's exuberance when he saw his master. 2 abundance,
lavishness, effusiveness, flamboyance, copiousness,
superabundance, superfluity, excess, profusion, prodigality,
bounteousness, bountifulness: Everything attests to the
exuberance of the author's genius.
exuberant adj. 1 cheerful, joyful, ebullient, effervescent, buoyant,
animated, spirited, spry, sprightly, lively, vivacious,
enthusiastic, zealous, energetic, vigorous: She enjoys
exuberant good health. 2 happy, glad, delighted, overjoyed,
joyful, ecstatic, Brit in the seventh heaven, US in seventh
heaven, Colloq on cloud nine: She was exuberant at the news of
Lyle's return.
exult v. rejoice, revel, glory (in), jump for joy, delight,
celebrate, make merry: We exulted in our new-found freedom.
exultant adj. delighted, jubilant, overjoyed, elated, joyful, gleeful,
glad, ecstatic, exuberant, in seventh heaven, cock-a-hoop,
Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: We were exultant to
learn that the war was over.
eye n. 1 eyeball, orb, Colloq optic: The eye of the eagle is
nearly as large as that of an elephant. 2 vision, (eye)sight,
visual acuity, perception: Her eyes are weakened by so much
reading. 3 discernment, perception, taste, judgement,
discrimination, percipience, perspicacity, appreciation,
sensitivity; knowledge, recognition, comprehension: Shirley has
a good eye for Chinese antiques. Walmsley has the eye of an
artist. 4 liking, affection, fondness, partiality, appreciation;
lustfulness: Old Bisley still has an eye for the girls. 5
ogle, leer, look, wink, glad eye, sidelong glance: The barmaid
gave me the eye as soon as I walked in. 6 view, respect,
regard, aim, intention, purpose, design, plan, idea, notion: He
lent me the money with an eye to asking a favour in return. 7
attention, regard, look, scrutiny, view, examination,
observation; supervision: All our comings and goings were under
the watchful eye of Scotland Yard. 8 guard, lookout, watch,
vigil: The class monitor is expected to keep an eye on the
younger children.
--v. 9 examine, scrutinize, look at, regard: My future
mother-in-law eyed me up and down. 10 behold, gaze or look or
peer at or upon, contemplate, study, regard, view, inspect;
watch, observe: The doctor eyed the wound with concern.
eyewitness
n. witness, observer, spectator, viewer, watcher; bystander,
onlooker, passer-by: The police sought eyewitnesses to the
accident.
6.0 F
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fabric n. 1 cloth, textile, material, stuff: The chair is upholstered
in traditional floral fabric. 2 construction, constitution,
core, heart, foundation, structure, framework, organization,
configuration, make-up: Extensive strikes threatened the very
fabric of our society.
fabricate v. 1 erect, build, construct, frame, raise, put or set up,
assemble, fashion, form, make, manufacture, produce: The basic
structure was fabricated of steel. 2 invent, create, originate,
make up, manufacture, concoct, think up, imagine, hatch, devise,
design: Numerous lies, fabricated by politicians, were already
in circulation. 3 forge, falsify, counterfeit, fake, feign,
manufacture; trump up, Colloq cook up, Brit cook: He admitted
to having fabricated the data in his application.
fabrication
n. 1 construction, assembly, assemblage, making, fashioning,
production, manufacture, putting together, building, erection,
formation, formulation, structuring, constructing, organization,
forming, framing, architecture: The fabrication of thousands of
parts took only a month. 2 invention, creation, origination,
make-up, manufacture, hatching, concoction, contrivance, design:
Only Vanessa could have been responsible for the fabrication of
such a diabolical plot. 3 falsehood, lie, fib, prevarication,
story, tale, untruth, fiction, yarn, fable; falsification,
forgery, fake, sham, Colloq cock-and-bull story, Brit fairy
story, fairy tale: His war record is a complete fabrication.
fabulous adj. 1 fabled, mythic(al), celebrated, legendary, storied,
fictitious, fictional, unreal, fanciful, imaginary, story-book,
fairy-tale: Greek mythology tells us of a fabulous winged horse
called Pegasus. 2 fantastic, marvellous, incredible,
unbelievable, inconceivable, wonderful, astounding, astonishing,
amazing, wondrous, extraordinary, miraculous, phenomenal:
Houses in London were selling at fabulous prices. 3 superb,
marvellous, terrific, great, wonderful, Colloq great, super,
smashing, thumping, whopping, thundering, rattling, howling, US
neat, keen, Slang fab, hot, far-out, cool, Old-fashioned
fantabulous, in the groove, groovy, ace, Brit magic, US and
Canadian copacetic: I saw an absolutely fabulous new film the
other night.
face n. 1 visage, countenance, physiognomy, features, lineaments,
Slang mug, mush, kisser, pan, puss, Brit phiz, phizog, dial,
clock: I don't like the expression on your face. 2 look,
appearance, aspect, expression, mien: He has the face of
someone who is very proud of himself. Modern farming has changed
the face of the countryside. 3 mask, veneer, fa‡ade, front,
camouflage, pretence, disguise, (false) impression, semblance,
masquerade: She puts on a bold face, but we know she was deeply
hurt by your remarks. 4 dignity, image, self-respect, standing,
reputation, repute, name, honour, status: You might lose face
if you admit you were wrong. 5 boldness, daring, audacity,
effrontery, impudence, impertinence, presumption, brashness,
Colloq gall, brass, nerve, cheek, guts, gutsiness, Brit brass
neck, Slang US balls: Who would have the face to name such a
hotel 'The Palace'? 6 surface, exterior, front, outside, cover,
facing, fa‡ade, skin: The building will have a face of white
marble. 7 right side, obverse, front; dial: The card landed
face up. The face of the clock is enamelled. 8 face to face.
confronting, facing, opposite, en face, vis-…-vis, t€te-…-t€te,
… deux, eye to eye, head to head, Colloq eyeball to eyeball: We
met face to face for the first time in the courtroom. 9 in the
face of. in defiance of, notwithstanding, despite, in spite of,
confronting, in opposition to: Some experts attacked the report
for flying in the face of received wisdom. 10 make a face.
grimace, change one's expression, murgeon: When I said I would
be there, she made a face. 11 on the face of it. to all or
outward appearances, seemingly, apparently, superficially,
evidently: On the face of it, I assumed that he was guilty. 12
show one's face. put in or make an appearance, appear, arrive,
be seen, turn up, Colloq show up: I suppose I ought to show my
face at the office party. 13 to one's face. directly, brazenly,
eye to eye, face to face, candidly, openly, frankly: I told him
to his face that he was a liar.
--v. 14 confront, brave, meet (with), encounter, experience,
deal or cope with, come or go up against; appear before: In the
jungle we faced grave danger from man-eating tigers. She faces
her first audience tonight. 15 give (out) or front on or onto,
front towards, overlook, look out on or over; be opposite: Our
rooms face the lake. Facing page 22 is a map of the area. 16
coat, surface, cover, clad, dress, sheathe, overlay, finish;
veneer: The collar is faced with velvet. 17 face down.
confront, intimidate, cow, subdue, overawe, browbeat: I'll not
be faced down by that impudent clerk. 18 face up to. a admit,
accept, acknowledge, allow, confess: We must all face up to our
own shortcomings. b confront, deal or cope with, come or go up
against, brave, come to terms with; brazen through or out, bite
(on) the bullet, grasp the nettle: You wouldn't be able to face
up to your wife if you'd forgotten her birthday.
facilitate
v. ease, expedite, smooth, further, promote, advance; assist,
aid, help: It would facilitate transport if you would bring
your own car.
facility n. 1 ease, smoothness, fluency, effortlessness, readiness,
easiness, skill, skilfulness, deftness, dexterity, adroitness,
ability, aptitude, expertise, expertness, proficiency, mastery,
masterfulness, masterliness, efficiency; quickness, alacrity,
celerity, swiftness, speed: They praised her new-found facility
with the Italian language. 2 Often, facilities. a plant,
system, building(s), structure, complex: The company is
building a new facility in France. b convenience(s), privy,
equipment, lavatory, toilet, powder-room, Nautical head, Brit
water-closet, WC, loo, US and Canadian rest room, men's room,
ladies' room, Colloq the Gents, the Ladies('), Slang Brit bog,
karzy, US and Canadian john: An American asked where he could
find the facilities.
facing n. fa‡ade, front, cladding, surface, overlay, skin; coating:
The houses all have a colourful stucco facing.
facsimile n. copy, reproduction, print, carbon (copy), replica,
duplicate, photocopy, fax, Trade Mark Xerox (copy), Photostat,
Colloq US dupe: Send a facsimile of the report to each field
office.
fact n. 1 reality, actuality, truth, certainty: The fact of the
matter is that she didn't do it. Is there a basis in fact for
your allegations? 2 accomplishment, fait accompli; occurrence,
event, happening, incident, episode, experience, act, deed:
Supersonic travel has been a fact for many years. 3 Often,
facts. data, information, particular(s), detail(s), point(s),
item(s), factor(s), Colloq low-down, (inside) info, the score,
Brit the gen, US and Canadian the poop: If I am going to defend
you, I need all the facts of the case. 4 in fact. indeed, to be
sure, as a matter of (actual) fact, in truth, truly, truthfully,
actually, really, in reality, in point of fact, factually: He
didn't come; in fact, he had gone abroad the week before.
faction n. 1 group, cabal, bloc, cadre, camp, splinter group, circle,
camarilla, clique, set, coterie, lobby, pressure group, junta or
junto, ring, gang, Brit ginger group, Colloq crowd: There is a
small faction plotting to assassinate the finance minister. 2
dissension, intrigue, strife, sedition, disharmony, discord,
disagreement, quarrelling, contention, controversy, infighting,
rupture, split, rift, schism, clash: Faction within the party
has no regard for national interests.
factious adj. contentious, disputatious, litigious, refractory,
divisive, conflicting, discordant, argumentative, at odds, at
loggerheads, quarrelsome, seditious, mutinous, rebellious: A
factious Congress spells trouble for the President.
factitious
adj. fake(d), bogus, false, mock, falsified, artificial,
insincere, unreal, synthetic, fabricated, engineered,
manufactured, spurious, counterfeit, sham, simulated, imitation,
unauthentic, set or got up, rigged, Colloq phoney or US also
phony: We are all victims of factitious desires by which
luxuries have become necessities.
factor n. 1 constituent, ingredient, element, part, particular, piece,
component; circumstance, consideration, aspect, fact, influence,
determinant, cause: Which factors contributed to the decline of
Mayan civilization? 2 agent, representative, proxy, middleman,
intermediary, deputy, go-between: Our company has a factor
handling all our exports. 3 banker, financier, backer,
moneylender, lender: The factors lent us money to buy the stock
needed to fill the orders.
factory n. works, mill, plant: She has a job at the piano factory.
factual adj. 1 actual, real, true, authentic, verifiable, realistic,
true to life, genuine, valid, bona fide: The report is a
forgery, but the letters are factual. 2 accurate, correct,
true, correct, faithful, precise, unbiased, undistorted,
unvarnished, unexaggerated, objective, unprejudiced,
straightforward: This is a factual account of the Battle of
Marathon.
faculty n. 1 ability, capacity, skill, aptitude, potential, talent,
flair, knack, gift, genius; dexterity, adroitness, cleverness,
capability: She has a faculty for making people feel at home.
2 school, department, discipline: Her graduate studies were in
the Faculty of Philosophy. 3 staff, personnel, members, Brit
dons: Each member of the faculty has a doctorate. 4 power,
authorization, dispensation, sanction, licence, prerogative,
privilege, right, permission, liberty: The government has the
faculty to judge treasonable acts.
fad n. craze, mania, rage, fashion, trend, fancy, vogue: Do you
remember the hula-hoop fad?
fade v. 1 (grow) dim or pale, grow faint, cloud (over), dull;
bleach, whiten, etiolate, wash out, blanch or blench, discolour:
The scene faded in the distance. Look how the sun has faded the
curtains! 2 droop, wither, decline, die out or away, perish,
ebb, flag, wane, wilt, waste away, sag, diminish, dwindle,
languish, deteriorate, decay, shrivel, peter out or away: As he
aged, his lust for life faded.
fag v. 1 Often, fag out. exhaust, weary, tire (out), fatigue, wear
out, jade, Colloq Brit knacker, US poop: I am completely fagged
out from studying all night.
--n. 2 Brit bore, nuisance, drag, chore, pain: It's a bit of a
fag having to fetch water from the garden. 3 servant, menial,
flunkey, drudge, lackey, underling: The seniors used to have
fags to clean their shoes. 4 See homosexual, 1, below. 5
cigarette, smoke, Colloq butt, cig(gy), weed, coffin-nail,
cancer stick, Old-fashioned gasper: Got a fag?
fail v. 1 not succeed, be unsuccessful, miss, miscarry, misfire,
fall short (of), fall flat, fall through, falter, be (found)
lacking or wanting, be defective, be deficient, be or prove
inadequate, come to grief or naught or nothing, go wrong, abort,
meet with disaster, founder, run aground, Colloq flop, fizzle
(out), go up in smoke, flunk: Guy Fawkes's plot failed utterly.
Gloria failed her history examination. 2 let down, disappoint,
forsake, desert, abandon, neglect, ignore, slight: I was really
counting on Mary, but she failed me. 3 decline, peter out,
dwindle, diminish, wane, deteriorate, weaken, decay, fade or die
(out or away), disappear, flag, ebb, sink, languish, give out;
gutter, go out: His health is failing. The light failed,
leaving us in darkness. 4 go bankrupt, go out of business, go
under, go into receivership, become insolvent, close up shop,
close up or down, cease operation(s), Brit go to the wall, US
file for Chapter Eleven, Colloq fold (up), go bust or broke, US
drown in red ink: According to the statistics, hundreds of
businesses fail every week.
failing n. 1 weakness, shortcoming, foible, flaw, fault, defect, weak
spot, blind spot, blemish, imperfection: Bigotry and prejudice
are her most serious failings.
--prep. 2 lacking, wanting, in default of, without, sans, in
the absence of: Failing a favourable decision, we shall lodge
an appeal.
failure n. 1 failing, default, non-performance, remissness; neglect,
omission, dereliction, deficiency: His failure to do his duty
resulted in a court martial. 2 breakdown, collapse,
discontinuance, miscarriage, loss; decline, decay,
deterioration: Power disruptions are caused by the failure of
the national grid. 3 loser, non-starter, incompetent, also-ran,
nonentity, Colloq flop, fizzle, damp squib, dud, lemon, washout,
dead duck, US lead balloon: He was an utter failure as a
violinist. 4 bankruptcy, ruin, insolvency, downfall, crash,
Colloq folding: Bank failures increased owing to bad loans and
other poor investments.
faint adj. 1 dim, dull, pale, faded, indistinct, vague, hazy,
imperceptible, indiscernible, unclear, blurred, blurry, muzzy,
wavering, faltering, ill-defined, weak, feeble, flickering,
subdued; low, soft, slight, hushed, muffled, muted, inaudible,
stifled: A faint light burned in the corridor. I heard a faint
noise. 2 dizzy, light-headed, unsteady, vertiginous, giddy,
Colloq woozy: I felt faint after climbing the stairs.
--v. 3 black out, pass out, lose consciousness, swoon, drop,
collapse, Colloq keel over: She fainted when they told her the
news.
--n. 4 loss of consciousness, blackout, unconsciousness,
collapse, swoon, Medicine syncope: He dropped in a dead faint.
faint-hearted
adj. 1 cowardly, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, faint,
lily-livered, white-livered, pusillanimous; timid, shy,
diffident; Colloq yellow(-bellied), chicken-hearted,
chicken-livered, chicken: He's too faint-hearted to ask her to
marry him. 2 irresolute, weak, ineffectual, feeble, puny,
feckless: She made only a faint-hearted attempt at
reconciliation.
fair° adj. 1 impartial, even-handed, disinterested, equitable, just,
unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, Colloq square: Judge Leaver
is known for his fair decisions. We are counting on your sense
of fair play. 2 honest, above-board, honourable, lawful,
trustworthy, legitimate, proper, upright, straightforward: He
won the trophy in a fair fight. 3 light, blond(e), fair-haired,
flaxen-haired, tow-headed, tow-haired; light-complexioned,
peaches and cream, rosy; unblemished, clear, spotless,
immaculate: She has fair hair and fair skin. 4 satisfactory,
adequate, respectable, pretty good, tolerable, passable, all
right, average, decent, middling, reasonable, comme ci, comme
‡a, not bad; mediocre, indifferent, Colloq so so, OK or okay:
The performance was fair but not outstanding. 5 favourable,
clear, sunny, fine, dry, bright, cloudless, pleasant, halcyon,
benign: Fair weather is promised for tomorrow's picnic. 6
unobstructed, open, clear, free: Every spectator has a fair
view of the football field. 7 attractive, good-looking,
handsome, comely, pretty, beautiful, pulchritudinous, lovely,
beauteous: Faint heart never won fair lady. 8 civil,
courteous, polite, gracious, agreeable: She was not deceived by
his fair words.
fairэ n. f€te, festival, kermis or kirmess, exhibition, exposition,
show; market, bazaar, mart, US exhibit: Ashby will judge the
sheep at the annual fair.
fairly adv. 1 quite, rather, pretty, somewhat, tolerably, adequately,
sufficiently, passably, moderately, Colloq sort of, kind of: I
thought that the singing was fairly good. 2 equitably,
impartially, justly, properly, honestly, objectively: Please
make certain that everyone is treated fairly. 3 absolutely,
totally, utterly, completely, positively, really, actually,
veritably, virtually: The crowd fairly cheered themselves
hoarse.
fairyland n. dreamland, wonderland, never-never land, happy valley,
paradise, cloud-land, enchanted forest, cloud-cuckoo-land,
Nephelococcygia, Shangri-La: Zuleika's thoughts are always off
somewhere in fairyland.
faith n. 1 belief, credence, confidence, conviction, trust,
certainty, certitude, assurance, assuredness, sureness,
reliance, dependence: His faith in God is unassailable. I have
great faith in her ability. 2 belief, religion, creed,
persuasion, dogma, teaching, doctrine, denomination, sect: To
which faith do you belong? She is of the Jewish faith. 3 duty,
allegiance, obligation, promise, faithfulness, loyalty,
fidelity, devotion, consecration, dedication, fealty, obedience:
Don't break faith with your electorate by supporting the bill.
faithful adj. 1 true, loyal, devoted, steadfast, dedicated, attached,
unswerving, firm, staunch, unwavering, constant: He has always
remained faithful to his wife. 2 close, exact, accurate, true,
correct, precise, perfect, valid; literal: Jowett's is a
faithful translation from the Greek. 3 conscientious, dutiful,
scrupulous, careful, meticulous, thorough, punctilious, finicky
or finical, detailed, fastidious, rigorous, rigid, severe,
particular: He received a gold watch for fifty years of
faithful attendance to his duties. 4 reliable, dependable,
trusted, trustworthy, trusty, honest, true, truthful, righteous,
right, moral, virtuous, upright, veracious: He has remained my
faithful friend for many years.
faithless adj. 1 sceptical, doubting, unbelieving, disbelieving,
agnostic, atheistic, freethinking: Faithless wretches are
called Doubting Thomases. 2 unfaithful, disloyal, treacherous,
traitorous, perfidious, shifting, shifty, fickle, inconstant,
untrustworthy, unreliable, false, hypocritical, insincere,
dishonest, false, crooked, unscrupulous, conscienceless,
recreant: With faithless friends like her, who needs enemies?
fake v. 1 falsify, doctor, alter, modify, counterfeit, fabricate,
manufacture, forge: He faked the evidence in order to implicate
his own sister. 2 pretend, make a pretence of, dissemble,
feign, sham, make believe, simulate, affect: She faked a
headache to avoid gym classes.
--n. 3 hoax, counterfeit, sham, forgery, imitation, Colloq
phoney or US also phony: The experts agree that the painting is
a fake. 4 faker, impostor, charlatan, fraud, hoaxer,
mountebank, cheat, humbug, quack, pretender, Colloq phoney or US
also phony: He isn't a doctor - he's a fake!
--adj. 5 false, counterfeit, forged, sham, fraudulent,
imitation, pinchbeck, bogus, spurious, factitious, Colloq phoney
or US also phony: He escaped the country using a fake passport.
fall v. 1 descend, sink, subside, settle, drop or come (down),
plummet, plunge, dive, (take a) nosedive; cascade: The bucket
fell to the bottom of the well. A meteorite fell on my house.
The water falls 100 metres over the cliff at this point. 2
tumble, trip, stumble, slump, collapse, keel over, topple,
crumple: Mother fell in the kitchen and hurt her knee. 3
diminish, (become) lower, sink, decline, fall or drop off, drop,
decrease, dwindle, subside, come or go down: The price of oil
fell today to a new low. 4 slope, fall away, decline: Beyond
the spinney, the meadow falls towards the river. 5 succumb,
surrender, yield, give up or in, capitulate, be defeated or
conquered, be captured, be taken (captive or prisoner), be
overthrown, come or go to ruin, be destroyed, be lost: The
castle fell after a year's siege. 6 die, perish, drop dead, be
slain or killed: His grandfather fell at the Battle of the
Marne. 7 fall apart. disintegrate, crumble, collapse, fall or
come or go to pieces, break up, be destroyed; break apart,
fragment, shatter: I knew she would fall apart on the witness
stand. The gadget fell apart as soon as we used it. 8 fall back.
retreat, retire, withdraw, draw back; recede: As the enemy
advanced, we fell back. 9 fall back on or upon. have recourse
to, rely or depend on or upon, return to, count on or upon,
resort to, call on or upon, make use of, use, employ: All the
ready ammunition was gone and we had to fall back on our
reserves. 10 fall behind. drop back, trail, lag; be in arrears:
If you fall behind, I'll wait for you. We fell behind in our
mortgage payments. 11 fall down. a collapse, drop: She hit me
so hard that I fell down. b fail, be (found) wanting or
lacking, be unsuccessful, be or prove inadequate or
disappointing: He had to be replaced because he fell down on
the job. 12 fall flat. collapse, fail, Colloq flop, US bomb
(out), lay an egg, go over like a lead balloon: A hit in London
might fall flat in New York. 13 fall for. a fall in love with,
be infatuated with: Some people will fall for anyone who tells
them the right time. b be fooled or duped or taken in or
deceived by, accept, swallow, succumb to, Slang be a sucker for,
US and Canadian be a patsy for: Did Beaseley really fall for
that old confidence trick? 14 fall in. cave in, collapse, sink
inwards: The walls were about to fall in on us. 15 fall in
with. join, associate with, become associated or allied with,
befriend; cooperate with, go along with, concur with, support,
accept: He fell in with a gang of thieves and spent the next
few years avoiding the police. She agreed to fall in with my
plan. 16 fall off. diminish, decrease, decline, deteriorate:
Business falls off immediately after Christmas. 17 fall on or
upon. attack, assault, assail, set upon: Three muggers fell on
me and stole my wallet. 18 fall out. disagree, differ, quarrel,
clash, squabble, wrangle, dispute, fight: We fell out over
politics. 19 fall short. prove or (turn out to) be inadequate
or insufficient or deficient or lacking or wanting or
disappointing, miss, fail, disappoint: The results of the sales
campaign fell short of expectations. 20 fall through. fail,
come to nothing or naught, miscarry, die, Colloq fizzle (out),
flop: The deal to buy the company fell through. 21 fall to.
start, begin, commence, set or go about, get under way,
undertake, tackle, take on; get moving, attack, Colloq get the
show on the road, get cracking, US get a wiggle on, move it:
The washing-up had to be done so I fell to.
--n. 22 drop, descent, dive, nosedive, plunge, tumble,
dropping, falling: How could he have survived a fall from such
a height? 23 Chiefly US and Canadian autumn: They turn the
clocks back one hour in the fall. 24 decline, decay, collapse,
downfall, failure, destruction, ruin, failure, deterioration,
eclipse: Have you read Poe's classic Fall of the House of Usher
? 25 Usually, falls. cascade, cataract, waterfall; rapids: How
many falls are there along the Limpopo River? 26 depreciation,
sinking, diminution, decrease, decline, lapse, downturn,
down-swing, drop, drop-off, lowering, abatement, slump,
collapse: On the Stock Exchange today, investors experienced
sharp falls in share prices. 27 slope, declivity, descent,
decline, drop, downhill, Chiefly US and Canadian downgrade:
Note the smooth rise and fall of the land. 28 surrender,
capitulation, submission, taking, seizure, capture, overthrow,
defeat, conquest, downfall: The fall of Khartoum in 1898 marked
the re-establishment of British rule in the Anglo-Egyptian
Sudan.
fallacy n. misconception, miscalculation, misjudgement, mistake, error,
non sequitur, solecism, delusion; paralogism; sophism: It is a
fallacy to think that you could ever learn to play the violin as
well as Susannah.
false adj. 1 untrue, unfactual, untruthful, wrong, amiss, mistaken,
erroneous, incorrect, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, faulty,
flawed, invalid, unsound, unreal, imaginary, fictitious,
spurious: The explorers gave a completely false picture of the
local inhabitants. 2 untrue, untruthful, lying, misleading,
fallacious, fabricated, made-up, concocted, mendacious,
untrustworthy, fraudulent, meretricious, deceptive, deceitful,
treacherous, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The testimony of
this witness is completely false. 3 counterfeit, imitation,
simulated, sham, forged, fraudulent, fake, artificial,
synthetic, manufactured, unnatural, spurious, bogus, ersatz,
factitious, mock, pseudo, Colloq phoney or US also phony: Your
false teeth look almost real. 4 sham, feigned, affected,
insincere, faked, manufactured, counterfeit(ed): Don't shed any
false tears over me when I'm gone. 5 illogical, fallacious,
unsound, invalid, flawed, faulty: That conclusion could come
only from false reasoning.
falsehood n. lie, fib, prevarication, untruth, fabrication, misstatement,
fiction, (fairy) tale, story, distortion, Colloq cock-and-bull
story, Slang Brit load of codswallop: That was a complete
falsehood about the goings-on in the attic, wasn't it?
falsify v. fake, alter, distort, misstate, misrepresent, twist, Colloq
fudge, trump up, Brit cook: The tax inspector found that the
accounts had been falsified.
falsity n. untruthfulness, mendacity, mendaciousness, fraudulence,
deceptiveness, deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, spuriousness,
speciousness, casuistry, hypocrisy, insincerity, falseness: The
prosecution was unable to prove the falsity of her statement.
fame n. renown, repute, reputation, celebrity, illustriousness,
superiority, pre-eminence, stardom, prominence, eminence, glory,
name, notoriety, acclaim: Randolph's fame has spread far and
wide.
familiar adj. 1 well-known, common, commonplace, everyday, ordinary,
current: That's a familiar melody. 2 frequent, usual,
customary, habitual, routine, traditional: He strolled along
his familiar route through the trees. 3 friendly, affable,
close, intimate, sociable, social, free, free and easy, relaxed;
over-friendly, overfree, overfamiliar, bold, forward, insolent,
impudent, presumptuous, presuming, disrespectful, unreserved,
unrestrained; informal, casual, cordial, unceremonious; Colloq
chummy, Slang US and Canadian buddy-buddy, palsy-walsy: She
began to get entirely too familiar. 4 familiar with. aware or
conscious or cognizant of, knowledgeable about or of or in,
conversant or acquainted with, no stranger to, on speaking terms
with, up on or in, (well-)versed in, informed of or about, privy
to, in the know about, au courant, au fait: Are you familiar
with the latest theories in particle physics?
familiarity
n. 1 knowledge, acquaintance(ship), grasp, understanding,
comprehension, cognizance, awareness, conversance, experience:
I have no familiarity at all with particle physics. 2
friendliness, affability, sociability, neighbourliness,
fellowship, intimacy, intimateness, closeness, openness,
naturalness, ease, informality, unceremoniousness: He prided
himself on his familiarity with celebrities. 3 boldness,
presumptuousness, overfamiliarity, presumption, impudence,
insolence, impertinence, impropriety: He put his arm round her
waist with offensive familiarity.
familiarize
v. Usually, familiarize with. accustom (to), make familiar or
acquaint (with), initiate (in), inform (about or on), enlighten
(about or as to), teach (about), educate or instruct or tutor
(in): I am trying to familiarize myself with the music of John
Cage.
family n. 1 (kith and) kin, kinsmen, kindred, kinsfolk or US and
Canadian kinfolk, next of kin, relatives, relations, household,
people, one's own flesh and blood, one's nearest and dearest,
m‚nage, Colloq folks: We usually spend the holidays with my
family. 2 children, offspring, progeny, issue, brood, Colloq
kids: Large families were much more common in the 19th century.
3 ancestors, forebears, forefathers, progenitors; ancestry,
parentage, descent, extraction, derivation, lineage, pedigree,
genealogy, family tree, house, line, bloodline, dynasty; blood,
stock, strain: He came from an old family of German bankers. 4
group, set, division, subdivision, classification, type, kind,
class, genre, order, species, genus: English belongs to the
Indo-European family of languages.
famine n. starvation; shortage, dearth, scarcity, deficiency, paucity,
exiguity, barrenness, lack: In days of abundance, no one should
die of famine.
famished adj. starving, starved, voracious, ravenous, ravening, craving,
hungry: The survivors were famished after a fortnight in the
lifeboat.
famous adj. renowned, celebrated, popular, famed, well-known, noted,
eminent, pre-eminent, conspicuous, prominent, illustrious,
notable, acclaimed, venerable, legendary, distinguished,
praiseworthy, honoured, lionized: A famous architect has been
invited to address the convention.
famously adv. excellently, (very) well, superbly, marvellously,
splendidly, capitally, spectacularly, superlatively: The prince
and I get on famously.
fan n. admirer, enthusiast, adherent, devotee, aficionado,
follower, supporter, lover, zealot, Colloq buff, fiend, hound,
bug, addict, nut, US booster, Slang junkie, freak, groupie:
Avid fans of Ascot United, we go to all the matches.
fanatic n. maniac, extremist, zealot, Colloq fiend, nut, Slang freak:
Religious fanatics killed 'heathens' or 'infidels' by the
thousand.
fanatical adj. fanatic, extreme, distracted, maniacal, mad, rabid,
zealous, frenzied, feverish, burning, frantic, frenetic,
obsessive, fervent, compulsive, monomaniacal, fervid, perfervid,
passionate, enthusiastic, agog, immoderate, excessive: The
entire family are fanatical in their fundamentalism.
fanaticism
n. 1 devotion, dedication, devotedness; infatuation,
enthusiasm, fervour, zeal, obsessiveness, franticness, frenzy,
hysteria: Her fanaticism for rock musicians is getting a bit
out of hand. 2 monomania, single-mindedness, mania, madness,
extremism, intolerance, bigotry, bias, partiality, prejudice,
narrow-mindedness, close-mindedness: Some religious sects are
characterized by virulent fanaticism.
fancied adj. imaginary, unreal, fanciful, imagined, illusory,
make-believe, mythical, fairy-tale: They support their king in
the pursuit of his fancied rights.
fanciful adj. 1 whimsical, capricious, impulsive, inconstant, fickle,
changeable, variable: Those graffiti are products of a fanciful
mind. 2 extravagant, chimerical, fantastic, fabulous, mythical,
fairy-tale, imaginative, fancied, make-believe, unreal,
illusory, imagined, visionary, imaginary: Some of the more
fanciful ideas of science fiction have become realities. 3
curious, odd, peculiar, bizarre, unusual, original: The chalice
was decorated with fanciful curlicues.
fancy adj. 1 ornate, decorative, decorated, ornamental, ornamented,
elaborate, embellished, embroidered, fanciful, extravagant,
rococo, baroque, gingerbread, Byzantine, complicated, intricate,
complex: The modern trend has been away from fancy
architecture. 2 illusory, capricious, fanciful, extravagant,
fantastic, far-fetched, delusive, whimsical, visionary,
unrealistic, grandiose: He has some fancy ideas about building
an undersea city. 3 de luxe, luxury, luxurious, choice, select,
prime, special, elegant, superior, quality, high-class; posh:
They stock only fancy fruits and vegetables. She has a fancy
suite at the Cardigan Hotel. 4 high, exorbitant, inflated,
outrageous: One has to pay very fancy prices for haute couture.
--n. 5 imagination, creation, conception, inventiveness,
creativeness, creativity: These chimeras are entirely a product
of his fancy. 6 imagination, fantasy, hallucination, delusion,
illusion, unreality, make-believe, dream, day-dream, pipedream,
mirage, phantasm, phantom, figment (of the imagination),
impression: Our plans for the future must be based on fact, not
fancy. 7 liking, inclination, fondness, taste, penchant,
attraction, preference, partiality, predilection, yearning,
craving, hankering, wish, desire, longing: Miss Crow's fancy
for younger men often causes her some embarrassment. 8 idea,
whim, caprice, whimsy, urge, impulse, notion, vagary, quirk,
crotchet, peculiarity: His fancy today is that he invented
electricity.
--v. 9 imagine, conceive, picture, visualize, envisage, think
or make up, conjure up, US envision, Colloq dream up: He
fancies himself on a big yacht in the Mediterranean. 10 think,
imagine, understand, believe, suspect, guess, conjecture,
presume, surmise, assume, take it, suppose, infer, reckon: From
his costume I fancy he must be Superman. Fancy Kim winning the
Nobel prize! 11 like, be attracted to, take (a liking) to,
desire, want, crave, long or pine for, have a yen or craving
for, have an eye for, wish for, hunger for, favour, prefer, lust
after: Terry has always fancied tall women. I wouldn't fancy
being 40 feet up a swaying ladder like that.
fanfare n. 1 flourish, fanfaron, fanfaronade, (trumpet-)blast or blare:
Following a loud fanfare, the toreador strutted into the ring.
2 hullabaloo, hubbub, brouhaha, commotion, stir, ado, show,
fuss, Colloq to-do, ballyhoo: Despite the enormous fanfare, the
film was a failure.
fantasize v. dream, imagine, day-dream, muse, mull (over), build castles
in the air or in Spain, speculate, envisage, star-gaze;
hallucinate, US envision: She often fantasized about the kind
of man she would marry.
fantastic adj. 1 fanciful, strange, weird, peculiar, odd, eccentric,
queer, bizarre, quaint, outlandish, exotic, extravagant,
grotesque, nightmarish, alien, remarkable: She wore the most
fantastic costume to the fancy-dress ball. 2 imaginary,
illusory, illusive, unreal, visionary, fanciful, unrealistic,
imagined, irrational: His books are inhabited by fantastic
creatures. 3 unbelievable, incredible, preposterous,
extraordinary, implausible, absurd, unlikely: At 85, he made
the fantastic decision to enter the marathon. 4 marvellous,
spectacular, splendid, wonderful, tremendous, overwhelming,
Colloq great, fabulous, terrific: The Picasso exhibition is
simply fantastic.
fantasy n. 1 imagination, fancy, creativity, inventiveness, creativity,
originality: We encourage the children to give free rein to
their fantasy. 2 vision, hallucination, illusion, mirage,
delusion, chimera, dream, day-dream, (flight of) fancy,
pipedream: Her fantasy is to become prime minister. 3
make-believe, invention, cabrication, fiction, masquerade,
fable, concoction, pretence: His story about being an orphan is
pure fantasy.
far adv. 1 afar, far-away or -off, a good or great or long way or
distance off or away: We caught sight of a sail far to the
south. 2 (very) much, considerably, decidedly, incomparably:
She is a far better swimmer than George. 3 by far. (very) much,
considerably, decidedly, incomparably, (im)measurably, by a long
shot, far and away, clearly, plainly, obviously, doubtless(ly),
indubitably, undoubtedly, definitely, beyond (the shadow of a)
doubt, without a doubt, Colloq Brit by a long chalk: She's a
better swimmer than George by far. He is by far the wealthiest
person I know. 4 far and wide. everywhere, near and far or far
and near, extensively, widely, high and low; here, there, and
everywhere: We searched far and wide to find these specimens.
5 far gone. a beyond or past help, advanced, deteriorated, worn
out, dilapidated, near the end: That shirt is too far gone to
send to the laundry. My house is so far gone it's beyond repair.
b drunk, besotted, Slang loaded, pissed, paralytic, paralysed:
He's too far gone to walk. 6 go far. a progress, advance,
succeed, go places, get ahead, rise (in the world), make a name
for oneself, become successful, set the world on fire, Brit set
the Thames on fire, US cut a swath: He is a very bright
youngster and I'm sure he will go far in whatever profession he
chooses. b help, aid, contribute, play a part: The new law will
go far towards inhibiting child abuse. 7 go too far. go
overboard or over the top, not know when to stop, go to
extremes; exceed, overdo, overstep, transcend, go beyond:
Ambition is one thing, but he went too far when he tried to get
his boss's job. 8 so far. a thus far, (up) to or till or until
now or the present or this point, to date, to this point in
time: So far, we have been able to keep up with the mortgage
payments. b to a certain extent or limit or point: She said
she would go just so far and no further.
--adj. 9 (more) remote or distant, far-away, far-off; extreme,
further, farther, farthest: She claimed the ability to see into
the far future. He kicked the ball to the far end of the field.
far-away adj. 1 faraway, distant, remote, far-off, outlying, far-flung:
People came from far-away places as news of the miracle spread.
2 faraway, dreamy, detached, absent, absent-minded, abstracted:
When you have that far-away expression, I know you don't hear a
word I say.
farcical adj. ludicrous, laughable, risible, funny, nonsensical,
ridiculous, silly, preposterous, absurd, foolish; comical,
humorous, droll, amusing: His farcical attempts at surfing
fully dressed had us in hysterics.
fare n. 1 passenger, traveller: The taxi-driver deposited his fare
at the hotel. 2 charge, price, cost: What is the fare from
Oxford to London? 3 food, diet, victuals, meals, viands,
eatables, provisions: Prison fare consisted of bread and water.
--v. 4 do, make one's way, manage, get on or along, make out,
survive: The children didn't fare very well on their own.
farewell n. 1 adieu, goodbye: We said our farewells and left. 2
departure, leave-taking, cong‚, parting, Colloq send-off: I
want to avoid a tearful farewell.
--interjection. 3 Adieu!, Goodbye!, So long!, Godspeed!,
Adios!, Hasta luego!, Hasta la vista!, Auf Wiedersehen!, Ciao!,
Sayonara!, Aloha!, Vaya con Dios!, Colloq Brit God bless!,
Old-fashioned Toodle-oo!, Pip! Pip!, Ta-ta!, US old-fashioned
See you later (alligator)!, Don't take any wooden nickels!: I
said farewell and we went our separate ways.
far-fetched
adj. strained, stretched, improbable, implausible, unlikely,
doubtful, dubious, questionable, forced, unconvincing,
unrealistic, fantastic, preposterous, hard to believe,
unbelievable, incredible, Colloq hard to swallow, fishy: They
told some far-fetched tale about being robbed by a gang of
midgets.
farm n. 1 farmstead, farmhouse, grange, homestead, holding; land,
farmland, acreage, arable; Brit steading, smallholding,
allotment, Scots farm-toun, croft: My grandfather owns a farm
in Yorkshire. 2 buy the farm. die, be killed: A MIG caught
Johnson and he bought the farm.
--v. 3 cultivate, work the land, till the soil: His family has
been farming this land for centuries. 4 farm out. contract,
subcontract, lease, delegate, let (out): They cut staff and now
farm out much of the work.
farmer n. husbandman, agriculturist, agronomist, yeoman, Brit
smallholder, US dialect granger: The farmers here were hard hit
by the drought.
farming n. agriculture, agronomy, husbandry, agribusiness, cultivation:
Less than 8,000 years ago man turned from hunting and gathering
to farming.
far-sighted
adj. 1 far-seeing, foresighted, prescient, provident, prudent,
shrewd, perceptive, discerning, insightful, wise, sagacious,
acute, sharp, astute, sensible, imaginative: The committee drew
up a far-sighted plan for the redevelopment of the town centre.
2 long-sighted, hyperopic or hypermetropic, presbyopic: I'm
far-sighted, so I wear glasses only for reading.
fascinate v. bewitch, enchant, cast a spell on or over, ensorcell,
spellbind, hold spellbound, put or have under a spell, charm,
captivate, intrigue, beguile, hypnotize, mesmerize, transfix,
entrance, engross, enthral, enrapture, absorb, allure, attract:
Desmond is utterly fascinated by Elizabeth.
fascination
n. enchantment, sorcery, magic, attractiveness, attraction,
draw, pull, (animal) magnetism, charm, allure, captivation,
influence, witchcraft, entrancement: Blondes always held a
strange fascination for him.
fashion n. 1 style, mode, vogue, trend, look, taste: That year there
was a fashion for stiletto heels. 2 the fad, mania, the craze,
the rage, the latest (thing), dernier cri, Colloq Brit the go:
He remembers when upswept hair-dos were the fashion. 3 manner,
mode, way, approach, attitude: I'll always be true to you,
darling, in my fashion. 4 in fashion. See fashionable, below.
--v. 5 make, model, style, shape, form, frame, mould, create,
construct, forge, work, manufacture: She fashions the most
beautiful vases out of shapeless lumps of clay.
fashionable
adj. in fashion, chic, … la mode, modish, stylish, smart, in
vogue, up to the minute, up to date, Colloq trendy, in, with it,
Colloq Brit all the go: The couturiers insist that black will
be fashionable this year.
fast° adj. 1 quick, swift, fleet, speedy, brisk; brief, hurried,
hasty, high-speed, accelerated, expeditious, rapid, express:
She is very fast on her feet. We need a fast turn-round on this
job. 2 loose, profligate, wild, extravagant, dissipated,
intemperate, irresponsible, sybaritic, self-indulgent,
dissolute, unrestrained, indecorous, rakish, licentious,
promiscuous, immoral, wanton, lecherous, lustful: They led
quite a fast life till their divorce. 3 firm, fastened,
secure(d), fixed, tied, bound, connected, attached: The boat
was fast to the pier. 4 firm, fixed, settled, stable, solid,
immovable, unshakable or unshakeable, tight: The sword was fast
in the stone. 5 firm, stable, steadfast, staunch, unwavering,
constant, lasting, close, loyal, devoted, faithful, lasting,
permanent: We maintained a fast friendship over the years.
--adv. 6 quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, briskly, presto,
hastily, hurriedly, with all speed or haste, expeditiously,
apace, post-haste, like a flash, in the blink of an eye, in a
wink, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', in no time (at all),
Colloq like a bat out of hell, like a shot, p.d.q. (='pretty
damned quick'), Brit like the clappers (of hell), US and
Canadian quick like a bunny or rabbit, lickety-split: Don't
talk so fast. He ran out of there very fast. I'll be back very
fast. 7 firmly, fixedly, immovably, solidly, unshakeably or
unshakably, tightly, securely, soundly: The rope held fast. He
is fast asleep. 8 closely, close to, immediately, near, (close)
on, right: Fast on the heels of the fugitive came the police.
9 loosely, wildly, recklessly, intemperately, irresponsibly,
fecklessly, extravagantly, intemperately, sybaritically,
self-indulgently, dissolutely, unrestrainedly, indecorously,
rakishly, licentiously, promiscuously, immorally, wantonly,
lecherously, lustfully: He's been living fast since inheriting
that fortune.
fastэ v. 1 abstain, go hungry, deny oneself, diet, starve (oneself):
Do you fast during Lent?
--n. 2 abstention, abstinence, fasting, self-denial, diet;
hunger strike: She went on a two-week fast.
fasten v. 1 attach, tie, bind, bond, stick, affix, anchor, fix, lock,
hook (up), secure, join, connect, link, fuse, cement, clamp:
Fasten your seat belts. The mussels fasten themselves by their
byssi to underwater piles. 2 fix, rivet, focus, concentrate,
direct, aim, point: He fastened his gaze on Kitty. She fastened
her attention on the ceiling.
fastening n. fastener, catch, clasp, latch, lock, tie, bond: Can you see
what kind of fastening is holding the cover?
fastidious
adj. squeamish, delicate, over-nice, fussy, meticulous,
finicky, finical, pernickety or US also persnickety, particular,
difficult, critical, hypercritical, supercritical, over-precise,
punctilious, Colloq nit-picking, picky: The Prioress was too
fastidious to allow a morsel drop from her lip.
fat adj. 1 obese, stout, overweight, heavy, plump, rotund,
corpulent, portly, well-fed, chubby, podgy or chiefly US pudgy,
roly-poly, tubby, bulky, fleshy, paunchy, pot-bellied, overfed,
flabby, elephantine, Colloq broad in the beam, beamy, beefy,
Slang US five-by-five: A fat man squeezed in beside me. 2
oily, oleaginous, unctuous, greasy, fatty, pinguid, sebaceous,
adipose: His complexion is bad because he eats too much fat
food. 3 rich, wealthy, prosperous, affluent, well-to-do, well
off, Colloq well-heeled, loaded: They grew fat on their profits
from the black market. 4 profitable, lucrative, fruitful,
remunerative, Slang cushy: He has a fat job as a purchasing
agent for the government.
--n. 5 obesity, corpulence, stoutness, overweight, heaviness,
plumpness, rotundity, portliness, chubbiness, podginess or
chiefly US pudginess, tubbiness, fleshiness, paunchiness,
flabbiness: He leans a little towards fat because of lack of
exercise. 6 riches, wealth, prosperity, fertility, yield,
abundance, plenty, plenteousness: He's living off the fat of
the land.
fatal adj. 1 fateful, deadly, murderous, lethal, mortal, toxic,
terminal, final; baneful, poisonous: She drank the fatal potion
without a word. Who dealt the fatal blow? 2 destructive,
fateful, ruinous, calamitous, dreadful, disastrous, devastating,
cataclysmic, catastrophic, harmful, mischievous, damaging:
Discovery by the police would prove fatal to our plan. 3
fateful, fated, destined, predestined, decreed, ordained,
foreordained, preordained, predetermined, inevitable,
unavoidable, necessary, essential, inescapable, ineluctable:
The events fell into their fatal sequence.
fatality n. 1 catastrophe, disaster, calamity, cataclysm: The eruption
of Vesuvius was a relatively recent fatality. 2 death,
casualty: Traffic fatalities are on the increase.
fate n. 1 fortune, lot, luck, chance, life, destiny, God's will,
providence, doom, karma, kismet, toss or throw of the dice,
Colloq US and Canadian the breaks, the way the cookie crumbles,
the way the ball bounces: Fate has brought us together. Our
meeting this way was just fate. 2 doom, destruction, downfall,
undoing, ruin, disaster, collapse, death, nemesis, end, finish:
The defenders of Masada met their fate bravely. 3 end, outcome,
future, destination, disposition: There was no trace of the
fate of the explorers. What is to be the fate of this obsolete
equipment?
fated adj. 1 destined, predestined, predetermined, decreed, doomed,
fateful, ordained, foreordained, preordained, decided: The
fated day of my trial arrived. 2 sure, certain, doomed, damned,
cursed: Was I fated to spend the rest of my life in this fetid
dungeon? 3 fatal, fateful, unavoidable, inescapable,
inevitable, ineluctable: Their fated punishment was to bail out
the sea using sieves.
fateful adj. 1 significant, momentous, ominous, major, consequential,
important, critical, crucial, decisive, weighty, portentous,
earth-shaking, pivotal: The minister is faced with having to
make a fateful decision. 2 deadly, lethal, fatal, destructive,
ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, cataclysmic: Failure to
preserve the environment could have fateful consequences.
father n. 1 sire, paterfamilias, Colloq dad, daddy, pa, papa, pop, old
man, old boy, Brit governor, pater: His father is a chemist. 2
forebear, ancestor, forefather, progenitor, primogenitor: The
father of the dynasty fought at Hastings. 3 creator, founder,
originator, inventor, author, architect, framer, initiator: He
regards Lavoisier as the father of modern chemistry. 4 priest,
confessor, cur‚, abb‚, minister, pastor, shepherd, parson,
clergyman, chaplain, Colloq padre, Military slang sky pilot: We
should see the Father about the funeral service.
--v. 5 sire, beget, get, engender, procreate, generate: He had
fathered more than forty children in his harem. 6 originate,
establish, found, invent, author, frame, initiate, institute,
create: Galileo fathered modern astronomy by inventing the
telescope.
fatherland
n. motherland, native land, mother country, homeland, (old)
country, birthplace: They return to their fatherland for an
annual visit.
fatherly adj. paternal, kindly, kind, warm, friendly, affectionate,
protective, amiable, benevolent, well-meaning, benign, caring,
sympathetic, indulgent, understanding; parental: My nephew used
to come to me for fatherly advice.
fathom v. probe, sound, plumb, penetrate, search (out), investigate,
measure, gauge, determine, ascertain, work out, get to the
bottom of, delve into, understand, grasp, divine: I never quite
fathomed the purpose of this device.
fatigue n. 1 weariness, tiredness, weakness, exhaustion, lassitude,
listlessness, lethargy, languor, sluggishness, enervation: She
kept on tending the wounded till fatigue finally overcame her.
--v. 2 weary, tire, weaken, exhaust, drain, enervate, Colloq
fag (out): My morning's work had fatigued me.
fatigued adj. weary, wearied, tired, overtired, dead tired, weak,
weakened, exhausted, listless, lethargic, languorous, sluggish,
enervated, strained, wasted, Colloq whacked (out), knocked out,
dead, beat, dead-beat, all in, Brit knackered, jiggered,
buggered, US and Canadian pooped, bushed: The firemen were
fatigued after being on duty round the clock.
fatness n. obesity, stoutness, corpulence, embonpoint, portliness,
plumpness, chubbiness, rotundity, podginess or chiefly US
pudginess: His fatness is owing to a glandular condition, not
overeating.
fault n. 1 imperfection, flaw, defect, blemish, deficiency,
shortcoming, failing, weakness; frailty, foible, peccadillo:
The fault lies in this circuit. Using filthy language is only
one of his faults. 2 mistake, error, blunder, lapse, failure,
offence, oversight, slip(-up), indiscretion, gaffe, gaucherie,
faux pas, Slang boner, howler, goof, boo-boo, Brit boob: People
should be responsible for their faults. There are many faults in
this manuscript. 3 responsibility, liability, culpability;
blame, accountability, answerability: It wasn't my fault that
the tree fell down. The fault lies with you, James. 4 sin,
transgression, trespass, misdeed, offence, misdemeanour, vice,
indiscretion, misconduct, misbehaviour: He will confess his
faults to anyone who will listen. 5 at fault. to blame,
blameable, blameworthy, in the wrong, responsible, answerable,
accountable, liable, culpable, guilty: You were at fault for
failing to report the crime. 6 find fault. criticize, censure,
take exception (to), carp (at), cavil (at), pick at, pick on,
pick apart, pick holes in, niggle, fuss, Colloq nit-pick, knock:
She constantly finds fault with everything I do. 7 to a fault.
excessively, extremely, to an extreme, in the extreme,
unreasonably, exceedingly, unduly, disproportionately,
immoderately, irrationally, US overly: She is modest to a
fault.
--v. 8 find fault with, censure, blame, criticize, call to
account, impugn, call into question, hold (someone) responsible
or accountable or to blame, lay at (someone's) door, accuse:
You cannot be faulted for not knowing the fuel tank was empty.
fault-finding
n. 1 criticism, censure, carping, cavilling, captiousness,
hypercriticism, quibbling, fussiness, hair-splitting,
pettifogging, Colloq nit-picking, pickiness: Why continue to
put up with the foreman's fault-finding?
--adj. 2 critical, censorious, carping, cavilling, captious,
hypercritical, fussy, hair-splitting, pettifogging, niggling,
contentious, querulous, quibbling, Colloq nit-picking, picky:
She could no longer abide his fault-finding attitude.
faultless adj. perfect, flawless, immaculate, ideal, exemplary, correct,
accurate, foolproof, irreproachable, unimpeachable, Colloq Brit
bang on, spot on: Their performance was faultless.
faulty adj. defective, unsound, imperfect, flawed, impaired, out of
order, malfunctioning, broken, bad; damaged; Slang on the blink,
Chiefly US on the fritz: The carburettor is faulty.
favour n. 1 good will, approval, support, approbation: Father looked
with favour on my marriage to Leslie. 2 courtesy, good or kind
deed, good turn, kindness, gesture, beau geste; service: As a
favour, I'll walk your dog while you're away. 3 favouritism,
partiality, prejudice, bias, preference, patronage: They show
favour in repeatedly giving the contract to the same company. 4
grace, esteem, consideration, view, regard, opinion, account,
(good or bad) books; disposition, taste, predisposition: How
does Rochester stand in the favour of the king? 5 in favour
(of). for, pro, on the side of, in support (of), at the back of,
backing, behind, on or US and Canadian in behalf (of), in back
of: Please vote in favour of the resolution. Are you in favour
or against?
--v. 6 approve, prefer, like, have a liking or preference for,
be partial to, advocate, espouse, back, endorse, support,
champion, recommend, incline to or towards, side with, take the
side or part of, go for, opt for, fancy, select, choose, elect,
single out, sponsor, adopt, go in for: Which candidate do you
favour? 7 pamper, coddle, baby, protect, indulge, be partial
to: Notice how Billie favours his left leg when walking? 8
advance, forward, promote, facilitate, expedite, help, benefit,
assist, aid, encourage, accommodate, smile upon: The warm,
moist climate favours the growth of mould. 9 resemble, look
like, take after: Little Jimmy favours his father, I think.
favourable
adj. 1 advantageous, promising, auspicious, fair, beneficial,
suitable, fitting, appropriate, encouraging, facilitative,
helpful, helping, supportive, supporting, convenient, useful,
opportune, propitious, accommodating, accommodative;
facultative: A favourable breeze sent our craft towards Cyprus.
2 good, promising, positive, encouraging, reassuring,
affirmative, well-disposed, sympathetic; commendatory,
laudatory, enthusiastic, eager, ardent, zealous: They concluded
a very favourable deal to supply the army with boots. My latest
book received favourable reviews.
favourably
adv. 1 graciously, indulgently, sympathetically, genially,
positively, agreeably, enthusiastically, with favour: They
reacted favourably to my suggestion. 2 advantageously,
affirmatively, positively, in favourable terms: Your
application has been considered favourably.
favoured adj. 1 preferred, chosen, choice, selected, popular, favourite,
pet: The favoured explanation is that he is the boss's son. 2
advantaged, privileged, blessed, prosperous, wealthy, rich,
affluent, well off: She is one of the favoured few who can
afford to travel.
favourite n. 1 choice, pick, preference, preferred, esteemed, darling,
pet, ideal, apple of (someone's) eye, Colloq Brit blue-eyed boy
or girl, flavour of the month, US white-haired or white-headed
boy or girl, fair-haired boy or girl: Raising interest rates
doesn't exactly make the chancellor everyone's favourite.
--adj. 2 beloved, chosen, picked, selected, preferred,
best-liked, most-liked, favoured, choice, pet, ideal: Which is
your favourite flavour?
favouritism
n. partiality, bias, predisposition, prepossession, prejudice,
bent, partisanship, nepotism, preferment; preference, leaning,
inclination, proclivity: He openly admits to favouritism in
selecting employees.
fear n. 1 dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, alarm, trepidation,
apprehension, fearfulness, apprehensiveness, dismay,
consternation, hesitation, qualms, diffidence, timidity,
cravenness, cowardice, second thoughts: His fear of going into
the jungle alone is understandable. 2 awe, respect, reverence,
veneration: That'll put the fear of God into him! 3 horror,
spectre, nightmare, bogey or bogy, phobia, bugbear, b€te noire,
misgiving(s), foreboding(s): When they came to break the news,
her worst fears were realized. 4 solicitude, anxiety, angst,
foreboding(s), distress, misgiving(s), concern, apprehension,
worry, uneasiness, unease: Fear for her safety is shared by all
of us.
--v. 5 be afraid or scared or fearful or frightened (of),
dread, quail or tremble or quake at, shudder at, shrink from,
quiver: What man cannot understand he often fears. 6 revere,
respect, venerate, be or stand in awe of: If you fear the Lord
as I do, you won't take his name in vain. 7 expect, anticipate,
imagine, suspect, foresee: I fear we are too late for dinner.
fearful adj. 1 afraid, scared, frightened, terrified, alarmed,
panic-stricken, terror-stricken: Of all disasters, I am most
fearful of fire. 2 hesitant, timid, timorous, shy, diffident,
unwilling, intimidated, jumpy, nervous, edgy, panicky, anxious,
apprehensive, cowardly, pusillanimous, Colloq yellow, jittery:
Why is she so fearful of meeting her prospective in-laws? 3
awful, dire, dreadful, frightful, frightening, terrifying,
terrible, appalling, ghastly, atrocious, horrible, horrifying,
horrendous, horrific, hideous, gruesome, grisly, grim, baleful,
monstrous, unspeakable, loathsome, heinous, repugnant,
repulsive, revolting, disgusting, nauseating, nauseous: The
fearful monster blocked our only way out.
fearfully adv. 1 hesitantly, timidly, timorously, shyly, diffidently,
unwillingly, nervously, edgily, anxiously, apprehensively:
Fearfully, she approached the altar. 2 very, awfully, terribly,
extremely, exceedingly, frightfully, tremendously: It was
fearfully considerate of you to come.
fearless adj. brave, bold, intrepid, valorous, dauntless, courageous,
valiant, plucky, daring, audacious, heroic, venturesome,
gallant, chivalrous: These fearless commandos cared nothing for
their personal safety.
fearsome adj. dreadful, awesome, appalling, formidable, daunting,
frightening, frightful, awe-inspiring, menacing, terrible,
terrifying, intimidating: Last week's typhoon was the most
fearsome storm of the century.
feasibility
n. practicability, workability, applicability, viability,
practicality: The feasibility of the scheme has yet to be
assessed.
feasible adj. practicable, workable, doable, applicable, viable,
practical, possible, realizable, achievable, attainable,
sensible, usable, realistic: The world needs a feasible method
for disposing of nuclear waste.
feast n. 1 banquet, (lavish) dinner, (sumptuous) repast, (Lucullan or
Epicurean) treat, Colloq spread, Brit beanfeast; Slang blow-out,
Brit beano: Dinner at Patrick's is no mere meal - it is a
feast. 2 observance, celebration, rite, ritual, solemnization,
commemoration, memorialization, anniversary, birthday, jubilee,
feast-day, festival, f€te, holy day, holiday, red-letter day,
occasion, event, gala: Church calendars list both movable and
immovable feasts. 3 treat, delight, pleasure, gratification:
Seeing you again was a feast for the eyes.
--v. 4 dine, wine (and dine), fare well or sumptuously,
(over)indulge, gorge (oneself), gormandize, eat one's fill: We
feasted on roast turkey with all the trimmings. 5 entertain,
feed, wine and dine, treat, regale: Visitors to Arthur's court
were feasted with the finest viands available. 6 delight,
gratify, please, cheer, gladden: Ali Baba feasted his eyes on
the vast treasure in the cave.
feat n. exploit, deed, act, attainment, achievement, accomplishment,
tour de force: Persuading your wife to let you go fishing was
quite a feat.
feature n. 1 characteristic, attribute, trait, mark, hallmark, earmark,
property, character, quality, aspect, facet, peculiarity, quirk,
idiosyncrasy: What are the identifying features of traditional
Chinese architecture? 2 (main) attraction, draw, special
attraction, high point or spot, best or memorable part; main
film; US and Canadian drawing card; column, piece, article,
item: The feature of the show was the appearance of Gracie
Fields. He writes the gardening feature for a Sunday newspaper.
3 features. face, visage, physiognomy, countenance, looks, Slang
mug, kisser, chips and plaice: Her features twisted into a
frown.
--v. 4 present, promote, publicize, advertise, highlight,
spotlight, put into the limelight, star, stress, emphasize, call
attention to, play up, puff up, Colloq headline, hype: He was
featured in many films. 5 be, act, perform, take or have a role
or part, participate, be involved or drawn in: Novels feature
prominently in our publishing programme.
federation
n. combination, confederacy, confederation, amalgamation,
coalition, league, alliance, union, association, Bund, society:
The central government consists of a federation of states.
fee n. 1 charge, price, cost, fare, bill, tariff, toll, Colloq
damage(s): The membership fee is њ25. 2 pay, payment,
emolument, compensation, recompense, honorarium, remuneration,
rate, wage(s), stipend, salary: What is your fee per hour for
proofreading?
feeble adj. 1 weak, infirm, frail, puny, slight, feckless;
debilitated, enervated, decrepit, enfeebled, exhausted,
weakened; effete, delicate, fragile, powerless, impotent,
impuissant, languid, spiritless, sickly, ailing, unsound, faint,
dizzy; Colloq woozy, Brit wonky: The survivors were suffering
from exposure and too feeble to walk. 2 flimsy, weak,
ineffectual, ineffective, namby-pamby, half-baked, lame,
unconvincing, shoddy, thin, insubstantial, poor, unsatisfactory,
insufficient, inadequate, unavailing, meagre, paltry,
insignificant, Colloq wishy-washy, Brit wet: She gave her usual
feeble excuse for being late. 3 weak, obscure, dim,
imperceptible, faint, distant, indistinct, unclear: He could
see little in the feeble light from the one candle. We heard a
feeble cry from under the rubble.
feeble-minded
adj. stupid, dull(-witted), witless, moronic, idiotic,
imbecilic, simple, slow (on the uptake), slow-witted,
weak-minded, dim-witted, addle-pated, halfwitted, deficient,
subnormal, mentally defective, retarded, attocerebral, Brit ESN
(='educationally subnormal'), Colloq dumb, thick, soft in the
head, boneheaded, empty-headed, vacant, Brit gormless, US
exceptional: Why do you spend so much time with that
feeble-minded twit?
feed v. 1 provision, cater or provide (for), victual, purvey,
provender, supply, maintain, nurture, nourish, board, support,
sustain, wine and dine: Is there enough to feed everyone? 2
eat, devour, graze, pasture: Cattle feed most of the day. 3
feed on or upon. subsist or survive or depend or thrive on or
upon, be nourished or gratified or supported by: Swindlers feed
on others' gullibility.
--n. 4 fodder, forage, pasturage, silage, food, provender:
What kind of feed are you giving the sheep?
feel v. 1 touch, see, note, sense, perceive, experience, determine;
handle, manipulate, finger: Feel how rough the skin is at this
spot. 2 stroke, caress, pet, fondle: I like to feel a bare
carpet with my toes. 3 sense, be conscious of, perceive, be
aware or sensible of, experience: I could feel the heat of the
fire across the room. 4 sense, believe, think, perceive, judge,
consider, deem, know, discern, intuit, Colloq get or have the
impression, have a hunch, guess, have a (funny) feeling, feel in
one's bones: I feel I have outstayed my welcome. 5 undergo,
sense, suffer, bear, endure, withstand, stand, abide, brook,
tolerate, go through: Let the other team feel the agony of
defeat for a change. 6 seem, appear, strike one, give the
impression, have a or the feeling: It felt as if a great weight
has been lifted from me. It feels like old times. That feels
silky. 7 seem to be, be, regard or characterize oneself as, take
oneself to be: I feel certain that we've met before. I felt a
perfect fool. 8 feel for. sympathize or empathize with,
commiserate with, bleed for, be sorry for, pity, have compassion
for: She feels for all mothers whose sons have died. 9 feel
like. incline or lean to or towards, prefer, fancy, want,
desire, crave: I feel like a cup of hot tea.
--n. 10 texture, surface, sensation, touch, finish: This wood
has the feel of satin. 11 feeling, air, atmosphere, climate,
ambience, sense, note, tone, quality: It's so cosy here - it
has the feel of home.
feeler n. 1 antenna, tentacle, palp, sensor: Those moths have long,
feathery feelers. 2 overture, hint, suggestion, foretaste,
probe, tester, sensor: The questionnaire is a feeler put out to
test public opinion.
feeling n. 1 (sense of) touch, sensitivity, sense, perception,
sensation, sensibility: I had no feeling in my left side. 2
intuition, idea, notion, inkling, suspicion, belief, hunch,
theory, sense; premonition, hint, presentiment, sense of
foreboding, sensation, impression, opinion, view; instinct,
consciousness, awareness: I have a feeling you're fooling. Do
you ever have the feeling of being watched? 3 regard, sympathy,
empathy, identification, compassion, tenderness, appreciation,
concern, understanding, sensitivity, sensibility: He has a
genuine feeling for animals. 4 ardour, warmth, passion,
fervency, fervour, ardency, intensity, heat, sentiment, emotion,
vehemence: She said she loved me with so much feeling that I
thought she meant it. 5 feelings. emotions, sensitivity,
sympathies, sensibilities, susceptibilities: She hurt my
feelings. 6 feel, mood, atmosphere, climate, sense, air,
ambience or ambiance: There is a feeling of impending doom
about this place.
--adj. 7 sentient, sensitive, tender, tender-hearted,
compassionate, sympathetic: Their behaviour did the soldiers
honour as feeling men.
feint n. distraction, mock attack, bluff, dodge, manoeuvre, false
move, pretence, ruse, ploy, subterfuge, deception, tactic,
stratagem, gambit, artifice: The attack on the flanks is merely
a feint - the main thrust will be at the centre.
fell v. cut or knock or strike down, floor, prostrate, level, hew
(down), flatten, demolish, mow (down); kill: He felled his
opponent with one blow. All the trees in this area must be
felled.
fellow n. 1 man, boy, person, individual, gentleman, one, Colloq guy,
chap, customer, kid, Brit bloke, Slang geezer, gink, US
old-fashioned gazabo: There was a fellow here asking for you
today. 2 colleague, associate, comrade, companion, ally, peer,
compeer: He is going to meet some of his fellows at the club.
3 mate, match, counterpart, partner, complement, concomitant,
accessory: I lost one glove last week and now have lost its
fellow. 4 boyfriend, man, sweetheart, love, young man; lover,
paramour, Formal suitor, Old-fashioned beau, Archaic swain,
Slang guy: Bailey has been Sue's fellow for years.
--adj. 5 associate(d), affiliate(d), allied, auxiliary,
related: Ladies, not accorded membership in the men's club,
belonged to a fellow organization. She shared her sandwiches
with a fellow passenger.
fellowship
n. 1 companionship, camaraderie, comradeship, amity,
brotherhood, fraternization, togetherness, association,
friendship, amity, companionability, sociability, intimacy: I
have always enjoyed the fellowship of my university colleagues.
2 society, club, association, alliance, guild, league, union,
sisterhood, sorority, brotherhood, fraternity, congregation,
circle, community, order, organization, consortium, partnership;
lodge, clan, company, coterie, set, clique, coalition, bloc,
cartel, trust: They belong to the worldwide fellowship of
artists. 3 friendliness, clubbiness, sociability, intimacy,
amicability, affability, kindliness, cordiality, familiarity,
affinity, belonging, congeniality, warmth, hospitality: Being a
club member gives him a feeling of fellowship.
felon n. criminal, outlaw, lawbreaker, offender, culprit, miscreant,
malefactor, wrongdoer: Only if convicted of a certain class of
crime is a person technically a felon.
feminine adj. 1 female, womanlike, womanly, ladylike, submissive,
deferential, amenable, gentle, docile, tender, soft, delicate:
She is much more feminine than her sister. 2 effeminate,
womanish, unmanly, unmasculine, sissy or Brit cissy, sissified
or Brit cissified, effete, affected: Barry's manner and
behaviour seem to become more feminine every day.
fence n. 1 barrier, enclosure, barricade, confine, wall, rampart;
railing(s), palisade: Maurice had a fence put up round his
house. 2 on the fence. undecided, indecisive, vacillating,
uncommitted, uncertain, irresolute; impartial, neutral,
non-partisan, unbiased, unprejudiced, unaligned, non-aligned,
independent: She is on the fence with regard to the issue of
capital punishment.
--v. 3 enclose, encircle, surround, circumscribe, bound, coop,
restrict, hedge, confine, fortify, protect, separate: The
pasture is fenced both to keep the sheep in and the wolves out.
Fence off this area for a garden. 4 parry, avoid, fend off,
sidestep, dodge, evade, hedge, stonewall, equivocate, palter,
tergiversate, vacillate, shilly-shally, quibble, cavil, beat
about the bush, qualify, prevaricate, Colloq Brit waffle:
Awkward questions were adroitly fenced by the chairman. Give a
straight answer and stop fencing.
fend v. 1 fend for oneself. get or scrape along (on one's own), make
out, get by, make do, shift for oneself, take care of or provide
for or support oneself: Mother didn't believe I could fend for
myself. 2 fend off. discourage, parry, keep or hold at bay,
resist, repel, stave or ward or fight off, deflect, turn aside,
avert, divert: We fended off our attackers for three days.
ferment v. 1 boil, effervesce, seethe, bubble, foam, froth, brew; rise,
raise, work, leaven: A rebellion is fermenting in the northern
counties. Adding yeast causes the bread to ferment. 2 excite,
stir up, incite, instigate, agitate, foment, inflame, rouse,
provoke: He helped to ferment a riot.
ferocious adj. fierce, savage, cruel, vicious, feral, fell, brutal,
bestial, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, inhuman, barbaric,
barbarous, violent, destructive, murderous, bloodthirsty,
sanguinary, predatory, fiendish, diabolical, devilish, hellish,
monstrous: Cerberus, a ferocious beast with three heads, guards
the gates of hell.
fertile adj. fruitful, prolific, fecund, productive, bounteous,
profuse, abundant, copious, fructuous, plenteous, generative,
teeming, rich, luxuriant: The land was fertile enough to grow
anything. This book is a fertile source of ideas.
fertilize v. 1 impregnate, inseminate, pollinate, fecundate, fructify:
The flower should be fertilized by pollen from a different
stock. 2 manure, mulch, feed, nourish, enrich, dress, compost:
The earth can be fertilized at any time.
fervent adj. 1 fervid, fiery, burning, glowing, hot, intense,
passionate, impassioned, ardent, hotheaded, inflamed,
fanatic(al), excited, frantic, frenzied: Only the most fervent
acolytes were ordained as ministers of the faith. 2 eager,
earnest, enthusiastic, zealous, animated, intense, heartfelt,
emotional: It is my fervent desire to see you happy. 3
ecstatic, transported, rapturous, rapt, enrapt, enraptured,
captivated: The fervent crowds cheered wildly when Caesar
arrived.
fervour n. fervency, ardour, warmth, passion, vehemence, glow,
intensity, zeal, eagerness, earnestness, enthusiasm, animation,
gusto, ebullience, spirit, verve: She went about her studies
with a fervour we had not seen before.
fester v. 1 ulcerate, suppurate, run, ooze, putrefy, putresce,
necrose, mortify, rot, decay, decompose: His entire body was
covered with festering sores. 2 rankle, smoulder, gall, chafe,
inflame: Bitterness over the way he had been treated festered
inside him for years.
festival n. 1 holiday, holy day, f€te, feast, commemoration,
anniversary: He wanted to be with his family for the Christmas
festival. 2 celebration, f€te, festivities, carnival,
entertainment, red-letter day, gala day, anniversary, birthday:
The town organizes a festival every autumn.
festivity n. 1 rejoicing, gaiety, mirth, jubilation, conviviality,
joyfulness, merriment, revelry, merrymaking, glee, jollity,
jollification, felicity, Colloq Brit mafficking: There were
laughter and festivity in the air. 2 festivities.
celebration(s), festival, party, fun and games, entertainment,
amusement, hilarity, boisterousness, frivolity: Come along and
join the festivities at our house tonight.
fetch v. 1 get, go after or for, bring (back), retrieve, deliver,
obtain, carry or convey (back): Would you please fetch my
slippers? 2 summon, bring or draw forth, call, elicit: The
doorbell fetched me from my bath. 3 sell for, bring (in), go
for, yield, earn, make, cost, realize: These days a house near
London fetches a high price.
--n. 4 reach, stretch, range, span, extent: It is quite a long
fetch across the bay.
fetching adj. attractive, alluring, taking, winsome, winning, cute,
enchanting, charming, captivating, intriguing: Fingal's sister
is a fetching young lass.
f€te n. 1 festival, entertainment, reception, levee, gala,
rejoicing, celebration, party, festivities, get-together,
social, amusement, revel, fair, ball, frolic, spree, jamboree,
carnival, event, occasion, Colloq blow-out, shindig, bash, do,
bust, Slang US and Canadian wingding, blast: You are invited to
our annual f€te on New Year's Eve.
--v. 2 entertain, feast, roll or bring out the red carpet for,
wine and dine, celebrate, honour, lionize, fuss over, kill the
fatted calf for: Fiona's book was a great success and she was
f€ted all over Europe.
fetish n. 1 charm, amulet, talisman, totem, Rare periapt: Round his
neck he wore the dreaded fetish of the fish god. 2 obsession,
compulsion, fixation, mania, id‚e fixe: It's a fetish of hers
to kiss only under the mistletoe.
feud n. 1 dispute, conflict, vendetta, hostility, strife, enmity,
animosity, hatred, antagonism, rivalry, ill will, bad blood,
hard feelings, contention, discord, grudge, dissension,
disagreement, argument, quarrel, bickering, squabble, falling
out, estrangement: A silly feud broke out over whose turn it
was to bring the Christmas goose.
--v. 2 dispute, quarrel, bicker, disagree, conflict, row,
fight, fall out, clash, be at odds, be at daggers drawn: The
Hatfields and McCoys feuded for decades.
feverish adj. inflamed, flushed, burning, fiery, hot, ardent, fervent,
hot-blooded, passionate, frenzied, frantic, excited, frenetic,
zealous; Pathology febrile, pyretic, pyrexic: I was looking
forward to our rendezvous with feverish excitement.
few adj. 1 hardly or scarcely any, not many, insufficient;
infrequent, occasional: Few people came to my party. He is a
man of few words.
--n. 2 handful, some, scattering: I invited a lot of people,
but only a few came.
--pron. 3 (only) one or two, not many: Many apply but few are
chosen.
fianc‚(e) n. betrothed, wife- or bride- or husband-to-be, intended: He
went out to buy a ring for his fianc‚e.
fiasco n. failure, disaster, muddle, mess, abortion, botch, Colloq
fizzle, flop: My effort to help Donald with his maths homework
was a complete fiasco.
fib n. 1 falsehood, (little) white lie, untruth, prevarication,
fabrication, invention, misrepresentation, story, (fairy) tale,
fiction; lie; Colloq tall story, US tall tale, cock-and-bull
story, whopper: I told a little fib when I said my grandmother
was ill.
--v. 2 prevaricate, misrepresent, fudge, falsify, misspeak,
palter; lie; Colloq waffle: They admitted they had fibbed about
who had thrown the egg.
fibre n. 1 filament, thread, strand, fibril, tendril: This fabric is
woven from cotton fibre. 2 texture, structure, material,
fabric: The fibre of this rock is granular. 3 essence,
character, nature, mould, composition, constitution, substance,
quality, stripe, cast, make-up: Love for him is wrapped up in
the very fibre of her being.
fickle adj. flighty, capricious, frivolous, unpredictable, moody,
giddy, fanciful, whimsical, fitful, mercurial, volatile,
unstable, changeable, mutable, inconstant, changeful, unsteady,
unsteadfast, indecisive, undecided, vacillating or rarely
vacillant, unsure, uncertain, irresolute, wavering, erratic,
unreliable, undependable, irresponsible, untrustworthy,
faithless, unfaithful, disloyal, Colloq wishy-washy: That
fickle woman has already taken up with someone else. You should
know how fickle the tastes of the public are.
fictional adj. unreal, imaginary, invented, made-up, mythical, fanciful;
legendary, fabulous: The newspaper article was a hoax -
completely fictional. Lorna Doone is Janet's favourite fictional
heroine.
fictitious
adj. 1 imagined, imaginary, non-existent, unreal, made-up,
invented, fabricated, mythical, fancied, fanciful, fictive,
untrue, apocryphal: The claim that an article had appeared was
completely fictitious. 2 false, counterfeit, bogus, artificial,
spurious; assumed, improvised, made-up, invented, make-believe,
imaginary, Colloq phoney or US also phony: When arrested they
gave fictitious names.
fiddle v. 1 Often, fiddle with. meddle (with), tamper (with),
interfere (with), alter, falsify, fix; cheat, swindle, flimflam;
Colloq finagle, Brit cook: The treasurer had been fiddling the
accounts for years. 2 Often, fiddle with or about or around.
toy or trifle or fidget (with), twiddle or play or tinker
(with), fool or fuss (with), Colloq mess or muck (about or
around) (with), frivol (away), monkey (around) (with): He sat
there nervously fiddling with his ear. Stop fiddling about and
get on with your work.
--n. 3 Brit swindle, fraud, racket, thimblerig, US shell-game,
Slang skin game, funny business, monkey business: The tax
inspector caught him in some fiddle with his business expenses.
4 violin, viola, viol, cello, violoncello, kit: He played
fiddle for the tsar.
fiddlesticks
interj. Nonsense!, Rubbish!, Colloq Fiddle-de-dee!,
Balderdash!, Stuff and Nonsense!, Poppycock!, Pish and tush!,
Tommy-rot!, Hogwash!, Eyewash!, Boloney!, Bilge-water!,
Moonshine!, Humbug!, Bosh!, Fiddle-faddle!, Bull!, Rot!, Brit
Codswallop!, Taboo slang Bullshit!, Balls!, Crap!, Horseshit!,
Brit Bollocks! or Ballocks!: When he said he'd pay what he
owed, I just said, 'Fiddlesticks!'
fidget v. 1 squirm, twitch, shuffle, wriggle, wiggle, fiddle, fuss;
fret, chafe: Stop fidgeting and tell me the truth!
--n. 2 fusspot, fuss-budget, cat on hot bricks, US cat on a hot
tin roof, Colloq US nervous Nellie: If her conscience is clear,
why is she such a fidget? 3 the fidgets. restlessness,
fidgetiness, dither, uneasiness, the jitters, nervousness,
itchiness, Colloq heebie-jeebies, jim-jams, ants in one's pants:
Whenever he tells a lie he gets a bad case of the fidgets.
field n. 1 ground, land, arable, pasture, grassland, meadow, green,
lawn, common, clearing, tract, area, acreage, Literary
greensward, lea, sward; Archaic mead: The house looks out over
the fields. 2 battlefield, battleground, airfield; (cricket)
pitch, football or hockey or soccer field, American football
gridiron: We marched onto the field prepared for anything. 3
competition, competitors, players, entrants, contestants,
participants, candidates, possibilities, applicants: Who can
match you among today's field? 4 area, domain, realm,
department, territory, province, sphere, scope, division,
interest, line, m‚tier, discipline, bailiwick, speciality,
specialization, expertise, forte, strength: She is certainly
the leading expert in her field. My field is biochemistry.
--v. 5 catch, stop, return, retrieve, pick up: Did you see how
Border fielded that ball? 6 answer, reply to, respond to,
handle, manipulate, deal with, react to, cope with: The
candidate adroitly fielded questions from the press.
fiend n. 1 See devil. 2 addict, maniac, fanatic; fan, aficionado,
enthusiast, devotee, hound, follower, Colloq buff, nut, Slang
freak: He's a Welsh rarebit fiend.
fiendish adj. cruel, savage, inhuman, monstrous, ghoulish, malignant,
malevolent, malicious, wicked, evil, bad, black-hearted,
satanic, devilish, Mephistophelian, demonic, demoniac(al),
diabolic(al), cacodemonic, hellish, infernal: He sniggered with
fiendish glee as he tightened the thumbscrew.
fierce adj. 1 ferocious, savage, wild, truculent, brutish, feral,
bestial, tigerish, brutal, cruel, fell, murderous, bloodthirsty,
sanguinary, homicidal, barbaric, barbarous, inhuman, dangerous:
The fierce beasts will tear you limb from limb. 2 intractable,
angry, furious, hostile, aggressive, vehement, frenzied, stormy,
violent, turbulent, wild, tempestuous, tumultuous, raging,
merciless, uncontrollable: The old curmudgeon is in a fierce
mood again today. A fierce storm raged for three days. 3 severe,
awful, dreadful, intense, keen, dire, bitter, biting, racking:
Wear warm clothes to protect you from the fierce cold.
fiercely adv. very, extremely, exceedingly, vehemently, intensely,
impetuously, violently, furiously, ferociously, viciously,
savagely: She refuses to deal with anyone who is so fiercely
competitive.
fiery adj. 1 burning, flaming, blazing, hot, red-hot, white-hot,
overheated; afire, on fire, in flames, ablaze: Fiery lava burst
from the volcano. 2 glowing, red, incandescent, brilliant,
luminous, glaring, gleaming, radiant; aglow, afire: We watched
the fiery sunset fade into azure hues. 3 ardent, eager,
spirited, passionate, excited, excitable, peppery, irascible,
touchy, irritable, edgy, hotheaded, fierce: I had best not be
late as my boss has a fiery temper.
fight v. 1 contend (with), battle, conflict (with), encounter, war
(against), engage, clash, take up arms (against), feud (with),
combat, bear or take up arms (against), brawl, struggle or
strive (with or against), cross swords (with), close (with),
come to or exchange blows (with), go to or wage war (with or
against), joust (with), grapple or wrestle (with), skirmish
(with), tussle or scuffle (with or against); box, spar;
Old-fashioned broil: He offered to fight anyone in the place.
Why are the boys always fighting? 2 dispute, question, confront,
contest, oppose, contradict, defy, confute, protest, resist,
rail or struggle, against, withstand, refute, oppugn, make or
take a stand against, contravene, confound: He has sworn to
fight prejudice wherever he finds it. 3 rise up, make or take a
stand, struggle, take up arms: It is better to fight for the
good than to rail at the ill. 4 argue, dispute, bicker,
quarrel, wrangle, squabble, spat, tiff, fall out (over), have
words, disagree, row, altercate, debate: I hear the neighbours
fight every night. 5 fight off. repel, repulse: Prepare to
fight off anyone trying to come over the side! 6 fight shy of.
avoid, keep or remain aloof from or of, keep away from: She
usually fights shy of going to cocktail parties.
--n. 7 battle, conflict, bout, duel, (single) combat,
monomachy, one-on-one, action, warfare, clash, hostilities, war,
match, struggle, engagement, meeting, encounter, contest,
fighting, brawl, Donnybrook, affray, fray, fracas, disturbance,
riot, row, m€l‚e or melee, tussle, scuffle, scrimmage, skirmish,
brush, Colloq free-for-all, set-to, scrap, Brit scrum, bovver,
Slang US rumble, Old-fashioned broil: Three policeman were
injured in the hour-long fight. 8 altercation, argument,
quarrel, feud, dispute, run-in, disagreement, dissension,
dissidence, dissent, difference (of opinion), squabble,
bickering, spat, misunderstanding, row, discord, Colloq ruckus:
Such fights between husband and wife happen all the time. 9
pugnacity, mettle, militancy, belligerence, truculence, spirit,
pluck, zeal, enthusiasm, zest: She had enough fight left in her
to go on to win.
figure n. 1 physique, build, shape, form, configuration, conformation,
build, body, outline, silhouette; cut, cast; Slang bod, chassis:
It's exercise that gives Kathy such a fine figure. 2
appearance, image, likeness, representation, semblance: The
vision came to him in the figure of a dragon. 3 person,
individual, human (being): A burly figure loomed up out of the
fog. 4 statue, effigy, sculpture, bust, mould, cast, image,
representation, idol, icon: Hundreds of figures are carved into
the stone of the temple fa‡ade. 5 picture, illustration,
diagram, drawing, sketch, plate: See Figure 12 for a graph
showing the rate of inflation for the past decade. 6
personality, celebrity, somebody, leader, personage, worthy,
notable, individual, presence, force, character: Chaplin looms
large as a figure in the history of comedy. 7 number, numeral,
cipher, digit; character, symbol, device, sign; design, pattern,
motif, emblem: His salary is in six figures.
--v. 8 Often, figure up. calculate, compute, reckon, work out;
count, enumerate, numerate, total, tot up, tally, sum: Please
figure up how much I owe you. 9 picture, imagine, think, take,
reckon, consider, calculate, judge, believe; assume, presume,
suppose; accept, acknowledge, concede: I never figured her to
be the guilty one. 10 act, participate, take or play a part or
role, appear, feature, have a place; be included or mentioned,
be featured or conspicuous: He does not figure in my plans. 11
figure on or upon. a rely or depend on or upon, count on or
upon, trust in, put faith in: You mustn't figure on his help.
b plan on or upon, take into consideration or account, consider,
make allowance for: They were figuring on consumer demand for a
better mousetrap. 12 figure out. a calculate, reckon, compute,
work out: I haven't yet figured out last year's profits and
losses. b decipher, translate, understand, interpret, solve,
grasp, get, fathom, see, perceive, Colloq dig, make head(s) or
tail(s) of, get through one's head, get the hang or drift of,
catch on (to), get a fix on, Brit twig, suss out: Can you
figure out what this article is trying to say?
figurehead
n. puppet, dummy, marionette, mouthpiece, Brit man of straw, US
and Canadian straw man, Colloq front man, Chiefly US front: The
king is a mere figurehead with no power at all.
file n. 1 document, documentation, dossier, case, data, folder,
portfolio, information: Interpol has files on Cowdery's
activities going back ten years. 2 line, queue, column, row,
rank: The file of armoured vehicles stretched for miles.
--v. 3 classify, organize, systematize, categorize,
alphabetize, chronologize, order, arrange, pigeon-hole,
interfile, put or place in order, register, record, enter: Must
all this correspondence be filed today? 4 submit, send in,
complete, fill in or US and Canadian also fill out, enter: I
have already filed my application for a transfer. 5 walk,
march, troop, parade: Please file into the classroom and take
your seats.
fill v. 1 crowd, stuff, cram, jam, load, burden, pack, squeeze: A
huge number of people filled the stadium. 2 top (off), top up,
fill up, make full; inflate, swell, stretch, blow up, distend,
expand: Pour in just enough to fill the bottle. See if you can
fill the balloon. Wind filled the sails. 3 Sometimes, fill up.
supply, provide, furnish: Irena has filled her house with
paintings. 4 meet, satisfy, fulfil, answer: Will a dozen fill
your needs for a while? 5 satisfy, satiate, bloat, sate, gorge,
stuff; stock: The guests filled themselves with choice foods at
the reception. 6 abound in, overflow, be abundant or plentiful
in: Trout filled the lake. 7 close, stop (up), block, stuff,
plug, caulk, seal: The dentist had to fill two cavities. 8
occupy, take over, discharge, carry out, do, execute: Can you
fill her job while she's away? 9 fill in or US and Canadian
also out. a make out, complete, answer: Please fill in this
application. b take the place, stand in, substitute: Could you
fill in during my secretary's absence? c inform, tell, advise,
let in on, notify, bring up to date, share, let in on: Don will
fill you in on the details later. 10 fill out. a swell,
expand, grow, distend, stretch; fatten, increase: The sails
filled out in the freshening breeze. b US fill in. See 9(a).
--n. 11 one's fill. plenty, enough; surfeit, sufficiency: We
ate our fill and left.
filling n. filler, stuffing, padding, wadding; contents, components,
Colloq innards: What kind of filling do you like in a pie?
film n. 1 coating, skin, coat, membrane, peel, integument, layer,
overlay, covering, cover, sheet, dusting, veil, Technical
pellicle: There is a film of grease over everything. 2 motion
picture, movie, picture; videotape; Colloq flick, pic; video:
Why do they show the same films every Christmas? 3 veil,
screen, murkiness, blur, smokescreen, haze, mist, haziness,
mistiness, cloud, vapour, fog, steam: I could barely make out
the road through the film on the windscreen.
--v. 4 film over, coat, cover, dim, obscure, fade (away), veil,
screen, blur, blear, mist, cloud, glaze,: The pond filmed over
with bacteria. Her eyes filmed with tears. 5 photograph, shoot,
take, (video)tape: If the director insists, then the scene must
be filmed again.
filmy adj. 1 gauzy, gossamer(-like), sheer, delicate, diaphanous,
transparent, translucent, flimsy, light, cobwebby,
insubstantial, see-through, peekaboo: Phoebe looked very
seductive in her filmy negligee. 2 murky, blurry, cloudy, hazy,
misty, bleary, blurred, dim, clouded, beclouded, milky, pearly,
opalescent: We inched down the cliff in the filmy light of the
moon.
filter n. 1 sieve, colander, riddle, screen, strainer, gauze, cloth,
cheesecloth, membrane: To allow the liquid to pass through, a
clean filter must be used.
--v. 2 Sometimes, filter out. strain, screen, sift, winnow,
clarify, refine, purify, clean; separate, weed out, exclude,
eliminate: Some people filter tap water to improve its taste.
This company would be improved if we could filter out the
undesirable elements. 3 leach, percolate, drip, seep, dribble,
trickle, drain, run or pass through, ooze: The rainwater is
filtered through fine sand to purify it.
filth n. 1 sewage or sewerage, dirt, slime, muck, sludge, sullage,
effluent, pollution, trash, rubbish, garbage, refuse, ordure,
(night-)soil, excrement, faeces, excreta, manure, droppings,
guano, dung, foul matter, filthiness, offal, leavings, carrion,
decay, putrescence, putrefaction, Slang crud, Brit gunge, US
grunge, Taboo slang shit: Cleaning the filth from the Augean
stables was the fifth labour of Hercules. 2 corruption,
vileness, baseness, foulness, rottenness, debasement,
defilement, taint, pollution, adulteration, perversion,
degradation, taint; sullying, besmirchment: Sodom and Gomorrah
were destroyed along with their filth. 3 indecency, obscenity,
smut, pornography, corruption, nastiness, vulgarity, grossness:
The censors forbade the showing of films with any hint of filth.
filthy adj. 1 defiled, polluted, tainted, foul, nasty, dirty, unclean,
vile, putrid, rotten, fetid or foetid, maggoty, fly-blown,
purulent, feculent, faecal, scummy, slimy, mucky, Slang cruddy,
Brit gungy, US grungy: That city's public lavatories are the
filthiest I have ever seen. 2 dirty, unwashed, begrimed,
squalid, sordid, shabby, soiled, low, stained, grimy,
bedraggled, unkempt, slovenly, sloppy, mean, scurvy, disgusting,
miserable, wretched, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy: The filthy
beggar turned out to be Holmes in disguise. 3 immoral, taboo or
tabu, indecent, impure, obscene, smutty, pornographic, X-rated,
depraved, corrupt, dirty, lewd, lascivious, licentious, gross,
offensive, coarse, bawdy, ribald, blue, suggestive,
foul-mouthed, dirty-minded, filthy-minded: Customs officers
confiscated thousands of filthy books, magazines, films, and
videos.
final adj. 1 ending, concluding, terminating, finishing, closing,
last, terminal, ultimate, end: The final sentence needs
rewriting. 2 conclusive, decisive, unalterable, irreversible,
irrevocable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, indisputable,
unchangeable, immutable, definitive; settled, fixed, absolute,
certain, sure: Those are my final words on the subject. We made
a final series of measurements.
finality n. conclusiveness, decisiveness, unalterability,
irreversibility, irrevocableness, incontrovertibility,
irrefutability, indisputability, unchangeability, immutability,
definitiveness, certainty, certitude, sureness, fixedness:
There is an air of finality in the way she gives orders.
finalize v. conclude, settle, complete, decide, Colloq wrap up, clinch,
sew up: We finalized the agreement yesterday by signing the
contract.
finally adv. 1 at (long) last, lastly, eventually, in the end,
ultimately, at length, when all is said and done, in the long
run, at the end of the day, at the last moment: We finally
arrived in port. 2 conclusively, once and for all, decisively,
irrevocably, in fine, completely, inexorably, absolutely,
definitively, definitely, for good, for ever, for all time: I
didn't want to commit myself finally till I'd seen the plans.
finance n. 1 resource(s), banking, accounting, economics, money
(management), business, commerce, (financial) affairs,
investment: Bendick is the officer in charge of finance for the
company. 2 finances. capital, money, cash, funds, resources,
assets, holdings, wealth, wherewithal: Have you the finances
needed to buy the house?
--v. 3 fund, subvene, invest in, back, capitalize, underwrite,
subsidize, pay for, Colloq US bankroll: The new enterprise is
being financed entirely by small investors.
financial adj. monetary, pecuniary, fiscal, economic: We must get the
financial affairs of the country in order.
financier n. capitalist, banker, plutocrat, investor, backer, US
money-man, Colloq angel: The financiers suggest switching
investment from shares to bonds.
find v. 1 discover, come across, happen or come on or upon, hit upon
or on, chance or stumble on or upon; encounter, bump into:
We've found a tiny bistro on the Left Bank where we like to go.
2 Often, find out. uncover, discover, unearth, lay one's hand(s)
on, turn up, come up with, reveal, bring to light, light upon or
on, catch sight of, see, espy, descry, detect, learn, spot,
locate, track down; find out, identify, become aware of,
determine, ascertain, put one's finger on, point to, Colloq
tumble to, Brit twig; Slang finger, rumble, Brit suss out: The
police are trying to find the murderer. Can you find who did it?
3 discover, perceive, see, understand, notice, mark, remark,
note, distinguish, discern; realize: I find nothing odd about
her attire. 4 consider, think, regard, view, feel or discover
to be: I have always found Lady Sharpless exceedingly dull. He
finds it impossible to refuse her demands. 5 get, obtain,
procure, secure, acquire, win, gain; experience: We despair of
finding customers for our services in these hard times. He found
relief only in painkillers. 6 recover, locate, get back;
repossess, recoup: I hope you find the earring you lost. 7
summon (up), call up, command, gather (up), muster (up), rouse,
arouse, awaken: I tried to find the courage to ask her to marry
me. 8 set aside, allot, assign, manage, get: Have you found
the time to read Connie's new book? 9 judge, decide or
determine to be, pronounce, declare: A jury found her guilty.
The judge found in favour of the plaintiff.
--n. 10 discovery, catch, bargain, deal; boon, windfall: The
gold doubloon was the find of a lifetime.
finding n. 1 discovery, find: The findings from Pompeii are in the
Museum of Portici. 2 judgement, decree, verdict, decision,
determination, pronouncement, declaration, conclusion: The
findings of the Law Lords are final.
fine° adj. 1 superior, excellent, superb, magnificent, supreme,
marvellous, exceptional, splendid, exquisite, elegant,
first-class, first-rate, prime, choice, select, top-grade,
high-grade, top-drawer, quality, admirable, great, good,
satisfactory, Colloq out of this world, great, OK or okay,
peachy, neat, keen, Brit tickety-boo, US neat, Australian
bonzer, Slang swell, cool, Brit old-fashioned ripping, Dialectal
champion: He is a connoisseur of fine paintings. She turned in
a fine performance. 2 sunny, fair, bright, clear, cloudless,
balmy, pleasant, dry, nice: It was a fine day for a picnic. 3
enjoyable, satisfying, entertaining, amusing, good, interesting,
pleasant, nice: Thank you for inviting us to such a fine party.
4 accomplished, skilful, consummate, outstanding, masterly,
brilliant, virtuoso: Ann-Sofie is a fine pianist. 5 delicate,
subtle, exquisite, well-made, dainty, elegant; superior,
excellent, outstanding: What a fine example of
miniature-painting! 6 delicate, dainty, thin, gossamer,
diaphanous, gauzy, sheer, slender, frail, flimsy, filamentous,
threadlike: The sword hung over Damocles' head by a fine
thread. 7 powdered, powdery, pulverized, comminuted, crushed,
fine-grained: As soon as they touched the papyrus, it
disintegrated into a fine powder. 8 sharp, keen, keen-edged,
razor-sharp, pointed, acute: The points of the sea urchin's
spines are so fine you don't feel them enter. 9 subtle,
delicate, refined, acute, keen, discriminating, critical,
precise, nice, hair-splitting: There is sometimes a fine
distinction between pleasure and pain. 10 good-looking,
handsome, attractive, striking, beautiful, pretty, lovely,
seemly, fair, comely, Colloq US cute, Scots bonny: Jeanette
married a fine young man. 11 meritorious, worthy, commendable,
admirable, excellent, superb, splendid, good, Colloq great: She
has displayed fine courage in the face of terrible family
problems. 12 healthy, well, healthful, robust, all right, Colloq
OK or okay: I told the doctor that I was feeling fine. 13
close: Arriving at the airport with only minutes to spare is
cutting it pretty fine.
fineэ n. 1 penalty, charge, fee, mulct, forfeit, amercement;
forfeiture: He was unable to pay the parking fine.
--v. 2 penalize, charge, mulct, amerce: She was fined for
parking at a bus stop.
finery n. decoration(s), ornaments, trappings, trinkets, frippery,
showy dress, Colloq best bib and tucker, Sunday best, Sunday
clothes, gear, glad rags: They were all dressed in their finery
at the reception.
finesse n. 1 artfulness, subtlety, cunning, craftiness, cleverness,
strategy, shrewdness, skill, style, dash, ‚lan, panache, knack,
skilfulness, talent, adroitness, expertness, expertise,
adeptness, proficiency, ability, facility: I admire the finesse
with which she persuaded him to give the painting to the museum.
2 trick, artifice, stratagem, wile, ruse, scheme, machination,
intrigue, device, expedient, manoeuvre, deception, deceit: He
used every finesse in the book to get her to work for him. 3
tact, diplomacy, discretion, grace, taste, delicacy, polish,
refinement, elegance: With infinite finesse, Lord Lacey
suggested that the duchess might like to stay the night.
--v. 4 manoeuvre, manipulate, bluff, trick, delude, deceive,
fool, outwit, hoodwink, Colloq finagle, Slang con: She was
finessed into making him heir to her fortune.
finger n. 1 digit: How many fingers am I holding up? 2 have a finger
in. be or become or get involved in, figure in, have a hand in,
influence, interfere in, tamper or meddle or tinker or monkey
with: I knew that Lightfoot must have had a finger in the deal.
3 keep one's fingers crossed. hope or pray for the best, touch
or esp. US knock wood: I'm sure you'll win, but I'll keep my
fingers crossed just the same. 4 lay or put a finger on. (so
much as) touch, strike, hit, punch: If you lay a finger on her,
you'll have to answer to me! 5 lay or put one's finger on. a
recall, remember, recollect, bring or call to mind, think of,
pin down: I can't quite put my finger on the date when we met.
b locate, find, discover, unearth, lay or put one's hands on,
track down, get hold of, come by, acquire; buy, purchase: I was
finally able to put my finger on the book you asked for. c
indicate, identify, point to, pin down, Colloq zero (in) on:
Frank put his finger on the problem at once. 6 (not) lift or
raise (even) a (little) finger. make an attempt or effort,
offer, make a move, contribute, do one's part, do anything or
something: She didn't so much as lift a finger when I needed
her. 7 pull or get one's finger out. get on with it, stop
delaying or procrastinating, Colloq get cracking: He should
have finished by now, and I wish he'd pull his finger out. 8 put
the finger on. accuse, inform on or against, tell or tattle on,
betray, bear witness, Slang snitch or squeal on, peach on:
After Louise put the finger on the kingpin, the cops arrested
him. 9 slip through one's fingers. elude, escape, get away,
vanish, disappear: Despite the cordon round the house, the
fugitive slipped through our fingers. 10 twist or wrap around
one's little finger. control, dominate, lord it over, have under
control, manipulate, manoeuvre, wield power or authority over,
have under one's thumb, have the upper hand over, be master of,
influence, make subservient: She has her father twisted around
her little finger, and can do no wrong in his eyes.
--v. 11 touch, handle, feel; toy or play or fiddle with: He
was quite nervous and kept fingering his tie. 12 identify,
point out, put the finger on: It was too late, the mob had
already fingered Slats for assassination.
finicky adj. 1 finical, fussy, fastidious, critical, difficult,
meticulous, hard to please, (over-)delicate, (over-)dainty,
(over-)particular, over-nice, over-precise, niminy-piminy,
punctilious, (over-)scrupulous, Colloq pernickety or US also
persnickety, choosy, nit-picking, picky: No one can work for
him - he's too finicky. 2 fussy, elaborate, detailed, fine,
delicate: Notice the tiny, finicky engraving on this
watch-case.
finish v. 1 stop, conclude, end, cease: When you have finished
eating, please clear the table. 2 complete, accomplish,
perfect, achieve, carry out, fulfil, consummate, clinch, write
'finis' to, Colloq wrap up: We finished the work on time. 3
Sometimes, finish off. dispose of, dispatch or despatch,
exhaust, consume, eat or drink (up), use (up), devour, drain,
Colloq polish off: We finished the last of the beer last night.
4 Sometimes, finish off. kill, exterminate, annihilate, destroy,
get rid of, dispose of, dispatch or despatch, put an end to,
administer or deliver or give the coup de grѓce, bring down,
overcome, beat, defeat, conquer, best, worst, Colloq polish off,
terminate, Slang bump off, rub out, US waste, ice: The cavalry
finished off the last of the enemy. The contender was finished
in the third round. 5 Sometimes, finish up. conclude, close,
terminate, wind up, end, culminate: He goes straight home when
he finishes work. When will you finish? 6 Sometimes, finish up.
end up, settle: Where did you finish up after the party? 7
Sometimes, finish off. perfect, put the final touches on,
polish, put a finish on: He finishes fine furniture for a
living. 8 finish with. release, let go, have or be done with,
let loose, set free: I'll finish with you later, young man!
--n. 9 conclusion, termination, end, close, closing,
completion, culmination, ending, finale, Colloq winding up, US
wind-up: Tomorrow is the finish of the hunting season. 10
death, killing, annihilation, extermination, downfall,
destruction, defeat: A major catastrophe spelt the finish of
the dinosaurs. 11 polish, surface, texture: Just feel the
finish on this gunstock!
finite adj. limited, bounded, bound, restricted, delimited, numerable,
countable: It has been shown that there are a finite number of
grains of sand in the universe.
fire n. 1 flame(s), blaze; conflagration, holocaust, inferno: We
gathered round the roaring fire. 2 feeling, passion, ardour,
ardency, fervour, fervency, intensity, vigour, spirit, energy,
vim, vivacity, sparkle, animation, liveliness, verve, pep, ‚lan,
‚clat, dash, vitality, eagerness, enthusiasm, fever,
feverishness: I have never seen the role of Carmen performed
with such fire. 3 firing, fusillade, volley, barrage,
bombardment, salvo, cannonade, shelling, broadside, flak: The
fire from the guns shook the house. 4 hang fire. delay, be
delayed, be in abeyance, be suspended, be shelved, be put off,
be postponed, be up in the air, Colloq be put on hold, be (put)
on the back burner: The decision is hanging fire till tomorrow.
5 on fire. afire, burning, blazing, alight, aflame, flaming;
ardent, passionate, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, intense,
aroused, stirred, stimulated, enthusiastic, fired up, eager,
inspired, excited: The building is on fire: you must leave at
once. My very soul is on fire when I think of you. 6 play with
fire. undertake a risk or hazard or peril, run a risk, risk
(something or everything), imperil or endanger (something),
tempt fate, live dangerously: He warned people not to play with
fire by stirring up racial hatred. 7 set fire to. See 8, below.
--v. 8 a set fire to, set afire, set on fire, ignite, set
alight, kindle, spark (off), put to the torch, burn, Slang US
torch: Arsonists fired our headquarters last night. b
Sometimes, fire up. inflame, impassion, incite, excite, provoke,
foment, whip up, arouse, rouse, work up, fire up, enkindle,
light a fire under, stimulate, inspirit, motivate, move, stir,
animate, inspire, awaken, energize, vitalize, vivify: She fired
the crowd's emotions with her impassioned speech. 9 discharge,
shoot, let go (with), launch, propel, throw, catapult, hurl: He
fired the missile towards the enemy. 10 detonate, set off,
ignite, set fire to, light, let off: It is against the law to
fire any explosives in this area. 11 discharge, dismiss, oust,
let go, cashier, give (someone) notice, Brit make or declare
redundant, Colloq Brit ask for or get (someone's) cards, US give
(someone) a pink slip; Slang bounce, give (someone) the bounce,
axe, give (someone) the axe, show (someone) the door, can, give
(someone) the (old) heave-ho, give (someone) his or her (Brit)
marching orders or (US) walking papers, Brit sack, give
(someone) the sack, boot (someone) out, give (someone) the boot:
They fired me last month and I can't find work.
firm adj. 1 compact, solid, dense, compressed, condensed,
concentrated, rigid, stiff, hard, unyielding, inflexible,
inelastic: I prefer a firm mattress. 2 stable, fixed, fast,
secure, steady, solid, stationary, anchored, moored, unmovable,
immovable: This pole is firmer than that one. 3 steady,
strong, sturdy, tight, unwavering, unshakable or unshakeable,
unswerving: What we need is a firm hand at the controls. 4
resolute, determined, dogged, definite, resolved, positive,
decisive, decided, set on or upon, steadfast, constant,
unflinching, staunch, unshaken, unshakeable or unshakable,
immovable, inflexible, rigid, unwavering, undeviating,
unchanging, unchangeable, obstinate, obdurate, stubborn, strict,
unyielding, unbending, unalterable: Father was firm about my
not staying out past midnight.
--v. 5 Often firm up. consolidate, establish, settle (down),
solidify, resolve, determine, set up: We firmed up the terms of
the contract. Sugar prices firmed today.
--n. 6 company, organization, corporation, limited company,
public limited company, plc, partnership, proprietorship,
business, enterprise, concern, house, conglomerate,
multinational (company), cartel, Colloq outfit; US jargon CIA,
Central Intelligence Agency: He works for a firm in the City.
firmament n. heaven, the heavens, sky, the skies, vault (of heaven),
Literary welkin, empyrean: Sirius is one of the brightest stars
in the firmament.
firmly adv. 1 solidly, strongly, securely, tightly, rigidly, fast,
immovably: The column is set firmly into the concrete. 2
resolutely, steadfastly, determinedly, staunchly, unwaveringly,
decisively, unhesitatingly, constantly: Jacquelyn firmly
supports John in anything he says.
first adj. 1 foremost, leading, chief, head, premier, prime, primary,
principal, pre-eminent: The Kennedys were regarded as among
'the first people of Boston'. I heard that your son is now
first violinist in the Philharmonic. 2 earliest, original,
senior, oldest; initial, beginning, maiden, opening: The first
clock in England was made about 1288. The first assault resulted
in great loss of life. 3 fundamental, elementary, basic,
primary, cardinal, key, essential: It is necessary to return to
first principles.
--adv. 4 before, in front, earliest, beforehand, ahead, sooner,
foremost: Bannister came in first. 5 in the first place,
firstly, before all or anything else, initially, at the outset
or beginning, to begin or start with, from the start, Colloq
first off: First, I want to thank you all for coming to my
party.
--n. 6 beginning, start, inception, commencement, outset,
Colloq word go: I knew you'd win from the first. 7 first
place, blue ribbon, gold (medal), triumph, victory; win:
Britain achieved three firsts in yesterday's athletics meeting.
8 at first. initially, in the beginning, at the start or outset,
Colloq from the word go: I didn't believe him at first.
first-rate
adj. first-class, high-grade, prime, excellent, superior,
superb, great, remarkable, admirable, fine, exceptional,
outstanding, extraordinary, unparalleled, matchless,
unsurpassed, Colloq A-1 or A-one, top-notch, tiptop, crack, top,
ace, Brit whiz-bang or whizz-bang, wizard: Sarah is a
first-rate pianist.
fiscal adj. financial, economic, budgetary, pecuniary, monetary: It
is against our fiscal policy to deal in off-shore securities.
fishy adj. 1 piscine, fishlike, piscatory, piscatorial: On the
fishmonger's slab lay an array of fishy offerings, only a few of
which I could recognize. 2 dubious, doubtful, questionable,
unlikely, far-fetched, suspicious, not kosher, peculiar, odd,
queer, strange, suspect, improbable, implausible, Colloq shady,
funny: There is something fishy about this deal.
fit° adj. 1 fitting, appropriate, fitted, suitable, suited, adapted,
apt, meet, apropos, applicable; befitting, becoming, convenient,
proper, right, correct, fitting: Those books are not fit for
children. It's not a fit night out for man or beast. 2 prepared,
ready, able, capable, qualified, worthy, right, adequate: The
question is, is such a man fit to lead men into battle? 3
healthy, well, hale, hearty, stalwart, vigorous, strong, sturdy,
robust, strapping, able-bodied, in good shape or trim or
condition, in fine fettle: Is she fit enough to run in the
marathon? 4 ready, angry, troubled, upset, inclined, disposed,
ready or likely or about to, exhausted enough: I worked till I
was fit to drop. Mr Barrett was coughing fit to burst.
--v. 5 befit, suit, become, be suited to, be suitable or
appropriate for, answer, satisfy: This computer program does
not fit my needs. 6 join, conform, go (together), match,
correspond, dovetail, tally: I cannot make the parts fit. 7
adjust, modify, change, adapt, alter, accommodate, shape,
fashion: You will just have to fit your schedule to conform to
ours. 8 equip, supply, furnish, provide, outfit, fit out or up,
install or instal, rig out, gear up: I am having my boat fitted
with radar.
fitэ n. 1 attack, seizure, convulsion, spasm, spell, paroxysm, bout,
throe: She has periodic fits of severe depression. 2 outburst,
outbreak, paroxysm, spell, period: Occasionally, Gurning would
go into a fit of hysterical laughter. 3 tantrum; eruption,
explosion: She throws a fit if I so much as mention Maria's
name. 4 by fits and starts. sporadically, occasionally,
fitfully, spasmodically, intermittently, erratically,
haphazardly, now and then, irregularly, unsystematically;
unreliably: The fridge works only by fits and starts.
fitful adj. irregular, sporadic, intermittent, occasional, periodic,
erratic, spasmodic, haphazard, unsystematic, changeable,
unstable, capricious, varying, fluctuating, variable, uneven:
The dying torch emitted a fitful light. No true patriot pays
merely fitful allegiance to his country.
fitness n. 1 aptness, appropriateness, suitability, suitableness,
competence, pertinence, seemliness; eligibility, adequacy,
qualification(s): There is some doubt about Henryson's fitness
as a leader. 2 health, healthiness, (good) (physical)
condition, vigour, well-being, (good) shape, (fine) fettle,
tone, wholesomeness, salubriousness or salubrity: Tony is a
fanatic about physical fitness and exercises daily.
fitted adj. custom-made, tailor-made; tailored, bespoke: The house
boasts a fully fitted kitchen.
fitting adj. 1 fit, befitting, suitable, appropriate, meet, becoming,
proper, comme il faut, seemly, apt, apropos, apposite, germane,
relevant: Is it fitting to send flowers? It was a fitting end
to the story.
--n. 2 fittings. fitments, attachments, accessories, elements,
pieces, parts, units, fixtures; appointments, extras,
installations, furnishings, trappings, furniture, equipment,
accoutrements, paraphernalia, trimmings: Gold-plated bathroom
fittings are available at extra cost.
fix v. 1 affix, pin, fasten, make fast, attach, secure, stick,
connect, link, tie, couple, clasp, clamp, rivet, cement, weld,
fuse: Fix this sign to the door. 2 establish, set, settle,
agree to, determine, organize, stabilize, firm up, solidify,
decide, conclude, arrive at, define, specify, resolve, arrange,
install or instal, institute: The new limits must be fixed by
tomorrow. 3 repair, mend, fix up, remedy, rectify, correct,
emend, adjust, patch (up), regulate, put or set to rights,
doctor, straighten out: My watch is at the jeweller's being
fixed. 4 hold, fasten, focus, direct, level, rivet,
concentrate, freeze; fixate: He fixed his attention on the
ice-cream. 5 hold, rivet, spellbind, mesmerize, hypnotize,
fascinate, freeze, immobilize: She fixed him with a baleful
stare. 6 concentrate, focus: Fix your thoughts on how we're
going to get out of here. 7 harden, congeal, thicken, set,
consolidate, solidify, rigidify, become rigid, stiffen, freeze:
Mould the clay before it becomes fixed. 8 establish, set,
settle, organize, install or instal, situate, locate, position,
place: Her family is comfortably fixed. 9 impose, assign,
allocate, attribute, ascribe, specify, pin, attach, fasten,
establish: They tried to fix the responsibility for the
accident. 10 settle, set, stabilize, freeze, solidify: The
introduction and spread of printing fixed many spellings. 11
bribe, suborn, buy (off), corrupt, influence, manipulate, Colloq
grease (someone's) palm: He attempted to fix a judge. 12
arrange, prearrange, predetermine, set up, contrive, Colloq
fiddle, pull strings, rig: We knew the winner as they had fixed
the race. 13 desexualize, desex, alter, cut; castrate,
emasculate, see to, eunuchize, geld, caponize; spay,
oophorectomize, ovariectomize: Animals that have been fixed are
usually more tractable. 14 retaliate against, wreak vengeance
on, hit or strike or get back at, get even with, even the score
with, make reprisal against, avenge oneself against, take
revenge or retribution on or against, repay, pay back, Colloq
settle (someone's) hash, cook (someone's) goose, sort (some)
out: I'll fix him for tattling to the teacher! 15 fix on or
upon. decide (on or upon), set, agree (on or upon), choose,
select, settle (on), determine, finalize: We can't fix on a
date till we know David's schedule. 16 fix up. a furnish,
supply, provide, accommodate, set up, Brit lay on: Her mother
fixed her up with a nice young man. Can you fix me up with a
room for the night? b (re)decorate, furnish, renovate, restore,
furbish, refurbish; straighten out or up, organize, do up, set
up: I like the way you've fixed up the basement. Please fix up
your room before the guests arrive. c clear up, resolve,
reconcile, sort out, settle: Have they fixed up their
differences yet? d repair, patch (up): Fix up my car so it
will run at least till I get home.
--n. 17 dilemma, predicament, difficulty, corner, double bind,
catch-22, quandary, mess, (bad) situation, strait(s), Colloq
pickle, jam, hole, (tight or tough) spot, pinch, US bind: You
could help me get out of a terrible fix. 18 arrangement,
prearrangement, fiddle; bribery, subornation; Slang chiefly US
and Canadian set-up: The fix is on for her to win at roulette.
fixation n. mania, obsession, compulsion, fixed idea, id‚e fixe, fetish,
monomania, preoccupation, infatuation, Colloq hang-up, thing,
kick: He has a health-food fixation.
fixed adj. 1 fastened, attached, anchored, set, secure(d), firm,
stable, settled, immovable, immobile, stationary, rigid, rooted,
solid; immobilized, stuck: While this part rolls, the other
remains fixed. There was a fixed smile on her face. 2
established, secure, unalterable, steadfast, set, firm,
unchangeable, unchanging, persistent, unfluctuating, unflagging,
unwavering, inflexible, undeviating, unflinching, unblinking,
rigid, rooted, immutable, definite, resolute, resolved,
determined, intent; obstinate, stubborn: I admire Philip's
fixed determination to persevere. 3 settled, resolved, agreed,
regular, habitual, decided, arranged, prearranged, definite,
established: We have a fixed date on which we meet each month.
4 arranged, prearranged, set-up, framed; crooked, dishonest,
bent, Colloq rigged, put-up: He lost everything in a fixed
poker game.
fixture n. 1 meet, meeting, event, match, occasion, occurrence: The
Davis Cup tennis championship is an annual fixture. 2
appliance, accessory, fitting, equipment, apparatus, device,
instrument, tool, gadget, contrivance, appendage, fitment: The
landlord forbids the removal of any fixture.
fizz v. 1 bubble, effervesce, sparkle, froth, fizzle; hiss, sputter,
sizzle: The champagne fizzed in my glass.
--n. 2 effervescence, sparkle, carbonation, bubbling, froth,
fizzle, fizziness: All the fizz is gone from my drink! 3 hiss,
hissing, sibilance: The steam escaped with a loud fizz. 4 US
soda, soda water, club soda, seltzer, Dialect plain; soft drink,
tonic: May I have a little fizz with my scotch? 5 champagne,
Colloq Brit champers: We celebrated with oysters and a bottle
of fizz.
fizzle v. 1 fizz: This headache powder makes the water fizzle. 2
Often, fizzle out. die (out or away), fizz out, expire, peter
out, come to nothing or naught, fail, fall through, miscarry,
abort, come to grief, misfire, collapse, cave in: Her grandiose
plans for staging an extravaganza quickly fizzled out.
flabby adj. 1 limp, loose, lax, flaccid, slack, floppy, sagging,
drooping, baggy, pendulous, quaggy, soft: After forty, he began
to get a bit flabby around the middle. 2 weak, spineless,
feeble, impotent, ineffective, ineffectual: The critics found
the characterizations flabby and the plot non-existent.
flag° n. 1 banner, ensign, standard, pennant, banneret, pennon,
streamer, bunting, jack, gonfalon, vexillum: Our flag was
raised over the fort.
--v. 2 Often flag down. warn, signal, hail, inform, stop: A
workman flagged us down because the bridge was out. 3 mark,
tag, label, tab, identify, Brit tick (off), US and Canadian
check (off): Flag the supplies you need that are listed here.
flagэ v. 1 droop, sag, dangle, hang down, swag, festoon: In the
doldrums the sails flagged soggily about the masts. 2 weaken,
languish, falter, fail, dwindle, fade, deteriorate, waste away,
degenerate, die, decline, diminish, decrease, lessen, abate,
peter out, taper off, let up, ease (up), subside, slump, fall
off, wane, ebb, sink, lag: When he reached eighty, he sometimes
complained that his sexual appetite was flagging.
flair n. 1 talent, ability, aptitude, feel, knack, genius, skill,
mind, gift, faculty, propensity, bent, proclivity, facility: He
showed a flair for music at an early age. 2 chic, panache,
dash, ‚lan, ‚clat, style, stylishness, glamour, verve, sparkle,
vitality, elegance, taste, Colloq savvy, pizazz or pizzazz,
Old-fashioned oomph: She dresses with great flair.
flak n. flack, criticism, disapproval, censure, abuse, blame,
aspersion, complaint(s), disapprobation, condemnation, Colloq
brickbats: He took a lot of flak from the press for his
comments.
flake n. 1 snowflake; scale, chip, bit, piece, scrap, particle, tuft,
flock, scurf, fragment, shaving, sliver; wafer, lamina,
Technical squama: A flake of slate caught him in the eye.
--v. 2 Often, flake off. scale, chip, fragment; Technical
desquamate, exfoliate: The paint is flaking off on this side.
3 flake out. a collapse, go to or fall asleep, drop off (to
sleep), pass out, keel over: After the game, I flaked out on
the couch for ten hours. b become flaky, act crazy: He flaked
out when he heard the new record.
flamboyant
adj. 1 elaborate, ornamented, ornate, decorated, embellished,
baroque, rococo, florid: We chose a flamboyant wallpaper with
purple peacocks. 2 extravagant, ostentatious, showy, gaudy,
flashy, dazzling, brilliant, splendid, dashing, rakish,
swashbuckling, jaunty; high, wide, and handsome: With a
flamboyant display of swordsmanship, d'Artagnan dispatched his
attacker.
flame n. 1 fire, blaze; conflagration: The flame began to lick about
my feet. 2 passion, fervour, ardour, intensity, warmth, fire,
zeal, feverishness, enthusiasm, eagerness: The flame of love is
still burning. 3 boyfriend, girlfriend, lover, heartthrob,
sweetheart, beau: Linda is an old flame of Trevor's.
--v. 4 burn, blaze, glow, flare: Flaming embers from the
chimney set fire to the roof. Here and there civil unrest flamed
up in the countryside.
flaming adj. obvious, conspicuous, blatant, flagrant, egregious,
extravagant, Slang bloody, bleeding, blasted, damned, blooming:
That flaming idiot was appointed to the Ministry of Defence!
flammable adj. inflammable, combustible, burnable: The warning on the
tin says the contents are flammable.
flank n. 1 side, quarter; loin, haunch: The enemy was about to
attack our flank. The pony drew back with trembling flanks.
--v. 2 edge, border, line: Armed guards flanked the entrance.
3 skirt, outmanoeuvre, outflank, circle, go (a)round: They have
enough troops to flank our forces to the east.
flannel n. 1 flattery, humbug, nonsense, blarney, rubbish,
prevarication, Colloq eyewash, hogwash, boloney, soft soap,
weasel words, sweet talk, bull, crap, Brit waffle, cock, US
bushwa; Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit, (load of) shit, Brit
codswallop, bollocks or ballocks: Don't believe a thing Fordyce
says - it's all flannel.
--v. 2 flatter, hedge, mislead, pull the wool over (someone's)
eyes, Colloq soft-soap, sweet-talk, Taboo slang bullshit,
horseshit, shit: They aren't sincere - they're just flannelling
you.
flap v. 1 slap, slat, beat, flail, wave, wag, waggle, flutter,
thresh, thrash, oscillate, vibrate: An ornithopter is an
aeroplane that flaps its wings like a bird. The Union Jack was
flapping in the breeze.
--n. 2 flapping, beat, wave, wag, waggle, flutter, oscillation:
With a flap of its wings, the bird flew away. 3 fold, fly,
lappet, lap, tail, tab: Leave a flap of cloth to cover the
pocket. 4 upset, agitation, to-do, ado, commotion, panic,
flurry, fuss, distress, Colloq state, tizzy, sweat, Brit
kerfuffle: She's in a flap about what to wear to the dance. 5
quarrel, argument, dispute: There was a big flap over which car
model to buy.
flare v. 1 Often, flare up. blaze or flame (up), flash, erupt, break
out; dazzle, flicker, glimmer, shimmer, flutter: The fire
flared up briefly when he tossed the paper onto it. 2 Often,
flare out. spread (out or outwards), widen, broaden, expand,
increase, enlarge, bulge, swell: The sides of the vase flare
out near the top. 3 Often, flare up. anger, lose one's temper,
chafe, seethe, fume, rage, throw a tantrum, become incensed or
angry (etc.); blow up, burst forth, erupt, explode; Colloq get
one's back up, get one's Irish or dander up, see red, get worked
up, fly off the handle, lose one's cool, go out of or lose
control, get hot under the collar, blow one's top: He flares up
at the very mention of her name. Tempers flared when we touched
on the subject of politics.
--n. 4 blaze, flame, burst, outburst, flash, glare, dazzle,
incandescence, brilliance, luminosity: A bright orange flare
erupted from the mouth of the cave. 5 beacon, light, signal,
torch, flambeau, link: We prayed that the rescue party would
see our flares. 6 spread, broadening, widening, expansion,
swelling, bulge, increase, enlargement: I like that slight
flare at the hem of the skirt.
flash n. 1 blaze, flame, flare, burst, dazzle, spark, sparkle,
coruscation, fulguration, glitter, twinkle, twinkling, flicker,
flickering, scintilla, scintillation, glint, shimmer, glimmer,
gleam, beam, ray, shaft: There was a blinding flash of blue
light and the little man was gone. 2 (sudden or momentary)
display, stroke, show, manifestation, outburst, outbreak, sign,
indication, exhibition; touch, hint, suggestion: She has
occasional flashes of insight bordering on genius. 3 moment,
(split) second, instant, twinkling (of an eye), trice, minute,
Colloq two shakes (of a lamb's tail), jiffy, shake, before you
can say 'Jack Robinson': In a flash he was at her side.
--adj. 6 dazzling, showy, ostentatious, smart, chic, Colloq
swish, classy, ritzy, snazzy: Barbara's new car looks very
flash. 7 See flashy, 1.
flashy adj. 1 flash, gaudy, flamboyant, glaring, fulgurous, showy,
ostentatious, loud, garish, vulgar, cheap, meretricious,
pretentious, tawdry, tasteless, Colloq tacky, Slang jazzy, US
glitzy: He was attracted by her flashy appearance. 2
superficial, cosmetic, skin-deep, surface, shallow, glib, slick,
facile, insubstantial, thin: The reviewer called it a flashy
interpretation of the Bard.
flat adj. 1 level, horizontal, even, smooth, plane, unbroken,
uninterrupted: I looked out over the flat surface of the frozen
bay. 2 prostrate, prone, supine, lying (down), stretched out,
recumbent, outstretched, reclining, spread-eagle(d), spread out,
outspread: I lay flat on my back staring up at the sky. 3
collapsed, levelled, overthrown, laid low: The air raid had
left all the buildings completely flat. 4 downright, outright,
unqualified, unreserved, unconditional, absolute, categorical,
explicit, unconditional, definite, firm, positive, out-and-out,
unequivocal, peremptory, unambiguous, unmistakable, direct,
complete, total: The request for clemency was met with the
judge's flat refusal. 5 featureless, monotonous, dull, dead,
uninteresting, unexciting, vapid, bland, empty, two-dimensional,
insipid, boring, tiresome, lifeless, spiritless, lacklustre,
prosaic, stale, tired, dry, jejune: The critics wrote that she
turned in a very flat performance. 6 deflated, collapsed,
punctured, ruptured, blown out: We had a flat tyre on the way.
7 unchangeable, unchanging, invariable, unvaried, unvarying,
standard, fixed, unmodified, unmodifiable, Colloq US
cookie-cutter: They charge the same flat rate for children, the
elderly, and all between. 8 dead, insipid, stale, tasteless,
flavourless, unpalatable; decarbonated, non-effervescent: My
beer has gone flat. 9 exact, precise: It's a flat ten minutes
from here to the railway station. 10 definite, certain, sure,
irrevocable: I said I'm not going, and that's flat. 11 dull,
slow, sluggish, inactive, depressed: Business has been a bit
flat since Christmas. 12 dull, mat or matt or matte, unshiny,
non-gloss(y), non-reflective, non-glare, unpolished: The table
looks better with a flat finish. 13 lacking perspective,
two-dimensional, lifeless, unrealistic: Some of his paintings
seem pretty flat to me.
--n. 14 Often, flats. a US low shoes, loafers, sandals, Colloq
flatties: Cynthia said that wearing flats makes her feet hurt.
b lowland(s), plain(s), tundra, steppe(s), prairie(s), savannah
or savanna, heath, moor, pampas; mud-flat(s); shallow(s), shoal,
strand; marsh, bog, fen, swamp: Before us was a large flat of
barren ground. 15 rooms, suite, apartment: How can you afford
to keep a flat in London?
--adv. 16 absolutely, completely, categorically, utterly,
wholly, uncompromisingly, irrevocably, positively, definitely,
directly; exactly, precisely, flatly: He has come out flat in
favour of the status quo. When he started drinking, she left him
flat. 17 flat out. a at maximum or top or full or breakneck
speed, speedily, quickly, apace, on the run, rapidly, swiftly,
at full speed or gallop, post-haste, hell for leather, like a
bat out of hell, like a shot, like (greased) lightning, like the
wind: Someone shouted 'Fire!' and we headed flat out for the
exits. b flatly, unhesitatingly, directly, at once,
immediately, forthwith, without delay; plainly, openly, baldly,
brazenly, brashly: He asked to borrow some money and she told
him 'No', flat out.
--n. 18 room(s), flat, suite (of rooms), chambers, tenement;
garden flat, maisonette, penthouse, studio, Brit bedsitter,
bedsit; accommodation, living quarters, Colloq Brit digs , US
and Canadian apartment, furnished room, walk-up, duplex,
triplex, garden apartment: We rented a two-bedroom flat in a
good neighbourhood.
flatten v. 1 level or even (off or out); smooth (out), press or iron
(out), roll: The children's noses were flattened against the
window of the toy shop. You will have to flatten the lawn if you
want to play croquet on it. 2 knock down or over, knock out,
floor, prostrate: Menges flattened the champion in the first
round. 3 raze, tear down, demolish, level: The bomb flattened
every house in the area.
flatter v. 1 butter up, play up to, compliment, praise, fawn (on or
upon), toady to, truckle to, court, curry favour with, Colloq
flannel, soft-soap, oil; Slang shine or suck up to, boot-lick,
Taboo kiss (someone's) arse, brown-nose: Flattering the boss
won't get you a salary increase. 2 enhance, complement, suit,
show to advantage: That colour flatters her complexion. 3
cajole, wheedle, coax, inveigle, beguile, sweet-talk: He was
flattered into signing that contract.
flatterer n. toady, sycophant, fawner, wheedler, time-server, courtier,
backscratcher, sponge, parasite, leech, hanger-on, sweet-talker,
backslapper, truckler, lickspittle, Colloq yes-man; Slang
bootlicker, Taboo brown-noser , Brit arse-kisser, arse-licker,
bum-sucker, US ass-kisser, ass-licker: Don't believe anything
that flatterer tells you.
flattering
adj. 1 complimentary, becoming, kind, enhancing: That is quite
a flattering portrait of Dorian. 2 adulatory, laudatory,
gratifying, fulsome, honeyed, sugary, fawning, ingratiating,
unctuous, slimy, Chiefly Brit smarmy: Authors once wrote the
most flattering dedications to their patrons.
flattery n. adulation, cajolery, blandishment, sweet talk, beguilement,
wheedling, gloze, Colloq soft soap, Slang boot-licking, Taboo
brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing, arse-licking, bum-sucking, US
ass-kissing, ass-licking: A judicious use of flattery moved him
up the corporate ladder.
flaunt v. display, show (off), parade, flourish, exhibit, sport,
disport, spotlight: They were like all the other nouveaux
riches who flaunt their wealth in the stylish continental
resorts.
flavour n. 1 taste, savour, tang, piquancy, zest; tastiness,
savouriness; essence, extract, seasoning, flavouring, seasoning,
spice; aroma, odour, scent; Rare sapor: Overcooking destroys
the flavour of food. This sweet has a minty flavour. 2
character, spirit, nature, quality, property, mark, stamp,
essence, characteristic, style, taste, feel, feeling, ambience
or ambiance, sense, tinge, aroma, air, atmosphere, hint,
suggestion, touch, soup‡on: We all agreed that the new play has
a Shavian flavour.
--v. 3 season, spice: She flavours her teacakes with ginger.
flaw n. 1 fault, defect, imperfection, error, mistake, blemish,
blot, stain, taint, (black) mark, damage, disfigurement,
failing, weakness, weak spot; loophole: Flaws in the casting
give this bell a dull sound. I can see flaws in your argument. 2
crack, break, breach, chink, chip, fracture, rupture, fissure,
cleft, split, slit, cut, gash, rent, rift, tear, rip, puncture,
hole, perforation: The tiniest flaw may reduce the value of a
pot to a collector.
--v. 3 damage, harm, spoil, ruin, mark, weaken, disfigure:
Careless workmanship has flawed many of the objects they
produced. 4 discredit, stigmatize, damage, hurt, harm; taint,
mar, stain, blot: Her reputation has already been flawed.
flawed adj. damaged, harmed, marred, weakened, tainted, stained,
tarnished, defective, imperfect, unsound, faulty: His flawed
record prevented him from getting work.
flawless adj. 1 perfect, pristine, pure, uncorrupted, chaste, virgin,
intact, whole, clean, immaculate, unsullied, unspoilt, unsoiled,
impeccable, unblemished, faultless, undamaged, unimpaired,
spotless, untarnished: Two flawless artefacts were found in the
tomb. Many envied her flawless reputation. 2 undeniable,
unassailable, unimpeachable, unquestionable, irrefutable,
foolproof, sound, demonstrable: The prosecutor's evidence
appears to be flawless.
flecked adj. spotted, dappled, pied, (be)speckled, (be)sprinkled,
dotted, marked, stippled, dusted, specked, spattered, freckled:
His lank brown hair was flecked with grey.
flee v. 1 quit, run away or off, escape, get away, fly, take flight,
bolt, go (away), decamp, abscond, seek safety, avoid, make off,
make an exit, make (good) one's escape, make a (clean) getaway,
beat a (hasty) retreat, take to one's heels, show a clean pair
of heels, turn tail, make tracks, make a run for it, cut and
run, vanish, disappear, Brit levant, Colloq take off, scoot,
make oneself scarce, beat it, clear out, fly the coop,
skedaddle, scram, Brit scarper, Australian and New Zealand shoot
through, US and Canadian take a (run-out) powder, skip (town),
cut out, hightail it, Old-fashioned skiddoo; Slang split, Brit
bugger off, do a moonlight flit, do a bunk, US and Canadian
vamoose, lam out, take it on the lam, blow, bail out: He fled
the town and was never seen again. When they saw what they had
done, they fled. She fled to Brazil to avoid the tax
authorities. 2 avoid, evade, shun, escape from, eschew: She
fled the responsibilities of caring for her children.
fleece v. cheat, overcharge, swindle, bilk, defraud, victimize,
plunder, strip, milk, rob, Colloq take, flimflam, gyp, diddle,
bleed, take for a ride or to the cleaners, Slang rip off,
chisel, pluck, rook, clip, soak: The gang stole credit cards
and fleeced the companies out of millions.
fleet° n. armada, flotilla, navy, naval (task) force, task force,
squadron, convoy, division: A fleet of submarines was sent to
harass shipping in the Atlantic.
fleetэ adj. swift, rapid, fast, speedy, quick, nimble, expeditious,
agile: Nowadays, the fleetest transportation in a large city is
by bicycle.
fleeting adj. transitory, fugitive, transient, temporary, passing,
ephemeral, fugacious, evanescent, momentary, short-lived,
fly-by-night, short, brief: I caught only a fleeting glimpse of
the car as it sped by.
flesh n. 1 meat; tissue, muscle: We ate the flesh and threw away the
fat, bones, and skin. 2 body, corporeality, flesh and blood,
human nature, physicality; mortality: The spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak. 3 flesh and blood. real, physical,
corporeal, human, natural: He pointed out that he was flesh and
blood, not a robot. 4 in the flesh. personally, in person,
really, physically, bodily, alive, living, in life: She stood
before me, in the flesh. 5 one's (own) flesh and blood. kin,
kinsfolk or US and Canadian kinfolk, family, stock, blood, kith
and kin, relatives, relations: How could she treat her own
flesh and blood that way?
--v. 6 flesh out. substantiate, fill (in or out), give or lend
substance or dimension to, incorporate, embody, colour: The
idea is good, but it needs fleshing out.
flex n. 1 wire, lead, cord, cable, extension: Replace this flex
before you have a short circuit.
--v. 2 bend, give, stretch, curve: The plastic tube can be
flexed many times without breaking. 3 exercise, tense, tighten,
contract: He flexed his muscles before lifting the weight.
flexibility
n. 1 pliability, pliancy or pliantness, elasticity, resilience
or resiliency, suppleness, flexibleness, bendability,
limberness, stretch, give, spring, springiness, ductility:
Chemists improved the flexibility of the substance by adding
more plasticizer. 2 conformability or conformableness,
adaptability, versatility, adjustability or adjustableness,
compliance or compliancy, manageability, tractability or
tractableness, malleability, obedience, submissiveness,
docility, agreeableness, conformity: Fletcher has the
flexibility needed to move from one department to another.
flexible adj. 1 pliable, pliant, elastic, resilient, supple, bendable,
limber, lithe, stretchy, stretchable, springy, extensible or
extensile, ductile, flexile, tensile, yielding, willowy: The
foil is a thin, flexible duelling sword. 2 modifiable,
adaptable, conformable, compliant, malleable, obedient,
tractable, manageable, cooperative, amenable, persuadable or
persuasible: English seems to be an infinitely flexible
language. Nicole is flexible in her attitude towards politics. 3
easy, facile, submissive, complaisant, docile: Discipline at
the school might be a little too flexible.
flicker v. 1 twinkle, blink, waver, glimmer, glint, sparkle, shimmer,
flare, gutter: A slight draught made the candles flicker. 2
flap, flutter, quiver, twitter, fluctuate, oscillate, shake,
tremble, vibrate: Dozens of tiny flags flickered in the wind.
--n. 3 glimmer, glint, glimmering, sparkle, spark, twinkle,
twinkling, gleam, flare, glare: With a dying flicker the torch
went out. 4 hint, suggestion, trace, glimmer, vestige,
scintilla, spark: I thought I detected a flicker of recognition
when our eyes met.
flight° n. 1 flying, soaring, winging, excursion: The flight above the
mountains was exhilarating. He is subject to wild flights of the
imagination. 2 (air) voyage or journey or trip: We had a fine
flight from New Delhi. 3 aeroplane, airliner, plane, aircraft:
Our flight was delayed in Istanbul. 4 flock, swarm, cloud,
covey (of grouse or partridge), bevy (of quail), skein (of
geese), exaltation (of larks): A flight of migrating birds
passed overhead. 5 feather: The flights on this dart are
broken.
flightэ n. 1 escape, retreat, departure, exit, exodus, getaway,
fleeing, bolting, Slang split: Mohammed's flight from Mecca to
Medina in 622 is called a 'hegira'. 2 put to flight. chase or
drive (off or away), disperse, send off or away, send packing,
dismiss, rout, stampede: They put the Saracens to flight in a
decisive battle. 3 take flight. flee, go or run away or off,
abscond, desert, depart, (beat a) retreat, exit, bolt, decamp,
withdraw, take to one's heels, show a clean pair of heels,
Colloq light out, shove off, Brit scarper, US take a (run-out)
powder, take it on the lam, lam out; Slang split, Brit do a
bunk, do a moonlight flit, bugger off: The constable blew his
whistle and the thief took flight.
flighty adj. 1 fickle, frivolous, inconstant, capricious, fanciful,
changeable, variable, mercurial, skittish, volatile, unstable,
unsteady, giddy, wild: These flighty girls never stay in a job
more than a month. 2 irresponsible, light-headed,
rattle-brained, silly, hare-brained, dizzy, crazy, mad,
reckless, thoughtless, Colloq nutty, screwy, dotty, dippy: It
was flighty of Caroline to pour the brandy into the well.
flimsy adj. 1 slight, frail, weak, insubstantial or unsubstantial,
feeble, makeshift, fragile, frangible, breakable, rickety,
ramshackle, dilapidated, jerry-built, gimcrack, slight,
delicate: That flimsy ladder will never support me. He lives in
a flimsy shack near the railway. 2 slight, trivial, paltry,
feeble, unconvincing, weak, makeshift, implausible,
unbelievable, unsatisfactory, insubstantial or unsubstantial,
poor, inadequate: Her flimsy excuse was that she had a
headache. 3 sheer, light, gauzy, transparent, thin, filmy,
diaphanous, gossamer, delicate: She was wearing a flimsy pink
blouse.
flinch v. wince, draw back, withdraw, cower, cringe, recoil, start,
quail, blench, shrink (from), shy (away) (from), dodge, duck:
Each time he raised the whip, I flinched.
fling v. 1 toss, pitch, throw, cast, hurl, heave, sling, propel,
fire, let fly, send, Colloq lob, chuck: The smugglers had flung
the contraband into the sea.
--n. 2 indulgence, debauch, binge, spree, party, Colloq
blow-off: This will be my last fling before going into the
army. 3 gamble, risk, venture, attempt, try, go, shot, Colloq
crack, whirl, bash: Her brief fling at an acting career was
unsuccessful.
flip v. 1 toss, flick, snap, flop, turn, twist, spin: Flip a coin
to see who goes first. 2 anger, become angry or furious, go
mad, go crazy, go berserk, US also flip out, Colloq go off the
deep end, lose one's cool, Slang flip one's lid or Brit top,
Brit freak, US freak out, lose it: Father flipped when I said I
was quitting college.
flippancy n. 1 frivolousness, facetiousness, levity, light-heartedness,
frivolity, jocularity, offhandedness, unseriousness: I was
chagrined that she should treat my proposal of marriage with
such flippancy. 2 disrespect, disrespectfulness, impudence,
impertinence, irreverence, sauciness, rudeness, discourtesy,
brazenness, brashness, pertness, insolence, Colloq cheek,
cheekiness, lip, mouth, Slang Brit side: The headmaster will
not tolerate flippancy on serious subjects such as religion and
race relations.
flippant adj. 1 frivolous, facetious, light-hearted, jocular,
offhand(ed), unserious, shallow, thoughtless, superficial;
supercilious, belittling, scornful, dismissive: I don't
appreciate your flippant remarks when I'm trying to be serious.
2 disrespectful, impudent, impertinent, irreverent, saucy, rude,
pert, discourteous, brazen, brash, insolent, Colloq cheeky,
flip: He disapproves of Charles's flippant attitude towards the
royal family.
flirt v. 1 coquette, play or act the coquette, tease, tantalize, toy,
lead on, dally, philander, Colloq Brit chat up; Slang US come on
to: Amanda enjoys flirting with the boys. 2 flirt with. trifle
or toy or play or tinker with, contemplate, consider, entertain,
give a thought to, think about or of, Colloq Brit try on: Many
teenagers flirt with the idea of leaving home.
--n. 3 coquette, tease, vamp, hussy, playgirl, minx;
philanderer, playboy, Slang lady-killer, Old-fashioned wolf,
sheik, masher, lounge lizard, Taboo slang cock-teaser,
prick-teaser: They are both such flirts, I can't tell if their
advances are genuine.
flirtatious
adj. coquettish, vampish, seductive, flirty, coy, philandering,
provocative, enticing, alluring, amorous, come-hither: They
exchanged many flirtatious looks across the table.
flit v. move, go, fly, flee, dart, skip, skim, flick, hop, whisk,
flutter, flash: As a bee flits from flower to flower, she flits
from man to man.
float v. 1 hover, poise, bob, waft, be suspended, hang; sail, drift,
glide, swim: In the clear Caribbean waters, the boat seemed to
float in mid-air. 2 launch, establish, set up, organize, found,
initiate, get going or moving: The financiers are trying to
float a new company. 3 negotiate, arrange, transact, bring or
carry off, get, effect, consummate, Colloq pull off, swing:
Were you able to float a loan on your house?
--n. 4 raft, Brit platform: I can swim out to the float. 5
buoy; pontoon: The bridge is supported by floats. 6 (parade)
exhibit or display: Our parade float won first prize.
flock n. 1 body, company, group, band, pack, bunch, troop, set,
collection, assembly, convoy, gathering, congregation, crowd,
mass, mob, throng, gang, multitude, number, quantity, host,
horde, swarm, drove; herd, flight, troupe, fleet, school; bevy:
A huge flock of buyers sought bargains in the post-Christmas
sales.
--v. 2 assemble, meet, collect, gather, come or go together,
congregate, crowd, mass, mob, throng, pour, flood, swarm, herd
(together), band together, go: People flocked around the
speaker.
flog v. 1 whip, lash, horsewhip, strap, flagellate, flay, scourge,
thrash, thresh, beat; chastise, castigate, punish: He will be
flogged, then drawn and quartered. He was flogged for stealing a
loaf of bread. 2 sell; promote, publicize: Her latest job is
flogging encyclopedias door-to-door.
flood n. 1 inundation, deluge, overflow(ing), d‚bѓcle: The hurricane
was accompanied by a devastating flood. 2 torrent, cataract,
freshet, overflow, stream, spate: A flood of lava poured down
the mountain. 3 abundance, deluge, overflowing, surge,
outpouring, torrent, tide, tidal wave, stream, rush, flow, glut,
surfeit, satiety, profusion, over-abundance, superabundance,
nimiety, plethora, excess, surplus, superfluity: A flood of
invective poured from her lips.
--v. 4 inundate, submerge, overflow, swamp, immerse, deluge,
pour over, drown: The water flooded everything in the basement.
5 overwhelm, glut, oversupply, saturate, choke: The market is
being flooded with cheap imitations. 6 sweep, flow, swarm,
surge, rush, crowd, pour: As soon as the doors opened, the
people flooded in. 7 permeate, fill, engulf, cover, pour into
or throughout or over: I open the curtain and sunlight floods
the room.
floor n. 1 flooring, parquet, boarding, planking, Nautical or colloq
deck: The floor is mopped once a week. 2 storey, level; deck:
On which floor is your flat? 3 minimum, bottom, base, lower
limit, lowest (level): Owing to inflation, the wage floor was
raised. Share prices went through the floor in today's trading.
--v. 4 knock over or down, bowl over, prostrate, fell,
overthrow, bring down, (make) fall; beat, defeat, conquer,
destroy, rout, overwhelm, crush, whip, trounce, thrash, drub,
best, worst: The champion was floored by a blow to the head. 5
stump, bewilder, baffle, dumbfound or dumfound, confuse,
confound, disconcert, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, astound,
astonish, amaze, surprise, shock: Alexandra was floored when
she received a gift from her ex-husband.
flop v. 1 collapse, drop (down), fall (down), tumble, topple, plump
down, plop down, flounce down: I was so exhausted that I
flopped into bed at once. 2 flap, wave, swing: The door,
unfastened, flopped back and forth in the wind. 3 fail, fall
flat, come to naught or nothing, founder, Colloq fold, US bomb:
The musical flopped on the first night.
--n. 4 failure, fiasco, disaster, non-starter, d‚bѓcle, US
fizzle, Colloq dud, washout, clanger, US lead balloon, bomb;
Slang lemon, Brit cock-up, damp squib: His idea for a new
corkscrew was a complete flop.
flounce n. 1 frill, furbelow, peplum, ruffle, ornament, valance,
trimming: The dress has decorative flounces round the skirt.
--v. 2 fling, toss, bounce, twist, strut, toss, parade, march,
storm, stamp, US sashay: She flounced out of the room in high
dudgeon.
flounder v. grope, blunder, stumble, tumble, struggle, stagger, plunge
about: We floundered about in the dark till someone found the
light switch.
flourish v. 1 prosper, thrive, grow, develop, luxuriate, bloom, blossom,
flower, bear fruit, fructify, boom, burgeon or bourgeon, mature,
ripen, increase, succeed, get ahead, do or fare well, make good;
go up or rise in the world; Slang go great guns: We understand
that Amy's medical practice has flourished. 2 wave, wield,
brandish, wag, swing, twirl, flaunt, vaunt, swagger, swish,
shake: The band-leader flourished his baton.
--n. 3 decoration, embellishment, floridness, floweriness,
ornamentation, elaboration, adornment, frill, embroidery,
curlicue, furbelow: His signature is characterized by all these
flourishes. 4 fanfare, display, show, showiness, dash,
gesturing, wave: With a flourish of his hand, the king
signalled the tourney to begin.
flourishing
adj. luxuriant, lush, thriving, prospering, blooming,
blossoming, fruitful, flowering, burgeoning or bourgeoning,
successful, prosperous, booming, growing, increasing: Patel
runs a flourishing flower shop in Bicester.
flout v. deride, scorn, disdain, contemn, spurn, decry, denounce,
misprize, blaspheme, depreciate, degrade, abase, belittle,
minimize, deprecate, disparage, denigrate, mock, jeer, guy,
ridicule, scoff, sneer, gibe or jibe (at), taunt, twit, insult,
affront, Archaic fleer; Colloq put down, chaff, rag, knock:
When introduced in the sixties, miniskirts brazenly flouted
convention.
flow v. 1 stream, pour, run, rush, course, surge, move, go, proceed,
progress, drift; gush, glide, purl, roll, ripple, trickle,
gurgle, bubble; swirl, whirl, circulate: People continue to
flow past the window. The Thames flows silently to the sea. 2
rush, gush, surge, well (forth), stream, spring, issue, spout,
spurt, squirt, spew, flood, cascade, fall, rain; brim, overflow,
spill, teem: Open the gates to allow water to flow into the
lock. A stream of insults flowed from his lips. Her tears flowed
like wine. 3 issue, originate, come, emanate, rise, begin: With
the dam repaired, water will once again flow from the reservoir.
The authority of the state constitutions does not flow from
Congress. 4 spread, overspread, cover: The paint flowed
effortlessly onto the canvas.
--n. 5 rush, gush, surge; current, course, stream, run,
movement, drift: A dam blocks the flow of water here. The sound
of a shot interrupted the flow of conversation. 6 abundance,
superabundance, flood, plethora, excess, overflow(ing), deluge,
tide, supply; plenty: London experiences an unending flow of
tourists.
flower n. 1 blossom, bloom, floret or floweret, bud, Technical
efflorescence: He brought me flowers for my birthday. 2 cream,
best, pick, ‚lite, crЉme de la crЉme, finest, choicest: The
flower of the city's youth were put to death by the wicked
caliph.
--v. 3 blossom, bloom, bud, burgeon or bourgeon, come out,
open, unfold, Technical effloresce: The century plant was so
called because it was thought to flower only once every hundred
years.
flowery adj. florid, ornate, fancy, elaborate(d), decorated,
ornamented, overwrought, embellished, rococo, baroque,
arabesque, euphuistic, Gongoristic, Ossianic, grandiloquent,
bombastic, inflated, pompous, affected, artificial, high-flown,
showy: Many find his flowery style of writing difficult to
stomach.
fluctuate v. vary, change, alternate, see-saw, swing, vacillate,
undulate, waver, oscillate, shift: Prices fluctuate according
to supply and demand.
fluctuation
n. Sometimes, fluctuations. variation(s), change(s),
alternation(s), swing(s), vacillation(s), wavering(s),
oscillation(s), undulation(s), ups and downs, instability,
unsteadiness, inconstancy: We can expect fluctuation in
temperatures during the coming week.
fluency n. articulateness, eloquence, control, command, ease, grace,
effortlessness, facility, felicity, smoothness, polish,
slickness, glibness, volubility: His extemporaneous speeches
are marked by an enviable fluency.
fluent adj. articulate, eloquent, well-spoken, felicitous, graceful,
facile, easy, natural, effortless, ready, smooth, polished,
flowing, voluble, glib, slick; expressive: She is a fluent
speaker of Spanish.
fluff n. 1 down, fuzz, feather(s), thistledown, floss, lint, dust,
dust-ball, fuzz ball: Be sure you clean the fluff from under
the beds. 2 bit of fluff. poppet, girl (friend), mistress,
Slang bit of all right, (bit of) crumpet, (bit of) skirt or
stuff, Old-fashioned Brit popsy: Bickerley keeps some fluff on
the side. 3 blunder, error, slip, mistake, Colloq howler, Brit
bloomer, US and Canadian blooper: They showed a video of the
fluffs actors make during recordings.
--v. 4 muddle, spoil, ruin, make a mess of, bungle, botch,
Colloq foul up, screw up, mess up, US snafu, Slang Brit cock up,
balls up, US ball up, Taboo fuck up: I have a funny story about
how Barrymore fluffed Hamlet's soliloquy. 5 fluff up. puff up,
shake out or up, aerate: He doesn't like the pillows on his bed
fluffed up.
fluffy adj. 1 soft, downy, puffy, whipped up, light, airy, puffy,
feathery, wispy: Beat the egg whites till they are fluffy. 2
frivolous, superficial, trivial, unimportant, airy, thin,
lightweight, light, insubstantial, gossamer, Brit airy-fairy:
Mr Piffle is too fluffy-headed to offer anything useful.
fluid n. 1 liquid, solution, liquor, ichor; gas, vapour: It might
surprise some to learn that physicists consider gases to be
fluids.
--adj. 2 liquid, flowing, running, runny, watery, aqueous:
Once the metal has become fluid, it is poured into the moulds.
3 changeable, mutable, flexible, adjustable, variable, pliant,
unformed, formless, unfixed, unstatic or non-static, plastic,
protean, mercurial, mobile, unstable, shifting, uncertain,
indefinite, unsettled: The situation is fluid and the decision
could go either way.
fluke n. lucky or successful stroke, stroke of (good) luck, lucky or
big break, (happy) accident, quirk or twist of fate, windfall,
fortuity, serendipity: If he won first prize, it was by a
fluke.
flummox v. confuse, baffle, perplex, bewilder, confound, throw into
confusion, stymie, stump, puzzle, mystify, fox, deceive,
hoodwink, nonplus: We were completely flummoxed by the
licensing requirements.
flunkey n. 1 servant, retainer, lackey, footman, menial, minion,
hireling, underling, subordinate, inferior; slave; Colloq
dogsbody, Slang US and Canadian gofer: A company flunkey drove
me to the airport. 2 toady, hanger-on, yes-man, jackal,
doormat, stooge, lickspittle, sycophant, Colloq US and Canadian
apple-polisher, Taboo brown-noser: He has a collection of
flunkeys waiting about for hand-outs.
flurry n. 1 activity, commotion, ado, to-do, fuss, upset, hubbub,
pother, stir, excitement, disturbance, agitation, tumult, whirl,
furore, bustle, hurry, hustle, flutter, fluster; burst,
outburst; Colloq tizzy: I was happy to leave the worry and
flurry of the city. There was a brief flurry of activity at the
Stock Exchange today.
--v. 2 confuse, bewilder, agitate, put out, disturb, excite,
fluster, disconcert, upset, perturb, unsettle, shake (up),
Colloq rattle: He was quite flurried by the arrival of the
police.
flush° v. 1 blush, redden, crimson, glow, burn, colour (up): When he
told her she was pretty she flushed a bit. 2 Often, flush out.
rinse, wash (out or away), douse, douche, hose down, flood,
drench, clean out, cleanse, purge, discharge, empty: Oil
tankers are flushed out far from shore. 3 animate, stir,
inflame, impassion, quicken, arouse, excite, elate, encourage,
cheer, delight, thrill, gladden: Suzie was flushed with the
success of having got the job.
--n. 4 blush, redness, bloom, rosiness, colour, blood, glow,
radiance: When he was asked what had happened to the money, a
flush rose to his cheek. 5 flood, deluge, drenching, soaking,
overflow, inundation, rush, gush, surge, stream, flow: The
flush of water washed away all the debris. 6 thrill,
excitement, passion, quickening, arousal, stir, stirring,
animation, elation, euphoria, delight, encouragement, thrill,
tingle: In the first flush of success, they were overwhelmed
with orders. He felt a flush come over him when he won the
race.
flushэ adj. 1 (on the same) plane or level (with), even, smooth, flat,
square, true, continuous; adjacent, next to: See that the
tabletop is flush with the countertop. The mirror should be
flush against the wall. 2 full, overflowing, replete, abundant:
Turn off the water when it is flush with the top of the basin.
3 solvent, well supplied, comfortable; well-to-do, well off,
well-found, wealthy, rich, prosperous, affluent, moneyed, Colloq
well-heeled, on Easy Street, in the money, US in the chips;
Slang loaded, rolling (in money or it): He's flush enough to
take us all out to dinner.
--adv. 4 even(ly), square(ly), levelly, plumb, directly: Cut
this branch off flush.
fluster v. 1 agitate, stir (up), discompose, discomfit, discomfort,
disconcert, shake (up), upset, disquiet, discommode, bother, put
out or off, disturb, perturb, flurry, flutter, make nervous,
throw off, distract, confuse, baffle, confound, puzzle, perplex,
befuddle, bewilder, daze, dazzle, Colloq rattle, throw,
discombobulate, hassle, faze: Don't be flustered by her rude
manner.
--n. 2 agitation, upset, discomfort, disquiet, bother,
disturbance, commotion, perturbation, dither, flurry, flutter,
nervousness, distraction, confusion, bafflement, befuddlement,
perplexity, bewilderment: All this fluster came about through
the absence of a coherent plan.
flutter v. 1 flap, flop, fluctuate, vacillate, wave, waver, oscillate:
The paper streamers fluttered in the breeze. 2 flit, flicker,
flitter, hover, dance; fuss: We shall never get done if you
keep fluttering about. 3 tremble, shake, quiver, dither, jump,
vibrate, twitch: She is fluttering with anticipation waiting
for the postman.
--n. 4 fluttering, flapping, flopping, fluctuation,
fluctuating, vacillation, vacillating, wave, waving,
oscillation, oscillating, trembling, quiver, quivering: The
slightest flutter of her fan communicates volumes. 5 See
fluster, 2.
flux n. instability, change, mutation, modification, fluctuation,
unrest, swing, swinging, wavering, movement, motion,
oscillation, indecision, indecisiveness: The economic
indicators are in a constant state of flux.
fly v. 1 take wing, take flight, take to the air, wing, soar, sail,
hover; flutter, flit, flap: A stork flew overhead. Daedalus
taught Icarus to fly. 2 Also, fly away or off. take flight,
depart, leave, flee, decamp, bolt, run away or off, escape, make
(good) one's escape, take to one's heels, show a clean pair of
heels, rush or nip off or out or away, (make a) run (for it), go
or get away or off, abscond, make a getaway, cut and run, beat a
(hasty) retreat, take off, scoot, Colloq light out, beat it,
clear out or off, skedaddle, scram, US cut out, hightail (it),
take it on the lam, take a (run-out) powder, lam out, take to
the hills, take to the woods; Slang Brit scarper, bugger off, US
vamoose, blow: She flew off before I could get her telephone
number. 3 hasten, hurry, rush, run, race, dash, sprint, tear,
scamper, scoot, Colloq make tracks: I must fly if I'm to catch
the train. 4 pass (by), elapse, go (by), expire, run its
course, slip or slide by or away: Time flies quickly when
you're having fun. 5 aviate, pilot; jet: Parker flies his own
plane. I flew down to Paris with him. 6 fly in the face of.
flout, defy, go against, contemn, scorn, scoff at, oppose, go or
run counter to, counter, counteract, countervail, countermine,
contradict, contravene, thumb one's nose at, Colloq Brit cock a
snook at: His actions fly in the face of conventional
behaviour. 7 fly off the handle. fly into a rage or fury or
temper or passion, lose one's temper, have a fit or tantrum, be
fit to be tied, go berserk, go crazy or mad, explode, Colloq
lose or blow one's cool, blow one's top, hit or go through the
roof, US hit the ceiling, blow one's stack, get worked up
(over); Slang blow a fuse or a gasket, flip (one's lid), have a
haemorrhage, Brit flip one's top: Rudolf flies off the handle
at the slightest provocation. 8 let fly. a throw, toss, cast,
hurl, fling, heave, pitch, lob, sling, chuck, shoot, fire (off),
let rip, discharge, launch, propel, let go or off: They let fly
a volley of arrows. b let go with, let (someone) have it, lash
out, vent one's spleen, lose one's temper, burst out or forth,
burst into, Colloq pull no punches, tear into: That was the
last straw, and she really let fly at him.
--n. 9 Often, Brit flies. flap, fly front, Brit zip, US zipper:
He was embarrassed to find his flies were open. 10 fly in the
ointment. hitch, snag, impediment, obstacle, obstruction,
problem, difficulty, drawback, detraction, rub, hindrance,
bugbear, bogey, bugaboo, Offensive nigger in the woodpile: The
one fly in the ointment is that my mother won't give me
permission to go.
fly-by-night
adj. 1 temporary, short-lived, transitory, fugitive, ephemeral,
transient, fleeting, passing, brief, impermanent, here today,
gone tomorrow: That fly-by-night operation was in business for
less than a month. 2 unreliable, untrustworthy, disreputable,
irresponsible, dubious, questionable; shifty, dishonest, sharp,
crooked, Colloq shady, Brit cowboy: Guarantees on double
glazing are worthless if installed by some fly-by-night company.
foam n. 1 bubbles, froth, spume, lather, suds; effervescence,
sparkle, carbonation, fizz: The foam leaves spots when it
dries.
--v. 2 bubble, froth, spume, lather, suds, soap up: Watch the
solution foam when I drop this tablet into it.
focal adj. central, focused, concentrated, convergent, centred,
centralized: The light rays come together at this focal point.
Harris's address was the focal point of the conference.
focus n. 1 centre, concentration, focal point, heart, core, target,
convergence, hub, nave; cynosure: Why should Anita always be
the focus of attention? 2 in focus. clear, distinct, well- or
sharply defined: With the telescope in focus, you feel as if
you can almost touch the distant shore. 3 out of focus. unclear,
indistinct, blurred, blurry, fuzzy, woolly: The photos are so
out of focus that I can't tell who's who.
--v. 4 concentrate, centre, converge, meet, pinpoint,
spotlight; bring into focus; Colloq zero in: Without
distractions, we can focus on the problem at hand.
fog n. 1 mist, haze, smog, vapour, cloud, Colloq pea-souper: Our
flight was grounded because of fog. 2 trance, daze, stupor,
brown study, confused state; coma: He's in a fog and didn't
hear a word you said.
--v. 3 dim, obscure, cloud, bedim, becloud, blind, stifle: The
purpose of all that verbiage is merely to fog the issue. 4
Usually, befog. bewilder, mystify, perplex, confuse, muddle,
puzzle, nonplus: I was completely befogged by the technical
language he used. 5 Also, fog up or over. mist over or up,
cloud up or over, shroud: My bathroom mirror fogs when I take a
hot shower.
fogy n. Also, fogey. Usually, old fogy or fogey. conservative,
relic, Colloq fuddy-duddy, fossil, antique, stick-in-the-mud,
back number, square: That old fogy still dances the foxtrot.
foible n. weakness, imperfection, weak point, fault, frailty,
shortcoming, flaw, defect, failing, blemish, infirmity;
peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk, crotchet, eccentricity,
preoccupation, kink, Colloq hang-up, bug: One of her foibles is
that she loves junk food.
foil° v. thwart, offset, defeat, baffle, balk, parry, frustrate,
counter, check, impede, hamper, outwit, circumvent, checkmate,
daunt, disconcert, discomfit, disappoint, pull the rug out from
under (someone), cut the ground from under someone's feet,
nullify, nip in the bud, countervail (against), Brit put a spoke
in (someone's) wheel, Colloq clip (someone's) wings, cut
(someone) down to size, spoil (someone's) game, Chiefly US and
Canadian faze: The villain and his evil plan were again foiled
by the arrival of the sheriff.
foilэ n. layer, lamina, lamination, sheet, membrane, film, coating,
flake, scale, wafer: Cigarettes once came packaged in tin foil.
foist v. palm or pass off, impose, unload, put (off), push (off),
Colloq lay (off), Brit fob off: Don't try to foist those fake
paintings on me!
fold v. 1 bend, ply, double (over or up), overlap, crease, pleat,
gather, crimp: Fold the letter before putting it into the
envelope. 2 enclose, envelop, enfold, wrap, enwrap, clasp,
clip, embrace, hug, gather: He folded her in his arms. 3 give
way, collapse, fail, close (up or down), shut down, go out of
business, go bankrupt, Colloq go under, go broke, go bust, Brit
go to the wall: The company folded and ten employees were made
redundant.
--n. 4 crease, wrinkle, crinkle, pucker, pleat, gather, crimp,
overlap, lap: The folds will remain crisp if you use starch
when ironing.
folk n. people, tribe, (ethnic) group, clan, race; society, nation,
(general) public, populace, population, citizenry:
Archaeologists refer to these people as the 'Beaker Folk'. Some
folks disliked the performance.
follow v. 1 go or come after or next; go or walk or tread or move
behind, bring up the rear, Colloq string or tag along: You go
on ahead and I'll follow shortly. Please see the comments that
follow. 2 adhere to, cleave to, support, believe in, accept,
adopt, conform to, comply with, obey, be guided by, be modelled
after or on, observe, heed, mind, go along with, reflect,
mirror, echo, imitate, copy, mimic, ape: This newspaper follows
strict party policy. 3 attend, accompany, escort, go (along)
with; serve: Mary's little lamb followed her everywhere. 4
chase, pursue, dog, hunt (down), stalk, run down, track, trail,
tail, trace, shadow: The detective swore to follow him to the
ends of the earth. 5 succeed, supersede, step into the shoes
of, take the place of, replace, supplant: Who followed Henry
VIII on the throne? 6 practise, pursue, engage in, carry on,
occupy oneself with, apply or dedicate or devote oneself to,
cultivate: After the war he followed a career as a teacher. 7
result from, ensue, issue, flow, arise, develop: The conclusion
follows logically from the premise. 8 understand, fathom,
comprehend, get, grasp, see, catch, appreciate, take in, keep up
with, Colloq dig: Were you able to follow everything in that
lecture? 9 watch, be a fan or aficionado of, pursue, take an
interest in, keep up with, keep abreast of, cheer or root for,
admire: He follows international yacht racing. 10 follow
through (on). persist or persevere, continue, perform, conclude,
realize, consummate, pursue, carry out, see through, make good,
discharge, adhere to, keep: I only hope she follows this
through and delivers the goods. 11 follow up (on). a pursue,
go after, track, investigate, pursue, check (out), check up
(on), inquire, make inquiries, look into: MacGregor is very
good at following up on the most obscure references. b pursue,
prosecute, reinforce, consolidate, support, buttress, augment,
bolster, ensure: The Romans followed up their success with an
attack on Olbia.
follower n. 1 disciple, adherent, student, pupil, apprentice,
prot‚g‚(e): They were followers of Buddha. 2 attendant,
henchman, servant, retainer, bodyguard, myrmidon: Louie walked
in with two of his followers. 3 supporter, devotee, fan,
aficionado, promoter, enthusiast, booster, advocate, proponent,
US rooter, Colloq groupie: She is a faithful follower of The
Dirty Knees, a rock group.
follow-through
n. perseverance, diligence, persistence, steadfastness,
endurance, stamina, indefatigableness, sedulousness, sedulity,
pursuance, tenacity, resolve, determination, Colloq US
stick-to-it-iveness: One needs imagination for new ideas but
follow-through to make them succeed.
follow-up n. reinforcement, support, backup, bolstering; consolidation:
The failure of the sales campaign was attributed to lack of
follow-up.
folly n. 1 foolishness, nonsense, absurdity, daftness, silliness,
preposterousness, absurdness, senselessness, fatuousness,
fatuity, rashness, stupidity, asininity, inanity,
nonsensicalness, idiocy, imbecility, irrationality, lunacy,
insanity, madness, craziness, eccentricity, weak-mindedness,
feeble-mindedness, simple-mindedness, muddle-headedness,
thickheadedness, stolidity, stolidness, obtuseness,
brainlessness, Colloq dumbness, dopiness, nuttiness, US and
Canadian kookiness: They saw the folly of fighting against such
enormous odds. It would be folly to leave in this storm. 2
absurdity, mistake, blunder, error, faux pas, gaffe, Colloq
goof, fluff: What follies have been committed in the name of
honour!
foment v. rouse, stir or whip up, awaken, waken, provoke, incite,
instigate, initiate, prompt, start, motivate, inspire, work up,
inflame, fan the flames (of), kindle, galvanize, rally, excite,
stimulate, encourage, promote, foster, forward, further,
advance, cultivate, sow the seeds of, spur, goad, egg on, urge:
He is always fomenting ill will against the management.
fond adj. 1 tender, loving, affectionate, warm, adoring, caring:
She clasped him in a fond embrace. 2 foolish, bootless, empty,
vain, na‹ve: She had fond hopes of his being elected. 3 fond
of. partial to, (having a) liking (for), soft on or about,
affectionate towards, attached to, having a fancy or taste for,
fancying, predisposed or inclined to or towards; addicted to,
Colloq hooked on: She is inordinately fond of chocolate.
fondle v. caress, stroke, pet, pat, touch, cuddle, snuggle; handle,
touch: See that couple over there fondling one another? He
fondled his dagger.
fondly adv. affectionately, lovingly, tenderly, warmly, adoringly,
caressingly: Martin regarded his wife fondly.
food n. nourishment, nutriment, aliment, sustenance, subsistence;
foodstuffs, edibles, eatables, viands, bread, victuals, rations,
provisions, comestibles, Brit commons, Colloq grub, eats, chow,
Brit scoff, prog: Without any food for days, the survivors were
near starvation.
fool n. 1 simpleton, ninny, ninny-hammer, nincompoop, ass, jackass,
dunce, dolt, halfwit, numskull or numbskull, blockhead,
bonehead, pinhead, silly, feather-brain, loon, goose, booby,
jay, goon, mooncalf, idiot, ignoramus, dim-wit, nitwit, halfwit,
imbecile, moron, clod, clodpole, clodpoll, clodpate, oaf,
Psychology retardate, Scots gomerel, Colloq birdbrain,
dumb-bell, fat-head, chump, twit, knuckle-head, chucklehead,
nit, twerp or twirp, Brit pillock, US and Canadian jerk, retard;
Slang sap, dope, Brit git, Australian boofhead: He's such a
fool he'll believe anything. 2 (court) jester, clown, comic,
comedian or comedienne, entertainer, zany, buffoon, merry
andrew, farceur, joker, jokester, droll, Punch, Punchinello,
pierrot, harlequin: In Shakespeare's plays, the fool is often
the wisest character. 3 butt, dupe, gull, victim, cat's-paw,
Colloq chump, greenhorn, (easy) mark, US fall guy; Slang pigeon,
sucker, stooge, Brit mug: His co-workers liked to make a fool
out of him.
--v. 4 trick, deceive, take in, swindle, defraud, hoax, cheat,
fleece, cozen, hoodwink, bluff, dupe, gull, humbug, delude,
mislead, make a fool of; pull the wool over (someone's) eyes,
have (someone) on, pull (someone's) leg, tease, twit, Archaic
chouse; Colloq kid, con, snow, do a snow job on, bamboozle, put
one or something over on, pull something or a fast one on, Brit
twist, Chiefly US and Canadian josh; Slang pluck, Brit nobble:
When he said the diamond was fake, he certainly fooled me. I
think she was fooling when she said she'd inherited millions. 5
joke, jest, banter, tease, twit, feign, fake, pretend, make
believe, Colloq kid: She insists that she is not fooling but
dead serious. 6 fool with or around or about (with). play
(around or about) (with), toy or trifle (with), mess or fiddle
(around or about) (with), monkey (around or about) with, meddle
(with), tamper with, fribble (with): Please stop fooling with
the dials on the radio. 7 fool around or about. a play or mess
around or about, gambol, frolic, romp, cavort: Stop fooling
around and get serious. b waste or fritter away or squander or
kill time, fribble, loiter, dawdle, idle, Brit potter (about),
lark or muck about or around, US putter around or about, Colloq
footle: She's always fooling around instead of getting on with
her work.
foolhardy adj. rash, imprudent, impetuous, reckless, brash, venturesome,
bold, cheeky, daring, audacious, temerarious, adventurous,
daredevil, incautious, hotheaded, careless, heedless,
devil-may-care, hasty, thoughtless, unthinking, irresponsible,
wild, madcap, Colloq US and Canadian nervy, Slang gutsy: It is
foolhardy to go scuba diving without a companion.
foolish adj. 1 senseless, incautious, imprudent, impolitic, indiscreet,
unwise, injudicious, ill-considered, ill-advised, misguided,
short-sighted, impetuous, headlong, rash, brash, reckless,
hasty, heedless, unwary, foolhardy, thoughtless, mindless:
Standing under a tree in a thunderstorm is foolish. 2
nonsensical, stupid, asinine, inane, silly, fatuous, fatuitous,
dim-witted, scatterbrained, hare-brained, crazy, mad, insane,
demented, irrational, erratic, unstable, crack-brained,
feather-brained, bird-brained, simple-minded, light-headed,
muddle-headed, numskulled or numbskulled, addle-pated,
rattle-brained, bemused, confused, feeble-minded, moronic,
idiotic, imbecilic, halfwitted, dull-witted, slow-witted,
witless, brainless, empty-headed, blockheaded, boneheaded,
thickheaded, obtuse, stolid, Colloq dumb, balmy or Brit barmy,
loony, nuts, nutty, batty, dopey or dopy, soft (in the head),
dim, thick, dippy, dotty, dizzy, Brit potty, daft, Slang cuckoo,
goofy, screwy, wacky: Tracy was foolish to believe him when he
said he loved her. 3 preposterous, ridiculous, absurd,
irrational, illogical, unreasonable, ludicrous, wild: They have
some foolish idea about building a hotel in Antarctica.
foolproof adj. safe, certain, sure, trustworthy, dependable, reliable,
infallible, unfailing, guaranteed, warranted, Colloq sure-fire:
She claims to have a foolproof way of preventing unwanted
pregnancies.
footing n. 1 foundation, basis, base, ground(s): The events put our
entire relationship on a new footing. 2 standing, status,
level, condition, position, terms, state, rank: The two
departments are on an equal footing as far as funding is
concerned. 3 foothold, toe-hold; balance, stability: She lost
her footing on the icy pavement and down she went.
footstep n. 1 step, footfall, tread: I recognized her footstep. 2
Usually, footsteps. footprint(s), track, trail, trace, spoor,
footmark(s); tradition, example, way of life: He followed in
his master's footsteps.
for prep. 1 representing, championing; in favour of, Brit on or US
and Canadian also in behalf of, on the side of, in support of,
in the service of, as a service to, for the benefit of, pro:
Are you for or against the candidate? She did it for herself. 2
in search or quest of, seeking, looking for or after, after,
with a view or an eye to: We're just here for the beer. 3
instead of, in place of, representing, as a replacement for,
Brit on or US and Canadian in behalf of; in return or exchange
for, in compensation or recompense or payment or repayment for,
in requital for: I am acting for my father. This cheque is for
the toaster. Will you accept nothing for your pains? 4 for the
treatment of, as a remedy for, against; for the purpose or
object of: This medication is for skin infections only. It's
for your own good. 5 for the sake of, Brit on or US and Canadian
also in behalf of, in the interest of: Would you really do that
for me? 6 in the direction of, to, towards, into: Head for the
hills! 7 to save, in the interest or benefit of, for the sake
or benefit of, conducive to; because of, on account of, by
reason of: Every summer, they went to Carlsbad for their
health. She hated him for what he represented. 8 to go to,
destined for: I am leaving for Tierra del Fuego tomorrow. 9
suitable or suited for, fit or fitted or fitting for,
appropriate for, proper for: I am not sure that this colour is
for you. Is it right for me to speak out now? 10 for the
duration of; over (the extent of), during, in the course of,
throughout, through: She stayed for a week. 11 despite, in
spite of, notwithstanding, allowing for: For all his
complaining, he seemed satisfied. 12 as for. regarding, in
regard to, as regards, respecting, concerning, as far as
(something or someone) is concerned: As for Betty, let her do
as she likes.
--conj. 13 because, since, as, inasmuch as, seeing that, owing
or due to the fact that: I was unable to see him, for he was
out of the office.
forbid v. prohibit, ban, hinder, stop, exclude, debar, preclude,
prevent; outlaw, interdict, disallow, proscribe, taboo; veto: I
was forbidden from entering. They forbid smoking in the
classrooms.
forbidding
adj. 1 repellent, repulsive, offensive, odious, abhorrent: In
his long cloak and mask, he presented a forbidding appearance.
2 hostile, unfriendly, stern, harsh, menacing, threatening,
ominous, dangerous, bad, nasty, ugly, unpleasant: The coast
here is rocky and forbidding. The old crone gave him a
forbidding look and we cringed.
force n. 1 power, might, energy, strength, potency, vigour,
intensity, violence, impact; dynamism, pressure: The force of
the blow knocked me down. 2 coercion, pressure, constraint,
duress, compulsion, arm-twisting: When persuasion failed, the
guards resorted to force. 3 troops, soldiers, army: NATO
forces are on manoeuvres. 4 weight, persuasiveness,
persistence, cogency, effectiveness, efficacy, strength,
validity, significance, value: The force of his argument was
sufficient to convince us. 5 meaning, import, significance:
Are they able to cope with the full force of the word 'God'? 6
in force. in effect, effective, in operation, operative, valid,
binding, current: The ancient customs still remain in force.
The law came into force at midnight.
--v. 7 make, oblige, require, compel, coerce, exact, constrain,
enforce, impel, intimidate, pressure or Brit also pressurize,
press, dragoon, twist (someone's) arm, Colloq bulldoze, put the
squeeze on (someone): Each of us was forced to dig his own
grave. 8 push, drive, thrust, propel; prise or prize, break,
wrench, crack, jemmy, US pry: The tornado forced the chair
through the wall. He forced open the safe and took the money. 9
exact, extort, extract, wrest, wring, drag: The CIA tried to
force a confession from her.
forced adj. artificial, unnatural, contrived, stilted, calculated,
studied, laboured, strained, stiff, false, feigned, fake(d),
mannered, affected, self-conscious, Colloq phoney or US also
phony: Her forced joviality failed to conceal her contempt for
those present.
forceful adj. 1 vigorous, energetic, compelling, dynamic, intense,
potent, strong, mighty, powerful, aggressive, weighty,
effective, convincing, persuasive: The colonel was known as a
forceful leader of men. 2 effective, efficacious, cogent,
logical, impressive, telling, convincing, persuasive, strong,
mighty, forcible, powerful, compelling, irresistible; pithy,
meaty: The most forceful arguments came from Catherine towards
the end of the discussion.
forcible adj. 1 See forceful, 2. 2 drastic, forceful, violent,
aggressive, coercive, severe, stringent: The plan involves the
forcible repatriation of refugees.
foreboding
n. 1 apprehension, apprehensiveness, feeling, sense, misgiving,
dread, suspicion, intuition, anxiety, fear: An atmosphere of
foreboding filled the crypt. 2 premonition, augury, prophecy,
prediction, prognostication, warning, foretoken, foreshadowing,
presentiment, omen, sign, portent, intimation, forewarning,
presage, advance word: I had a strange foreboding of horror as
I entered the room.
--n. 2 prediction, prophecy, prognosis, prognostication,
foresight, augury, vaticination, anticipation; forewarning,
calculation: Have you heard the weather forecast for tomorrow?
foregoing adj. preceding, above, former, previous, precedent, prior,
antecedent; earlier, preliminary, anterior; aforementioned,
aforesaid: The foregoing paragraph set forth the principles.
foregone adj. Usually in foregone conclusion. assumed, established,
pre-established, predetermined, fixed, inevitable, set,
accepted, cut and dried: His incarceration for the crime was a
foregone conclusion.
foreign adj. 1 alien, imported, non-native; overseas, distant,
tramontane, transalpine, transatlantic, transpacific: Duty is
payable on foreign goods. We holiday in a different foreign
country each year. 2 strange, outlandish, exotic, unfamiliar,
peculiar, odd, curious: She regards anything except beans and
toast as foreign food. 3 unknown, unfamiliar, strange,
inappropriate, unrelated, unconnected, unassimilable, remote,
extrinsic, extraneous: Their philosophy is completely foreign
to my way of thinking.
foreigner n. alien, non-native, immigrant, newcomer, new arrival,
outsider, outlander, stranger: The word xenophobia means 'dread
of foreigners'.
foreman n. superintendent, manager, boss, supervisor, overseer, Brit
shopwalker, US floor-walker, Colloq super, Brit gaffer, US straw
boss: The foreman insists we use the time clocks.
foremost adj. 1 first, primary, prime, leading, pre-eminent, supreme;
prominent, notable, noteworthy, noted, chief, paramount, main,
best, superior: She is one of the foremost eye surgeons in her
country.
--adv. 2 first, firstly, primarily, primarily, in (the) first
place, before anything else: First and foremost, we must
consider the matter of safety.
forerunner
n. 1 predecessor, precursor, foregoer; herald, harbinger,
envoy; forebear, ancestor, forefather, progenitor: This
dishwasher is better designed than its forerunners. The cuckoo
is thought by many to be the forerunner of spring. 2 omen,
portent, foretoken, premonition, sign, augury, token: A drop in
the barometer is a forerunner of bad weather.
foresee v. presage, foretell, envisage, picture, forecast, predict,
prophesy, augur, US envision: I don't foresee any problems.
foreshadow
v. presage, foretoken, portend, augur, indicate, prophesy,
predict, bode, signal, signify, betoken: The surrender of Ghent
foreshadowed the fate of Flanders.
foresight n. 1 providence, prudence, care, far-sightedness, watchfulness,
caution, precaution, long-sightedness, perspicacity, wisdom,
sagacity, insight, circumspection: The commander demonstrated
foresight in ordering a retreat. 2 prevision, perception,
prospect, vision, foreknowledge, prescience; expectation: A
little foresight could have prevented the calamity.
forestall v. anticipate, prevent, obstruct, hinder, obviate, thwart,
preclude, frustrate, avert, ward or stave or fend off,
intercept, parry, stop, delay: The frigate effectively
forestalled our plan to sail away secretly.
forethought
n. premeditation, planning, plotting, far-sightedness,
long-sightedness: Much forethought went into the assassination
scheme.
for ever adv. 1 forever, always, for good, ever, (for) evermore,
forevermore, eternally, everlastingly, for ever and a day,
undyingly, for eternity, till doomsday, till the end of time,
Colloq till the cows come home, till hell freezes over: They
swore to be true for ever. 2 constantly, continually,
continuously, all the time, unceasingly, incessantly, without
cease or surcease, endlessly, consistently, persistently,
interminably, perpetually: She was forever watching soap operas
on the telly.
foreword n. preface, prologue, prelude, prolegomenon, preamble, Literary
proem; introduction: He set forth the purpose of the book in
the foreword.
forfeit n. 1 penalty, fine, fee, charge, damages, forfeiture,
sequestration, amercement, mulct: You will have to give me a
kiss as a forfeit.
--v. 2 lose, yield (up), give up or over, relinquish,
surrender, be stripped or deprived of, forgo, renounce, waive:
You have forfeited your right to trial and you will be hanged at
dawn.
--adj. 3 surrendered, lost, yielded, relinquished, forgone,
waived, renounced: His life was forfeit the moment he
volunteered to defuse the bomb.
forge v. 1 make, construct, fashion, fabricate, manufacture, shape,
mould, cast, hammer out: This plant forges heavy steel tools.
He forged a new life for himself in the American West. 2 create,
invent, conceive (of), coin, devise, think up, frame: I have
forged a new plan of escape. 3 counterfeit, copy, reproduce,
imitate, falsify, fake, Slang US hang paper: She forged her
employer's name on the cheque. The gang was caught because they
forged three-pound notes.
forgery n. 1 counterfeiting, falsification, fraud, fraudulence: He was
sent to prison for ten years for forgery. 2 counterfeit, fake,
sham, imitation, Colloq phoney or US also phony: The police
have found three forgeries of Dali paintings.
forget v. 1 fail or cease to remember or recall or think of, lose,
draw a blank: I forgot what I was supposed to buy at the
market. 2 leave (behind), omit or neglect (doing or taking): I
forgot my umbrella this morning. 3 ignore, dismiss from (one's)
mind or thoughts, disregard, overlook, consign to oblivion:
Forget the fact that you ever met me.
forgetful adj. amnesiac; absent-minded, distracted, abstracted,
inattentive, preoccupied, neglectful, negligent, careless, lax,
dreamy, dreaming, in dreamland, in the clouds, in
cloud-cuckoo-land or cloud-land or Nephelococcygia, remote,
distrait(e), Colloq not turned on, turned off, out of it:
Franklin is so forgetful he'd lose his head if it weren't
stitched on.
forgive v. 1 pardon, excuse, allow, make allowance(s) for, indulge,
condone, vindicate; overlook, ignore, disregard, pay no
attention to, pass over, US slough over: Please forgive my
curiosity, but where did you get that hat? 2 clear, acquit,
absolve, exculpate, exonerate; spare; Colloq let off: Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do. 3 cancel, waive,
abolish, void, nullify, erase, delete; Colloq let off (the
hook): Her dream was to awake one day and find all her debts
forgiven.
forgiveness
n. 1 pardon, reprieve, absolution, remission, acquittal,
acquittance, amnesty, allowance, vindication, exculpation,
exoneration, Archaic shrift: Oh, Lord, I ask forgiveness for my
sins. 2 mercy, mercifulness, compassion, grace, leniency,
clemency, indulgence, tolerance: He begged her forgiveness for
the way he had treated her.
forgiving adj. tolerant, lenient, sparing, forbearing, merciful,
compassionate, conciliatory, magnanimous, humane, soft-hearted,
clement: In a forgiving mood, the judge gave her a light
sentence.
forgo v. 1 give up, renounce, forswear, forsake, abandon, do or go
without, sacrifice, eliminate, omit, leave out or alone, cede,
waive; avoid, shun, eschew, abstain from, turn down, pass up,
deny (oneself): His new diet requires him to forgo all dairy
produce. 2 resign, give up, yield, surrender, relinquish, cede,
waive, renounce, forswear, abdicate, abandon: Did he not forgo
all right to the throne by marrying a commoner?
forlorn adj. 1 miserable, wretched, desolate, woebegone, lost,
pitiable, pitiful, pathetic, woeful, cheerless, joyless,
unhappy, depressed, sad, desolate, disconsolate, gloomy,
lugubrious, glum, despondent, dismal, dejected, dispirited,
low-spirited, comfortless, down, melancholy, dolorous,
sorrowful, mournful, inconsolable: She looked so fragile and
forlorn as she struggled to hold back her tears. 2 abandoned,
forsaken, deserted, neglected, shunned, outcast, alone, lonely,
lonesome, friendless, bereft: We came upon a forlorn little
village.
form n. 1 shape, configuration, conformation, order, organization,
arrangement, formation, construction, structure, construct,
frame, cut, cast, mould, pattern, appearance; manifestation:
The equipment in the playground was in a variety of geometric
forms. In what form will the jinnee appear next? 2 figure, body,
build, shape, physique, anatomy; silhouette, aspect, look,
appearance, profile, contour; carriage, bearing, attitude, pose,
Slang US bod, built: She has the form of a wrestler. 3 type,
kind, variety, sort, breed, species, genus, genre, character,
make, brand, colour, tone, tint, texture, fabric, material,
feather, description, manner, way, nature, style, stamp,
manifestation: What forms of life are not of divine origin? He
revelled in music in all its forms. 4 blank; model, format,
frame, framework, course, procedure, order, regimen, method,
system, ritual, formula, rule(s), practice, technique, way,
means, approach, mode, fashion, manner, style: Fill in the
application form in ink. Please follow the proper form when
submitting articles. 5 condition, state, shape, trim, fettle:
He seems in unusually good form tonight. 6 decorum, behaviour,
deportment, formality, ceremony, convention, etiquette, manners,
conduct, custom, protocol, propriety, ritual: Follow correct
form when writing to the king. Spitting is considered bad form.
--v. 7 make, fabricate, forge, shape, mould, fashion, produce,
turn out, manufacture, construct, assemble, put together, set
up, put up, build, erect, elevate, raise, put up; organize,
codify; develop: The architect takes the many elements and
forms them into a coherent whole. Have you formed an opinion of
the book? 8 create, originate, devise, invent, compose,
formulate, give form or shape, coin, concoct, conceive,
contrive, dream up, imagine, visualize, envisage, US envision:
His ideas of religion were formed when he was very young. A
picture of the battle was formed in my mind. 9 make up,
constitute, be made up of, comprise, be composed of; serve as:
This compound is formed of many elements. Six fugues formed the
main part of the programme. 10 acquire, develop, cultivate,
contract; get: In prison I formed the habit of rolling my own
cigarettes. We formed a lasting friendship. 11 develop, grow,
arise, appear, materialize, show up, take shape or form,
accumulate: When the yeast is added, a barm forms on the
surface.
formal adj. 1 standard, conventional, customary, established,
prescribed, regular, normal, correct, proper; strict, formulaic,
inflexible, punctilious, exacting, unchanging, methodical,
orderly, systematic, set, pro forma, ritual, ritualistic,
ceremonial, proper, official, routine, fixed, rigid, stiff,
stilted, stately, starched, unbending, solemn; confining,
straitened, limited; Colloq straight, square: Formal rules of
behaviour are observed. 2 explicit, express, definite, spelled
out, formalized, express, authorized, official, solemn, legal,
lawful: Formal demands have been made for the withdrawal of our
ambassador. 3 prim, ceremonious, dignified, stuffy,
strait-laced, stiff, precise, exact: He made a formal bow and
left our company.
formality n. 1 Often, the formalities. form, convention, conventionality,
practice, procedure, custom, wont, observance, protocol,
ceremony, rite, ritual: Observe the legal formalities by having
this document witnessed. Formality requires that you walk
backwards out of the room. 2 strictness, punctilio, exactness,
precision, correctness, rigidity, stiffness, inflexibility: We
must maintain the formality of Sunday service. 3 etiquette,
politesse, decorum, punctilio, conformity, propriety: Formality
prohibits casual conversation.
format n. 1 appearance, look(s), aspect, layout, plan, design, style,
form, dimension(s), shape, size: In its present format, the
magazine resembles an academic journal. 2 composition,
content(s), make-up, constitution, arrangement, plan,
organization, order, set-up: Her TV programme has the format of
a chat show.
formation n. 1 development, appearance, materialization, shape,
accumulation, generation, creation, crystallization, forming,
genesis, production: The formation of bubbles indicates that
the acid is working. 2 establishment, institution, creation,
founding, set-up, organizing, organization, development,
composition: We met to discuss the formation of a new company.
3 array, display, pattern, arrangement, structure, grouping,
organization, configuration, disposition: The vast military
formation covered the entire valley.
former adj. 1 previous, earlier, prior, ex-, one-time, preceding,
erstwhile, late, latest, last, recent, ci-devant, quondam,
Archaic whilom: I ran into a former girl-friend at the art
show. 2 old, past, bygone; ancient, (pre)historic, departed,
antediluvian: In former times, one could demand - and get -
decent service.
formerly adv. once, before, previously, hitherto, long ago, at one time,
in the old days, once upon a time, in days gone by, in days or
time past, time was, back then, when the world was young(er),
Colloq way back or US also way back when: Formerly, there were
no tall buildings to block one's view.
formidable
adj. 1 alarming, appalling, dreadful, frightful, awesome,
awe-inspiring, menacing, horrifying, frightening, intimidating,
daunting, petrifying, terrifying: A formidable, fire-breathing
dragon blocked our exit. 2 terrific, fantastic, unbelievable,
incredible, impressive, prodigious, mind-boggling, awesome,
Colloq mind-blowing, freaky: They are a formidable talent and
will sell a million records this year. 3 arduous, indomitable,
overwhelming, staggering, powerful, mighty, difficult,
challenging, burdensome, onerous: She has formidable obstacles
to overcome before becoming a doctor.
formula n. recipe, rubric, formulary; rule(s), prescription,
directions, instructions, blueprint, method, technique, means,
way, pattern, procedure, modus operandi, Colloq US MO: Ali Baba
uttered the formula, 'Open sesame!', and the rock opened.
Alchemists sought to discover a formula for making gold from
lead.
formulate v. 1 systematize, codify, define, specify, articulate,
particularize, denote: You must try to formulate your ideas
more clearly. 2 devise, originate, create, think up or of,
dream up, conceive, concoct, invent, improvise, Colloq cook up:
I have formulated a plan in my mind to deal with the problem. 3
develop, forge, evolve, work out, design, map out, block out,
draw up: You have three days to formulate a workable procedure.
forsake v. 1 abandon, desert, quit, leave, flee, depart, vacate: He
forsook balmy California to dig for gold in the Klondike. 2
abandon, desert, leave, jilt, reject, throw over, jettison, cast
off: She has forsaken Michael for another man. 3 give up,
yield, renounce, repudiate, relinquish, forgo, forswear,
surrender, resign, abdicate, recant, deny, have or be done with,
turn one's back on: Would you forsake a throne for the love of
a woman?
forte n. talent, strong point, gift, speciality, strength, aptitude,
genius, Colloq long suit: His forte is carving ivory
miniatures.
forthcoming
adj. 1 approaching, nearing, impending, imminent, coming,
(close) at hand, upcoming; near or close (by), (near or close)
at hand, in the offing, on the horizon, Colloq Brit on the
cards, US in the cards: The forthcoming tax increase will
affect everyone. A new regulation is forthcoming. 2 awaited,
expected, anticipated, looked-for, watched for, prospective,
foreseen: The forthcoming payment will be be a little late. 3
outgoing, friendly, amiable, affable, sociable, accessible,
expansive, chatty, talkative, communicative, informative, open,
free, revealing, unreserved: Barry was most forthcoming when
questioned about his finances.
forthright
adj. straightforward, direct, blunt, candid, frank,
above-board, unambiguous, unequivocal, open, outspoken,
uninhibited, unreserved, unconstrained, unrestrained: She has
always been forthright and honest in her dealings with me.
fortify v. 1 strengthen, reinforce, shore up, buttress, brace, bolster,
secure: Steel plates were used to fortify the walls. 2 cheer,
encourage, hearten, buoy, invigorate, energize, embolden,
reassure, brace: Her enthusiasm fortified him to face what was
coming. 3 supplement, enhance, enrich, boost, augment: The
drink was fortified by the addition of whisky.
fortitude n. strength, mettle, backbone, courage, nerve, resolution,
resoluteness, perseverance, endurance, tenacity, pertinacity,
grit, determination, will-power, Colloq guts: His encouragement
gave me the fortitude to carry on.
fortunate adj. 1 lucky, in luck, fortuitous, blessed: You were fortunate
to have survived the crash. 2 favoured, advantageous,
propitious, auspicious, providential, favourable, opportune,
timely, well-timed: It was a fortunate time to be buying a
house.
fortune n. 1 position, worth, means, assets, holdings, wealth,
property, estate, possessions; wealth, riches, affluence,
opulence, treasure, money, prosperity: Each member is liable to
the full extent of his fortune. He acquired his fortune from
oil. 2 luck, chance, fortuity; lot, fate, kismet, destiny,
karma; future; US happenstance: It was just fortune that put me
in the right place at the right time. She'll tell your fortune
if you cross her palm with silver. 3 Usually, fortunes.
circumstance(s), experience(s), adventures, expectation(s), lot:
My fortunes of late have been poor.
fortune-teller
n. oracle, soothsayer, prophet, diviner, augur, seer,
clairvoyant, prognosticator, sibyl, haruspex, crystal-gazer,
tea-leaf reader, palmist, palm reader, star-gazer; futurologist:
The fortune-teller said to beware the Ides of March.
forward adj. 1 advance, leading, foremost, front, head, first: The
forward contingents of the army moved into the town. 2 bold,
pert, impudent, brash, insolent, impertinent, disrespectful,
brazen, audacious, rash, unashamed, unabashed, saucy, flippant,
presumptuous, cheeky, Colloq flip, fresh, pushy: It was a bit
forward of you to call the chairman by his nickname. 3
(well-)advanced, (well-)developed, progressive, precocious,
forward-looking: She was quite a forward girl at fifteen.
--adv. 4 forwards, ahead, onward, along; clockwise, deasil: I
moved forward to the head of the queue. Set the clock forward an
hour tonight. 5 up, out, forth, to the fore, into consideration,
into view, into the open, to the surface, on to the table:
Cooper brought forward an interesting proposal.
--v. 6 advance, further, promote, back, foster, support, aid,
assist, help; patronize, encourage, nourish, nurse along: He
did his best to forward her career. 7 dispatch or despatch,
send, ship, deliver, transmit, express, post, mail, consign,
remit; send on: The shipment will be forwarded as soon as
payment is received. The post office will forward mail to my
new address. 8 speed (up), accelerate, advance, hasten,
expedite, hurry, quicken, step up: This mixture is said to
forward the flowering of plants.
foster v. 1 promote, encourage, stimulate, further, forward, advance,
cultivate, nurture, nourish, support, back, assist, help, aid,
succour, patronize: Cutting back these offshoots fosters growth
of the main stem. Representatives have fostered acceptance of
our products throughout Europe. 2 bring up, rear, raise, take
care of, maintain, care for: The Cartwrights have fostered
eight orphans in their home.
foul adj. 1 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, obnoxious, revolting,
repulsive, repellent, repugnant, sickening, nauseous,
nauseating, nasty, beastly, Archaic fulsome: The bartender
makes a foul concoction he swears will cure a hangover. 2
filthy, unclean, nasty, polluted, putrid, putrescent,
putrefactive or putrefacient, defiled, soiled, spoiled, rotten,
decayed, decomposed, rancid, soured, turned, tainted, mouldy,
impure, adulterated, contaminated, stale, bad, Brit off: The
hamburger place was closed when public health inspectors found
foul food in the freezer. 3 smelly, stinking, noisome, fetid or
foetid, rank, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, malodorous, musty,
mephitic, graveolent: A foul odour emanated from the cabinet.
4 wicked, vile, bad, base, abominable, low, sordid, iniquitous,
evil, flagitious, atrocious, monstrous, nefarious, sinful,
immoral, amoral, vicious, villainous, scandalous, infamous,
dishonourable, shameful, disgraceful, ignominious; detestable:
They were finally brought to justice for their foul deeds. 5
dirty, obscene, filthy, profane, scatological, gross, smutty,
foul-mouthed, blue, licentious, salacious, lewd, indecent,
improper, coarse, uncouth, vulgar, rude, scurrilous, rough,
indelicate, immodest, risqu‚, off colour, suggestive, bawdy,
ribald, Rabelaisian, Fescennine, US raw, Slang raunchy: My
mother forbids my reading books containing foul language. 6
abusive, offensive, affronting, insulting, disparaging,
maligning, thersitical, calumnious or calumniatory, aspersive,
slanderous, defamatory, libellous, denigrating, derogatory,
deprecatory or deprecative, depreciatory or depreciative,
denunciatory or denunciative, derisory, derisive, scornful,
belittling, fulminous, objurgatory or objurgative, vituperative,
invective: Keep your foul tongue to yourself. 7 dishonest,
unfair, unjust, unsportsmanlike, dishonourable, fraudulent,
underhand(ed), double-dealing, two-faced, corrupt, venal, dirty,
treacherous, perfidious, traitorous, unscrupulous, Colloq
crooked, shady, Slang chiefly Brit bent: Thrupp will get his
way by fair means or foul. 8 nasty, dangerous, rough,
disagreeable, unfavourable, sloppy, stormy, adverse; windy,
blustery; snowy, sleety, wet, rainy: We ran into a spot of foul
weather at Dover. 9 obstructed, blocked, choked, stopped (up),
plugged (up), clogged (up): The drain is foul with all that
rubbish. 10 tangled, entangled, caught, ensnared, enmeshed,
snarled: A foul anchor is a common nautical symbol. 11
illegal, prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, not fair; dirty:
In boxing a hit below the belt is a foul blow.
--v. 12 dirty, pollute, sully, befoul, defile, soil,
contaminate, adulterate, taint: Effluent from the factory was
fouling the river. 13 tangle, entangle, catch, snare, ensnare,
enmesh, snag, snarl, jam, twist: We can't hoist the mainsail
because the halyard is fouled. 14 disgrace, dishonour, sully,
taint, besmirch, defile, soil, stain, smear, tarnish, blacken,
denigrate, debase, degrade, abase, demean, disparage, defame,
derogate, asperse, devaluate, depreciate, vitiate, belittle,
discredit, bring or call into disrepute: That act of treachery
will foul the family name for generations. 15 obstruct, block,
choke, stop or plug or clog (up): Dead leaves fouled the
downpipe. 16 foul up. a See def. 13. b mismanage, mishandle,
botch, bungle, make a mess (of), mess up, spoil, ruin, Colloq
muff, Brit throw a spanner in(to) (the works), US throw a monkey
wrench into (the machinery); Slang muck up, goof (up), blow,
screw up, louse up, Chiefly Brit bugger (up), US and Canadian
snafu: Give him a chance and he's sure to foul up. She fouled
up my hi-fi.
--n. 17 violation, infringement, infraction, illegality: The
Rangers' forward has already been charged with two fouls.
--adv. 18 afoul, in conflict, in trouble, in violation:
Curshaw has fallen foul of the law again.
foul play n. treachery, chicanery, perfidy, perfidiousness, duplicity,
double-dealing, deception, guile, crime, sharp practice,
skulduggery, dirty work or business, dirty trick(s); murder,
homicide, manslaughter; Colloq hanky-panky: The travellers
suspected foul play when the aeroplane failed to arrive. The
hacked up corpse suggested foul play to Detective LemaЊtre.
found v. 1 establish, originate, institute, set up, organize,
inaugurate, start, initiate, create, bring about, develop: The
society was founded a hundred years ago. 2 base, ground,
establish, set, build; rest: This charity was founded on love
and concern for children.
foundation
n. 1 basis, base, substructure, understructure, underpinning,
bottom, foot, basement, cellar: This foundation is of stone. 2
basis, base, fundamental, (underlying or fundamental) principle,
grounds, groundwork, rationale, raison d'€tre, purpose: Their
morality finds its foundations in Judaeo-Christian culture. 3
founding, establishment, instituting, institution, creation,
origination, setting up, organizing, organization, inauguration,
endowment: We voted for the foundation of an institute to study
the English language.
founder° n. originator, creator, progenitor, author, framer, father,
architect, designer, builder, initiator, establisher,
institutor: Today we honour the founder of this great
university.
founderэ v. 1 sink, go down or under, go to Davy Jones's locker, be
wrecked or destroyed: Many a proud vessel has foundered on this
rock. 2 fail, miscarry, collapse, come to nothing or naught,
fall through, abort, falter, break down, come to grief, die:
After Alice left to get married, the business foundered. 3
trip, stumble, stagger, lurch, fall, topple (over or down),
collapse; go lame: He drove the horse too hard and caused it to
founder.
foundling n. orphan, waif; stray, outcast: We are trying to raise money
for a hospital for foundlings.
fountain n. 1 fount, spring, font, jet, spout, spray, well, well-spring,
well-head, fountain-head: Bathing in the city fountains is
forbidden. 2 source, origin, genesis: Miss Corbell was a
fountain of wisdom on the subject of basket-weaving.
foxy adj. 1 clever, sly, cunning, wily, crafty, tricky, guileful,
shifty, devious, slippery, smooth, slick, artful, resourceful,
ingenious, calculating, designing, plotting, scheming,
disingenuous, knowing, shrewd, sharp, astute, wise; foxlike,
vulpine; Colloq cagey or cagy: Be careful dealing with him, for
he can be foxy. 2 attractive, alluring, seductive, vampish,
Colloq sexy: Margo is a very foxy lady.
fracas n. 1 trouble, disturbance, commotion, rumpus, fuss, hubbub,
pandemonium, hullabaloo, uproar, disorder, scramble, scuffle,
brawl, rough-house, rough-and-tumble, turmoil, tumult,
free-for-all, riot, fray, brouhaha, m€l‚e or melee, Law affray;
Brit scrum, US brannigan; Colloq ruckus, punch-up, Slang Brit
bovver: It was football hooligans who caused the fracas after
the game. 2 argument, disagreement, quarrel, dispute, discord,
wrangle, altercation, squabble, spat, tiff, fight, row, tussle,
Donnybrook, brawl, Colloq barney, scrap: After the referee's
ruling, a fracas broke out.
fracture n. 1 break, breakage, breaking: An old fracture makes him walk
with a limp. 2 break, crack, split, rupture, breach,
separation, cleavage, division, rift: We can permit no fracture
in the united front we present to the voters.
--v. 3 break, rupture, crack, split, breach, separate, cleave:
He fractured three vertebrae in the accident.
fragile adj. frail, breakable, brittle, frangible, delicate, dainty,
thin, light, slight, weak, feeble, infirm, decrepit; tenuous,
shaky, flimsy, rickety, unsubstantial or insubstantial: Because
of her great age, her bones had become fragile. The argument in
favour of acquittal is very fragile, indeed.
fragment n. 1 piece, portion, part, chip, shard or sherd, splinter,
sliver, scrap, bit, speck, snippet, morsel, crumb, particle,
remnant, shred, snatch: A fragment of the airliner was found
twenty miles from the crash. 2 fragments. smithereens; debris,
Literary disjecta membra: The car was blown into thousands of
fragments. I tried to pick up the fragments of my former life.
--v. 3 shatter, splinter, break or split (up), explode,
disintegrate, come or go to pieces, come apart: I picked up the
skull and it fragmented in my fingers.
fragmentary
adj. disconnected, piecemeal, incomplete, scattered,
disjointed, incoherent, sketchy: Accounts of the disaster are
still fragmentary.
fragrance n. fragrancy, scent, aroma, smell, odour, redolence, perfume,
bouquet, balm: The fragrance of orange blossom filled the room.
fragrant adj. aromatic, odorous, redolent, perfumed, balmy, odoriferous,
ambrosial, sweet-scented, sweet-smelling: A fragrant breeze
wafted over the meadow.
frail adj. 1 See fragile. 2 ailing, unwell, ill, sick, sickly,
poorly, thin, skinny, slight, puny, scrawny, wasting or fading
away, languishing, infirm, feeble; crippled, consumptive,
phthisic: She is too frail to see visitors.
frailty n. 1 weakness, infirmity, delicate condition, feebleness,
fragility, delicacy: The doctors are concerned about his
frailty. 2 susceptibility, liability, suggestibility,
impressionability, vulnerability; fallibility, foible, flaw,
defect, imperfection, fault: You just said that to take
advantage of my frailty. Her vanity is her greatest frailty.
frame n. 1 framework, shell, form, skeleton, support, chassis,
framing, structure, fabric, scaffolding, construction: We made
a frame of sticks over which the canvas was stretched. 2
border, casing, case-mounting, mount, edge, edging; setting:
This picture would look best in a gold frame. 3 system, form,
pattern, scheme, schema, plan, order, organization, framework,
structure, construct, construction, arrangement, blueprint,
design, layout, composition, context, make-up, configuration:
The proposed new department does not fit into the present frame
of the company. 4 physique, build, bone structure, body,
skeleton, figure: He has an unusually large frame for a dancer.
5 frame of mind. mood, humour, state, condition, attitude, bent,
disposition: I am not in the right frame of mind to put up with
your nonsense at the moment.
--v. 6 construct, build, put together, assemble, set up, put
up, erect, raise, elevate: We framed the entire house in two
days. 7 make, fashion, form, mould, carve out, forge,
originate, create, devise, compose, formulate, put together,
conceive, draw up, draft, shape, block out, give form or shape
to; contrive: The founding fathers met to frame a new
constitution. 8 enclose, box (in); set off: I like the way
you've framed that painting. 9 set up, incriminate
(fraudulently), trap, entrap: Did Dr Crippen kill his wife or
was he framed?
frank adj. 1 open, free, candid, direct, outspoken, unreserved,
uninhibited, honest, sincere, genuine, truthful, plain-spoken,
forthright, downright, explicit, unrestrained, unchecked,
unconstrained, unrestricted, unabashed: I asked for a frank
appraisal of my work and, unfortunately, he gave it. 2 candid,
na‹ve, guileless, artless, ingenuous, innocent, (open and)
above-board, on the up and up, Colloq upfront, on the level:
The boy's description of the events was completely frank.
frantic adj. frenzied, excited, frenetic, nervous, overwrought,
excitable, wrought up, distracted, distraught, beside oneself,
hysterical, wild, berserk, mad, running amok; upset, agitated,
perturbed, at one's wit's end, disconcerted, confused; hectic;
Colloq in a state, in a tizzy, up the wall, in a dither, out of
one's mind, Chiefly US and Canadian discombobulated: They are
frantic because they haven't heard from Edmund in a week.
fraternal adj. brotherly, platonic, friendly, comradely, idealistic,
intellectual: He insists that his interest in her is purely
fraternal.
fraternity
n. 1 community, brotherhood, crowd, set, clique, coterie,
circle, society, US club: Rumours have been circulating in the
academic fraternity for months. 2 brotherliness, kinship,
fellowship, camaraderie, sodality, comradeship, friendship,
companionship, relatedness, closeness, association, affiliation,
solidarity, unity, esprit de corps, clannishness: A sense of
fraternity prevents them from betraying one another. 3 company,
guild, clan, league, club, union, society, association: She has
joined the fraternity of legal clerks.
fraternize
v. consort (with), associate (with), socialize (with), go
(around or round) with or together, spend time with or together,
keep company (with), hobnob with, mingle (with), mix (with),
take up with or together, keep up (with), fall in with, rub
shoulders (with), Colloq hang out (with or together), hang about
or around with or together: Soldiers are forbidden to
fraternize, which means they are not allowed to fraternize with
local people.
fraud n. 1 deception, trickery, cheating, sharp practice, chicanery,
deceit, swindling, double-dealing, duplicity, artifice, craft,
guile, humbug, humbuggery, treachery, Colloq monkey business,
funny business, hanky-panky: The company directors have been
convicted of fraud. 2 trick, hoax, swindle, deception, cheat,
wile, stratagem, dodge, bilk, ruse, sham, fake, subterfuge,
Colloq flimflam, Slang gyp, rip-off, scam: The investigation
exposed extensive fraud in the handling of local government
funds. 3 deceiver, trickster, cheat(er), impostor, swindler,
charlatan, humbug, sharper, shark, bilk(er), quack, mountebank,
fake(r), pretender, bluff(er), confidence man, inveigler,
defrauder; scoundrel, rogue, Archaic knave; Colloq con man or
artist, phoney or US also phony, flimflam artist, flimflammer,
US and Canadian four-flusher; Slang US barracuda: He is a fraud
who extracts protection money from the elderly.
fraudulent
n. 1 fake, counterfeit, forged, false, falsified, spurious,
imitation, sham, pinchbeck, Colloq phoney or US also phony:
These banknotes are fraudulent. 2 deceitful, dishonest,
criminal, deceptive, tricky, artful, crafty, double-dealing,
duplicitous, shifty, guileful, sharp, Colloq shady, crooked,
bent: Substituting paste for diamonds is a fraudulent act.
fraught adj. 1 Usually, fraught with. filled or charged or packed with,
loaded with, teeming or replete or overflowing with,
oversupplied with, abounding or abundant in, attended or
accompanied by: The scene was fraught with emotion. 2 tense,
taut, stressful, trying, anxious, distressing, distressful,
upsetting, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, fretful, strained,
traumatic: Relations between the two countries became even more
fraught following the incident.
fray° n. disturbance, skirmish, fight, battle, brawl, tussle,
scuffle, fracas, m€l‚e or melee, Donnybrook, wrangle, rumpus,
row, quarrel, dispute, altercation, Law affray, Colloq ruckus,
punch-up: He leapt into the fray and fought like a tiger.
frayэ v. shred, wear (thin or threadbare), wear out, rub, abrade,
chafe, ravel, unravel, frazzle: He saves his frayed shirts to
wear at home.
freak n. 1 monstrosity, monster, mutant, deformity: The show
features freaks such as a two-headed calf and a bearded lady. 2
anomaly, rarity, abnormality, irregularity, oddity, curiosity,
rara avis, rare bird, Brit one-off, Colloq one-shot: Biologists
regard the albino giraffe as a freak of nature. 3 whim,
caprice, vagary, crotchet, quirk, eccentricity, fancy,
idiosyncrasy, peculiarity: The snow in New York in July was a
freak. 4 enthusiast, fan, devotee, aficionado; fanatic, addict;
Colloq buff, fiend, nut: She's been a jazz freak for years.
--adj. 5 freakish, freaky, abnormal, anomalous, extraordinary,
unique, rare, atypical, unusual, odd, queer, strange,
exceptional, bizarre, weird, unparalleled, unforeseen,
unexpected, unpredicted, unpredictable, Brit one-off, Colloq
one-shot: He claims he had a freak experience with a lion that
had a thorn in its foot.
free adj. 1 at liberty, unfettered, unchained, unshackled,
unconfined, untrammelled, unencumbered, unrestrained,
unrestricted, unconstrained, uncontrolled, free-born,
independent, self-governing, self-governed, self-ruling,
autonomous, democratic, sovereign: These people want to be
free. It's a free country. 2 liberated, at large, let go, let
off, emancipated, delivered, manumitted, set free, unshackled,
unfettered, released, freed, loose, out, Colloq sprung, on the
loose: After ten years he was free at last. 3 unoccupied,
unengaged, at liberty, not busy, available, accessible; unused,
vacant, empty, spare, extra, uninhabited, untenanted: Are you
free for dinner tonight? Here is a free room we can use for the
meeting. 4 cost-free, free of charge, complimentary, gratis, for
nothing, without cost (or obligation), unencumbered, Colloq for
free, on the house: The food was free but we paid for our
drinks. 5 unattached, unfastened, untied, loose: Tie the free
end of the rope round your waist. 6 unasked for, unsolicited,
gratuitous, unbidden, voluntary, spontaneous, unconditioned,
unconditional: Let me give you some free advice. 7 generous,
lavish, open, liberal, munificent, unstinting, bountiful,
open-handed, unsparing; charitable: Fred is quite free with his
donations to good causes. 8 relaxed, casual, informal, free and
easy, easy, natural, unceremonious, Colloq laid-back: He is
quite free about letting me use his car. 9 open, above-board,
honest, direct, outspoken, uninhibited, unconstrained,
unrestrained, relaxed: You can be free in your criticism. 10
unhindered, unimpeded, unencumbered, unhampered, unobstructed,
allowed, permitted, able, clear, unrestricted, unregulated:
She's free to do as she pleases. The two countries have signed a
free-trade agreement. 11 free of. rid of, exempt(ed) from,
relieved of, safe from, not liable or subject to, immune from,
unaffected by, above, without, untouched by: He thinks he is
free of her influence.
--adv. 12 freely, openly, at will, unrestrictedly, loose;
loosely: Our dog runs free on the farm. Let the rope hang free.
13 gratis, at no cost, free of charge, without charge: They
give new businesses advice free.
--v. 14 set free, set at liberty, enfranchise, release, let go,
liberate, let out, let loose, unloose, unchain, unfetter,
uncage; emancipate, disenthrall, manumit; pardon, parole,
furlough: Bail was paid and we were freed. Lincoln freed the
slaves. He was freed after six years in prison. 15 disengage,
untie, unbind, loose, unfasten, undo, unshackle, unlock, open,
release, disentangle, loosen, detach, extricate: Free the end
of that rope. 16 relieve, rid, unburden, disburden,
disencumber, unbosom; rescue, redeem: Free yourself of any
preconceived notions on the subject.
freedom n. 1 liberty, independence, self-government,
self-determination, self-direction, autonomy: Democracy is
based on the freedom of the individual. 2 release, deliverance,
liberation, emancipation, manumission: Will these people ever
get their freedom? 3 exemption, immunity, deliverance,
liberation, relief: All citizens should enjoy freedom from
want. 4 range, latitude, scope, play, deregulation,
non-interference, discretion, margin, free hand, discretion;
facility, ease, licence, permission, right, privilege,
authority, authorization, power, carte blanche: He must have
the freedom to make decisions. I have the freedom to do as I
wish. 5 free time, leisure, spare time: I like a lot of freedom
to do things in my own time. 6 candour, honesty, openness,
frankness, candidness, unrestraint, unconstraint, naturalness:
Freedom of speech is practised here. 7 boldness,
overfamiliarity, audacity, audaciousness, forwardness,
brazenness, brass, impertinence, impudence, disrespect,
arrogance, presumption, presumptuousness, nerve, gall: Where
does she get the freedom to talk to you that way?
freely adv. 1 candidly, frankly, openly, unreservedly, without
reserve, unrestrainedly, without restraint, unconstrainedly,
without constraint, unceremoniously, plainly: Please speak
freely. 2 willingly, spontaneously, readily, voluntarily, on
(one's) own, independently, of (one's) own accord, of (one's)
own volition or free will: I didn't send for her - she came to
me freely. 3 unrestrainedly, unrestrictedly, without
restriction, without let or hindrance, without interference: He
was allowed to move freely about the island. 4 liberally,
lavishly, unreservedly, generously, unstintingly, open-handedly,
ungrudgingly, munificently, amply, plentifully, abundantly: He
has no money to donate but he gives freely of his time. 5
readily, easily, smoothly, cleanly, unobstructedly: With the
obstacle removed, the water ran freely through the pipes.
freeze v. 1 chill, refrigerate, ice, deep-freeze, flash-freeze, frost:
If you freeze the leftovers, they keep better. 2 solidify,
congeal, harden, stiffen, ice up or over: When the lake
freezes, we can go skating. 3 fix, immobilize, paralyse, stop
(dead or dead in one's tracks), stay, pin, transfix, Gorgonize;
become fixed, stand (stock-)still or motionless; peg, stick,
set: She froze him with an icy stare. He froze to the spot in
horror. Rates of exchange are no longer frozen. 4 freeze out.
exclude, debar, ban, reject, ostracize; eject, drive away or
out, expel, force out: When he tried to join the club, he was
frozen out.
--n. 5 frost, Brit freeze-up, US ice-up, deep-freeze: There
will be a freeze tonight in northern counties. 6 fix,
immobilization: The government has put a freeze on wages.
freezing adj. frigid, icy, arctic, frosty, boreal, hyperboreal, numbing,
Siberian, polar, glacial, ice-cold, wintry, bone-chilling,
bitter, biting, bitter(ly) cold, perishing, cold, chill,
tooth-chattering; chilled to the bone, frozen, shivering,
Archaic frore: The rescue was performed under freezing
conditions. We were freezing in our thin jackets.
freight n. 1 transport, transportation, carriage, conveyance, shipping,
shipment, freightage, delivery: The charges for freight are
included. 2 goods, cargo, tonnage, freightage; load, boatload,
shipload, lorry load, haul, consignment, payload: How much
freight passes through here?
frenzy n. 1 excitement, agitation, fury, fever, Brit furore or US
furor, passion, turmoil, transport: The crowd was whipped into
a frenzy at the match. 2 distraction, paroxysm, seizure,
outburst, bout, fit: She went into a frenzy of despair after
the death of her family.
frequent adj. 1 recurrent, recurring, habitual, regular, familiar,
everyday, customary, usual, ordinary, normal, common, repeated,
iterative, reiterative, persistent, continuing, continual,
constant; many, numerous, countless, innumerable: She was a
frequent visitor at our house. She paid us frequent visits.
--v. 2 haunt, patronize, visit, resort to, go to or attend
regularly, Colloq hang out or around at: Yes, Inspector, I used
to frequent the pub called The Saracen's Head.
frequently
adv. 1 often, regularly, continually, repeatedly, over and over
(again), again and again, a lot, many times, many a time, time
after time, time and (time) again, Archaic oftentimes,
oft-times: She has visited me frequently during the past weeks.
2 often, habitually, customarily, regularly, usually,
ordinarily, generally, commonly, every so often, many a time, as
often as not, Archaic oftentimes, oft-times: He frequently
stops at The Golden Hind after work.
fresh adj. 1 new, today's, brand-new; (most) recent, late(st): Don't
you love the smell of fresh bread? This is the product of fresh
research. 2 new, modern, up to date, novel, original,
newfangled, unusual, unconventional, different, alternative,
unorthodox: We are seeking a fresh approach. 3 raw,
inexperienced, untested, unsophisticated, green, untried,
unfledged, immature, untrained, na‹ve, callow, (still) wet
behind the ears, Brit still in nappies; US still in diapers:
These troops are too fresh to send into battle. 4 additional,
new, further, renewed, extra, supplementary: We need a fresh
supply of paper towels. 5 alert, refreshed, vigorous,
energetic, invigorated, spry, lively, full of vim and vigour,
fresh as a daisy, keen, bright, brisk, active, Colloq
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: Put the horses through the
dressage while they are fresh. 6 wholesome, healthy, well,
refreshed, glowing, fair, rosy, ruddy, blooming, flourishing:
She came back to work fresh from a week's rest. 7 moderate,
brisk, strong; cool, clean, pure, clear, unpolluted: Sailing
conditions were ideal: a fresh breeze and good visibility. Open
the window for some fresh air. 8 bold, impudent, impertinent,
brazen, brassy, forward, disrespectful, saucy, pert, cheeky,
presumptuous, insolent, rude, Colloq smart-alecky or
smart-aleck, US sassy, flip: That fresh kid called her an old
bag.
freshen v. 1 strengthen, increase, blow harder: The wind began to
freshen as we sailed past the headland. 2 Sometimes, freshen
up. invigorate, revive, refresh, enliven, (re)vitalize,
stimulate, titivate, rouse, liven up: I'll just freshen up
before dinner. Freshen these flowers by changing the water. 3
ventilate, air out, deodorize, purify: We freshen the rooms by
opening all the windows. 4 strengthen, spike, lace, fortify:
May I freshen your drink?
fret v. 1 worry, be concerned, agonize, lose sleep, be upset or
distressed or anxious or disturbed, grieve, brood, whine, fuss,
complain, Colloq stew, tear one's hair: Your kitten is safe
now, so stop fretting. 2 worry, concern, distress, vex, annoy,
irritate, torment, provoke, US rankle: She fretted herself
about Henry's health.
fretful adj. irritable, vexed, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, peevish,
edgy, cross, petulant, testy, touchy, tetchy, splenetic,
irascible, choleric, crabby, fractious, short-tempered, grumpy,
sulky, moody, fault-finding, carping, querulous, whining,
complaining, captious, ill-natured, disagreeable, impatient,
snappish, waspish, short, abrupt, curt, US and Canadian cranky:
Are you always so fretful before breakfast?
friction n. 1 abrasion, rubbing, abrading, chafing, fretting, attrition,
scraping, grating, erosion: Friction is always accompanied by
heat. 2 disagreement, discord, conflict, contention, dispute,
dissension, disharmony, controversy, dissent, bickering,
argument, wrangling, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood,
animosity, rivalry, hostility, antagonism, strife: Politics
have always been a source of friction between them.
friend n. 1 (boon) companion, partner, comrade, crony, familiar,
confidant(e), intimate, Achates, alter ego, ally, compeer;
acquaintance, playmate, pen-pal or Brit also pen-friend; Colloq
chum, pal, Brit cocker, Chiefly Brit and Australian and New
Zealand mate, Australian cobber, US and Canadian (bosom) buddy,
SW US compadre; Slang Brit (old) china: She is spending the
weekend with some friends. 2 ally, associate, fellow,
confederate, colleague, co-worker, confrЉre, compatriot,
consociate, US cohort: A friend from the office is coming to
dinner. 3 room-mate, bunk-mate, flatmate, soul mate, bedfellow,
lover, sweetheart, escort; girl, woman, girlfriend, concubine,
mistress, Old-fashioned doxy; man, boyfriend, Old-fashioned
beau; Colloq US alternative other, POSSLQ (= 'Person of the
Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters'), roomie; Slang baby,
moll, sugar-daddy, US squeeze, twist, Chiefly Brit bird: Chris,
why don't you introduce us to your new friend? 4 benefactor,
patron, supporter, advocate, adherent, backer, financier,
Maecenas; angel, investor: He has long been associated with the
Friends of the Library.
friendly adj. 1 amicable, congenial, sociable, companionable, comradely,
convivial, familiar, well-disposed, close, on good terms,
simpatico, comfortable, at home, neighbourly, clubby, fraternal,
brotherly, sisterly, Colloq chummy, pally, thick, Brit matey, US
palsy-walsy, buddy-buddy: We've always been friendly with the
people next door. 2 amiable, affectionate, loving,
demonstrative, cordial, warm-hearted, warm, genial, agreeable,
good-natured, pleasant, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, agreeable,
affable, approachable, accessible, unreserved, open, Brit
clubbable: Clare can be very friendly when she wants to be.
friendship
n. 1 amity, congeniality, sociability, companionability,
comradeship, fellowship, conviviality, familiarity, closeness,
neighbourliness, harmony, clubbiness, fraternity, brotherhood,
sisterhood, alliance: I hope that this affair will not affect
the friendship between our countries. 2 friendliness,
amiability, amicability, esteem, warmth, devotion, affection,
fondness, attachment, (deep) regard, rapport, intimacy, love:
What can I do to regain your friendship?
fright n. 1 fear, alarm, terror, dread, horror, panic, trepidation,
dismay, consternation, apprehension, Colloq (blue) funk: He
almost dies of fright at the sight of blood. 2 scare, shock:
Here, sip this brandy; you've had a terrible fright. 3 spectre,
monster, eyesore, Colloq sight, mess: He looked a perfect
fright when I saw him after the accident.
frighten v. terrify, scare, alarm, panic, startle, shock, petrify,
horrify, dismay, appal or US appall, unnerve, distress, daunt,
cow, intimidate, Colloq scare out of one's wits, make one's hair
stand on end, scare the (living) daylights [etc.] out of, scare
stiff, Brit put the wind up (someone), put the frighteners on
(someone): She was frightened by the neighbours' vicious dog.
Are you frightened of aeroplanes?
frightening
adj. terrifying, alarming, startling, shocking, petrifying,
horrifying, dismaying, appalling, unnerving, dire, distressing,
daunting, intimidating, formidable, frightful, fearful,
hair-raising, harrowing, dreadful, Colloq scary, spooky:
Skydiving can be a frightening experience. The sight of their
mangled bodies was frightening.
frightfully
adv. awfully, very, extremely; amazingly, surprisingly: We saw
a frightfully good play last night.
frigid adj. 1 cold, arctic, frosty, frozen, glacial, icy, hyperboreal,
polar, bone-chilling, boreal, Siberian, freezing, wintry,
chilly, chill, Archaic frore: We were huddled in that frigid
alpine hut for two days. 2 cold, cool, cold-hearted,
forbidding, austere, unemotional, unfeeling, stiff, rigid, prim,
strait-laced, stony, callous, steely, obdurate, thick-skinned,
impervious, inaccessible, remote, unapproachable, unfriendly,
standoffish, haughty, aloof, reserved: His behaviour to his
ex-wife has always been frigid. 3 unapproachable, unresponsive,
impassive, passive, indifferent, cold; impotent: She says he's
impotent and he insists that she's frigid.
frill n. 1 trimming, decoration, ornament, furbelow, flounce, ruffle:
This dress would be suitable without the frill. 2
ornamentation, frippery, falderal or fal de rol or folderol,
frou-frou, showiness, ostentation, embellishment, luxury,
trimming, extra, addition, superfluity, gewgaw, (bit of)
paraphernalia, Colloq US foofaraw, bells and whistles, Slang
jazz: They ordered a computer system that has every imaginable
frill.
fringe n. 1 trimming, edge, edging, border, frill, flounce, ruffle,
purfle, purfling, ruff, ruche or rouche, ricrac or rickrack,
ornament, decoration, furbelow: The curtains would look better
without that pink fringe. 2 border, perimeter, edge, boundary,
bounds, periphery, limits, margin, outskirts, march(es);
Technical fimbria: We live on the fringes of Oxford.
--v. 3 edge, border, trim, surround: The grounds are fringed
with trees.
frisk v. 1 caper, gambol, cavort, frolic, skip, trip, romp, curvet,
leap, dance, prance, play, rollick: She was frisking about like
a lamb. 2 search, inspect, examine, check (out), go over: At
the airport, we were frisked for weapons.
frisky adj. lively, frolicsome, rollicking, playful, active, animated,
(high-)spirited, coltish: Tell Frances to calm down - she's
getting a bit too frisky.
fritter v. fritter away. squander, waste, idle away, misspend,
dissipate: Stop frittering away your time watching television.
She frittered away every penny of her inheritance.
frivolous adj. 1 trifling, inconsequential, unimportant, trivial,
nugatory, insignificant, minor, petty, paltry, niggling,
peripheral, superficial, worthless, Colloq small-time, Brit
twopenny, two a penny, US two-bit, penny-ante, nitty-gritty:
Don't waste my time with frivolous details. 2 scatterbrained,
bird-brained, silly, feather-brained, irresponsible, flippant,
casual, flighty, giddy, foolish, childish, puerile; airy, light,
slight, Brit airy-fairy, Colloq flip: Try to be serious and
less frivolous about such important matters.
frolic n. 1 merriment, merrymaking, gaiety, sport, fun (and games),
high jinks, jollity, mirth, jollification, festivity,
celebration, revelry, play, horseplay, Colloq skylarking,
partying: After we won the cup there was great frolic in the
town. 2 romp, party, spree, revel, gambol, caper, gambado,
antic; escapade, prank: The noise of our frolics echoed across
the square.
--v. 3 frisk, cavort, caper, skylark, gambol, rollick, romp,
cut capers, curvet, play, skip, sport, have fun, Colloq party,
make whoopee, horse around or about: Gregory frolics about
instead of getting on with his work.
frolicsome
adj. playful, merry, frisky, sportive, gay, lively, sprightly,
animated, spirited, coltish: Irene may seem frolicsome but she
has her sober side as well.
front n. 1 face, fa‡ade, facing, fore-part, anterior; obverse: The
front of the door has a painting on it. This dress buttons up
the front. 2 frontage, forefront: The front of the property
measures only 40 feet. 3 beginning, head, fore, vanguard,
forefront, van: At the front of the parade marched the mayor.
4 bearing, demeanour, mien, air, face, countenance, fa‡ade,
mask, expression, show, appearance, aspect, look, exterior:
Despite her grief, she put on a brave front at the wake. 5
disguise, cover, guise, mask, cover-up, show, pretext, fa‡ade:
The restaurant was merely a front for a narcotics operation. 6
movement, organization, league, bloc, party, group, faction,
wing: A new popular front was formed out of a coalition of
several opposition groups. 7 haughtiness, overconfidence,
effrontery: He frightens away potential clients by showing so
much front. 8 in front. first, leading, ahead, to the fore, in
the forefront, in the vanguard or van, in advance, in the lead,
before; winning: In this picture the man in front is my father.
My horse was in front all the way. 9 upfront. a See 8, above.
b open, straightforward, honest, direct, forthright, frank,
candid: Why can't you be upfront instead of conspiring against
me?
--adj. 10 first, advance, foremost, leading, head; main: The
front carriage was smashed in the train wreck. Enter by the
front door.
--v. 11 overlook, face, look out on or towards, be opposite:
Our house fronts the river. The flat fronts on the street. 12
front for. act for, represent; substitute for, replace: I hate
formal affairs and hoped that you might front for me.
frontier n. front line; border, boundary, bound(s), marches, (far)
reaches, limit(s), pale, extreme(s), bourn: We'll need our
passports to cross the frontier into Italy.
froth n. 1 foam, spume, suds, lather, bubbles; head: The froth
tickles my nose. 2 trivia, rubbish, nonsense, twaddle, babble,
gibberish, drivel, Colloq hot air, gas, gab, piffle: His
sermons were just so much froth.
--v. 3 foam, spume, bubble, fizz, effervesce, aerate: You are
supposed to drink the medicine while it is frothing. 4 foam,
salivate; lather: He was so angry he began to froth at the
mouth.
frown v. 1 scowl, glower, glare, knit one's brows, grimace, give a
dirty look, Brit lour or lower, US lower: Don't frown so much
or you'll get wrinkles. 2 frown on or upon. disapprove (of),
(look on or regard or view with) disfavour, discountenance, look
down on or upon, look askance at, not take kindly to, not think
much of, look disapprovingly upon, Colloq take a dim view of, be
turned off by: My parents frown on my seeing you.
--n. 3 scowl, glower, glare, grimace, dirty look, Brit lour or
lower, US lower: Her forehead is always furrowed by a frown.
frugal adj. 1 thrifty, sparing, economic(al), careful, prudent,
provident, saving, conservative, conservational, moderate:
Mother had to become quite frugal when father fell ill. 2
parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, mean,
miserly, stingy, niggardly, tight(-fisted), close(-fisted), hand
to mouth: He led a frugal existence on his earnings as an
artist. 3 meagre, paltry, poor, skimpy, scant(y), small,
negligible, piddling: His frugal meal consisted entirely of
bread and water.
fruit n. Often, fruits. product(s), result(s), revenue(s), outgrowth,
outcome, consequence(s), return(s), advantage(s), benefit(s),
profit(s), emolument, payment, income, compensation, recompense,
desert(s): He didn't live to enjoy the fruit of his work.
fruitful adj. 1 productive, fertile, prolific, fecund; fructiferous,
frugiferous, fructuous: The soil in this valley is extremely
fruitful. 2 effective, worthwhile, well-spent, profitable,
successful, useful, rewarding, advantageous, beneficial,
productive, fertile: We had a fruitful meeting and accomplished
a great deal. 3 plentiful, abundant, bounteous, bountiful,
prolific, plenteous, copious, luxurious, rich, flourishing: We
expect another fruitful harvest this year.
fruition n. realization, fulfilment, consummation, achievement, success,
materialization, maturity, ripeness, maturation, completion;
perfection: I saw my plans for the town brought to fruition.
fruitless adj. barren, unfruitful, unproductive, worthless, bootless,
futile, pointless, useless, vain, idle, unavailing, ineffectual,
ineffective, unprofitable, for naught, to no avail,
unsuccessful, unrewarding, abortive: Our search for a new
manager has so far been fruitless.
frustrate v. 1 thwart, foil, stymie, block, baffle, check, balk or baulk,
disappoint, discourage, forestall, prevent, stop, halt, cripple,
hinder, hamper, impede, hamstring, defeat, counteract,
neutralize, nullify, counter, fight off, repel, repulse: So
far, we have been able to frustrate take-over bids for the
company. 2 discourage, disappoint, upset, exasperate: I feel
frustrated because mother won't let me help with the bills.
fuel n. 1 tinder, combustible, kindling; fossil or nuclear fuel:
You must pay a lot for fuel to heat that big house. 2
ammunition, encouragement, stimulus, incitement, provocation:
Her teasing him only provided more fuel for his passion. 3
nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, food, nutrition: The body
needs more fuel on a cold day.
--v. 4 nourish, feed, sustain; stimulate, encourage, incite,
provoke, inflame, exacerbate, excite: U-235 is used to fuel the
reactor. Frustration fuels the flame of desire.
fugitive n. 1 runaway, escapee, deserter, refugee, Archaic runagate:
Many fugitives from political oppression seek asylum in the UK.
--adj. 2 fleeing, escaped, running away, runaway: They police
are able to devote little time to tracing fugitive children. 3
fleeting, passing, brief, short-lived, transitory, transient,
ephemeral, evanescent, momentary, volatile, fugacious: She once
entertained the fugitive notion of becoming an opera singer.
fulfil v. 1 bring about, achieve, accomplish, bring or carry to
completion, carry out, complete, consummate, discharge, live up
to, abide by, observe, realize, effect, bring or carry off,
carry through, keep, satisfy, do, perform, execute, effectuate,
achieve: I trust that you will fulfil all your obligations.
Will she ever fulfil her ambition to be a virtuoso pianist? 2
answer, satisfy, meet, implement, look or see to, conform to or
with, comply with, obey: This hammer will fulfil my needs for
the moment. Will your new assistant be able to fulfil your
requirements?
fulfilment
n. completion, consummation, performance, carrying out or
through, discharge, realization, implementation, execution,
accomplishment, compliance, conformity or conformance, making
good, meeting, satisfaction, answering, achievement: You will
be paid upon fulfilment of the contract.
full adj. 1 filled, replete, brimming, brim-full, packed,
jam-packed, congested, loaded, bursting, chock-a-block,
chock-full or choke-full or chuck-full, jammed, crammed, solid,
well supplied, crowded, stuffed; gorged, saturated, sated,
satiated: The tank is full of petrol. Her Christmas stocking
was full of toys. I'm full; I couldn't manage another bite. 2
complete, thorough, detailed, comprehensive, total,
all-inclusive, broad, extensive, all-encompassing, exhaustive,
plenary: The police are demanding a full investigation. 3
complete, entire, whole: The recipe calls for a full dozen egg
yolks. 4 utmost, greatest, maximum, highest, top; extreme:
Full speed ahead. 5 wide, ample, generous, broad, copious,
loose(-fitting): The tight bolero jacket is offset by a full
skirt. 6 occupied, engrossed, absorbed, immersed, preoccupied,
obsessed, consumed, engaged, concerned: She's entirely too full
of herself to pay any attention to us. 7 filled or rounded out,
round(ish), well-rounded, plump; robust, shapely, well-shaped,
curvaceous, buxom, busty, voluptuous, full-bodied,
well-proportioned, well-built , Slang stacked, Brit
well-stacked, US zaftig, built: His face is rather full, so
wrinkles don't show. Her figure is what I'd call full. 8
unrestricted, non-restricted, unconditional, unqualified:
Payment of dues entitles you to full membership privileges. 9
sentimental, emotional, overflowing: His heart was so full he
could say no more. 10 unobscured, unshaded, undimmed, open,
broad, bright, shining, brilliant, dazzling, glaring, intense,
blazing, blinding; harsh, vivid, revealing: We emerged into
full daylight. In the full light of day, the plan seems
unworkable. 11 powerful, resonant, rich, deep, loud: His full
bass voice was unmistakable. 12 complete, whole, entire;
comprehensive, uncut, unabridged, intact, unshortened,
unbowdlerized, uncensored: We were to receive full pay for a
half day's work. Is this a full deck of cards? I have a full set
of the original engravings.
--adv. 13 fully, completely, entirely, wholly, thoroughly,
altogether: That is not a full-grown horse. 14 squarely,
directly, right, precisely, exactly, bang, Colloq slap, smack:
The ball hit him full in the eye. 15 very, perfectly,
exceedingly, quite, Slang damned: You know full well why I am
here.
--n. 16 maximum, greatest degree, fullest: The moon is at its
full tonight. 17 in full. completely, fully, entirely, wholly,
thoroughly, in its entirety, totally, in toto: Copy this report
in full. 18 to the full or fullest. completely, fully, quite,
thoroughly, to the utmost, to the greatest or fullest extent; a
great deal, greatly, hugely, enormously: We enjoyed our visit
to the full.
fumble v. 1 grope, feel, stumble: She fumbled about for the light
switch. 2 mishandle, drop, muff, bungle, botch, Colloq US
bobble, flub: Bosworth fumbled the ball and Fernpath scored
again.
fume v. 1 seethe, smoulder, chafe, boil, rage, storm, rant, flare
up, bluster, lose one's temper, explode, Colloq get steamed (up)
(over or about), lose one's cool, flip one's lid, flip (out),
fly off the handle, hit the roof, raise the roof, blow one's top
or stack, get hot under the collar, blow a gasket, go off the
deep end: She was fuming because I was five minutes late. 2
smoke: The mixture fumes if you add these ingredients.
--n. 3 Usually, fumes. smoke, vapour, effluvium, gas,
exhalation, exhaust; smell, odour, aroma, fragrance, stench,
stink, miasma; pollution, smog: The fumes from O. C. Cabot's
cigar spread through the building.
fumigate v. disinfect, cleanse, purify, sanitize, sterilize,
decontaminate: There have been no insects since the kitchen was
fumigated.
fun n. 1 merriment, merrymaking, gaiety, glee, jollity, mirth,
cheer, high spirits, delight, frolic, festivity, high jinks;
amusement, diversion, sport, enjoyment, recreation,
entertainment, pastime, joy, pleasure, Colloq (making) whoopee:
Your party was great fun. We always have fun when we're
together. Want to have some fun? 2 tomfoolery, horseplay,
joking, playfulness, clowning, pranks, sport, jesting,
jocularity, nonsense, fooling around or about, Colloq
skylarking: This is no time for fun - we have to catch a train.
3 in or for fun. jokingly, teasingly, in jest, facetiously, with
tongue in cheek, playfully, as a lark, for a joke or gag; not
seriously: In fun, we told him that he had missed the last
ferry. 4 Like fun! Under no circumstances!, No way!, Colloq
Like hell!, US No way, Jose!: Like fun will I go swimming in
the nude! 5 make fun of. poke fun at, tease, deride, (hold up
to) ridicule, scoff at, lampoon, parody, satirize, make sport or
game of, taunt, gibe, rag, Colloq kid, rib, Brit send up: Kevin
is always making fun of people by imitating them.
function n. 1 purpose, aim, use, role or r“le, raison d'€tre,
responsibility, mission, charge, concern, business, province,
duty, job, occupation, work, office, task, chore, assignment,
commission, activity: A knife's function is to cut; a guard's
is to stand watch. 2 reception, gathering, affair, party,
dinner, banquet, gala, ceremony, formality, rite, ritual;
occasion, event: We are attending a function at the embassy
tonight.
--v. 3 act, operate, perform, behave, work, go, run: Are you
sure the engine is functioning properly? 4 serve, take the role
or r“le of, act the part of, act as, work as: Dunmow will
function as host in my absence.
functional
adj. 1 utilitarian, useful, serviceable, practical,
practicable, functioning, working; essential, important,
effective: This gear is a functional part, not mere decoration.
2 working, operating, operational, running, going: Is this
telephone functional?
functionary
n. official, commissioner, bureaucrat, office-holder, officer:
She is some sort of functionary at the Ministry of Information.
fund n. 1 supply, stock, reserve, store, pool, cache, reservoir,
repository, mine: Alison is a veritable fund of information
about art. 2 Often, funds. money, (hard) cash, ready money,
assets, means, wealth, resources, wherewithal, savings, capital,
nest egg, endowment, Colloq loot, lucre, pelf, green, bread,
dough, Brit ready, readies, lolly, US bucks, scratch: He has
the funds to buy out his partners. Have you contributed to the
fund for indigent lexicographers?
--v. 3 finance, back, capitalize, stake, support, pay for,
endow, grant, subsidize: The company has funded a number of new
businesses.
fundamental
adj. 1 basic, rudimentary, elementary, primary, main, prime,
first, principal, underlying, cardinal, central, essential,
quintessential, constitutional, inherent, intrinsic, important,
crucial, critical, organic, vital: Our fundamental aim is to
provide employment.
--n. 2 principle, law, rule, axiom, essential, element, sine
qua non, cornerstone, keystone: Freedom of speech is a
fundamental in a democracy.
funeral n. obsequies, exequies; burial, interment, sepulture,
entombment, inhumation; cremation: It is fitting to wear black
when attending a funeral.
funereal adj. grave, solemn, sad, unhappy, morose, sombre, mournful,
doleful, sorrowful, melancholy, gloomy, lugubrious, dismal,
grievous, depressing, dreary, woeful, dark, sepulchral: Why are
you in such a funereal mood?
funny adj. 1 comical, humorous, comic, ludicrous, laughable,
ridiculous, risible, waggish, side-splitting, hilarious,
uproarious, jocular, jocose, merry, droll, facetious, witty,
farcical, slapstick, zany; amusing, entertaining, diverting,
Colloq hysterical: A comedian's material may be funny but he
relies on timing for much of his effect. 2 peculiar, odd,
unusual, curious, strange, mysterious, mystifying, puzzling,
queer, weird, bizarre, remarkable, unconventional, eccentric,
Slang off-the-wall: She had a funny expression on her face. If
you do love me, you have a funny way of showing it.
furious adj. 1 angry, enraged, raging, infuriated, fuming, incensed,
irate, maddened, mad, boiling, wrathful, provoked, beside
oneself, up in arms, in high dudgeon, on the warpath, foaming at
the mouth, Literary wroth, Colloq steaming, livid, in a tizzy,
Slang up the wall, pissed off, browned off, Brit cheesed off:
Mark was furious at Betty for leaving without him. 2 fierce,
wild, violent, savage, intense, unrestrained, frantic, frenzied:
A few made a furious attempt to jump off the burning ship.
furnish v. 1 supply, provide, afford, equip, outfit, fit (out or up),
rig (out or up), provision, give, stock up, Colloq Brit kit out
or up: The trading post furnished what we needed for a month in
the wilderness. Can you furnish me with a blanket? 2 decorate,
equip: She received a commission to furnish a ten-room house.
furniture n. 1 furnishings, household (goods); movables, chattels,
paraphernalia, effects, possessions, belongings, Colloq gear,
things, stuff, Slang shit: There wasn't any furniture in the
room, not even a chair. 2 fittings, fitments, equipment,
fixtures, apparatus, devices, tackle, tack, trappings, gear,
accoutrements or US also accouterments, accessories, appliances,
Colloq Brit clobber: The front door has some fine brass
furniture.
furore n. 1 US furor, uproar, outburst, tumult, commotion, turmoil,
brouhaha, ado, hurly-burly, to-do, hubbub, stir, fuss,
disturbance, excitement: The deportation of the student caused
a furore among his supporters. 2 rage, craze, mania, vogue,
enthusiasm, obsession, fad: The furore for antiques has driven
up prices enormously.
furrow n. 1 groove, channel, rut, trench, track, ditch, gutter,
trough, fosse, fissure, sulcus, sulcation, flute, score, cut,
gash, scratch, line; wrinkle, crease, corrugation, crow's-feet,
Technical sulcus: He can't even plough a straight furrow. The
furrows in his brow come from worry.
--v. 2 groove, channel, flute, score, cut, gash, scratch;
plough, harrow: This rock was furrowed by glacial action. 3
wrinkle, crease, corrugate, knit, pucker, crinkle: A frown
furrowed his forehead.
further adj. 1 more, additional, another, other, new, supplemental,
supplementary, accessory, auxiliary, extra, spare, fresh:
Further investment by our group is out of the question. 2
farther, more distant or remote: Some day, we may travel to the
further reaches of the galaxy.
--adv. 3 furthermore, besides, moreover, too, also,
additionally, in addition, over and above, beyond, above, what
is more, to boot, yet, then (again), again: She told him he was
rude and, further, ugly as well. 4 farther, at or to a greater
distance or depth: She has looked into the matter much further
than I.
--v. 5 advance, promote, favour, push or urge onward(s) or
forward(s), forward, foster, back, patronize, support, help,
assist, aid: What can I do to further your efforts?
furtherance
n. promotion, advancement, pursuit, backing, boosting, boost,
fostering, championing, championship, advocating, advocacy,
patronage, support, help, aid, assistance, succour: The
furtherance of anti-pollution laws is all to the good.
furtive adj. 1 secret, private, secretive, clandestine, surreptitious,
stealthy, underhand(ed), covert, hidden, conspiratorial,
skulking, deceitful, under the table, under the counter,
hugger-mugger, Colloq sneaky: She gave me a furtive look to let
me know she was on to me. 2 sly, foxy, cunning, crafty, wily,
shifty, untrustworthy, Colloq sneaky: His furtive manoeuvres
mark him as one not to be trusted.
fury n. 1 anger, rage, wrath, indignation, ire, choler, rancour:
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. 2 impetuosity,
ferocity, savagery, vehemence, fierceness, tempestuousness,
turbulence, violence: How can we stem the fury of his attack?
3 virago, shrew, spitfire, hell-cat, termagant, vixen,she-devil,
hag, witch, bitch, Archaic beldam: Some of the furies from the
women's liberation movement descended on him.
fuse v. blend, merge, unite, combine, compound, mix, commingle,
coalesce, flow or come together, consolidate, amalgamate; melt:
The metals fuse at a relatively low temperature.
fuss n. 1 bother, pother, dither, fluster, flurry, fret, commotion,
ado, bustle, to-do, excitement, furore or US furor, unrest,
(deal of) trouble, disquiet, upset, stir, uproar, disturbance,
stir, hubbub, agitation, brouhaha, Colloq hoo-ha, flap, stink,
Brit kerfuffle, Slang US hoop-la: Stop making such a big fuss
over nothing.
--v. 2 make a fuss, rush about or around, flutter, Colloq kick
up a fuss: I do wish she'd stop fussing - the party is going
very well.
fussy adj. 1 particular, finicky, finical, dainty, discriminating,
difficult, fastidious, exacting, demanding, Colloq picky,
choosy, nit-picking, pernickety or US also persnickety: He's so
fussy that he'll wear only custom-made shoes. 2 fancy,
elaborate, over-decorated, gingerbread, rococo, ornate,
detailed, Byzantine: The style is a bit too fussy for my taste.
futile adj. unsuccessful, unavailing, useless, unprofitable, vain,
abortive, profitless, bootless, worthless, empty, sterile,
barren, unproductive, impotent, ineffective, ineffectual;
Chiefly literary sleeveless: After several futile attempts to
get in touch with you, I gave up.
future n. 1 days or time to come; tomorrow: Who knows what the future
may bring?
--adj. 2 coming, tomorrow's, later, prospective, following,
unborn, subsequent, expected, approaching; to be to come:
Future generations will appreciate what we have done here.
fuzzy adj. 1 woolly, downy, linty, fleecy, furry, fluffy, frizzy,
flossy, flocculent, floccose, floccus; feathery: Tiny bits from
her fuzzy pullover kept coming off on my suit. 2 dim, faint,
hazy, foggy, misty, blurred, blurry, indistinct, unclear, vague,
shadowy, indefinite, obscure, ill-defined, woolly, distorted:
The picture was too fuzzy to make out any details.
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gab v. 1 jabber, gabble, chatter, gibber, blather or blether,
prate, prattle, blab, gossip, Colloq Brit natter, witter, Slang
jaw, yack, US run off at the mouth: Stop gabbing and get on
with your work!
--n. 2 chatter, chit-chat, prattle, jibber-jabber, jabber,
gossip, blarney, blather or blether, tittle-tattle; cackle,
moonshine, nonsense, drivel, twaddle, rubbish, gobbledegook or
gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo, poppycock, bunk or bunkum,
balderdash, stuff and nonsense, hogwash, eyewash, Colloq piffle,
flummery, rot, bull, codswallop, Slang bullshit, horseshit,
shit, crap, garbage, Chiefly Brit tosh, balls: He had nothing
important to say - just a lot of gab.
gad v. Usually, gad about or around. gallivant, run around, flit
about, traipse: He's never home, always gadding about, from one
party to another.
gadget n. contrivance, device, appliance, creation, invention,
machine, tool, utensil, implement, instrument, mechanism,
apparatus, Colloq contraption, widget, thingumabob or
thingamabob or thingumbob, thingumajig or thingamajig or
thingummy, whatchamacallit, what's-its-name, Brit doodah, US
hickey, doodad, doohickey, whosis, whatsis, dingus, Chiefly US
and Canadian gismo or gizmo: He invented a gadget for resealing
fizzy drink bottles.
gag° v. 1 silence, stifle, still, muffle, stop (up), muzzle, quiet,
curb, suppress, repress, restrain, throttle, strangle, check,
inhibit, discourage: The department gagged him, forbidding any
press interviews. 2 retch, choke, heave; gasp for air, struggle
for breath; US keck: That drink made me gag.
--n. 3 restraint, curb, muzzle, check: MI5 tried to put a gag
on the revelations of the former spy.
gagэ n. 1 joke, witticism, jest, quip, pun, gibe, Colloq wisecrack,
Slang crack: He told some gags but nobody found them funny. 2
practical joke, hoax, prank, trick, Colloq fast one: For a gag,
we put a snake in the sergeant's bed.
gaiety n. 1 cheerfulness, exhilaration, elation, glee, joie de vivre,
buoyancy, light-heartedness, blitheness, happiness, felicity,
pleasure, delight, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, exultation,
merriment, mirth, mirthfulness, jubilation, good or high
spirits, sprightliness, liveliness, joviality, jollity,
hilarity: The gaiety of the celebration was becoming
infectious. 2 Often, gaieties. merrymaking, festivity,
festivities, celebration, revelry, revels, rejoicing,
conviviality, Old-fashioned Brit mafficking: We all joined in
the gaiety of Mardi Gras. 3 colourfulness, brightness,
gaudiness, garishness, brilliance, brightness, cheeriness: The
gaiety of her costume was offset by her lugubrious expression.
gaily adv. 1 showily, gaudily, brightly, splendidly, brilliantly,
colourfully, flashily, flamboyantly, garishly: The dancers
appeared in their gaily coloured dresses. 2 happily,
cheerfully, cheerily, gleefully, joyously, joyfully, jubilantly,
merrily, blithely, light-heartedly, airily, jauntily,
insouciantly: The revellers came cavorting gaily down the
street.
gain v. 1 get, obtain, acquire, procure, attain, achieve, secure,
earn, win, capture, bag, net, harvest, reap, garner, glean,
collect, gather, come by, pick up: Any advantage we gain today
may be lost tomorrow. 2 make, get, profit, gain ground, earn,
benefit, realize, clear, bring in, produce, yield: Have you
gained from the transaction? 3 improve, recuperate, progress,
rally, get better, advance, gain ground: Her health has gained
steadily since the cyst was removed. 4 catch up (to or on or
with), approach, get nearer (to), overtake, close with, close in
(on), narrow the gap, gain ground: As we came to the finish
line, Tom was gaining on me. Though he kept gaining, I won. 5
leave behind, outdistance, draw or pull away (from), widen the
gap, get or go or move further or farther ahead, get further or
farther away (from), increase the lead: I kept gaining on him
till I was a mile ahead. 6 reach, arrive at, get to, come to:
After paddling for hours, we finally gained the shore. 7
increase, move ahead, improve, advance, progress, gain ground:
Shares gained again on the exchange.
--n. 8 profit, advantage, margin, yield, return, revenue,
income, dividend, benefit, emolument, payment, pay, money;
proceeds, earnings, winnings; Colloq chiefly US take, payout,
pay-off: What was your gain on the sale of the house? He has
seen gains of 20 per cent on his investment. 9 increase,
increment, improvement, rise, addition, enhancement, elevation,
augmentation, upward or forward movement, advance, progress:
Each month has seen a gain in share prices. 10 acquisition,
achievement, attainment: My gain was at the expense of their
sacrifice.
gainful adj. advantageous, profitable, productive, fruitful,
beneficial, useful, valuable, worthwhile, rewarding,
remunerative, lucrative, moneymaking: Your father thinks it
about time you sought gainful employment.
gala n. 1 f€te or fete, festival, festivity, feast, celebration,
event, red-letter day, holiday, holy day, carnival, occasion,
happening, event, pageant, party, ball; field-day: The annual
gala is planned for Midsummer's Eve.
--adj. 2 merry, festive, joyful, joyous, gleeful, jovial, gay,
celebratory, jolly, convivial, happy, cheerful, cheery: Her
home-coming was a gala occasion.
gale n. 1 wind-storm, strong wind, (big or hard) blow, blast,
turbulence, storm, tempest: I refuse to take the boat out in
that gale. 2 outburst, burst, explosion, eruption; peal, roar,
scream, shout, howl, shriek: Bea Lillie needed merely to raise
an eyebrow to send her audience into gales of laughter.
gall° n. 1 bitterness, acerbity, acrimony, harshness, vitriol,
asperity, bile, spleen, causticness or causticity, bite,
mordacity or mordaciousness, sharpness, rancidness or rancidity;
venom, poison, rancour: Once more he experienced the gall of
disappointment. 2 impudence, insolence, impertinence, audacity,
brashness, brazenness, sauciness, effrontery, temerity,
overconfidence, front, Colloq brass, nerve, guts, cheek, lip,
crust, sauce, US and Canadian chutzpah, moxie; Slang balls: One
student had the gall to suggest that he would be a better
teacher than I am.
gallэ n. 1 sore (spot), abrasion, scrape, graze, scratch, chafe:
This gall on my leg is from the saddle. 2 irritation,
annoyance, nuisance, bother, exasperation, vexation, Colloq
aggravation: One has to tolerate a lot of gall in this job.
--v. 3 irritate, chafe, abrade, fret, scrape, rub, grate,
scratch: His shoe was galling his heel. 4 irritate, annoy,
bother, vex, irk, exasperate, harass, harry, plague, provoke,
goad, nag, pester, hector, badger, nettle, needle, ruffle, fret,
anger, enrage, inflame, infuriate, incense, arouse, US rankle:
It galls me to think of all the animals killed just to make fur
coats.
gallant adj. 1 brave, courageous, bold, valiant, daring, dauntless,
intrepid, plucky, fearless, valorous, unafraid, undaunted,
manly, manful, plucky, mettlesome, stout-hearted, lion-hearted,
heroic, dashing, (high-)spirited: Three gallant soldiers held
off the enemy attack. 2 chivalrous, courtly, courteous, polite,
attentive, gentlemanly, noble, gracious, considerate,
thoughtful, well-bred, mannerly: What man is so gallant today
as to give up his seat on a bus to a lady? 3 dignified, elegant,
imposing, grand, noble, glorious, fine, splendid, majestic,
stately, magnificent: Overwhelmed by four enemy men o' war, the
gallant ship sank beneath the waves.
--n. 4 champion, hero, knight, cavalier, paladin: Which
gallant wears her scarf on his sleeve in today's jousts? 5
lover, Romeo, sweetheart, beloved, paramour, boyfriend, beau,
escort, suitor, admirer, Literary swain: In those days,
gallants continually sent their ladies gifts and flowers.
gallows n. gibbet: Another name for gallows was 'Tyburn tree', after
that at Tyburn, in London.
galore adv. in abundance, in large quantity or numbers or amounts, in
excess, everywhere, aplenty, in profusion: There were prizes
galore for everything from swimming to skittles.
gamble v. 1 risk, venture, hazard, bet, wager, stake, chance,
speculate; play, game, Brit punt: I wouldn't gamble that he'll
be on time. I go to Monte Carlo to gamble. 2 gamble on. back,
bet or wager on, stake or put money on, take a chance or flier
on, try one's luck or fortune on, lay or place or make a wager
or bet on; count on, rely on: We gambled on the horse to win. I
was gambling on his having forgotten the debt.
--n. 3 chance, risk, venture; uncertainty, speculation, Colloq
US crap-shoot: I had to take the gamble that the rope would
hold. All of life is just a gamble. 4 bet, wager, stake, Brit
punt: She took a gamble on number 14.
game n. 1 amusement, pastime, diversion, distraction, recreation,
play; sport: She regards love as just a game. 2 contest,
competition, meeting or US also meet, tournament or US also
tourney, match, encounter, engagement, event, round; regatta:
Would you like to see a football game? The games are held
annually. 3 scheme, plan, plot, design, stratagem, strategy,
tactic, artifice, trick, device(s), ploy: Aha! I am on to your
little game! 4 occupation, line (of work), job, position,
field, business, trade, profession, Slang racket: She is in the
advertising game. 5 quarry, prey; victim, target: Game has
been plentiful this year, especially pheasant and quail. He is
fair game for any unscrupulous swindler. 6 play games.
dissemble, dissimulate, be deceitful or underhand, misrepresent,
pretend, practise deceit or deception, fake, feign: She wasn't
serious about selling, she was just playing games.
--adj. 7 ready, willing, prepared; plucky or spirited or daring
or adventurous enough: She's game for anything: I'm sure she'll
jump at the chance of scuba-diving lessons. 8 plucky, spirited,
high-spirited, daring, devil-may-care, adventurous, unflinching,
courageous, brave, bold, heroic, Colloq nervy, gutsy: Entering
the cave to rescue the dog was a game thing for him to do.
--v. 9 gamble: He has taken up gaming as a hobby.
gamut n. range, scale, spectrum, compass, spread, sweep, field,
series: Parker said that Hepburn's acting ran the whole gamut
of emotions from A to B.
gang n. 1 group, band, crowd, company, pack, mob, ring: The police
are looking for the gang that robbed the mail train. 2 clique,
set, coterie, circle, party, company, team, troupe: A whole
gang of my friends came over yesterday evening.
--v. 3 gang up (on or against.) conspire or plot against,
combine or unite or unify or join (against), league or ally or
club or band (against), join forces (against), overwhelm: When
they all ganged up on me, I decided to change my mind.
gangster n. criminal, gang member, racketeer, Mafioso, soldier,
hooligan, gunman, thug, mugger, robber, tough, ruffian,
desperado, brigand, bandit, Brit skinhead, Australian and New
Zealand larrikin, Chiefly US and Canadian hoodlum, gunslinger,
Colloq crook; Slang hood, hit man, US gunsel, torpedo, mobster,
goon: The gangsters were arrested for smuggling cocaine.
gap n. 1 opening, space, aperture, distance, hole, void, gulf,
cavity, break, breach, crevice, chink, crack, split, division,
cleft, rift, rip, tear, rent; interruption, interval, lacuna,
hiatus, discontinuity, disruption; lull, pause, rest, recess,
halt, stop, suspension, delay, wait, intermission, respite: The
gap between the walls is just big enough for a child. I can see
through a gap in the curtain. There is a gap in his payment
record. 2 difference, divergence, disparity, disagreement,
inconsistency, discrepancy; division, distinction: A gap exists
between your ideas of justice and mine.
gape v. 1 stare, gawk, goggle, Slang rubberneck, Brit gawp or gaup:
She gaped when they brought in the boar's head. 2 yawn, open
wide, part; split: The jaws of the huge shark gaped to swallow
the diver.
garbage n. rubbish, refuse, waste, muck, offal, sweepings, swill,
filth, slops, dross, scraps, junk, litter, debris, detritus,
Chiefly US and Canadian trash, Slang crap: The garbage in the
river is a health hazard.
garble v. 1 warp, distort, twist, corrupt, adulterate, slant, colour,
mangle, mutilate, pervert, doctor, falsify, misrepresent, belie,
misstate, misquote, misreport, mistranslate, misrender;
misunderstand, misconstrue, misread: She has garbled the story
and it makes no sense. I've garbled your message completely. 2
confuse, mix up, jumble, mumble, mutter: He garbles his words
so badly that I cannot understand him.
garish adj. gaudy, flashy, glaring, cheap, tawdry, florid, raffish,
vulgar, harsh, loud, meretricious, Brummagem, showy, crude,
tasteless, Colloq flash, Slang US glitzy: Their flat is filled
with the most garish decorations.
garland n. 1 wreath, festoon, crown, chaplet, circlet: Diana crowned
the sleeping Endymion with a garland of flowers.
--v. 2 wreathe, festoon, crown, decorate, coil, spiral,
encircle, ring, circle: The columns were all garlanded with
brightly coloured paper decorations.
garments n.pl. garb, clothes, clothing, raiment, dress, attire, apparel,
costume, outfit, habit, vestments, habiliment; wardrobe;
uniform, livery; Colloq duds, rig, togs, Slang rags, threads,
gear: All his garments are custom-made in Savile Row.
garner v. gather, collect, accumulate, assemble, amass, store (up),
stock (up), husband, lay in or up or down or by, heap or pile
up, put away or by, stow (away), cache, store, save, reserve:
He garnered what he could from the family estate.
gash n. 1 cut, slash, wound, score, cleft, incision, laceration,
slit, groove, split: The chisel slipped, cutting a deep gash in
the table.
--v. 2 cut, slash, wound, score, cleave, incise, lacerate,
slit, groove, split: I've gashed my hand on a rusty nail.
gasp v. 1 pant, gulp for air, fight for air or breath; catch one's
breath, snort, huff, puff: I gasped when I saw the condition of
the room.
--n. 2 snort, puff, blow, gulp, wheeze: He gave a gasp of
horror.
gate n. 1 gateway, barrier, doorway, door, access, entrance, exit,
passage, opening: The garden gate sagged on its hinges. 2
admissions, attendance, crowd, audience, assemblage: We had the
biggest gate of the year at yesterday's game.
gather v. 1 collect, assemble, accumulate, amass, muster, heap or pile
(up), garner, pick, harvest, glean, get or bring together,
stockpile, stock: I gathered all the firewood I could find. 2
collect, assemble, convene, meet, huddle, forgather or
foregather, get or come together, congregate, turn out, flock or
herd (together), group, cluster, throng, crowd, swarm, rally:
We gathered round the old man's bed. 3 purse, shirr, pucker,
tuck, ruffle, pleat, draw or pull together, contract, constrict:
The fabric is gathered at the waist. 4 draw, conclude, infer,
assume, deduce, understand, learn, hear, be led to believe: I
gather that you'd prefer not to collect the award in person. 5
increase, grow, enlarge, expand, extend, wax, heighten, deepen,
intensify, build, rise: He stood, menacingly, in the gathering
shadows.
gathering n. assembly, convocation, convention, congress, assemblage,
meeting, get-together, turnout, conclave, rally, aggregation:
There is a gathering of the clan once a year.
gaudy adj. garish, flashy, glaring, tawdry, loud, cheap, florid,
showy, ostentatious, raffish, vulgar, crude, tasteless,
Brummagem, meretricious, tinselly, gimcrack, shoddy, trashy,
Brit tatty, US and Canadian honky-tonk, Colloq US tacky,
chintzy: The carnival stands were painted pink, purple, and
other gaudy colours.
gauge v. 1 measure, determine, weigh, calculate, compute, reckon,
figure, US technical also gage: Try to gauge the height of that
building. 2 judge, evaluate, appraise, assess, rate, estimate,
guess, US technical also gage: How can we gauge the strength of
the opposition?
--n. 3 standard, yardstick, criterion, benchmark, basis,
measure, norm, model, example, pattern, rule, touchstone, test,
guide, guideline, US litmus test, Technical also gage: You
cannot use your compulsive work habits as a gauge for others. 4
scope, capacity, amount, extent, measure, size, dimension(s),
magnitude, degree, limit: There are a number of narrow-gauge
railways in Wales. What will be the gauge of your involvement in
the enterprise?
gaunt adj. 1 emaciated, scrawny, raw-boned, bony, angular, haggard,
skeletal, wasted, starved-looking, cadaverous, scraggy, spindly,
meagre, hollow-cheeked, spare, skinny, lank(y), pinched, thin,
underweight: We were shocked by the gaunt faces of the famine
victims. 2 dreary, dismal, bleak, bare, barren, deserted,
desolate, harsh, hostile, unfriendly, inimical, stern,
forbidding, stark, grim, forlorn: Under the low cloud, the moor
looked even more gaunt than usual.
gawk n. 1 oaf, lout, bumpkin, clod, boor, churl, dolt, dunderhead or
dunderpate, ninny, ninny-hammer, ignoramus, fool, simpleton,
ass, bungler, bumbler, Colloq clodhopper, lummox, Slang chiefly
US old-fashioned galoot or galloot, lug: You big gawk, get out
of my way!
--v. 2 stare, goggle, gape, Colloq rubberneck, Slang Brit gawp
or gaup: Stop gawking and help me get him to a hospital.
gay adj. 1 See homosexual, 1, below. 2 happy, blithe, jovial,
light-hearted, carefree, debonair, cheerful, gleeful, bright,
joyful, joyous, jubilant, high-spirited, merry, lively,
vivacious, buoyant, effervescent, bubbly, bubbling, sparkling,
US chipper: In those days our hearts were young and gay. 3
garish, gaudy, flashy, bright, brilliant, vivid, many-coloured:
The gay decorations added to the atmosphere to the party.
--n. 4 See homosexual, 2, below.
gaze v. 1 look at or on or upon or over, view, regard, contemplate,
stare; wonder, gape: She stood gazing out to sea. I gazed at
the screen in disbelief.
--n. 2 fixed or steady or intent look, stare, look: His gaze
faltered and he averted his eyes.
gear n. 1 cog, cog-wheel; gearbox, mechanism, machinery; works:
This gear operates the automatic doors. 2 equipment, apparatus,
appliances, implements, tools, tackle, utensils, supplies,
material(s), accessories, accoutrements or US also
accouterments, appurtenances, paraphernalia, panoply, outfit,
trappings, fixtures, materiel or mat‚riel: Have you taken all
the camping gear? 3 clothing, apparel, attire, clothes,
garments, habit, habiliments, vestments, raiment, regalia,
uniform, livery, Colloq duds, togs, Brit clobber: You should
keep your gear in your locker. 4 belongings, things, stuff,
effects, kit, effects, chattels, goods, impedimenta, (bag and)
baggage, accoutrements, Colloq junk, Slang shit: Get your gear
together and get out of here!
--v. 5 adjust, adapt, fit, suit, tailor, accommodate: You will
have to gear your schedule according to our plans.
gem n. 1 gemstone, jewel, stone, precious or semiprecious stone:
The crown was set with rubies and other precious gems. 2 ideal,
quintessence, perfect example; pearl (of great price), marvel,
flower, ‚lite, cream, crЉme de la crЉme, pick, nonpareil,
treasure, prize, masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre: This is a perfect
gem of a painting. The vale of Grasmere is a gem in the diadem
of the Lake District.
general adj. 1 common, prevailing, accepted, popular, public, communal,
community, widespread, shared, extensive, prevalent, universal,
worldwide, global; comprehensive, inclusive, all-inclusive,
non-exclusive, overall, unrestricted: The general feeling is
that she should resign. We demanded a general revision of the
law. 2 ordinary, common, normal, customary, habitual, regular,
usual, run-of-the-mill, everyday, familiar, accustomed;
non-specialized, unspecialized, non-specific, unspecific:
Indoor plumbing became general only in the twentieth century.
Within the general area of ceramics there are scores of
specialities. 3 mixed, assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous,
encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, diversified, extended, broad,
comprehensive, inclusive, all-inclusive, non-exclusive, overall,
blanket, across the board, sweeping, panoramic, catholic,
composite, combined, blended, hybrid, mongrel: The plan is to
prepare a general work of reference. 4 vague, indefinite,
broad, ill-defined, loose, inexact, imprecise, undetailed,
non-specific, unspecific, generalized, overall; approximate:
This kind of general report fails to pinpoint problems.
generality
n. 1 generalization, abstraction, abstract, vague or loose or
sweeping or indefinite statement, imprecise or vague notion:
His talks are characterized by empty generality, without
detailed facts. 2 Often, generalities. principle(s), law(s),
abstraction(s), generalization(s), universality or
universalities: You have given us the generalities, now we want
the particulars.
generally adv. 1 usually, commonly, ordinarily, in general, customarily,
habitually, conventionally, normally, typically, on average, as
a rule, by and large, for the most part, mostly, mainly, on the
whole, predominantly: Generally, people do not have a healthy
diet. He is generally in the office at noon. 2 superficially,
non-specifically, unspecifically, roughly, broadly, in a general
way, loosely, approximately, largely, in the main, mainly,
principally: He covered the subject generally, not dwelling on
details.
generate v. 1 produce, create, originate, make, manufacture: At these
stations we can generate 1000 megawatts of electricity. 2
spawn, father, sire, bring into being, procreate, breed, beget,
engender, propagate: This one fish would generate millions of
offspring if all survived. 3 produce, create, give rise to,
inspire, whip up, cause, initiate: Her good fortune generated
in him a feeling of envy. 4 produce, create, invent, coin, make
up, fabricate, fashion, devise, develop, form, forge, mould,
contrive, construct, put together: We must generate a new
theory to account for these phenomena.
generation
n. 1 production, reproduction, propagation, procreation,
begetting, fathering, siring: In the lower animals, the
generation of offspring is asexual. 2 time(s), day(s), age,
period, era, epoch: The trait did not appear till later
generations. The 1950s and '60s spawned the yuppie generation of
the '80s. 3 origination, creation, genesis, inception,
initiation, start, beginning, institution, establishment,
formation, formulation: The generation of legal systems can be
traced to the oldest civilizations. 4 crop; age (group);
contemporaries: This generation of Americans has a rendezvous
with destiny. He prefers to be with people of his own
generation.
generous adj. 1 bounteous, bountiful, magnanimous, charitable,
eleemosynary, philanthropic, lavish, open-handed, free, liberal,
unstinting, ungrudging, beneficent, benevolent, big-hearted,
munificent: Not everyone who has money is generous with it. 2
magnanimous, benevolent, charitable, unselfish, humanitarian,
humane, kindly, noble, high-minded, lofty, good, disinterested,
unprejudiced: He was too generous in acknowledging the
accomplishments of his political foes. 3 plentiful, full,
lavish, overflowing, abundant, bounteous, handsome, copious,
ample: They certainly serve generous portions at that
restaurant.
genial adj. affable, amiable, cordial, warm, friendly, congenial,
agreeable, good-natured, good-humoured, well-disposed,
neighbourly, sociable, kindly, kind, hospitable, easygoing,
relaxed, pleasant, nice, cheerful, cheery, convivial: And here
is your genial host, Sonny Gegenschein!
genitals n.pl. genitalia, sexual or reproductive organs, sex organs,
organs of procreation or generation, private parts, privates:
They wore loincloths to cover their genitals.
genius n. 1 mastermind, master, virtuoso, intellect; maestro, expert,
adept; Colloq brain, Einstein: At the age of nine, this genius
entered university. 2 intelligence, brilliance, wit, ingenuity,
brains, ability, aptitude: She is a woman of incredible genius.
3 talent, gift, knack, faculty, flair, aptitude, forte,
capacity, ability, capability: He has a genius for saying the
wrong thing.
genre n. kind, sort, type, class, style, brand, character, category,
genus, species, variety, fashion: Her paintings are in the
classicist genre.
genteel adj. 1 over-polite, unnatural, pretentious, affected, mannered,
putting on airs, pompous, overdone, Colloq posh, la-di-da or
lah-di-dah or la-de-da, phoney or US also phony, Brit county:
The Brumfits are a bit too genteel for my taste. 2 courtly,
polite, civil, well-mannered, well-bred, courteous, mannerly,
gracious, proper, respectable, decorous, ladylike, gentlemanly,
chivalrous, cavalier, debonair, suave, patrician, high-class,
upper-class, aristocratic, thoroughbred, blue-blooded, noble,
royal, Colloq classy, tony, upper crust, US silk-stocking: His
son married a woman from an ancient, genteel house. 3 refined,
polished, sophisticated, debonair, suave, urbane, cosmopolitan,
cultivated, cultured, elegant, Colloq ritzy: Why small feet are
considered genteel, I cannot say.
gentle adj. 1 kind, kindly, mild, tender, benign, moderate, easy,
quiet, calm, still, temperate, unruffled, untroubled,
undisturbed, tranquil, restful, peaceful, pacific, placid,
smooth, lenient, patient, indulgent, soothing, thoughtful,
gracious, compassionate, humane, tender-hearted, merciful; soft,
light, balmy: Amy is very gentle with the patients. A gentle
breeze barely stirred the leaves. The gentle waves belied the
terror that lurked below. 2 tame, tractable, docile, manageable,
controllable; broken: As he's a beginner, he's been given a
gentle mare to ride. 3 gradual, easy, moderate: The car rolled
down the gentle slope and stopped.
gentry n. ladies and gentlemen, upper classes, Љlite, aristocracy,
landed gentry, gentlefolk, upper class(es) or strata, cream,
crЉme de la crЉme; landowners, Brit squirearchy, Colloq upper
crust or strata: He thinks he is privileged because he belongs
to the gentry.
genuine adj. 1 authentic, real, bona fide, veritable, legitimate, true,
original, proper, not counterfeit or fake; pukka or pucka: Is
that a genuine diamond? I know his feelings for her are genuine.
Armstrong is a genuine leader of men. 2 candid, frank, open,
sincere, earnest, honest, unfeigned: His art is much more
genuine than the pretentious output of his contemporaries.
germ n. 1 micro-organism, microbe, bacterium, virus, Colloq bug:
Germs were not conceived of before Leeuwenhoek's invention of
the microscope. 2 source, origin, fount, embryo, seed, root,
rudiment, beginning, start, base, basis: The germ of romantic
literature lies in folk-tales.
gesture n. 1 movement, motion, gesticulation, signal, indication,
action, Colloq US high sign: She made a gesture of dismissal.
2 formality, move; gambit, ploy; token, indication, symbol:
Sending her flowers was a friendly gesture. Their burning the
flag was a gesture of defiance.
--v. 3 motion, gesticulate, signal, sign, indicate, Colloq US
give (someone) the high sign: He gestured for me to step
forward.
get v. 1 obtain, secure, acquire, come by or into (the) possession
of, procure, pick up; collect; buy, purchase, book, retain,
hire, engage, rent, lease; accede to, inherit, fall heir to,
succeed to: Where did you get these beautiful prints? You had
better get yourself a good lawyer. They got the furniture from
his mother's estate. 2 receive; be given, come by: He got a
bicycle from his grandma. I got a job at the carwash. 3 earn,
receive, realize, make, take, gross, clear, net, pocket, be
paid; win, Colloq take home, pull down: He gets a lot of money
for just standing there and answering questions. 4 fetch, go
(to or and) get, go for or after, pick up; bring (back),
retrieve: Please get me a cup of tea. 5 catch, contract, have,
suffer from, come down with, fall ill or sick with, be afflicted
with, become infected with, acquire: You'll get pneumonia if
you go out without your coat. 6 become, fall: We got ill from
eating too much chocolate. 7 become, turn, grow: It got very
cold last night. He got rich almost overnight. 8 capture,
seize, arrest, take, apprehend, grab, pick up, lay hold of, bag,
Colloq collar, nab, pinch: Are the police sure that they got
the right person? 9 manage, arrange, come, succeed; contrive,
fix it, manoeuvre, manipulate, Colloq wangle: How did you get
to be chairman? 10 reach, arrive (at), come, go, travel,
journey: She got home by taxi. 11 catch, take, enter, make,
come or go by, travel or journey by: He got the midnight train.
12 reach, get in touch with, communicate with, get onto or
through to, Colloq contact: We finally got him just before he
left for the day. 13 receive, pick up, tune in to or on, listen
to or watch: I cannot get that programme. 14 persuade, prevail
upon, coax, induce, influence, cajole, wheedle, talk (someone)
into, sway, bring (someone) round, make, cause: How did you
ever get them to let you go? 15 put, place, set, fit,
manoeuvre, manipulate, wiggle, wriggle: I can't get this knob
back on. 16 affect, stir, move, touch, arouse, stimulate,
excite, have an impact or effect on, make an impression on,
impress, leave a mark on, get to, Colloq turn (someone) on:
Those old romantic songs really get me. 17 get at, irritate,
annoy, vex, irk, nettle, pique, provoke, anger, exasperate,
bother, perturb, rile, Colloq bug, get (someone's) goat, rub
(someone) (up) the wrong way, Sometimes non-standard aggravate:
Doesn't it get you to see people going unpunished for their
crimes? 18 baffle, confuse, confound, puzzle, perplex,
bewilder: You've got me! I don't know where it is! 19
understand, appreciate, fathom, see, grasp, apprehend, perceive,
follow, comprehend, take in, work out, make head(s) or tail(s)
of: You just don't get the joke, do you? 20 catch, hear: I
didn't get the name; please repeat it. 21 derive, learn, glean,
absorb, take in: Did you get anything from yesterday's lecture?
22 have, place, put, fix, pinpoint: Eventually, I'll get him
where I want him! 23 get even with, revenge oneself on, take
vengeance on, pay (someone) back, settle or even the score with,
get back at: I'll get him for betraying me if it's the last
thing I do! 24 strike, hit, punch, smack; shoot; hurt, harm,
damage, injure; Slang sock, slug: She got him right between the
eyes. 25 get about or around. a spread, become known, leak
(out), circulate, be bruited about or around, be noised abroad,
go about or around: He let the news get about that he needed a
secretary. b be socially active, socialize, go or get out; run
about or around, gad about: Since his accident, he doesn't get
around much any more. 26 get across. get or put over, put
across, get through, communicate, make clear, impart: She is
trying to get across to you the fact that she despises
television. 27 get ahead. succeed, prosper, be or become
successful, do well, flourish, thrive, make good, progress, rise
(up) in the world, Colloq go places: With his contacts, he's
bound to get ahead. 28 get along. a be friendly or compatible
(with), associate (with), agree (with), be agreeable, get on
(with), Colloq hit it off (with): She gets along with most
people quite well. Do you think they'll get along? b manage,
cope, shift, fare, survive, make both ends meet, keep the wolf
from the door, keep one's head above water, get on, Colloq get
by, make out, make do: How are you getting along with your new
novel? c leave, depart, go or move away, get going, get on, go
along, proceed: I have to get along now or I'll miss my train.
d progress, proceed, get on, advance, move ahead or along or on:
How are you getting on with your new novel? e get on, age, get
or become or grow older, advance: They are getting along but
you wouldn't guess that they're eighty. 29 get around. a See
25, above. b See 46, below. 30 get at. a gain access to,
access, reach, put or lay one's hands on, get to: I can't get
at the lock from here. b intend, mean, suggest, hint (at),
insinuate, imply, have in mind or view, contemplate: She just
didn't understand what I was getting at. c get, tease, taunt,
criticize, find fault with, carp, nag, pick on, US get to: She
is really beginning to get at me with her persistent criticism.
d get to, influence, intimidate, corrupt, bribe, undermine,
subvert, suborn: They tried to get at the judge. e learn, find
out, ascertain, determine: The police said they were only
trying to get at the facts. 31 get away. a escape, leave,
break out or away, flee, depart, make good one's escape, elude
one's captors, break free, disappear: He will never be able to
get away now! b escape, take a holiday or US also vacation, get
or take a rest or respite: I must get away for a few days. c
start, get or take off: Black Flash got away from the starting
gate at top speed. 32 get back. a return, come or go back:
I'll try to get back before midnight. b reacquire, recover,
regain, retrieve, recoup, repossess: Can you get your money
back for that hat? 33 get back at. See 23, above. 34 get
behind. back, support, promote, finance, fund, push, Colloq
plug, hype: If you get behind the enterprise, I know it will
succeed. 35 get by. See 28 (b), above. 36 get down. a
dismount, alight, descend, come or go down, climb or step down,
get off: He got down from his horse and drew his gun. b write
(down), note (down), record, make a note of: She wasn't able to
get down everything Shaw said. c depress, dispirit, sadden,
dishearten, discourage, deject: Don't let a little thing like
that get you down. d swallow, eat: No sooner does he get some
food down than it comes right back up again. 37 get down to.
concentrate or focus on, turn attention to, attend to: Let's
get down to business. 38 get in. a enter, get into or on or
onto, embark, entrain, emplane or enplane, get or go aboard: We
got in the car and were driven away. You can get in here. b
enter, arrive, return, come or go in: I got in at eight today.
c fit or squeeze in, insert, slip in, include: He got in my
comment. The doctor got me in before anyone else. d arrive,
come in, land: My flight got in at dawn. 39 get into. a put
or put on, don, dress in, get dressed in: Here, get into this
uniform. b go into, discuss, become involved in, pursue, treat,
describe, delineate, detail, follow up on, penetrate: Do you
really want me to get into the nasty details? c be into, be or
become involved in, take up, pursue; enjoy, like, become
enthusiastic about, Slang get off on, get or become high on: I
could really get into farming. d See 38 (a), above. 40 get
off. a alight, disembark, get down from, get out of, dismount,
descend (from), climb or step down off or from, deplane,
detrain: She got off her bike and came towards me. b leave,
depart, go (off), set out or off: I hope to get off tomorrow
morning. c remove, take off, shed, doff: Can you get those
boots off easily? d cause to be set or go free, be or cause to
be acquitted or liberated or released or set free: A clever
lawyer could have got him off. He got off on a technicality. 41
get off on. See 39 (c), above. 42 get on. a See 28, above. b
See 38 (a), above. c See 39 (a), above. d grow or become late:
It's getting on and they'll be waiting. 43 get onto. a See 12,
above. b See 38 (a), above. c discover, learn about, become
aware of, find out about, Colloq Brit twig, US cotton (on) to:
If they get onto the missing stores we're in for it. 44 get out
(of). a leave, depart, go out or away, be off, retire: We got
out as quickly as we could. b escape, extricate oneself; be
released: She thought she'd never get out alive. c extract,
draw, wrest, force, drag or pry out, wring or get from: They'll
never get anything out of me! d gain, profit: Ask yourself
what you will get out of the deal. e avoid, evade, sidestep,
escape: Gabriela was somehow always able to get out of PE
class. f See 25 (b), above. 45 get over. a surmount, cross,
climb, pass, traverse: A dog can't get over a fence that high.
b recover or recuperate from, survive: Which takes longer,
getting over a love affair or the measles? c finish, complete,
bring to an end: Let's get this over with as soon as possible.
d See 26, above. 46 get round or around. a bypass, circumvent,
skirt, avoid, evade, elude, outsmart, outwit, outmanoeuvre,
outflank, steal a march on, Colloq give (someone) the
run-around: Chris is always trying to get round the parking
restrictions. b cajole, wheedle, flatter, persuade, coax, win
over: I didn't want to propose, but she managed to get round
me. c See 25.(b), above. 47 get round or around to. get or
come to, reach, arrive at (finally), find time for: He said he
would do the repairs if he got round to it. 48 get through. a
(help to) succeed or complete: She got me through the ordeal.
Without her help, I never could have got through. b reach,
contact: The line is engaged and I cannot get through to
mother. c finish, conclude: When you get through, please put
away the dishes. d communicate (with): Parents sometimes have
trouble getting through to their children. 49 get (to). a
arrive at, come to; near, approach: What time did you get to
the office? How did you get home? b See 28.(c), (d), above. 50
get together. a gather, accumulate, collect, assemble: Get
your things together and leave at once! b assemble, convene,
gather, meet, congregate, socialize: Have you time to get
together on Friday? c arrive at or reach an agreement or
settlement, come to terms, come to an understanding: I think we
can get together on the question of wages. 51 get up. a arise,
awaken, wake (up): I get up at dawn. b stand (up): Get up and
you'll be able to reach it. c mount, climb (up), ascend: Can
we get up the next hill? She got up on the table and started to
dance. d create, devise, organize, arrange, prepare: We got up
a cabaret for the after-dinner entertainment. e dress, clothe,
apparel, outfit, attire, turn out, deck out, rig out, dress up,
fit out or up: She got herself up as a cabaret dancer. f
study, learn, US get up on: You'd best get up your history
before the exam. 52 get up to. become or be involved in, be up
to: If you don't watch her, she'll get up to no good.
getaway n. escape, flight, retreat: The prisoners made their getaway
in a van. Lady Fenella was so boring I couldn't wait to make my
getaway.
get-together
n. gathering; meeting, conference, convention: We had a
get-together at my house. Can we arrange a get-together for all
the members?
get-up n. 1 costume, outfit; rig: He came in a diver's get-up. 2
format, layout, arrangement, structure, look, style: Who is
responsible for the magazine's new get-up?
gewgaw n. trinket, bauble, gimcrack, trifle, knick-knack, bagatelle,
kickshaw, toy, novelty, bijou, vanity; bric-…-brac or
bric-a-brac: She has a huge collection of worthless gewgaws.
ghastly adj. 1 dreadful, awful, terrible, terrifying, frightful,
hideous, horrible, horrendous, horrid, horrifying, grim, grisly,
loathsome, gruesome, ugly, repellent, repulsive, shocking,
appalling, Colloq gross, scary: He was involved in a ghastly
accident. 2 grim, cadaverous, haggard, ashen, wan, pale,
pallid, pasty(-faced), drawn, livid, ghostly, spectral, macabre:
She looked ghastly after the surgery. 3 awful, bad, terrible,
ill, ailing, sick: We felt ghastly after eating the undercooked
chicken.
ghost n. 1 apparition, phantom, spectre, phantasm, shade, spirit,
wraith, poltergeist, banshee, double-ganger, Doppelganger,
ghoul, manes, No. Eng. dialect boggart; hallucination, illusion,
vision; Colloq spook: The ghost of his uncle appeared before
him. 2 hint, suggestion, shadow, trace, scintilla, glimmer:
Vera hasn't the ghost of a chance of meeting anyone suitable at
the office.
ghostly adj. 1 spectral, ghost-like, wraithlike, phantasmal, phantom,
eerie, unreal, unnatural, supernatural, preternatural,
unearthly, sinister, strange, uncanny, weird, Colloq spooky,
scary, creepy: I heard a ghostly voice calling my name. 2 See
ghastly, 2, above.
ghoulish adj. 1 devilish, demonic, satanic, diabolic(al), fiendish,
demoniac(al), cacodemonic, Mephistophelian; infernal, hellish,
malign: The coven engage in the most ghoulish practices. 2
macabre, grisly, morbid, gruesome, disgusting, monstrous,
abominable, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, horrid,
brutal, barbaric, savage, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, cruel,
vicious, feral, inhuman, bloodthirsty, ferocious, Colloq sick:
She has some ghoulish notions about being eaten alive by rats.
giant n. 1 superhuman, titan, colossus, Goliath; giantess, Amazon,
ogre; behemoth, monster, leviathan, mammoth: Blocking the road
in front of Jack was a giant nearly thirty feet tall.
--adj. 2 See gigantic, below.
gibberish n. drivel, tripe, nonsense, rubbish, gibber, prattle, twaddle,
gabble, jabber, balderdash, jibber-jabber, blather or blether,
Jabberwocky, gobbledegook or gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo,
rodomontade, Gongorism, cackle, chatter, patter, chatter,
jargon, babble, claptrap, poppycock, Colloq tripe, codswallop,
crap, bunk, piffle, US garbage, horse feathers; Taboo slang
balls, bull(shit), US crock (of shit): If one listens to such
gibberish long enough, one begins to believe it.
gibe v. 1 jibe (at), jeer (at), scoff (at), flout, mock, deride,
make fun of, poke fun at, ridicule, twit, taunt, sneer (at),
chaff, tease, rag, heckle, No. Eng. dialect gird, Colloq kid,
rib, US and Canadian razz: All of us at school used to gibe at
David because he wore fancy clothes.
--n. 2 jibe, jeer, taunt, sneer, dig, cutting remark, thrust,
chaff, raillery, scoffing, derision, ridicule, mockery, Rare
mycterism, Slang crack, wisecrack: David paid no attention to
his classmates' gibes.
giddy adj. 1 dizzy, faint, unsteady, light-headed, vertiginous,
reeling, Colloq woozy: This medication may make you feel a bit
giddy. 2 silly, frivolous, scatterbrained, flighty, capricious,
irresponsible, erratic, fickle, volatile, impulsive, reckless,
whimsical: You can't marry a giddy young girl like Peggy.
gift n. 1 present, donation, favour, grant, largesse, bounty,
benefaction, offering, honorarium, contribution, give-away,
premium, bonus, prize; alms, hand-out, dole, charity, benefit;
tip, gratuity, baksheesh or backsheesh, pourboire, cumshaw:
Before we left, our neighbours made a gift to us of some local
pottery. 2 talent, ability, aptitude, genius, flair, knack,
facility, forte, strength, strong point, bent, capability,
capacity, power: Her family never recognized her special gifts.
gigantic adj. big, large, huge, enormous, massive, giant, colossal,
immense, mammoth, tremendous, stupendous, towering, staggering,
vast, titanic, gargantuan, elephantine, Cyclopean, Herculean,
Brobdingnagian; king-size, extra-large, Colloq jumbo, walloping,
whopping, thumping, thundering, strapping, super-duper, US
humongous: The gigantic tower, reaching to the heavens,
appeared before us.
giggle v. 1 titter, snicker, snigger, chuckle, laugh, chortle, cackle,
twitter: Stop that giggling at the rear of the classroom!
--n. 2 titter, snicker, snigger, chuckle, laugh, chortle,
cackle, twitter: Did I hear a giggle? 3 joke, prank, laugh:
Just for a giggle, we tied his shoelaces together.
gimmick n. 1 device, strategy, stratagem, ploy, trick, ruse, wile,
subterfuge, manoeuvre, artifice, deception, trap, snare, US
hook, Colloq dodge: We need some sort of gimmick to attract
buyers. 2 device, contrivance, gadget, invention, Colloq
contraption, widget, thingumbob or thingumabob or thingamabob,
thingumajig or thingamajig or thingummy, whatchamacallit,
what's-its-name, Brit doodah, US doohickey, doodad, hickey,
whosis, whatsis, dingus, Rube Goldberg (invention), Chiefly US
and Canadian gismo or gizmo: He uses some kind of gimmick to
break into cars.
--adj. 2 wary, cautious, chary, careful, fastidious, delicate,
dainty, squeamish, tentative, nervous, canny, circumspect,
guarded, watchful, timid, timorous, shy: Note the gingerly way
he handles the nitroglycerine.
girl n. 1 female, woman, lass, (young) lady, miss, mademoiselle,
wench, Fr„ulein, maid, maiden, damsel, demoiselle, Irish
colleen, Australian and New Zealand sheila, Colloq chick, filly,
gal, Slang bird, frail, skirt, piece, mouse, Brit crumpet, bit
of skirt or stuff, Old-fashioned Brit popsy, US dame, broad,
(bit of) San Quentin quail or jail-bait: His mother wants to
introduce him to a nice girl. 2 girlfriend, sweetheart;
betrothed, fianc‚e; mistress, lover, friend, live-in lover,
inamorata, tally, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex
Sharing Living Quarters'), Colloq Brit popsy, Slang moll, US
twist, squeeze: She's his girl and she'll stick by him.
girth n. 1 circumference, perimeter, ambit, periphery, circuit: His
girth steadily expanded as he approached fifty. 2 belt, girdle,
border, cincture, waistband, cestus, cummerbund, Archaic zone,
US and Canadian cinch: Tighten that girth or the saddle will
come off.
gist n. essence, core, heart, substance, point, theme, quintessence,
pith, meat, marrow, focus, nub, significance, (main or basic)
idea; direction, drift: It will save time if I tell you the
gist of the argument.
give v. 1 present, deliver, pass (over), turn or hand over, confer,
vouchsafe, provide, supply, furnish, bestow, donate, accord,
afford, award, hand out, contribute, distribute, grant, allow,
transfer, make over, entrust: Please give me the envelope. I
have given the files to the tax inspector. Give freely to
charity. 2 exchange, pay, transfer, trade, barter, swap or swop:
Philippa gave a week's salary for that dress. 3 impart, pass
on, communicate, transmit, send, convey, express: Give my
regards to Broadway. 4 afflict with, cause, occasion: Rock
music gives me a headache. 5 sacrifice, devote, dedicate, yield
(up), surrender, give up, cede, concede, consign, apply
(oneself) to: Those monks have given their lives to the study
of Scripture. 6 present, offer; announce, introduce: Ladies
and gentlemen, I give you Madja Kiziamainska, the Polish
Nightingale! 7 present, announce, offer, recite, sing, act,
perform, read, put on: We were asked to give a performance for
charity. 8 utter, emit, give out (with), issue: He gave a
shout to warn us. 9 yield, relax, give way, fail, collapse,
buckle, break down, fall or come apart: If that pillar gives,
the balcony will come down. 10 cause, lead, induce, persuade,
make, prompt, move, dispose: I was given to understand that I
was not welcome. 11 cede, relinquish, concede, allow,
surrender, yield: He gave me the first game but I lost the
second. 12 give away. a See 1, above. b reveal, betray, let
out, divulge, disclose, expose, inform on, uncover, leak, let
slip; let the cat out of the bag; Colloq blow the whistle on,
Slang rat on, US fink on: The traitor gave me away, and I was
arrested. 13 give in. yield, submit, give up, give ground, back
away (from), back off, capitulate, surrender, admit defeat:
After trying for hours to make him change his mind, he finally
gave in. 14 give off. give out, emit, exude, exhale, discharge,
send or throw out, release, smell of: Her clothing gave off a
scent of lavender. 15 give out. a See 14, above. b
distribute, hand out, give, deal (out), pass out or around,
disseminate, dispense, allot, apportion, allocate, assign,
distribute, issue, mete or hand out, ration (out), dole (out),
pay, Colloq dish or fork out, shell out: The prizes will be
given out to the winners at a special ceremony. She was giving
out handbills to passers-by. c publish, announce, make known,
broadcast, impart, issue, make public, reveal: You shouldn't
give out that kind of information. d become exhausted, be
reduced or depleted, fail, run out: What will we do when the
food gives out? e See 8, above. 16 give over. assign, resign,
hand over, surrender, relinquish, pass or over, give up; assign,
entrust: We gave our dog over to Lambert's for training. 17
give up. a abandon, stop, cease, quit, leave off, forgo,
forsake, renounce, desist from, swear off, abstain from; reject;
Colloq cut out, chuck: I am trying to give up smoking. b
surrender, capitulate, yield, cede, concede, give in (to
defeat), throw in the towel or sponge; despair: I've tried to
convince him but finally gave up. c See 4, above. d See 13,
above. e See 16, above.
--n. 18 slack, play, leeway, excess; flexibility, stretch:
There is very little give in the rules governing working hours.
Nylon is used for boat anchor rodes because it has some give.
give and take
n. compromise, cooperation, reciprocity, interaction, fair
exchange, teamwork, joint effort, synergy: There is a lot of
give and take in our relationship - I give and she takes.
given adj. 1 stated, accepted, agreed(-upon), delineated, confirmed,
noted, affirmed, specified, settled, set, (pre)arranged,
preordained, foreordained: You must solve the problem using the
given information. 2 presupposed, assumed, understood,
postulated, premised, conceded, acknowledged, allowed: I think
we can take her honesty as given. 3 prone, accustomed,
dedicated, addicted, inclined, disposed: Our headmaster is not
exactly given to flights of fancy.
--n. 4 assumption, donn‚e; fact, certainty, reality, actuality,
gospel, the truth: Can we accept her interest in the job as a
given?
glad adj. 1 happy, pleased, contented, gratified, satisfied;
delighted, thrilled, joyful, overjoyed, tickled, Colloq tickled
pink or to death, pleased as Punch, Slang Brit chuffed: I am
genuinely glad to see you. 2 (ready and) willing, happy, keen,
eager, (well-)disposed, inclined, ready: I would be glad to
help you, madam.
gladden v. cheer, enliven, brighten, delight, hearten, exhilarate,
elate, buoy (up), animate: It certainly gladdened me to be home
again.
gladly adv. cheerfully, happily, readily, willingly, with pleasure:
I'd go with you gladly if I had the time.
glamorous adj. 1 alluring, fascinating, charming, attractive, magnetic,
captivating, enthralling, desirable, appealing, enchanting,
entrancing, intriguing, beguiling, bewitching, magical: Esm‚
designs clothes for the most glamorous women in the world. 2
chic, smart, stylish, fashionable, Colloq trendy: She always
wears the most glamorous clothes.
glamour n. allure, fascination, charm, attractiveness, brilliance,
glitter, attraction, magnetism, charisma, captivation,
desirability, appeal, enchantment, bewitchment, witchcraft,
sorcery, magic: Who today can match the glamour of the movie
stars of the '30s?
glance v. 1 glimpse, peek, peep, scan, look, Colloq Brit have a shufti
or shufty at, take a dekko at: I've only had time to glance at
the report. 2 reflect, glint, glisten, shimmer, twinkle, gleam,
shimmer, flicker, glimmer, sparkle, scintillate, glitter, flash:
A ray of sunlight glanced off the windows opposite. 3 bounce
(off), reflect, ricochet, rebound, carom: The stone glanced off
the pavement and struck my leg.
--n. 4 glimpse, peek, peep, look, coup d'oeil, Colloq gander,
Brit shufti or shufty, dekko: She turned and gave him a
questioning glance, As he fingered the tip of his fer-de-lance.
5 gleam, glint, glimmer, shimmer, twinkle, sparkle,
scintillation, glitter, flicker, flash: The silver light, with
quivering glance, Played on the water's still expanse.
glare n. 1 dazzle, brilliance, brightness, splendour, resplendence,
radiance, effulgence, lustre, shine, flame, flare, blaze: We
had to shade our eyes from the glare. 2 frown, dirty or nasty
or black look, scowl, stare, glower, lower or Brit also lour:
She shrank from his fierce glare. 3 garishness, gaudiness,
floridity or floridness, flashiness, tawdriness, showiness,
ostentation, meretriciousness: His writing is filled with the
pomp and glare of rhetoric.
--v. 4 frown, give a dirty or nasty or black look, scowl,
stare, glower, lower or Brit also lour, look daggers (at): She
simply glared at him and he withered.
glaring adj. 1 blatant, flagrant, egregious, conspicuous, obtrusive,
prominent, evident, obvious, manifest, patent, overt, clear,
visible, unconcealed, outrageous, gross, flagitious, atrocious,
heinous, shameless, disgraceful, shocking, scandalous: They
pointed out a glaring omission in the proposals. 2 garish,
dazzling, brilliant, blinding, blazing, vivid, harsh, strong: I
was blinded when we first walked out into the glaring sunlight.
glass n. 1 glassware, crystal: Use the best glass for the party. 2
mirror, looking-glass: He constantly looks at himself in the
glass. 3 window, pane, window-pane, plate glass: The children
pressed their noses against the glass of the toy shop. 4
tumbler, drinking-glass, beaker, goblet: May I have a glass of
beer? 5 barometer: The glass fell as the storm approached. 6
lens, magnifying glass, telescope, spyglass, microscope: Look
at this drop of water through the glass. 7 glasses. spectacles,
eyeglasses, lorgnon, lorgnette, opera-glasses, binoculars,
field-glasses, bifocals, trifocals, goggles, sun-glasses, Colloq
specs: These are my reading glasses.
glassy adj. 1 shining, shiny, gleaming, smooth, slippery, slick,
glossy, icy, mirror-like, US slick: We skidded on the glassy
surface and crashed into a wall. 2 fixed, staring, trancelike,
hypnotic, vacant, empty, expressionless, blank, void, vacuous,
dazed, dull, glazed, cold, lifeless: His glassy stare made me
very uncomfortable.
glaze v. 1 varnish, lacquer, shellac, enamel, coat, cover; polish,
burnish, shine, gloss: Many of the works of art had been glazed
for protection.
--n. 2 varnish, lacquer, shellac, enamel, coating, covering;
polish, shine, gloss, lustre, patina: The glaze distorts the
design beneath.
gleam n. 1 light, glimmer, glint, glow, flicker, shine, shimmer,
glitter, twinkle, spark, flare, glare, flash; beam, ray, shaft:
I could just make out the faint gleam of a candle. 2 hint,
suggestion, indication, vestige, trace, scintilla, inkling,
glimmer, ray, spark, flicker: There wasn't a gleam of hope of
rescue. 3 look, glint: He got a strange gleam in his eye when
he talked about his inventions.
--v. 4 glimmer, glint, shimmer, shine, twinkle, glitter,
glisten, beam, sparkle: I could see the beast's eyes, gleaming
in the dark. The shore was dotted with gleaming white houses.
glee n. delight, exuberance, cheerfulness, high or good spirits,
cheer, exhilaration, elation, exultation, joy, happiness,
rapture, gladness, felicity, pleasure, joyfulness, merriment,
jubilation, joyousness, joviality, jollity, gaiety,
mirthfulness; enjoyment, satisfaction, Schadenfreude: We
watched with great glee as the villain was thwarted.
gleeful adj. happy, merry, joyful, delighted, exuberant, ecstatic,
cheerful, in high or good spirits, exhilarated, elated,
exultant, rapturous, overjoyed, pleased, jubilant, joyous,
jovial, jolly, gay, mirthful: He wrote a gleeful report of the
chairman's conviction for insider trading.
glib adj. ready, fluent, smooth, slick, facile, smooth-spoken,
smooth-tongued, smooth-talking, fast-talking, fluid, easy,
unctuous, suave, nonchalant, superficial: Why must obituary
notices always be so glib?
glide v. slide, slip, coast, skate, soar, float, sail, glissade,
stream, flow: The skiff glided peacefully down the river.
glisten v. shine, reflect, glint, glimmer, gleam, sparkle, glitter,
wink, blink; glow, gleam, twinkle: The lamplight glistened on
his wet coat. A tear glistened on her cheek.
glitter v. 1 See glisten, above.
--n. 2 See gleam, 1, above. 3 See glamour, above. 4
showiness, gaudiness, garishness, flash, flashiness,
ostentation, floridity or floridness, spectacle, pageantry,
splendour, refulgence, brilliance, Colloq pizazz or pizzazz,
razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, Slang US glitz: In those days,
Hollywood was all glitter.
gloat v. Often, gloat over. exult (in), glory (in), relish (in),
revel (in), crow (over or about), delight (in): He is still
gloating over the misery he caused her.
global adj. worldwide, international, broad, extensive, wide-ranging,
far-reaching, epidemic, pandemic, universal: Protection of the
atmosphere is a global responsibility.
globe n. 1 earth, world, planet, Terra: Our family is scattered all
round the globe. 2 sphere, ball, orb; globule: On the table
was a lamp with a green glass globe.
gloom n. 1 shadowiness, gloominess, shade, shadow, murkiness, murk,
dimness, dusk, dullness, dark, darkness, cloudiness, blackness,
obscurity: We arose in the gloom of a midwinter's morning. 2
despondency, depression, sadness, dejection, downheartedness,
melancholy, woe, sorrow, moroseness, desolation, low spirits,
blues, doldrums, despair, dolour, misery, Colloq dumps: The
team suffered the gloom of defeat.
gloomy adj. 1 shadowy, shaded, shady, murky, dim, dusky, dull, dark,
cloudy, overcast, obscure, black, inky, Literary Stygian: It is
too gloomy a day to have a picnic. 2 depressed, melancholy,
sad, dejected, morose, glum, lugubrious, unhappy, cheerless,
dismal, moody, down, downcast, desolate, doleful, sorrowful,
crestfallen, chap-fallen, downhearted, forlorn, despondent,
miserable, joyless, dispirited, despairing, dreary, sullen,
blue, distressed, down in the mouth, in the doldrums, saturnine,
Colloq (down) in the dumps: Both of them have been very gloomy
since the divorce. 3 depressing, cheerless, dreary, dismal,
dispiriting, sad, disheartening: The d‚cor is much too gloomy
for a doctor's waiting-room.
glorified adj. 1 overrated, pretentious, overdone, high-flown,
high-sounding, affected, pompous, exalted, Colloq jumped-up:
You say he is a scholar, but he behaves more like a glorified
schoolboy. 2 sham, pretend, imitation, counterfeit, fake,
substitute, ersatz, Colloq phoney or US also phony: In that
outfit, she looks like a glorified chorus girl.
glorify v. 1 elevate, exalt, raise (up), upgrade, promote, advance,
boost, enhance, dignify, ennoble, immortalize: Winning first
prize glorified his reputation considerably. In her book she
glorifies motherhood. These men are glorified by their heroism.
2 canonize, deify, idolize, revere, venerate, sanctify, worship,
pay tribute or homage to, ennoble, idealize, apotheosize,
eulogize, panegyrize, adore, honour, look up to, celebrate,
extol, praise, laud, commend, hail, lionize, applaud, acclaim:
The world glorified Lindbergh for the first solo flight across
the Atlantic.
glorious adj. 1 illustrious, famed, famous, renowned, celebrated,
distinguished, honoured, eminent, excellent: England may be
proud of her glorious literary heritage. 2 outstanding,
splendid, magnificent, marvellous, wonderful, spectacular,
fabulous, dazzling: They announced another glorious victory
over enemy forces. 3 enjoyable, delightful, fine, great,
excellent, pleasurable, superb, Colloq heavenly: We had a
glorious holiday in the Greek islands. 4 beautiful, splendid,
brilliant, gorgeous, resplendent, admirable, superior,
excellent, estimable: The walls are covered with frescos in
glorious colour.
glory n. 1 honour, fame, repute, reputation, exaltation, celebrity,
renown, eminence, distinction, illustriousness, prestige,
dignity, immortality: Our soldiers fought for glory not for
gain. Even today we sense the glory that was Rome. 2 honour,
veneration, reverence, homage, gratitude, glorification,
exaltation, worship, adoration, praise, laudation, thanksgiving;
benediction, blessing: Glory be to God in the highest. 3
splendour, pomp, magnificence, grandeur, beauty, brilliance,
radiance, effulgence, refulgence, excellence, pageantry,
nobility, triumph, greatness: Her photographs depict the
Amazonian rain forest in all its glory. 4 aureole, nimbus,
halo; crown, circlet, corona: A glory surrounds the saint's
head in the painting.
--v. 5 revel, relish, delight, exult, pride oneself, crow,
rejoice, gloat; show off, boast: She sat by the window,
glorying in the magnificence of the scenery.
gloss° n. 1 sheen, lustre, polish, glow, glaze, shine, gleam, burnish,
brightness: I prefer a dull gloss to a high polish on
furniture. 2 show, fa‡ade, mask, front, surface, veneer,
disguise, camouflage, false appearance, semblance: She soon saw
through the gloss, and the honeymoon was over.
--v. 3 glaze, polish, burnish, shine: Gloss up your shoes a
bit. 4 Usually, gloss over. veil, cover up, smooth over,
conceal, hide, disguise, camouflage, mask, Colloq whitewash: He
tried to gloss over his voting record.
glossэ n. 1 explanation, interpretation, exegesis, explication,
definition, elucidation, comment, commentary, annotation,
critique, criticism, analysis, footnote; translation: Some
editions of Shakespeare give glosses of difficult words and
phrases at the foot of each page.
--v. 2 comment on or upon, explain, interpret, explicate,
define, elucidate, annotate, criticize, analyse, review, US
critique; translate: Johnson was not the first to gloss the
word 'pastern'. 3 See gloss°, 4, above.
glossary n. gloss, (specialized or special-subject) dictionary,
wordbook, word-list: There is a useful glossary of terms at the
end of the book.
glossy adj. 1 shining, shiny, smooth, polished, glazed, lustrous,
burnished, smooth, sleek, waxed, glassy, glistening: Our
magazine is printed on glossy paper. 2 slick, specious, put-on,
artificial, meretricious, contrived, pretended, simulated,
feigned, insincere, pseudo, false, unreal; bogus, counterfeit,
fraudulent, imitation, Colloq phoney or US also phony: It is
only a glossy remake of the original film.
glow n. 1 luminosity, phosphorescence, incandescence, light,
lambency, lustre: The surface of the flying saucer emitted a
faint green glow. 2 light, brightness, gleam, luminousness,
brilliance, radiance, resplendence, splendour, effulgence: The
glow in the east is from a forest fire. 3 flush, blush,
redness, ruddiness, burning, excitement, warmth, fervour,
fervency, enthusiasm, feverishness, thrill, Colloq rush: I can
feel a glow just thinking of you.
--v. 4 shine, radiate, incandesce, phosphoresce, glimmer,
gleam, light up: The numerals on the clock were glowing in the
dark. 5 heat, overheat, burn; ablate: The spaceship began to
glow as it entered the atmosphere. 6 flush, bloom, colour,
blush: As you can see from her complexion, she simply glows
with good health. 7 blush, flush, redden, colour, turn red or
scarlet: My cheeks glowed with embarrassment.
glowing adj. 1 aglow, incandescent, burning, lambent, luminous,
candent; smouldering: I stirred the glowing embers. 2 rich,
warm, vibrant, bright, brilliant: Banners in glowing colours
enlivened the hall. He is in glowing health. 3 laudatory,
complimentary, enthusiastic, eulogistic, rhapsodic, favourable,
encomiastic, panegyrical: The critics described her performance
in glowing terms.
glue n. 1 cement, adhesive, mucilage, gum, paste: You need a
specialist glue to mend a break like that.
--v. 2 cement, paste, stick, affix, fix, seal: Let's glue this
picture into the album.
glum adj. gloomy, sullen, morose, dispirited, woebegone, dismal,
sad, sulky, dour, moody, sour, crestfallen, doleful, down, low,
pessimistic, lugubrious, saturnine: After Irena left, I was
feeling rather glum.
glut n. 1 excess, surplus, over-abundance, superabundance, surfeit,
oversupply, overflow, superfluity, nimiety: The glut of
razor-blades in the market is due to increased production. 2
saturation, glutting, satiation: Glut leads to a lowering of
prices.
--v. 3 oversupply, flood, saturate, swamp, inundate, deluge,
overload, overstock, clog, stuff, gorge: The markets will soon
be glutted with mobile telephones. 4 satiate, sate, choke,
cram, overload, overfeed, gorge, surfeit, pall, cloy, jade,
sicken, weary: Everyone was thoroughly glutted before the
wedding reception was over.
glutton n. trencherman, gormandizer, gourmand or gormand, overeater,
hog, pig, Grangousier, Colloq greedy-guts, Slang Brit gannet, US
chowhound: Like the glutton that he is, he asked for more after
eating an enormous meal.
gluttonous
adj. voracious, gormandizing, edacious, greedy, ravenous,
insatiable, esurient, piggish, hoggish, swinish: She was so
gluttonous that she ate my dinner after finishing her own.
gluttony n. overeating, gormandizing, gormandism or gourmandism, greed,
hoggishness, piggishness, rapacity, voraciousness, greediness,
voracity, insatiability, edacity, crapulence, crapulousness,
intemperance, immoderation, Archaic gulosity: The Bible
categorizes gluttony among the seven deadly sins.
gnarled adj. twisted, knotty, lumpy, bumpy, knotted, bent, crooked,
distorted, contorted, warped;, arthritic: I concealed myself in
the gnarled branches of the old oak. The beggar reached out to
me with her gnarled hand.
gnaw v. 1 chew, nibble, eat, bite, champ: The marks were made by
deer gnawing the bark. 2 erode, eat away, corrode, wear down or
away, fret, consume, devour: The acid continues to gnaw away at
the metal till it is gone. 3 fret, irritate, harry, hector,
pester, worry, bother, plague, trouble, torment, torture,
distress, badger, harass, haunt, nag, vex, gall, nettle, irk,
peeve, annoy: The feeling that something was very wrong
continued to gnaw at her.
go v. 1 move (ahead or forward or onwards), proceed, advance,
pass, make headway, travel, voyage, set off, tour, trek, wend,
stir, budge: Would you go to the market for me? 2 leave,
depart, go out, move (out or away), decamp, make off, withdraw,
repair, retire, retreat, Colloq take off: I wish he would go at
once. She went to her country cottage for the weekend. 3
function, operate, work, run, perform: I cannot get the engine
to go properly. 4 lead, open to, give access to, communicate to
or with, connect with or to: Where does this door go? 5 lead,
communicate with, run: Does this road go to Oxford? 6 fit,
belong (together), agree or conform (with each other),
harmonize, blend, match, be appropriate or suitable (for or to),
complement each other: These colours don't go. 7 become: He
went mad when he learnt about the accident. 8 fit, extend,
reach, span, stretch: My belt would never go round your waist!
9 be disposed of or discarded or thrown away, be dismissed, be
got rid of or abolished, be given up, be cast or set or put
aside, be done with: That out-dated computer has to go. 10
disappear (without a trace), vanish (into thin air), evaporate:
Where has all the money gone? 11 pass, elapse, slip or tick
away, fly: Time goes quickly when you're having fun. 12 fail,
fade, decline, flag, weaken, degenerate, wear out, give (out);
give way, collapse, fall or come or go to pieces, disintegrate,
crack: I'm afraid the tyres are going. When that last support
goes, the roof will come down. 13 die, expire, be gone, meet
one's Maker, pass on or away, shuffle off this mortal coil, go
to one's reward, go to the happy hunting-grounds, go to that
great cricket-pitch in the sky, Slang kick the bucket, snuff it:
By the time the doctor arrived, Graham had gone. 14 sound,
pronounce, enunciate, articulate, say, utter: And this little
pig goes 'Wee, wee, wee', all the way home. 15 survive, last
(out), endure, live, continue: How long can we go without
water? 16 be used up or consumed or finished: The last of our
food was gone. 17 go to the toilet or the lavatory or the
bathroom, move (one's) bowels, urinate, defecate, Slang pee,
take a leak or a crap, Chiefly Brit go to the loo, Chiefly US go
to the john, Taboo slang (take a) piss or shit: We stopped at a
motorway filling station because Jane had to go. 18 go about.
approach, tackle, set about, undertake, begin, start: I don't
like the way she goes about her work. How does one go about
establishing a business? 19 go ahead. proceed, continue, move or
go forward, advance, progress, go on: She told me I could go
ahead with the scheme. The policeman motioned to go ahead. 20 go
along (with). a escort, accompany: We asked if we could go
along with them to the cinema. b agree (to), concur (with),
acquiesce (to), assent (to), support: Beverly would never go
along with a plan like yours. 21 go around or about or round
(with). a move or go around, circulate: I wish he'd stop going
round telling everyone about me. There's a lot of flu going
around. b socialize (with), frequent or seek the company of,
spend time with, associate with, Colloq hang around or about
(with), hang out (with): The boy is going around with that
Collins girl. c wander or move around: He goes about picking
through rubbish bins. 22 go at. attack, assault, assail: We
went at the enemy with all the fire power we could muster. 23
go away. go (off), leave, depart, withdraw, exit; retreat,
recede, decamp: The clouds went away and the sun came out. We
are going away for the weekend. 24 go back (to). a return (to);
revert (to), change back (to): He went back to his old job
after the war. Can we go back to the way things were before we
were married? b originate (in), begin or start (with), date back
(to): Our friendship goes back to our childhood. 25 go back
on. renege (on), break, retract, repudiate, forsake: She's gone
back on our agreement. 26 go by. a pass (by), go past, move
by; elapse: We used to watch the goods trains go by. The months
went by quickly since our last meeting. b rely or count or
depend or bank on, put faith in(to), be guided by, judge from:
You cannot go by what Atherton tells you. 27 go down. a sink,
go under, founder, submerge: The ship went down within minutes
of striking the mine. b decrease, decline, drop, sink, drop:
The Nikkei Index went down 200 points. c fall, be defeated or
beaten, suffer defeat, lose, collapse: Our forces went down
under an onslaught from the attacking armies. d be remembered
or memorialized, or recalled or commemorated or recorded: That
day of infamy will go down in history. e find favour or
acceptance or approval, be accepted: His ideas have not gone
down well with the council. 28 go for. a fetch, obtain, get:
Please go for help. b apply or relate to, concern, involve:
The rule against smoking goes for you, too, Smedley. c fancy,
favour, like, admire, be attracted to, prefer, choose, Slang
dig: I can tell that Peter really goes for Maria. I could go
for a pint of beer right now. d attack, assault, assail, set
upon: The dog went for him as soon as he opened the gate. e
set one's sights on, aim for, focus attention or effort(s) on:
I decided to risk all and go for Drogheda Boy at 100-8. 29 go
in for. a enter, enrol, start, begin, embark on, pursue, take
up, embrace, espouse, undertake, follow, adopt, go into, US go
out for: He is going in for a career in boxing. b like, fancy,
favour, practise, do, engage in: I don't go in for
mountain-climbing. 30 go into. a See 28 (a), above. b delve
into, examine, pursue, investigate, analyse, probe, scrutinize,
inquire into, study: I want to go into the subject of your
absences with you, Fanshawe. c touch on, discuss, mention: I
should avoid going into the subject of money with Pauline if I
were you. 31 go off. a go out, cease to function: I saw the
lights go off at nine. b explode, blow up, detonate, erupt;
fire, be discharged: The bomb is set to go off in an hour. The
gun went off, killing the mouse. c occur, happen, take place:
The conference went off as planned. d depart, leave, go (away),
set out, exit, decamp, quit: She went off without another word.
e Brit deteriorate, rot, moulder, go stale, go bad, spoil, sour,
turn: After two days the milk goes off. f Usually, go off
into. start or break into or out in: He goes off into gales of
laughter whenever I mention your name. 32 go on. a continue,
proceed, keep on, carry on; persist, last, endure, persevere:
He went on coughing all night long. The party went on into the
small hours. b happen, occur, take place, come about, Colloq
come off: I have always wondered what went on in there. c come
on, begin or resume functioning: The lights went on at
midnight. d enter, make an entrance: She doesn't go on till
the third act. e going on. approaching, nearing, nearly,
almost, not quite: He's six going on seven. It's going on eight
o'clock. f gabble, chatter, drone on, Brit natter, Colloq Brit
witter (on), rabbit on: He goes on endlessly about his cars. g
rely or depend on, use: The detective had very little to go on.
33 go out. a fade or die (out), expire, cease functioning, go
off, be extinguished: The lights went out, throwing the room
into Stygian blackness. b depart, leave, exit: He went out at
six and has not been seen since. c socialize, associate; court,
go together, Brit walk out, US date: Harry is going out with
Annabel. 34 go over. a review, skim (through or over), go
through, scan, look at, read, study; inspect, examine,
scrutinize, investigate: I went over your report last night.
They are going over everyone's luggage with a fine-tooth comb. b
be received: The first song went over very well. c clean, tidy
or neaten (up): I've just gone over the entire flat. d
rehearse, repeat, reiterate, review, go through: We keep going
over the same things, again and again. 35 go round or US also
around. a revolve, rotate, spin, whirl, twirl: The earth takes
a year to go round the sun. b suffice, be sufficient or
adequate or enough, satisfy: Are there enough life jackets to
go around? c See 21, above. 36 go through. a experience,
suffer, undergo, bear, take, stand, tolerate, put up with,
brook, submit to, endure, live through, brave: I don't think I
could go through another war. b be accepted or approved, pass
(muster): The bill went through without a hitch. c See 34 (a),
above. 37 go together. a harmonize, accord, agree, fit, go,
suit each other, belong (with each other): I don't think that
puce and vermilion go together. b See 33 (c), above. 38 go
under. a See 27 (a), above. b fail, collapse, subside, go
bankrupt, succumb, Brit go to the wall, Colloq fold, US go belly
up: Statistics show that more than 500 companies go under every
week in the USA. 39 go up. a rise, increase: If inflation goes
up, the Chancellor will raise interest rates. b explode, blow
up: The munitions factory went up, showering debris over the
whole neighbourhood. 40 go with. a go together with, harmonize
with, blend with, be suitable or suited for, fit (in) with,
accord or agree with: That scarf does not go with the dress. b
socialize with, associate with, date, accompany, court,
Old-fashioned Brit walk out with, US date: I hear that Connie
is going with Don. 41 go without. do or manage or get by
without, lack, be deprived of, need; abstain from, survive or
live or continue without: In the old days, if you could not
afford something, you went without. She cannot go without a
cigarette for more than an hour.
--n. 42 chance, turn, opportunity, try, attempt, Colloq whack,
crack, whirl, shot, stab: I don't expect much, but I'll have a
go anyway.
go-ahead n. 1 permission, approval, leave, authorization, sanction,
Colloq say-so, okay or OK, green light, US the nod: I have the
go-ahead to proceed with the project.
--adj. 2 ambitious, enterprising, progressive, forward-looking,
resourceful: The directors, all under thirty, make it a real
go-ahead company.
goal n. object, aim, purpose, end, objective, target, ambition,
ideal, aspiration: Fletcher's goal is to be head of the
company.
gob n. chunk, piece, blob, lump, gobbet, morsel, fragment, bite:
She took a gob of peanut butter and spread it on the bread.
gobbledegook
n. 1 gobbledygook, jargon, nonsense, gibberish, moonshine,
rubbish, tommy-rot, mumbo-jumbo, humbug, balderdash, eyewash,
hogwash, poppycock, drivel, Colloq bunk, rot, garbage, bosh,
pish and tush, piffle, bilge (water), Slang crap, malarkey,
bull, bullshit, Brit (load of old) cobblers or codswallop: Can
you make sense out of all that computer gobbledegook? 2
gobbledygook, equivocation, double-talk, deception,
deceptiveness, vagueness, quibbling, circumlocution,
obscurantism, obfuscation, ambagiousness, shiftiness: Ordinary
people are often confused by the gobbledegook of official
pronouncements.
go-between
n. intermediary, agent, middleman, medium, mediator,
negotiator, messenger, internuncio, liaison; intercessor,
interceder: David served as go-between in our negotiations with
the rebels.
goblin n. elf, gnome, hobgoblin, imp, kobold, leprechaun, demon,
brownie, pixie, nix or nixie: On Hallowe'en the ghouls and
goblins will get you if you don't watch out!
god n. deity, demigod, demiurge, divinity, spirit, immortal,
genius, power, tutelary, numen: Throughout man's sojourn on
earth he has worshipped many gods.
godless adj. 1 wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, unrighteous, unholy,
hellish; impious, blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious, ungodly:
The prison was a godless place, where one was murdered for a
crust of bread. 2 atheistic, nullifidian, agnostic, unbelieving,
sceptical: In theory, communism is a godless ideology.
godlike adj. 1 divine, godly, sacred, holy, saintly, angelic, seraphic,
blest, blessed, sainted: The savages thought her a goddess and
treated her with godlike reverence. 2 heavenly, celestial,
blissful, rapturous, ecstatic, beatific, ethereal: For a
decade, she lived a godlike existence among the savages.
godly adj. religious, pious, devout, God-fearing, good, righteous,
holy, virtuous, moral, pure, saintly, reverent, pietistic,
devoted, faithful: The monks pursue a godly life in their
mountain fastness.
godsend n. gift, blessing, benediction, boon, windfall, bonanza, stroke
of (good) fortune, piece or bit of (good) luck: The Red Cross
parcels were a godsend to the prisoners of war.
goggle-eyed
adj. agog, awestruck, wide-eyed, thunder-struck, agape,
open-mouthed, gawking, staring, dumbfounded or dumfounded,
astonished, astounded, amazed, stupefied, dazed, surprised: His
first time in the city, Eugene stood goggle-eyed at the
skyscrapers.
going adj. 1 thriving, successful, succeeding, prosperous, wealthy,
affluent, booming, prospering, flourishing, growing: The
Davises took over a failing business and turned it into a going
concern. 2 current, present, contemporary, active, effective,
accepted, prevailing, prevalent, universal, common, usual,
customary: What is the going rate for a skilled cabinet-maker?
golden adj. 1 yellow, yellowish, gold, blond or blonde, flaxen,
aureate; tow(-haired): Her golden tresses fell about her
shoulders. 2 gold, auriferous; gilded, gilt, aureate; Technical
auric, aurous: They drank together from a golden bowl. 3
bright, shining, brilliant, sunny, gleaming, lustrous, shiny,
glittering, dazzling, resplendent, radiant, glowing, sparkling:
We emerged from the black tunnel into golden sunshine. 4 happy,
blissful, delightful, joyful, glorious, joyous, exuberant: We
can never recapture the golden days of our youth. 5
flourishing, halcyon, prosperous, thriving, favourable,
excellent, outstanding, productive, fertile, blessed, blest,
good, successful, palmy: After the golden age of Greece and
Rome, Europe was plunged into the dismal gloom of the Dark Ages.
6 gifted, talented, favoured, special, exceptional, favourite,
cherished, pet, Brit blue-eyed, white-headed, white-haired, US
fair-haired: As long as the company's profits were increasing,
Hamilton was the golden boy. 7 advantageous, propitious,
auspicious, promising, rosy, opportune, optimistic, favourable:
She missed a golden opportunity by turning down the job.
good adj. 1 agreeable, satisfactory, commendable, acceptable, fair,
adequate, admissible, tolerable, all right, passable, Colloq
okay or OK: According to the reviews, the new opera is good but
not great. 2 admirable, outstanding, first-rate, first-class,
fine, superb, superior, tiptop, extraordinary, exemplary,
choice, excellent, capital, marvellous, wonderful, splendid,
sterling, Colloq super(-duper), great, smashing, A1 or A-1 or
A-one, Brit cracking, brilliant, amazing, ace, knockout, brill,
fantastic, terrific, unbelievable, groovy, fab, fabulous,
crucial, serious, US bad, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo, No.
Eng. champion, Chiefly US A-OK: I thought that was a really
good dinner. 3 correct, proper, decorous, orderly, right,
seemly, fit, fitting, suitable, meet, appropriate, allowable,
permissible, admissible, passable, satisfactory, tolerable: He
should get time off for good behaviour. 4 obedient,
well-behaved, proper, well-mannered: Why can't you be a good
boy when we go out? 5 moral, high-minded, righteous, noble,
wholesome, chaste, pure, honourable, ethical, upstanding,
upright, virtuous, worthy, lofty, elevated, saintly, angelic,
godly, godlike: Think only good thoughts and still you may not
get to heaven. 6 kind, benevolent, beneficent, gracious,
gentle, kindly, nice, considerate, friendly, solicitous,
good-hearted, sympathetic, benign, charitable, humane,
kind-hearted, well-disposed: Her parents have always been good
to me. 7 fresh, unspoilt, edible, consumable, palatable: These
eggs are good but the milk has gone off. 8 genuine, valid,
legitimate, authentic, honest, proper, reliable, secure,
dependable, safe, creditable, sound, solid, substantial,
well-founded, trustworthy, honest, actual, real; credible,
believable, convincing, compelling, cogent: Have you a good
reason for saying that? 9 honourable, esteemed, respected,
respectable, well-thought-of, reputable, established, solid:
They say that he comes from a good family. 10
well-proportioned, shapely, attractive: Yes, I'd say that
Marilyn has a good figure. 11 thorough, complete, penetrating,
careful: Has she had a good look at the defendant? 12 gifted,
talented, competent, capable, skilful, clever, accomplished,
proficient, adept, adroit, skilled: Am I a good enough actor to
audition for the part? 13 advantageous, propitious, opportune,
beneficial, profitable, favourable; safe, secure, reliable,
sound, sensible: Are utilities a good investment? Is this a
good time to buy shares? 14 healthy, salubrious, salutary,
beneficial, wholesome: We'll have to put you on a good diet.
15 best, company, Sunday, special-occasion, most luxurious:
Should we use the good glasses tonight? 16 ample, sufficient,
adequate, considerable, full, extensive, sizeable, large,
substantial: We have a good supply of food available. 17
approving, complimentary, flattering, positive, favourable,
enthusiastic, laudatory, eulogistic, encomiastic: His book
received a very good review in the Sunday supplement. 18 great,
considerable, sizeable, substantial, fair: We are still a good
distance away from land.
--n. 19 benefit, advantage, profit, use, usefulness, gain,
worth, avail: What good does it do to complain? 20 goodness,
morality, virtue, merit, righteousness, right, rectitude, worth,
probity, virtuousness, integrity, nobility, high-mindedness,
honourableness, honesty: The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones. 21 goods. a
possessions, (personal) property, chattels, things, gear,
belongings, effects, paraphernalia, movables, stuff: He's gone
and he's taken all his goods with him. b merchandise,
commodities, wares, stock, produce, tangibles, assets: We shall
pay on delivery of the goods. c US and Canadian (incriminating)
evidence or proof or information or documentation or facts or
data: The police have the goods on the murderer. d fabric,
cloth, textile, material, yard goods, piece-goods: My tailor
said he had made it from the best goods available. e freight:
A goods train had broken down on the line between Oxford and
Banbury.
goodbye interjection. Farewell!, Hawaiian Aloha!; Italian Arrivederci!,
Ciao!; German Auf Wiedersehen!; French Au revoir!, Adieu!;
Japanese Sayonara!; Spanish Adios!, Hasta la vista!, Hasta
luego!; Latin Vale!; Colloq Bye! or 'Bye!, Bye-bye!,
Toodle-oo!, So long!, Brit Ta-ta!, Cheers!, cheerio,
Old-fashioned Pip! Pip!, US See you later ( alligator)!: We
said our goodbyes and went on our way.
good-for-nothing
adj. 1 worthless, useless: 'You are asking too much for that
good-for-nothing old lamp', Aladdin told the pedlar.
--n. 2 ne'er-do-well, wastrel, waster, idler, loafer, layabout,
lazybones, slugabed, sluggard, black sheep, Colloq US gold
brick, goof-off: Why doesn't that lazy good-for-nothing get a
job?
goodly adj. considerable, sizeable, substantial, ample, great, large,
significant, consequential: The museum attracts a goodly number
of visitors each year.
good-natured
adj. good-humoured, friendly, agreeable, genial, gracious,
good-hearted, pleasant, mellow, easygoing, considerate, nice,
kind, kindly, kind-hearted, tender-hearted, charitable,
tolerant, generous, courteous, cordial, warm, warm-hearted,
amiable, amicable, cooperative: He seems a good-natured fellow,
but not too bright.
goody-goody
adj. smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous, priggish, prim,
holier-than-thou, Pecksniffian, hypocritical: She's one of
those goody-goody people who never do anything wrong.
gooey adj. 1 gluey, sticky, tacky, glutinous, mucilaginous, gummy:
The pudding was accompanied by an unpleasantly gooey sauce. 2
sweet, sugary, saccharine, sentimental, unctuous, cloying,
syrupy, mawkish, maudlin, Colloq mushy, slushy, sloppy: They
like to watch those gooey soap operas.
gore° n. blood, carnage, butchery, slaughter, bloodshed: The current
crop of horror films have too much gore for my taste.
goreэ v. pierce, stab, poke, horn, penetrate, puncture, spear, gouge,
spit, stick, impale, disembowel: The matador, severely gored by
the bull, was carried away.
gorge n. 1 ravine, canyon, defile, pass, chasm, fissure, crevasse,
gully or gulley, wadi or wady, gap, Brit gill or ghyll, US and
Canadian notch: Water runs in this gorge only during the rainy
season. 2 vomit, vomitus: Injustice makes my gorge rise.
--v. 3 fill, stuff, glut, cram; gulp, gobble (down), devour,
bolt (down), wolf (down), gormandize, swallow: She acquired the
habit of gorging on cream cakes.
gorgeous adj. 1 resplendent, splendid, magnificent, glorious, exquisite,
sumptuous, dazzling, grand, beautiful, splendorous,
breathtaking, radiant, refulgent, brilliant, showy, colourful,
Colloq splendiferous: The males are known for their gorgeous
plumage. 2 great, terrific, fantastic, wonderful, marvellous,
glorious, spectacular, superb, excellent, Colloq fantabulous,
marvy, smashing, super, nifty, neat, swell: He married a
gorgeous fashion model.
gory adj. bloody, sanguinary, blood-soaked, bloodstained; gruesome,
grisly, horrific, blood-curdling: The scene was so gory as to
turn the strongest stomach.
gospel n. truth, fact, certainty: He swears that his story is gospel.
gossip n. 1 chat, conversation, talk, chit-chat, small talk, palaver;
tittle-tattle, prattle; Scots clishmaclaver; gup; Colloq Brit
natter, chin-wag: I was just having a little gossip with my
neighbour. 2 rumour, scandal, hearsay, information, on dit,
word, Colloq grapevine, (inside) info, tittle-tattle, Slang
dope, Chiefly US scuttlebutt, US and Canadian poop: The latest
gossip is that she left him for another woman. 3 rumour-mill,
rumour-monger, scandalmonger, gossip-monger, newsmonger,
busybody, tattle-tale, quidnunc, blabber, blatherskite,
tell-tale, talebearer, flibbertigibbet, Colloq big-mouth,
chatterbox, blabbermouth, Nosy Parker: That old gossip will
tell everybody your business.
--v. 4 Sometimes, gossip about. bruit, tattle, rumour, whisper,
blether or US blather, gabble, Colloq blab, Brit natter, Slang
jaw: I was just gossiping to my friend about your new job.
gouge v. 1 chisel, gash, incise, scratch, groove, dig; scoop or
hollow (out): The screwdriver slipped and gouged a piece out of
the table. She's so mad she wants to gouge out your eyes. 2
extort, extract, bilk, defraud, wrest, wrench, squeeze,
blackmail, Colloq milk, bleed, skin, fleece, cheat, swindle:
The gang gouged money from their classmates by threatening to
tell the teacher.
--n. 3 groove, furrow, scratch, gash, hollow; trench, ditch:
The retreating glacier cut a deep gouge in the landscape.
gourmet n. epicure, connoisseur, Lucullus, gastronome, gourmand, bon
vivant, bon viveur: My dear, that was a dinner fit for a
gourmet!
govern v. 1 rule, control, direct, reign, hold sway (over), lead,
conduct, guide, manage, regulate, run, supervise, superintend,
oversee, steer, captain, pilot, command, head (up), look after,
sit on the throne, wield the sceptre, wear the crown, run the
show, be in power, be in charge (of), exercise or wield power or
control (over), have or hold the whip hand, Colloq wear the
pants, be in the saddle or driver's seat: Catherine governed
with an iron hand. 2 control, check, bridle, curb, master,
subdue, restrain, contain, hold in, suppress, repress: You must
govern the urge to scream out.
government
n. 1 rule, command, authority, regulation, control, management,
direction, administration, sway, superintendence, supervision,
oversight, guidance, domination: His government of the island
has led to disorder. 2 administration, ministry, regime: The
government intends to ban smoking in public places.
grab v. 1 snatch, lay or catch hold of, fasten upon, grasp, seize;
catch, grip, clutch; Colloq latch on to, get one's hands or
fingers on, nab, US snag: The thief grabbed my purse and ran.
She grabbed the railing to break her fall. 2 appropriate,
expropriate, seize, commandeer, take over, usurp, arrogate: The
general grabbed the reins of government in the coup. 3 arrest,
capture, catch, Colloq nab, pinch, collar: The police grabbed
him as he was leaving the scene of the crime.
--n. 4 snatch, clutch; grasp, grip: I made a grab for the
rope.
grace n. 1 elegance, gracefulness, suppleness, finesse, refinement,
ease, polish, poise: She rides well, with an unconscious grace.
2 tastefulness, (good) taste, cultivation, suavity or suaveness,
culture, savoir faire, discernment, discrimination, (good)
manners, politeness, breeding, consideration, decency,
etiquette, tact, propriety, decorum, mannerliness: They had the
grace to ignore my rough attire. 3 indulgence, forgiveness,
mercy, mercifulness, leniency, compassion, clemency, charity,
goodwill, goodness: We survived the fire only by the grace of
God. The company gives you 30 days' grace to pay the bill. 4
kindness, favour, kindliness, benevolence, generosity, goodness,
graciousness, becomingness, seemliness; excellence, virtue,
strength of character, considerateness: At least he had the
good grace to admit being wrong. 5 blessing, thanksgiving,
prayer, benediction: Grace was said before each meal.
--v. 6 adorn, embellish, set off, decorate, ornament, beautify,
enhance, garnish: The table was graced by a huge silver
candelabrum. 7 dignify, enhance, distinguish, enrich, honour,
favour: The dinner-party is graced by your presence.
graceful adj. 1 fluid, flowing, supple, lissom or lissome, lithe,
facile, smooth, nimble, agile, deft: How graceful a dancer she
is! 2 tactful, well-mannered, polite, courteous, mannerly,
refined, tasteful, elegant, courtly, urbane, polished, refined,
suave: In return for certain concessions, the chief was
graceful enough to release the hostages.
gracious adj. kind, courteous, polite, well-mannered, kindly,
benevolent, beneficent, indulgent, kind-hearted, warm-hearted,
cordial, warm, friendly, sociable, good-natured, amiable,
affable, benign, accommodating, obliging, agreeable,
considerate: It was gracious of you to grant me an audience.
grade n. 1 degree, position, rank, status, stage, standing, station,
gradation, echelon, class, level, category, condition, state,
estate, situation, rung: She is a singer of the first grade. 2
rating, mark, score: What grade did you get in physics? 3
class, form, year: My daughter is in the third grade. 4 hill,
slope, rise, gradient, acclivity, declivity, incline, decline,
ascent, descent, upgrade, downgrade: The car coasted down a
gentle grade into the lake. 5 make the grade. pass, measure up,
succeed, qualify, Colloq US make it, Slang US and Canadian and
NZ hack or cut it: Do you think that Simpson can make the
grade?
--v. 6 classify, class, order, organize, rank, sort, size,
group, categorize, rate: Her job is to grade pearls according
to their size. 7 mark, rate, correct, evaluate: My teacher was
up late grading our exams.
gradual adj. easy, gentle, even, moderate, slow, piecemeal, inchmeal,
regular, steady: There is a gradual slope down to the garden
wall. The acceleration was gradual. He became aware of a gradual
erosion of his authority.
gradually adv. slowly, evenly, piecemeal, inchmeal, drop by drop, step by
step, bit by bit, little by little, piece by piece, gradatim:
The water gradually seeped through the filter. We advanced
gradually through the forest.
graduate n. 1 bachelor, postgraduate, US alumnus (pl. alumni) or alumna
(pl. alumnae): Even university graduates found it difficult to
get a job.
--v. 2 gradate, mark, calibrate, grade, scale: This
thermometer is graduated in increments of one tenth of a degree.
graft° n. 1 bud, scion, shoot, splice, implantation or implant,
transplant: New varieties were created by the implantation of
grafts that have desirable qualities.
--v. 2 implant, splice, insert, join: Fruit-bearing stems are
grafted onto a sturdy rootstock.
graftэ n. corruption, jobbery; bribery, extortion, Colloq payola,
kickback: After only five years, he retired on the takings from
graft.
grain n. 1 seed, kernel, stone, pip, pit: Grains from each crop are
stored ready for sowing. 2 cereal, corn, grist: The grain
harvest was sparse this year. 3 particle, bit, fragment, crumb,
speck, granule, morsel, mote, molecule, atom, fleck, iota,
ounce, scrap, trace, scintilla, hint, suggestion, whit, jot (or
tittle), dab, soup‡on, taste, Colloq US and Canadian smidgen or
smidgin: There's not a grain of truth in anything that's been
said. 4 texture, pattern, fibre, weave, nap: Use a different
kind of saw for cutting across the grain.
grand adj. 1 large, great, huge, immense, enormous, impressive,
imposing, splendid, fine, majestic, stately, lofty, monumental,
lavish, magnificent, opulent, luxurious, palatial, sumptuous,
Colloq posh: We were led into a grand hall where thousands
awaited the emperor. 2 dignified, distinguished, august,
respected, eminent, pre-eminent, outstanding, celebrated,
illustrious, renowned, notable, legendary, exalted, revered,
venerable, immortal: He is regarded as the grand old man of
chemistry. 3 flamboyant, overdone, histrionic, ostentatious,
pretentious, grandiose, lordly: The abysmal performance was
punctuated by the actors' grand strutting and gesturing. 4
complete, total, sum, comprehensive, (all-)inclusive;
bottom-line: The grand total of expenses came to њ12,467.22. 5
marvellous, wonderful, outstanding, first-class, first-rate,
splendid, excellent, superb, admirable, Colloq great, marvy,
smashing, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fantabulous, super:
Isn't it grand that Freda will be able to go! 6 principal,
chief, main, head, leading, foremost, highest: The grand vizier
was second only to the caliph.
grandeur n. 1 splendour, magnificence, majesty, sublimity,
luxuriousness, pomp: The grandeur of the French court was never
to be equalled. 2 nobility, augustness, nobleness, eminence,
majesty: The emperor received us with a grandeur befitting his
station.
grandiose adj. 1 pretentious, ostentatious, showy, flamboyant, bombastic,
histrionic, extravagant, pompous, fustian, high-flown,
high-flying, overambitious, overdone, over-dramatic,
melodramatic, Ossianic, inflated, affected, florid, flashy,
Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, flash: The council is
unimpressed by your grandiose plans to redevelop the area, Mr
Wren. 2 imposing, impressive, ambitious, grand, monumental,
magnificent, lofty: She has some grandiose ideas for a national
symphony orchestra.
grant v. 1 give, confer, bestow, present, award, offer; supply,
furnish, distribute, donate; allocate, assign: She has been
granted a sum that will enable her to complete the book. 2
concede, accede (to), cede, give (up), agree (to), consent (to),
allow, permit, admit; let: They granted my request for
clemency.
--n. 3 gift, present, endowment, bequest, subvention, subsidy,
award, grant-in-aid, donation, contribution, concession,
allowance: He received a government grant to study abroad.
granular adj. grainy, granulated, particulate, comminuted, gravelly,
sandy, gritty: The sauce was somewhat granular and tasted too
strongly of nutmeg.
grapevine n. rumour-mill, jungle telegraph, grapevine telegraph; rumour,
gossip: According to the grapevine, you two are going to be
married.
graphic adj. 1 vivid, distinct, well-defined, detailed, explicit,
particular, clear, lucid, plain, manifest, crystal clear,
unmistakable or unmistakeable, unambiguous, accurate, precise,
well-drawn, photographic, descriptive, telling, picturesque,
pictorial, realistic, lifelike, true to life, Colloq gory: He
described his injuries in graphic detail. 2 written, drawn,
diagrammatic, delineated, visible: The magazine won a prize for
graphic design.
grapple v. 1 grasp, grab, grip, seize, clasp, catch, wrestle; hold,
clutch, snatch: They grappled each other at the edge of the
Reichenbach Falls. 2 grapple with. come to grips with, cope
with, contend with, deal with, struggle with, tackle, face, take
on: The government is grappling with the problem of
unemployment.
grasp v. 1 grip, grab, seize, clasp, clutch, snatch, hold, take or
lay or catch hold of, Colloq nab: I grasped the rope and was
pulled to safety. 2 understand, comprehend, appreciate, catch
(on), get, get the drift or point of, follow, see, realize,
apprehend, learn, Colloq make head(s) or tail(s) of, Slang dig:
I am trying to grasp the full import of what you are saying.
--n. 3 hold, grip, clutches, clasp, embrace, lock: He loosened
his grasp on my throat and I could breathe again. 4 possession,
control, power, mastery, sovereignty, suzerainty, hold: By
then, even the outer islands had fallen within his grasp. 5
understanding, comprehension, apprehension, awareness,
perception, sense: He has a poor grasp of the basics of the
subject.
grasping adj. greedy, avaricious, acquisitive, rapacious, mean, miserly,
stingy, penurious, parsimonious, niggardly, tight, tight-fisted,
penny-pinching, close-fisted, mercenary: If the company weren't
so grasping, they'd have less difficulty hiring staff.
grass v. 1 inform, betray, give away, Slang peach, squeal, snitch,
squeak, tattle, rat on, sell out, Brit blow the gaff, nark: He
received a shorter sentence for grassing on his accomplices.
--n. 2 traitor, informer, Slang stool-pigeon, stoolie,
squealer, snitch, squeaker, rat, Brit nark: A grass is treated
roughly by fellow inmates.
grate v. 1 shred, rasp, scrape, rub, triturate: Peel six raw
potatoes and grate them fine. 2 scrape, rasp, rub, grind,
scratch, screech, stridulate: The cricket grates its legs
against its wing covers to produce the 'singing' sound. 3 Often,
grate on or upon. annoy, vex, irk, irritate, pester, set one's
teeth on edge, jar, fret, chafe, rub (someone) (up) the wrong
way, go against the grain, Colloq get on one's nerves: Her
voice just grates on me.
grateful adj. thankful, appreciative: I am grateful for any help I can
get.
gratification
n. satisfaction, fulfilment, enjoyment, pleasure, delight,
compensation, recompense, reward, return, requital: She does it
only for the gratification she gets from making the children
happier.
gratify v. please, satisfy, fulfil, delight, compensate, recompense,
reward, requite, cheer, gladden, favour: Albert would be
gratified to see the good coming from his charitable bequests.
grating adj. 1 jarring, strident, raucous, harsh, discordant,
dissonant, unharmonious, offensive, irritating, irksome,
annoying, vexatious, galling: I find the noise of chalk
squeaking on the blackboard very grating. 2 grinding, gritty,
squeaky, jangling, screeching, creaking, shrill, piercing,
squawking, croaking, rasping: The grating noise you hear is my
fridge motor.
--n. 3 grate, grid, reticle or reticule, grille, lattice,
trellis, screen, network, reticulation: When a beam of light is
directed through the fine grating, odd patterns are formed.
gratitude n. thankfulness, appreciation, gratefulness; thanks, return,
compensation, thanksgiving: Here is a box of chocolates in
gratitude for looking after my cat.
gratuitous
adj. 1 gratis, free, complimentary, spontaneous: The earth is
a machine which has, till now, yielded gratuitous service. 2
unasked for, unrequested, unsought for, wanton, unprovoked,
unsolicited, unlooked-for, uncalled-for, unwelcome, unjustified,
unwarranted, baseless, groundless, needless, unfounded,
ungrounded, unjustifiable, irrational: He seems to derive some
twisted pleasure from spreading gratuitous lies about me.
grave° n. crypt, sepulchre, tomb, vault, mausoleum, last or final
resting-place, eternal rest: She began to sob as the coffin was
slowly lowered into the grave.
graveэ adj. 1 serious, sombre, solemn, earnest, unsmiling, staid,
sedate, sober, dour, gloomy, grim, grim-faced, grim-visaged,
Brit po-faced: The doctor, looking very grave, said that he had
done all he could. 2 serious, critical, vital, dangerous,
matter of life and death, crucial, urgent, weighty, important,
pressing, pivotal, perilous: Fenwick is in intensive care in a
grave condition.
graveyard n. burial-ground, churchyard, cemetery, God's acre, necropolis,
potter's field, W US Boot Hill, Rare Golgotha, Slang bone-yard:
Uncle Valentine is buried in the graveyard on the hill.
gravity n. 1 gravitation; attraction: After middle age, the body obeys
the laws of gravity but not of mutual attraction. 2 seriousness,
acuteness, immediacy, importance, significance, weight,
magnitude, severity, urgency, exigency, momentousness,
weightiness: When I saw mother's expression I realized the
gravity of the situation. 3 solemnity, dignity, sombreness,
staidness, sedateness, sobriety, gravitas, soberness, reserve;
gloominess, grimness: The ceremony was conducted with suitable
gravity.
greasy adj. 1 oily, sebaceous, fatty, fat, buttery, lardy, soapy,
oleaginous, pinguid, butyraceous, saponaceous, waxy: Before
curing, the hide is greasy with natural oils. 2 unctuous, oily,
slippery, slithery, smooth, glib, fawning, slick, toadying,
sycophantic, Slang Brit smarmy: Edna is so greasy, always
trying to manoeuvre you into doing something for her.
great adj. 1 big, large, huge, immense, enormous, gigantic, giant,
grand, extensive, prodigious, colossal, massive, vast,
tremendous; spacious, capacious, mammoth, gargantuan, monstrous,
titanic, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian: Europe was covered by a
great forest. A great castle loomed before me. 2 large, huge,
immense, enormous, gigantic, prodigious, vast, tremendous,
abundant, countless: Plague killed a great number of people. 3
extreme, considerable, marked, pronounced, inordinate,
extraordinary, significant; excess, excessive: I have something
of great importance to tell you. Your news created great
confusion. 4 critical, important, crucial, momentous,
significant, serious, weighty, consequential: Those were great
days for the history of England. 5 important, prominent, major,
eminent, celebrated, distinguished, famous, famed, renowned,
notable, noteworthy, illustrious, outstanding, well-known,
weighty, influential, Rare eximious: What of the great
universities, like Oxford and Cambridge? Our mayor thinks of
himself as a great man. 6 talented, gifted, excellent,
outstanding, exceptional, major, superlative, superior, leading,
best, incomparable, matchless, peerless, skilful, artistic,
brilliant, first-rate, remarkable, top, accomplished: Flaubert
was one of the greatest writers of his age. Tamara is a good
dancer, but not a great dancer. 7 lofty, elevated, exalted,
noble, high-minded, grand: Great thoughts come from great
minds. 8 talented, skilled, skilful, adroit, clever, adept,
able, proficient, expert: Daphne is really great at playing
bridge. 9 keen, zealous, eager, active, enthusiastic, devoted,
ardent, passionate: Frank is a great stamp collector. 10
close, devoted, dedicated, fast, faithful, true, loyal,
intimate, loving: Graham and Pembroke quickly became great
friends. 11 terrible, bad, awful, unforgivable, horrendous,
heinous, grievous, horrific, horrible, terrific, huge, colossal,
enormous, gigantic, significant, cardinal, egregious, basic,
profound, flagrant, glaring, arrant, consummate, out-and-out:
Inviting her at the same time as her ex-husband was a great
mistake. 12 spectacular, marvellous, outstanding, excellent,
superb, grand, wonderful, fine Colloq fantastic, terrific,
stupendous, marvy, smashing, fantabulous, Old-fashioned Brit
tickety-boo: He says that we missed a truly great show.
greed n. 1 greediness, avarice, avariciousness, covetousness,
acquisitiveness, cupidity, avidity, craving, yearning: Greed
accounts for most of man's dishonesty. 2 meanness, stinginess,
miserliness, selfishness, niggardliness, penuriousness,
parsimony, close-fistedness, penny-pinching, tight-fistedness:
From a life of greed he had accumulated enormous wealth. 3
gluttony, voraciousness, edacity, esurience, voracity,
overeating, gormandizing, ravenousness, insatiableness: Obesity
owes more to greed than to glandular disorder.
greedy adj. 1 ravenous, voracious, gluttonous, piggish, hoggish,
swinish, cormorant, edacious, esurient, insatiable,
unquenchable: I'd love another slice, but I mustn't be greedy.
2 avaricious, acquisitive, covetous, grasping, craving;
materialistic, money-hungry: If some people were less greedy,
there would be plenty for everyone. 3 stingy, miserly, mean,
selfish, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching,
mercenary, close-fisted, tight-fisted, close, Colloq near,
tight, Brit mingy: He's so greedy that he asks beggars for
receipts.
green adj. 1 verdant, grassy, fresh, leafy; rural, country-like:
Plans call for a green belt to be created around every major
city. 2 immature, unripe, unripened; na‹ve, callow, untested,
untrained, unversed, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned,
unsophisticated, gullible, amateur, unskilled, unskilful,
amateurish, non-professional, inexpert, Colloq wet behind the
ears: This banana is still too green to eat. Isn't Piers a bit
green to be given so much responsibility? 3 environmental,
conservationist: The green activists appear to be gaining
influence in governmental circles.
--n. 4 lawn, sward, common, grassland: Let us meet on the
village green at noon. 5 environmentalist, conservationist,
preservationist: The greens are opposed to draining the
marshes.
greenhorn n. newcomer, beginner, novice, tiro or tyro, neophyte, novice,
initiate, learner, tenderfoot, Colloq rookie: They send all the
greenhorns off to fetch a bucket of steam and a can of striped
paint.
greet v. 1 welcome, receive, usher in, meet: We were greeted warmly
by the family. 2 hail, accost, address, salute: People greeted
him in the street with a wave and a smile.
greeting n. 1 salutation, hail, hello, welcome, reception: She had a
smile and a greeting for every passer-by. 2 greetings card,
card, message, note: The Queen sent me a greeting on my 100th
birthday. 3 greetings. regards, respects, best or good wishes,
devoirs, compliments: I sent you greetings from Barbados, where
I took my holiday.
grey adj. 1 ashen, leaden, colourless, pale, pallid, wan, livid,
pearly, griseous, smoky, sooty, bloodless: The cadaver's skin
was a dead, whitish grey. 2 gloomy, dismal, dull, depressing,
glum, dreary, sombre, drab, cheerless, dark, murky, foggy,
misty, cloudy, overcast, sunless: As if to mould her
temperament, Kathleen was born on a grey December day in 1791. 3
aged, elderly, hoary, old, venerable, ancient: A stooped, grey
crone inched along, muttering to herself. 4 mature, wise,
experienced: Seventy years have spread their grey experience
over his hoary head.
grief n. 1 anguish, suffering, agony, misery, wretchedness, pain,
hurt, sadness, sorrow, dejection, depression, despondency,
melancholy, unhappiness, woe, torment, desolation, heartbreak,
remorse, regret, ruth, heartache: Nothing equalled the grief I
felt at the death of my dog, Whiffler. 2 distress, trouble,
difficulty, tribulation, trial, burden, load, onus, ordeal,
travail, affliction, worry, bitterness, curse; adversity,
misfortune, evil days, bad or ill fortune or luck, calamity,
disaster, catastrophe, trauma: The death of her only child was
a lasting grief to Millie. 3 come to grief. fail, go to rack
and ruin, meet with disaster, miscarry, fall or come apart,
Colloq come unstuck: Our plans for retirement came to grief
when my husband went bankrupt.
grievance adj. 1 wrong, ill, injustice, disservice, unfairness, injury,
damage, harm, outrage, affront, indignity, hardship, calamity:
I had to listen to details of every grievance she had ever
suffered. 2 complaint, objection, charge, plaint, allegation,
grudge, Colloq gripe, bone to pick, Brit crow to pluck, Slang
beef: Please register all your grievances at the office next
door.
grieve v. 1 mourn, bemoan, lament, regret, rue, deplore, bewail, mope,
eat one's heart out: Sylvia is still grieving over the loss of
her husband. 2 weep, cry, mourn, moan, keen, suffer, sorrow;
shed tears, complain: Go in and try to comfort the grieving
widow.
grievous adj. 1 severe, heavy, painful, grave, serious, distressing,
harmful; damaging, hurtful, acute, wounding: The church
buildings suffered grievous damage from the storm. He was
charged with causing grievous bodily harm. 2 egregious, awful,
flagrant, terrible, outrageous, heinous, dreadful, atrocious,
monstrous, appalling, shocking, deplorable, calamitous,
lamentable, intolerable, shameful, unbearable: Missing that
catch was a grievous error.
grim adj. 1 stern, severe, unrelenting, resolute, uncompromising,
unyielding, inflexible, adamant, stony, iron, unbending, firm,
intractable, unflinching, unmoving, unmoved, implacable,
inexorable, determined, steadfast, (dead) set, fixed, decided,
obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, obdurate, dogged, unwavering:
By controlling the purse strings, she kept a grim hold over the
family. 2 forbidding, formidable, harsh, ferocious, fierce,
cruel, savage, merciless, heartless, ruthless, pitiless,
vicious, brutal, brutish, feral, inhuman, fiendish, violent,
bloodthirsty, murderous, homicidal, fell: A grim pack of
howling wolves loped after our sledge. 3 dire, dreadful,
ghastly, awful, frightful, frightening, sinister, hideous,
horrid, horrific, horrible, horrendous, terrible, terrifying,
terrific, harrowing, dread, alarming, appalling, grotesque,
gruesome, eerie, macabre, flagitious, heinous, evil, wicked,
iniquitous, atrocious, monstrous: Before me appeared the
ghostly apparition of the Grim Reaper.
grime n. dirt, filth, soot, mud, muck, slime, scum: The lad began to
rub the grime from the old oil lamp.
grind v. 1 pound, powder, pulverize, abrade, crush, granulate, mill,
grate, rasp, crumble, kibble, mash, triturate, bray, comminute:
The rock was soon ground to a fine powder. 2 sharpen, whet;
file, smooth, polish: He is grinding the edge to be razor
sharp. 3 gnash, grit, grate: He grinds his teeth when he's
angry. 4 Also, grind away. labour, toil, slave (away); study,
lucubrate, burn the midnight oil, Colloq cram, Brit swot:
George has been grinding away at the same job all his life.
Languages came easily, but he had to grind away at the sciences.
5 grind down. wear down or away, crush, oppress, subdue,
suppress, tyrannize, persecute, maltreat, ill-treat, harry,
harass, hound, hector, plague, badger: Dictators first grind
down all opposition, then destroy it. 6 grind out. produce,
generate, crank out, churn out, turn out: For 20 years he has
been grinding out the daily gossip column.
--n. 7 toil, labour, drudgery, travail, exertion, task, chore:
Working at the checkout counter hour after hour is a terrible
grind.
grip n. 1 hold, grasp, clutch, handgrip, clasp, hand-clasp: Losing
his grip on the rope, he plummeted into the abyss. 2 control,
command, hold, mastery; authority, influence, power, rule,
domination, sovereignty, tenure, dominion, suzerainty, custody:
Peter is losing his grip on reality. The dictator kept a tight
grip on the people right up to his death. 3 grasp,
understanding, apprehension, comprehension, sense, sensitivity,
feel, feeling, awareness, perception, view, Slang US handle:
Skerry is having trouble getting a grip on what you plan to do.
4 handgrip, valise, (travelling or overnight) bag, case,
satchel, suitcase, Brit holdall, US and Canadian carry-all: I
got off the plane in New York, but my grip went on to Detroit.
5 come or get to grips with. tackle, confront, approach, handle,
meet (head on), undertake, grapple or contend with, cope or deal
with, face: We must come to grips with the problem of
Cassandra.
--v. 6 grasp, clutch, clasp, hold, seize: He gripped the
handle of the revolver more tightly. 7 engross, engage, hold,
fascinate, enthral, entrance, absorb, mesmerize, hypnotize,
spellbind, rivet: Just at the gripping climax, the reel broke
and the film stopped.
gripe v. 1 complain, moan, grumble, whimper, whine, bleat, nag,
cavil, carp, grouse, Colloq beef, Brit whinge, Slang bitch,
bellyache: It's natural to gripe about the food in the army.
--n. 2 complaint, grievance, objection, protest; complaining,
moaning, grumbling, whimpering, whining, nagging, cavilling,
carping, grousing, Colloq beef, Brit whinging Slang bitching,
bellyaching: I don't want to hear any more gripes about the
food! 3 Usually, gripes. cramp, twinge, pang, pain, ache,
colic, distress, Colloq bellyache: The gripes became so painful
that he was sure he had appendicitis.
grisly adj. gruesome, gory, abhorrent, abominable, awful, appalling,
hideous, shocking, nasty, dreadful, repulsive, repellent,
repugnant, disgusting, sickening, nauseating, horrific, horrid,
horrendous, horrifying, terrible, terrifying, terrific: A
grisly scene greeted the soldiers who liberated the
concentration camp.
grit n. courage, courageousness, valour, bravery, fortitude,
resolution, resoluteness, resolve, toughness, mettle, pluck,
spirit, backbone, nerve, gameness, intrepidity or intrepidness,
dauntlessness, tenacity, determination, firmness, hardiness,
hardihood, staunchness, stalwartness, doughtiness, fearlessness,
Colloq guts, gutsiness, spunk, spunkiness, starch, Brit bottle,
US and Canadian chutzpah, moxie, stick-to-it-iveness:
Mountain-climbing requires more grit than you might think.
gritty adj. 1 sandy, gravelly, granular, grainy, rough, abrasive,
rasping, arenose: The texture of the mud-pack felt somewhat
gritty on her face. 2 courageous, valorous, brave, resolute,
tough, mettlesome, plucky, spirited, game, intrepid, dauntless,
tenacious, determined, persistent, firm, hardy, staunch,
stalwart, doughty, fearless, Colloq gutsy, spunky: The band of
gritty frontiersman was led by Sheriff Boswell.
groan v. 1 moan, sigh, murmur, wail, whimper, whine: Unattended
patients were lying there, groaning in agony. 2 complain,
grumble, grouse, object, protest, Colloq gripe, beef, yammer,
Brit whinge, Slang bitch: Now that he's rich, he's groaning
about taxes.
--n. 3 moan, sigh, murmur, wail, whimper, whine: I thought I
heard a groan coming from the attic. 4 complaint, grumble,
grousing, muttering, Colloq gripe, griping, beef, yammering,
Slang bitching: His announcement that the whole class would be
punished was met by groans.
groggy adj. unsteady, shaky, wobbly, weak-kneed, weak, staggering,
stupefied, dazed, stunned, reeling, punch-drunk, numb, numbed,
benumbed, faint, in a trance or stupor, muddled, addled,
confused, bewildered, confounded, puzzled, baffled, befuddled,
Colloq dopey, punchy, woozy, Brit muzzy: I was still groggy
from the blow on the head.
groom n. 1 stable-boy, stableman, Brit stable-lad, Archaic ostler or
hostler, equerry: The groom unsaddled the horses and began to
curry them. 2 bridegroom: Let's drink to the bride and groom!
--v. 3 spruce up, dress, tidy or neaten up, smarten up,
titivate or tittivate, preen, primp, refresh: Every time she
passes a mirror Vivian stops to groom herself. 4 fit, train,
prepare, coach, tutor, brief, drill, prime, (get or make) ready,
adapt, shape: McCusker is being groomed for a directorship.
groove n. slot, cut, channel, furrow, gouge, trough; flute, scratch,
striation or stria, rifling, rifle, Architecture glyph,
Technical sulcus: The door slides in these grooves at the
sides.
grope v. feel, fumble, fish, probe: I groped for the switch in the
dark.
gross adj. 1 fat, obese, corpulent, overweight, big, large, bulky,
great, heavy, ponderous, massive, cumbersome, unwieldy: The
gross detective eased his bulk onto a tiny chair. 2 total,
aggregate, entire, pre-tax, (all-)inclusive, overall, whole:
The gross profit was up by 15 per cent this year. 3 coarse,
vulgar, crude, unsophisticated, uncultured, uncultivated,
earthy, crass, indelicate, indecent, inappropriate, unseemly,
improper, unrefined, bawdy, ribald, Rabelaisian, raw, rude,
offensive, obscene, lewd, dirty, smutty, pornographic, filthy:
That was too gross a story for mixed company. 4 outrageous,
flagrant, obvious, plain, glaring, shameful, blatant, monstrous,
heinous, manifest, evident: Her conviction was a gross
miscarriage of justice. 5 disgusting, repulsive, repellent,
revolting, nauseating: His table manners are truly gross.
--v. 6 earn, bring or take in, make: We grossed over a million
but netted only 50,000 after expenses.
--n. 7 (overall) total, take, intake, takings, receipts, gate:
As I said, the gross was over a million.
grotesque adj. 1 distorted, bizarre, freakish, twisted, misshapen,
malformed, deformed, gruesome, gnarled: Victor Hugo created the
character of Quasimodo, the grotesque bell-ringer of Notre Dame.
2 absurd, incongruous, weird, odd, fantastic, strange, queer,
peculiar, curious, outlandish, offbeat, abnormal, aberrant,
anomalous, ludicrous, ridiculous, preposterous: The idea of
marrying Leonard is too grotesque for even Gladys to
contemplate.
ground n. 1 earth, soil, turf, sod, dirt, loam, clay; land, terrain:
There is a great hole in the ground behind my house. 2
territory, area, range, scope, compass: We covered the ground
quite thoroughly at our meeting. 3 Often, grounds. basis,
foundation, base, reason, footing, justification, rationale,
argument, cause, motive, excuse: What are her grounds for suing
for divorce? 4 grounds. sediment, dregs, lees, deposit,
settlings, Brit grouts: Filter out the grounds before drinking
the coffee.
--v. 5 base, establish, organize, found; settle, set: The
school's philosophy is grounded on the principles of Maria
Montessori. 6 instruct, teach, train, coach, tutor, inform,
prepare, initiate: The purpose of the course is to ground
students in basic mathematics.
groundless
adj. baseless, without foundation, unsound, unfounded,
unsupported, unjustified, unjustifiable, unwarranted,
uncalled-for, gratuitous, unreasoned, unreasonable, speculative,
suppositional, hypothetical, tenuous, flimsy, illusory,
imaginary, chimerical: Assumptions that the boy is guilty are
entirely groundless.
groundwork
n. basis, spadework, preparation(s), base, foundation,
underpinning(s), cornerstone: The report provided the
groundwork for the research.
group n. 1 assembly, assemblage, gathering, congregation, company,
number, alliance, union, association, organization, league,
society, coterie, clique, set, band, circle, club, party, body,
faction, crowd, team, corps, guild, troupe, unit, troop,
platoon, squad, gang: A group of revolutionaries meets nightly
in a basement in Krakowskaya Street. 2 batch, aggregation, set,
grouping, collection, assemblage, bunch, accumulation,
conglomeration, agglomeration, assortment, series; pile, heap,
bundle: The entire group of abstract paintings was auctioned at
double their estimated value.
--v. 3 classify, class, sort, bracket, organize, order, rank,
assort, categorize, catalogue: Books are grouped according to
subject. 4 collect, assemble, arrange, place, dispose, gather,
organize, bring or put together, set apart: Group oversized
books together on the lowest shelves.
grovelling
adj. obsequious, fawning, toadying, toad-eating, sycophantish,
subservient, slavish, servile, submissive, kowtowing, cringing,
cowering, truckling, snivelling, scraping, tugging the forelock,
abject, crawling, base, low, mean, sordid, Colloq boot-licking,
US apple-polishing; Slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing,
arse-licking, US ass-kissing, ass-licking: The grovelling
coward threw himself to the ground, begging forgiveness.
grow v. 1 flourish, develop, increase, become larger or greater,
enlarge, wax, swell, expand, broaden, thicken, spread, lengthen,
multiply, burgeon or bourgeon, thrive, luxuriate, prosper,
mature, ripen, bloom, flower, blossom, fructify, bear or yield
fruit: The seeds he had planted grew abundantly. The population
continues to grow. 2 develop, evolve, arise, issue, stem, spring
(up), originate: A great friendship grew out of their
association. 3 plant, cultivate, breed, nurture, raise,
propagate, produce; sow: Cathcart grows sorghum where he used
to grow alfalfa. 4 become, get: I am growing fonder of you
every day, Abbie. 5 grow on. get or become accepted by, come or
begin to be liked by, to gain or increase in interest or
attraction to, become more pleasing to: I didn't like her at
first, but she grows on you. 6 grow up. mature, reach or attain
maturity or adulthood, come of age, reach one's majority: Those
who grew up in the Great Depression knew real poverty.
growth n. 1 development, evolution, evolvement, cultivation,
nurturing, increase, expansion, broadening, extension,
enlargement, spread, proliferation, flowering: The growth of
education was a slow and painful process. 2 vegetation, crop:
The area is covered with a dense growth of timber. 3 advance,
advancement, success, improvement, expansion, rise, progress:
The growth of the economy has slowed down in the last quarter.
4 wen, excrescence, wart, lump, tumour, swelling, intumescence:
He developed an ugly growth on his nose.
grudge n. 1 bitterness, resentment, rancour, ill will, hard feelings,
spite, grievance, pique, dislike, aversion, antipathy, animus,
animosity, enmity, venom, malice, malevolence, hatred: He had
harboured a grudge against her ever since she was promoted.
--v. 2 begrudge, resent, envy, mind, covet: She grudges other
people their simple pleasures.
gruesome adj. ghastly, repugnant, horrible, horrid, horrific,
horrendous, grisly, hideous, revolting, repellent, repulsive,
loathsome, grim, grotesque, macabre, abominable, frightful,
frightening, fearsome, shocking, terrible, awful: She told a
tale too gruesome to repeat here.
gruff adj. 1 surly, crusty, grumpy, curmudgeonly, cantankerous, sour,
peevish, churlish, rude, uncivil, bearish, testy, querulous,
irritable, cross, petulant, crabbed, irascible, sullen, sulky,
bluff, abrupt, curt, blunt, brusque, short, short-tempered,
ill-humoured, ill-natured, bad-tempered, stinging, cutting,
biting, acerb, acrimonious, acid, caustic, Colloq grouchy,
crotchety: It is difficult to work for someone as gruff as he
is. 2 throaty, deep, rough, guttural, rasping, low, husky,
hoarse, harsh(-sounding): Instantly I recognized father's gruff
voice on the telephone.
guarantee n. 1 guaranty, warranty, assurance, pledge, bond, obligation,
promise; word (of honour), oath, undertaking: The guarantee
expires one month from the sell-by date. Have I your guarantee
that this battery will last a year?
--v. 2 guaranty, warranty, assure, ensure, pledge, promise,
undertake, stand behind, vouch for, certify, make sure or
certain, swear to, attest to: The manufacturer guarantees every
car for three years or 50,000 miles.
guard v. 1 protect, shield, safeguard, (keep or stand) watch (over),
defend, convoy, escort, police, look after, tend, mind: Only
three men will be guarding the bullion when we make our move. 2
control, mind: Guard your tongue - the walls have ears.
--n. 3 sentinel, watchman, sentry, security guard, custodian,
guardian, protector, picket, watch, bodyguard; evzone,
bashibazouk; Brit warder, wardress , Slang screw, Brit minder:
The guards go to eat at noon. 4 protection, convoy, escort,
patrol: A guard of six men will accompany the van along this
route. 5 defence, protection, safety, safeguard, security,
shield: This bandage will serve as a guard against infection.
guarded adj. careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, circumspect, wary,
noncommittal, restrained, mindful, suspicious, leery or Brit
also leary, apprehensive; loath or loth, reticent, reluctant,
Colloq cagey: He became very guarded under close questioning.
When I asked where she had been, she gave a guarded answer.
guardian n. protector, defender, paladin, champion; trustee, custodian,
keeper, preserver: She fancies him her guardian, her knight in
shining armour. Do we really need guardians of the 'purity' of
the language?
guerrilla n. guerilla, partisan or partizan, resistance or freedom or
underground fighter, irregular; insurgent, saboteur, terrorist;
US history Jayhawker, French history Maquis: The guerrillas
continue to attack the government's supply convoys.
guess v. 1 conjecture, estimate, hypothesize, speculate, postulate,
Slang guestimate or guesstimate: We guessed that he might try
to come in through the window. 2 think, suppose, conclude,
assume, believe, dare say, surmise, judge, deem, reckon,
imagine, fancy, feel, suspect, divine: I guess you were right
about her.
--n. 3 conjecture, estimate, hypothesis, speculation, surmise,
assumption, judgement, feeling, suspicion, supposition,
postulate, theory; guesswork; Colloq shot in the dark, Slang
guestimate or guesstimate: My guess as to which card would turn
up was wrong.
guest n. visitor, company, caller; patron, customer, lodger, boarder,
roomer: Our guests get clean linen daily.
guidance n. 1 leadership, direction, management, government, conduct,
control, regulation, charge, handling, rule, auspices: The
company prospered under her guidance. 2 counsel, advice,
counselling, advisement, instruction, teaching: I have turned
to you for guidance in the matter.
guide v. 1 lead, show or lead the way, conduct, shepherd, direct,
usher, steer, orient or Brit orientate: She guided me to the
proper office. What will guide your judgement in dealing with
this situation? 2 steer, pilot, manoeuvre, navigate, direct: He
carefully guided the boat between the shoals. 3 counsel,
advise, influence, sway; supervise, oversee, handle, manage,
superintend, direct, control, regulate, govern: Mr Thrall
guided my artistic development from the beginning. 4 instruct,
teach, tutor, train: From early youth we were guided by the
elders of the community.
--n. 5 leader, conductor, director, cicerone, chaperon, mentor,
counsel, counsellor, adviser or advisor, guru, master: He
served as my guide through the financial jungle. Let your
conscience be your guide. 6 model, criterion, exemplar,
standard, ideal, example, inspiration: She looked upon the life
of Mother Theresa as a guide. 7 beacon, light, signal, guiding
light, landmark, lodestar, sign, marker: The Southern Cross was
our constant guide sailing round the Horn. 8 handbook, manual,
enchiridion, vade-mecum, guidebook, Baedeker: Can you recommend
a good guide to English usage?
guilt n. 1 culpability, guiltiness, criminality, blame,
responsibility, blameworthiness; crime, sinfulness,
feloniousness, wrongdoing, misconduct: Confronted by the
evidence, Shillingworth admitted his guilt. 2 remorse,
self-reproach, regret, sorrow, contrition, repentance, shame,
contriteness, self-condemnation, bad conscience: That feeling
of guilt would plague me for the rest of my life.
guilty adj. 1 responsible, culpable, answerable, blameworthy, at
fault, delinquent, wrong; offending, reprehensible: Whoever was
guilty will be prosecuted. First we must find the guilty party.
2 remorseful, contrite, regretful, sorry, apologetic, repentant,
sorrowful, conscience-stricken, rueful, penitent; ashamed,
shame-faced, sheepish, embarrassed, red-faced: Gavin felt
terribly guilty for having insulted Tina.
guise n. 1 appearance, aspect, semblance, look, image, likeness,
mien; air, behaviour, conduct, deportment, comportment, bearing,
demeanour: This is nothing but an old political concept in a
new guise. 2 semblance, disguise, fa‡ade, front, pretence: The
treacherous Lothario assumed the guise of a knight in shining
armour.
gulf n. 1 bay, bight, cove, inlet, sound, loch or sea loch, firth or
frith, fiord or fjord, Irish lough, Brit creek: We sailed into
the gulf to shelter from the wind behind the cliffs. 2 chasm,
deep, depth, abyss, abysm, void, space, opening, rift, breach,
gap, separation, rift, split: After the divorce, the gulf
between us widened even further.
gullible adj. innocent, green, simple, credulous, unsophisticated,
na‹ve, unsuspecting, unwary, unsuspicious, wide-eyed, born
yesterday, inexperienced, immature: He was gullible enough to
fall for the old con game, three-card monte.
gully n. gulley, channel, river-bed, watercourse, gorge, ravine,
canyon, notch, cut, pass, defile, valley, corridor, wadi, Brit
gill or ghyll, W US arroyo , US and Canadian gulch: We rode
along in the gully so as not to be seen.
gulp v. 1 bolt, gobble, wolf (down), devour, gorge, swallow, throw
down, toss off, quaff, guzzle, swill, Colloq knock back, swig,
US chug-a-lug: The boy gulped his dinner and ran out to play.
2 swallow, suppress, stifle, choke (back), smother, strangle:
She gulped back her tears as the coffin was lowered.
--n. 3 mouthful, swallow, draught, swill, Colloq swig: He took
a gulp of his drink before making another bid.
gumption n. 1 resourcefulness, shrewdness, cleverness, (mother) wit,
(common) sense, astuteness, judgement, Colloq horse sense,
brains, Slang Brit nous: It takes a lot of gumption to run a
good cattle auction. 2 backbone, grit, pluck, mettle,
enterprise, initiative, courage, spirit, gameness, nerve,
daring, vigour, energy, boldness, audacity, stamina, Colloq
spunk, guts, get-up-and-go, US moxie, Slang Brit bottle, Taboo
slang balls: He hasn't the gumption to go into business for
himself.
gurgle v. 1 bubble, burble, babble, ripple, splash, plash, lap,
murmur, purl: The cool brook gurgled merrily through the
meadow.
--n. 2 babble, burble, bubbling, babbling, burbling, splash,
gurgling, splashing, plashing, murmuring, purl, purling: I lay
back, listening to the gurgle of the spring among the rocks.
gush v. 1 cascade, rush, flood, stream, spurt, jet, spout, burst;
run, flow: The water gushed out of the pipe, soaking us all. 2
bubble over, overflow, be ebullient or effusive or effervescent,
effervesce, make much of, fuss over, prattle, chatter, babble,
jabber, blather or blether, Colloq Brit natter, witter: It was
impossible to stop them from gushing on about the performance.
--n. 3 cascade, rush, flood, flow, stream, spurt, jet, spout,
burst, torrent: A gush of water hit me right in the face. 4
exuberance, effusion, bubbling over, outburst: After the first
gush of enthusiasm, everything quieted down.
gushy adj. gushing, fulsome, cloying, mawkish, excessive, effusive,
overdone, (over-)sentimental, (over)enthusiastic, Colloq sloppy,
slushy: It's another gushy film about a little girl and a lost
kitten.
gust n. 1 puff, blow, wind, breeze, blast: A gust of wind blew my
hat off.
--v. 2 puff, blow, blast, surge, increase: The wind gusted up
to gale force overnight.
gusto n. enthusiasm, relish, zest, appetite, zeal, zealousness,
avidity, eagerness, enjoyment, appreciation, pleasure, delight,
satisfaction: We attacked the meal with great gusto and soon
dispatched every scrap.
gut n. 1 Often, guts. bowels, intestines, entrails, viscera,
stomach, offal, vitals, vital parts, gurry, Brit (of a deer)
gralloch, Colloq insides, innards or inwards: As soon as the
game is killed, the guts must be removed. 2 stomach, abdomen,
belly; beer-belly, bay window, corporation: His enormous gut
hung over his belt. 3 guts. a backbone, bravery, boldness,
audacity, pluck, courage, determination, daring, spirit, grit,
mettle, gumption, nerve, intestinal fortitude, Colloq spunk,
gutsiness, Slang Brit bottle, Taboo balls: He hasn't the guts
to tell the boss what he thinks of him. b integrity,
will-power, stamina, endurance, forcefulness, dynamism: It
takes real guts to stand up for your rights.
--v. 4 disembowel, eviscerate, draw, dress, clean: It will
take hours to gut all these fish. 5 ransack, pillage, plunder,
sack, despoil, strip, ravage, loot, rifle, Rare depredate; clean
out, devastate, empty: The building was completely gutted by
the fire.
--adj. 6 basic, heartfelt, instinctive, instinctual, intuitive,
visceral, deep-seated, emotional: My gut reaction is to refuse
the offer.
guttersnipe
n. waif, (street) Arab, (street) urchin, ragamuffin, brat,
gamin, rogue, Colloq Brit rare mudlark: That little guttersnipe
stole my wallet!
guy n. 1 man, lad, youth, boy, fellow, person, Colloq chap, geezer,
Brit bloke, Slang gink, cat, customer, US dude, Old-fashioned
gazabo or gazebo: Clarence is a pretty nice guy.
--v. 2 mock, ridicule, make fun of, caricature, satirize, poke
fun at, lampoon, Colloq rib, take off, Brit send up: We put on
a show at school in which we guyed the teachers.
habit n. 1 custom, routine, practice, convention, policy, pattern,
usage, mode, rule, wont, praxis: Jogging every morning had
become a habit. She is a creature of habit. 2 tendency,
disposition, manner, practice, way, custom, inclination, bent,
predisposition, second nature, frame of mind, attitude,
penchant, propensity, proclivity; addiction, compulsion: This
kettle has a habit of leaking. Try to control your bad habits.
3 attire, clothing, dress, apparel, clothes, garb, costume,
garments, vestments, uniform, raiment, livery, regalia,
habiliment(s), Colloq gear: She was disguised in a monk's
habit.
habitable adj. liveable, inhabitable: With some effort, two rooms were
made habitable.
habitat n. abode, home, haunt, domain, range, territory, bailiwick,
realm, terrain, element, environment, surroundings, Colloq
stamping-ground: The winter habitat of the monarch butterfly is
in northern Mexico. Curtis doesn't function well outside his
natural habitat.
habitual adj. 1 settled, fixed, customary, usual, conventional,
accustomed, set, rooted, established, traditional, standard,
routine, ritual, regular, normal, wonted, common, ordinary,
natural: He follows his habitual practice of rising at dawn. 2
inveterate, established, chronic, confirmed, hardened,
ingrained, frequent, persistent, constant, continual, perpetual:
Many English people are habitual tea-drinkers.
habitu‚ n. frequenter, patron, regular customer, Colloq regular: Larry
has been a habitu‚ of The Bell Inn for 20 years.
hack° v. 1 chop, hew, lacerate, gash, slash, cut; mangle, butcher,
mutilate, ruin, destroy, smash, batter, damage, deface: He
hacked the furniture to pieces with an axe. 2 bark, cough: She
was disgusted by the man's hacking and spitting.
--n. 3 cut, gash, slash, chop: He took a hack at the log with
his hatchet.
hackэ n. 1 drudge, penny-a-liner, scribbler, Grub Street writer: We
made a mistake hiring that hack as a feature writer. 2 plodder,
drudge, toiler, menial, flunkey, lackey, slave, Brit fag, Slang
grind, Brit swot: Fergus gets good grades because he's such a
hack. 3 saddle-horse, riding-horse, hackney, Archaic palfrey:
The hack was a fine bay mare.
hag n. crone, fury, witch, ogress, gorgon, harpy, fishwife,
harridan, shrew, virago, termagant, vixen, hell-cat, maenad or
menad, Xanthippe, Archaic beldam; dog, beast, monster; Colloq
battleaxe, Slang bitch, bag, US two-bagger: Perseus met the
Graeae, three old hags with one eye that they passed among them.
haggard adj. gaunt, drawn, wasted, emaciated, hollow-eyed,
hollow-cheeked, scrawny, scraggy, ghastly, cadaverous, run-down,
wearied, weary, careworn, spent, played out, exhausted,
toil-worn, worn, shrunken, withered: She looked haggard, as if
she hadn't slept for a week.
haggle v. wrangle, bargain, higgle, bicker, chaffer, palter, dispute,
squabble, quibble, negotiate; barter, deal; Colloq US dicker:
However little you ask for the lamp, she's sure to haggle over
the price.
hail° v. 1 greet, accost, address, signal, call: Robert hailed us
from across the road. 2 cheer, salute, applaud, approve,
glorify, praise, laud, honour, acclaim, congratulate,
felicitate, acknowledge: He was hailed by all for his
charitable work.
hailэ v. 1 rain or beat or shower (down) on, bombard, pelt, volley,
barrage: Rocks and debris hailed down on us from the cliffs
above.
--n. 2 volley, storm, shower, torrent, bombardment, barrage:
They were greeted by a hail of abuse when they entered the
meeting hall.
hair n. 1 tresses, locks, mane, curls, ringlets; braids, plaits:
You will recognize her by her red hair. 2 hair's breadth,
whisker, trifle, fraction, skin of one's teeth: He won the race
by a hair.
hairdo n. coiffure, hairstyle, cut, coif: Your hairdo is very
becoming.
hairless adj. bald, bald-headed, bald-pated, glabrous, calvous: She
finds hairless men rather sexy.
hair-splitting
adj. quibbling, (over-)fussy, hypercritical, petty, captious,
carping, fault-finding, finicky, (over)nice, fastidious,
cavilling, niggling, Colloq nit-picking: His hair-splitting
attention to detail gets on my nerves.
hairy adj. 1 hirsute, shaggy, downy, fleecy, fluffy, woolly, lanate
or lanose, lanuginous or lanuginose, bristly, setaceous, setal,
hispid, comate or comose, fringy, crinite, trichoid, strigose or
strigous, strigillose; whiskered, bewhiskered, bearded, barbate,
unshaven: The creature had a very hairy face. 2 tricky,
dangerous, perilous, risky, uncertain, precarious, hazardous,
frightening, worrying, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, Colloq
scary: The situation at the office has become very hairy. 3
tangled, intricate, knotty, complex, complicated, difficult,
problematic, confused, confusing: The exam contained some hairy
questions.
hale adj. healthy, hearty, fit (as a fiddle), sound, able-bodied,
hardy, wholesome, robust, flourishing, in good or fine fettle,
in the pink: Her grandmother was as hale and hearty as ever.
half-hearted
adj. indifferent, uncaring, unconcerned, lukewarm,
uninterested, dispassionate, cool, unenthusiastic, half-baked,
nonchalant, phlegmatic, lackadaisical, insouciant: The council
has made only a half-hearted effort to solve the problem.
halfwit n. dunce, fool, idiot, simpleton, ninny, ass, ninny-hammer,
moron, imbecile, dolt, dunderhead or dunderpate, rattle-brain,
nincompoop, dullard, Colloq numskull or numbskull, nitwit,
dim-wit, birdbrain, Brit nit, twit: He's such a halfwit, he can
hardly expect me to give him a job!
halfwitted
adj. stupid, foolish, silly, simple, inane, asinine, moronic,
imbecilic, doltish, rattle-brained, feeble-minded, attocerebral,
cretinous, thick, non compos mentis, dim-witted, weak-minded,
Colloq dumb, Brit dotty, barmy (in the crumpet): She had some
halfwitted idea that she would win the lottery.
hall n. 1 corridor, hallway, passageway, passage; foyer, entry,
entry-way, lobby, vestibule: Let us step out into the hall for
a brief word. 2 auditorium, assembly or meeting or convention
hall, theatre, amphitheatre, hired hall; lecture-room,
lecture-hall, classroom: We hired a hall for the wedding
reception.
hallmark n. 1 authentication, verification, seal or stamp (of
authenticity or approval), mark, device, sign, symbol;
plate-mark; assay-mark: From this hallmark we know when and
where the piece was made, by whom, and its degree of purity.
Surprise endings are the hallmark of O. Henry's short stories. 2
feature, stamp, mark, earmark, trade mark, characteristic,
identification: From his hallmark, a tiny axe, you can tell
that the painting is a genuine Fellworthy.
hallow v. 1 consecrate, bless, sanctify, dedicate, honour, enshrine,
glorify: Englishmen look upon this battlefield as hallowed
ground. 2 venerate, worship, revere, reverence, respect,
honour, pay homage or respect or honour to, exalt: We must
observe the hallowed traditions of the university.
hallucination
n. fantasy, mirage, day-dream, illusion, delusion, vision,
dream, aberration, chimera, phantasm, phantom, figment of the
imagination, apparition, spectre, ghost; par‘sthesia: Alone at
sea for a fortnight, I began having hallucinations.
halo n. nimbus, aura, aureole or aureola, corona, radiance, Painting
vesica, mandorla; ring, disc, circle, annulation, annulus: The
saints can be identified by the golden halos round their heads.
halt n. 1 stop, standstill, end, termination, close, stoppage,
cessation: We must call a halt to absenteeism in the factory.
--v. 2 stop, quit, end, terminate, cease, check, curb, stem,
discontinue, desist, bring or come or draw to an end or close,
put an end or stop to, conclude, shut or close down or up: We
halted when we came to the river. The guerrillas halted the
armoured column at the pass.
halting adj. hesitant, hesitating, wavering, shifting, uneven,
faltering, stumbling, faulty, unsteady, awkward, stammering,
stuttering: He told her in halting English that there was no
news of her friend.
hamper° v. slow, balk or baulk, delay, hold up, retard, inhibit,
encumber, hinder, obstruct, block, impede, prevent, interfere
with, frustrate, restrict, curb, limit, handicap, restrain,
trammel, bar, barricade, shackle, clog, curtail, lessen, reduce,
diminish: Ice floes hampered their further progress.
hamperэ n. basket, pannier, creel, Brit punnet; hanaper, Dialectal
skep: A hamper arrived from Fortnum's, packed full of
delicacies such as foie gras and peaches in brandy.
hand n. 1 Slang mitt, paw, US lunch-hook: Keep your hands off me,
you oaf! 2 help, aid, assistance, helping hand, relief, boost;
leg up: Please give me a hand with this trunk. 3 influence,
agency, participation, involvement, part, share: Did you have a
hand in my getting the appointment? 4 (manual) labourer,
worker, workman, man, help, employee: It's getting harder to
find hands for the farm. 5 pointer, indicator, index: The
minute hand covers the hour hand at noon and midnight. 6 (round
of) applause, ovation, clap: Give the lad a hand for trying. 7
handwriting, penmanship, script; calligraphy: The writing was
in a hand that she could not recognize. 8 Often, hands.
control, hold, grasp, possession, custody, clutches, keeping,
power, disposal, jurisdiction, authority, supervision,
management, guardianship, care: At last, the government is in
the hands of the people. 9 at hand. nearby, close, near, close
by, handy, (readily) available, to or on hand, at one's
fingertips, convenient, within (arm's) reach, accessible,
present; approaching, imminent, around the corner: He always
kept a pistol at hand. The Day of Judgement is at hand. 10 hand
in glove. hand in hand, in league, together, in collusion,
collusively, connivingly, conspiringly, intimately, closely,
jointly, Colloq in cahoots: An informer is working hand in
glove with the police. 11 hand in hand. together, side by side,
hand in glove: They walked hand in hand down the road. 12
hand-over-fist. quickly, speedily, rapidly, swiftly, steadily,
like mad: He makes money hand-over-fist in the stock market.
13 hands down. easily, readily, effortlessly: He can win the
marathon hands down.
--v. 14 give, pass, deliver, present to or with: Please hand
me the hammer. 15 hand down or on or over. a bequeath, will,
pass on; transfer, turn over: The farm has been handed down
from father to son for seven generations. b See 18 (a), below.
16 hand in. submit, give in, tender, proffer, offer: I handed
in my resignation. 17 hand out. distribute, disseminate, pass
out or round or around, give out, deal (out), mete or dole out,
dispense; disburse: She was handing out leaflets to passers-by.
18 hand over. a deliver, submit, yield, give up, surrender,
turn over; transfer: The man produced a gun and told the
cashier to hand over the money. b See 15 (a), above.
handcuffs n.pl. manacles, shackles, Colloq cuffs, bracelets, Slang Brit
darbies: The police put handcuffs on them all.
handful n. 1 few, couple, sprinkling, small number; fistful: Only a
handful of restaurants are open that late. He gave the beggar a
handful of change. 2 (behaviour or disciplinary) problem,
bother, mischief-maker, troublemaker, nuisance: Timothy was a
real handful when he was five.
handicap n. 1 hindrance, restraint, encumbrance, restriction,
limitation, impediment, barrier, bar, obstacle, (stumbling)
block, constraint, check, curb, trammel, disability,
disadvantage: Did Douglas Bader view the loss of his legs as a
handicap?
--v. 2 hinder, hamper, restrain, encumber, restrict, limit,
impede, bar, block, check, curb, trammel, disable, disadvantage:
He was severely handicapped by the loss of his sword.
handily adv. 1 readily, easily, effortlessly, without strain,
comfortably, with both hands tied (behind one's back): Donald
handily won the first prize in the poetry competition. 2
skilfully, capably, deftly, cleverly, dexterously, adroitly,
expertly, proficiently, masterfully: I could never do that
intricate work as handily as she.
handle n. 1 grip, hilt, handgrip, haft, helve: Hold it by the handle,
not the blade.
--v. 2 feel, touch, finger, hold; caress, fondle, pat: Be
careful how you handle that knife. 3 manage, run, operate,
direct, administer, supervise, oversee, control, command, guide:
At the age of 26, she was handling all foreign business for the
company. 4 steer, control, manage, cope with, manoeuvre,
manipulate: Are you sure he can handle that horse? 5 deal or
trade or traffic in, (buy and) sell, market: The gang was found
to be handling stolen goods worth millions every month. 6 treat,
control, deal with, cope with: She handled the customers with
the utmost tact and respect. 7 treat, employ, use, utilize;
deal with, wield, tackle, manipulate: Don't you admire how she
handled the perspective in this painting?
handsome adj. 1 good-looking, fine-looking, attractive, fair, comely:
He's handsome enough to be a movie star. 2 generous, sizeable,
large, big, substantial, considerable, good, goodly, ample,
abundant: She has made a handsome profit on the painting.
handy adj. 1 nearby, accessible, available, at or on or to hand,
close (by), convenient, at one's fingertips, within (easy)
reach, (at the) ready: Because of the recent break-ins, she
keeps a pistol handy. 2 usable, serviceable, manoeuvrable,
clever, useful, helpful, practical: A pair of pliers and a
screwdriver are the handiest tools. 3 deft, clever, dexterous,
adroit, adept, skilled, skilful, proficient, expert: Aunt Sara
is very handy with a needle and thread.
hang v. 1 suspend, depend, dangle; be poised or suspended, hover,
swing: Hang the lantern from this branch. The laundry was
hanging on the line. 2 gibbet, send to the gallows, lynch,
execute, kill, Colloq string up, stretch: They hanged two
murderers this morning. 3 drape, fall: The skirt isn't hanging
straight. 4 hang about or around. a loiter, wait, linger,
dally, idle, tarry , Colloq hang out: He hangs about after
school every day, waiting for Susan. b Also, hang about or
around (with). frequent, haunt, visit, spend time at; associate
with, socialize with, hobnob with, rub elbows with, consort
with, fraternize with, mix or mingle with, Colloq hang out
(with): He hangs about the Golden Crown. I saw him hanging
around with some pretty unsavoury characters. 5 hang back
(from). be reluctant, recoil (from), shrink (from), hesitate,
falter, stay away (from): Move to the front of the queue and
don't hang back. 6 hang fire. be delayed, remain unsettled or
unfinished, be in suspense or abeyance; stall, hold up, delay:
The decision will hang fire till after the election. 7 hang on.
a Also, hang on to. hold on (to), cling (to), clutch, grip,
grasp, grab: Hang on to me when we're crossing the street. b
wait, stay, stop: Hang on a minute - what did you call me? c
wait, persist, remain, carry on, persevere, go on, hold out,
endure, hold the phone, Colloq US hang in there: Hang on a
minute, I have to put down the phone to get a pencil. d Also,
hang on to or upon. listen carefully or attentively, give one's
undivided attention, be rapt: She hung on every word the guru
uttered. e depend or rely (on), be dependent or contingent
(on), be subject (to), be conditioned or conditional (on): The
entire project now hangs on their approval of the budget. 8
hang one's head. be ashamed or humiliated or abashed or humbled
or embarrassed: She hung her head as the store detective
confronted her with the stolen goods. 9 hang out. See 5 (a),
above. 10 hang over. be put off or postponed or delayed: We
must first deal with matters hanging over from our last meeting.
11 hang together. a unite, be united, be as one, stick
together, join forces, cooperate, act in concert or harmony: We
must hang together or we shall hang separately. b make sense,
be logical, be consistent, correspond, match (up), cohere, be
coherent: The statements issued yesterday and today just don't
hang together. 12 hang up. break the connection, disconnect,
cut off, put down the receiver: Whenever a salesman phones, I
simply hang up.
hanger-on n. follower, dependant, leech, parasite, toady, sycophant,
yes-man, Colloq scrounger, US freeloader, Slang groupie, sponger
or sponge: The rock star came in, surrounded by his hangers-on.
hangman n. executioner, Archaic Brit Jack Ketch: The hangman, a black
hood concealing his identity, slipped the noose over the
prisoner's head.
hanker v. Usually, hanker after or for. yearn for, long for, thirst
after or for, hunger after or for, itch for, pine for, lust
after or for, covet, crave, have a hankering for, want, desire,
fancy, Colloq have a yen for: She hankered after a big box of
chocolates.
hanky-panky
n. mischief, trickery, double-dealing, legerdemain, deception,
duplicity, chicanery, naughtiness, foolishness, tomfoolery,
Colloq funny business, jiggery-pokery, monkey business,
shenanigans, goings-on, antics: He'd best not try any of his
hanky-panky with the tax inspector.
haphazard adj. 1 random, arbitrary, chance, fortuitous, aleatory,
accidental, unforeseen, unlooked-for, unexpected, adventitious,
serendipitous: Her fate was to be decided by a haphazard throw
of the dice. 2 casual, offhand, hit-or-miss, unsystematic,
slapdash, slipshod, careless, disorganized, disorderly: He took
some haphazard shots at the target.
happen v. 1 occur, take place, come about, go on, come to pass,
develop; betide, chance, prove, materialize, Colloq transpire,
come off, Slang cook: What is happening? As it happens,
everyone has already left. 2 befall, become of: What will
happen to me if I refuse? 3 happen on or upon. come upon,
chance or hit on or upon, stumble on or upon, find, turn up,
encounter, meet with: It was then that I happened on an old
letter of his.
happening n. event, incident, occurrence, occasion, taking place,
circumstance, chance, episode, phenomenon: Such a conjunction
of the planets is a very rare happening.
happily adv. 1 fortunately, luckily, propitiously, providentially,
opportunely: Happily, she made a full recovery and was soon
back at work. 2 joyfully, joyously, delightedly, gleefully,
cheerily, cheerfully, gaily, merrily, blithely;
enthusiastically, heartily: She waved happily as they drove
off. 3 gladly, with pleasure, agreeably, contentedly,
willingly, peaceably: And they both lived happily ever after.
happiness n. pleasure, delight, felicity, enjoyment, joy, joyousness,
joyfulness, jubilation, cheerfulness, cheeriness, cheer,
blithesomeness, gladness, light-heartedness, exhilaration,
elation, exuberance, high spirits, glee, ecstasy: My happiness
at seeing you again was unbounded.
happy adj. 1 pleased, delighted, glad, joyous, joyful, overjoyed,
jubilant, cheerful, cheery, blithe, blithesome, glad,
light-hearted, contented, exhilarated, exultant, cock-a-hoop,
elated, exuberant, thrilled, gleeful, euphoric, ecstatic,
satisfied, gratified, Colloq on top of the world, on cloud nine,
pleased as Punch, tickled pink, Brit in the seventh heaven, over
the moon, US in seventh heaven: Her parents were happy that
Georgina was married at last. 2 lucky, fortuitous, propitious,
fortunate, auspicious, advantageous, beneficial, favourable,
felicitous, opportune, timely, well-timed, apt, appropriate: By
a happy chance, we were in Bermuda at the same time.
harangue n. 1 diatribe, tirade, oration, peroration, declamation,
philippic, screed, exhortation, vituperation, rodomontade,
speech, address, Colloq spiel: This morning he delivered a
ten-minute harangue on the weakness of the coffee.
--v. 2 declaim, hold forth, preach, lecture, sermonize,
pontificate, vituperate, rant and rave: Our neighbour is always
haranguing her husband about trimming the hedges.
harass v. badger, harry, hector, trouble, torment, bother, exasperate,
hound, plague, persecute, vex, annoy, irritate, pester, worry,
beset, bait, nag, pick on or at, tease, torture, Brit chivvvy or
chivy or chevy: The police harass me by turning up at all hours
for 'help with their inquiries'.
harbinger n. forerunner, herald, precursor, omen, foretoken, sign,
portent, augury: The crowing cock is the harbinger of dawn.
harbour n. 1 port, (safe) haven, anchorage, mooring: We sailed into
the harbour just as the storm broke.
--v. 2 shelter, keep safe, protect, shield, guard, safeguard,
conceal, hide: They were found guilty of harbouring a known
fugitive. 3 cherish, foster, nurture, nurse, keep, retain,
maintain, hold, cling to: She harbours a grudge against whoever
set the fire.
hard adj. 1 rigid, stiff, solid, inflexible, firm, dense, condensed,
compressed, close, solidified, hardened; stony, rocklike,
concrete, petrified, granite(-like), flinty, steely; tough,
rugged, leathery, callous; unyielding, adamant(ine),
impenetrable, obdurate, impervious, impregnable: The cement
gets hard in an hour. This steak is as hard as shoe-leather.
The metal was so hard that I broke three drills trying to make a
hole in it. 2 difficult, laborious, arduous, back-breaking,
burdensome, onerous, fatiguing, tiring, exhausting, wearying,
strenuous, tough, toilsome: Laying track for the railway is a
very hard job. 3 difficult, perplexing, knotty, puzzling,
baffling, enigmatic, intricate, complicated, complex, tangled,
involved, thorny, incomprehensible, inscrutable, unsolvable,
insoluble, Colloq tough: There were a lot of hard questions in
the exam. 4 stern, cold, callous, intractable, exacting,
strict, demanding, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, severe,
tyrannical, despotic, dictatorial, magisterial, oppressive,
cruel, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, savage, brutal, brutish,
inhuman, heartless, harsh, unkind, implacable, unsympathetic,
dispassionate, uncompassionate, unfeeling, obdurate, indurate;
unsentimental, insensitive, thick-skinned, tough, hard-boiled,
stony, hardbitten, unfeeling, unsparing: Hemel is a hard
taskmaster. Of the prison warders, each was harder than the
next. He advocates taking a hard line against white-collar
crime. 5 bad, difficult, grievous, calamitous, racking,
disastrous, dark, grim, distressing, devastating, agonizing,
painful, unpleasant, severe, austere, Colloq tough, rough: The
years of the Great Depression were hard for everyone. 6 cool,
unemotional, calculating, uncompromising, methodical, critical,
systematic, practical, pragmatic, businesslike, realistic,
penetrating, searching, hard-headed, Colloq tough, hard-nosed:
Shareholders should take a hard look at the annual report.
Chapelle drives a hard bargain. 7 sedulous, assiduous, devoted,
conscientious, industrious, indefatigable, untiring, persistent,
dogged, intent, eager, zealous, ardent, energetic, keen, avid:
Galpin is a very hard worker who gets a lot done. 8 cold, bare,
plain, straight, straightforward, blunt, unvarnished,
unquestionable, verifiable, real, indisputable, undeniable,
incontestable, incontrovertible, strict, inescapable,
ineluctable, unavoidable, unalterable, immutable: The hard fact
is that the bill has never been paid. 9 angry, bitter,
acrimonious, hostile, antagonistic, harsh, unpleasant,
unfriendly: I'm afraid there were some hard words between us.
10 spirituous, alcoholic, strong: She won't touch hard liquor.
11 addictive, habit-forming: He later changed from marijuana to
hard drugs. 12 sharp, well-defined, clear, distinct, stark,
definite: Note the hard edges of objects in Realist paintings.
--adv. 13 vigorously, forcefully, forcibly, energetically,
mightily, arduously, laboriously, strenuously, earnestly,
actively, dynamically, eagerly, intensely, ardently, heartily,
zealously, intently, spiritedly, diligently, assiduously,
sedulously, studiously, determinedly, steadfastly,
conscientiously, industriously, devotedly, urgently,
persistently, untiringly, indefatigably, perseveringly,
unfalteringly, relentlessly, doggedly: They always had to work
very hard just to scrape by. He's hard at work writing his new
book. 14 violently, deeply, intensely, badly, distressingly,
painfully, severely, agonizingly: Failing the examination hit
him quite hard. 15 intently, carefully, earnestly: The judge
thought long and hard before passing sentence. 16 harshly,
severely, badly, ill: It's going to go hard with her if she
doesn't change her ways. 17 hard up. poor, indigent,
poverty-stricken, impoverished, penniless, impecunious,
bankrupt, Colloq in the red, broke, bust(ed), on one's uppers,
Slang Brit skint: He's so hard up he can't afford a decent
meal.
harden v. 1 set, solidify, stiffen, freeze: The concrete will harden
overnight. 2 intensify, strengthen, brace, fortify, toughen,
reinforce, stiffen: The opposition have hardened their stand
against privatization.
hardly adv. scarcely, barely, only, just, only just; not quite, by no
means; seldom, rarely: I hardly knew her. There was hardly
enough to eat. He hardly ever visits his old mum any more.
hardship n. want, privation, deprivation, suffering, misery, distress,
affliction, adversity, austerity, misfortune, unhappiness, ill
fortune, bad luck, difficulty, trouble: The hardship of
frontier life has never been fully described.
hardware n. 1 tools, metal goods, Brit ironmongery: Go down to the
hardware shop for some nails. 2 (computer) equipment,
components, devices, machinery; arms, munitions, armament(s),
mat‚riel: We need the personnel to operate the hardware.
hardy adj. 1 robust, sturdy, strong, rugged, tough, durable, sound,
stalwart, stout, vigorous, able-bodied, red-blooded, fit, hale,
healthy, Colloq husky: The pioneers were hardy souls. 2 bold,
courageous, daring, valorous, valiant, brave, manly, intrepid,
fearless, heroic, plucky: He was among the hardy sailors who
went with Magellan.
hare-brained
adj. 1 rash, foolhardy, wild, madcap, reckless, heedless,
improvident, visionary, fanciful, airy, Colloq crackpot: Don't
put money into any of Zenobia's hare-brained schemes. 2
foolish, silly, inane, asinine, flighty, witless, brainless,
mindless, giddy, frivolous, scatterbrained: Such hare-brained
behaviour is not expected in two sober adults.
harm n. 1 injury, damage, mischief, hurt, abuse, misfortune: A
bodyguard was hired to see that no harm would come to her. 2
evil, wrongdoing, wickedness, iniquity, wrong, badness: I meant
no harm when I told Phoebe that her husband was having dinner
with Kathy.
--v. 3 hurt, damage, injure, abuse, maltreat, wound: She
insists that her pet viper would never harm her.
harmful adj. dangerous, pernicious, deleterious, destructive, damaging,
bad, detrimental, injurious; unhealthy, noxious, baleful, toxic,
poisonous, venomous, Archaic baneful: Do you really think that
Barbara has had a harmful influence on him? That substance can
be harmful if swallowed.
harmless adj. benign, innocuous, inoffensive, gentle, mild, innocent,
safe; non-toxic, non-poisonous, non-venomous: Pay no attention
to such harmless gossip. It is impossible to identify harmless
snakes by sight.
harmonious
adj. agreeable, compatible, congruous, consonant, in accord,
congenial, complementary, sympathetic, concordant, Colloq
simpatico: Our careers have always been harmonious.
harmony n. 1 agreement, accord, concord, compatibility, rapport,
unanimity, unity: The purpose is to promote harmony among the
warring factions. 2 consonance, congruity, balance,
orderliness, closeness, togetherness, consistency, fitness,
parallelism: A sense of harmony can be felt among the European
nations. 3 melodiousness, euphony, tunefulness: Their voices
are in perfect harmony.
harrowing adj. distressing, vexing, alarming, unnerving, frightening,
terrifying, horrifying, horrible, torturous, chilling,
heart-rending, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, traumatic,
agonizing, painful; disturbing, upsetting, worrying, worrisome,
disconcerting, daunting, dismaying, disquieting: Waiting for
the rescue team to release me was a harrowing experience.
harsh adj. 1 rough, coarse, bristly, scratchy, hairy, crude; hoarse,
grating, raucous, rasping, husky, guttural; clashing,
inharmonious or unharmonious, discordant, atonal, dissonant,
cacophonous, strident, shrill, grinding, sour; bitter, sour,
acrid: He found harsh the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of
the Casbah. 2 stern, austere, bleak, dour, unkind, unfeeling,
comfortless, uncompassionate, unfriendly, grim, hard, Spartan,
stringent, over-exacting, Draconian, tyrannical, stark, severe,
cruel, abusive, punishing, punitive, brutal, brutish, inhuman,
merciless, ruthless, pitiless: Simon is a very harsh
taskmaster. 3 unpleasant, disagreeable, impolite, discourteous,
uncivil, rude, nasty, curt, abrupt, brusque, bluff, gruff,
curmudgeonly, choleric, splenetic, surly, sullen, irascible,
short-tempered, petulant, peevish, waspish, grouchy, bilious,
cross, acrimonious, sarcastic, acerbic: Why is Maria so harsh
to Alan?
harvest n. 1 crop, yield, produce, output, fruit; vintage: If we get
enough rain, the harvest should be good this year.
--v. 2 reap, gather, pick, glean, collect: The oranges are
harvested while they are still greenish. 3 earn, make, take in,
collect, garner, get, receive, obtain, procure, net: They
harvest huge profits from slot machines.
hash n. 1 mixture, confusion, hotchpotch or US and Canadian
hodgepodge, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, farrago, mishmash, jumble,
mess, shambles, olla podrida, m‚lange, medley: The building is
a hash of a dozen architectural styles. 2 fiasco, disaster,
botch, mess, Slang Brit balls-up, US snafu: The council really
made a hash of its housing policy.
--v. 3 Often, hash up. mangle, mess or mix up, make a hash or
mess or jumble of, muddle, bungle, botch, mishandle, mismanage,
ruin, spoil, butcher, Colloq foul or louse up, screw up, muff,
Brit bugger up: Our plans for a holiday have been all hashed
up.
haste n. 1 swiftness, rapidity, quickness, speed, velocity,
expedition, urgency, dispatch or despatch, alacrity, celerity,
briskness: We must return to Baker Street with all haste,
Watson. 2 hurry, rush, rashness, hastiness, hustle, bustle,
impetuousness or impetuosity, recklessness, precipitancy: Haste
makes waste.
hasten v. 1 hurry, rush, make haste, fly, run, sprint, race, bolt,
dash, scurry, scamper, scuttle, speed: He hastened forward to
greet her. 2 hurry (up), speed (up), dispatch or despatch,
send, move, quicken, accelerate, expedite, rush, impel, urge:
Is there any way to hasten delivery of the mail?
hastily adv. 1 quickly, speedily, swiftly, rapidly, at once,
immediately, instantaneously, promptly, without delay, right
away, straight away, post-haste, hurriedly, directly, suddenly,
in haste, precipitately, on the spur of the moment, in a flash
or wink, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', Colloq pronto, like
a shot, like greased lightning, US lickety-split, Slang p.d.q.
(= 'pretty damned quick'): She left hastily when I asked for
the return of the loan. 2 impetuously, impulsively, rashly,
recklessly, unthinkingly, thoughtlessly, heedlessly,
incautiously: This is a trick question, so don't answer
hastily.
hasty adj. 1 quick, speedy, swift, rapid, fast, brisk, prompt,
immediate, instantaneous: He made a hasty departure so as not
to be late. 2 careless, rash, precipitate, impetuous,
impulsive, reckless, thoughtless, unthinking, incautious,
heedless, ill-considered, inconsiderate: His was a hasty
decision. 3 quick, speedy, cursory, superficial, fleeting,
passing, slapdash, perfunctory, momentary, brief: I had a hasty
look at the contract, which seemed all right. 4 irritable,
quick-tempered, irascible, testy, passionate, impatient,
hot-tempered, petulant, waspish, volatile, contentious,
choleric, splenetic, bearish, short-tempered, US and Canadian
and Irish cranky: Grandfather needn't have been so hasty with
the poor child.
hatch v. 1 breed, brood, incubate, bring forth: The normal clutch of
three eggs is hatched in a fortnight. 2 devise, contrive,
concoct, design, formulate, originate, invent, dream up, Colloq
cook up: Two of them hatched a scheme to discredit me.
hate v. 1 loathe, abhor, detest, have an aversion to, be averse to,
abominate, dislike, execrate, despise, scorn: I hate the smell
of petrol, it really turns my stomach. 2 be loath, be reluctant
or unwilling or disinclined; resist, shrink or flinch from,
dislike, shrink from: I hate to tell you what I really think.
She hated revealing Bill's affair to his wife.
--n. 3 hatred, abhorrence, loathing, odium, animosity, animus,
antipathy, aversion, hostility, antagonism, malice, enmity,
detestation: He didn't believe he could feel so much hate for
one person.
hateful adj. 1 loathsome, detestable, abhorrent, horrid, horrible,
abominable, odious, execrable, despicable, scurvy, obnoxious,
heinous, foul, contemptible, repugnant, repulsive, repellent,
revolting, vile: No vice is universally so hateful as
ingratitude. 2 malignant, malefic, malevolent, malicious, evil,
mean, spiteful, contemptuous: She gave me a hateful glance.
haughty adj. arrogant, proud, superior, self-important, smug,
self-satisfied, complacent, pretentious, conceited, egotistical,
snobbish, overbearing, lofty, presumptuous, overweening,
patronizing, supercilious, vain, condescending, contemptuous,
belittling, derisive, disdainful, scornful, Colloq highfalutin
or hifalutin, hoity-toity, stuck-up, swell-headed or
swelled-headed or swollen-headed, high and mighty, on (his or
her) high horse, snooty, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da,
Slang snotty, uppish, uppity: She's too haughty to have made
any friends here.
haul v. 1 drag, pull, tug, tow, trail, lug, heave, draw: Are you
sure that one horse can haul that load? 2 cart, transport,
carry, convey, truck, move: The new vehicles are equipped to
haul bulk dry goods.
--n. 3 pull, tug, drag, draw; heave; attraction: The tides are
greater under the haul of both sun and moon. 4 catch, take,
yield, harvest, bag: We returned with quite a good haul of cod.
haunt v. 1 visit, frequent, hang about or around, spend time at, US
habituate: She haunts the yacht club, waiting for her ship to
come in. 2 beset, obsess, plague, torment, trouble, possess,
prey on: He is haunted by the fear that she told the police
everything.
--n. 3 gathering-place, meeting-place, stamping-ground, Colloq
hang-out: She returned to Abergavenny to visit the haunts of
her youth.
have v. 1 possess, own, keep; maintain: Imelda had more shoes than
you could count. 2 receive, take, accept, get, obtain, acquire,
procure, secure, take: How many gifts did you say she had from
him? 3 entertain, be struck by: I have an idea! 4 possess,
bear, contain, include, comprise: The night has a thousand
eyes. 5 suffer with or from, be suffering with or from, be
experiencing, be undergoing, be enduring, be subjected to: My
daughter was really ill when she had measles. 6 arrange,
organize, set up, prepare; hold: If I have a party, will you
come? We shall have our next meeting on Saturday. 7 partake of,
participate in, experience, enjoy; eat; drink: I hope you have
a good time. 8 give birth to, bear, deliver, bring into the
world; beget, sire, father: She had three children in as many
years. How many children has he had? 9 make, demand; force,
oblige, cause, induce, press, require, compel: We'll have the
caterers come at noon. 10 had better or best. ought to, must,
should: I had better not drink as I'm driving. 11 had rather
or sooner. prefer to, would rather or sooner: I'd rather be
with you. 12 have on. a be wearing, be dressed or clothed or
attired in: I'll have on the silk nightgown you like so much.
b be committed to, have planned, have in the offing, have on the
agenda: I have something on next Tuesday evening. c trick,
tease, deceive, pull (someone's) leg, play a joke on, fool: Do
you really love me or are you having me on?
havoc n. 1 ruin, devastation, destruction, desolation, rack or wrack
and ruin, despoliation, spoliation, damage: Gales of more than
80 m.p.h. wreaked havoc right across the British Isles. 2
confusion, chaos, upset, disorder, mayhem, shambles, disruption:
The railway slow-down created havoc with commuter schedules.
hazard n. 1 peril, danger, risk, endangerment, threat, jeopardy: The
greatest hazard in sailing single-handed round the world is the
loneliness. 2 chance, gamble, uncertainty, luck, fortune: They
banned all games that depended on hazard.
--v. 3 venture, dare; gamble, risk, jeopardize, endanger,
threaten, imperil, stake: May I hazard a guess as to the origin
of the word? He hazarded his entire fortune on the turn of a
card.
hazardous adj. unsafe, risky, fraught with danger, questionable, shaky,
dangerous, precarious, uncertain, unpredictable, parlous,
ticklish, tricky, Colloq chiefly Brit dicey, dicky or dickey,
Slang hairy: It took three months to make the hazardous
overland journey in those days.
hazy adj. 1 misty, foggy, smoggy, cloudy, overcast: It was so hazy
that we couldn't see the town a mile away. 2 indistinct,
blurred, blurry, dull, dim, faint, nebulous, vague, unclear,
fuzzy, indefinite, muddled: He has only a hazy idea of the
plot.
head n. 1 skull, pate, cranium, Colloq dome, Slang coco(nut),
belfry, noggin, bean, nut, rocker, noodle, gourd, Brit conk,
crumpet, noddle, loaf: She laid her head on the pillow and fell
sound asleep. 2 chief, leader, administrator, chief executive
officer, CEO, (managing) director, MD, president, chairman,
chairwoman, chairlady, chairperson, chair, employer, principal,
superintendent, supervisor, governor, prime minister,
headmaster, headmistress, Colloq boss, headman, the man, Brit
guv'nor, guv, US (chief) honcho; Slang big cheese, US Mr Big:
The new head has called a meeting of the board of directors. 3
front, vanguard, forefront, van, fore-part: At the head of the
column marched the general himself. 4 aptitude, intellect,
intelligence, talent, perception, perceptiveness, mentality,
faculty, flair, genius, brain, mind, wit, Colloq brains, grey
matter: I have no head for figures. 5 crisis, apex, (critical
or turning) point, peak, crest, (fever) pitch, climax,
culmination, conclusion, crescendo: Matters have been brought
to a head because of the coming elections. 6 source, origin,
fount, font, fountain-head, well-spring: We were trying to
reach the head of the stream before nightfall. 7 top, first
place, leading position, leadership, forefront: Albert is at
the head of his class in mathematics. 8 head over heels.
completely, entirely, deeply, utterly, wholly, fully, Colloq
madly, wildly: The two of them are head over heels in love.
--adj. 9 first, chief, main, principal, leading, premier,
foremost, prime, pre-eminent, cardinal, paramount, supreme,
superior, senior: Alphonse is our new head chef.
--v. 10 go, move, proceed, turn, steer, aim, point, head for,
make a beeline for: I shall head home when I leave here. 11
head up, be in or take charge (of), direct, supervise, oversee,
control, govern, run, (take the) lead, guide, manage, command,
rule, administer, conduct: Who will head the organization if
you resign? 12 lead, precede, top: Charlotte heads the list of
candidates. 13 head off. a intercept, divert; cut off, stop,
block: The cavalry will head them off at the pass. b stop,
forestall, prevent, inhibit, avert, ward or fend off: What can
we do to head off inflation?
headache n. 1 migraine, Technical cephalalgia: Hazel says she has a
headache and cannot come to work today. 2 worry, bother,
vexation, inconvenience, nuisance, annoyance, problem,
difficulty, trouble, bane, Colloq pain (in the neck), Slang pain
in the Brit arse or US ass: The balance of payments deficit is
a perpetual headache.
headway n. 1 progress, forward motion, improvement: Headway against
that current was almost impossible. Any headway to report? 2
make headway. advance, progress, move forward, go, gain
(ground), get or go ahead, proceed, get going: I tried to
persuade her but haven't made much headway.
heal v. 1 cure, repair, renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore;
mend, recuperate, recover, improve: The wounds have healed. The
ointment healed his wounds. I heal quickly. 2 reconcile, settle,
patch up, put or set straight or right, remedy, repair, mend:
His only wish was to heal the rift with his brother.
health n. 1 condition, fitness, trim, fettle, form, constitution: My
health has improved enough for me to return to work. 2
healthiness, haleness, healthfulness, robustness, vigour,
vigorousness, salubrity, salubriousness, well-being, strength:
The health of the economy is good.
healthy adj. 1 well, fit, trim, in good or fine fettle or shape, in
good health, robust, hale (and hearty), sturdy, strong,
vigorous, thriving, flourishing, Colloq in the pink: How come
he is so healthy if he smokes? 2 wholesome, healthful,
salubrious, salutary, beneficial, nourishing, nutritious, tonic,
bracing: The answer lies in eating healthy food and living in a
healthy climate.
heap n. 1 collection, pile, mound, stack, accumulation, aggregation,
agglomeration, congeries, conglomeration, hoard, mass, store,
mountain, stockpile, supply, Colloq US and Canadian stash:
Donors contributed a huge heap of clothing for the sale. 2
Often, heaps. abundance, plethora, superabundance, lot(s),
plenty, great deal, scores, peck, sea, Colloq lashings, load(s),
piles, ton(s), raft(s), pots, oodles, scad(s), US and Canadian
slew: It was served with heaps of chocolate sauce. Heaps of
people bought your record. You're in for a heap of trouble.
--v. 3 collect, gather, harvest, reap, glean, garner, pile
(up), accumulate, cumulate, aggregate, amass, stockpile, save
(up), bank, lay by or up or in, set aside, Colloq stash (away):
In autumn, squirrels heap up their supplies of nuts for the
winter. 4 shower, load, bestow, give, provide, burden: The
grateful prince heaped us with treasure beyond imagination.
hear v. 1 perceive, understand, listen (to), attend (to), pay
attention (to), catch, heed, hark (to): Please hear what I have
to say first. 2 understand, learn, discover, find out, gather,
get wind of, pick up, ascertain, be told or advised or informed:
I hear you're thinking of resigning. 3 hear of. entertain,
consider; approve (of), sanction, condone, agree or consent or
assent to: I won't hear of your leaving.
heart n. 1 Colloq ticker, pump: The doctor says I have a dicky
heart. 2 stomach, nerve, courage, bravery, mettle, will,
boldness, pluck, resolution, determination; callousness,
insensitivity, heartlessness; Colloq guts, spunk: I haven't the
heart to tell him that his hamster died. 3 (basic) nature,
core, centre, focus, hub, middle, marrow, pith, essence,
quintessence, nucleus, nub, crux, basics, fundamentals, Colloq
nitty-gritty: Let's get down to the heart of the matter. 4
sincerity, sentiment(s), feeling(s), spirit, verve, enthusiasm:
She's going through the motions, but her heart isn't in her
work. 5 humanity, humanitarianism, sympathy, understanding,
kindness, kindliness, compassion, empathy, goodness,
consideration, concern, soul, tenderness, magnanimity,
generosity, sensitivity, sensibility, sentiment, pity,
(brotherly) love, affection: Mother Theresa is known for having
a lot of heart. Have you no heart, Genghis?
heartbroken
adj. broken-hearted, downhearted, dispirited, unhappy,
miserable, grief-stricken, upset, dejected, heartsick,
crestfallen, despondent, depressed, disconsolate, distressed,
woebegone, doleful, sorrowful, mournful, morose, disheartened,
disappointed, crushed: Lucy was heartbroken over the loss of
her locket.
heartfelt adj. sincere, honest, genuine, unfeigned, earnest, serious,
wholehearted, deep, profound, dedicated, devoted, ardent,
committed, fervent, fervid, hearty, passionate: It is my
heartfelt wish that you should succeed.
heartless adj. cruel, hard-hearted, callous, unconcerned, inhuman,
inhumane, unkind, unfeeling, unsympathetic, brutal, cold,
merciless, pitiless, ruthless, cold-blooded: Taking away the
child's toys was a heartless thing to do.
heart-rending
adj. agonizing, distressing, excruciating, bitter, painful,
heartbreaking, harrowing, piteous, tragic, depressing, poignant:
Her distress was heart-rending to behold.
heart-warming
adj. 1 moving, touching, warming, affecting, uplifting,
inspiriting, cheering, encouraging: I heard the heart-warming
news about Alan's recovery. 2 satisfying, gratifying, pleasing,
comforting, pleasurable, rewarding: It was heart-warming to see
the family together at Christmas.
hearty adj. 1 genial, warm, kind-hearted, affectionate, amiable,
amicable, friendly, affable, cordial, open, convivial: I was
greeted by a hearty welcome when I returned. 2 genuine,
unfeigned, authentic, sincere, heartfelt, warm, wholehearted,
honest, earnest, devout, stalwart, stout: Please give Desmond
my hearty congratulations. 3 enthusiastic, vigorous, energetic,
eager, zealous, exuberant, robust, active, animated, strong:
They are hearty supporters of our cause. 4 abundant, ample,
substantial, solid, sizeable, satisfying, square; nourishing,
invigorating, strengthening: On Sundays, we had a hearty meal
at midday when we could afford it. 5 healthy, hale, vigorous,
robust, strong, sound: Well, Eric, now that you're over your
malaria you appear to be quite hearty.
heat n. 1 warmth, warmness, hotness, fever, fieriness, torridity or
torridness: The heat of the sun feels good after that cold
swim. 2 passion, ardour, fervour, fervidness, intensity, fury,
zeal, zealousness, earnestness, vehemence, eagerness,
enthusiasm, excitement, tenseness, tension, stress, agitation,
arousal, impetuosity, stimulation, exhilaration: If I shouted
at you in the heat of the moment, I apologize.
--v. 3 warm (up): It costs a lot to heat this house. 4 Often,
heat up. excite, intensify, impassion, inflame, kindle, ignite,
quicken, inspirit, rouse, awaken or waken, stir, animate,
stimulate, warm (up), activate, Colloq Brit hot up: It took a
while for the debate to heat up.
heated adj. impassioned, excited, intensified, aroused, quickened,
stimulated, inflamed, vehement, fiery, frenzied, frantic,
frenetic, passionate, fervent, fervid, ardent, intense, furious,
stormy, tempestuous, violent; angry, bitter: There was a heated
dispute over animal rights, which finally led to blows.
heathen n. 1 unbeliever, infidel, pagan, idolater or idolatress,
polytheist, atheist, nullifidian, sceptic, agnostic, heretic:
One often finds more mercy in a heathen than in a brother
Christian.
--adj. 2 infidel, pagan, atheist(ic), godless, nullifidian,
sceptic(al), doubting, agnostic, heretical, irreligious: After
the missionaries left, the tribe returned to their heathen
practices. 3 savage, barbarian, barbaric, uncivilized,
primitive, unenlightened, uncultured, Philistine; polytheistic,
pantheistic: Each of these tribesmen carries with him a tiny
sculptured image of the heathen god.
heave v. 1 raise, lift, hoist, haul, pull, draw, tug; move: We
heaved in the anchor and made sail. 2 throw, toss, hurl, fling,
cast, sling, pitch, let fly, send, launch, Colloq peg, chuck:
When he heaved the sword into the lake a hand rose from the
waters and caught it. 3 breathe, utter, sigh, groan, moan, gasp:
We heaved a sigh of relief when we heard that they had been
found. 4 gag, retch, vomit, be sick, regurgitate, disgorge,
Colloq throw up, Slang puke, lose one's lunch, return one's
dinner, US upchuck, spiff one's biscuits: The smell of petrol
always makes me heave.
heaven n. 1 paradise, bliss, hereafter, nirvana, Abraham's bosom,
Elysian Fields or Elysium, Valhalla, Zion, happy
hunting-grounds, Avalon, Isles of the Blessed, the Blessed or
Fortunate or Happy Isles or Islands: Will I go to heaven when I
die? 2 heavens. sky, skies, firmament, Literary welkin,
empyrean: The heavens opened and the rain started to pour down.
3 happiness, bliss, joy, rapture, ecstasy, paradise,
contentment, seventh heaven, Eden, Garden of Eden, Utopia,
heaven on earth, paradise on earth: Darby said that his years
with Joan had been sheer heaven.
heavenly adj. 1 divine, angelic, seraphic, celestial, holy, immortal,
blessed, beatific, beatified, spiritual, saintly; supernal,
unearthly, other-worldly, ultramundane, extramundane,
extraterrestrial: Alone on the mountain, she heard a heavenly
voice calling her name. 2 delightful, wonderful, marvellous,
sublime, paradisiac(al) or paradisaic(al), glorious, splendid,
superb, exquisite, perfect, ideal, excellent, fantastic,
rapturous, entrancing, blissful, Colloq gorgeous, divine,
smashing, great: Andr‚'s serves a perfectly heavenly lobster
thermidor.
heavy adj. 1 weighty, ponderous, massive, Literary massy; compact,
dense: This box is much too heavy for me to lift. 2 abundant,
overflowing, excessive, copious, profuse, prodigious, ample,
unmanageable: We just crawled along in the heavy traffic. 3
serious, grave, important, crucial, critical, acute: You always
bring up heavy topics at the end of the meeting. 4 burdensome,
onerous, oppressive, weighty, unbearable, severe, grievous,
distressful, sore, intolerable, insupportable or unsupportable,
awful: Teenagers often feel that they are weighed down with
heavy responsibilities. 5 sad, sorrowful, distressing,
grievous, upsetting, depressing, gloomy, sombre, melancholy:
Some heavy news has been received from the front. 6 unhappy,
miserable, depressed, melancholy, grieving, sad, dejected,
downhearted, disconsolate, downcast, despondent, gloomy,
heavy-hearted, morose, crestfallen, cheerless: Heavy at heart,
he returned to his cheerless home. 7 ponderous, tedious,
monotonous, boring, uninteresting, leaden, dull, prosaic, dry,
dry-as-dust, stodgy, staid, stuffy, stifling, stultifying: The
critics found the style much too heavy for the subject being
treated. 8 thick, coarse, broad, blunt, clumsy, ungraceful:
These heavy brush-strokes prove that the painting is not a
Turner. 9 gloomy, cloudy, overcast, bleak, dismal, dreary,
leaden, grey, dark, louring or lowering, threatening: it was
another of Scotland's heavy February days. 10 intense,
concentrated, severe, forceful, violent, torrential: The
snowfall was the heaviest of the year. 11 overweight, fat,
obese, stout, chubby, plump, corpulent, portly, paunchy, tubby,
Brit podgy or US pudgy, Colloq beer-bellied: The doctor did not
say I was too heavy, only that I ought to be six inches taller.
12 weighty, difficult, complex, recondite, arcane, deep,
profound, esoteric, incomprehensible, impenetrable,
unfathomable: He specializes in some heavy subject like
micro-palaeontology. 13 burdened, laden, encumbered, loaded,
overloaded, weighed down: We spied two Indiamen, heavy with
cargoes of spices, sailing towards us.
heavy-handed
adj. 1 awkward, clumsy, inept, maladroit, unskilful,
ungraceful, graceless, bungling: She made a heavy-handed
attempt to apologize. 2 autocratic, imperious, magisterial,
overbearing, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical, oppressive,
domineering, iron-handed, harsh, severe: For more than 30 years
he exercised heavy-handed control over the country.
heckle v. badger, pester, annoy, irritate, bother, nettle, bait,
harass, harry, plague, hector, taunt, jeer, Colloq hassle, bug,
Brit and Australian and New Zealand barrack: One man kept
heckling the speaker with persistent interruptions.
hectic adj. feverish, excited, agitated, busy, bustling, rushed,
hyperactive, over-active, frenzied, frantic, chaotic, wild, mad,
frenetic, riotous: What with the new baby and everyone else
having the flu, I've had a pretty hectic week.
heed v. 1 pay attention to, attend, (take or make) note (of), listen
to, mark, consider, bear in mind; take, follow, obey, mind,
respect, accept, abide by: I wish I had heeded her suggestions
for redecorating the house. Heeding his advice, I joined the
army.
--n. 2 attention, notice, ear, mind, notice, respect,
consideration, thought: Let us give heed to the speaker's
admonitions.
heedless adj. inattentive, uncaring, unmindful, neglectful, unobservant,
regardless; oblivious, deaf, blind: Heedless of tradition, they
replaced the older buildings with council housing.
heel° n. 1 end, butt or tail or fag (end), stump, remainder, remnant,
rind, crust: You can always freeze the heel of a loaf to use at
some later date for breadcrumbs. 2 cad, scoundrel, swine, rogue,
scamp, philanderer, Old-fashioned worm, knave, Chiefly Brit
blackguard, Colloq Brit rotter, Old-fashioned bounder, Slang
bastard, Brit sod: He's an absolute heel - he got her pregnant
and then left her. 3 down at heel. US also down at the heels;
poor, destitute, impoverished, down and out, on (one's) uppers,
in straitened circumstances; shabby, seedy, dowdy, run-down,
slovenly, Brit out at elbows, US out at the elbows, Colloq
broke, strapped: Farrington looked down at heel, so I slipped
him a fiver. 4 take to (one's) heels. take flight, flee,
escape, run off or away, show a clean pair of heels, Colloq
split, Brit do a moonlight flit, US take a (run-out) powder, fly
the coop, Australian and New Zealand shoot through: When I
mentioned payment, she took to her heels.
--v. 5 dog, follow (closely), shadow, chase, pursue: We have
taught our puppy to heel.
heelэ v. list, lean (over), tilt, tip, incline: The boat heeled as
we turned to beat into the wind.
hefty adj. 1 big, large, bulky, cumbersome, awkward, unwieldy,
clumsy, substantial, massive: That's a pretty hefty box for one
person to carry. 2 brawny, strong, powerful, burly, muscular,
strapping, rugged, robust, Colloq husky, beefy: That hefty man
over there is the Olympic weight-lifting champion. 3
substantial, considerable, sizeable, impressive, enormous, huge,
Colloq thumping or Brit socking great: I've just received a
hefty increase in salary.
height n. 1 altitude, elevation, level; tallness: At what height is
the second camp on Mount Everest? The height of the skyscrapers
impressed me. 2 acme, crest, pinnacle, top, zenith, apogee,
peak, apex, maximum, high point, summit, climax, culmination,
extreme: Popularity of that style reached its height in the
1930s. His remark reflected the height of arrogance. 3 Often,
heights. elevation, mound, hill, eminence, prominence, mountain,
peak, crag, summit; tor, cliff, bluff, promontory, escarpment,
scarp, headland, No. Brit fell: As we gazed down from the
heights, the villages seemed tiny.
heighten v. 1 raise, elevate, build up, increase, lift (up), upraise: A
white ceiling gives the effect of heightening a room. 2
intensify, deepen, strengthen, reinforce, amplify, magnify,
increase, enhance, augment, add to, supplement: Adding some
blue heightens the effect. The bribery scandal has only
heightened distrust of the ruling party.
heir n. heiress, beneficiary, inheritor, legatee, successor: What
if you are not the rightful heir to the estate?
hell n. 1 Erebus, Hades, Acheron, Tartarus, Gehenna, Tophet,
Abaddon, Pandemonium, Dis, Sheol, Avernus, underworld, infernal
regions, abyss, abode of the damned, inferno, hell-fire, lower
world, nether regions, bottomless pit, other place: For his
sins he was condemned to everlasting hell. 2 chaos, misery,
torment, agony, torture, ordeal, nightmare, trial: The office
has been an absolute hell since you left. 3 anguish, pain,
agony, torment, torture, misery, suffering, affliction: We have
been through hell since Grenville's heart attack. 4 criticism,
censure; scolding, castigation, reprimand, upbraiding: My
mother gave me hell for getting home late.
helm n. 1 tiller, wheel, rudder, steering gear or apparatus: I had
to put the helm over hard to avoid hitting the pier. 2
directorship, presidency, chairmanship, leadership, control,
rule, command, Colloq driver's seat, saddle: Arthur remained at
the helm of the company for 40 years.
help v. 1 aid, assist, lend a hand, support, serve; succour: Let me
help you carry that package, Mrs Smith. His charitable efforts
have long helped the poor. 2 relieve, alleviate, mitigate,
improve, facilitate, ease, better, remedy, cure: Complaining
about it won't help the situation. 3 stop, refrain from, avoid,
eschew, resist, keep from, forbear, escape: I know it was a
secret but I couldn't help telling Sam. 4 assist, serve,
advise, inform: May I help you, sir? 5 help oneself.
appropriate, take, arrogate, commandeer, expropriate; steal,
purloin, usurp, plagiarize, pirate, Colloq pinch, lift, Brit
nick, US boost: She helped herself to some money from the till.
--n. 6 aid, support, succour, assistance: I need help in
solving this problem. 7 employee(s), worker(s), staff,
helper(s), hand(s), assistant(s), labourer(s), domestic(s),
servant(s), Brit daily (help): We have to hire more help to
finish on time. 8 supporter, aide, assistant, helper: You have
been a great help to me. 9 relief, remedy, cure, balm: This
ointment has been a great help in stopping the itching.
helpful adj. useful, serviceable, practical, pragmatic, utilitarian,
beneficial, valuable, profitable, advantageous, constructive,
productive; supportive, reassuring, sympathetic, considerate,
caring, accommodating, kind, considerate, cooperative,
neighbourly, friendly, benevolent: A reference book might be
helpful in answering that question. Mrs Carlyle gave me such
helpful advice.
helping n. serving, portion, ration, plateful, Brit help, Colloq
dollop: He has already asked for a third helping of potatoes.
helpless adj. 1 dependent, vulnerable, weak, helpless, feeble, infirm,
lame, crippled, disabled: The disease has left him completely
helpless. 2 confused, baffled, mystified, bewildered,
perplexed, at sea, confounded, muddled, nonplussed: I am
completely helpless when it comes to balancing my accounts. 3
weakened, weak, debilitated, faint, enfeebled, feeble, worn out,
spent, exhausted, prostrate, enervated: All of us were simply
helpless from laughing so much. 4 worthless, incapable,
incompetent, useless, unavailing, inefficient, inept, unfit,
unqualified: Dali was said to be helpless without Gala to
manage his affairs.
helter-skelter
adj. 1 disorderly, disorganized, confused, muddled, haphazard,
careless, jumbled, random, topsy-turvy, Colloq
higgledy-piggledy: How can one find anything in this
helter-skelter mess?
--adv. 2 confusedly, pell-mell, in all directions, recklessly,
unsystematically, chaotically, erratically, aimlessly, US every
which way, Colloq higgledy-piggledy: When the giant appeared,
the children ran away, helter-skelter.
hence adv. 1 therefore, consequently, thus, accordingly, ergo, as a
result, for that or this reason: She has homework to do, hence
cannot go to the cinema. 2 away, from here or this place: Get
thee hence, you wicked witch! 3 from now, in the future: Where
will I be two years hence?
henceforth
adv. hereafter, henceforward, from now on, Colloq US from here
on out: Henceforth, make no more personal remarks.
henchman n. (fellow-) mobster or gangster or hoodlum, gangster,
bodyguard, myrmidon, right-hand man, associate, attendant,
follower, supporter, confidant, crony, Colloq sidekick,
hooligan, Brit minder, US buddy, cohort; Slang heavy, US
torpedo, gunsel, goon: Mr Big strutted in with his henchmen and
wrecked the place.
henpeck v. nag, harass, hector, pester, torment, bully, carp, cavil:
She henpecked him so much that he finally left her.
herd n. 1 group, pack, bunch, cluster, flock, crowd, multitude,
host, horde, throng, mass, swarm, press, crush; assemblage,
collection: A herd of protesters gathered before the embassy.
2 common herd, rabble, hoi polloi, great unwashed, riff-raff,
masses: How can you expect the herd to understand these
principles?
--v. 3 gather, congregate, flock, assemble, collect: The
reporters herded round to interview the minister. 4 round up,
gather (together), shepherd, drive, W US and Canadian wrangle,
corral: Herd those cattle into the pen.
hereditary
adj. 1 heritable, inheritable, transmissible, transferable or
transferrable, inherited, genetic, congenital, inborn, innate;
atavistic: Green eyes and red hair are hereditary in our
family. 2 traditional, handed down, inherited, bequeathed,
willed; ancestral: Priesthood was hereditary among Aaron's
descendants. These are the hereditary lands that go with the
castle.
heretical adj. unorthodox, heterodox, impious, freethinking, heretic,
apostate or apostatical, iconoclastic, schismatic, sceptic,
agnostic, atheist(ic), idolatrous, heathen, pagan, infidel,
godless: The purpose of the Inquisition was to discover and
suppress heretical views.
heritage n. 1 estate, inheritance, legacy, patrimony, birthright: The
manor-house was included in the heritage that was passed on to
me. 2 tradition: The documentary examines our cultural
heritage.
hermetic adj. hermetical, airtight, sealed; impervious: If the hermetic
seal is broken, sterility is not guaranteed.
hermit n. recluse, eremite, anchorite or anchoret or anchoress,
solitary, stylite: He has retired from the world to become a
hermit.
hero n. 1 heroine, champion, exemplar, star, superstar, idol, ideal,
man of the hour, luminary, notable, celebrity; knight, paladin,
warrior: She was a hero to every aspiring woman lawyer. She
expects a hero in shining armour on a white horse to sweep her
off her feet. 2 protagonist, (male) lead or star, leading man or
actor, principal: G‚rard Depardieu plays the hero in this
lavishly produced film.
heroic adj. 1 brave, courageous, bold, valiant, valorous, undaunted,
dauntless, stout-hearted, noble, intrepid, gallant, chivalrous,
daring, plucky, audacious, fearless, manly, virile, manful: We
published a book about Aylesworthy's heroic exploits. 2 noble,
altruistic, magnanimous, generous, upstanding, honourable,
virtuous, staunch, steadfast, stalwart, determined: This plaque
commemorates Manzanilla's heroic work in curbing religious
persecution. 3 desperate, drastic, extreme: Despite heroic
efforts, it was impossible to rescue the entire crew. 4 grand,
larger than life, exaggerated, magniloquent, grandiose,
extravagant; giant, gigantic, enormous, huge, titanic, colossal,
stupendous: The heroic phrases of the demagogue still ring in
my ears. Statues of heroic proportions have been moved from Abu
Simbel. 5 mythological, epic, Homeric, legendary, classical,
fabulous, wonderful, miraculous: He enjoyed tales of heroic
demigods like Hercules. 6 majestic, lofty, elevated, grand,
august, towering, eminent, distinguished, prominent: The entire
court was silent as the heroic figure of the emperor entered.
heroine n. (female) lead, leading actress or lady, prima donna or
ballerina, premiЉre danseuse, diva: The heroine was played by
Mme Kropeczka.
hesitant adj. 1 hesitating, undecided, uncertain, unsettled, irresolute,
vacillating, shilly-shallying, dithering, fluctuating, wavering,
unresolved, ambivalent, in or of two minds, indefinite, Brit
havering: He was hesitant about whether to buy the blue or the
green model. 2 halting, stammering, stuttering, faltering:
From her hesitant speech I'd say she was nervous.
hesitate v. 1 delay, hold or hang back, pause, dilly-dally, wait,
temporize, think twice, balk, boggle at, shrink from, demur,
scruple, Brit haver, jib, Colloq stall: He who hesitates is
lost. 2 fumble, equivocate, tergiversate, fluctuate, alternate,
waver, dither, vacillate, shilly-shally: He hesitated between
the doors - did this one conceal the lady or the tiger? 3
stammer, stutter, falter, sputter, splutter, stumble, hem and
haw: She hesitated throughout the speech purely from stage
fright.
hidden adj. concealed, secret, obscure(d), occult, veiled, cryptic,
recondite, arcane, covert, esoteric, unseen, private: Was this
an ordinary shopping list or did it have some hidden meaning?
hide° v. 1 conceal, secrete, cache, squirrel away; go underground,
take cover, lie low, go into hiding, lurk, go to ground, drop
out of sight, go into hiding, hibernate, latibulize, Colloq hide
out, hole up, lie low, Brit lie doggo: Hide the sweets where
the children won't find them. I found a place to hide under the
stair. 2 conceal, cover, mask, camouflage, disguise, veil,
shroud, screen, cover up, keep secret: He managed to hide his
embarrassment. 3 eclipse, blot out, obscure, block: The clouds
hid the moon as we made good our escape. 4 suppress, hush (up),
repress, silence, keep quiet or secret: She hid all knowledge
of the crime.
hideэ n. 1 pelt, skin, fell, leather, fur, fleece: Once tanned and
dyed, the hide was made into clothing.
--v. 2 flog, whip, lash, flail, beat, thrash: The masters took
great satisfaction in hiding the boys.
hideaway n. refuge, retreat, sanctuary, hide-out, hiding-place, lair,
(safe) haven, Colloq hole, Brit hidey-hole or hidy-hole: My
brother and I would crawl into our hideaway and pretend we were
being held prisoner by pirates.
hidebound adj. strait-laced, conventional, ultra-conventional,
conservative, reactionary, rigid, set (in one's ways),
narrow-minded, close-minded, inflexible, intractable,
uncompromising, restricted, cramped, bigoted, intolerant: She's
too much of a hidebound disciplinarian to rescind the
punishment.
hideous adj. 1 grotesque, ugly, repulsive, revolting, repellent,
monstrous, beastly, gorgonian, unsightly, ghastly, disgusting,
grisly, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, gruesome: Suddenly, a
hideous face appeared at the kitchen window. 2 foul, abhorrent,
heinous, horrifying, appalling, outrageous, abominable, vile,
shocking, loathsome, contemptible, hateful, odious, atrocious,
horrific, beastly, damnable, execrable: Two hideous crimes were
committed here last night.
high adj. 1 tall, lofty, elevated, towering: High mountains
surround the valley. 2 extreme, excessive, extraordinary,
exorbitant, outrageous, Colloq steep, stiff: Houses in that
district are fetching high prices. 3 costly, dear, expensive,
high-priced: Shares are not as high as they were before the
crash. 4 great, huge, enormous, considerable, strong; violent,
turbulent: These wires carry high voltages. The high winds blew
down trees. 5 exalted, elevated, lofty, superior, high-class:
With insider trading, theft became a high art in the financial
world. 6 consequential, important, grave, serious, weighty,
momentous, heinous; capital: His activities constitute high
treason. 7 high-pitched, high-frequency, squeaky, acute,
treble, soprano; shrill, strident, sharp, penetrating, piercing,
ear-splitting: The higher notes make my radio speaker vibrate.
She has an irritatingly high voice. 8 cheerful, exuberant,
elated, boisterous, exhilarated, hilarious, merry, excited: I
find his persistent high spirits rather depressing. 9 euphoric,
intoxicated, inebriated, drunk, drugged, Colloq loaded, tipsy,
turned on, on a trip, Slang stoned, spaced out, Brit squiffy, US
spacy, squiffed: They got high sniffing glue. 10 gamy,
tainted, aged, ripe, Slang Brit pongy: He likes to hang venison
till it is quite high. 11 chief, leading, important, principal,
foremost: He regards himself as the high priest of women's
fashion. 12 elaborate, luxurious, grand, extravagant, lavish,
rich, prodigal, sybaritic: With her millions she can now enjoy
the high life. 13 considerable, favourable, great: She is held
in high esteem by her colleagues.
--adv. 14 far up; great in extent: Daedalus warned Icarus not
to fly so high. I was willing to go as high as 20,000 for the
painting.
--n. 15 peak, record, height, maximum, acme, apex: Employment
is expected to reach a high next summer. 16 intoxication,
altered consciousness: The high lasts till the drug wears off.
17 anticyclone: The high passing over the country will bring
fair weather.
highbrow n. 1 scholar, intellectual, savant, sage, mastermind, genius;
aesthete, connoisseur, Colloq egghead, brain: Many who pretend
to deride highbrows secretly envy them.
--adj. 2 scholarly, intellectual, learned, erudite, deep,
bookish, cultured, sophisticated, cultivated, aesthetic, Colloq
brainy: Books on philosophy are too highbrow for the market we
cater to.
high-class
adj. 1 first-rate, superior, better, top-drawer, Colloq tops,
tiptop, A-one or A-1, super, great: He has had the benefit of a
high-class education. 2 aristocratic, upper-class, ‚lite,
select, exclusive; upper crust, fancy, Brit county, US and
Canadian tony, Slang classy: She says she comes from a
high-class family.
highly adv. 1 greatly, much, tremendously, well, enthusiastically,
warmly, immensely, hugely: Her play was highly praised by all
the critics. 2 very, extremely, quite, exceptionally,
extraordinarily, incomparably, decidedly: It is highly unlikely
that I shall come to your party. 3 favourably, well,
enthusiastically, approvingly, warmly, praisefully: They seem
to think highly of him at the office. 4 well, influentially,
powerfully, strongly, authoritatively, effectively, importantly:
I have the information from a highly placed government official.
hilarious adj. funny, side-splitting, humorous, comical, amusing,
entertaining, mirthful; merry, gay, jolly, jovial, cheerful,
cheery, joyous, joyful, rollicking, uproarious; Colloq
hysterical: Binky told me a hilarious story about his aunt's
pet boa constrictor. We had a hilarious time at your party.
hilarity n. laughter, gaiety, joviality, jollity, merriment, mirth,
exuberance, glee, boisterousness, cheerfulness, joyfulness,
jubilation, elation, revelry, conviviality, high spirits,
vivacity, exhilaration: Thurgood did not join in the hilarity
of his retirement party.
hill n. 1 elevation, rise, highland, mound, prominence, promontory,
eminence, knoll, hillock, hummock, height, foothill, tor, mount,
upland, downs or downland, Scots brae, No. Brit fell, W Brit
tump, US and Canadian butte: The house is on a hill overlooking
the valley. 2 heap, pile, mound, stack; mountain: By the
autumn, the hill of compost had reached six feet in height. 3
slope, incline or decline, acclivity or declivity, gradient or
esp. US grade, US upgrade or downgrade: Are you sure this car
can make it up the next hill?
hinder v. 1 hamper, delay, interrupt, impede, interfere with, foil,
thwart, frustrate, forestall, bar, stymie, check, balk or baulk,
encumber, obstruct, handicap, set or keep or put or hold back,
defer, retard, restrain, slow, postpone: The difficulty of the
task should not hinder the attempt. 2 stop, prevent, check,
preclude, arrest; discourage, deter, inhibit, obviate: Does the
threat of capital punishment hinder people from committing
murder?
hindrance n. 1 obstruction, impediment, snag, check, obstruction,
barrier, obstacle, restraint, drawback, hitch, stumbling-block,
deterrent, encumbrance: The only hindrance to the plan is
Phyllis's disapproval of it. 2 prevention, curb, limitation:
The presence of police cars serves as a hindrance to speeding
motorists.
hint n. 1 suggestion, clue, implication, inkling, indication, tip,
tip-off, intimation, allusion, innuendo, insinuation; pointer,
help, advice: The quiz-master gave me a hint and I got the
answer at once. 2 trace, suggestion, touch, taste, breath,
dash, soup‡on, whiff, undertone, tinge, whisper: Which
government has ever served without any hint of scandal?
--v. 3 suggest, imply, indicate, tip (off), intimate, allude,
insinuate, mention, clue, cue, signal, refer, advert: She
hinted that I might appeal to her sister.
hip adj. informed, aware, knowledgeable, knowing, perceptive,
alert, in or up on, onto, Colloq wise (to), with it, cool,
Old-fashioned hep: He's not hip to what they're saying about
him and Carrie.
hippie n. bohemian, Old-fashioned drop-out, beatnik, beat, longhair,
flower child or person, hipster: A few hippies were playing
their guitars at the street corner.
hire v. 1 engage, employ, take on, appoint, enlist, sign on:
Alexandra had to hire more people to get all the work done. 2
rent, lease, engage, charter: We hired a car for the day. 3
hire out. rent (out), lease (out), let (out), charter (out): I
hire out my boat by the day.
--n. 4 rent, lease, charter, letting: Do you have bicycles for
hire by the day? 5 (hire) charge, cost, fee, price, rate, rent,
rental: How much is the hire of a horse by the hour?
hiss n. 1 hissing, sibilance: Serpents and geese make a sound like
a hiss. 2 catcall, jeer, boo, hoot, Slang raspberry, US Bronx
cheer: The villain was greeted by hisses from the audience.
--v. 3 boo, hoot, jeer, deride, mock, taunt, decry, disparage:
The workers hissed and booed the speaker.
historic adj. momentous, important, noteworthy, significant, red-letter,
notable, celebrated, distinguished, prominent, great,
consequential, signal, unforgettable, memorable: We are
gathered here to commemorate a historic event.
historical
adj. factual, true, verifiable, reliable, real, authentic,
recorded, documented: The historical truth of what actually
happened on that day has been obscured by legends.
history n. 1 account, story, record, description, depiction, portrayal,
representation, telling, retelling, recital, narration,
narrative, relation, retailing: Washington Irving's
Knickerbocker's History of New York begins with the creation of
the world. 2 news, summary, recapitulation, report,
intelligence, information: The history of these events is
recounted in a book by Robinson. 3 past, background, life;
experiences, adventures, story, biography: This woman appears
to have had a rather curious history. The history of your years
in Polynesia would make an interesting book. 4 record,
experience, information, biography, CV or curriculum vitae, US
r‚sum‚: Your entire work history should be included in your
application. 5 chronicle, annals, record, account: The history
of Parliamentary debate can be traced through Hansard. 6
ancient history, the past, yesterday, the (good old) days, days
of yore, olden days, yesteryear, antiquity: What can history
tell us about the future? 7 dead letter, yesterday's news, old
hat: Any animosity I might have felt towards him is now
history.
hit v. 1 strike, cuff, smack, knock, whack, bash, bang, thump,
thwack, punch, buffet, slap, swat, bludgeon, club, smite; spank,
thrash, beat, pummel, batter, flog, scourge, birch, cane, lash,
belabour, flagellate, whip, horsewhip, cudgel, Archaic
fustigate; Colloq belt, wallop, clobber, clout, sock, clip,
crown, bop, conk, paste, lambaste, zap: She hit him on the jaw
and he went down. 2 strike, bat, swat, knock, drive, propel:
He hit the ball over the heads of the fielders. 3 strike,
collide or impact with, run or smash or crash into, bump or bang
into: The car went off the road and hit a tree. 4 affect,
touch, stir, move, wound, hurt, strike or hit home, make or
leave an impression or a mark on, (make an) impact (on): The
new taxes hit the wealthy more than the poor. 5 dawn on, enter
one's mind, occur to, strike: It finally hit Graham that he had
been insulted. 6 reach, attain, arrive at, gain, achieve:
Those who have hit eighty know the meaning of old age. She hit
the jackpot this week. 7 experience, encounter, meet (with): It
was at that point that we hit a snag in the negotiations. 8
Also, hit up. importune, beseech, petition, beg, implore,
entreat, ask for: As usual, Guthrie hit me for a loan as soon
as we met. 9 hit on or upon. a come or happen or chance or
light on or upon, discover, find, uncover, unearth, stumble or
blunder on or upon, arrive at: After years of experimentation,
the Curies hit upon pitchblende as a source of radium. b devise,
think of or up, invent, dream up, come up with, work out, see,
perceive, detect, discern, find: I have hit upon a way to
counteract the force of gravity.
--n. 10 impact, collision; blow, punch, knock, strike, swat,
shot, smack, bump, bang, Colloq whack, thwack, conk, bop, sock:
The weakness of the hit caused only a slight dent in my car
door. The boxer reeled after a hard hit to the midriff. 11
success, triumph, coup, winner, sensation, Colloq smash (hit),
sell-out: After opening in the West End the musical became a
hit on Broadway. 12 kick, jolt, thrill, Slang charge, US rush,
bang: Give me a hit off that reefer.
hitch v. 1 connect, couple, fasten, attach, join, harness, tie,
unite, hook (up), link, fix: When I arrived, she was hitching
the horses to the wagon. 2 Often, hitch up. raise, pull up,
hike (up), tug (up), hoist, yank, jerk, Brit hoick: He hitched
up his trousers, tucked in his shirt, and tightened his belt. 3
hitchhike, thumb a lift or ride, Colloq US bum a ride: I had no
money and no car, so I hitched here from Newcastle.
--n. 4 snag, catch, difficulty, trouble, problem, mishap,
handicap, entanglement, interference, impediment, hindrance,
obstruction, obstacle: The entire plan went off without any
hitch.
hoard n. 1 supply, stock, store, stockpile, reserve, fund, reservoir,
accumulation, collection, cache: They kept a hoard of food in
the shelter in case of attack. Occasionally, farmers turn up a
hoard of gold coins buried by the ancient Romans.
--v. 2 amass, collect, accumulate, pile (up), assemble, gather,
put away, stockpile, store, reserve, set aside, save (up),
squirrel away, lay in or away or aside or up, Colloq stash away:
Hoarding food was against the law during rationing.
hoax n. 1 deception, fraud, swindle, trick, flam or flimflam,
imposture, cheat, humbug, Slang con (game), gyp, scam, game, US
snow job: They perpetrated a hoax on you, and I am afraid there
is no way of getting your money back.
--v. 2 deceive, defraud, swindle, trick, fool, dupe, take in,
cozen, hoodwink, gull, bluff, Slang con, gyp, bamboozle: She
was hoaxed into investing in Sicilian gold-mines.
hobble v. 1 limp, falter, dodder, totter, stagger, reel, weave,
stumble, shuffle, shamble: I hobbled about on crutches for
weeks. 2 shackle, fetter, restrain, restrict, hamper, hinder,
impede, trammel: As hobbled horses do not stray, she tried to
think of some way to hobble Clarence's errant ways.
--n. 3 limp, shuffle, shamble, claudication, stagger: With the
leg-irons on, I could walk only with a jerking hobble.
hobby n. pastime, avocation, sideline, recreation, diversion,
relaxation: Her hobby is collecting wedding rings.
hobnob v. associate, fraternize, socialize, consort, mingle, rub
elbows or shoulders, mix, hang about or around, keep company:
He hobnobs with the aristocrats.
hocus-pocus
n. 1 trickery, chicanery, deceit, deception, artifice, cheat,
duplicity, mischief, hoax, humbug, trick, swindle, pretence,
Colloq con (game), jiggery-pokery, flimflam, hanky-panky: He
tried some hocus-pocus on the company books but was caught. 2
mumbo-jumbo, abracadabra, incantation, nonsense, rigmarole,
gibberish, Colloq gobbledegook: The medicine man muttered some
hocus-pocus over the body, which began to rise into the air. 3
sleight of hand, legerdemain, prestidigitation, magic,
conjuring, jugglery: From the earliest days religion has had
its share of hocus-pocus.
hoggish adj. piggish, greedy, avaricious, insatiable, gluttonous,
voracious, edacious, acquisitive, possessive, self-seeking,
selfish: Don't be so hoggish; share the cake with the others.
hoi polloi
n. riff-raff, rabble, mob, common herd, proletariat, populace,
common people, crowd, masses, multitude, rank and file,
plebeians, multitude, bourgeoisie, man in the street, Brit
admass, man on the Clapham omnibus, US John Q. Public, Colloq
great unwashed, proles, plebs, US silent majority: Much of what
goes on in government is incomprehensible to hoi polloi.
hoist v. 1 lift (up), elevate, raise, heave, uplift, winch: The
lifeboat with the survivors aboard is now being hoisted onto the
rescue vessel.
--n. 2 crane, lift, elevator, davit, winch, tackle: The cable
of the hoist broke, and the container dropped onto the pier.
hoity-toity
adj. haughty, arrogant, overweening, snobbish, disdainful,
supercilious, conceited, lofty, superior, self-important, Colloq
high and mighty, stuck-up, snooty, uppity or chiefly Brit
uppish, Brit toffee-nosed, Slang snotty: Eleanor became very
hoity-toity after her husband got his knighthood.
hold v. 1 grasp, grip, clasp, seize, clutch, keep; carry, Colloq
hang on to: She asked me to hold the baby for just a minute
while she bought her railway ticket. 2 hug, embrace, clasp,
cradle, clench, clutch, enfold: He held me in his arms briefly
before the guards led him into the quad. 3 maintain, keep, put:
Hold up your hands and kick the gun over here to me. 4
maintain, keep, sustain, absorb, occupy, engage, involve,
engross, monopolize: You hold his attention while I try to get
round behind him. 5 confine, restrain, detain, contain, coop
up: Even a strait-jacket and chains couldn't hold Houdini. 6
imprison, detain, confine, place into custody, put behind bars,
jail: He is being held overnight for questioning. 7 believe,
deem, judge, consider, regard, look on or upon, maintain, think,
esteem, take, assume: What do you hold to be important in life?
Father holds me responsible for every little dent in his car. 8
accommodate, support, carry: That little nail won't hold this
picture. 9 contain, include, comprise: This suitcase holds
everything I own in the world. 10 call, convene, assemble,
convoke; run, conduct, engage in, participate in, have, carry
on, preside over, officiate at: The next meeting will be held
on Tuesday, at noon. 11 apply, hold good, be in effect or in
force, stand or hold up, hold or prove or be true, be the case,
function, operate, be or remain or prove valid or relevant or
applicable or operative, Colloq hold water, wash: What may be
in order for Manchester may not necessarily hold for another
city. 12 have, possess: She holds two engineering degrees. He
was holding four aces. 13 remain or keep (fast), stay, stick:
Screws are needed here - nails won't hold. 14 hold back. a
restrain, repress, suppress, curb, inhibit, control, check, keep
back, hinder: Many reasons hold me back from telling you what I
think. b withhold, reserve, deny, keep back, refuse: We ought
to hold back payment till the work is completed. 15 hold down.
a control, restrain, check; reduce, diminish: We must hold down
inflation. b keep, maintain, manage: He has to hold down two
jobs to pay all the bills. 16 hold forth. a Often, hold forth
on or upon. lecture (on), declaim, harangue, preach (on or
about), orate, sermonize (on), discourse (on), speechify (on or
about), expatiate or expand on or upon, Colloq go on (about),
Brit rabbit or natter or witter on (about): As usual, Pinckley
endlessly held forth on his pet subject, fishing. b hold out,
offer, proffer, tender, submit, advance, propose, propound, hold
out, extend: The company has held forth a profit-sharing plan
that we cannot refuse. 17 hold in. a control, curb, check, hold
back, restrain, contain: I could hold myself in no longer and a
scream escaped my lips. b conceal, hide, suppress: How can I
hold in my feelings for you? 18 hold off. a delay, defer, put
off, refrain from, postpone, avoid: We held off buying till we
had the money saved up. b repel, keep off, repulse, fend off,
rebuff, resist, withstand: We held off the attackers till help
came. 19 hold on. a grip, grasp, hold, clutch, cling: Hold on
to the rope and I'll pull you up. b keep, maintain, cling, hang
on, retain: Don't try to hold on to yesterday's dreams. c
stop, wait, hold off, Colloq hang on: Hold on a minute! I'm not
finished. 20 hold out. a last, carry on, persist, persevere,
continue, hang on, stand firm or chiefly US pat, endure: I hope
that the good weather holds out for our trip. Can we hold out
till reinforcements arrive? b offer, proffer, extend, hold
forth, present: I grasped the hand he held out. 21 hold over.
a postpone, delay, defer, put off, hold off, suspend: The
decision is to be held over till next year. b continue, retain,
extend, prolong: The singer was popular enough to be held over
a month. 22 hold up. a rob, waylay, Colloq mug, stick up;
knock off or US over: Two men held up the bank courier last
night. b delay, impede, hinder, slow (down or up), set back,
detain: I was held up by the infernal traffic again. c last,
survive, fare, bear up, endure: I am not sure that my car will
hold up through another winter. d present, show, exhibit,
display: Gibbons has been held up to ridicule since the
scandal. 23 hold with. support, sustain, agree to or with,
favour, countenance, approve (of), subscribe to, condone, concur
with: Being married to her doesn't mean you have to hold with
all her ideas.
--n. 24 grasp, grip, clasp, clutch: Take hold of the rope! 25
foothold, toe-hold, purchase: She lost her hold and fell. He
has a good hold on the subject. 26 power, dominance, mastery,
control, ascendancy, authority, influence, leverage, sway,
Colloq pull, clout: She has a hold over him that makes him do
her bidding.
hold-up n. 1 (armed) robbery, Colloq stick-up, mugging, US heist: The
robbers escaped with my gold watch in the hold-up. 2 delay,
set-back, hitch, snag, interruption, lacuna, gap, hiatus, break,
stoppage: The cause of the hold-up was an overturned van.
hole n. 1 cavity, pit, hollow, excavation, burrow, crater, cavern,
cave, recess, niche, nook, pocket, depression, indentation,
dent, impression: The snake disappeared into a hole in the
rock. 2 opening, aperture, orifice, perforation, puncture,
slit, slot, breach, rip, tear, rent, break, crack, fissure: The
water poured through a hole in the pipe. 3 hole in the wall,
shack, hut, shanty, slum, hovel; Slang dump, dive, joint: How
can anyone live in such a hole? She finally got a job dancing in
some hole downtown. 4 cell, prison, dungeon, donjon, keep, jail,
oubliette, brig, cage: When he refused to talk, they put him in
the hole for a week. 5 difficulty, trouble, dilemma,
predicament, situation, fix, corner, Colloq (tight) spot, hot
water, scrape, box, bind, pickle, catch-22, mess, muddle: She
really got herself into a hole with the tax man. 6 flaw,
shortcoming, inconsistency, fault, error, mistake, fallacy,
discrepancy, loophole: He never offers anything original but is
always ready to pick holes in any suggestion you make.
--v. 7 puncture, pierce, perforate: A floating log holed the
hull and the boat went down with all aboard.
holiday n. 1 time off, break, recess, respite, leave (of absence),
furlough, sabbatical, Chiefly US vacation: We spent our holiday
in Ibiza this year. 2 festival, feast, celebration, f€te or
fete; gala, fair, red-letter day, event: Where are you going
over the Christmas holiday?
hollow adj. 1 vacant, empty, void, unfilled: A hollow space in the
wall concealed a secret passage. 2 sunken, concave, indented,
dented, sunken, recessed, depressed: Dust gathers in the hollow
places of the floor. 3 hungry, ravenous, starved, empty,
famished: I'm feeling hollow and should prefer to eat now, not
later. 4 insincere, false, hypocritical, sham, artificial,
counterfeit, feigned, fraudulent, spurious, deceitful,
mendacious, deceptive, cynical: Politicians campaigning for
office often make hollow promises they do not intend to keep. 5
empty, futile, costly, Pyrrhic, worthless, vain, unavailing,
bootless, fruitless, profitless, unprofitable, valueless,
ineffective, pointless, senseless, meaningless: Winning the
lawsuit was a hollow victory, for the man was bankrupt. 6
muffled, dull, flat, low, sepulchral, toneless: His voice
sounded hollow, as if he were speaking into a metal bowl.
--n. 7 hole, cavity, cavern, crater, basin, depression,
excavation, pit, trough, furrow, indentation, dent, impression;
valley, dale, dell, glen, dip: We dug ourselves in a hollow in
the ground hoping not to be seen. The dog herded the sheep into
the hollow near the stream.
--v. 8 excavate, dig (out or up), gouge, scoop, furrow, dredge:
Huskies hollow out places for themselves to sleep in the snow.
holocaust n. 1 conflagration, fire-storm, inferno, fire; destruction,
devastation: When the volcano exploded, few escaped the
holocaust. 2 genocide, mass murder, massacre, blood bath,
pogrom, butchery, carnage, annihilation, extinction,
extermination, eradication, elimination: Survivors of the Nazi
holocaust hold periodic memorial services.
holy adj. 1 sacred, religious, consecrated, sanctified, blessed,
hallowed, venerated, divine, heavenly, supernal, celestial: The
holy relics are kept in a silver casket. 2 godly, godlike,
saintly, saintlike, pious, devout, reverent, reverential,
faithful, God-fearing, chaste, pure, unsullied, clean, sinless,
spotless, immaculate, undefiled, uncorrupted, untainted: The
holy men, in their saffron robes, sat in a circle, contemplating
the master of the universe.
homage n. obeisance, respect, deference, honour, esteem, admiration;
loyalty, allegiance, fidelity, tribute: Today we pay homage to
those who fought and died so that we might be free.
home n. 1 dwelling-place, residence, domicile, abode, dwelling,
house, (living) quarters, habitation, lodging(s), Brit
accommodation or US accommodations, Colloq place, Chiefly Brit
digs, diggings: He has been a guest in my home on many
occasions. 2 (home) base, residency, territory, haunt, home
ground, bailiwick, Colloq stamping-ground: As you travel so
much, what do you call home these days? 3 hospice, retreat,
nursing home, old folks' or people's home, retirement community,
almshouse, poorhouse, refuge, haven, institution, shelter,
rest-home, US snug harbor: His parents, who are very old and
indigent, have been sent to a home. 4 at home. a comfortable,
at ease, relaxed, cosy, composed, tranquil, placid, peaceful,
serene, untroubled: The Harrises certainly do make one feel at
home. b in, accessible, available, welcoming: You know that we
are always at home to you, Frances. 5 at home with or in.
comfortable with, conversant with, knowledgeable in or about,
familiar with, well-versed in, competent in, expert in,
proficient in, skilled in, up on, current in, adept in, adroit
in, qualified in, (well-)informed in or on or about: Widely
read, she is at home in almost any subject you can name.
--adj. 6 domestic, native, national, internal: Buying more
foreign than home goods upsets the balance of trade. 7
domestic, household: She now sells home appliances for a big
manufacturer. 8 family, domestic: What kind of home life has
he had?
--adv. 9 homeward(s): When will you come home? 10 to the
heart or core, to the quick; effectively, tellingly, profoundly,
deeply, stingingly, cuttingly, harshly, severely, Colloq where
it hurts, where one lives: That remark really hit home. 11
bring or drive home. stress, emphasize, impress upon, make
clear: I am trying to bring home to you the hardships people
suffered during the war.
homeless adj. 1 dispossessed, outcast, exiled, vagabond, derelict,
unsettled; unhoused: Their houses destroyed in the war,
homeless people wandered everywhere.
--n. 2 the homeless. knights of the road, vagrants, vagabonds,
tramps, US bums, hoboes: There are not enough shelters for the
homeless.
homely adj. 1 homey, homelike, unpretentious, modest, unassuming,
simple, unaffected, informal, plain, natural, everyday,
unsophisticated, homespun, commonplace, ordinary, familiar,
friendly, amiable, neighbourly, affable, congenial, Colloq
chiefly US folksy: Her success as a doctor is traceable in part
to her homely approach. 2 homey, homelike, warm, cosy, snug,
domestic, comfortable, easy, serene, peaceful, restful,
tranquil: I like staying here for the homely atmosphere. 3
ugly, plain, uncomely, unattractive, unlovely, ill-favoured:
Peggy-Jo's rather homely face is redeemed by her good-humoured
nature.
homesick adj. nostalgic, longing, pining, lonely, lonesome; wistful,
reminiscent: I was homesick for the smell and taste of a good
haggis.
homespun adj. rustic, plain, simple, unrefined, unpolished,
unsophisticated, down-to-earth, coarse, rough, rude, crude,
inelegant, amateur, amateurish, non-professional,
unprofessional; handmade: The furniture is not of museum
quality, but it has a homespun quality.
homicidal adj. murderous, lethal, deadly, death-dealing, mortal,
blood-thirsty, sanguinary, ferocious, maniacal, berserk, amok or
amuck, mad, insane: The doctors say he is homicidal and should
be institutionalized.
homogeneous
adj. uniform, consistent, unvarying, identical, constant;
similar, comparable, alike, akin: The rock is ground up to make
homogeneous powder.
homosexual
n. 1 gay, homophile; lesbian, tribade, sapphist; All the
following are offensive and derogatory pervert, invert, Slang
queer, fairy, pansy, nancy, nance, queen, drag queen, homo;
butch, (bull) dyke; Brit poof, poofter, ginger (beer), US fruit,
auntie, fag, faggot: We suspected that he was a closet
homosexual.
--adj. 2 (of either sex) gay, homoerotic, homophile; (of a
female) lesbian, tribadic, sapphic; (of a male) effeminate; All
the following are offensive and derogatory perverted, inverted,
Colloq chiefly Brit bent, Slang queer, camp, campy, faggy,
kinky, Chiefly US fruity, limp-wristed, faggy, swish, swishy:
We never knew of her homosexual tendencies.
honest adj. 1 trustworthy, truthful, veracious, trusty, honourable,
creditable, decent, law-abiding, uncorrupted, uncorrupt,
incorruptible, ethical, moral, virtuous, principled, upright,
high-minded, dependable, reliable, reputable, on the up and up:
How often does one meet an honest person in politics? 2
above-board, straight, square, square-dealing, fair, just, on
the up and up, straightforward, proper, genuine, bona fide,
real, authentic, Colloq on the level, US square-shooting: I
write because I cannot earn an honest living. Would Felix give
me an honest deal on a used car? 3 candid, frank, open, plain,
straightforward, forthright, direct, sincere, ingenuous,
explicit, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained, unconstrained,
above-board, plain-spoken, unambiguous, unequivocal, Colloq
upfront: To be completely honest, I cannot stand the sight of
you. 4 fair, just, equitable, legitimate, valid, rightful,
sound, proper: He gets an honest day's pay for an honest day's
work.
honestly adv. 1 truthfully, honourably, creditably, decently, ethically,
morally, uprightly, dependably, reliably, in good faith, justly,
fairly, equitably, even-handedly, disinterestedly, objectively,
impartially: In general, the police deal honestly with
suspects. 2 candidly, frankly, openly, straightforwardly,
forthrightly, sincerely, truly, ingenuously, unreservedly,
above-board, unambiguously, unequivocally, plainly, simply,
straight (out), to one's face, in plain words or English,
bluntly: I tell you honestly that I have never heard of the
man.
honesty n. 1 trustworthiness, uprightness, rectitude, probity,
integrity, virtue, virtuousness, honour: As he will deal with
large amounts of money, his honesty cannot be in question. 2
truthfulness, veracity, candour, openness, frankness,
forthrightness, directness, straightforwardness, outspokenness,
sincerity, guilelessness, ingenuousness, bluntness: You might
not like what he says, but you have to admire his honesty. 3
fairness, equity, equitableness, even-handedness, objectivity,
impartiality, disinterestedness, justness, justice: We rely on
the honesty of judges in meting out punishment to convicted
felons.
honorarium
n. (token) fee, compensation, recompense, pay, payment,
remuneration, emolument: Would you be willing to accept an
honorarium in lieu of your usual fee?
honorary adj. nominal, titular, in name or title only, ex officio: She
has several honorary doctoral degrees, which is not bad for
someone who never went to university.
honour n. 1 integrity, honesty, fairness, justness, probity,
uprightness, decency, goodness, righteousness, rectitude,
justice, morality, principles, virtuousness, virtue: Doing the
right thing is a matter of honour. 2 respect, esteem,
reverence, veneration, approbation, deference, admiration,
homage, regard, accolade, praise, kudos, fame, glory, celebrity,
distinction, prestige, illustriousness: Great honour
accompanies the award of a Nobel prize. 3 privilege,
distinction, pleasure, joy, delight; credit, blessing: I have
the honour to introduce tonight's speaker. It has been an honour
to serve under you, Admiral. 4 virginity, chastity, virtue,
purity, innocence: How did she manage to preserve her honour
when fighting with the partisans?
--v. 5 respect, esteem, revere, venerate, adulate, adore,
worship, approve, prize, value, defer to, admire, pay homage to:
Albert Schweitzer was much honoured in the latter part of his
life. 6 praise, laud, glorify, celebrate, eulogize, salute,
hail, acclaim, ennoble, dignify, exalt: We have come together
to honour those who have died for their country. 7 keep,
maintain, carry out, live up to, discharge, fulfil, observe,
meet: She has done her best to honour her obligations. 8 pay,
redeem, accept, clear, cash: The bank refused to honour his
cheque because of 'insufficient funds'.
honourable
adj. 1 upright, upstanding, trustworthy, trusty, honest, just,
fair, moral, principled, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, incorruptible,
high-minded, noble, virtuous: Mark Antony referred to Caesar as
an honourable man. 2 right, correct, proper, fitting,
appropriate, virtuous, ethical, worthy, respectable, reputable,
decent, square: I think you can count on Cedric to do the
honourable thing. 3 fair (and square), impartial, equitable,
just, honest, unbiased, unprejudiced, non-prejudicial,
even-handed, straight, disinterested, guileless, ingenuous,
artless, open, sincere, above-board, on the up and up,
undeceiving, undeceitful, Colloq upfront, on the level: Eleanor
is too honourable to accept payment for work she did not do. 4
distinguished, prestigious, eminent, notable, noteworthy, noted,
illustrious, famous, famed, honoured, exalted, respected,
celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, well-thought-of: Ian enjoys an
honourable reputation as a publisher.
hoodlum n. gangster, thug, racketeer, mobster, desperado, terrorist,
ruffian, tough, rowdy, knave, Colloq hooligan, baddy, crook, US
plug-ugly, Slang goon, Brit yob, yobbo, US mug, bad actor,
roughneck, hood, gunsel, hit man, torpedo, French apache,
Australian larrikin: He has a few hoodlums on the payroll who
do the dirty work.
hoodwink v. fool, trick, deceive, delude, dupe, gull, hoax, defraud,
mislead, humbug, outwit, Colloq bamboozle, pull the wool over
(someone's) eyes, pull a fast one on, lead (someone) up or down
the garden path, put one over on (someone), throw dust in
(someone's) eyes, take (someone) for a ride, string (someone)
along, Slang rook, con, suck in, US sucker in, snow: They are
trying to hoodwink the voters into believing that the recession
is over.
hook n. 1 hanger, peg, holder; fastener, catch, clasp, clip, pin:
Hang your hat on that hook. I'm using a safety pin because the
hook on my dress is gone. 2 snare, trap; fish-hook: What can we
use as a hook to catch the fish? 3 by hook or by crook. somehow
(or other), someway, come what may, by fair means or foul, (by)
one way or another: I have to get out of this place by hook or
by crook. 4 hook, line, and sinker. completely, entirely, all
the way, through and through, thoroughly, entirely, totally,
utterly, wholly: She actually fell for that old routine hook,
line, and sinker. 5 off the hook. (set) free, (in the) clear,
out of it; out of trouble, acquitted, exonerated, cleared, let
off, vindicated, off: After paying them the extortion money, he
still wasn't off the hook.
--v. 6 catch, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare; grab, capture,
collar, nab, seize; Chiefly US and Canadian snag, Colloq pinch:
The petty crooks have been caught but we now want to hook the
big fish himself. 7 steal, pilfer, filch, palm, shoplift, rob,
Slang snitch, rip off, Euphemistic liberate, remove, borrow,
appropriate, Brit nick, Chiefly Brit pinch: They used to hook
sweets from Woolies'.
hop v. 1 jump, leap, bound, spring, vault; skip, caper, gambol,
dance: Here comes Peter Cottontail, Hopping down the bunny
trail. 2 take a (short) trip or voyage, travel, come, go,
proceed; fly: Those yuppies think nothing of hopping over to
Paris just for dinner.
--n. 3 jump, leap, bound, spring, vault; skip, caper, dance:
In a few hops the bird was off the branch and onto my finger. 4
(short) trip or flight or journey or voyage: The Bahamas are
just a hop from Miami.
hope n. 1 desire, wish, expectation, yearning, hankering, craving,
longing, fancy; ambition, (day)dream: It was always my hope
that you would go to university. 2 prospect, promise,
expectation, expectancy, confidence, anticipation, assumption,
security, faith, conviction, belief, trust: We had given up
hope of being rescued.
--v. 3 aspire, count or rely on or upon, anticipate,
contemplate, foresee, look forward to, expect, await, wait:
After all these years, he is still hoping to meet the girl of
his dreams. 4 trust; wish, want, desire; Dialect expect: I hope
my ship will come in soon. I hope to see the last of her
tomorrow.
hopeful adj. 1 expectant, anticipating, optimistic, sanguine,
confident, assured: We are hopeful of victory in the
forthcoming election. 2 promising, bright, rosy, reassuring,
heartening, encouraging, auspicious, propitious, inspiriting:
Today was a disaster, but tomorrow looks more hopeful.
hopefully adv. 1 expectantly, optimistically, sanguinely, confidently:
Jocelyn set off hopefully for the party. 2 with (any) luck, if
things go well, all being well, it is hoped, expectedly:
Hopefully, we shall arrive in time to catch the train.
hopeless adj. 1 desperate, beyond hope or saving, irreparable, beyond
repair, irremediable, lost, gone, irretrievable; incurable,
terminal, deadly, fatal, lethal: As their ship drifted into the
intergalactic void, they saw that their situation was hopeless.
They told me that her condition was hopeless. 2 bad, poor,
incompetent, inferior, inadequate, inept, unqualified, unfit,
unskilful, deficient: You might make a good surgeon, but as a
judge of human nature you're hopeless. 3 despairing, despondent,
forlorn, woebegone, disconsolate, inconsolable, depressed,
dejected, melancholy, downcast, gloomy, miserable, discouraged,
wretched, lugubrious, funereal, sorrowful, sad, unhappy:
Utterly hopeless after his script was rejected by Hollywood, he
moped in his room. 4 futile, vain, bootless, unavailing,
impossible, impracticable, unworkable, pointless, worthless,
useless: It would be hopeless to try to send out a lifeboat in
this storm.
horizon n. view, purview, range, scope, vista, compass, perspective,
prospect, ken, field of vision, limit(s): This is something
that lies beyond the horizon of present-day knowledge.
horizontal
adj. level, flat, plane; prone, supine: Make sure that the
plank is horizontal before fastening it down. They say that
dancing is merely a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.
horrible adj. 1 awful, horrendous, horrid, horrifying, horrific,
terrible, terrifying, dreadful, abominable, abhorrent,
appalling, frightening, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly,
ghoulish, gruesome, loathsome, hideous, repulsive, revolting,
disgusting, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, harrowing,
blood-curdling, macabre, unspeakable, shocking: The horrible
sight of her father's mangled body haunted her for the rest of
her days. 2 awful, nasty, unpleasant, disagreeable, horrid,
terrible, dreadful, obnoxious, offensive, atrocious, monstrous,
contemptible, detestable, despicable, Colloq Brit beastly: The
food was perfectly horrible at our hotel. Take that horrible
little dog away.
horrify v. 1 terrify, frighten, scare, alarm, intimidate, panic, scare
or frighten to death, petrify, Colloq scare or frighten the
living daylights out of, scare stiff, make (someone's) hair
stand on end, make (someone's or the) blood run cold, curl
(someone's) hair, scare the pants off: I was horrified to see
the attack dogs racing towards me. 2 shock, startle, upset, put
off, outrage, dismay, appal, distress, discountenance,
disconcert: I was horrified to hear that you weren't coming to
my party.
horror n. 1 fear and loathing, repugnance, terror, dread, hatred,
revulsion, detestation, abhorrence, distaste, dislike; aversion,
antipathy, hostility, animosity, animus, rancour; odium,
execration: She has a horror of bats. 2 fear, dismay,
distress, dread, fright, alarm, upset, perturbation, panic,
terror, fear and trembling, trepidation, anxiety, angst,
apprehension, uneasiness, queasiness, nervousness, awe: The
doctor helped me overcome my horror of flying.
hors-d'oeuvre
n. appetizer, ap‚ritif, antipasto, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord,
relish; Chiefly Brit starter; Archaic warner: A Sauvignon was
served with the hors-d'oeuvre, which was gravadlax.
hospitable
adj. 1 welcoming, gracious, courteous, genial, friendly,
agreeable, amicable, cordial, warm, congenial, sociable,
generous: It was most hospitable of you to invite me. 2
open-minded, receptive, amenable, approachable, tolerant: The
director is always hospitable to suggestions for improving
sales.
hospital n. medical centre, health centre, infirmary, clinic,
polyclinic, dispensary, sickbay; asylum, sanatorium, nursing
home, convalescent home or facility, US sanitarium: With that
wound, you ought to be in a hospital.
hospitality
n. graciousness, courtesy, courteousness, friendliness,
amicability, cordiality, warmth, congeniality, sociability,
generosity: I am grateful for the hospitality you showed my
sister during her visit.
host° n. 1 hostess, innkeeper, hotelier, hotel-keeper, hotelman,
landlord or landlady, manager or manageress, proprietor or
proprietress, Brit publican: As host, it is my responsibility
to greet the guests. 2 entertainer, master or mistress of
ceremonies, emcee, MC, announcer, Brit presenter, compЉre, US
tummler: For twenty years he has been the host of popular TV
quiz shows.
--v. 3 entertain, act or play the host or hostess, have: She
hosts a dinner-party for close friends every Wednesday.
hostэ n. army, swarm, crowd, horde, multitude, throng, mob, pack,
herd, troop, legion, body, assembly, assemblage, drove: The
rock group turned up with a host of followers, their so-called
groupies.
hostage n. pledge, security, surety, pawn, captive, prisoner, gage:
The terrorists threatened that if their demands were not met
they would kill the hostages.
hostile adj. 1 opposed, antagonistic, contrary, against, anti, adverse;
averse, loath: The government is hostile to curbs on business.
2 unfriendly, inimical, unsympathetic, cold, inhospitable;
unfavourable: Why do many social workers seem hostile to the
people they are supposed to help? The polar regions are very
hostile environments to man. 3 warring, belligerent, bellicose,
warlike, combative, militant, aggressive: The UN units function
as a buffer between the hostile forces.
hostility n. 1 antagonism, opposition, enmity, animosity, antipathy,
animus, ill will, malevolence, malice, aversion, unfriendliness:
Do you still harbour the feelings of hostility towards them that
you had during the war? The petty quarrels broke out into open
hostility. 2 hostilities. war, warfare, fighting, combat,
action, state of war, bloodshed: Hostilities ceased when the
factions agreed to parley.
hot adj. 1 fiery, white-hot, red-hot, piping hot, burning,
blistering, scorching, roasting, frying, sizzling, searing,
boiling, scalding, steaming, simmering, torrid, sweltering,
sultry, heated: The hot, molten steel is cast into ingots here.
During the day it is hot, but it cools down at night. 2 spicy,
peppery, sharp, piquant, pungent, biting, acrid: She likes very
hot food, with plenty of chilli. 3 intense, fervent, zealous,
ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
animated; impetuous, fiery, fierce, inflamed, sharp, violent:
He had some hot words with the foreman who had dismissed him. 4
eager, keen, avid, anxious, burning; intense, fervent, zealous,
ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
animated, earnest, Slang US gung-ho: Desmond set out in hot
pursuit of the thief. 5 recent, fresh, new, latest, brand-new:
The hottest gossip is that she is marrying for the seventh time.
6 popular, sought-after, commercial, saleable, marketable: The
publisher believes Zenobia's Memoirs to be the hot property of
the year. 7 lustful, lecherous, libidinous, lubricous or
lubricious, sensual, concupiscent, prurient, licentious,
oversexed, sex-crazed, sex-mad, Archaic lickerish, horn-mad,
Slang horny, Chiefly Brit randy, US hard up: They were really
hot, not having been with anyone of the opposite sex for months.
8 intense, vivid, striking, bright, brilliant, dazzling, loud:
That hot pink lipstick looks good with your suntan. 9
electrified, live, charged, powered: The hot wire connects to
the other terminal - I think. 10 dangerous, precarious, risky,
sensitive, delicate, unstable, touchy, unpredictable: The
situation is getting a bit too hot to handle.
--v. 11 hot up. intensify, build up, heighten, increase,
worsen, warm up, heat up: The environment is hotting up as a
political issue.
hot air n. blather or blether, bunkum, verbiage, talk, wind,
pretentiousness, pomposity, bombast, grandiloquence,
magniloquence, flatulence, gasconade, rodomontade, Colloq
claptrap, bosh, gas, guff: Management's promises of pay
increases were nothing but hot air.
hotbed n. breeding ground, fertile source: Slums are a hotbed of
crime.
hotchpotch
n. miscellany, mixture, gallimaufry, jumble, farrago, m‚lange,
mishmash, mess, tangle, medley, hash, conglomeration,
agglomeration, olio, olla podrida, pot-pourri, rag-bag, welter,
US and Canadian hodgepodge, Colloq omnium gatherum, mixed bag:
That hotchpotch of junk is scarcely what I should call an
'antiques collection'.
hotel n. hostelry, inn, lodging, caravanserai; motel, motor hotel,
bed and breakfast or B & B, guest-house, pension, Australian and
New Zealand pub, US tourist house: We are staying at a small
hotel just outside of town.
hotheaded adj. impetuous, headlong, hot-tempered, quick-tempered,
volatile, rash, hasty, wild, foolhardy, reckless, precipitate,
thoughtless, heedless, madcap, daredevil, devil-may-care: He is
too hotheaded to succeed in the diplomatic corps.
hothouse n. 1 hotbed, greenhouse, glasshouse, conservatory: These
tomatoes were grown during the winter in our hothouse.
--adj. 2 dainty, delicate, sensitive, fragile, frail, pampered,
overprotected, sheltered, shielded, spoiled, coddled, babied:
She was glad to exchange the hothouse atmosphere of the
university for the real world.
hotly adv. intensively, energetically, doggedly, persistently,
zealously, fervently, fervidly, ardently, warmly,
enthusiastically: Hotly pursued by the police, I managed to
hide in a culvert.
hound v. bully, browbeat, persecute, nag, harass, annoy, pester,
harry, badger: Although he was found innocent, his neighbours
hounded him so much that he had to leave town.
house n. 1 residence, dwelling, dwelling-place, home, abode,
household, homestead, domicile, lodging(s), quarters, building,
edifice: We are playing bridge at my house next Saturday. 2
family, line, lineage, dynasty, clan, ancestry, strain, race,
blood, descendants, forebears: She is a member of the royal
house of Sweden. 3 legislature, legislative body, congress,
parliament, assembly, council, diet: Both houses of the
legislature passed the bill. 4 establishment, firm, concern,
company, business, organization, enterprise, undertaking, Colloq
outfit: He has gone from one publishing house to another with
his manuscript. 5 auditorium, theatre, concert-hall: The house
is sold out. 6 house of ill repute or ill fame or prostitution,
brothel, whore-house, bagnio, bordello, Archaic bawdy-house,
Colloq sporting house, crib, Slang US cat-house: She used to
run a house in Lambeth. 7 on the house. free, gratis, for
nothing, as a gift: Drinks will be on the house tonight to
celebrate the tenth anniversary of our opening.
--v. 8 shelter, accommodate, domicile, lodge, quarter, put up,
take in, board, billet, harbour: We have housed as many as ten
people at a time in the cottage. 9 contain, accommodate,
quarter: This building houses our computer operations.
housing n. 1 homes, houses, lodging(s), quarters, accommodation,
habitation, dwelling; shelter, protection: The Council is
trying to provide housing for the elderly. 2 case, casing,
cover, covering, enclosure, container, box, shield: We keep the
sensitive equipment in a dust-proof housing.
hovel n. hole, shack, shanty, (pig)sty, pigpen, coop, crib, hut,
Colloq US dump: The beggar lives in a hovel near the railway
station.
hover v. 1 drift, poise, float, hang, be or hang suspended, hang in
the air: The humming bird hovers over a flower, drinking its
nectar. 2 linger, loiter, wait, hang about or around: The
waiter's constant hovering about is making me nervous.
however adv. 1 notwithstanding, regardless, nevertheless, nonetheless,
despite (that), in spite of (that), still, but, though, yet,
even so, be that as it may, come what may, no matter what; at
any rate, anyway, anyhow, on the other hand, in all events, in
any event, in any case, after all: He insisted the council
should give their approval; however, that is not their
responsibility. I was ready to move to Cardiff; she didn't offer
me the job, however. 2 to whatever manner or extent or degree,
howsoever, no matter how, in any way or manner or respect,
anyhow, how, in whatever way or manner: However you view it, he
is still the boss. Spend the money however you see fit.
--conj. 3 how, how on earth, how in the world, in what way or
manner: However do you manage with only three to help, you poor
thing? 4 no matter how, regardless how, putting or setting
aside how, notwithstanding how: However much she earns, she is
always short of money.
howl v. 1 yowl, cry, wail, ululate, bay; shout, yell, bellow,
scream, roar, Colloq holler: The wolves were howling at the
moon last night. He howled with pain when he caught his finger
in the door.
--n. 2 yowl, yowling, ululation, ululating, wail, wailing,
yelp, yelping, cry; shout, yell, bellow, scream, roar, Colloq
holler: The wolf's howl is an eerie, chilling sound. I kicked
him and he let out a howl.
howler n. blunder, mistake, error, gaffe; malapropism, Irish bull;
Brit bloomer, US clinker, Colloq Brit clanger, US boner: One
paper contained the howler, 'Money is the route of all evil',
which the author explained should be corrected to, 'The love of
money is the root of all evil'.
hub n. centre, focus, focal point, pivot, heart, core, nucleus,
nave: This is the hub of the city, around which everything else
moves.
huddle n. 1 cluster, group, bunch, clump, pack, herd, crowd, throng,
mass: Everyone got into a huddle, trying to keep warm. 2
meeting, conference, discussion, consultation: They were in a
huddle, deciding what to do next.
--v. 3 cluster, gather, crowd or press together, throng or
flock together, nestle, jam or cram together, squeeze together:
We huddled in basements during air raids. 4 meet, discuss,
confer, consult: Let's huddle on this question of the
advertising schedule.
hue n. colour, tint, shade, tinge, tone, cast, tincture, Technical
chroma: The dust in the atmosphere gives the sunsets a reddish
hue.
huff n. 1 in a huff. piqued, peeved, testy, irritated, angered,
vexed, annoyed, in high dudgeon, provoked, exasperated,
petulant, in a pet, Colloq (all) het up: She went off in a huff
because I didn't praise her painting.
--v. 2 puff, blow, bluster: When I complained about the food,
the manager simply huffed and puffed and walked away.
hug v. 1 embrace, clasp, squeeze, cuddle, snuggle, Archaic or
literary clip: They hugged each other warmly, then kissed
goodbye. 2 follow closely, cling to, stay or keep near or close
to: We hugged the ground as the bullets whizzed by overhead.
--n. 3 embrace, clasp, squeeze, Colloq clinch: She saw me, ran
over, and gave me a big hug.
huge adj. large, great, enormous, gigantic, giant, immense, massive,
tremendous, gargantuan, prodigious, mammoth, colossal,
monumental, Brobdingnagian, titanic, stupendous, elephantine,
leviathan, mountainous, vast, Colloq jumbo, whopping: The red
spot on Jupiter is so huge it could swallow the earth several
times over.
hulk n. 1 shipwreck, wreck, derelict, shell, skeleton: The rusting
hulk of the once-proud ship is tied up at the dock. 2 oaf,
clod, lout, ox, Slang US galoot or galloot, klutz: Don't tell
me that hulk of a man painted these delicate miniatures!
hulking adj. clumsy, awkward, ungainly, lubberly, oafish, loutish;
unwieldy, cumbersome, bulky, ponderous, massive, ungraceful,
inelegant: Their great hulking son could no longer fit into his
clothes. That hulking monolith of an office building dominates
the entire neighbourhood.
hull n. 1 framework, skeleton, frame, structure, body: The hull of
the ship completed, we added the superstructure. 2 shell, pod,
case, husk, skin, peel, rind, US shuck: Squirrels carefully
nibble through the hull of the nut to get at the kernel inside.
--v. 3 shell, peel, skin, husk, US shuck: We hulled all the
nuts and they are now ready for the fruit cake.
hum v. 1 buzz, drone, thrum, murmur, whirr, purr, vibrate,
Technical bombinate or bombilate: I want to smell the wild
flowers and hear the bees hum once again. 2 bustle, stir, be
active, move briskly, Colloq tick (over): Within three months
of completion, the new plant was humming. 3 intone: I said,
'Do you know your rock guitar is keeping me awake?', and he
replied, 'No, man, but if you hum it I'll try to play it.'
--n. 4 buzz, buzzing, drone, droning, thrum, thrumming, murmur,
murmuring, murmuration, whirr, whirring, purr, purring,
vibration: From the other room came the hum of conversation.
human adj. 1 mortal, anthropoid, hominoid, android; hominid; Possibly
offensive manlike: The aliens from the spaceship had few human
characteristics. It is human nature to think. 2 sensitive,
defenceless, weak, fallible, vulnerable: She is human, too, and
can be easily hurt. 3 kind, kindly, kind-hearted, considerate,
charitable, compassionate, merciful, benign, benignant, tender,
gentle, forgiving, lenient, benevolent, beneficent, generous,
magnanimous, humanitarian, understanding, accommodating,
sympathetic, good-natured, humane, sensitive: Human concern for
others is in short supply these days.
--n. 4 human being, person, individual, woman, man, child,
mortal, one, soul, someone, somebody: Humans have long
maltreated many of the animals on which they depend.
humanitarian
adj. 1 See human, 3.
--n. 2 Good Samaritan, benefactor, philanthropist, altruist:
Because of her charitable works, Lady Pendleton is thought of as
a great humanitarian.
humanity n. 1 human race, people, society, humankind, Homo sapiens; the
public, the masses, community; Possibly offensive man, mankind:
From what we are told, humanity took millions of years to
evolve. 2 humanness, human nature, mortality: On his first
voyage to Mars, Kollworth began to doubt his own humanity. 3
kindness, kindliness, kind-heartedness, consideration,
helpfulness, charitableness, open-heartedness, warm-heartedness,
good will, benevolence, compassion, mercifulness, mercy,
benignity, tenderness, warmth, gentleness, leniency or lenience
or lenity, beneficence, generosity, unselfishness, magnanimity,
understanding, sympathy, sensitivity: It was owing to the
humanity of our neighbours that we survived the bombing.
humble adj. 1 modest, reserved, unpretentious, unostentatious,
self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming: For someone who has
accomplished so much, she is quite humble. 2 submissive, meek,
servile, obsequious, deferential, mild, respectful, subservient,
subdued: Usually pompous, Nigel became humble in the presence
of the chairman. 3 lowly, low, inferior, mean, ignoble,
ordinary, plebeian, common, simple, obscure, unprepossessing,
unimportant, undistinguished, insignificant; low-born, base,
base-born: He lives in a humble cottage. Though she came from a
humble background, she rose to become prime minister.
--v. 4 chasten, bring or pull down, subdue, abase, debase,
demean, lower, degrade, downgrade, reduce, make (someone) eat
humble pie, lose face, shame, humiliate, crush, break, mortify,
chagrin, Colloq put down, take (someone) down a peg or notch:
He found army discipline a humbling experience.
humdrum adj. dull, boring, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, monotonous,
unvaried, unvarying, routine, undiversified, unchanging,
repetitious, uneventful, unexciting, uninteresting, prosaic,
mundane, ordinary, commonplace, common, banal, dry, insipid,
jejune: They saw no way of escaping from their humdrum lives.
humid adj. damp, moist, muggy, clammy, sticky, steamy, soggy, sultry,
wet: The weather has been oppressively hot and humid all week.
humiliate v. See humble, 4.
humiliation
n. disgrace, shame, mortification, dishonour, ignominy,
indignity, discredit, loss of face, obloquy, abasement,
depreciation, detraction, degradation, derogation, belittlement,
disparagement, shaming, embarrassment, humbling: He had to
suffer the humiliation of being drummed out of the corps.
humility n. modesty, meekness, self-effacement, shyness, diffidence,
timidity, timorousness, meekness, bashfulness, mildness,
unpretentiousness, submissiveness, servility, self-abasement,
lowliness: She sees humility as dissatisfaction with oneself on
account of some defect or infirmity.
humorous adj. funny, comical, facetious, laughable, risible, ludicrous,
farcical, side-splitting, hilarious, merry; droll, whimsical,
amusing, witty, waggish, jocular, jocose, playful, pleasant,
Colloq hysterical: The humorous parts of the play sent the
audience into gales of laughter.
humour n. 1 funniness, comedy, wit, facetiousness, ludicrousness,
drollery, jocoseness or jocosity, jocularity, waggishness,
raillery, banter: One writer defined humour as 'the happy
compound of pathos and playfulness', another referred to the
sense of humour as a 'modulating and restraining balance-wheel'.
2 comedy, farce, jokes, jests, witticisms, wit, Slang
wisecracks, gags: Milton was scarcely known as a writer of
humour. 3 mood, frame of mind, temper; spirit(s); disposition,
nature, temperament: She is in a bad humour till after
breakfast.
--v. 4 soothe, gratify, placate, please, mollify, indulge,
appease, pamper, cosset, coddle, mollycoddle, jolly, baby,
spoil: They are trying to humour him because he's in a bad
mood.
hump n. 1 bulge, lump, bump, protuberance, protrusion, projection,
knob, node, mass, hunch, enlargement, swelling, growth,
excrescence, tumefaction, tumescence; mound, barrow, tell,
hummock, hillock, tumulus, Brit dialect tump: Digging into the
hump near the trees, we uncovered an ancient burial-ground.
--v. 2 hunch, arch, curve, crook, bend: Sulking in the corner,
he humped his back and refused to speak to anyone. 3 drag, lug,
haul, carry, heave: She had to hump two heavy suitcases all the
way from the railway station.
hunch n. 1 (intuitive) guess, intuition, feeling, impression,
suspicion, premonition, presentiment: I had a hunch they would
be late. 2 See hump, 1.
--v. 3 See hump, 2.
hunger n. 1 hungriness, emptiness, appetite, ravenousness,
voraciousness, voracity; famine, starvation: We ate leaves to
stave off the pangs of hunger. Some optimists hope to eliminate
hunger from the planet by the year 2000. 2 yearning, desire,
craving, itch, thirst, longing, hankering, mania, cupidity,
Formal cacoethes, Colloq yen: She felt an insatiable hunger for
intellectual companionship.
--v. 3 Usually, hunger for or after. crave, yearn, desire,
thirst, want, hanker, Colloq yen, have a yen: Blessed are they
who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
hungry adj. 1 famished, starved, starving, ravenous, voracious, empty,
hollow, Colloq chiefly Brit peckish: I'm hungry enough to eat a
horse. 2 craving, covetous, eager, avid, greedy, keen,
yearning, desirous, longing, hungering, thirsting, starving,
dying, Colloq hankering: Marooned for years, Crusoe was hungry
for the sight of another human being. 3 acquisitive, greedy,
thirsty, insatiable, deprived: The parched, hungry earth drank
up the rain.
hunt v. 1 chase, pursue, dog, hound, stalk, trail, track (down),
trace; course: The jewel thieves were hunted across three
continents. 2 Also, hunt for or up or out or through. seek
(out), search (for), go in search of or for, look (high and low)
for, quest after, go in quest of, scour, ransack, investigate,
pry into, go over or through with a fine-tooth comb, examine,
explore, Colloq US check out: Detectives hunted the carpet for
clues. She is hunting a job in publishing. I have hunted for the
ring but cannot find it. Can you hunt up someone to fill the
vacancy? Hunt through your pockets again for the key.
--n. 3 chase, pursuit, tracking (down), stalking, hunting;
course: The ten-year hunt for the thieves continues. 4 search,
quest: My hunt ended when I found the ring.
hunter n. huntsman, huntswoman, stalker, tracker, Nimrod, Orion;
huntress: An expert hunter, she bagged three tigers last year.
hurdle n. 1 barrier, obstacle, impediment, hindrance, obstruction,
bar, handicap, restraint, snag, (stumbling) block, check,
difficulty, complication, interference: Can she overcome the
hurdle of prejudice against women?
--v. 2 leap (over), vault (over), jump (over): The fugitive
easily hurdled the fence around the compound.
hurl v. throw, toss, shy, sling, fling, pitch, cast, send, fire,
heave, propel, let fly, Colloq chuck: The fast bowler hurled
the ball past the batsman.
hurricane n. cyclone, tornado, typhoon, whirlwind, twister, wind-storm,
storm, gale, blow: The 1985 hurricane destroyed millions of
trees.
hurried adj. 1 hasty, feverish, frantic, hectic, breakneck, frenetic,
impetuous, rushed, precipitate, swift, quick, speedy; brief,
short: We ate a hurried lunch before leaving to catch the
train. 2 superficial, cursory, offhand, perfunctory, slapdash:
Airport security guards made only a hurried examination of the
hand luggage.
hurry v. 1 rush, hasten, make haste, speed, race, dash, hustle,
scurry, tear, fly, run, shoot, scoot, scamper, scuttle, hotfoot
(it), Colloq shake a leg, get cracking, get a move on, go hell
for leather, skedaddle, step on it, step on the gas, Chiefly US
hightail (it), go like greased lightning, get a wiggle on:
You'll have to hurry to catch your bus. 2 speed up, accelerate,
hasten, rush, push, press, expedite; urge, egg: Such changes
take time and can't be hurried. She hurried the children along
so that they wouldn't miss the bus.
--n. 3 haste, rush, urgency, eagerness; agitation, disquiet,
upset, dither, fuss, bustle, ado, to-do, furore or US furor,
commotion, turmoil, stir, pother; Colloq stew, sweat: Why all
the hurry to finish before dark? He's in an awful hurry to get
home.
hurt v. 1 harm, injure, wound; damage, impair, mar, spoil, vitiate,
ruin: She's so gentle she wouldn't hurt a fly. The scandal hurt
the candidate's chances of election. 2 ache, smart, pain, pinch,
sting, burn, torment, gripe: My elbow really hurts where I hit
it. 3 distress, grieve, affect, afflict, aggrieve, depress,
upset, disappoint, pain, cut to the quick, affront, offend:
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt
me. You always hurt the one you love. 4 injure, maim, wound,
cripple, lame, disable, incapacitate, damage, mutilate, mangle:
Three people have been badly hurt in a car crash on the
motorway.
--n. 5 harm, injury, damage, detriment, disadvantage: How much
more hurt can you cause beyond what you have done already? 6
ache, pain, pang, distress, discomfort, suffering, torment,
torture, agony; anguish, misery, woe, dolour, sadness,
depression: If you rub on this ointment, the hurt will go away.
You cannot imagine the hurt we felt when he failed his
examinations.
--adj. 7 injured, wronged, pained, rueful, grieved, unhappy,
aggrieved, sad, wretched, woebegone, sorrowful, mournful,
depressed, dejected, dismal, gloomy, melancholy: Whenever I
mention getting a job she gets that hurt expression on her face.
8 damaged, defective, marred, impaired, broken, worn,
dilapidated, shop-worn, scratched, bruised, scarred: They are
holding a sale of hurt merchandise at the warehouse tomorrow.
hurtful adj. 1 harmful, injurious, detrimental, pernicious,
prejudicial, disadvantageous, damaging, deleterious,
destructive, noisome, noxious, baneful, mischievous: Efficient
government is advantageous to many and hurtful to none. 2
nasty, cruel, cutting, malicious, mean, unkind, wounding,
spiteful: He made some hurtful accusations about the
librarian's efficiency.
hurtle v. rush (headlong), tear, shoot, race, speed; plunge: The car
hurtled round the corner and crashed into a tree. Two bodies
hurtled past me into the abyss below.
husband n. 1 mate, spouse, groom, bridegroom, partner, Colloq old man,
hubby: My husband and I take turns cleaning the house.
--v. 2 save, keep, retain, hoard, conserve, preserve, store;
budget, economize (on), manage: If we husband our resources, we
shall have enough for a rainy day.
hush interj. 1 Shush!, Quiet!, Be or Keep quiet or silent or still!,
Hold your tongue!, Mum's the word!, Slang Shut up!, Clam up!,
Shut your trap!, Button your lip!, Shut your gob!, Brit Belt
up!, US Hush up!, Shut your face!, US dialect Hush your mouth!:
Hush! You're in a library.
--v. 2 shush, silence, still, quiet: I wish she'd hush the
child's wailing. 3 suppress, mute, soften, soft-pedal, whisper:
They spoke in hushed tones. 4 Usually, hush up. suppress,
repress, quash, cover up, hide, conceal, keep quiet, Colloq
squelch: They tried to hush up the news about his extramarital
affairs. 5 soothe, allay, calm, quiet, mollify, pacify,
placate, tranquillize: Our worst fears were hushed by father's
comforting words.
--n. 6 silence, quiet, stillness, peace, tranquillity: A hush
came over the crowd as she rose to speak.
husky adj. 1 brawny, strapping, sturdy, burly, well-built, robust,
hefty, rugged, powerful, strong, stout, thickset, muscular,
tough, Colloq beefy: Two husky men arrived to move the piano.
2 hoarse, gruff, dry, harsh, rasping, rough, raucous: She has a
deep, husky voice I would recognize anywhere.
hustle v. 1 rush, push, hurry, hasten, run, dash, scamper, scuttle,
scurry, sprint: Mrs Grumble hustles off to the market every
morning. He said that one must really hustle to make a living
these days. 2 shove, push, drive, force, hasten, expedite,
press: The bill was hustled through the legislature in just one
day. 3 shove, crowd, push, jostle, elbow, thrust, force: She
tried to hustle her way to the front of the queue. 4 push,
eject, force, coerce, drive, Colloq bounce: He was hustled out
the back door.
--n. 5 pushing, jostling, buffeting, jarring, elbowing,
shoving, nudging: We always take taxis to avoid the hustle in
the underground. 6 activity, action, stir, movement: I can't
concentrate with all the hustle and bustle going on in the
office.
hut n. cabin, shack, shanty, shed, lean-to, shelter, cote, Literary
cot, Australian gunyah: We found a tiny hut where we could keep
out of the storm.
hybrid n. mixture, cross-breed, half-breed, mongrel, cross, composite,
combination, compound: The best wheat for this region is a
hybrid developed in our laboratory.
hygienic adj. clean, sanitary, sterile, disinfected, germ-free, aseptic,
pure: It is essential that hygienic surroundings be maintained
in hospitals.
hypnotize v. fascinate, mesmerize, entrance, cast a spell over or on,
captivate, enchant, charm, spellbind, bewitch, enrapture,
ensorcell, transport: Greg is completely hypnotized by that
singer at Felipe's nightclub.
hypocrisy n. deceit, deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, deception,
chicanery, guile, quackery, charlatanism or charlatanry,
falseness, fakery, falseness, lying, mendacity, Pharisaism or
Phariseeism, Tartuffery, insincerity, two-facedness, sanctimony,
sanctimoniousness, Colloq phoneyness or US also phoniness: I
loath hypocrisy and double standards.
hypocrite n. deceiver, double-dealer, quack, charlatan, impostor or
imposter, mountebank, confidence man or trickster, faker,
pretender, liar, Pharisee, whited sepulchre, Tartuffe,
flimflammer, Colloq phoney or US also phony, con man, flimflam
man or artist, two-face: It is incredible that so many were
duped by that hypocrite.
hypocritical
adj. deceptive, deceitful, deceiving, insincere, dissembling,
feigning, dissimulating, double-dealing, false, fake, faking,
two-faced, pretending, lying, mendacious, Pharisaic(al),
sanctimonious, dishonest, underhand, treacherous, perfidious,
untrustworthy: He regards the Victorians as nothing but smug
prudes and hypocritical moralizers.
hypothesis
n. theory, theorem, postulate, premise or premiss, proposition,
assumption, supposition, speculation: Cadwallader's Hypothesis
is that television sets watch viewers while viewers are watching
them.
hypothetical
adj. assumed, supposed, conjectural, conjectured, hypothesized,
putative, surmised, assumed, presumed, suspected, imagined,
guessed, speculative, speculated, theoretical, suppositional,
suppositious or supposititious: Let us take the hypothetical
case of someone, for example, who refuses to pay income tax.
hysterical
adj. 1 raving, mad, beside oneself, crazed, irrational,
distracted, rabid, frantic, frenzied, wild, berserk,
uncontrolled, uncontrollable, unrestrained, unrestrainable:
They are subject to violent, hysterical outbursts. 2 hilarious,
side-splitting, uproarious, farcical, comical, funny: The
absolutely hysterical sign in our Japanese hotel read, 'You are
invited to take advantage of the chambermaid'.
9.0 I
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icing n. 1 frosting, glaze, coating: Our favourite treat was
chocolate cake with chocolate icing. 2 bonus, (fringe) benefit,
reward, (extra) added attraction, extra, reward, dividend: He
clinched a seventh victory with his partner, putting the icing
on the cake of their shared world championship.
icy adj. 1 ice-cold, frigid, arctic, bitter, glacial, freezing,
frozen, chill, glacial, hyperborean or hyperboreal, polar,
Siberian, wintry, raw, cold, chilling, chilly: The icy wind cut
through to the marrow of my bones. 2 cool, chill, chilly,
frigid, distant, aloof, remote, freezing, ice-cold, unemotional,
unimpassioned, stony, steely, callous, flinty, formal, reserved,
forbidding, unfriendly, hostile: She fixed him with an icy
stare.
idea n. 1 concept, conception, construct, thought, notion, plan,
design, scheme, suggestion, recommendation: Is that your idea
of a good singing voice? Peter has an excellent idea for
increasing sales. 2 notion, fancy, impression, picture, (mental)
image, concept, conception, perception, understanding,
awareness, apprehension, inkling, suspicion, hint, suggestion,
approximation, clue, intimation, guess, estimate, estimation,
impression: I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking
about. Can you give us any idea of the cause of the delay? 3
belief, opinion, sentiment, feeling, teaching(s), doctrine,
tenet, principle, philosophy, view, viewpoint, outlook, notion,
conviction, position, stance: Western and Eastern ideas differ
as to the role of women in society. 4 aim, goal, purpose,
objective, object, end, point, reason, raison d'€tre: What was
the idea of telling the teacher? The idea behind the scheme was
to boost sales. The idea of the game is to capture your
opponent's king. 5 hypothesis, theory, notion, dream, fantasy or
phantasy: His invention is based on the idea of an anti-gravity
device.
ideal n. 1 model, paragon, standard, criterion, paradigm, exemplar,
pattern, example, epitome: She regarded Florence Nightingale as
her ideal. 2 acme, (standard of) perfection, nonpareil: The
ideal can rarely be achieved, so you had better settle for
reality. 3 ideals. principles, morals, standards: Everyone's
ideals are compromised sooner or later.
--adj. 4 perfect, excellent, supreme, consummate, complete,
model, idyllic: This is an ideal home for a young couple. 5
conceptual, imagined, imaginary, unreal, visionary, idealistic,
fictitious, Utopian, notional, mythical or mythic, fantasy,
dream, romantic, chimeric(al), illusory, fanciful, fancied: In
his ideal world there is no crime, so there is no need for
police.
idealistic
adj. visionary, romantic, romanticized, optimistic,
starry-eyed, quixotic, Panglossian, impractical, unrealistic:
He is idealistic enough to believe that people are basically
good.
idealize v. exalt, elevate, glorify, worship, ennoble, deify,
apotheosize, put on a pedestal, romanticize: Because she
idealizes him, she cannot see his true nature.
ideally adv. 1 under or in the best of circumstances, at best, in a
perfect world, all things being equal: Ideally, February is the
time to holiday in the Caribbean. 2 theoretically, in theory,
in principle: Ideally, people ought to have money before they
are too old to enjoy it. 3 perfectly: John and Marsha are
ideally suited to each other.
identical adj. 1 same, twin, duplicate, indistinguishable,
interchangeable; selfsame: The two leaves look identical to me.
The duchess and I had the identical suite at the hotel, but a
week apart. 2 similar, matching, like, alike, comparable, equal,
equivalent, corresponding: The children are dressed in
identical clothing.
identification
n. 1 connection, recognition, distinguishing, indication,
perception, detection, selection, naming, labelling,
pinpointing, designation, characterization, denomination;
authentication, verification, establishment, certification,
substantiation, corroboration, Colloq fingering: Her
identification of him as her attacker is not sufficient to
convict him. 2 classification, classifying, cataloguing,
categorization, categorizing, pigeon-holing: How much time is
needed for the identification of the minerals in the moon rocks?
3 ID, ID card, identity card, badge, credentials: Only
up-to-date identification will be accepted as proof of
ownership. 4 connection, association, affiliation, empathy,
sympathy, rapport, relationship: His continued identification
with comic-book heroes is immature.
identify v. 1 classify, categorize, catalogue, pigeon-hole, sort (out),
specify, pinpoint, home (in) on, name, label, tag, recognize,
place, mark, label, tag, pinpoint, single out, point out, Colloq
put one's finger on: We are unable to identify the butterfly
you caught. 2 connect, associate, relate, ally: She is closely
identified with the success of the enterprise. 3 diagnose,
specify, name, recognize: From the symptoms, the doctor
identified the disease as bubonic plague. 4 Usually, identify
with. empathize (with), sympathize (with), relate (to), Colloq
dig: His problem is that he identifies too closely with his
dog.
identity n. 1 sameness, oneness, unanimity, indistinguishability,
agreement, accord, congruence: Identity of purpose held them
together under stress. 2 personality, individuality,
distinctiveness, uniqueness, particularity, singularity: Many
who join the army lose their identity.
ideology n. belief(s), convictions, tenets, credo, philosophy,
principles, creed, dogma, teachings, doctrine: Buddhism had a
great influence on his ideology.
idiom n. 1 language, tongue, speech, vernacular, dialect, argot,
patois, jargon, cant, idiolect, parlance, fa‡on de parler,
phraseology: The play is written in a rather old-fashioned
idiom. 2 expression, (set) phrase, phrasing, locution, clich‚:
The term red herring , an idiom meaning 'false trail', is used
of something which is neither red nor a herring.
idle adj. 1 unused, inactive, unoccupied, non-operative, stationary:
The looms were idle for months. The devil finds work for idle
hands. 2 unemployed, out of work, redundant, jobless, workless,
Colloq at leisure, at liberty, between assignments, resting, US
on the beach: Unable to find work, Gilbert has been idle for a
year. 3 indolent, lazy, listless, lethargic, loafing, slothful,
shiftless, lackadaisical, loitering, fain‚ant: Since winning
the lottery, Crouch has become one of the idle rich. 4
bootless, fruitless, unproductive, abortive, unfruitful,
pointless, vain, trifling, trivial, shallow, nugatory,
superficial, insignificant, meaningless, senseless, unimportant,
frivolous, worthless, useless, otiose, unavailing, futile: We
were passing the time at the pub in idle chatter when Michael
walked in. He had no factual information to offer, only idle
speculation.
--v. 5 Often, idle away. waste, fritter away, while away, kill:
They idle away the hours lying by the swimming-pool. 6 laze
(about), loiter, kill time, loaf, loll, lounge, take it easy,
Brit potter or US putter about or away, mess about, fool away,
fool around or about, Colloq Brit muck about, bugger about, US
lallygag or lollygag, goof off or around, Military slang US
gold-brick: Stop idling and get down to work.
idleness n. 1 inactivity, inaction, lethargy, torpor, indolence,
laziness, sluggishness, sloth, slothfulness, shiftlessness,
inertia, lassitude, torpor, flѓnerie, dolce far niente;
unemployment, Colloq US lallygagging or lollygagging, Military
slang US gold-bricking: The strike created enforced idleness
for non-union workers as well. 2 shirking, malingering,
dawdling, loafing, time-wasting, lazing, Colloq dilly-dallying,
shilly-shallying, Brit skiving: The foreman warned that he
would not tolerate idleness.
idler n. loafer, layabout, slacker, shirker, sluggard, lazybones,
slugabed, laggard, dawdler, clock-watcher, drone, slouch,
ne'er-do-well, fain‚ant, Colloq lounge lizard, Military slang US
gold brick or gold-bricker: To fill out a crew we often
recruited men from among waterfront idlers.
idly adv. 1 unproductively, lazily, indolently: She wanders about
the shops, idly whiling away the hours. 2 offhandedly,
unconsciously, mechanically, thoughtlessly, unthinkingly,
obliviously, insensibly, indifferently: He sat quietly, his
fingers idly drumming on the tabletop.
idol n. 1 (graven) image, icon or ikon, effigy, fetish, tiki,
symbol: Nebuchadnezzar's people worshipped golden idols. 2
hero or heroine, superstar, celebrity, luminary, matin‚e idol,
favourite, pet, darling: When he was a lad his idol was
Quatermain, from the Rider Haggard novels.
idolize v. adore, admire, adulate, worship, revere, reverence,
venerate, put on a pedestal, exalt, glorify, deify, lionize,
look up to, apotheosize: She had always idolized her father,
and his death came as a terrible blow to her.
idyllic adj. Arcadian, paradisaic(al) or paradisiac(al), heavenly,
Edenic, halcyon, ideal, idealized, pastoral, rustic, bucolic,
picturesque, charming, unspoilt or unspoiled, peaceful, pacific:
He returned to the island to live out his life in idyllic
repose.
ignorance n. unfamiliarity, unawareness, unconsciousness, benightedness,
unenlightenment, inexperience, greenness: Ignorance of the law
is no excuse. Mistakes are often caused by ignorance rather than
stupidity.
ignorant adj. 1 unknowing, uninformed, untaught, uneducated, unschooled,
unread, unlearned, unlettered, illiterate: Is there anyone so
ignorant as not to know who the Duke of Wellington was? 2
unaware, unfamiliar, unconscious, benighted, unenlightened,
unwitting, in the dark, oblivious, Formal nescient: She knows
many things about which we are ignorant. 3 inexperienced,
green, na‹ve, innocent, unsophisticated: They used to tease
ignorant young apprentices by sending them to find a left-handed
hammer. 4 uncouth, ill-mannered, discourteous, impolite,
uncivil, boorish: Don't be so ignorant and open the door for
the lady!
ignore v. 1 disregard, overlook, pass over or by, turn a blind eye to,
be blind to, turn one's back on, turn a deaf ear to, wink at,
brush off or aside: If you are over 65, you may ignore this
paragraph. 2 snub, give (someone) the cold shoulder, reject,
send to Coventry, turn one's back on, Colloq give (someone) the
brush-off or go-by, cut, turn one's nose up at: I don't care if
you are cruel to me, just don't ignore me.
ill adj. 1 ailing, unsound, sick, indisposed, infirm, unhealthy, in
a bad way, diseased, afflicted, in bad health, sickly, unwell,
not well, out of commission; invalided, valetudinarian; Colloq
under the weather, in a bad way, poorly, not up to snuff, out of
sorts, on the sick-list, off one's feed, Slang Brit dicky,
seedy: Call a doctor - this man is ill. I was rather ill last
night after eating that fish mousse. 2 bad, wicked, sinful,
evil, iniquitous, immoral, depraved, vicious, vile, wrong,
corrupt: Police raided several houses of ill repute. 3
hostile, unfriendly, antagonistic, belligerent, malevolent,
malicious, ill-wishing, unkind(ly), harsh, cruel: The reading
of the bequests sparked ill will amongst the heirs. 4 harmful,
hurtful, injurious, detrimental, damaging, pernicious,
dangerous, adverse, deleterious, baleful, bad, unfavourable,
destructive, disastrous, catastrophic, ruinous, cataclysmic: He
suffered no lasting ill effects from the accident. 5 bad,
miserable, wretched, disastrous, unfavourable, unpropitious,
untoward, disturbing, unfortunate, unlucky, inauspicious,
ominous, unpromising, sinister, unwholesome: Ill fortune led
Ulysses to our isle. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. 6
ill at ease. uncomfortable, discomfited, uneasy, edgy, on edge,
fidgety, nervous, anxious, disturbed, distressed, troubled,
awkward, unsure, uncertain: I felt ill at ease in the presence
of so august a personage.
--n. 7 evil, abuse: Speak no ill of her in my home! 8 harm,
damage, injury, hurt, mischief, trouble, misfortune, misery,
affliction, pain, distress, woe, woefulness, discomfort,
unpleasantness, disaster, catastrophe, cataclysm, calamity,
adversity, damage, suffering, ruin, destruction: You will be
held responsible if any ill befalls the children. 9 injustice,
inequity, wrong, evil, sin, transgression, abuse, mistreatment,
maltreatment: He entered politics hoping to cure some of
society's ills.
--adv. 10 badly, adversely, unfavourably, poorly,
inauspiciously, unfortunately, unluckily: Don't speak ill of
the dead. 11 badly, adversely, unfavourably, critically,
harshly, unkindly: Please don't think ill of me for failing to
attend your wedding. 12 unkindly, harshly, unfairly, unjustly,
improperly, badly, wrongly, wrongfully, unsatisfactorily,
poorly, malevolently, maliciously: He insists that he was
ill-treated when in prison. 13 scarcely, hardly, by no means,
in no way: It ill behoves you to criticize other people's
English.
ill-advised
adj. 1 inadvisable, ill-judged, injudicious, ill-considered,
misguided, unwise, imprudent, inappropriate, unpropitious,
inexpedient, impolitic, wrong-headed, thoughtless; indiscreet:
It would be ill-advised to sell your house at this time. 2
hasty, rash, reckless, impetuous, rash, foolhardy, incautious,
short-sighted, improvident: Driving without a seat belt is
ill-advised.
illegal adj. unlawful, illegitimate, criminal, felonious, outlawed,
prohibited, interdicted, forbidden, proscribed, wrongful,
unauthorized, verboten, illicit, Law actionable: The bookkeeper
was prosecuted for illegal appropriation of funds.
illegible adj. unreadable, unintelligible, indecipherable or
undecipherable, incomprehensible: An illegible message was
scrawled on the wall.
illegitimate
adj. 1 See illegal. 2 bastard, natural, fatherless, born out
of wedlock, born on the wrong side of the blanket, misbegotten:
Illegitimate children were often offered for adoption in those
days. 3 irregular, improper, incorrect, non-standard, invalid,
unauthorized, spurious: Purists consider the reason is because
an illegitimate usage.
ill-founded
adj. groundless, baseless, without foundation, unsupported,
unsubstantiated, empty, unjustified, unproven, uncorroborated,
unsound, erroneous: He wasted a great deal of time refuting her
ill-founded accusations.
illicit adj. 1 See illegal. 2 wrong, improper, underhand(ed), secret,
furtive, clandestine, back-door, Colloq US sneaky: They grew
rich on the proceeds of illicit liquor.
illiterate
adj. unlettered, analphabetic; unschooled, untaught,
uneducated, benighted, ignorant, unenlightened: She teaches
illiterate people to read.
ill-mannered
adj. rude, discourteous, impolite, ill-bred, uncivil,
disrespectful, uncourtly, ungallant, ungracious, indecorous,
ungentlemanly, unladylike, impudent, insolent, insulting,
impertinent, brazen: That ill-mannered oaf didn't even
apologize for knocking me down.
illness n. sickness, disease, disorder, affliction, ailment, malady,
complaint, infirmity, disability, indisposition, affection,
Colloq bug: His illness is serious but not contagious.
ill-treat v. mistreat, maltreat, abuse, misuse, harm, hurt, injure,
persecute, mishandle: He is at last being punished for those
years he ill-treated his wife.
illuminate
v. 1 light (up), brighten, lighten, throw or cast or shed light
on or upon: She had only a single candle to illuminate her
sewing. 2 clarify, throw or cast or shed light on or upon,
enlighten, clear up, elucidate, explain, explicate, reveal: The
lectures on Heidegger illuminated his philosophy to some extent.
3 rubricate, decorate, adorn, embellish, ornament: The museum
has the best collection of illuminated manuscripts.
illumination
n. 1 lighting, light, brightness, radiance, luminosity,
incandescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence: The illumination
from the fire was barely enough to read by. 2 enlightenment,
insight, information, learning, revelation, edification,
instruction, awareness, understanding, clarification: It is
astonishing what illumination his lectures brought to his
audiences.
illusion n. 1 deception, delusion, fancy, misconception,
misapprehension, fallacy, error, mistake, mistaken or false
impression: He is labouring under the illusion that he is a
great pianist. 2 fantasy, day-dream, hallucination, phantasm,
phantom, chimera, phantasmagoria, mirage, aberration, vision,
spectre, figment of the imagination, will-o'-the-wisp, ignis
fatuus: For years after he died, she had the illusion of seeing
her father everywhere.
illusory adj. illusive, imaginary, fictional, unreal, untrue,
fallacious, false, mistaken, imagined, fanciful, fancied,
hallucinatory, deceptive, misleading, apparent,: Any financial
gains that you perceive in the scheme are purely illusory.
illustrate
v. 1 instance, exemplify, demonstrate: Let me illustrate my
point with the following example. 2 picture, illuminate,
grangerize; decorate, embellish, emblazon, ornament, adorn: We
are looking for an artist to illustrate the book.
illustration
n. 1 example, case (in point), instance, sample, specimen,
exemplar, Colloq for instance: This film is an illustration of
the film noir genre. 2 picture, depiction, representation,
figure: An illustration of a jet engine appears on page 32.
illustrious
adj. distinguished, famous, noted, renowned, famed, eminent,
well-known, prominent, important, notable, respected, esteemed,
venerable, honoured, acclaimed, celebrated, great: He belongs
in the same category as other illustrious generals, like
Kitchener.
ill will n. dislike, animosity, hatred, hate, loathing, abhorrence,
detestation, malevolence, malice, hostility, enmity, animus,
antipathy, aversion, rancour, acrimony, spite, venom, vitriol,
acerbity: I bear her no ill will for the way she treated me.
She incurred his ill will by refusing him access to the
children.
image n. 1 likeness, representation, picture, sculpture, statue,
effigy, figure, portrait, simulacrum; icon or ikon, idol, graven
image, fetish, tiki: Images of BolЎvar can be seen in every
town square in Venezuela. The tribesmen still worshipped golden
images of their gods. 2 epitome, duplicate, copy, counterpart,
facsimile, replica, double, twin, Doppelg„nger, clone, Colloq
spitting image or spit and image, (dead) ringer: He's the image
of father. He stared at his image in the mirror. 3 impression,
concept, conception, perception, idea, perception, notion,
mental picture: You are quite different from my image of you.
4 epitome, representative, model, (typical) example, essence,
archetype, embodiment, incarnation, personification,
materialization, reification, corporealization: For us, she was
the very image of what a leader should be. 5 figure (of
speech), trope, metaphor, allusion, simile, symbol: The poem
contains images that are obscure unless you know Greek myths. 6
form, appearance, likeness, guise, semblance, aspect, mould,
cast: Man claims to be created in God's image.
imagery n. figurativeness, allusion, symbolism: Constance's poems are
filled with ornate imagery.
imaginary adj. fictitious, fanciful, fancied, chimerical, imagined,
fictive, illusory or illusive, visionary, made-up, unreal,
untrue, mythical or mythic, notional, abstract; legendary,
mythological: When he was a boy, he had an imaginary friend
called Carbonario.
imagination
n. 1 mind's eye, fancy; creativity, inventiveness, ingenuity,
insight, inspiration, vision, imaginativeness, creative
power(s): His fertile imagination conjured up all kinds of
terrifying pictures. 2 thought, thinking, (mental) acuity,
intelligence, wit: It doesn't take much imagination to see why
you don't want to go to school this morning.
imaginative
adj. 1 creative, original, clever, ingenious, inventive,
innovative, inspired, inspiring, enterprising, resourceful:
Richard is a highly imaginative computer programmer. 2
fanciful, fantastic, visionary, poetic(al), whimsical,
contrived, fictitious, fictional: The imaginative tale of Don
Quixote sprang from the mind of Cervantes.
imagine v. 1 think of, contemplate, picture, envisage, consider,
ponder, meditate on, envision, visualize, conceive (of),
conceptualize, create, think up, concoct, devise, Colloq dream
up, cook up: I cannot imagine what you are referring to.
Imagine, if you can, a world without conflict. 2 suppose, guess,
conjecture, assume, presume, take it, infer, take (it) for
granted, take it as given, think, fancy, believe, gather,
surmise, suspect, judge, deem: I imagine that you won't want a
drink if you are driving. You are imagining things if you think
she is trying to undermine your authority.
imitate v. 1 mimic, copy, ape, parrot, monkey, emulate, impersonate, do
an impression of; echo, simulate: Cruikshank was imitating the
boss, who walked in at that very moment. His style imitates that
of Carlyle. 2 copy, mimic, mock, parody, satirize, burlesque,
caricature, travesty, Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up: In
Hudibras, Samuel Butler imitated the style of the heroic epic.
imitation n. 1 copying, mimicking, mimicry, aping, parroting, emulating,
emulation, impersonating, impersonation, impression: Imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery. 2 impersonation, parody,
satirization, burlesque, caricature, mockery, travesty, Colloq
take-off, Brit send-up: In his nightclub act, he does scathing
imitations of celebrities. 3 copy, fake, counterfeit, forgery:
These are modern imitations of ancient coins. 4 copy, replica,
replication, reproduction, simulation, facsimile, duplicate,
duplication, simulacrum: We keep the original in a safe place
and put the imitations on display.
--adj. 5 fake, synthetic, artificial, simulated, sham, ersatz,
mock, factitious, reproduction, man-made, Colloq phoney or US
also phony: It doesn't take an expert to see that this is an
imitation diamond.
immaculate
adj. 1 spotless, stainless, unblemished, pure, clean,
untarnished, unsullied, unsoiled, snow-white, spick and span,
dapper, spruce; tidy, neat: Each morning he donned an
immaculate uniform. 2 pure, chaste, innocent, virginal,
virtuous, vestal, pristine, undefiled, untainted, unspoiled,
unblemished, stainless, unadulterated: He remained convinced of
his wife's immaculate reputation. 3 faultless, flawless,
perfect, errorless, impeccable: His essay on Gibbon is an
example of immaculate scholarship.
immaterial
adj. 1 unimportant, inconsequential, nugatory, trivial,
trifling, petty, slight, insignificant, slight, flimsy, light,
unessential, non-essential, of little account or value: Whether
he stays or goes is immaterial to me. 2 airy, incorporeal,
disembodied, ethereal, ephemeral, evanescent, unsubstantial:
The concept of immaterial matter, such as a gas, is difficult to
comprehend.
immature adj. 1 premature, undeveloped, unripe, rudimentary, half-grown,
unformed, unfledged, fledgling, unfinished, young, new, fresh,
incomplete: The immature growth in the spring is not hardy
enough to survive a frost. 2 green, callow, unsophisticated,
na‹ve, jejune, inexperienced, babyish, childish, childlike,
puerile, juvenile, raw, Colloq wet behind the ears: She is a
bit immature to assume so many responsibilities.
immeasurable
adj. vast, infinite, immense, huge, great, limitless,
boundless, endless, interminable, unbounded, unlimited,
measureless, inestimable, measureless, unfathomable;
innumerable, numberless, uncountable, uncounted, incalculable:
The tiny ship hurtled through the immeasurable vastness of
space. An immeasurable quantity of angels can dance on the head
of a pin. He accomplished immeasurable good during his
lifetime.
immediate adj. 1 instantaneous, instant, abrupt, sudden, swift;
spontaneous, instinctive, triggered, unhesitating, unthinking,
automatic, reflex, knee-jerk: Why is your immediate reaction
always to say 'It cannot be done'? 2 direct, nearest, next,
closest, adjacent, proximate; nearby: Although he had cancer,
the immediate cause of death was pneumonia. Is there a phone
box in the immediate vicinity? 3 existing, present, current,
actual, pressing, urgent: The immediate problem is to find a
way of getting out of here.
immediately
adv. 1 at once, instantly, instantaneously, promptly, right
away, right now, without delay, unhesitatingly, without
hesitation, forthwith, this instant, directly, in a wink, in a
second, in a minute, tout de suite, instanter, Chiefly Brit
straightaway or straight away, Colloq pronto, in a jiffy, in two
shakes of a lamb's tail, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', at
the drop of a hat: Come here immediately. I shall be there
immediately. 2 directly, closely, intimately: These reactions
are immediately concerned with the temperature.
--conj. 3 when, as soon as, the moment (that), Brit directly:
Immediately he heard the news, he hurried to her side.
immense adj. enormous, gigantic, extensive, vast, huge, massive,
voluminous, tremendous, staggering, stupendous, mammoth,
colossal, giant, titanic, Cyclopean, jumbo, elephantine,
Brobdingnagian, Slang US humongous: Our exit from the cave was
blocked by an immense boulder.
immerse v. 1 plunge, sink, submerge, dip, dunk, duck, inundate:
Immerse the device in the water before switching it on. 2
plunge, sink, submerge, bury, absorb, engross, engage, occupy,
involve: I immersed myself in my work and never noticed the
time.
immigrant n. newcomer, arrival, settler, Australian migrant; alien,
foreigner, outlander, outsider: Her parents were immigrants
from the Ukraine.
imminent adj. impending, looming, threatening, menacing, at hand, nigh,
immediate, close (by or at hand), (forth)coming, drawing near or
close or nigh, momentary: We face imminent disaster if steps
are not taken now.
immoderate
adj. excessive, extreme, exorbitant, unreasonable, inordinate,
extravagant, intemperate; outrageous, preposterous, exaggerated,
unrestrained, undue: Their immoderate demands for reparations
cannot be met.
immodest adj. 1 indecent, shameless, shameful, indecorous, titillating,
revealing; indelicate, improper, wanton, loose, unrestrained,
provocative, obscene, lewd, smutty, dirty, lascivious, bawdy,
coarse, Colloq sexy: The striptease was, to say the least,
immodest. The streakers will be punished for their immodest
behaviour. 2 brazen, forward, bold, impudent, impertinent,
brash, arrogant, insolent, presumptuous, disrespectful, Colloq
fresh, cheeky: Carl's immodest demand for a private office was
ignored.
immoral adj. 1 corrupt, bad, wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, impure,
unethical, unprincipled, abandoned, base, wrong, vile, depraved,
dissolute, degenerate, reprobate, unregenerate, nefarious,
flagitious, villainous, treacherous, unscrupulous, dishonest:
Is it immoral to avoid paying one's taxes? 2 immodest,
debauched, indecent, wanton, libertine, lecherous, lustful,
libidinous, carnal, concupiscent, salacious, licentious,
lascivious, lewd, obscene, pornographic, dirty, smutty, filthy:
He was convicted for living off immoral earnings.
immortal adj. 1 undying, eternal, deathless, everlasting, eternal,
imperishable, sempiternal, never-ending, endless, ceaseless,
perpetual, timeless, constant, permanent, indestructible: Did
the Egyptian pharaohs believe themselves immortal? 2 divine,
heavenly, godlike: The immortal wisdom of God guides man. 3
remembered, celebrated, unfading, famous, renowned, classic,
lauded, praised, honoured, timeless: The immortal writings of
Shakespeare inspire us still.
--n. 4 Olympian, god or goddess; hero or heroine, legend,
genius, great: To be sure, we must consider Bach as one of the
immortals.
immortalize
v. celebrate, honour, glorify, memorialize, commemorate,
apotheosize, canonize, beatify, exalt, ennoble, extol:
Dickens's father was immortalized as Mr Micawber.
immovable adj. 1 unmovable, fixed, fast, rooted, set, immobile,
stationary, motionless, stable, riveted, anchored, frozen: What
happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? 2
immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, settled, set, unmovable,
fixed, inflexible; unshakeable or unshakable, unswerving, firm,
determined, steadfast, staunch, rigid, dogged, obdurate,
unyielding, unwavering, resolute, unflinching, adamant(ine),
stony, impassive, unbending, impassive, emotionless, unmoved:
Christmas day, which always falls on December 25th, is an
immovable feast. Despite pleas for mercy, the judge was
immovable and she was hanged the next day.
immune adj. inoculated, vaccinated; exempt, safe, protected,
insusceptible or unsusceptible, invulnerable, untouched,
unaffected: She never caught smallpox because a mild case of
cowpox had made her immune. Rick mistakenly thought himself
immune to Sally's charms.
immunity n. 1 exemption, non-liability, invulnerability, protection,
excuse, release, exclusion, privilege, freedom, indemnity,
amnesty, exoneration, absolution: In return for his testimony
he was granted immunity from prosecution. 2 insusceptibility or
unsusceptibility, protection, inoculation, vaccination:
Immunity to a number of diseases is conferred by this one
injection.
imp n. devil(kin), demon, sprite, evil spirit, hobgoblin, goblin,
elf, pixie or pixy, leprechaun, puck, brownie, fairy; scamp,
urchin, gamin, rogue, rascal, mischief-maker, brat: Sitting on
my shoulder as I write is a tiny imp that inserts the
misspellings. Give me a hug, you little imp!
impact n. 1 collision, contact, striking, crash, smash, bump,
colliding, crashing, smashing, bumping: The impact of the car
against the stone wall was heard a mile away. 2 effect,
impression, influence, import, meaning, bearing, force, thrust,
weight, burden, brunt, repercussions, results, consequences: It
is becoming clear that technology is having an adverse impact on
the environment.
--v. 3 strike, hit, collide with: When its orbit decays, the
satellite will impact the surface of the moon. 4 affect, modify,
change: I wonder how the news of the bankruptcy will impact
share prices.
impair v. weaken, cripple, damage, harm, mar, injure, spoil, ruin: 'I
understand that leading a wild life can impair your hearing.'
'What did you say?'
impairment
n. lessening, weakening, damage, harm, injury, flaw,
imperfection, reduction, vitiation, deterioration, decrease,
diminution, enfeeblement, debilitation, undermining, worsening,
marring: The impairment to my eyesight was caused by reading in
the dark.
impale v. spear, stab, pierce, skewer, spit, stick, transfix, spike:
They impaled the heads of their enemies on poles as a warning.
impart v. 1 give, cede, lend, bestow, convey, confer, grant, afford,
accord, contribute: The dyes impart different colours to the
ink. 2 communicate, tell, relate, transmit, reveal, divulge,
disclose, pass on, intimate, confide: I've had a hard week
imparting knowledge to bored schoolchildren.
impartial adj. fair, just, even-handed, disinterested, neutral,
unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, equitable: Judge Leaver can
be relied on to render an impartial verdict.
impasse n. deadlock, dead end, stalemate, stand-off, block, blockage,
Colloq blind alley: Negotiations reached an impasse and the
meeting broke up.
impassioned
adj. passionate, inspired, spirited, stirring, fervent,
emotional, fervid, ardent, heated, warm, rousing, aroused,
vehement, zealous, eager, earnest, enthusiastic, vigorous,
animated, fiery, inflamed, glowing: The barrister made an
impassioned plea for the accused.
impassive adj. cool, apathetic, calm, serene, composed, unmoved, cold,
cold-blooded, reserved, imperturbable, unimpressionable,
unruffled, controlled, contained, phlegmatic, lackadaisical,
stoical, unemotional, taciturn, unfeeling, stolid, emotionless,
uncaring, indifferent, undisturbed, callous, unsympathetic,
stony, dispassionate, detached, nonchalant, unconcerned,
insouciant, remote: I could see nothing in the judge's
impassive expression to hint at his decision.
impatient adj. 1 uneasy, nervous, fidgety, agitated, restless, restive,
unquiet, eager, fretful, agog, chafing, impetuous, athirst,
Slang itchy, US antsy: There is a short wait for seats, so
please don't get impatient. 2 irritable, irascible, testy,
short-tempered, querulous, waspish, brusque, curt, short,
hot-tempered, snappish, indignant, demanding: I don't mean to
be impatient, but I have been waiting for three hours.
impeach v. 1 charge, accuse, arraign, indict, incriminate, implicate,
inculpate, blame, censure: They were impeached for crimes
against the state. 2 (call into) question, challenge, attack,
disparage, discredit, impugn, deprecate, belittle, asperse, cast
aspersions on, declaim, slander, malign, vilify: My daughter's
character had been impeached by the witness.
impeccable
adj. faultless, flawless, perfect, ideal, pure, correct,
proper, spotless, immaculate, unblemished, spotless,
unimpeachable, blameless: His lectures, though impeccable in
content and style, lacked fire.
impede v. bar, obstruct, block, thwart, check, hinder, hamper, slow,
retard, restrain, brake, hold up, delay, foil, confound,
inhibit, curb, spike, stop: You can do nothing to impede the
relentless march of time.
impediment
n. bar, barrier, obstruction, block, check, hindrance,
encumbrance, restraint, hold-up, hitch, snag, restriction,
stricture, bottleneck, delay, hang-up, inhibition, curb: What
are the impediments to a happy marriage?
impending adj. imminent, approaching, (close or near) at hand, close,
nearing, forthcoming, brewing, to come, in view, in prospect, in
store, in the offing, on the horizon, in the air; looming,
threatening, menacing; Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the
cards: The impending deadline made us work all the faster. We
had a feeling of impending doom.
imperative
adj. 1 mandatory, compulsory, necessary, required, requisite,
demanded, obligatory, indispensable, essential, crucial, vital,
urgent, pressing, exigent: It is imperative that we catch the
5.04 to London. 2 imperious, commanding, authoritarian,
overbearing, peremptory, autocratic, domineering, magisterial,
lordly, arbitrary, dictatorial, dogmatic, tyrannical, despotic,
Colloq bossy: We were all shaken into obedience by her
imperative tone.
imperceptible
adj. 1 invisible, indiscernible, indistinguishable,
undetectable, obscure, vague, ill-defined; inaudible: The
differences between the twins are imperceptible. 2 indistinct,
unclear, unnoticeable, slight, subtle, inconsiderable,
inappreciable, minute, tiny, slight, minuscule, infinitesimal,
microscopic: Her only response was an imperceptible flicker of
her eyelid.
imperfect adj. wanting, unfinished, undeveloped, incomplete, deficient,
defective, faulty, flawed, patchy: This is an imperfect
translation of the poem.
imperfection
n. flaw, failing, fault, error, defect, blemish, damage;
inadequacy, insufficiency, deficiency, frailty, weakness,
foible, shortcoming, peccadillo, shortfall, fallibility,
infirmity: We have reduced the price because of tiny
imperfections in the weave. Imperfections in her character make
her unsuitable for the job.
imperial adj. 1 kingly, kinglike, queenly, queenlike, princely,
princelike, regal, royal, sovereign: The imperial court was
rich and splendid. 2 majestic, royal, regal, lofty, exalted,
supreme, august, noble, superior, imposing, splendid,
magnificent, grand, excellent: Her imperial presence outshone
all at the ball.
impermeable
adj. impenetrable, impassable, impervious, closed, sealed,
hermetic: The floor has been damp-proofed by the insertion of
an impermeable membrane under the concrete.
impersonal
adj. 1 detached, objective, disinterested, fair, equitable,
dispassionate, unprejudiced, unbiased: The enforcement of the
law should be entirely impersonal. 2 formal, stiff,
strait-laced, wooden, rigid, prim, stuffy, cool, detached,
unfriendly, cold, mechanical: Why does my bank manager have to
be so impersonal?
impertinence
n. insolence, boldness, brazenness, impudence, presumption,
presumptuousness, brashness, sauciness, pertness, incivility,
forwardness, impoliteness, discourtesy, disrespect, audacity,
rudeness, effrontery, Colloq cheek, brass, brassiness, nerve,
gall, Slang chutzpah: Why, the impertinence of that waitress to
call you by your Christian name!
impertinent
adj. presumptuous, insolent, bold, brazen, impudent, brash,
saucy, pert, uncivil, forward, impolite, discourteous,
disrespectful, audacious, rude, Colloq cheeky, fresh, brassy, US
nervy: That impertinent little upstart had the nerve to ask the
lady's age!
impetuous adj. spontaneous, unpremeditated, impulsive, unplanned, hasty,
abrupt, precipitate, quick, unthinking, unreasoned, offhand,
rash, reckless, spur-of-the-moment, unreflective, headlong:
Don't be impetuous and accept the first offer that comes along.
impetus n. drive, stimulus, push, impulse, goad, thrust, energy,
momentum, stimulation, incentive, motivation, encouragement,
inspiration: Roger's innovative ideas provided the impetus to
develop new products.
impious adj. irreligious, irreverent, ungodly, sacrilegious,
blasphemous, profane, unholy, wicked, sinful, iniquitous: The
priest said that he would be punished for his impious remarks.
implacable
adj. unappeasable, unmollifiable, unpacifiable, unforgiving,
intractable, uncompromising, inflexible, inexorable, unyielding,
unrelenting, ruthless, cruel, pitiless, merciless, hard, rigid,
unsympathetic, uncompassionate: Ever since that incident at
school he has been my implacable enemy.
implant v. 1 introduce, instil, insinuate, inject; indoctrinate,
inculcate, teach, impress, imprint: They spent months
implanting that notion in his mind. 2 graft, root, embed,
inlay: You must implant the scion nearer the main stem.
--n. 3 graft, scion, ingraft; insert: Are they really
experimenting with brain implants to improve the memory?
implausible
adj. improbable, unlikely, doubtful, dubious, questionable,
unbelievable, incredible, far-fetched, unconvincing, debatable,
unreasonable: He told an implausible tale of having been raised
by apes.
implement n. 1 utensil, tool, instrument, apparatus, device, appliance,
contrivance, mechanism, (piece of) equipment, Colloq gadget,
contraption: You need the proper implement for measuring inside
diameters.
--v. 2 carry out, execute, accomplish, perform, achieve, (put
into) effect, bring about, cause, fulfil, realize: You will
need our help to implement the plan.
implicate v. 1 involve, include, associate, embroil, ensnare, entrap,
enmesh, entangle: Don't implicate me in your hare-brained
schemes! 2 incriminate, inculpate, connect, involve, associate,
suspect, concern: Wasn't he implicated in that fraud case last
year?
implication
n. 1 involvement, connection, inclusion, association,
entanglement: My implication in that affair was minimal. 2
suggestion, hint, insinuation, innuendo, intimation: I resent
the implication that I had anything to do with the murder. 3
significance, purport, drift, meaning, denotation, conclusion,
inference, import, connotation, sense, burden, substance,
essence, pith: The implication of the article is that the
government knew about the illegal exports all along.
implicit adj. 1 implied, indirect, inferable, understood, unspoken,
undeclared, tacit, inherent, inferential, latent: Certain
provisions are implicit in every legal contract and need not be
expressed. 2 absolute, unquestioning, unquestioned, unqualified,
total, sheer, complete, unmitigated, unalloyed, undiluted,
unlimited, unconditional, unreserved, utter, full, wholehearted:
I have implicit faith in Nicole's judgement.
imply v. 1 suggest, hint (at), intimate, insinuate: Are you implying
that I don't know what I'm talking about? 2 connote, allude to,
refer to, advert to, signify, signal, betoken, denote, indicate,
mean, express; involve, include, evidence, assume, presume,
entail: Silence sometimes implies consent. Discovery of the
tools implies a more advanced culture.
impolite adj. discourteous, ill-mannered, uncivil, rude, ungracious,
ungentlemanly, unladylike, pert, disrespectful, saucy, boorish,
churlish, crude, indecorous, indelicate, unrefined, ill-bred,
vulgar, coarse: The waiter was so impolite that I refused him a
tip.
imponderable
adj. unmeasurable, inestimable, inconceivable,
incomprehensible, subtle: There are too many imponderable
questions to give you a definite answer.
import v. 1 introduce, bring in: We import the raw materials and
export the finished product. 2 convey, mean, signify, denote,
imply, betoken: He was a dictator, in all the senses that word
imports.
--n. 3 meaning, sense, denotation, signification, gist, drift,
thrust, intention, implication, purport, connotation,
suggestion, allusion, intimation: It was difficult for me to
catch the import of her words. 4 importance, significance,
weight, consequence, moment, substance: One could see at once
that she was a personage of some import.
importance
n. 1 significance, consequence, import, value, worth, weight,
account, concern, moment, substance, matter: How chemicals
affect the ozone layer is of great importance to everyone. 2
eminence, distinction, esteem, standing, status, position, rank,
prominence, pre-eminence, prestige, power, influence, note: His
family is of considerable importance in the community.
important adj. 1 significant, consequential, critical, material, vital,
urgent, portentous, weighty, grave, substantial, momentous,
signal: If it is important, put it in writing. 2 leading,
prominent, notable, noted, noteworthy, worthy, eminent,
distinguished, respected, high-ranking, top-level, high-level,
superior, outstanding, foremost, conspicuous, impressive: She
is the most important member of the committee. 3 influential,
effective, well-connected, powerful, formidable, mighty,
impressive: With those important politicians supporting him, he
might win.
impose v. 1 inflict, force, foist: Stop imposing your standards on
others. 2 interrupt, interfere, intrude, interpose, insinuate:
I hope I am not imposing? 3 levy, place, put, exact: A tax has
been imposed on entertainment. 4 impose on or upon. a saddle,
burden: He imposes on everyone with his demands for charity. b
exploit, take advantage (of), misuse: I hope I am not imposing
on your good will in what I ask.
imposing adj. grand, magnificent, impressive, stately, august, majestic,
effective, commanding: In his dress uniform, the general was an
imposing presence at the reception.
imposition
n. 1 inflicting, infliction; applying, application, enforcing,
enforcement, levy, levying, promulgating, promulgation,
introducing, introduction, placing, placement, laying on:
People resent the imposition of a curfew. 2 burden, onus,
weight; intrusion, misuse: A flat-rate tax is a terrible
imposition on the poor. Walking the dog is an imposition on my
time.
impossible
adj. 1 hopeless, impracticable, inconceivable, unimaginable,
unthinkable, unattainable, unsuitable, out of the question,
unachievable, unrealizable, unworkable, unresolvable,
unsolvable: Reading of the cipher is impossible without a key.
2 absurd, ludicrous, preposterous, ridiculous, illogical,
unworkable, outrageous, farcical, outlandish, crazy, weird:
Inventors came up with the most impossible designs for
aeroplanes.
impostor n. imposter, impersonator, pretender, deceiver, cheat, fraud,
swindler, trickster, confidence man, shark, charlatan,
mountebank, hypocrite, Colloq con man, phoney or US also phony,
tricky Dick, flimflam man, US four-flusher: It wasn't the bank
manager but an impostor.
impotence n. 1 weakness, powerlessness, helplessness, frailty,
feebleness, enervation, debilitation: The doctor said that his
impotence was caused by exhaustion. 2 impotency, inadequacy,
inefficacy, ineffectualness, ineffectiveness, ineptness,
incompetence: Georgiana was frustrated by her impotence in
dealing with the situation. 3 sterility, infertility: Eating
raw eggs and oysters does not cure impotence.
impotent adj. 1 weak, powerless, helpless, frail, feeble, enervated,
debilitated, infirm: When it came to political influence, I was
impotent. 2 inadequate, ineffective, ineffectual, inept,
incompetent: The attempted robbery was a half-hearted, impotent
effort. 3 sterile, barren, infertile, infecund: They never had
any children because Dixon was impotent.
impoverished
adj. 1 destitute, poor, poverty-stricken, penurious, beggared,
needy, necessitous, impecunious, in sore or bad straits,
straitened, in distress, badly off, bankrupt, insolvent, ruined,
Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, bad off, pinched, up
against it, on one's uppers, short, US strapped, wiped out,
Slang Brit skint: A series of failed harvests left many farmers
impoverished. 2 stripped, barren, desolate, wasted, empty,
depleted, denuded, drained, exhausted: Two years of drought
left the land impoverished.
impracticable
adj. 1 unworkable, infeasible or unfeasible, impossible,
unattainable, unachievable: The new engine design proved
impracticable because of its high fuel consumption. 2
unsuitable, unfit, unusable, useless, inapplicable: As we have
no electricity, air conditioners are impracticable.
impractical
adj. 1 visionary, starry-eyed, unrealistic, romantic, quixotic,
wild: Laura's solutions are very creative but quite
impractical. 2 useless, ineffective, ineffectual, unworkable,
unavailing, impracticable: The idea looked good on paper but
proved impractical when we tried it.
imprecise adj. inexact, inaccurate, wrong, inexplicit, indefinite,
ill-defined, indistinct, vague, hazy, cloudy, blurred, fuzzy,
woolly, ambiguous: The readings are imprecise because the
needle wavers so much.
impregnable
adj. invulnerable, impenetrable, inviolable, unconquerable,
invincible, unbeatable, indomitable, secure, safe, mighty,
well-fortified: The walls of the castle, sixteen feet thick,
were impregnable.
impregnate
v. 1 fertilize, inseminate, fecundate, make pregnant: The
female can be impregnated only during one ten-day interval each
year. 2 imbue, suffuse, permeate, penetrate, pervade, infuse,
saturate, drench, soak, steep, fill: The preservative must be
allowed to impregnate the wood.
impress v. 1 affect, touch, move, reach, stir, strike, sway, influence,
persuade, Colloq grab, get under one's skin: She was genuinely
impressed by his sincerity. 2 print, imprint, stamp, mark,
engrave, emboss: Before the bowl was placed in the kiln, the
potter's seal was impressed in its underside. 3 Often, impress
on or upon. stress, emphasize, urge, bring home (to): They
tried to impress on him the gravity of the situation.
impression
n. 1 sensation, feeling, sense, suspicion, awareness,
consciousness, idea, belief, fancy, notion: I have the
impression that I have been here before. She gave me the
impression that she didn't like me. 2 impact, effect, influence:
Are you concerned about the impression of his speech on the
crowd? 3 dent, indentation, depression, hollow, mark; stamp,
impress, brand: Look here, where the chair has made an
impression in the carpet. 4 printing, issue, print, copy, run:
This is the third impression from the original plates. 5
impersonation, imitation; parody, satire, Colloq take-off, Brit
send-up: After dinner, Gerry did his impression of Churchill.
impressionable
adj. suggestible, susceptible, persuadable or persuasible,
impressible, receptive, responsive: They seek to enrol students
who are at an impressionable age.
impressive
adj. evocative, moving, affecting, stimulating, exciting,
stirring, powerful, provocative, arousing, awe-inspiring,
awesome, imposing, formidable, portentous, redoubtable: She has
many impressive talents.
imprison v. incarcerate, confine, detain, remand, jail or Brit also
gaol, lock up, intern, shut up, put behind bars, put in or throw
into irons, put away, Colloq Brit send down, US send up (the
river): He was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.
imprisonment
n. incarceration, confinement, detention, remand, custody,
Literary durance (vile): The sentence is imprisonment for not
less than one year.
improbable
adj. doubtful, dubious, unlikely, questionable, unrealistic,
far-fetched, remote, implausible, unthinkable, hard to believe
or imagine, inconceivable, unbelievable, fanciful, incredible,
ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, crazy, mad, insane, wild, weird,
peculiar, strange; impossible; Colloq fishy: It is improbable
that they will marry. He gave the most improbable excuses.
improper adj. 1 wrong, mistaken, erroneous, false, incorrect,
inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, amiss, faulty, untrue,
irregular, abnormal: Sloppy research had led to improper
conclusions. 2 unfit, unsuitable, inappropriate, inapt,
inapplicable, infelicitous, incongruous, unsuited, unseemly,
unbefitting, unfitting, uncalled-for, inapposite, malapropos,
out of keeping, out of place, incompatible, inopportune: Do you
think it improper for shops to open on Sundays? His wedding was
an improper occasion for comments about his philandering. 3
indecorous, indecent, indelicate, immodest, unseemly, untoward,
unbecoming, impolite, suggestive, risqu‚, off colour, obscene,
corrupt, immoral, sinful, wicked, lewd, lascivious: Do you see
anything improper in sex education for children?
impropriety
n. 1 improperness, erroneousness, incorrectness, falsity,
falseness, inaccuracy, inaccurateness, inexactitude,
inexactness, imprecision, impreciseness, irregularity,
abnormality: I fail to see the impropriety in refusing to
support capital punishment. 2 unfitness, unsuitableness,
inappropriateness, inaptness, inapplicability, infelicity,
infelicitousness, incongruity, incongruousness, unseemliness,
incompatibility, inopportuneness: The judge criticized the
impropriety of allowing the child to testify. 3 indecorousness,
bad or poor taste, indecency, indelicacy, immodesty,
unseemliness, suggestiveness, immorality, sinfulness,
wickedness, lewdness, lasciviousness: In those days, the
impropriety in wearing a brief bathing costume was thought
shocking. 4 slip, blunder, mistake, error, gaffe, gaucherie,
faux pas: She admitted to many improprieties during her term of
office.
improve v. 1 better, ameliorate, upgrade, uplift, amend, enhance, fix
up, reform, redeem, rehabilitate, redress, repair, correct,
rectify, put or set right, emend; modernize, update, refurbish,
recondition, renovate, repair, overhaul, remodel: We must
improve procedures for dealing with small claims. The landlord
refuses to spend any money to improve the property. 2 develop,
increase, advance, promote, further, benefit; look up, recover,
pick up, Colloq give a new lease of or US on life, take a turn
for the better, US take a new lease on life: How can I improve
my chances of winning at snooker? Business has improved
considerably. 3 convalesce, recuperate, recover, get better,
mend, rally, (make) progress, gain (strength or ground), revive:
Mrs Costello is out of intensive care and improving daily.
improvement
n. 1 betterment, amelioration; reform, rehabilitation,
upgrading, enhancement, repair: The committee is working for
the improvement of the neighbourhood. 2 recovery, rise,
increase, gain, advance, upswing, progress; recuperation,
convalescence: There was an improvement in share prices after
release of the trade figures. The patient shows considerable
improvement. 3 advance, change for the better: This year's crop
is an improvement over last year's.
improvident
adj. 1 short-sighted, imprudent, wasteful, profligate,
prodigal, spendthrift, extravagant, lavish, profuse,
happy-go-lucky, penny wise and pound foolish, uneconomic(al),
thriftless: He who is improvident in his youth plans for a
short life. 2 incautious, unwary, rash, reckless, impulsive,
impetuous, headlong, heedless, careless, unthinking,
unthoughtful, unmindful: The club's present financial straits
are the result of having an improvident treasurer.
improvise n. 1 ad lib, extemporize, Colloq play (it) by ear, fake it,
wing it: I like a comedian who improvises as he goes along. 2
invent, concoct, devise, contrive, jury-rig; make do: We had to
improvise a mast from parts of the boom. When you have nothing
to work with, you have to improvise.
imprudent adj. indiscreet, impulsive, rash, reckless, hasty, incautious,
impetuous, improvident, careless, heedless, foolhardy,
irresponsible, injudicious, ill-judged, thoughtless,
ill-considered, ill-advised, inadvisable, unwise, inexpedient,
foolish, mad, crazy, insane, inane, silly, perverse, wrong,
wrong-headed: It would be imprudent to go out during the storm.
impudence n. impertinence, effrontery, insolence, disrespect,
presumption, presumptuousness, audacity, shamelessness,
pertness, sauciness, boldness, brazenness, incivility, rudeness,
impoliteness, Colloq lip, gall, guff, sauce, mouth, Brit
backchat, side, US back talk, Slang chutzpah: He had the
impudence to suggest that I was too old for the job!
impudent adj. shameless, impertinent, insolent, disrespectful, forward,
presumptuous, audacious, pert, saucy, bold, brazen, cocky,
cocksure, arrogant, uncivil, ill-mannered, rude, impolite,
Colloq fresh, brassy, cheeky: Asked the simplest question, she
is always ready with an impudent response.
impulsive n. impetuous, emotional, unpredictable, unpremeditated,
unplanned, spur-of-the-moment, extemporaneous, unconsidered,
offhand, instinctive, involuntary, spontaneous, quick, sudden,
precipitate, immediate, snap, rash, headlong, rash, reckless,
devil-may-care, foolhardy, madcap, wild: You may say that it
was impulsive of me to give her all that money, but I love her.
impure adj. 1 dirty, soiled, unclean, sullied, tainted, polluted,
defiled, foul, filthy, feculent, infected, scummy, putrid,
putrescent, rotten: The water is impure and not fit to drink.
2 mixed, alloyed, contaminated, adulterated, debased, unrefined:
Impure ore contains other substances which are removed during
processing. 3 unclean, unhallowed, forbidden, disallowed,
Judaism tref or treif or treifa: Certain foods are considered
impure in some religions. 4 unchaste, immoral, sinful, wicked,
evil, vile, unvirtuous, unvirginal, corrupted, defiled, debased,
vitiated, degenerate, depraved, loose, wanton, lustful,
promiscuous, libidinous, dissolute, licentious, obscene,
prurient, dirty, filthy, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
lascivious, lewd, lecherous: The book was condemned as 'likely
to encourage impure thoughts'.
impurity n. 1 pollution, contamination, defilement, adulteration,
dirtiness, uncleanness, foulness: The impurity of the water in
our rivers is a cause for concern. 2 Often, impurities. dirt,
contaminant, pollutant, pollution, smut, filth, foreign matter
or body: This filter is guaranteed to remove impurities from
the water. 3 unchastity, immorality, sinfulness, wickedness,
evil, vileness, corruption, degeneration, depravity, looseness,
wantonness, lust, lustfulness, promiscuity, promiscuousness,
libidinousness, dissoluteness, licentiousness, obscenity,
prurience, dirtiness, filthiness, lubricity, salaciousness,
lasciviousness, lewdness, lecherousness: Children ought not be
exposed to the impurity encountered on everyday television.
imputation
n. charge, indictment, accusation, allegation, challenge,
censure, blame, reproach, slur, aspersion, attribution,
ascription, insinuation, implication, innuendo: I resent the
imputation that I broke the vase on purpose.
impute v. ascribe, assign, attribute, credit, charge, put or set down
to; insinuate, imply, suggest, hint at: The critic imputed
meanings to the book that the author had never intended.
inability n. incapacity, incapability, incompetence, unfitness,
ineptness, ineptitude, unqualifiedness, impotence: The
inability of many school-leavers to perform simple arithmetical
tasks is deeply worrying.
inaccessible
adj. 1 unavailable, unobtainable, unattainable, unreachable,
unapproachable: The minister has made himself inaccessible for
interviews. 2 impenetrable, impassable, out-of-the-way: The
tomb lies in a part of the jungle inaccessible except by air.
inaccurate
adj. wrong, incorrect, erroneous, mistaken, inexact, imprecise,
faulty, flawed, imperfect, amiss, awry, false, fallacious,
illogical, unsound, Colloq off the mark, off the beam, cold,
Chiefly US all wet, US (way) off base Slang cock-eyed, full of
hot air: Reports of my death were obviously inaccurate.
inactive adj. 1 passive, placid, quiet, tranquil, quiescent, serene,
peaceful, pacific, resting, unmoving, motionless, immobile,
immobilized, still, inert, lifeless, inanimate, sluggish,
listless, lethargic, lackadaisical, languid, indolent, lazy,
torpid, somnolent, idle, slothful, supine: Although there was
plenty to do round the house, he remained inactive all summer. 2
non-functioning, inoperative, dormant; unoccupied, idle,
unemployed, jobless, out of work, out of a job: The volcano was
inactive for a thousand years. These miners have been inactive
for six months.
inactivity
n. 1 passiveness or passivity, placidity or placidness, quiet,
tranquillity, serenity, peace, peacefulness; motionlessness,
immobility, stillness, inertia, inertness, lifelessness,
sluggishness, listlessness, lethargy, languidness, indolence,
laziness, torpor, somnolence, idleness, slothfulness, sloth:
She alternates between periods of activity and inactivity. 2
inaction, quiescence; hibernation, aestivation: During repairs,
the reactor will be in a state of inactivity. Some animals have
a period of inactivity during certain times of the year.
inadequate
adj. 1 insufficient, deficient, not enough, too little, scarce,
meagre, scanty, skimpy, sparse, (in) short (supply);
unsatisfactory, imperfect, incomplete, defective, unsuitable,
disappointing, flawed, faulty: Funds are inadequate to meet her
expenses. The terms of the agreement are inadequate. 2
inadequate to. unsuited to or for, unfit for, unqualified for,
not up to, unequal to, unworthy of, inapt for, inept for,
incapable of: He proved inadequate to the demands of the job.
inadmissible
adj. disallowed, unallowable, unallowed, forbidden,
unacceptable, prohibited, unsuitable, unsuited, unqualified,
inappropriate, inapplicable, improper, objectionable,
exceptionable, incorrect, wrong: Such evidence is inadmissible
in court.
inadvertent
adj. 1 unintentional, unintended, unpremeditated, accidental,
unthinking, unwitting, chance; unconscious, unplanned,
unstudied, undesigned, uncalculated: She was an inadvertent
witness to the murder. I assure you that the error was entirely
inadvertent. 2 careless, inattentive, negligent, heedless,
unobservant: Inadvertent commentators failed to see the
significance of her words.
inalienable
adj. untransferable, intransferable, absolute, inherent,
unconsignable, sacrosanct, inviolable, non-negotiable,
unnegotiable, unchallengeable, Law imprescriptible, entailed,
indefeasible: People have an inalienable right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
inanimate adj. lifeless, motionless, immobile, unmoving, inactive, inert,
still, spiritless, soulless, cold, dead, defunct: He just sits
there, like an inanimate piece of furniture.
inapplicable
adj. inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited, inapt, irrelevant,
unrelated, unconnected, inapposite, beside the point or
question, extraneous, off the mark, Colloq US off base: That
law is inapplicable in your case.
inappropriate
adj. improper, unfitting, unfit, unsuitable, unsuited,
unbefitting, incompatible, malapropos, ungermane, inapt,
inapposite, out of keeping, incongruous, infelicitous,
inopportune, untimely, irrelevant, inapplicable: Your
facetiousness was quite inappropriate to such a solemn occasion.
inarticulate
adj. 1 disjointed, unconnected, incoherent, incomprehensible,
jumbled, unintelligible, unclear, illogical, discursive,
rambling, scrambled, wild, irrational, muddled, mixed-up,
confused, digressive: She sat through an inarticulate lecture
on Joyce's use of the subjunctive. 2 mumbled, garbled, blurred,
muffled, muttered, faltering, halting, indistinct, unclear,
unintelligible: They communicate with each other in
inarticulate grunts. 3 speechless, tongue-tied, (struck) dumb,
mute, voiceless: Ed is inarticulate when it comes to describing
Vera.
inattentive
n. unobservant, heedless, careless, negligent, neglectful,
indifferent, uncaring, apathetic, slack, remiss, unconcerned,
detached, unmindful, distracted, distrait(e), absent-minded,
abstracted, in a brown study, day-dreaming, oscitant,
wool-gathering, musing, oblivious, (with one's head) in the
clouds, in a world of one's own: It was late and the children
were getting restless and inattentive.
inaudible adj. unheard, imperceptible, indistinct, low, faint, muted,
quiet, soft, muffled, stifled: The film was good, although some
of the dialogue was inaudible.
inaugurate
v. 1 initiate, begin, commence, enter upon, start, introduce,
usher in, institute, launch, originate, set up, get under way,
get going: A new programme of health services has been
inaugurated. 2 install or instal, induct, invest, establish,
instate: The President was inaugurated last week.
inauspicious
adj. unpromising, unlucky, unfortunate, unfavourable,
unpropitious, untoward, ill-starred, ominous, ill-omened,
ill-fated, portentous, menacing, doomed, sinister, dark, gloomy,
cloudy, clouded, black: The middle of a recession is an
inauspicious time to set up a business.
inborn adj. innate, congenital, inherent, inherited, hereditary,
inbred, natural, native, constitutional, deep-seated,
deep-rooted, ingrained, instinctive or instinctual, Technical
connate: A gift for music is inborn.
incapable adj. 1 Often, incapable of. unable (to), powerless (to),
incompetent (to), unfit (to), unqualified (to), impotent (to),
unequal to, not up to: He seems incapable of completing his
assignment. 2 incapable of. insusceptible to, resistant to,
impervious to, ill-disposed to, disinclined to, not open to: He
is incapable of dishonesty.
incapacitate
v. disable, cripple, paralyse, lame, wound, maim, impair,
weaken, enfeeble, enervate, exhaust, devitalize; immobilize,
inactivate, deactivate, put out of action, indispose: Severely
incapacitated in the crash, John cannot walk without the aid of
crutches. The power plant was incapacitated by one well-placed
grenade.
incentive n. incitement, impetus, encouragement, goad, prod, provocation,
spur, impulse, enticement, lure, inducement, stimulus,
motivation, Colloq carrot: The discount is offered as an
incentive to buy a new car.
incidence n. frequency, rate, degree, extent, occurrence, prevalence;
quantity, amount, number: The incidence of heart disease is
high in Britain.
incident n. 1 event, occasion, occurrence, proceeding, circumstance,
fact, happening, experience, episode: A curious incident led to
the discovery. 2 disturbance, scene, affair, upset, commotion,
fracas, skirmish, set-to, Colloq to-do, do: The police were
called because of an incident at the pub next door.
incidental
adj. 1 casual, chance, fortuitous, aleatory, random, haphazard,
serendipitous, unpredictable, accidental, adventitious,
unplanned, unlooked-for, Colloq fluky: Any good that came from
the war was incidental. 2 subordinate, secondary, ancillary,
minor, lesser, non-essential, unimportant, trivial, negligible,
inconsequential, insignificant, petty, trifling, paltry: The
incidental events were not covered by the press.
incidentally
adv. 1 by the way, by the by, apropos (of), parenthetically:
Incidentally, I won't be able to go the party tonight. 2
casually, as luck would have it, accidentally, by chance,
perchance: In addition to being held for murder, he was
incidentally charged with possession of an illegal weapon.
incision n. cut, gash, slit, slash: The surgeon made an incision in the
abdominal wall.
incisive adj. 1 keen, sharp, acute, piercing, perspicacious, perceptive,
percipient, penetrating, trenchant, canny, shrewd: Shirley
offered some incisive observations on the matter. 2 sarcastic,
biting, mordant, cutting, caustic, sardonic, ironic(al), sharp,
acid, tart, acrid, acrimonious, bitter, acerbic, cynical,
stinging, critical: Your incisive comments are not really
appreciated, George.
incite v. stimulate, inspire, prompt, move, stir, stir or whip or work
up, bestir, excite, fire, exhort, agitate, foment, inflame,
provoke, rally, goad, spur, prick, prod, drive, push, egg on,
encourage, urge, influence, wake, waken, awaken, rouse, arouse:
Who was it that incited the crowd to violence?
incitement
n. 1 stimulation, instigating, spurring, urging, influencing,
awakening, wakening, arousing, prodding, prompting, stirring,
whipping, exciting, firing, exhorting, agitating, fomenting,
inflaming, firing, provoking, rallying, goading, prodding,
pricking, needling: Certain rabble-rousers have been accused of
incitement of the crowds at the football stadiums. 2 stimulus,
incentive, inducement, enticement, temptation, impulse,
motivation, influence, instigation, provocation, inspiration,
persuasion, exhortation, agitation, fomentation, inflammation,
arousal, encouragement, excitement: Greed is a powerful
incitement to dishonesty.
incivility
n. rudeness, boorishness, coarseness, discourtesy,
uncourtliness, unmannerliness, indecorum, indecorousness,
discourteousness, impoliteness, tactlessness, ungentlemanliness,
bad breeding, ill breeding, bad manners, misbehaviour: The
incivility with which the ambassador was treated is
unforgivable.
inclement adj. extreme, intemperate, severe, harsh, rigorous; stormy,
violent, rainy, squally, blustery, raw, bad, tempestuous: We
are expecting inclement weather for the weekend.
inclination
n. 1 bow, bowing, bend, bending, nod, nodding, tilt, tilting:
His tacit sign of recognition was an inclination of his head. 2
slope, slant, angle, bend, incline, tilt: The inclination of
the track is far too steep for such a vehicle. 3 disposition,
predisposition, tendency, bent, bias, leaning, preference, turn,
cast, proclivity, propensity, attitude, proneness,
susceptibility, predilection, partiality, affection, taste,
liking, desire, velleity: His inclination in favour of the
offer is largely instinctive. 4 desire, longing, craving,
appetite, taste, stomach, sympathy, predilection, penchant,
fancy, eagerness, enthusiasm, zeal, fervour, ardour: I have no
inclination to watch open-heart surgery.
incline v. 1 tend, lean, bend, bow, slant, tilt, angle, bank, slope,
ascend, rise, descend: The road inclines to the horizontal
after a curve. 2 dispose, influence, persuade, predispose,
make, lead, prejudice, bias: Their accents might incline you to
think of them as foreigners. 3 tend, lean, gravitate, show
favour or preference, be attracted to, be biased or prejudiced,
have a mind; be disposed or predisposed, lean, tend: I incline
towards the other candidate. He inclines towards corpulence.
--n. 4 slope, pitch, grade, gradient, slant, ramp, hill, dip,
descent, declivity, rise, ascent, acclivity: The car picked up
speed going down one incline and slowed going up the next.
inclined adj. 1 tending, disposed, predisposed, prone, willing, keen,
eager, Colloq of a mind: Though she is inclined to believe she
has doubts. 2 likely, apt, liable, minded, prone: He is
equally inclined to kiss you as kill you. 3 sloping, slanting,
leaning, bending, tilting, gravitating, bearing, verging: This
wall is slightly inclined towards the river.
include v. 1 incorporate, embody, comprise, embrace, cover, encompass,
take in, subsume, comprehend, contain: Staff changes are
included in the plan for reorganization. 2 classify,
categorize, group, file, list, catalogue, tabulate, register:
Did you include psychology among the social sciences? 3
involve, count, number, allow for: Please don't forget to
include me in the invitation list.
inclusion n. incorporation, involvement, counting, numbering, grouping,
classification: The inclusion of her name among the culprits
was an error.
inclusive adj. 1 comprehensive, general, all-encompassing, wide, broad,
extensive, full, umbrella, blanket, across the board,
all-in-one, unified: We have an inclusive insurance policy that
covers the entire family. 2 inclusive of. including, embracing,
comprising, taking in, covering, incorporating, embodying: Is
this bill inclusive of service?
incognito adj. 1 unknown, disguised, concealed, unidentified, in
disguise, unrecognizable, unrecognized: I did not tell them who
I was; I wanted to remain incognito.
--adv. 2 unrecognizably, in disguise, secretly, on the sly,
under cover, clandestinely: Why travel incognito if no one
knows or cares who you really are?
incoherent
adj. confused, garbled, mixed up, disordered, jumbled, muddled,
scrambled, rambling, illogical, irrational, wild, unstructured,
disjoined, disconnected, disjointed, loose, unconnected,
uncoordinated, unintelligible, inarticulate: He arrived late
with an incoherent excuse involving measles, his car, and a
policeman.
incombustible
adj. non-flammable, non-inflammable, fireproof,
non-combustible; flame-proof: She has to wear incombustible
clothing at her job.
income n. return, revenue(s), receipts, proceeds, profit(s), gain(s),
takings: Most of his income is from investments.
incoming adj. 1 arriving, entering: Incoming passengers must pass
through customs. 2 new, entering: They are trying to predict
the likely policies of the incoming government.
incomparable
adj. beyond compare, unequalled, matchless, peerless,
inimitable, unparalleled, unrivalled, nonpareil, transcendent,
surpassing, supreme, superior, superlative, unsurpassed,
unsurpassable: Her performance as Lady Macbeth was
incomparable.
incompatible
adj. mismatched, unsuited, discordant, clashing, jarring,
inconsistent, contradictory, conflicting, uncongenial,
irreconcilable, incongruous; antithetic, opposed, opposite,
contrary, antipathetic, antagonistic, hostile: The colours in
the carpet are incompatible with those in the curtains. My
sister and I are totally incompatible and can never meet without
arguing.
incompetence
n. inability, incapacity, inadequacy, insufficiency,
deficiency, ineptitude, inefficiency, uselessness, faultiness:
The students' failure to perform well is often attributable to
the incompetence of their teachers.
incompetent
adj. unqualified, unfit, unable, incapable, unskilled,
unskilful, inept, maladroit, inexpert, awkward, floundering,
clumsy, bungling, gauche, useless, inadequate, insufficient,
ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient: Incompetent managers
need competent secretaries in order to survive.
incomplete
adj. unfinished, undone, imperfect, undeveloped, deficient,
defective, unaccomplished, partial, sketchy, crude, rough,
fragmentary, fragmented, piecemeal: An incomplete manuscript of
a new novel was found in his desk.
incomprehensible
adj. unintelligible, unfathomable, impenetrable, deep,
abstruse, arcane, recondite, indecipherable, undecipherable,
inscrutable, cryptic, obscure, opaque, dark, occult, perplexing,
mysterious, mystifying, enigmatic, puzzling, over (someone's)
head, baffling, unimaginable, inconceivable: They spoke in
Swahili, an incomprehensible language to me.
inconceivable
adj. incredible, unbelievable, unthinkable, unimaginable,
incomprehensible, unheard-of, undreamed of or undreamt of,
unthought of, impossible, overwhelming, staggering, Colloq
mind-boggling: Putting a man on Mars before 2000 is
inconceivable.
inconclusive
adj. indecisive, unresolved, indefinite, unsettled, open,
indeterminate, in limbo, Colloq up in the air: The test results
are inconclusive, so we must continue our investigations.
incongruous
adj. inconsistent, inharmonious, disharmonious, discordant,
dissonant, disconsonant, incoherent, incompatible, incongruent,
conflicting, unbecoming, unseemly, unsuited, unsuitable, unapt,
inappropriate, misallied, unfitting, unfit, improper,
malapropos, unmeet, absurd, discrepant, disparate, different,
divergent, disagreeing, contrary, contradictory, paradoxical,
out of step, out of keeping, out of line: That jacket looks
incongruous with those trousers. It was incongruous to see two
octogenarians dancing at the disco.
inconsiderate
adj. thoughtless, unthoughtful, unthinking, unconcerned,
uncaring, unmindful, heedless, unheeding, insensitive,
unsympathetic, tactless, intolerant, rude, ungracious: How
could you be so inconsiderate as to work late on my birthday?
inconsistent
adj. 1 See incongruous. 2 irregular, capricious, fickle,
erratic, inconstant, uneven, unpredictable, unreliable,
undependable, unstable, unsteady, changeable, variable: Their
behaviour is so inconsistent that I can't tell what they'll do
next.
inconsolable
adj. disconsolate, broken-hearted, heart-broken, desolate,
forlorn, despairing, miserable, wretched, grief-stricken: They
are inconsolable over the death of their dog.
inconspicuous
adj. unnoticeable, unnoticed, unobtrusive, unostentatious,
insignificant, indefinite, indistinguishable, undistinguished;
modest, unassuming, discreet: Wearing a grey coat and hat, he
was quite inconspicuous in the crowd. He played an inconspicuous
role in the entire affair.
inconstancy
n. changeableness, fickleness, irregularity, mutability,
variability, unsteadiness, unsteadfastness, capriciousness,
volatility, mercurialness or mercuriality, inconsistency,
unreliability; faithlessness, unfaithfulness: How do you deal
with inconstancy in one you thought a friend?
inconstant
adj. changeable, mutable, fickle, capricious, mercurial,
volatile, vacillating, unsteady, unsteadfast, irresolute,
unreliable, undependable, fluctuating, wavering, erratic,
inconsistent, flighty, unstable, unsettled, fitful, vague,
indefinite, variable, moody: His supporters proved inconstant,
and he fell from power. The inconstant wind blew their craft
hither and thither.
incontinent
adj. 1 unrestrained, unconstrained, unrestricted, uncontrolled,
uncontrollable, ungoverned, ungovernable, unbridled, uncurbed:
She must learn to suppress her incontinent tongue. 2 lecherous,
libidinous, lascivious, libertine, lustful, lewd, debauched,
wanton, dissolute, loose, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
profligate, obscene, dirty, filthy: Members of the Hell-Fire
Club were well known for their incontinent behaviour. 3
self-soiling, bedwetting, Medicine enuretic: Some old people
lose control and become incontinent.
incontrovertible
adj. irrefutable, indisputable, indubitable, undeniable,
incontestable, unquestionable, sure, certain, definite,
definitive, established, absolute, positive: The fingerprint
was incontrovertible evidence that he had been there.
inconvenience
n. 1 disadvantage, discomfort, pain, trouble, bother,
annoyance, nuisance, awkwardness, disturbance, disruption,
burden, drawback, hindrance, impediment, difficulty, upset: How
are you coping with the inconvenience of walking with crutches?
2 cumbersomeness, unwieldiness, burdensomeness, onerousness,
troublesomeness, disadvantageousness, awkwardness,
inappropriateness, untimeliness: The delay has led to
considerable public inconvenience.
--v. 3 discommode, trouble, incommode, disturb, disrupt, upset,
put out, bother, annoy, irritate, irk: Would it inconvenience
you to meet me at the station?
inconvenient
adj. cumbersome, unwieldy, burdensome, onerous, troublesome,
bothersome, annoying, irritating, irksome, unsettling,
disturbing, upsetting, disrupting, disadvantageous, awkward,
inappropriate; inexpedient, inopportune, untimely, ill-timed:
Those large boxes of laundry soap are inconvenient because
they're so heavy. It is inconvenient for me to go to the door
now.
incorporate
v. embody, include, combine, comprise, embrace, integrate,
consolidate, unite, amalgamate, assimilate, coalesce, unify;
merge, mix, blend: The university incorporates several
independent colleges. Gently fold in the egg whites,
incorporating them into the mixture.
incorrect adj. wrong, mistaken, inaccurate, untrue, imprecise, inexact,
erroneous, fallacious, specious; improper, false, faulty: Your
method is right but the answer is incorrect. That is the
incorrect key for this lock.
incorrigible
adj. bad, naughty, villainous, wicked, sinful, hopeless;
intractable, unchangeable, unalterable, habitual, inveterate,
incurable, stubborn, hardened, obdurate, inflexible,
uncontrollable: When a teenager, Giles was absolutely
incorrigible. Among other things, he was an incorrigible liar.
incorrupt adj. 1 moral, upright, righteous, pure, upstanding, honourable,
good, virtuous, honest, straightforward, straight,
unimpeachable, incorruptible, undefiled, impeccable, spotless,
immaculate, faultless, flawless: Show me one nation run by a
totally incorrupt government. 2 error-free, correct,
uncorrupted: He possesses the only incorrupt manuscript of the
play.
increase v. 1 grow, swell, enlarge, dilate, wax, expand, extend,
distend, inflate, augment, snowball, enhance, heighten, raise,
develop, multiply, burgeon or bourgeon, flourish, proliferate,
spread, broaden, widen, lengthen: Since you left, my work has
increased threefold. 2 prolong, advance, further, improve,
better, strengthen: The more lottery tickets you buy, the more
you increase your chances of winning.
--n. 3 growth, enlargement, expansion, extension, augmentation,
enhancement, development, multiplication, proliferation, spread:
The increase in scientific knowledge has been phenomenal. 4
addition, increment, escalation, inflation, gain, rise, boost:
Increases in costs are reflected in increases in prices. 5 on
the increase. waxing, developing, growing, expanding,
increasing, escalating, on the rise, proliferating, spreading:
Trade with the Far East will be on the increase next year.
incredible
adj. 1 unbelievable, beyond belief, inconceivable,
unimaginable, unthinkable, improbable, implausible, far-fetched,
absurd, preposterous, ridiculous, unlikely, impossible,
unrealistic, unreal, fictitious, mythic(al): Incredible as it
may appear, continents move a few inches a year. 2
extraordinary, astounding, astonishing, amazing, wonderful,
awe-inspiring, awesome, tremendous, marvellous, prodigious,
Colloq far-out, US humongous: The incredible amounts spent on
arms could be better spent on medical research.
incredulous
adj. disbelieving, unbelieving, dubious, doubtful, sceptical,
mistrustful, distrustful, suspicious: We were incredulous when
we learnt who had won the award.
increment n. increase, addition, gain, accrual or chiefly Brit accrument,
augmentation: The increment last year barely compensated for
inflation.
incriminate
v. accuse, charge, blame, implicate, inculpate, indict,
impeach, involve, entangle, Colloq point the finger at, Chiefly
US put the finger on, Slang US finger: The suspect confessed
and incriminated two others.
incubate v. hatch, brood; nurse, nurture, develop: How long have you
been incubating this plan?
incumbent adj. 1 obligatory, necessary, required, mandatory, compulsory,
binding, demanding, commanding, prescribed: As their father,
you ought to feel it incumbent on you to talk to the children's
teachers. 2 office-holding: The incumbent chairman is not
responsible for his predecessor's mistakes.
--n. 3 office-holder, official, occupant: As the incumbent,
you have a better chance of being re-elected.
incur v. bring upon or on (oneself), draw, attract, arouse, provoke,
invite, expose (oneself) to, lay (oneself) open to: For some
reason he incurred the displeasure of his manager.
incurable adj. 1 irremediable, terminal, inoperable, fatal, hopeless:
The doctor told me yesterday that the condition is incurable. 2
hopeless, inveterate, habitual, incorrigible, dyed in the wool,
unflagging, relentless, irredeemable; irreparable,
unrectifiable: You are an incurable optimist if you think you
will complete this book by the deadline.
indebted adj. obligated, owing, obliged, beholden, bound, liable,
responsible: I am indebted to the Salvation Army for their
help.
indecent adj. 1 indecorous, indelicate, immodest, improper, unbecoming,
unsuitable, unfit, inappropriate; in bad taste: When he
proposed marriage she accepted with indecent haste. 2 unseemly,
shameless, shameful, offensive, outrageous, repellent,
repulsive, distasteful, ill-mannered, rude, suggestive, coarse,
risqu‚, vulgar, blue, obscene, gross, rank, prurient, dirty,
foul, filthy, pornographic, ithyphallic, scatological,
salacious, lascivious, licentious, lewd, lubricious or
lubricous, smutty, vile, degenerate, debauched: There are
always a lot of complaints about indecent language on
television.
indecision
n. hesitation, wavering, indecisiveness, vacillation,
irresolution, uncertainty, ambivalence, shilly-shally or
shilly-shallying, fluctuation, tergiversation: Her indecision
stems from caution, not ignorance of the issues.
indecisive
adj. 1 hesitating, hesitant, wavering, doubtful, vacillating,
undecided, irresolute, uncertain, of two minds, ambivalent,
shilly-shallying, wishy-washy, namby-pamby, fluctuating,
tergiversating: Why are you so assertive at the office yet so
indecisive at home? 2 indefinite, indeterminate, undecided,
inconclusive, open, unsettled, moot, doubtful: The battle was
indecisive, with both sides incurring heavy losses.
indeed adv. 1 certainly, surely, to be sure, doubtless(ly),
undoubtedly, undeniably, definitely, positively, absolutely,
exactly, just so, actually, truly, truthfully, seriously, (all)
joking aside, in (point of) fact, of course, really, in reality,
to be realistic, naturally, upon my word, on my honour, on my
oath, Brit rather, Colloq no kidding: Indeed, that is the news
he has been expecting. 2 what is more, still, not to say, as a
matter of fact, if the truth be known, to say the least: His
had been a depressing, indeed miserable childhood.
--interj. 3 Is that so!, You don't say!, Really!, By George!,
By Jove!, (Upon) my word!, My goodness!, Goodness!, Gracious!,
Mercy!, Good Lord!, Good heavens!, My stars!, Fancy that!,
Imagine (that)!, Well, I'll be (damned)!, Colloq Brit Blimey!,
Cor!, Crikey!: 'I've torn up the winning lottery ticket.'
'Indeed!'
indefinite
adj. 1 uncertain, undetermined, undefined, imprecise, inexact,
inexplicit, unspecified, unsettled, unfixed, unspecific,
non-specific, vague, general, indeterminate, undecided, sub
judice: The time of the meeting was indefinite. 2 vague,
unclear, obscure, confused, confusing, puzzling, baffling,
cryptic, bewildering, mystifying, equivocal, ambiguous,
unspecific, non-specific, inexplicit, inexact, imprecise: Your
directions for getting here were too indefinite. 3 ill-defined,
undefined, blurred, blurry, hazy, indistinct, obscure, dim,
fuzzy, unrecognizable, indistinguishable: Indefinite shapes
loomed in the fog. 4 unlimited, unknown, uncounted,
uncountable, undefinable, indeterminate, indeterminable,
unbounded, boundless, immeasurable, incalculable, limitless,
endless, infinite: He pondered the indefinite capacities of the
mind. 5 hesitant, vague, shilly-shallying, vacillating,
indecisive, undecided, inconstant, wavering, unsure, uncertain,
Colloq wishy-washy: She is still indefinite about going to the
party.
indelible adj. ineradicable or uneradicable or non-eradicable, inerasable
or unerasable or non-erasable, ineffaceable, inexpungible,
indestructible, uncancellable or non-cancellable, enduring,
permanent, lasting, fixed, ingrained, inextirpable: The laundry
marks are in indelible ink. Irena makes an indelible impression
on everyone she meets.
indelicacy
n. coarseness, crudeness, roughness, vulgarity, boorishness,
churlishness, offensiveness, rudeness, immodesty, indecency,
shamelessness; incivility, indecorum, inelegance, uncourtliness,
unmannerliness, impoliteness, unrefinement, unseemliness,
tastelessness, bad or poor taste, grossness: She refuses to
comment on the indelicacy of his proposal.
indemnity n. 1 compensation, repayment, reimbursement, remuneration,
recompense, consideration, restitution, reparation(s), redress,
indemnification, return, quid pro quo, restoration, award,
reward, payment, disbursement, amends, requital, atonement,
reckoning, quittance: The victors demanded indemnity for the
losses they had suffered. 2 insurance, protection, security,
safety, guarantee, assurance, underwriting, warrant,
endorsement, certification; exemption, impunity, privilege: Am
I covered for indemnity against third-party claims?
indentation
n. notch, dent, nick, cut, score, mark, depression, impression,
hollow, dimple, pit; Typography indention: The chair legs had
left small indentations in the parquet floor. The indentation
of each paragraph should be five spaces.
independence
n. 1 freedom, liberty, autonomy, sovereignty, self-rule, home
rule, self-determination, self-government, self-direction,
autonomy, autarchy: The colony gained independence from
Portugal. 2 confidence, self-confidence, self-sufficiency,
self-reliance, self-assurance: Edwina asserted her independence
by taking over the company herself.
independent
adj. 1 free, self-governing, autonomous, sovereign: In 1829
Greece was acknowledged as an independent state. 2
unrestrained, unrestricted, unfettered, untrammelled,
unregulated, uncontrolled, separate(d), unconnected,
disconnected, unrelated, distinct: Air is made up of
independent particles. 3 self-reliant, self-sufficient,
self-assured, (self-)confident, bold, individualistic,
competent: For a six-year-old, he is very independent. 4
voluntary, non-partisan, spontaneous, unsolicited, unbidden,
unprejudiced, unbiased, non-aligned, unaligned, disinterested,
neutral: Four independent witnesses testified to seeing him at
the scene of the crime. 5 unlimited, unrestricted, affluent,
self-sufficient; unearned: She is a woman of independent means.
6 unallied, unaffiliated, uncommitted, individualistic,
undecided: Independent candidates outnumber those of the two
main parties in this election. 7 outside, external,
unaffiliated, non-affiliated, unconnected, disinterested: An
independent auditor was engaged to go over the company's books.
8 independent of. irrespective of, disregarding,
notwithstanding, ignoring, excluding; exclusive of, except for,
barring, apart from, besides, beyond, US aside from: He insists
on doing things his way, independent of others' feelings.
Independent of you and me, no one cares what he does.
--n. 9 individual, nonconformist, maverick, Colloq loner: He
is an independent, not affiliated to any political party.
indestructible
adj. durable, long-lasting, everlasting, eternal, endless,
perennial, permanent, fixed, unchanging, changeless,
unchangeable, indelible, ineradicable, inextirpable, immutable,
unalterable, constant, undying, non-perishable, imperishable;
unbreakable, non-breakable, shatter-proof: The problem is that
many plastics are virtually indestructible.
index n. 1 guide, directory, list, listing, table of contents,
catalogue, key, thesaurus: To find synonyms for a word in this
book, look first in the index. 2 mark, sign, clue, token, hint,
pointer, indicator, indication, guide: An index to his feelings
can be seen in the way he treats people. 3 index finger,
forefinger, first finger; pointer, marker, needle, Chiefly Brit
typography hand, Chiefly US typography fist: Use an index to
emphasize important paragraphs. 4 ratio, measure, formula,
factor: The cephalic index is the ratio of the width of a skull
to its length multiplied by 100.
indicate v. 1 point out, point to, mark, specify, designate, indicate;
call or direct attention to, show: The thermometer indicated
that the temperature was 22шC. Sally indicated the place where
the dam would be built. 2 imply, suggest, betoken, manifest,
signify, bespeak, reveal, evince, evidence, denote: Measles is
indicated by the presence of Koplik's spots. 3 suggest, hint,
imply, intimate; say, express, state, disclose, tell, make
known, make clear, register, show, display, exhibit: His frown
indicated his doubts. She indicated her displeasure in a few,
well-chosen words. 4 call for, require, demand, need, recommend:
The doctor advised that a surgical procedure is indicated in
such cases.
indication
n. 1 sign, signal, token, suggestion, hint, intimation,
inkling, clue, implication, symptom: A bullet-riddled corpse,
said the detective, is usually a good indication of foul play. 2
reading, measure, degree: The indication on the pressure gauge
is reaching the danger point. 3 omen, portent, forewarning,
warning, augury, foreshadowing, foretoken: Those black clouds
are an indication that a storm is brewing. Can't you give us
any indication of what will become of us? 4 indications.
evidence, data, clues, signs: Indications are that she left on
the last train.
indicative of
adj. signifying, indicating, indicatory of, suggesting,
suggestive of, hinting (at), symptomatic of, denotative of,
characteristic of, typical of, typifying: Repeated stalling is
indicative of some fault in the fuel.
indicator n. pointer, needle; gauge, meter, display: The indicator reads
exactly 67шC.
indict v. Often, indict for. charge (with), accuse (with or of),
arraign (for), incriminate (in or for), inculpate (in or for),
cite (for or with), denounce (for), blame (for or with); summon,
summons, subpoena: She has been indicted for murder in the
first degree.
indifference
n. 1 unconcern, apathy, listlessness, disinterest, coolness,
nonchalance, insouciance, aloofness, detachment, disregard,
inattention, pococuranteism or pococurantism, coldness, phlegm,
stolidity, callousness, insensibility, impassiveness or
impassivity: I cannot believe the indifference she showed on
learning about the tragedy. 2 unimportance, insignificance,
irrelevance, unconcern, inconsequence, triviality: Whether I go
or stay is a matter of indifference to me. 3 dispassion,
disinterestedness, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity,
fairness, equitableness, even-handedness: The judges
demonstrated their indifference by awarding first prize to a
novice.
indifferent
adj. 1 unconcerned, apathetic, uncaring, listless,
disinterested, uninterested, cool, nonchalant, lukewarm,
lackadaisical, Laodicean, dispassionate, insouciant, aloof,
detached, distant, removed, inattentive, pococurante, cold,
phlegmatic, stolid, callous, unemotional, uncompassionate,
insensitive, unfeeling, inconsiderate, unsympathetic,
insensible, impassive: Joan remained totally indifferent to
Charles's attentions. 2 impartial, neutral, just, even-handed,
objective, fair, equitable, unbiased, unprejudiced,
non-partisan, non-discriminatory, dispassionate, disinterested:
The problem is in reaching an indifferent judgement. 3 neutral,
average, mediocre, fair, undistinguished, uninspired,
lightweight, passable, middling, ordinary, commonplace,
everyday, so so, not bad; poor, inferior, not very or
particularly or especially good, Slang Brit naff: He is a
writer of indifferent quality. I held indifferent cards but lost
little money. 4 unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling,
nugatory, immaterial, inconsequential, minor, inappreciable,
slight, neither here nor there: It is indifferent to him where
she spends her money.
indigenous
adj. 1 native, local, autochthonous, endemic, natural,
aboriginal, original: The indigenous inhabitants were displaced
by marauding tribes. 2 innate, inborn, inbred, inherent: It is
often difficult to distinguish between man's indigenous and his
acquired characteristics.
indigent adj. needy, poor, destitute, poverty-stricken, in want,
penniless, impoverished, penurious, impecunious, necessitous,
Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, hard up, short, on
one's uppers, Brit skint, US strapped: The two brothers made
certain that their indigent parents were well looked after.
indigestion
n. dyspepsia, upset stomach, stomach distress; stomach-ache,
gastralgia: A bit of bicarbonate of soda cured my indigestion
at once.
indignant adj. provoked, exasperated, disgruntled, piqued, irked,
irritated, annoyed, vexed, angry, furious, irate, angered,
enraged, incensed, wrathful, in high dudgeon, in a temper, in a
rage, in a pet, Literary wroth, Colloq peeved, riled, in a huff,
huffy, miffed, mad, livid, sore, US teed off, Slang pissed off:
Peter was quite indignant to learn that the publisher had lost
his manuscript.
indignation
n. anger, fury, rage, wrath, exasperation, irritation,
annoyance, vexation, resentment, Literary ire, choler: She was
filled with righteous indignation at the treatment she received.
indignity n. insult, affront, outrage, injury, offence, humiliation,
disrespect, slight, dishonour, snub, obloquy, contumely, scorn,
reproach, abuse, discourtesy, aspersion, Colloq slap (in the
face): The duchess had to suffer the indignity of arrest for
shoplifting.
indirect adj. 1 roundabout, circuitous, circumambient, devious,
tortuous, zigzag, winding, rambling, roving, wandering, erratic,
meandering, ambagious, crooked, oblique, twisted, twisting;
circumlocutory, periphrastic: In an indirect way she told me
that I was fired. 2 secondary, incidental, ancillary,
collateral, accidental, side, subordinate, subsidiary,
accessory, additional, accidental, adscititious, adventitious:
An indirect effect of winning the prize was an offer of more
work.
indiscreet
adj. imprudent, tactless, incautious, impolitic, undiplomatic,
improvident, injudicious, ill-advised, ill-judged,
ill-considered, rash, reckless, audacious, bold, temerarious,
impulsive, hasty, impetuous, thoughtless, insensitive, heedless,
careless, unthinking, mindless, unwise, na‹ve, foolish,
foolhardy: Your reference to her plastic surgery was indiscreet
to say the least.
indiscretion
n. 1 imprudence, tactlessness, improvidence, injudiciousness,
rashness, recklessness, audacity, boldness, temerity,
impulsiveness, hastiness, haste, impetuousness, impetuosity,
thoughtlessness, insensitivity, heedlessness, carelessness,
na‹vety, foolishness, foolhardiness, folly: He was guilty of
indiscretion in talking to the press about the confidential
report. 2 blunder, error, mistake, slip, lapse, misstep, gaffe,
faux pas, peccadillo, Colloq boner, Brit bloomer: He spent much
of his adult life paying for the indiscretions of his youth.
indiscriminate
adj. 1 undiscriminating, unselective, unparticular, uncritical,
undiscerning, careless, promiscuous, random: Viola seems
indiscriminate in her choice of companions. 2 confused,
haphazard, unorganized, chaotic, disorganized, jumbled,
disordered, disarranged, scrambled, mixed-up, casual, random,
unsystematic, unsystematized, uncoordinated, unmethodical,
wholesale, erratic, Colloq higgledy-piggledy: The Aztecs were
victims of indiscriminate slaughter at the hands of the
conquistadors.
indispensable
adj. 1 crucial, vital, essential, urgent, imperative,
necessary, needed, needful, required, requisite, demanded, in
demand, called-for, of the essence, important, compelling: A
good television manner is indispensable in a national leader
these days. 2 key, unavoidable, inescapable, ineluctable,
compulsory, mandatory, sine qua non, obligatory: Are a black
bowler and tightly furled umbrella still indispensable to doing
business in the City?
indisposed
adj. 1 ill, ailing, unwell, sick, sickly, unsound, unhealthy,
in bad health, valetudinarian, out of commission, Colloq on the
sick-list, (doing) poorly, laid up, in a bad way, not up to
snuff, off one's feed or Brit also grub, under the weather:
Madam is indisposed and cannot have tea with you. 2 averse,
disinclined, loath, unwilling, reluctant, resistant, hesitant:
The judge was indisposed to leniency in such a serious case.
indisputable
adj. unquestionable, incontrovertible, incontestable,
irrefutable, undeniable, indubitable, beyond doubt, sure,
certain, positive, definite, definitive, absolute, fixed: It
was indisputable that the outlook was grim. The show was an
indisputable success.
indistinct
adj. 1 faint, dim, obscure, vague, blurred, blurry, filmy,
hazy, misty, bleary, shadowy, fuzzy, foggy, murky, muddy,
unclear, indiscernible, illegible, muffled, unintelligible,
indistinguishable, indeterminate, confused, indefinite: I could
barely make out an indistinct figure in the dark. The writing on
the matchbox was indistinct. 2 indistinguishable, ambiguous, not
distinct, equivocal, inseparable, ill-defined, undefined,
nebulous, vague, confused: The identity of the three brothers
is indistinct in my mind.
indistinguishable
adj. 1 Often, indistinguishable from. undifferentiated (from),
identical (to), alike, like two peas in a pod, twin,
inseparable: He is indistinguishable from his brother. Her
fingerprints and those found on the dagger are
indistinguishable. 2 indiscernible, imperceptible, indefinite,
unclear, indistinct: His good qualities were indistinguishable
to me.
individual
adj. 1 single, sole, particular, separate, distinct, discrete,
solitary, lone: Consider the entire utterance, not just the
individual words. 2 singular, special, specific, idiosyncratic,
own, characteristic, distinctive, individualistic, unique,
peculiar, personal, proper; unitary: She has her individual
style of dressing.
--n. 3 person, human (being), (living) soul, mortal; one,
party: In a democracy each individual is entitled to one vote.
individualist
n. independent, freethinker, nonconformist, maverick, loner,
lone wolf: Nick is an individualist and seldom agrees with the
majority.
individually
adv. one at a time, singly, one by one, separately, severally,
apart: We must study each of these specimens individually.
indoctrinate
v. train, teach, instruct, school, discipline, drill,
brainwash, propagandize; inculcate, imbue, instil, implant: The
children were indoctrinated to believe that they were members of
the master race. He indoctrinated them with the idea that they
were capable of anything.
indolence n. laziness, slothfulness, sloth, sluggishness, idleness,
lethargy, shiftlessness, languor, languidness, lassitude,
listlessness, torpor, torpidity, inertia, inaction, inactivity,
faineance, dolce far niente, oscitancy: After winning the
lottery, he spent his days in indolence.
indolent adj. lazy, slothful, sluggish, idle, lethargic, shiftless,
languorous, languid, torpid, inert, inactive, stagnant,
fain‚ant, listless: 'Peel me a grape', she said in her most
indolent manner.
indomitable
adj. resolute, resolved, determined, steadfast, staunch,
persistent, unstoppable, irrepressible, indefatigable, untiring,
tireless, unflagging, unyielding, unswerving, unwavering,
unflinching, undaunted, dauntless, fearless, unafraid, intrepid,
brave, courageous, plucky, mettlesome; unconquerable,
unbeatable, invincible: She survived the prison camp by dint of
indomitable strength of character.
induce v. 1 lead, persuade, influence, prevail on or upon, sway, move,
convince, get, talk into, prompt, incite, instigate, actuate,
motivate, impel, encourage, inspire, stimulate, nudge, push,
press, urge, prod, goad, spur, egg on, coax, cajole, lure,
entice, inveigle, seduce: He was induced to sell the secret
plans to the enemy for a large sum. 2 cause, bring about or on,
produce, give rise to, engender, create, generate, lead to;
effect, occasion, set in motion: Some drugs induce a state of
euphoria.
inducement
n. attraction, lure, incentive, stimulus, enticement, bait,
encouragement, incitement, provocation, spur, premium,
consideration, reward, Colloq carrot, Chiefly US come-on: What
inducement were you offered to take out that subscription?
induct v. 1 install or instal, inaugurate, invest, instate, establish,
swear in: Crocker was inducted as president of the lodge last
night. 2 call up, enlist, conscript, enrol, register, US draft:
He was inducted into the army at 18.
indulge v. 1 Often, indulge in. yield (to), succumb (to), favour,
gratify, humour, oblige (with), comply (with), minister to,
cater to, pander to, treat (to), pamper (with): When it comes
to chocolates, I indulge myself to the fullest. We indulge in
an occasional beer. She indulges his every whim. 2 coddle, baby,
pamper, cosset, mollycoddle, spoil: He doesn't believe in
indulging children.
indulgence
n. 1 tolerance, sufferance, understanding, patience, good will,
allowance, forbearance; acceptance, overlooking: Genevieve's
behaviour is testing the limits of Tom's indulgence. 2
self-indulgence, luxury, extravagance, profligacy,
self-gratification, self-satisfaction: A notorious
pleasure-seeker, his capacity for indulgence is legendary. 3
treat, luxury, extravagance: My sole indulgence is vintage
port.
indulgent adj. tolerant, permissive, patient, understanding, forbearing,
lenient, easygoing, relaxed, liberal, lax, kind, kindly,
well-disposed, agreeable: Tony and Hazel are extremely
indulgent parents.
industrious
adj. sedulous, assiduous, hard-working, diligent, intense,
conscientious, energetic, dynamic, aggressive, vigorous,
untiring, tireless, indefatigable, unflagging, persistent,
pertinacious, dogged, tenacious, US hustling: The business was
built up only because she was so industrious.
industry n. 1 production, manufacture, trade, commerce, business:
Competition in the car industry helps keep prices lower. 2
diligence, assiduity, sedulousness, energy, exertion, effort,
application, perseverance, persistence, work, labour, toil: We
were complimented on our industry by the teacher. 3
industriousness, energy, activity, vigour, hustle, bustle,
dynamism, enterprise, earnestness, determination: The sales
office is a hive of industry.
ineffable adj. 1 unutterable, unspeakable, unmentionable, taboo: In
certain religions, the name of the deity is ineffable. 2
inexpressible, indescribable, indefinable or undefinable,
indescribable or undescribable, beyond description, beyond
words: The Royal Hotel had an ineffable air of serene
affluence.
ineffective
adj. 1 unproductive, unfruitful, bootless, idle, vain, useless,
ineffectual, inefficacious, inoperative, non-functioning,
inadequate, insufficient, worthless: The anti-crime measures
appear to have been ineffective. 2 inefficient, incompetent,
incapable, unskilled, unskilful, inept, unfit, unproficient:
The new office manager is totally ineffective.
ineffectual
adj. 1 unsuccessful, unavailing, futile, bootless, sterile,
barren, fruitless, unproductive, ineffective, inefficacious,
inoperative: Our efforts to deal with pollution have been
largely ineffectual. 2 weak, feeble, effete, impotent, tame,
lame, powerless, inefficient, incompetent, inadequate: We tried
to read the inscription by the ineffectual light of a match.
inefficacious
adj. See ineffectual and ineffective.
inefficient
adj. 1 ineffective, incompetent, incapable, unqualified,
inexpert, unskilled, unskilful, unfit, inept, ineffectual,
deficient: Poorly paid labour is inefficient labour. 2
uneconomic(al), wasteful, disorganized, slipshod: For our
purposes, the layout of the factory is quite inefficient.
ineligible
adj. unqualified, unacceptable, unfit, unsuited, unsuitable,
inappropriate, improper: He is ineligible for benefit as he
left his job voluntarily.
inept adj. 1 clumsy, awkward, bungling, maladroit, ungainly,
bumbling, gauche, inexpert, unskilled, unskilful, incompetent,
inefficient: If he is inept at sailing, he'd better become
proficient. 2 inappropriate, inapt, unseemly, improper,
unfitting, unfit, unsuitable, impolitic, undiplomatic,
injudicious, imprudent, indiscreet, ill-considered, ill-judged,
ill-advised, unadvised, unadvisable or inadvised, misguided,
inexpedient, out of place, unwise: She made some inept comment
and blushed furiously.
ineptitude
n. 1 ineptness, clumsiness, awkwardness, maladroitness,
ungainliness, gaucherie, incompetence, inefficiency, unfitness,
unsuitableness: He displays a remarkable ineptitude for the
pronunciation of French. 2 inappropriateness, inaptness,
absurdity, unsuitability, unseemliness: The ineptitude of her
comments embarrasses everyone.
inequality
n. 1 disparity, difference, discrepancy, unevenness,
nonconformity, incongruence, incongruity, inconsistency,
dissimilarity, imbalance: The inequality between their incomes
made him resentful. 2 bias, prejudice, partiality, unfairness,
injustice, inequity: Why should they have to tolerate any
inequality of treatment?
inert adj. 1 inactive, unreactive, unresponsive, neutral: Argon,
xenon, and neon are inert gases. 2 motionless, immobile,
inanimate, lifeless, still, quiet, quiescent, stationary,
static: He was mute and inert: it was like talking to a zombie.
3 sluggish, slow, torpid, dull, inactive, idle, indolent, lazy,
slothful, leaden, slack, passive, supine, dormant, otiose,
listless, languid or languorous: I contemplated the inert
bodies sunbathing around the swimming-pool.
inertia n. inertness, inactivity, sloth, sluggishness, torpor,
dullness, idleness, indolence, laziness, slothfulness,
passivity, apathy, lassitude, dormancy, listlessness, languor,
immobility, motionlessness: Adele finds it difficult to
overcome her feeling of inertia in the morning.
inestimable
adj. 1 incalculable, immeasurable, measureless, untold,
incomputable; priceless, invaluable, precious: You have been of
inestimable help in completing the project on time. 2 countless,
innumerable, vast, immense, prodigious, boundless, unfathomable,
infinite, incalculable, immeasurable, measureless, untold,
incomputable: An inestimable number of organisms have inhabited
the earth.
inevitable
adj. unavoidable, inescapable, ineluctable, unpreventable,
certain, sure, destined, fated, assured, inexorable,
irrevocable, unchangeable, absolute, ordained, decreed,
authoritative, incontestable: The inevitable outcome of war is
misery for all participants.
inexact adj. imprecise, inaccurate, erroneous, incorrect, wrong, false,
faulty, indefinite, fallacious, fuzzy, muddled: This gauge is
giving an inexact reading.
inexcusable
adj. unjustifiable, unjustified, indefensible, unpardonable,
unforgivable, intolerable, inexpiable: Insulting your hostess
was inexcusable.
inexhaustible
adj. 1 limitless, boundless, unlimited, unbounded,
unrestricted, endless, measureless, indeterminate, infinite,
incalculable: The supply of tasteless television programmes
seems virtually inexhaustible. 2 untiring, tireless,
indefatigable, unflagging, unfailing, unfaltering, unwearying,
unwearied: Bartell is an inexhaustible practical joker.
inexpensive
adj. cheap, economical, low-priced, low-cost, reasonable,
budget-priced: What might seem inexpensive to you is very
costly for me.
inexperience
n. immaturity, innocence, na‹vety, greenness, callowness,
unsophistication: I attribute his mistakes to inexperience.
inexperienced
adj. immature, innocent, na‹ve, green, callow, unsophisticated,
unworldly, unfledged, raw, uninitiated, untrained, unschooled,
uninformed, unseasoned, Colloq (still) wet behind the ears, born
yesterday: Isn't she too inexperienced to take on such a great
responsibility?
inexplicable
adj. unexplainable, unaccountable, unintelligible, inscrutable,
puzzling, enigmatic, mystifying, perplexing, confounding,
baffling, bewildering, incomprehensible: I find inexplicable
their refusal to allow freedom of religion.
inexpressible
adj. unutterable, ineffable, unspeakable, indescribable,
indefinable: I felt inexpressible joy at seeing my children
again.
inextinguishable
adj. unquenchable, irrepressible, unsuppressible; enduring,
undying, imperishable, eternal, everlasting: The teacher had to
cope with inextinguishable giggling. Our hopes for freedom were
inextinguishable.
inextricably
adv. inescapably, ineluctably, unavoidably, irretrievably,
completely, inseparably, indissolubly, totally, complicatedly,
intricately: I found myself inextricably caught up in her
emotional problems.
infallible
adj. 1 unerring, faultless, flawless, perfect, oracular,
unmistaken: The infallible logic of computers sometimes defeats
their users. 2 unfailing, dependable, sure, secure, certain,
reliable, foolproof: The vaccination provides infallible
protection against the virus.
infamous adj. 1 notorious, disreputable, ill-famed, stigmatized,
scandalous, discreditable, dishonourable, ignominious: So this
is the infamous house where the murders took place! 2 bad,
awful, wicked, evil, iniquitous, villainous, heinous, vile,
abominable, outrageous, execrable, abhorrent, opprobrious,
despicable, loathsome, detestable, odious, foul, scurvy, rotten,
atrocious, flagitious, revolting, monstrous, egregious, base,
low, shameful, disgraceful: A number of infamous criminals are
portrayed in the Chamber of Horrors.
infamy n. 1 notoriety, ill repute, ill fame, disrepute, shame,
ignominy, obloquy, disgrace, dishonour, stigma, discredit: She
has to suffer the infamy of her husband's treachery. 2
wickedness, evil, iniquity, villainy, heinousness, vileness,
abomination, outrage, abhorrence, opprobrium, loathsomeness,
detestation, hatred, odium, atrocity, revulsion, monstrosity,
egregiousness, shame, shamefulness, disgrace, disgracefulness:
The infamy of his profligate behaviour is widely known.
infancy n. 1 babyhood, early childhood: His limp was the result of
polio, which he had contracted in infancy. 2 beginning(s),
inception, early or initial, stage(s), commencement, start,
emergence, dawn, rise: When psychiatry was in its infancy it
was marked by a notable lack of success.
infantile adj. childish, immature, puerile, babyish, juvenile: Ben
behaves in the most infantile way whenever there are girls
about.
infatuated
adj. fascinated, beguiled, enchanted, bewitched, spellbound,
charmed, ensorcelled, enraptured, possessed, hypnotized,
mesmerized, captivated, besotted, taken with, obsessed, smitten,
enamoured, fond: Francis is completely infatuated with the girl
who moved in next door.
infectious
adj. contagious, catching, communicable, transmissible: There
is also a highly infectious variety of the disease.
infer v. deduce, derive, draw, conclude, understand, gather, surmise,
guess, assume: From the evidence, I infer that you were not at
home last night.
inference n. deduction, conclusion, understanding, surmise, assumption,
presumption: If this man's father is my father's son, the
inference is that this man is my nephew.
inferior adj. 1 lower, nether: We descended into the inferior regions
of the cavern. The numeral in H2O is called an inferior
character. 2 lesser, lower, subordinate, secondary, junior,
minor, unimportant, insignificant, lowly, subservient, humble,
servile: He occupies an inferior position in the company. 3
poor, bad, low-quality, mediocre, indifferent, imperfect,
defective, second-rate, second-class, substandard, low-grade,
shoddy, gimcrack, Colloq grotty, junky, crummy or crumby, lousy,
Slang crappy, Brit naff: They tried to market an inferior
product, but it was rejected by consumers.
--n. 4 subordinate, underling, junior, menial, lackey, flunkey,
dogsbody, cat's-paw, doormat, stooge, yes-man, lickspittle,
bootlicker: She is tired of being treated as an inferior.
inferiority
n. 1 unimportance, insignificance, lowliness: The inferiority
of his position rankled with him. 2 inadequacy, deficiency,
insignificance, unimportance, worthlessness: Do not confuse
modesty with a sense of inferiority. 3 shoddiness,
imperfection, mediocrity: Consumers are not fooled by the
inferiority of a product for long.
infernal adj. 1 hellish, underworld, nether, Hadean: Virgil was Dante's
guide in the infernal regions. 2 devilish, diabolic(al),
demonic(al), demoniac(al), fiendish, satanic, Mephistophelian;
damnable, damned, execrable, malicious, malevolent, maleficent,
wicked, evil, iniquitous, flagitious, villainous, heinous, dire,
sinister, dreadful: She tells everyone that there is an
infernal plot against her.
infertile adj. sterile, barren, infecund, unproductive, unfruitful,
non-productive: The stony, infertile earth yielded only cactus
and scrub grass.
infest v. invade, plague, beset, overrun, overspread, flood, swarm
over, inundate, pervade, permeate, penetrate, infiltrate:
Mosquitoes infested this area before the swamp was drained.
infidel n. unbeliever, heathen, disbeliever, heretic, pagan, agnostic,
atheist, nullifidian, freethinker: Thousands of the fanatics
swarmed over the infidels, slaughtering them mercilessly.
infidelity
n. 1 unfaithfulness, faithlessness, treachery, traitorousness,
disloyalty, perfidy, falseness, apostasy, heresy: The
infidelity of his supporters brought about his downfall. 2
adultery, cuckoldry; affair, liaison, amour, Colloq cheating:
Infidelity is a common cause of marriage break-up. She forgave
him his many infidelities.
infinite adj. 1 boundless, vast, limitless, unlimited, illimitable,
endless, interminable, indeterminable, indeterminate,
inestimable, astronomical, numberless, multitudinous,
uncountable, uncounted, innumerable, incalculable,
inexhaustible, immense, enormous, immeasurable, measureless,
bottomless, unfathomable: They hurtled through infinite space
at the speed of light. We do what we can, but our resources are
not infinite. In his infinite wisdom, God made the garden slug.
2 eternal, everlasting, perpetual, endless, unending,
inexhaustible, undying, never-ending: It is difficult to
conceive of time as being anything but infinite, without
beginning or end. With infinite patience she reassembled the
pieces of the vase.
infirm adj. 1 ill, indisposed, debilitated, frail, fragile, weak,
feeble, weakened, ailing, decrepit, enfeebled, failing, wasted,
on the decline, sick, sickly, unwell, lame, crippled: Campbell
is infirm and unable to travel. 2 shaky, flimsy, wobbly,
wobbling, doddering, unstable, faltering, vacillating, wavering,
unsteady, unsteadfast, inconstant, changeable, irresolute: We
must find stalwart recruits, recruits who are not infirm of
purpose.
infirmary n. clinic, hospital, sickbay, first-aid station; dispensary,
Brit nursing home, surgery: The infirmary is able to deal only
with emergencies, not with long-term care.
infirmity n. 1 weakness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, debility,
decrepitude, sickliness: At 100, she finally succumbed to
infirmity, and ceased going out altogether. 2 sickness, ailment,
disease, malady, affliction, disorder, defect, complaint: What
infirmity struck him down?
inflame v. 1 arouse, incite, touch off, ignite, enkindle, provoke,
rouse, excite, impassion, foment, incense, agitate, stir (up),
fire (up), heat, anger, enrage, madden, infuriate, whip or lash
up, work up, rile, exasperate, stimulate, animate, move,
motivate, urge, prod, goad, spur (on), rally, drive: The
speakers inflamed the crowd to riot against the police. 2
aggravate, intensify, deepen, heighten, fan, exacerbate,
increase, augment, fuel: She inflamed his dislike of his
brother into hatred.
inflamed adj. irritated, sore, angry, chafing, chafed, red, swollen,
heated, hot, fevered, feverish, infected, septic: The wound
became inflamed and we had no medicine to reduce the infection.
inflammable
adj. burnable, combustible, flammable: The plastic foam
formerly used to stuff furniture is highly inflammable.
inflammation
n. irritation, redness, swelling, sore, infection: The
inflammation subsided as the injection took effect.
inflammatory
adj. incendiary, fiery, inflaming, explosive, rousing,
provocative, rabid, rabble-rousing, passionate, fervent, fervid,
frantic, frenzied, fomenting, demagogic, insurgent, riotous,
mutinous, seditious, rebellious, revolutionary, traitorous,
treacherous: His inflammatory speeches at the university
created tension between the students and the administration.
inflate v. 1 blow up, balloon, expand, dilate, enlarge, swell, pump up,
puff up or out, distend: We inflated two plastic bags to use as
floats. 2 boost, increase: The price of the company's shares
was inflated by rumours of a take-over bid. 3 exaggerate,
amplify, magnify, blow up: He tends to inflate to huge
proportions the small contribution he made to the project.
inflated adj. 1 exaggerated, conceited, overblown, grandiose, puffed up,
overstated, magnified, amplified, overdrawn, smug, egotistic,
immodest, cocky, vain, self-important, Colloq Brit
swelled-headed, US swell-headed: He has an inflated idea of the
importance of his work. 2 grandiloquent, bombastic, orotund,
high-flown, pompous, pretentious, extravagant, magniloquent:
She always talks about her husband in such inflated terms.
inflexible
adj. unbending, stiff, rigid, firm, rigorous, unyielding,
adamant, severe, Rhadamanthine, inelastic, hard (and fast),
determined, fixed, obdurate, immovable, intractable, unvaried,
unvarying, invariable, unchangeable, immutable, obstinate,
stubborn, obstinate, pigheaded, mulish, dyed in the wool,
headstrong, refractory, steely, stony, resolute, resolved,
unadaptable, unaccommodating, uncompliant, uncompromising,
unshakeable or unshakable: The committee remain inflexible
about changing the rules of the club to admit women.
inflict v. impose, apply, visit, administer, levy, force on or upon;
trouble, afflict: The new government is seeking ways of
inflicting more taxes on us. You ought not to inflict punishment
on such small children.
influence n. 1 power, pressure, weight, sway, impact, force, effect,
leverage, potency; hold, control, mastery, ascendancy, Colloq
pull, clout: Would you use your influence to see if you can get
me a job? The boy is under the influence of his tutor. 2
connections, favour, favouritism, Colloq pull: He got his
position through influence, not merit.
--v. 3 affect, move, change, modify, alter, bias, sway,
persuade, induce, work on, impress (upon), play or act upon or
on, incline; bring pressure to bear on or upon, move, motivate,
manipulate, Brit pressurize, US pressure, Colloq pull strings or
US also wires: She was able to influence the minister to drop
the scheme.
influential
adj. powerful, weighty, strong, forceful, effective, effectual,
efficacious, instrumental, telling, significant, persuasive,
dominant, leading, guiding, authoritative, predominant,
important, substantial, prestigious, significant, controlling:
He comes from an influential family. What factors were
influential in reaching your decision?
inform v. 1 tell, apprise, advise, communicate, enlighten, notify,
acquaint, brief; impart, disclose, divulge, reveal, report,
Colloq tip (off): I have informed everyone about the storm
warning. 2 Usually, inform against or on. betray, incriminate,
implicate, identify, Colloq tell (on), blab (on), rat (on), US
blow the whistle (on); Slang peach (on), snitch (on), squeal
(on), put the finger on, sing, name names, Brit nark (on), grass
(on), split on, US finger: He informed on his accomplices in
return for a lighter sentence.
informal adj. 1 unceremonious, casual, natural, unstilted, familiar,
ordinary, everyday, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious,
simple, relaxed, free, free and easy, Brit common or garden, US
garden-variety: We had an informal dinner in the kitchen. 2
unofficial, unconventional, unconstrained, casual, everyday,
simple: On duty he wore informal clothes - blue jeans and a
denim jacket. 3 vernacular, colloquial, simple, unaffected,
ordinary, unpretentious, everyday: He uses informal language
devoid of scientific jargon.
information
n. knowledge, data, facts, intelligence, message, word, advice,
news, tidings, report, communication, Colloq info, low-down,
Slang dirt, dope, Brit gen, bumf, US poop: I have little
information regarding her divorce.
informative
adj. communicative, instructive, educational, edifying,
revealing, illuminating: We found his report about the missiles
very informative.
informed adj. 1 intelligent, knowledgeable, enlightened, educated,
learned, cultured, cultivated: An informed public is
democracy's greatest asset. 2 alert (to), aware (of), advised,
in touch, au fait, briefed, conversant (with), (well-)versed, up
(on), up to date, Colloq in the know, wise: Keep me informed as
to your whereabouts.
informer n. traitor, betrayer, tattle-tale, taleteller, informant, Slang
stool-pigeon, snitch, squealer, weasel, Brit grass, Chiefly US
rat, US stoolie, canary, shoo-fly: According to the informer,
the secret meeting is scheduled for tonight.
infrequently
adv. rarely, seldom, sporadically, occasionally, now and then,
irregularly, exceptionally: They were only infrequently seen in
public in later years.
infringe v. 1 violate, contravene, break, disobey, transgress, overstep:
Publication of this article has infringed her right to a fair
trial. 2 infringe on or upon. intrude on, impinge on, trespass
on, encroach on, invade: Never let pleasure infringe on the
domain of duty.
infringement
n. violation, breach, contravention, infraction, disobedience,
infraction, non-compliance, breaking, transgression:
Publication without permission constitutes infringement of
copyright. The inventor sued the company for patent
infringement.
infuriate v. enrage, anger, madden, incense, make (someone's) blood boil,
provoke, inflame, work or stir or fire up, rile, arouse, vex,
pique, gall, annoy, irritate, bother, chafe, agitate, irk,
nettle, exasperate, raise (someone's) hackles, make (someone's)
hackles rise, Brit have or get (someone's) blood up, Colloq
miff, bug, peeve, get under (someone's) skin, get or Brit also
put (someone's) back up, make (someone) see red, Chiefly US get
(someone's) Irish or dander up, US burn up, Slang piss (someone)
off, brown (someone) off, Brit cheese (someone) off: It really
infuriated him to see injustice done to anyone.
ingenious adj. clever, skilful, skilled, shrewd, cunning, crafty, canny,
dexterous, adroit, acute, sharp, keen, resourceful, adept, apt,
smart, gifted, bright, brilliant, talented, deft, handy,
inventive, Daedalian, creative, imaginative, original, Colloq
neat, keen, US crackerjack, Slang on the ball: My friend here
has come up with an ingenious solution to our problem.
ingenuity n. ingeniousness, genius, brilliance, cleverness, skill,
shrewdness, cunning, craft, art, knack, flair, dexterity,
dexterousness, adroitness, acuteness, sharpness, keenness,
resourcefulness, adeptness, aptness, smartness, canniness, gift,
talent, ability, capability, faculty, deftness, handiness,
inventiveness, creativity, creativeness, imagination,
imaginativeness, originality: She displayed extraordinary
ingenuity in preparing the case against the plaintiff.
ingenuous adj. 1 na‹ve, simple, innocent, unsophisticated, childlike,
suggestible, artless, sincere, genuine, trusting, guileless,
natural, straight, uncomplicated, (fair and) square, honest,
fair, just, open, undeceitful, unaffected, undeceptive,
undissembling, unfeigning, (open and) above-board, Colloq on the
level: What ideas have you been implanting into the mind of
this ingenuous young girl? 2 frank, candid, open, trustworthy,
honourable, forthright, direct, straightforward, four-square,
honest, outspoken, blunt, bluff, bold, unreserved, free,
uninhibited, unabashed: I shall be ingenuous enough to confess
that what you heard about me is true.
ingrained adj. engrained, deep-rooted, fixed, inveterate, deep-seated,
fundamental, basic, essential, inherent, inborn, innate, inbred,
inherited, hereditary, organic, intrinsic, native, natural: He
has an ingrained fear of heights.
ingratiating
adj. fawning, grovelling, sycophantic, toadying, toad-eating,
servile, obsequious, flattering, time-serving, wheedling,
cajoling, unctuous, oily, buttery, sweet-talking, sugary,
saccharine, US blandiloquent, Colloq boot-licking, slimy, Brit
smarmy, US apple-polishing, Slang US brown-nosing: It is
Crawley's ingratiating manner that none of us can abide.
ingratitude
n. unthankfulness, ungratefulness, thanklessness,
unappreciativeness, non-recognition: Despite the favours they
had received, they showed their ingratitude by refusing to
contribute to the fund drive.
ingredient
n. constituent, element, part, component, factor; (pl.)
makings: Humour is a necessary ingredient in any working
relationship.
inhabit v. dwell in, reside in, live in, abide in, occupy, settle;
locate in, populate, people; colonize: This bird inhabits
northern Africa. North America was inhabited by emigrants from
Europe.
inhabitant
n. resident, dweller, denizen, citizen, tenant, occupant,
occupier: The inhabitants of the village refused to pay taxes.
inhale v. breathe in, inspire, draw or suck in: I stepped outside and
inhaled the fresh spring air.
inherent adj. intrinsic, indwelling, essential, basic, innate, connate,
ingrained or engrained, native, congenital, inherited,
hereditary, inborn, inbred, indigenous, immanent, built-in: It
is difficult to tell which characteristics are derived and which
are inherent.
inherit v. come into, fall or be or become heir to, be bequeathed,
succeed to, be left, receive, acquire, Colloq come by: She
inherited the property when her father died.
inheritance
n. patrimony, heritage, legacy, bequest, birthright; property:
He came into his inheritance when he was 21.
inhibit v. discourage, repress, frustrate, hold back, bridle, curb,
control, govern, hinder, restrain, impede, obstruct, interfere
with, check, prevent, bar, stop: Her sad look inhibited my
expression of delight at seeing her again.
inhibited adj. reticent, restrained, repressed, reserved, self-conscious,
shy, abashed, embarrassed, Colloq uptight: He is much too
inhibited to appear on television.
inhibition
n. self-consciousness, restraint, constraint, impediment,
hindrance, bar, barrier, defence, defence mechanism, blockage,
interference, check, curb, stricture: Geoff overcame his
inhibitions and went over to talk with Anne. She had no
inhibitions about singing in public.
inhospitable
adj. 1 unwelcoming, unreceptive, uninviting, unsociable,
unsocial, aloof, cold, cool, standoffish, unfriendly, inimical,
antisocial, hostile, xenophobic: They were most inhospitable
and refused to let me in. 2 unfavourable, forbidding, hostile,
barren, desert, uninviting, uninhabitable: They were marooned
on an inhospitable reef in the middle of the Pacific.
inhuman adj. 1 inhumane, merciless, cruel, pitiless, ruthless,
heartless, severe, unsympathetic, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly,
uncompassionate, cold-blooded, vicious, stony-hearted,
hard-hearted, callous, insensitive, barbaric, barbarous, savage:
Many refugees have suffered torture and other inhuman treatment.
2 animal, bestial, brutal, brutish, fiendish, diabolical,
demonic: The spectre, assuming an inhuman form, loomed over
them.
initial adj. 1 original, primary, first; prime, beginning, incipient,
inaugural, opening, introductory, commencing: His initial plan,
to take the children, was vetoed by his wife. It is best to
tread cautiously during the initial stages of the programme.
--v. 2 sign, approve, endorse: Please initial the clauses of
the contract that we have changed.
--n. 3 monogram: The initial 'M' is on all their towels.
initiate v. 1 begin, commence, enter upon or on, originate, introduce,
set in motion, start, give rise to, get under way, launch, get
or set going, trigger, set off, actuate, activate, instigate,
institute, inaugurate: The programme was initiated last spring
with much fanfare. 2 admit, accept, introduce: The new members
were initiated last night, with due ceremony. 3 teach,
instruct, train, tutor, drill, coach: His responsibility is to
initiate recruits in the rudiments of jungle warfare.
--n. 4 novice, beginner, new boy or girl, greenhorn, rookie,
neophyte, tiro or tyro, newcomer, tenderfoot, fledgling,
apprentice, (raw) recruit, abecedarian, noviciate or novitiate,
catechumen, Brit fresher or US only freshman, Australian new
chum: In the first weeks, initiates are drilled in the basics.
initiation
n. 1 beginning, commencement, inauguration, origination, debut,
introduction, inception, establishment: April the first is the
date for initiation of the new system. 2 admittance, admission,
entrance, induction, enrolment, instatement, investiture,
ordination, installation; ceremony, rite, ritual: The
initiation of new members is scheduled for tomorrow at midnight.
initiative
n. 1 first move or step, lead, opening move: Hogan took the
initiative by winning the first set. 2 enterprise,
aggressiveness, drive, ambition, ambitiousness, resourcefulness,
leadership, dynamism, energy, vigour, hustle, ‚lan, Colloq
get-up-and-go, pep, snap, zip, zing: At least she had the
initiative to get the company back on a profitable basis.
inject v. 1 introduce, insert, drive or force (in), shoot (in),
intromit; inoculate: The serum is injected into the upper arm.
The doctor injected me with antibiotics. 2 introduce, insert,
imbue, instil, bring in, interject, throw in: Can't you inject
a little more enthusiasm into your work?
injunction
n. 1 prohibition, interdict, interdiction, restriction,
restraint, US law restraining order: There is an injunction
against picketing. 2 order, mandate, directive, command,
direction, instruction, ruling, dictate, exhortation; warning,
admonition: Mother's parting injunction was always to dress
warmly.
injure v. 1 harm, wound, hurt, damage, impair: He's sure to injure
himself if he's allowed to play with a knife. 2 wrong, offend,
abuse, hurt, wound, outrage, slight, insult, affront, mistreat,
misuse, ill-treat, maltreat: She starts the arguments yet she
invariably takes the role of the injured party.
injurious adj. 1 damaging, harmful, hurtful, bad, deleterious,
unfavourable, detrimental, unhealthy, insalubrious, pernicious,
destructive; adverse, ruinous: Smoking is said to be injurious
to health. 2 abusive, insulting, scornful, slanderous,
libellous, defamatory, scandalous, scurrilous, harsh,
calumnious, disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, contemptuous,
denigrating, offensive: She speaks of her ex-husband in the
most injurious terms.
injury n. damage, hurt, harm, wound, impairment; wrong, abuse,
maltreatment, mistreatment, mischief, offence, outrage; mayhem:
The injury was less painful to his foot than to his self-esteem.
injustice n. 1 unfairness, favouritism, discrimination, bias, inequality,
partiality, partisanship, prejudice, bigotry, one-sidedness,
unjustness, inequity: Class privilege has always condoned
injustice. 2 wrong, injury: You do me an injustice if you
think me capable of dishonesty.
inkling n. hint, suggestion, glimmering, suspicion, whisper,
intimation, indication, soup‡on, clue, notion, (faintest or
foggiest) idea, tip, tip-off: Can you give me an inkling of
what you are getting at?
inmate n. prisoner, convict, captive, jailbird or Brit also gaolbird,
Slang Brit lag; patient, case; inhabitant, occupant, resident:
The inmates were fed on bread and water in those days. Inmates
at the sanatorium are well treated.
innocent adj. 1 not guilty, guiltless, blameless, honest, (in the)
clear, unimpeachable, above suspicion, above reproach,
faultless: We all believe her innocent of extortion. 2 pure,
sinless, virtuous, chaste, virgin(al), undefiled, untainted,
unstained, unsullied, pristine, incorrupt, uncorrupted,
immaculate, spotless, unblemished, unpolluted: She is still a
sweet child, innocent as the day she was born. 3 harmless,
well-intentioned, safe, innocuous, inoffensive, unobjectionable:
What began as an innocent stroll became a dangerous expedition.
4 na‹ve, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unsuspecting, ingenuous,
unsophisticated, trusting, trustful, gullible, credulous, green,
inexperienced, childlike, unworldly, guileless, artless, simple,
open, unartificial, sincere: Youngsters would arrive in London
directly from the farm, entirely innocent and unaware of the
perils of city life.
--n. 5 infant, babe (in arms or in the wood(s)), child;
ing‚nue, novice, beginner, newcomer, Colloq greenhorn: She's
certainly no innocent when it comes to men.
innovation
n. 1 novelty; invention: The flush toilet was a 19th-century
innovation. 2 modernization, alteration: Consumer product
development is marked by a spirit of tireless innovation.
innuendo n. insinuation, imputation, suggestion, hint, intimation,
implication, allusion, overtone; reference, animadversion: I
resent your innuendo that I know more about the affair than I am
letting on.
inoffensive
adj. harmless, unobjectionable, innocuous, unoffending,
neutral, retiring, mild, tame: Bligh is so inoffensive, how
could he possibly have upset you?
inopportune
adj. inappropriate, malapropos, ill-timed, untimely,
inconvenient, unsuited, unsuitable, out of place, unpropitious,
unfavourable, inauspicious, ill-chosen, unseasonable, unseemly,
untoward, unfortunate: Your call came at a most inopportune
moment, as we were just sitting down to dinner.
inordinate
adj. 1 immoderate, unrestrained, intemperate, excessive,
disproportionate, extravagant, overdone, extreme, exorbitant,
outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, unreasonable, undue,
uncalled-for, unwarranted: Her inordinate appetite for scandal
has made her a successful gossip columnist. 2 irregular,
disorderly, disordered, uncontrolled, unlimited, unregulated,
unsystematic, erratic, haphazard: Laws have been passed to
limit the inordinate hunting of deer.
inquire v. 1 Usually, inquire into. search, investigate, probe,
examine, research, look into, inspect, study, explore, survey,
scrutinize: Scientists are inquiring into the causes of the
greenhouse effect. 2 See enquire.
inquiry n. 1 enquiry, investigation, probe, examination, research,
search, inspection, study, exploration, survey, scrutiny,
inquest; questioning, querying, interrogation, inquest,
cross-examination, inquisition: The police have asked me to
help them with their inquiry. They are conducting an inquiry
into the cause of the accident. 2 enquiry, question, query,
interrogation: Would you please repeat the inquiry?
inquisitive
adj. 1 inquiring, curious, probing, questioning, interested,
investigative, searching, exploring, analytical: Children have
a naturally inquisitive nature. 2 prying, intrusive, Colloq
snooping, snoopy, nosy or nosey: Don't be so inquisitive about
things that don't concern you!
inroad n. 1 incursion, raid, attack, invasion, penetration, foray,
encroachment, forced entry, intrusion: Our armoured units have
made an inroad into enemy territory. 2 Often, inroads.
advance(s), progress, breakthrough: Have researchers made
significant inroads into the problem of AIDS?
insane adj. 1 mad, demented, psychotic, schizophrenic, schizoid, non
compos mentis, manic, maniacal, lunatic, deranged, unbalanced,
psychoneurotic, neurotic, eccentric, crazy, of unsound mind,
crazed, unhinged, out of one's mind or head, mad as a hatter or
a March hare, quirky, Colloq round the bend or twist, off one's
rocker or chump, loopy, loony, certifiable, mental, screwy,
dotty, cuckoo, not all there, not have all one's marbles,
off-the-wall, out of it, Brit potty, Slang daft, nutty (as a
fruit cake), nuts, spaced out, spacy, batty, have bats in one's
belfry, not right upstairs, barmy (in the crumpet), crackers,
have a screw loose, schizo, Brit bonkers, US bugs, bughouse,
loco, crazy as a bedbug, (gone) off the deep end, kooky, kinky,
out to lunch: Witney was certified insane and
institutionalized. You're insane if you think I am going out on
that ledge. 2 stupid, dumb, dull, silly, asinine, ridiculous,
idiotic, irrational, absurd, fatuous, ludicrous, foolish,
nonsensical, irresponsible, reckless, wild, imbecilic, moronic,
feeble-minded, hare-brained, addle-pated, addle-brained,
scatterbrained, thimble-witted, attocerebral, Brit gormless,
Colloq nutty, screwy, crazy: People in love sometimes do insane
things.
insanity n. 1 madness, lunacy, mental illness or disorder, dementia
(praecox), psychosis, schizophrenia, (mental) derangement,
mania; psychoneurosis, neurosis: Because of the plea of
temporary insanity he never stood trial for the murders. 2
folly, foolishness, stupidity, idiocy, imbecility, lunacy,
absurdity, fatuity, fatuousness, nonsense, senselessness,
irresponsibility, irrationality, inanity: What insanity it was
to think I could win the lottery!
insecure adj. 1 uncertain, afraid, unsure, unconfident, nervous,
worried, anxious, disconcerted, apprehensive, uncomfortable,
shaky, jumpy, unnerved, fearful: Harry is beginning to feel
insecure about his job. 2 unsafe, dangerous, unprotected,
vulnerable, unguarded, defenceless, undefended, exposed, open:
The machine-gun position is insecure and will soon be taken. 3
unstable, shaky, wobbly, precarious, infirm, weak, flimsy,
frail, rickety, unsubstantial, rocky, unsound, unsteady,
unreliable, uncertain: The structure collapsed because the
footings were insecure.
insensible
adj. 1 insensate, unconscious, insentient, numb, benumbed,
senseless, torpid, anaesthetized, Colloq out, out of it: She
was totally insensible for an hour after the blow on the head.
2 Often, insensible to or of. insensitive, callous, indifferent,
impervious, impassive, apathetic, cool, unsusceptible;
unaffected, unmoved, untouched; unaware, deaf, inconsiderate;
hard-hearted, thick-skinned, unfeeling, emotionless,
dispassionate, thoughtless, Colloq cloth-eared: He remained
wholly insensible to her desires and needs.
insert v. 1 introduce, place or put or stick in, intercalate;
interpolate, interject, interpose: Please do not insert
comments of your own.
--n. 2 insertion, addition, addendum, supplement,
advertisement, broadside, brochure, tip-in, handbill, circular,
Colloq Brit advert, US ad, flier or flyer; outsert, wraparound
or wrapround: The postage will be higher with this eight-page
insert.
inside n. 1 interior, centre, core, middle, heart; contents; lining,
backing: From the outside one could never guess what the inside
looks like. Please paint the inside of the cabinet blue. 2
Usually, insides. bowels, entrails, viscera, gut(s), stomach,
Colloq innards: He has had trouble with his insides for years.
3 inside out. everted, reversed; backwards: He is wearing his
pullover inside out.
--adj. 4 favoured, advantageous, favourable, advantaged,
privileged, preferred, preferential, propitious, exclusive;
internal, private, secret, confidential, privy, clandestine:
She has an inside track to the chairman. He claims to have
inside information about the successful bidder. 5 internal,
interior; arranged, prearranged: The police think it was an
inside job.
--adv. 6 fundamentally, basically, at bottom, by nature:
Despite her gruff exterior, inside she is quite sentimental. 7
in prison, in jail or Brit also gaol, imprisoned, incarcerated,
Slang Brit in quod, US up the river: He'll be inside for
another five years.
--prep. 8 within, US inside of: Because of rain, the party was
held inside the building.
insight n. perception, percipience, sensitivity, perspicacity,
perceptiveness, perspicaciousness, discernment, acuteness,
acuity, acumen, sharpness, understanding, judgement,
comprehension, vision: Chambers has brought his considerable
insight to bear on this complex problem.
insignificant
adj. paltry, trifling, petty, inconsiderable, inconsequential,
trivial, unimportant, non-essential, minor, negligible,
nugatory, unessential, niggling, puny, insubstantial,
unsubstantial , Colloq piddling: These insignificant
differences can be ignored. What you and I might do with our
lives is, in the larger sense, insignificant.
insincere adj. hypocritical, dishonest, dissembling, deceptive,
disingenuous, deceitful, untruthful, false, artificial,
ungenuine, treacherous, perfidious, faithless, double-dealing,
duplicitous, two-faced, Janus-faced, lying, mendacious, sly,
Machiavellian, cunning, crafty, slick, foxy, vulpine, wily,
artful, evasive, shifty, time-serving, unctuous, slimy,
slippery, tricky, underhanded, crooked, Colloq phoney or US also
phony: From the first act I thought Iago insincere.
insinuate v. 1 impute, suggest, hint, intimate, imply, whisper, indicate;
convey, signify: They insinuated that she married me for my
money. 2 insert (oneself), inject (oneself), worm or work or
inveigle or manoeuvre (oneself or one's way); infiltrate,
intrude: She insinuated herself into our group uninvited. 3
inject, infuse, instil, introduce: Wild imaginings began to
insinuate themselves into my mind.
insist v. 1 demand, require, call for, command, importune, urge,
exhort, argue, remonstrate, expostulate: The chairman insisted
that proper parliamentary procedure be followed. 2 assert,
state, declare, emphasize, stress, maintain, persist, hold,
dwell on, vow, avow, aver, asseverate: He insisted that he
wanted to see the last act but she insisted on leaving.
insistent adj. firm, dogged, emphatic, persistent, tenacious, resolute,
determined, assertive, uncompromising, unfaltering, unwavering,
persevering, perseverant, unrelenting, inexorable, stubborn,
obstinate, unyielding, compelling, urgent, importunate: The
judges were insistent that we should follow the rules to the
letter.
insolent adj. impertinent, impudent, pert, saucy, bold, presumptuous,
brazen, brash, disrespectful, insulting, contemptuous,
offensive, rude, crude, uncivil, insubordinate, Colloq fresh,
brassy, cheeky, Slang Brit smart-arsed or US smart-ass(ed), US
wise: That insolent boor had the gall to call her 'Queenie'!
insolvent adj. bankrupt, ruined, in receivership, penniless,
impoverished, destitute, US in Chapter Eleven, Colloq broke,
wiped out, in the red, on the rocks, (gone) bust, gone to the
wall, Brit in Queer Street, skint: A business is insolvent if
its liabilities exceed its assets.
inspect v. examine, scrutinize, study, scan, survey, vet, check (up
(on) or out), investigate, pore over; peruse: The customs man
inspected every last inch of our luggage.
inspiration
n. 1 awakening, arousal, stimulus, revelation, impulse,
feeling, afflatus, enlightenment, insight, spur, incitement,
incentive; spirit, energy, ‚lan, passion, ardour, zeal,
enthusiasm, vigour, gusto, ebullience, sparkle: Her
extraordinary eyes gave me the inspiration I needed and I
finished writing the song in an hour. 2 influence, stimulus,
stimulation, encouragement, provocation, suggestion, guide,
education: Kitchener's life was an inspiration to many a career
soldier.
inspire v. 1 animate, activate, actuate, stimulate, invigorate, stir,
move, waken, awaken, arouse, rouse, instigate, prompt, rally,
energize, enliven, vitalize, vivify, galvanize, inspirit,
excite, spark (off), quicken, kindle, fire, provoke: It was the
inflammatory speeches that inspired the crowd to riot. His
enthusiasm inspired her to take up writing as a profession. 2
encourage, strengthen, support, reinforce, buoy (up), uplift,
boost, affirm, confirm, fortify, buttress: Your example has
inspired many young people.
install v. 1 instal, invest, instate, initiate, establish, inaugurate,
induct, institute; place, put, position, introduce, settle: The
new bishop will be installed in office next week. 2 instal,
fit, set up, connect, fix (in place): I installed our new air
conditioner myself.
installation
n. 1 investiture, instatement, initiation, establishment,
inauguration, induction, institution, placement, introduction,
solemnization, swearing-in, consecration, Ecclesiastical
ordination; crowning, coronation: Will you attend the
installation of the new vice-chancellor? 2 fitting, placement,
connection, positioning: The plumber will supervise the
installation of the new heating system. 3 base, post, station,
depot, camp, establishment: Military installations all over the
country are being picketed.
instance n. 1 case (in point), example, exemplar, illustration,
precedent, exemplification, occurrence, event: The damage to
the bus shelter is yet one more instance of hooliganism. 2 for
instance. for example, as an example, say, e.g.; in the event,
as it happens or happened: Consider her, for instance: she
managed to work and raise a family.
instant n. 1 moment, point, second, time: I was thinking of you at the
very instant the phone rang. 2 moment, second, minute, flash,
twinkling (of an eye), trice, Colloq jiffy: I'll be with you in
an instant, sir.
--adj. 3 instantaneous, immediate, on the spot, overnight: His
novel was an instant best seller. 4 urgent, crying, pressing,
earnest, imperative, critical, exigent; split-second, direct:
We have an instant need for a computer specialist. 5
ready-made, ready-mixed, prepared, ready-to-serve, precooked:
This is an instant soup - just add hot water to the powder.
instantaneously
adv. instantly, immediately, at once, (right) now, directly,
forthwith, promptly, this minute or second or instant, without
delay, tout de suite, instanter, Brit straight away or US right
away; Colloq pronto, US momentarily: The results will be beamed
instantaneously to 176 million people around the world.
instead adv. 1 as an alternative or a substitute: She wanted me to go
but I stayed instead. 2 instead of. alternatively, preferably,
in preference to, in place of, in lieu of, rather than, as a
substitute for; as contrasted with, as opposed to: Instead of
going to the cinema we went to the theatre.
instil v. instill, imbue, inculcate, infuse, ingrain or engrain,
implant; insinuate, impart: From childhood a sense of justice
was instilled in us.
instinct n. intuition, feel, feeling, empathy, sensitivity, tendency,
propensity, leaning, bent, skill, talent, faculty, sixth sense,
knack, predisposition, capacity, aptitude; subconscious: She
has an uncanny instinct for finding the most interesting person
in a crowd.
instinctive
adj. 1 instinctual, intuitive, natural, innate, native, inborn,
inbred, congenital, constitutional, reflex, visceral,
intestinal, intrinsic, intuitional, subconscious, Colloq gut:
She has an instinctive flair for design. 2 immediate,
involuntary, irrational, mechanical, automatic, spontaneous:
Harvey took an instinctive dislike to Percy when they met.
institute n. 1 society, organization, association, league, alliance,
guild: They tried to establish an institute for research on
badgers. 2 See institution, 2.
--v. 3 establish, found, launch, organize: The principles of
sportsmanship were instituted on the playing fields of England.
4 inaugurate, introduce, initiate, set up, start, begin,
originate, commence, pioneer: If you do not pay, we shall be
obliged to institute proceedings against you.
institution
n. 1 establishing, establishment, forming, formation,
origination, founding, foundation, installation, introduction,
creation, organization: Who was responsible for the institution
of cricket as a national pastime? 2 establishment, institute,
academy, foundation, university, college, school: He attended
an institution of higher learning after leaving the army. 3
hospital, medical centre, sanatorium or US also sanitarium,
home, asylum: They spent their last days in an institution. 4
custom, tradition, habit, practice, routine, rule, order (of the
day), code (of practice); doctrine, dogma: Throwing the
coxswain into the river after the race has become an
institution.
instruct v. 1 teach, train, tutor, drill, educate, coach, inform, guide,
edify, prepare, indoctrinate, inculcate: My parents employed a
tutor to instruct me in Latin. 2 direct, order, bid, require,
tell, enjoin, command, importune, charge: We were instructed to
tell no one where we were going.
instruction
n. 1 Often, instructions. order, direction, brief, briefing,
directive, guideline, advice, recommendation, rule; information;
Colloq drill: The next instruction is to insert the plug into
the back of the receiver. Follow the instructions carefully. 2
teaching, education, schooling, training, drill, drilling,
tuition, guidance, indoctrination, preparation, lessons,
classes, coaching, tutelage; tutorial: Where did you receive
instruction in first aid?
instructive
adj. informative, informational, informatory, educational,
instructional, helpful, revealing, edifying, enlightening,
illuminating: Studying the mistakes of others can be highly
instructive.
instructor
n. teacher, trainer, tutor, coach, mentor, adviser, educator,
pedagogue, scholastic, academe, academician, doctor, docent,
lecturer, professor, Brit master, mistress, don, preceptor, US
docent: Charlotte was not spending time with the tennis
instructor just to improve her backhand.
instrument
n. 1 implement, tool, device, apparatus, utensil, appliance,
contrivance, mechanism, gadget, Colloq contraption, thingumabob,
thingumajig, thingummy, thingy, whatsit, what's-its-name,
whatnot, what-d'you-call-it, Brit gubbins, US gismo or gizmo:
Which instrument should I use to loosen this bolt? The doctor
extracted the splinter with some sort of instrument. 2 agency,
means, way, factor, mechanism, instrumentality, wherewithal,
(prime) mover, catalyst, agent: Summers refused to be the
instrument of bringing free people into slavery. 3 contract,
(legal) document, (written) agreement, pact, compact, paper:
After the signing, copies of the instruments were exchanged.
instrumental
adj. helpful, useful, utilitarian, contributory, of service,
supportive, supporting, advantageous, catalytic, conducive,
beneficial, valuable, significant, important; accessory,
ancillary: Your presence will be instrumental in effecting a
favourable settlement.
insubordinate
adj. disobedient, rebellious, defiant, refractory, mutinous,
insurgent, insurrectional, insurrectionist, revolutionary,
seditious, incompliant or uncompliant, uncooperative,
recalcitrant, contumacious, fractious, unruly, perverse,
contrary, obstreperous, Colloq Brit stroppy: The insubordinate
officers have been court-martialled.
insubstantial
adj. 1 unsubstantial, insignificant, meagre, diaphanous, small,
flimsy, frail, weak, feeble, paltry, puny, slight, thin,
tenuous, fragile, light, gossamer, wispy, wisp-like, fine:
Though the spider's thread appears insubstantial, for its weight
it is enormously strong. 2 illusory, unreal, illusive,
imaginary, imagined, fanciful, fancied, visionary, immaterial,
intangible, impalpable, incorporeal, airy, ethereal, spiritual,
chimerical, phantom, phantasmal, phantasmagorical,
hallucinatory, fantastic; false: Through the mist London seemed
insubstantial, a dream city of vapours rising from the Thames.
insufferable
adj. unbearable, insupportable or unsupportable, intolerable,
unendurable, impossible: The babysitter said she refused ever
again to look after such an insufferable brat.
insufficient
adj. inadequate, deficient, unsatisfactory, meagre, scanty,
scant, scarce; too little, not enough: This light is
insufficient for me to read by. We have insufficient skill to
play the Brahms concerto.
insulate v. 1 detach, separate, isolate, segregate, shelter, preserve,
set or keep apart, sequester, sequestrate, quarantine: The rock
star's aides did their best to insulate her from her screaming
fans. 2 lag, protect, shield, cushion, wrap, cover: Insulate
the pipes to prevent heat loss. Insulate the wire with this
tape. Nitroglycerine must be insulated from shock.
insult v. 1 offend, affront, slight, outrage; abuse, dishonour,
defame, injure; asperse, slander, libel: Don't be insulted if I
arrive late and leave early. You insult her by suggesting that
she has never heard of Keats.
--n. 2 offence, affront, indignity, slight, outrage, barb, dig,
slur, dishonour, abuse, defamation, discourtesy; aspersion,
slander, libel; Colloq slap (in the face), put-down: Refusing
to bow at a Japanese funeral is taken as an insult.
insurance n. assurance, surety, indemnity, indemnification, guarantee or
guaranty, warranty, bond, security, protection, cover: The cost
of insurance is higher owing to the increase in crime.
intact adj. whole, entire, perfect, complete, integral, sound,
unbroken, solid, (all) in one piece, undivided, uncut, together,
untouched, unreduced, undiminished, unimpaired, inviolate,
unblemished, unscathed, uninjured, unharmed, undamaged,
unsullied, undefiled, untainted: The ancient city has been
preserved virtually intact.
intangible
adj. impalpable, unperceivable, imperceptible, incorporeal,
unsubstantial, insubstantial, imponderable, immaterial,
ethereal, vaporous, airy, evanescent, vague, obscure, dim,
imprecise, indefinite, shadowy, fleeting, elusive: The
architect must deal with intangible ideas of design, how people
work and live, etc.
integral adj. 1 basic, elementary, elemental, fundamental, essential,
intrinsic: The rhythm is an integral part of the music. 2 See
intact.
integrate v. combine, unite, blend, bring or put together, assemble,
merge, amalgamate, join, knit, mesh, consolidate, coalesce,
fuse; US desegregate: We must integrate all the parts into a
coherent whole. Several cultures have been well integrated into
our community.
integrity n. 1 honesty, probity, veracity, uprightness, honour,
rectitude, principle, morality, goodness, trustworthiness,
decency, virtue, incorruptibility, righteousness: He is a
person of unimpeachable integrity. 2 wholeness, entirety,
unity, togetherness, soundness, completeness, coherence,
oneness, totality: Care should be taken not to disturb the
integrity of the protective film.
intellect n. 1 rationality, reason, reasonableness, (common) sense,
understanding, judgement, cleverness, intelligence, mind, Colloq
brains: You have the intellect, my boy, but it wants
developing. 2 See intellectual, 3.
intellectual
adj. 1 mental, cerebral: The greatest minds have brought their
intellectual powers to bear on the problem. 2 thoughtful,
thought-provoking, highbrow, academic, bookish, scholarly,
Colloq brainy: The professor did not find the subject
intellectual enough for a dissertation.
--n. 3 thinker, intellect, highbrow, mastermind, genius, Colloq
brain, egghead: He enjoys associating with intellectuals at the
university. 4 scholar, academician, professor, savant, sage,
wise man, guru, polymath, pundit, authority: The editor of the
journal is an intellectual who leaves the details of
administration to her deputy.
intelligence
n. 1 intellect, understanding, aptitude, capacity, brainpower,
cleverness, astuteness, quickness, alertness, keenness,
brightness, shrewdness, wit, mother wit, (common) sense,
insight, perspicacity, perception, discernment, discretion,
percipience, perspicaciousness, wisdom, sagacity, Colloq brains,
savvy, grey matter, Slang Brit nous: He may not know anything
about computer programming but he has the intelligence to learn
how to do it. 2 information, knowledge, word, data, facts,
advice, news, tidings, findings, Colloq dope, low-down, info,
Brit gen, US inside, poop: Our agents are trying to gather
intelligence on the Bulgarian situation.
intelligent
adj. bright, smart, clever, discerning, perspicacious,
perceptive, percipient, understanding, rational, apt, astute,
quick, quick-witted, keen, sharp, alert, shrewd, canny,
insightful, gifted, sensible, wise, sage, sagacious,
enlightened, knowing, aware, knowledgeable, erudite, au fait,
Colloq brainy, Chiefly US savvy: She is certainly intelligent
enough to be first in her class, if only she would study harder.
intelligentsia
n.pl. intellectuals, literati, savants, illuminati,
masterminds, highbrows, Colloq brains, eggheads, brains trust:
The government stifled free speech and persecuted the
intelligentsia.
intend v. mean, have in mind or in view, propose, contemplate, design,
plan, aim, purpose, resolve, determine: I intend to give him a
piece of my mind. She is intending to go, but I don't know if
she will be able to.
intense adj. 1 extreme, excessive, severe, strong, great, fierce,
harsh, acute, powerful, profound, deep: The intense heat kept
the firemen at bay. 2 eager, enthusiastic, keen, earnest,
sincere, heartfelt, deep, passionate, impassioned, ardent,
zealous, animated, burning, consuming, fervent, fervid,
perfervid, vehement, frantic, fanatical, frenzied: I had an
intense desire to see the culprit brought to justice. 3
highly-strung or chiefly US high-strung, emotional,
temperamental, tense, touchy, testy, volatile, hysterical,
hotheaded, feverish, nervous, (high-)spirited, impetuous,
impulsive, Colloq uptight: I appreciate his enthusiasm, but I
wish Henshawe were a bit less intense about his politics.
intensify v. concentrate, focus, sharpen, whet, strengthen, reinforce,
heighten, escalate, deepen, quicken, emphasize, magnify,
increase, augment, double, redouble, heat up, Colloq step up,
Brit hot up: We must intensify our efforts to effect a
settlement of the crisis. The war is intensifying.
intensity n. concentration, focus, strength, forcefulness, force, power;
vigour, energy, vehemence, fervour, zeal, ardour, passion,
sincerity: The storm is diminishing in intensity. Political
partisanship is often attended by great intensity of emotion.
intensive adj. concentrated, focused, intensified, comprehensive,
exhaustive, thorough(-going), all-out: The police have launched
an intensive manhunt.
intent n. 1 intention, aim, goal, target, purpose, object, objective,
end, design, plan, idea: Was it your intent that I should go
with you? The charge is assault with intent to kill. 2
inclination, tendency, desire, intending: The mere intent to
commit treason is often tantamount to treason. 3 to all intents
and purposes. virtually, practically, for all practical
purposes, (almost) as good as, (almost) the same as, more or
less, in effect: Telling you that the position was being
discontinued is, to all intents and purposes, the same as firing
you.
--adj. 4 concentrated, focused, fixed, steady, intense,
determined, earnest, engrossed, absorbed, rapt, steadfast,
resolute, attentive: Her intent stare unnerved many of her
lecturers. 5 bent, set, resolute, committed, decided, firm,
keen; resolved, eager, firm, determined, zealous, avid,
enthusiastic,: If you're intent on going, we won't try to
change your mind.
intention n. aim, purpose, intent, design, goal, end, object, objective,
target, ambition: Was it your intention to stay till the fat
lady sings?
intentional
adj. deliberate, intended, premeditated, meant, wilful,
designed, planned, preconceived, studied, considered, contrived;
purposeful, on purpose: That slur was intentional and not just
a slip of the tongue.
intently adv. closely, attentively, concentratedly, earnestly, fixedly,
unflinchingly, determinedly, searchingly, steadily, steadfastly,
continuously, assiduously, doggedly, unremittingly, eagerly,
keenly, studiously: They regarded one another intently across
the table.
intercept v. interrupt, deflect, stop, arrest, check, interfere (with),
head off, block, impede, cut off, seize, grab, catch, trap: He
was intercepted as he was about to board a plane with the
documents. Keeler intercepted the ball, preventing a goal.
intercourse
n. 1 commerce, traffic, trade, dealings, exchange,
communication, contact, interaction: In normal business
intercourse our paths often cross. 2 sexual intercourse,
coitus, coition, sexual congress or union, mating, copulation,
sexual relations, carnal knowledge, making love, lovemaking,
intimacy, sexual connection, Colloq sex: The plaintiff admits
engaging in intercourse with the defendant.
interest n. 1 attention, attentiveness, concern, regard, curiosity,
scrutiny, notice, engagement: The way the puzzle fitted
together drew my interest. She examined the books with interest.
She shows interest in taking a writing course. 2 concern,
significance, importance, weight, moment, note, consequence: Of
what interest is a newly found painting by Tiepolo? 3 Often,
interests. profit, advantage, benefit, good, avail, worth,
value, consideration, behalf, behoof: Is it in our interest to
sell the business? 4 share, portion, stake, investment, piece,
cut, percentage, participation, involvement: I have a small
interest in an emerald mine. 5 Often, interests. business,
concern, affair, property; hobby, pastime, diversion, avocation,
amusement, entertainment, pursuit, relaxation, occupation: She
travels abroad to look after her interests. Caroline has many
interests besides business. 6 (lending) fee or charge,
percentage, rate, Slang US vigorish: How much interest would
the bank charge on a њ40,000 mortgage?
--v. 7 engage, absorb, engross, attract, draw, catch, capture,
captivate, hold, fascinate, intrigue, excite, incite, provoke,
arouse, affect, quicken, infect, animate, kindle, fire: At that
time, our daughter was interested only in boys. There is
something about astronomy that interests me. 8 influence,
induce, persuade, move, tempt, involve, enrol, enlist, dispose,
incline, prevail upon, talk into, concern: Could I interest you
in investing in my company?
interested
adj. 1 Also, interested in. engaged, absorbed, engrossed, drawn
(to), attracted (by), involved (in), curious (about), fascinated
(by), keen (on), stimulated (by), responsive (to), concerned
(about): We talked about investing in my plastics company, and
he seemed interested. She has become interested in designing
jewellery. 2 concerned, involved, non-objective, partial,
biased, prejudiced, prejudicial, partisan, predisposed: You
cannot get an honest appraisal of the painting's value from an
interested party.
interesting
adj. absorbing, engaging, gripping, riveting, engrossing,
attractive, compelling, intriguing, provocative, stimulating,
exciting, inviting, fascinating, enchanting, spellbinding,
captivating: Nick has just told me the most interesting story
about Tony.
interfere v. 1 meddle, intrude, butt in, intervene, intercede, interpose,
interrupt, Colloq horn in, put or stick in one's oar or one's
oar in, poke one's nose in, US kibitz: Stop interfering in
things that do not concern you. 2 hinder, impede, hamper,
block, obstruct, encumber, slow, retard, handicap, set back, get
in the way of, frustrate, conflict, inhibit, trammel, subvert,
sabotage: Allow nothing to interfere with the course of true
love.
interference
n. 1 meddling, intrusion, intruding, intervention, interceding,
intercession: This interference in our personal affairs has
gone far enough. 2 hindrance, impediment, block, obstruction,
encumbrance, impedance, difficulty, snag, hitch, handicap,
set-back; frustration, inhibition, conflict, opposition: The
lawsuit became an unwelcome interference in the smooth flow of
our lives.
interior adj. 1 inside, internal, inner, inward: The interior surfaces
are to be painted white. 2 internal, domestic, civil, national,
local, home: We will not accept the interference of foreign
governments in our interior affairs. 3 inner, private, intimate,
personal, individual, secret, hidden, veiled: Some of Hamlet's
great speeches are in the form of interior monologues, or
soliloquies. 4 upland, inland, up-country, land-locked: The
most beautiful scenery is in the interior part of the country,
away from the marshy coast.
--n. 5 inside: The interior is coated with Teflon. 6 heart,
centre, middle, core, depths: This is the story of a journey to
the interior of the earth. 7 uplands, up-country, heartland,
hinterland: The interior is covered with rocks and scrub pine.
interjection
n. exclamation, ejaculation, cry, interpolation, utterance:
Grammarians regard expressions like 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' as
interjections.
interlude n. interval, entr'acte, intermission, pause, stop, stoppage,
respite, interruption, break, hiatus, lacuna, gap, halt, wait,
breathing-space, recess, rest, spell, lull, Colloq let-up:
There is a ten-minute interlude between the acts.
intermediary
n. go-between, middleman, agent, representative, broker,
intermediate, third party, mediator, arbitrator, arbiter,
referee, umpire, judge: Donaldson acted as intermediary and
arranged the deal.
intermediate
adj. 1 middle, in-between, medial, midway, halfway,
transitional, intervening, intermediary: Middle schools cater
for the age-range intermediate between primary and secondary
schooling. In sublimation a substance changes from a gas to a
solid (or vice versa ) , skipping the intermediate liquid state.
2 See intermediary.
intermission
n. See interlude.
intermittent
adj. irregular, discontinuous, disconnected, sporadic,
occasional, random, spasmodic, fitful, broken, periodic,
alternating, cyclic(al), rhythmic(al), pulsating, seasonal,
on-and-off, on-again-off-again, stop-and-go, stop-go: Tomorrow,
intermittent showers in the morning will yield to sunshine.
internal adj. See interior, 1, 2, 3.
international
adj. supranational, global, worldwide, universal,
intercontinental, cosmopolitan, ecumenic(al) or oecumenic(al);
foreign: An international conference is being held on
disarmament. My father is engaged in international trade.
interpret v. 1 explain, explicate, clear up, clarify, elucidate,
illuminate, throw or shed light on, simplify, decipher, decode,
define, spell out, make sense (out) of, translate, paraphrase:
Would you interpret this clause of the agreement for me? 2
understand, construe, take (to mean), read, figure or work out,
sort out, unravel: I haven't any idea how to interpret this
poem.
interpretation
n. 1 explanation, clarification, elucidation, simplification,
decipherment, solution, working-out, unravelling, sorting out,
decoding, definition, illustration, translation, paraphrasing:
Sharon's detailed interpretation of the data is quite easy to
understand. 2 analysis, diagnosis, examination, exegesis,
explication, reading, construal, inference, understanding:
These figures are subject to individual interpretation.
interrogation
n. questioning, examination, cross-examination, inquisition,
investigation, Colloq third degree, grilling: Caught by the
rebels, we were subjected to hours of interrogation.
interrupt v. 1 break in, cut in, intrude in, butt in, interfere in,
punctuate, disturb, Colloq barge in, chime in, horn in: He
keeps interrupting the discussion with his silly remarks. 2
discontinue, break off, cut off, cut short, interfere with,
disrupt, suspend, hold up, halt, stop, end, terminate, cease:
We interrupt this programme to bring you a news bulletin.
interruption
n. 1 break, intrusion, disturbance, interference, disruption:
Please forgive this interruption, but you're wanted on the
phone. 2 break, gap, interval, lacuna, hiatus, respite, rest,
pause, pausing, intermission, stopping, stop, suspension,
cessation, cease, ceasing, surcease, hesitation, Prosody
caesura, Colloq let-up: She talked for an hour without
interruption.
interval n. 1 intermission, interlude, entr'acte, break, pause; recess,
rest (period), period, time, wait, spell, delay, lapse: The
play was so bad we left in the interval. After a brief interval,
the lights came on again. 2 meanwhile, meantime, interim: He
returned later but found that in the interval she had changed
her mind. 3 gap, opening, space, hole, void, lacuna, distance,
interstice, Architecture intercolumniation: The interval
between the columns is exactly three metres.
intervene v. 1 interfere, intrude, break in, interrupt, intercede,
meddle, interpose, butt in, Colloq poke one's nose in, horn in,
put in one's oar, step in: If I had not intervened you might
have been killed. She intervened on my behalf. 2 come or go
(between), pass, elapse: A week intervened before we saw each
other again.
interview n. 1 meeting, (press) conference, discussion, conversation,
talk, question period, audience: The reporter phoned to ask for
an interview. 2 evaluation, appraisal, vetting, assessment: I
have a job interview scheduled for tomorrow.
--v. 3 question, examine, interrogate, sound out, talk with or
to: She interviewed the Prime Minister on television last
night. 4 appraise, evaluate, check (out), vet: The headmaster
himself interviews the teachers.
intimate° adj. 1 close, personal, warm, affectionate, loving, dear,
bosom, cherished, familiar, intime: She had a party for
intimate friends. 2 secret, confidential, private, personal,
privy, hidden, intime; detailed, penetrating, deep, profound,
thorough, exhaustive: In his autobiography he reveals intimate
particulars of his marriage. 3 sexual; carnal: It is well
known that Millie was on intimate terms with her chauffeur. 4
cosy, informal, snug, friendly, warm, comfortable; intime, …
deux, t€te-…-t€te, Colloq comfy: The two of us had an intimate
dinner at home last night.
--n. 5 friend, associate, comrade, crony, familiar,
confidant(e), (constant) companion, Achates, alter ego,
colleague, confrЉre, Colloq sidekick, chum, pal, Brit and
Australian mate, US buddy, Slang Brit china (plate), mucker: He
and a few of his intimates like to get together now and then for
a game of snooker.
intimateэ v. hint, imply, suggest, insinuate, indicate, refer to, allude
to, communicate, make known, give (someone) to understand, warn,
caution, Colloq tip (off): He intimates that my wife will be a
widow if I tell the police.
intimidate
v. frighten, scare, alarm, cow, daunt, dismay, abash, appal,
awe, overawe, browbeat, menace, threaten, terrify, petrify,
terrorize, tyrannize; Slang have or get (someone) by the short
and curlies: You can't intimidate me with your threats!
intolerance
n. bias, prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, partiality,
illiberality, narrow-mindedness, dogmatism; racism, racialism,
sexism, classism, ageism, xenophobia: The government has
legislated against intolerance of minorities.
intolerant
adj. 1 unsympathetic, unforbearing, unindulgent, impatient,
inconsiderate, inhospitable, uncharitable: The present system
seems intolerant of the aged. 2 biased, prejudiced, bigoted,
discriminatory, partial, illiberal, narrow-minded, parochial,
provincial, jaundiced, warped, twisted, one-sided, opinionated,
close-minded; racist, racialist, sexist, classist, ageist,
xenophobic: How can some religions be so intolerant of other
people's beliefs?
intonation
n. accent, accentuation, speech or sound pattern, delivery,
modulation, articulation, pronunciation, vocalization, pitch,
tone, inflection: You can tell the speaker's mood by his
intonation.
intoxicate
v. 1 inebriate, make drunk, addle, stupefy, muddle, befuddle:
He tried to intoxicate me with his home-made brew. 2 stimulate,
excite, overwhelm, elate, exhilarate, animate, enliven,
invigorate, inspirit, thrill, galvanize, electrify, make one's
head spin, take one's breath away, infatuate, entrance, enchant,
enrapture, fascinate, bewitch, cast a spell on, ensorcel: She
was intoxicated by the atmosphere of the place.
intoxicating
adj. 1 alcoholic, spirituous, inebriant: Do not drink
intoxicating beverages if you plan to drive. 2 exhilarating,
invigorating, thrilling, exciting, heady, stimulating,
electrifying, entrancing, fascinating: Making a film of the
life of Lola Montez is an intoxicating idea.
intrepid adj. fearless, brave, bold, daring, dauntless, undaunted,
steadfast, resolute, courageous, unafraid, plucky, gallant,
valiant, valorous, doughty, audacious, heroic, manly, manful,
dashing, adventurous, venturesome, stout-hearted, lion-hearted,
game: Quatermain was known to the enemy as an intrepid soldier.
intricate adj. 1 involved, complicated, convoluted, entangled, tangled,
knotty, complex, twisted, winding, tortuous, sinuous,
anfractuous, labyrinthine, elaborate, Byzantine, fancy, ornate,
rococo, Daedalian or Daedalean or Daedalic, Literary daedal or
dedal: The plot was far too intricate and I became confused. 2
perplexing, puzzling, mystifying, enigmatic: The code was so
intricate that even the computer needed hours to decipher the
message.
intrigue v. 1 fascinate, beguile, captivate, attract, absorb, charm,
pique, interest, titillate, arouse or excite the curiosity (of):
It intrigues me to watch them put those ships into bottles. 2
conspire, plot, connive, scheme, manoeuvre: She was sure that
everyone was intriguing against her.
--n. 3 conspiracy, plot, scheme, manoeuvre, collusion,
stratagem, trickery, chicanery, double-dealing, guile,
subterfuge, artifice, machination, deception: Many of those
close to the government are engaged in intrigue of some kind. 4
affair, liaison, amour, romance, intimacy; adultery: We all
knew about the intrigue he was carrying on with the duke's wife.
intrinsic adj. inherent, basic, fundamental, essential, proper,
elemental, organic, natural, native, inbred, congenital,
inherited, hereditary, innate, inborn, immanent, indwelling,
underlying, constitutional; real, true, actual, genuine: As no
painting has intrinsic worth, its value is arbitrary.
introduce v. 1 acquaint, present, make known: Sandy introduced Gerald
and Daphne to each other. 2 bring in or up, advance, present,
broach, put or set forth, put forward, suggest, offer, propose,
mention: It was she who introduced the issue of bacteria in
canned goods. 3 announce, present: Please introduce the next
speaker. 4 start, begin, originate, launch, establish, set up,
pioneer, initiate, usher in, institute, bring out or in, set up,
organize: When was paper money first introduced? 5 insert,
add, interpose, inject, put in, inject, interpolate: Why
introduce irrelevant matters into the discussion?
introductory
adj. 1 opening, prefatory, preliminary, preparatory, beginning,
inaugural, initial: His 'introductory' remarks lasted longer
than the speeches! 2 primary, basic, fundamental, elementary,
first, rudimentary: Take an introductory course before
enrolling for more advanced study.
intrude v. interfere, break in, interrupt, intervene, push in,
interpose, butt in, infringe, encroach, obtrude, Colloq horn in,
barge in: They want to be alone and you are intruding. Forgive
me for intruding into your conversation.
intruder n. 1 interloper, gatecrasher, uninvited guest, unwelcome
visitor; trespasser, encroacher, invader, infiltrator, squatter;
burglar, thief: The intruders were quickly expelled by the
guards. 2 meddler, busybody, Colloq snoop(er), Nosy Parker, US
kibitzer: You are an intruder into my private affairs.
intrusive adj. intruding, interfering, meddlesome, invasive, meddling,
prying, inquisitive, obtrusive, importunate, officious,
presumptuous, forward; unwelcome, uncalled-for, unwanted,
unsought, Colloq nosy, pushy, snoopy: He said he apologized if
he was being intrusive.
intuition n. instinct, insight, hunch, sixth sense, presentiment,
premonition, foreboding; perception, perceptiveness,
percipience, perspicacity, common sense, mother wit: Intuition
told me I should find the answer here.
invalid° adj. 1 ailing, sick, sickly, ill, infirm, valetudinarian,
disabled: His invalid sister is confined to a wheelchair.
--n. 2 patient, valetudinarian, victim, sufferer, incurable,
cripple, Chiefly US and Canadian shut-in: Many invalids have
claimed complete recovery after a visit to Lourdes.
invalidэ adj. void, null (and void), nullified, annulled, repudiated,
untrue, false, faulty, erroneous, wrong, spurious; incorrect,
imperfect, impaired, unsound, untenable, ineffective: He was
driving with an invalid licence. Your reasons for quitting
school are invalid.
invaluable
adj. priceless, valuable, precious, of inestimable or
incalculable value; irreplaceable, irredeemable; costly,
expensive, high-priced, dear: The thieves made off with several
invaluable paintings.
invariable
adj. 1 unchanging, changeless, unvarying, invariant,
unwavering, constant, steady, stable, regular; fixed, fast, set,
rigid, uniform, unfailing, unexceptional: She is invariable in
her opinion of a woman's right to abortion. His invariable
routine calls for a dawn swim, regardless of the weather. 2
immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, unmodifiable: The law of
supply and demand is invariable. 3 permanent, fixed, enduring,
abiding, eternal, unaltered, unvarying, unchanged, unvaried,
unaltered, unmodified: The positions of the stars appear to be
invariable.
invasion n. 1 incursion, raid, foray, intrusion, inroad, encroachment,
trespass, infiltration; infringement, infraction, transgression,
violation: The poachers were charged with invasion of private
property. Unauthorized publication of that material is an
invasion of your rights. 2 attack, assault, onslaught,
aggression, offensive, drive, storming, blitzkrieg: The
armoured divisions succeeded in stopping the invasion.
invent v. 1 create, devise, contrive, originate, think up, dream up,
conceive, concoct, make up, imagine, formulate, improvise,
design, hit upon; coin: He claims to have invented the
toothpaste tube. 2 fabricate, make up, concoct, Colloq cook up:
She invented that story about having been a lion-tamer.
invention n. 1 creation, origination, contriving, devising, conception,
contrivance, introduction, development: The invention of the
screwdriver has spared many a broken fingernail. 2 creation,
contrivance, device, gadget, Colloq contraption, US gismo or
gizmo: Thomas Edison held patents on a huge number of
inventions. 3 fiction, figment, story, fantasy, fabrication,
tale, fable, yarn, fib, tall story or tale, falsification, fake,
sham, falsehood, lie, prevarication: Her claim that the
accident was my fault is a flagrant invention.
invest v. 1 venture, lay out, put in, sink: She was persuaded to
invest her life savings in unit trusts. 2 devote, allot, spend,
contribute, supply, provide: We have invested a lot of time in
cleaning up local government. 3 install or instal, inaugurate,
induct, initiate, instate, establish, ordain, swear in, seat:
He will be invested with the Order of Merit on Tuesday.
investigate
v. enquire or inquire into, examine, study, consider, explore,
probe, look into, research, scrutinize, analyse, sift (through),
winnow: The laboratory is investigating the nature of the
strange phenomenon.
investigation
n. enquiry or inquiry, examination, study, review, exploration,
quest, search, probe, research, discovery procedure, scrutiny,
analysis, inquest, inquisition, interrogation, questioning: Has
the investigation turned up any evidence of collusion?
invigorating
adj. stimulating, bracing, rejuvenating, tonic, vitalizing,
restorative, energizing, vivifying, enlivening, exhilarating;
fresh, healthful, healthy, salubrious, salutary: Each morning I
go for an invigorating walk. The doctor recommended the
invigorating mountain air.
invincible
adj. 1 unconquerable, unbeatable, indomitable, insuperable,
undefeated, unstoppable: United look invincible, and are likely
to retain the cup for a fourth successive season. 2 impregnable,
invulnerable, impenetrable, indestructible, unassailable: The
Romans believed the fortress to be invincible.
invisible adj. 1 unseeable, imperceptible, undetectable, imperceivable;
unseen: The air we breathe is invisible. 2 concealed, hidden,
disguised, camouflaged, masked, covered, unperceived, veiled,
indiscernible: Once the part has been painted, the damage will
be invisible.
invitation
n. 1 summons, request, call, bidding, Colloq invite: I am
still waiting for my invitation to their wedding. 2 attraction,
inducement, allure, allurement, enticement, temptation,
magnetism, bait, lure, draw, pull: The possibility of going
where no man had gone before was too great an invitation to
ignore.
inviting adj. alluring, tempting, enticing, attractive, beckoning,
appealing, captivating, engaging, intriguing, irresistible,
winsome, beguiling, bewitching, entrancing, fascinating,
tantalizing, seductive: She gave him an inviting smile but he
still approached cautiously.
involuntary
adj. unconscious, unintentional, unthinking, impulsive,
spontaneous, unpremeditated, instinctive, instinctual,
unwitting; automatic, reflex, mechanical, conditioned,
uncontrolled, uncontrollable: When I was struck, my involuntary
reaction was to strike back at once. At the mention of his name
she gave an involuntary start.
involve v. 1 include, contain, comprise, cover, embrace, incorporate,
encompass, take in, subsume, embody, comprehend, number among,
count in: The survey involved many people from all walks of
life. 2 imply, entail, suggest, mean, betoken, require,
necessitate, presuppose: Enrolling for a course involves doing
homework as well as attending classes. 3 Often, involve in or
with. implicate, concern, affect, touch, entangle, draw in;
incriminate, inculpate; associate with, connect with, catch (up)
in: I didn't know that Annette was involved. Are you involved
in that murder investigation?
involved adj. 1 implicated, concerned, affected, interested, active:
The public enquiry was attended by all involved members of the
community. 2 tangled, complicated, complex, twisted, snarled,
convoluted, confused, confusing, intricate, tortuous, elaborate,
knotty, Byzantine, labyrinthine: The plot is too involved to be
followed easily. The involved problems of adolescence cannot be
treated in a one-day conference. 3 involved with. associated
with, entangled with, embroiled with, enmeshed with, Colloq
mixed up with: Dennis is still very much involved with that
singer from the Green Dragon.
irk v. irritate, annoy, vex, pester, provoke, chafe, nettle,
exasperate, Colloq needle, miff, aggravate, bug, peeve, rub
(someone) (up) the wrong way, put out: It really irks me to
know that we lost because we didn't practise.
irksome adj. irritating, annoying, vexing, vexatious, chafing,
nettling, exasperating, bothersome, troublesome, burdensome,
tiresome, tedious, boring, wearisome, uninteresting, Colloq
aggravating, pestiferous: The mosquitoes are particularly
irksome on muggy, windless evenings.
irregular adj. 1 uneven, bumpy, lumpy, coarse, rough, unequal,
unsymmetrical, asymmetric(al), pitted, potholed, jagged, craggy,
lopsided: The irregular surface of the road bounced us about in
the car. 2 sporadic, uneven, random, erratic, unequal, fitful,
haphazard, unsystematic, unsystematized, disorderly, uncertain,
unmethodical; occasional, casual: In the distance I could hear
the staccato of irregular machine-gun fire. 3 extraordinary,
unusual, eccentric, abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, unnatural,
peculiar, queer, odd, weird, bizarre, strange, singular,
nonconforming, nonconformist, exceptional, unconventional,
offbeat, uncommon, freakish, Colloq freaky: Don't you think
that keeping a Komodo dragon as a pet is somewhat irregular?
irrelevant
adj. inappropriate, inapplicable, impertinent, unrelated,
alien, inapposite, malapropos, beside the point, inapt,
non-germane, unconnected, extraneous, neither here nor there,
out of place, gratuitous, uncalled-for, Colloq out of the blue,
off the beam, Slang off-the-wall: The name of the person who
asked the question is entirely irrelevant.
irrepressible
adj. unrestrainable, irrestrainable, uncontainable,
uncontrollable, unmanageable, insuppressible or unsuppressible,
unstoppable, ebullient, buoyant, effervescent, bubbling,
boisterous: Nothing could dampen our irrepressible high spirits
after winning the game.
irreproachable
adj. blameless, unimpeachable, beyond reproach, unreprovable,
faultless, innocent, above suspicion, impeccable, inculpable,
honest, pure: Till now, Forsyth's record in the army has been
irreproachable.
irresistible
adj. 1 irrepressible, unconquerable, indomitable, overpowering,
unbearable, overwhelming, overriding, unmanageable,
ungovernable, uncontrollable: I had an irresistible desire to
punch him in the nose. 2 unstoppable, inexorable, relentless,
unavoidable, ineluctable, inescapable: What happens when an
irresistible force meets an immovable object?
irresolute
adj. vacillating, wavering, faltering, indecisive, infirm of
purpose, in or US only of two minds, undecided, hesitant,
hesitating, shifting, changing, erratic, uncertain, unsure,
undetermined, unresolved, half-hearted, Colloq wishy-washy: You
must act; this is no time to be irresolute.
irrespective of
prep. regardless of, notwithstanding, despite, apart from, in
spite of, without regard to, ignoring, discounting: We shall
carry on irrespective of public opinion.
irresponsible
adj. careless, reckless, devil-may-care, unanswerable,
unaccountable, non-liable, rash, unruly, wild; unreliable,
undependable, untrustworthy, weak, feckless, ineffectual: Cyril
is too irresponsible to take care of the children by himself.
irretrievable
adj. 1 non-retrievable, unretrievable, unrecoverable,
irrecoverable, unsalvageable, unsavable, lost, irreclaimable:
The data that was deleted is now irretrievable. 2 irreparable,
irremediable, uncorrectable, unrectifiable, irredeemable,
irreversible, irrevocable: The radiation from the atomic blast
did irretrievable damage.
irreverent
adj. 1 blasphemous, impious, profane, sacrilegious, unholy,
ungodly, irreligious: She was reprimanded for her irreverent
attitude to morning prayers. 2 disrespectful, insulting,
insolent, rude, discourteous, uncivil, derisive, impudent,
impertinent, saucy, flippant, mocking, tongue-in-cheek, Colloq
flip, cheeky: The prince did not appreciate being the butt of
the irreverent skit.
irreversible
adj. unreversible, non-reversible, irrevocable, unchangeable,
unalterable, permanent, fixed, final, unrepealable,
irredeemable, irretrievable: Burning, essentially the chemical
process of rapid oxidation, is irreversible.
irrevocable
adj. irreversible, unchangeable, immutable, changeless, fixed,
unalterable, settled, unrecallable, irretrievable, irrepealable,
not undoable; irreparable, permanent, enduring, everlasting:
The colonel says that his was an irrevocable order. That speech
did you irrevocable harm.
irritable adj. impatient, excitable, testy, touchy, quarrelsome, grouchy,
fretful, peevish, cross, crabby, crusty, short-tempered,
petulant, prickly, irascible, moody, temperamental, gruff,
cantankerous, curmudgeonly, dyspeptic, bad-tempered,
ill-tempered, ill-humoured, snappy or snappish, grumpy or Brit
also grumpish, Colloq crotchety, US and Canadian and Irish
cranky: Why are you always so irritable before breakfast?
irritate v. annoy, vex, nettle, pester, provoke, bother, anger, enrage,
chafe, pique, exasperate, ruffle, hector, harass, harry, nag,
plague, worry, fret, fluster, trouble, pick at or on, Colloq
needle, get under (someone's) skin, get in (someone's) hair,
hassle, peeve, get on (someone's) nerves, drive (someone) up the
wall, get (someone's) hackles up, get (someone's) back up, drive
(someone) crazy or mad, rub (someone) (up) the wrong way, Brit
get up (someone's) nose, US burn (someone) up: All these stupid
questions are beginning to irritate me.
island n. isle, islet, ait, cay, key; atoll; archipelago; Brit dialect
eyot, holm: There are actually about 1500 islands in the
Thousand Islands in the St Lawrence river.
isolate v. separate, segregate, sequester, cloister, detach, cut off,
send to Coventry, ostracize, maroon, exclude, shut out, bar,
debar, banish, deport, transport, exile, reject, eject, throw
out, expel, shun, spurn, avoid, ignore, snub; quarantine; Colloq
cut, give (someone) the cold shoulder: You cannot isolate a
child from the pressures of modern society.
isolated adj. 1 lone, solitary, single, singular, unique, anomalous,
separate, special, particular, individual, exceptional,
unrelated: In one isolated case they recommended a suspended
sentence. 2 alone, separated, segregated, secluded,
sequestered, cloistered, unconnected, detached, (set) apart,
removed, cut off, excluded; forlorn, lonely, hermitic(al),
eremitic(al), anchoretic(al), troglodytic(al), monastic: Away
from his friends and family, he felt totally isolated. After his
wife died, he led an isolated existence. 3 secluded, remote,
out-of-the-way, off the beaten track, unfrequented, lonely;
secret, hidden: For twenty years we lived in that isolated
shack in the wilderness.
issue n. 1 outflow, outgoing, exit, egress, issuance, emanation,
efflux, debouchment, emergence, outlet: The river's colour
changed abruptly at its point of issue into the sea. 2 outcome,
conclusion, consequence, culmination, result, end, effect,
consummation, event, climax, Colloq pay-off: Whatever the
issue, it has been a brave effort. 3 point, topic, subject,
matter, affair, problem, question: That is an issue you should
take up with the mayor. 4 Usually, major issue. (major or big)
problem or difficulty, controversy, fight, dispute, cause
c‚lЉbre: He turns even walking the dog into a major issue. 5
printing, edition, version; copy, number: I have a copy of the
Sunday issue. See if you can buy an issue of today's paper. 6
publication, promulgation, issuance, issuing, distribution,
delivery, dissemination, broadcasting, proclamation,
circulation: There will be a special issue of stamps to
commemorate his death. 7 offspring, child or children,
descendant(s), progeny, young, scion(s), son(s), daughter(s):
According to the records, your uncle died without issue, making
you his sole heir. 8 at issue. in contention, in dispute,
unresolved, unsettled, uncertain, up in the air, to be decided:
The point at issue is which system will be the most efficient.
9 take issue. disagree, argue, contend, dispute, oppose, take
exception: I feel that I must take issue with your conclusion.
--v. 10 proclaim, promulgate, declare, publish, put out, put or
set forth, announce, circulate, distribute, get out, release,
deliver, broadcast, disseminate, get out: The kidnappers have
issued an ultimatum. 11 emerge, come or go forth, exit,
emanate, discharge, stream, flow, pour; appear, originate,
spring, stem, arise: The play ended, and people issued from the
theatre. Where Pegasus stamped his foot the Pierian spring
issued forth.
itch v. 1 tickle, tingle, prickle: These mosquito bites itch
terribly. 2 desire, crave, hanker, hunger, thirst, yearn, pine,
wish, want, die: I am itching to get my hands on whoever told
you that I was dead.
--n. 3 tickle, tickling, tingle, tingling, prickle, prickling,
irritation: My frustration is like having an itch I can't
scratch. 4 desire, craving, hankering, hunger, thirst,
yearning, longing, Colloq yen: I have a sudden itch to visit
mother for the weekend.
item n. 1 detail, article, point, particular, matter, thing,
element, component, ingredient: There's one item I'd like you
to keep in mind. 2 piece, mention, notice, note, memorandum,
memo, filler, jotting: We often publish short items to fill out
a column.
itemize v. enumerate, list, specify, particularize, detail, document,
number, record, count, tabulate: Must I itemize every single
book in the inventory?
jab v. 1 stab, thrust, poke, dig, prod; plunge; nudge; tap: The
doctor jabbed a needle into my arm. 2 punch, hit, strike, belt,
smack, rap, whack, thwack, cuff, thump, wallop; elbow; Colloq
clip, sock, slug, biff: I jabbed him in the jaw with a quick
left.
--n. 3 stab, thrust, poke, dig, prod, nudge: I felt the jab of
her elbow signalling me to be quiet. 4 punch, belt, smack, rap,
whack, thwack, cuff, thump, wallop, Colloq clip, sock, slug,
biff: A hard jab in the stomach made the bully turn to pudding.
jabber v. 1 blether or US only blather, chatter, babble, gibber,
gabble, prate, prattle, patter, drivel, rattle, Brit natter,
Scots yatter, Colloq gab, gas, yap, witter: The couple behind
me jabbered throughout the entire film.
--n. 2 See jargon, 2.
jade n. 1 nag, hack, Slang Brit screw, US plug: That old jade
hasn't won a race in his last ten times out. 2 shrew, harridan,
nag, hag, drab, witch, crone, hussy, minx, vixen, virago,
termagant, beldam, slut, slattern, trull, trollop, baggage,
tart, Slang battle-axe, broad, bitch, old bag, floozie or floozy
or floosie: He was married to an expensive jade of a wife.
jaded adj. 1 exhausted, weary, tired, dead tired, bone-tired,
bone-weary, dog-tired, fatigued, enervated, spent, Colloq (dead)
beat, dead, bushed, fagged, US and Canadian pooped: The
nightspot was full of jaded businessmen, who had gone there to
relax after a heavy day at the office. 2 sated, satiated,
cloyed, surfeited, glutted, gorged, fed up, sick (and tired) of,
slaked; dull, bored: You need a little champagne and caviar to
reawaken your jaded palate.
jag n. spree, carouse, orgy, bout, Colloq binge, US and Canadian
toot: She was terribly hung-over after last night's jag.
jagged adj. rough, uneven, notched, sawtooth, ragged, toothed, spiked,
indented, denticulate, serrated, chipped: I cut myself on the
jagged edge of that broken window.
jail n. 1 Brit gaol, prison, lock-up, reformatory, Brit Borstal, US
penitentiary, reform school, Nautical brig, Slang cooler, clink,
can, jug, stir, slammer, Brit nick, quod, choky or chokey, US
calaboose, big house, pen, coop, hoosegow, pokey: They were
sent to jail for life.
--v. 2 imprison, lock up, incarcerate, detain, confine, Brit
send down, US send up (the river): He was jailed for 30 days.
jailer n. Brit gaoler, turnkey, guard, Brit warder, governor, US
warden, Slang screw: The jailers let us out for exercise for an
hour each day.
jam v. 1 cram, force, push, wedge, stuff, press, ram, squeeze,
shove, pack, crowd: We were jammed in so tightly that we
couldn't move. 2 block, obstruct, congest, fill up, clog, plug,
stop up: The toilet is jammed with paper again. 3 slam,
activate, actuate: I jammed on the brakes.
--n. 4 obstruction, blockage, blocking, block, congestion,
tie-up, bottleneck, stoppage: She was stuck in a traffic jam
for an hour. 5 crush, squeeze, crowd, mob, swarm, multitude,
throng, mass, horde, pack, press: You wouldn't believe the jam
of football fans at the cup final! 6 trouble, difficulty,
predicament, quandary, dilemma, Colloq bind, fix, hole, pickle,
hot water, (tight) spot, scrape: Harry helped me out of a jam
once, and I won't forget it.
jamboree n. gathering, get-together, party, celebration, f€te, festival,
festivity, carnival, frolic, revelry, spree, carouse, jubilee,
revels, charivari: Everyone is invited to the annual jamboree
in the village square.
jangle v. 1 clatter, clash, rattle, clang, clank, crash, ring, jingle:
The chains jangled as the prisoners marched to their cells. 2
jar, upset, irritate: The continuous screaming of the sirens
jangled my nerves.
--n. 3 jangling, clatter, clash, rattle, jarring, clang,
clanging, clank, clanking, crash, clangour, noise, din, racket,
clamour, dissonance, cacophony, reverberation, Literary stridor:
I heard the jangle of the rag-and-bone man's cart in the next
street.
jar° n. crock; receptacle, vessel, container, urn, pot, vase; jug,
pitcher, ewer, flagon, carafe, bottle, amphora: We always keep
some small change in that blue jar.
jarэ v. 1 shake, agitate, disturb, stir, shock, jolt, jounce,
bounce, jog, jerk, jiggle, joggle: Don't jar the oven or the
cake will collapse. 2 disagree, conflict, clash, bicker,
quarrel, wrangle, oppose, discord: She finds that her emotions
about her ex-husband are jarring. 3 disturb, upset, disconcert,
unsettle, disquiet, bother, trouble, vex, gall, offend, take
aback, irritate, grate, irk, nettle, annoy: It jars me to think
that they got off with light sentences.
--n. 4 shock, start, jolt, surprise: Seeing Sam after all
those years gave me quite a jar.
jargon n. 1 cant, argot, parlance, idiom, vernacular, slang; patois,
Creole, dialect, pidgin; Colloq lingo: In the jargon of
philately, this is known as a 'first day cover'. 2 blether or
US also blather, chatter, babble, gibberish, jabber, gabble,
gobbledegook or gobbledygook, prattle, patter, drivel, cackle,
jabberwocky, twaddle, (stuff and) nonsense, rubbish, codswallop,
balderdash, bunk, humbug, palaver, bavardage, Colloq rot,
garbage, hogwash, bosh, piffle, flapdoodle, chit-chat, gab,
claptrap, Slang bull, crap: When I questioned my bank manager
about the fee, he just gave me a lot of jargon.
jaundiced adj. 1 coloured, tainted, distorted, twisted, prejudiced,
opinionated, biased, preconceived, untrustworthy, bigoted,
partial, unfair, perverted; dishonest, corrupt: Even the most
jaundiced view must acknowledge the merits of the plan. 2
splenetic, cynical, bitter, envious, resentful, jealous,
hostile, spiteful, unfriendly, disapproving, critical,
unfavourable, disparaging, denigrating: I can't say that I
agree with Cartwright's jaundiced review of the play.
jaunty adj. 1 spirited, lively, high-spirited, buoyant, brisk, frisky,
sprightly, free (and easy), blithe, jovial, happy, jubilant,
jolly, merry, cheerful, gay: It is heartening to see those
pensioners in such a jaunty mood. 2 chic, smart, stylish,
dashing, debonair, elegant, colourful, spruce, flashy, flash,
showy, flamboyant, Colloq sporty, natty: Tipping his hat at a
jaunty angle, the old boulevardier strolled off, twirling his
walking-stick.
jealous adj. 1 resentful, bitter, grudging, envious, covetous, green
with envy, green-eyed: Brian is jealous of attention paid to
anyone but himself. 2 distrustful, distrusting, mistrustful,
mistrusting, suspicious; anxious, insecure, threatened,
imperilled, vulnerable: Ken is very jealous of Kathleen. If
anyone so much as looks at her, he feels jealous.
jealously adv. watchfully, carefully, guardedly, protectively, warily,
vigilantly, scrupulously, zealously, eagerly, attentively,
anxiously, suspiciously: Victor jealously keeps all details of
his business to himself.
jeer v. 1 Often, jeer at. mock, laugh or scoff or sneer (at), flout,
deride, ridicule, make fun of, thumb one's nose at, gibe or
jibe, chaff, decry, twit, taunt, Colloq rag, bullyrag, roast,
Brit cock a snook at, Brit and Australian barrack, Slang knock:
Don't jeer at aromatherapy till you've tried it.
--n. 2 taunt, gibe or jibe, aspersion, hoot, hiss, boo,
catcall; derision, ridicule, obloquy: Just because he was fat,
Christopher had to suffer the jeers of his classmates.
jell v. 1 set, congeal, solidify, harden, coagulate, thicken,
stiffen, gelatinize: The mixture won't jell till you add hot
water. 2 (take) form, take shape, crystallize, materialize,
come together, be set: Their plans for the shopping centre have
not yet jelled.
jeopardize
v. endanger, imperil, threaten, menace, risk, hazard, venture:
You may jeopardize your freedom if you stand up for your rights.
jeopardy n. Usually, in sometimes at jeopardy. danger, peril; threat,
menace, risk, hazard, chance, uncertainty, vulnerability,
exposure, liability: She put her life in jeopardy by going into
the lion's cage.
jerk v. 1 yank, wrench, pluck, nip, tug, twist, tweak: I jerked the
dagger out of his hand, leaving him defenceless. 2 twitch,
lurch, jolt, jump, start, jig, jiggle, wriggle, wiggle: The
creature jerked about convulsively, screaming, then lay still.
--n. 3 yank, pull, wrench, tug, twist, tweak: With a sharp
jerk, he pulled the plaster from the child's leg. 4 lurch,
jolt, start, bump: The train stopped with a jerk, throwing me
off balance. 5 idiot, fool, moron, imbecile, Slang US dope,
creep, yo-yo, nerd, dweeb: Why would she want to go out with a
jerk like that?
jewel n. 1 gem, gemstone, brilliant, ornament, bijou, Colloq rock,
sparkler: Thieves stole a diamond necklace and an heirloom
brooch set with precious jewels. 2 treasure, marvel, find,
godsend, gem, pearl, prize, boon, Colloq catch: What would you
do without your secretary - she's an absolute jewel!
jewellery n. gems, precious stones, jewels, ornaments, finery,
bijouterie: Alexandra keeps her jewellery in a bank vault.
jiggle v. 1 jog, joggle, jig, shake, agitate, wiggle, wriggle, jerk:
It's odd to see grown people jiggling about on the dance floor
like that. Jiggle the key up and down - maybe then you can turn
it.
--n. 2 jog, joggle, jig, shake, wiggle, jerk: I gave the line
a few jiggles, hoping to attract a fish.
jilt v. throw over, reject, dismiss, drop, discard, desert, break
(up) with, forsake, abandon, Colloq ditch, dump, brush off or
give (someone) the brush-off, Chiefly US and Canadian give
(someone) his or her walking papers: Angela met Tony and
promptly jilted Mike.
jingle v. 1 tinkle, ring, tintinnabulate, clink, chink, chime: She
wore a dozen bracelets, which jingled when she walked.
--n. 2 tinkle, tinkling, ring, ringing, tintinnabulation,
clink, clinking, chink, chinking, chime, chiming: I like to
feel the jingle of change in my pocket. 3 tune, ditty, melody,
song, rhyme, verse, doggerel: The only thing he ever wrote was
a jingle for a dog-food commercial.
jingoism n. chauvinism, flag-waving, superpatriotism, nationalism;
hawkishness, warmongering, belligerence, bellicosity: 'Might
makes right' is a basic tenet of jingoism.
jinx n. 1 (evil) spell, curse, evil eye, malediction, voodoo, US and
Canadian hex: I felt I had lost at roulette because she had put
a jinx on me. 2 nemesis, Jonah: If we don't throw that jinx
overboard we shall all die.
--v. 3 curse, bewitch, damn, doom, sabotage, condemn, US and
Canadian hex: My career was jinxed from the start.
jitters n.pl. shakes, fidgets, nerves, uneasiness, queasiness,
nervousness, skittishness, restlessness, apprehension,
apprehensiveness, Slang heebie-jeebies, willies US whim-whams:
He always gets an attack of the jitters before an exam.
job n. 1 work, employment, position, berth, livelihood; career,
occupation, calling, vocation, appointment, pursuit, field,
trade, craft, profession, m‚tier, area: What kind of job is she
looking for? Harry has a new job. 2 assignment, responsibility,
concern, chore, task, undertaking, function, duty, role,
mission, province, contribution, charge: It is my job to see
that the machines run properly. 3 task, undertaking, procedure,
proceeding, affair, operation, project, activity, business,
matter, chore: The job of changing the gasket will take only a
few minutes. 4 problem, difficulty, burden, nuisance, bother;
toil, grind, drudgery; Colloq headache, pain (in the neck),
hassle, Slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: It was a real
job getting them to pay for the damage. 5 crime, felony;
robbery, burglary, Slang US and Canadian caper: From the modus
operandi, I'd say that the same gang did that job in Manchester.
--v. 6 Often, job out. let out, assign, apportion, allot, share
out, contract, hire, employ, subcontract, farm out, consign,
commission: They undertake to do the work, but then they job it
out to others.
jog v. 1 trot, lope, dogtrot, run: I jog around the reservoir
every morning for exercise. 2 jar, prod, nudge, arouse, stir,
stimulate, prompt, activate, shake: I jogged his memory by
referring to the time the dog bit him. 3 bounce, shake, jolt,
joggle, jounce, jerk: I was being jogged about in the back of
the van as we sped over the rocky terrain.
join v. 1 unite, connect, couple, link, marry, yoke, combine, fasten
or tie or glue or weld or solder (together), unify: These two
pieces should be joined for greater strength. 2 ally or league
with, associate (oneself) with, team up with, throw (one's lot)
in with, enlist (in), sign (up) (with), enrol (in), enter: She
was invited to join the bridge club. 3 go or be with, associate
with, accompany, attach (oneself) to, participate with: Would
you care to join us for a game of bridge? 4 border (on or
upon), meet, touch, abut, butt, adjoin, be adjacent (to), extend
to, verge on, coincide (with), juxtapose, be contiguous or
conterminous (with), be coextensive (with): The two properties
join at the top of the ridge.
joint n. 1 seam, union, juncture, connection, junction, intersection:
The joint won't show after the whole thing's been painted. 2
Slang dive, dump, US and Canadian honky-tonk: We went into a
joint in Soho, looking for some action. 3 roast: Who carves
the Sunday joint at your house?
--adj. 4 shared, mutual, combined, collective, cooperative,
common, communal, collaborative: Our aims can only be achieved
by joint effort.
jointed v. articulated, segmented, sectioned, sectionalized, hinged:
The stick is jointed so that it can be folded for carrying in
the pocket.
joke n. 1 jest, witticism, quip, bon mot, laugh, wordplay, pun,
story, anecdote, Colloq gag, wisecrack, one-liner, crack:
Ronnie comes up with the funniest jokes I have ever heard. 2
laughing-stock, butt, (fair) game, buffoon: After that
incident, he became the joke of the regiment. 3 farce, mockery,
absurdity, travesty, caricature: My efforts to play the piano
became a joke.
--v. 4 jest, quip, pun, frolic, wisecrack, tease, taunt,
banter, chaff, fool, Colloq kid, US crack wise: They joked
about our predicament. You must be joking if you think I'm going
to go out with him!
joker n. 1 jokester, comedian, comedienne, funny man, humorist,
jester, comic, clown, wag, wit, punster, droll, zany, merry
andrew, buffoon, trickster, prankster, Colloq card, gagster, gag
man, kidder: Give him a drink and a funny hat and Roger thinks
he's the greatest joker in the world. 2 US catch, hitch, snag,
drawback, trap, twist, pitfall, fine or small print, Colloq
catch-22, no-win situation, Taboo nigger in the woodpile: The
joker is that whoever treats the patients catches the disease.
jolly adj. 1 merry, cheerful, frolicsome, gay, jovial, joyful,
sportive, convivial, jocund, jocose, jocular, frisky, coltish,
playful, festive, jubilant, cheery, exuberant, high-spirited,
animated: Everyone was in a jolly mood at her birthday party.
--v. 2 Often, jolly along. humour, appease, deceive, string
along, fool, hoax: They're just jollying him along because they
want him to invest in their scheme.
jolt v. 1 jar, shake (up), jostle, bump, bounce, jerk: The cart
jolted over the rough terrain. 2 butt, strike, hit, push,
nudge, elbow, knock, jab: He jolted me so hard he actually
cracked a rib. 3 shock, astonish, astound, amaze, surprise,
startle, stun, dumbfound or dumfound, stupefy, strike dumb,
daze, shake (up): I was jolted to learn that my husband had
been arrested for murder.
--n. 4 lurch, jar, jerk, bump, jump, bounce, start: The train
started with a jolt that almost knocked me over. 5 blow, shock,
surprise, bolt from the blue, bombshell: It was certainly a
jolt to discover that she had left me.
jot v. 1 Usually, jot down. make a note of, write or note (down),
put or set or take down, record: Jot down this telephone
number.
--n. 2 scrap, grain, (wee) bit, speck, mite, iota, whit,
particle, tittle, Colloq slightest, US and Canadian tad, smidgen
or smidgin: I don't care a jot what she thinks about the
situation in Central America.
journal n. 1 periodical, magazine, gazette, newspaper, paper,
newsletter, review, tabloid; daily, weekly, monthly,
fortnightly, quarterly, annual: The journal contains
information about every building permit awarded in the entire
country. 2 diary, chronicle, dossier, record, register, log,
logbook, minute-book, minutes, documentation, album, scrapbook,
memoir, almanac, annal, history, yearbook, record book; roll,
catalogue, list: He kept a detailed journal of every event in
his twenty-year exile.
journalist
n. reporter, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, correspondent,
newsman, newswoman, member of the fourth estate, gentleman or
lady of the press, stringer; columnist; hack; newscaster,
anchorman, anchorwoman, commentator, broadcaster, Brit pressman,
paragraphist; newsreader, Colloq scribe, newsmonger, US and
Canadian legman, news-hawk, news-hound, news-hen: Journalists
crowded round the minister, urging her to make a statement.
journey n. 1 trip, voyage, excursion, tour, travel, outing, expedition,
junket, cruise, jaunt, pilgrimage, peregrination, odyssey, trek:
Did your wife accompany you on your journey to Tierra del Fuego?
2 way, passage, passing, transit, transition, progress, course,
way, trip, route, career: On your journey through this life,
Whatever be your goal, Keep your eye upon the doughnut, And not
upon the hole.
--v. 3 travel, tour, voyage, go (abroad or overseas), make or
take a trip, make or wend one's way, make a pilgrimage,
peregrinate, trek, rove, range, wander, roam, tour, cruise, gad
(about), gallivant or galivant or galavant: He journeyed to the
far corners of the earth seeking an answer to life's mysteries.
joy n. 1 pleasure, gratification, satisfaction, happiness,
contentment, enjoyment, gladness, delight, felicity, elation,
exaltation, ecstasy, bliss, exhilaration, exultation, rapture:
We felt indescribable joy at seeing the children safe and sound.
2 gaiety, cheerfulness, cheer, glee, buoyancy, joviality,
jollity, jocundity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation,
merriment, light-heartedness, blithesomeness: Let me wish you
joy in this holiday season. 3 delight, pleasure, treat,
blessing, gratification, satisfaction, prize: A thing of beauty
is a joy forever.
joyful adj. 1 cheerful, happy, buoyant, gleeful, merry, jovial, jolly,
jocund, joyous, jubilant, gay, light-hearted, blithe,
blithesome, sunny: We are delighted that you have all come to
help us celebrate this joyful occasion. 2 glad, pleased,
gratified, delighted, happy, elated, ecstatic, exhilarated,
exultant, overjoyed, jubilant, in heaven, Brit in the seventh
heaven, US in seventh heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, tickled
(pink), Brit over the moon: Mark was joyful at the news that he
was father of a boy.
joyless adj. 1 sad, unhappy, miserable, depressed, dejected, mournful,
downhearted, downcast, down, despondent, dispirited, melancholy,
heavy-hearted, cheerless, doleful, grief-stricken, disheartened,
saddened, crestfallen, wretched, disconsolate, inconsolable,
morose, heartsick, sorrowful, woeful, woebegone: It was a
joyless company that stood at the grave side. The cat died, the
dog died, and my husband was ill - all in all, a joyless time. 2
gloomy, depressing, dispiriting, disheartening, dreary,
lugubrious, cheerless, dismal, bleak, inhospitable, desolate,
grim, austere, severe: The shuttered, joyless house loomed out
of the misty moor ahead.
judge n. 1 justice, magistrate, jurist, Isle of Man deemster or
dempster, Slang Brit beak: The judge demanded order in the
court. 2 arbitrator, arbiter, umpire, referee, adjudicator,
judicator, mediator, moderator: She served as a judge at Crufts
dog show last year. 3 connoisseur, expert, authority, arbiter,
appraiser, evaluator, reviewer, critic, arbiter elegantiarum or
elegantiae: Let me be the judge of which work I do best.
--v. 4 adjudicate, adjudge, arbitrate, decide, find, conclude,
settle, determine, decree, pass judgement, deem, rule, pronounce
or pass sentence: Do you think the jury will judge in Claus's
favour? 5 assess, evaluate, appraise, estimate, rate, value,
weigh, measure, review, consider, size up, appreciate: A
ballistics expert is required to judge this evidence. 6
referee, umpire, mediate, moderate, arbitrate: Mr Farnsworth
agreed to judge the essay competition. 7 believe, suspect,
think, consider, suppose, guess, conjecture, surmise, conclude,
infer: Palaeontologists judge the age of the specimens to be
400 million years.
judgement n. 1 judgment, discretion, discernment, discrimination,
judiciousness, prudence, wisdom, wit, sagacity, perspicacity,
clear-headedness, perception, perspicuousness, percipience,
acumen, intelligence, (good) sense, common sense,
level-headedness, understanding, shrewdness: Charlotte's
judgement is often sought in such matters. 2 decision, ruling,
verdict, conclusion, determination, opinion, adjudication,
finding, decree, order; outcome, result, upshot: The judgement
of the court is final. It was the judgement of Paris to award
the golden apple to Aphrodite. 3 criticism, censure,
disapproval, reproof, condemnation: They offered a moral, not a
legal judgement. 4 opinion, view, belief, (way of) thinking,
mind, perception; sentiment: In my judgement, she is innocent.
5 evaluation, valuation, appraisal, estimation, assessment: One
critic's unfavourable judgement of a play can spell its doom.
judicial adj. 1 legal, judiciary, judicatory, juridic(al); official:
forensic: A formal judicial procedure can be quite costly. 2
critical, analytical, discriminating, distinguishing,
discerning, keen, sharp, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious,
differentiating, discriminatory, discriminative, judicious: Her
decisions have always been judicial. 3 judgelike, magisterial,
impartial, fair: He brought judicial procedures to bear on the
handling of the problem.
judicious adj. sensible, commonsensical, sound, sober, intelligent,
aware, enlightened, wise, sage, sapient, thoughtful, reasonable,
rational, sane, logical, discerning, discriminating,
discriminative, astute, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious,
well-advised, (well-)informed, prudent, discreet, tactful,
diplomatic, politic, careful, considered, circumspect: The
treasurer was considered not to have made judicious use of the
club's funds.
jug n. pitcher, ewer, urn, carafe, bottle, flask, decanter, jar:
She came in from the barn carrying a jug of fresh milk.
juggle v. manipulate, tamper with, falsify, fix, rig, distort,
misstate, misrepresent, alter, arrange, Colloq doctor, cook:
The accountant refused a bribe to juggle the company's books.
juice n. 1 extract, liquid, fluid: The recipe calls for the juice of
one lemon. 2 essence, pith, extract, vigour, force, vitality,
spirit, strength, power: He really squeezed the juice out of my
argument.
juicy adj. 1 succulent, moist, lush: This is a very juicy pear. 2
interesting, sensational, lurid, colourful, vivid, exciting,
stirring, thrilling, intriguing, fascinating, provocative,
suggestive, racy, spicy, risqu‚: I've got such a juicy piece of
gossip for you!
jumble v. 1 disorder, mix (up), mingle, confuse, confound, muddle,
shuffle, disarrange, disorganize, tangle, entangle: I found my
belongings all jumbled together.
--n. 2 muddle, tangle, medley, mess; disorder, confusion,
disarray, chaos, clutter: My clothes were in a jumble on the
bed.
jumbo adj. huge, gigantic, enormous, elephantine, immense, oversized,
king-sized, Colloq US humongous: Grandad brought us a jumbo box
of chocolates.
jump v. 1 leap, bound, spring, pounce, hurdle, vault, hop, skip;
caper, cavort, gambol: Jack, jump over the candlestick! Lambs
were jumping about in the meadow. 2 start, jerk, wince, flinch,
recoil: The sudden noise made me jump. 3 Sometimes, jump over.
skip (over), omit, pass over or by, bypass, avoid, leave out,
ignore, disregard, overlook, gloss over: Jump the boring parts
and read me the sexy bits. 4 pass, move, leap, skip: She
jumped from one subject to another so quickly that I couldn't
keep track. 5 advance, increase, rise, gain, surge, escalate:
The cost of living jumped again this month, causing fear of
inflation. 6 jump at. accept, grab, snatch, swoop up, leap at,
pounce on: Most people would jump at the chance to better
themselves. 7 jump on. attack, swoop down on or upon;
reprimand, rebuke: She jumps on anyone who suggests that she
used influence to get her job.
--n. 8 leap, bound, spring, pounce, hurdle, vault, hop, skip:
With one jump the cheetah was upon the gazelle. 9 rise,
increase, boost, hike, advance, gain, surge, escalation,
upsurge, increment, elevation: A jump in the Retail Price Index
drove share prices lower again yesterday. 10 barricade,
obstacle, hurdle, fence, rail, obstruction: My horse cleared
the first jump easily. 11 start, jerk, spasm, twitch, recoil,
lurch, jolt: When they called his name, he gave a little jump.
12 break, gap, hiatus, lacuna, space, hole, breach, rift,
interruption: There's a jump in continuity at the end of the
fourth chapter.
jumpy adj. nervous, agitated, anxious, jittery, fidgety, restless,
edgy, on edge, tense, shaky, skittish, fretful, uneasy, queasy,
restive, panicky: Do you think he was jumpy because we were
approaching Count Dracula's castle?
junction n. juncture, union, combination, joining, conjunction, meeting,
linking, connection, conjoining, intersection, confluence;
crossroads, interchange: The train robbery took place at the
junction of the two railways.
juncture n. 1 See junction. 2 point, time, moment, stage, period: At
this juncture, suggesting a merger seems premature.
junior adj. secondary, lesser, lower, minor, subordinate, inferior;
younger: Thompson has been offered a junior partnership in his
firm.
junk n. 1 rubbish, waste, refuse, litter, debris, scrap; US garbage,
trash: A man came to cart away the junk that we had cleared out
of the garage.
--v. 2 Colloq discard, throw away, scrap, cast aside, jettison,
US trash: We bought a new washing-machine and junked the old
one.
junta n. junto, cabal, clique, faction, gang, coterie, band, set,
camarilla: After the coup, the country was run by a military
junta.
jurisdiction
n. authority, power, prerogative, dominion, sovereignty, say,
control, rule, ascendancy, hegemony, influence; province,
district, area, bailiwick, compass, realm, sphere (of
influence), reach, clutches, range, orbit: Tierra del Fuego
seems a bit far to go just to be outside the jurisdiction of the
Inland Revenue.
just adj. 1 fair, equitable, impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced,
reasonable, fair-minded, even-handed, neutral, objective: Do
you think you can expect a just trial after all that publicity?
2 upright, righteous, right-minded, honourable, honest, ethical,
moral, principled, straight, decent, good, upstanding, virtuous,
lawful: In our system of law, one must believe that juries are
basically just. 3 justified, justifiable, well-founded,
well-grounded, legitimate, valid, reasonable, rightful,
(well-)deserved, due, fitting, proper; condign: She has a just
claim to her father's estate. His punishment was just.
--adv. 4 only, merely, nothing but, solely, simply, at best, at
most, no more than: She said just that and nothing else. 5
exactly, precisely, perfectly; barely, only just, hardly,
scarcely, by a hair's breadth, Colloq by the skin of one's
teeth: My new car just fits into the garage, with only inches
to spare. 6 (only or just) now, a moment ago, (very) recently,
lately: We have just returned from a holiday in Tenerife.
justice n. 1 fairness, impartiality, objectivity, objectiveness,
equity, equitableness, fair-mindedness, justness,
even-handedness, neutrality, fair play: Justice triumphed on
this occasion, and he was convicted of fraud. 2 the law, the
police; punishment, prison, imprisonment, incarceration,
detention: He is a fugitive from justice. 3 law, right,
morality, lawfulness, rightfulness, legitimacy, judiciousness:
His conviction was a miscarriage of justice. 4 See judge, 1.
justify v. vindicate, legitimate, legitimatize or legitimize, legalize,
rationalize, substantiate, defend, support, uphold, sustain,
validate, warrant, confirm; excuse, explain, absolve, acquit,
exculpate: My worst fears were justified. How can you justify
owning three cars?
jut v. extend, overhang, project, protrude, stick out, beetle: The
balcony juts out over the lake.
juvenile adj. 1 young, youthful, under age, minor, teenage(d), immature,
adolescent, childish, infantile, babyish, puerile,
unsophisticated: What could be more juvenile than painting
graffiti on public buildings.
--n. 2 youth, boy, girl, adolescent, minor, Law infant: The
police have arrested two juveniles for attacking an old lady in
her own home.
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keen° adj. 1 enthusiastic, avid, zealous, devoted, ardent, fervent,
fervid, earnest, impassioned, passionate, intense, active; agog,
eager, itching, anxious: They are keen fans of TV soap operas.
I was keen to go swimming. 2 sharp, sharpened, razor-sharp,
razor-like, knife-edged; trenchant, incisive, cutting,
rapier-like, pointed, mordant, acid, vitriolic, acerbic,
astringent, biting, acrid, acrimonious, stinging, scorching,
caustic, searing, withering, virulent, pungent, sarcastic,
sardonic: This axe is very keen, so be careful. With his keen
wit, the playwright answered his severest critics. His play is a
keen satire on the government. 3 painful, bitter, acute,
poignant, fierce, grievous, severe, distressing, distressful,
strong, deep, profound, intense, extreme, heartfelt: She felt
keen resentment at the way she had been treated. 4 vivid,
detailed, specific, unmistaken, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
distinct: He has a keen recollection of seeing the suspect on
the bus. 5 sharp, acute, sensitive, penetrating,
discriminating, fine: The bloodhound has an extremely keen
sense of smell. 6 intelligent, sharp, acute, perceptive,
perspicacious, percipient, sensitive, discerning, astute, smart,
bright, discriminating, discriminative, quick(-witted), shrewd,
clever, canny, cunning, crafty, wise: Philip has a keen
understanding of what is required of him. 7 keen on or about.
fond of, enamoured of, devoted to, interested in: Alan is
almost as keen on Mary as on his stamp collection.
keenэ v. 1 weep, wail, moan, lament, mourn, grieve; bewail, bemoan:
Finnegan's widow still keens over him.
--n. 2 dirge, elegy, knell, lament, lamentation, Requiem,
monody, threnody, thanatopsis, epicedium , Scots and Irish
coronach: The keens could be heard throughout the
neighbourhood.
keep v. 1 retain, hold, hang on to, preserve, conserve, have, save,
maintain, control: The difficulty is not in making money but in
keeping it. 2 hold, have, take care or charge of, mind, tend,
care for, look after, guard, keep an eye on, watch over,
protect, safeguard; maintain, feed, nourish, victual, board,
nurture, provide for, provision: Would you keep this parcel for
me until I return? They keep chickens and ducks. 3 accumulate,
save (up), amass, hoard (up), husband, retain, preserve, put or
stow away: My brother has kept all the toys he ever had. 4
maintain, store, preserve: I keep woollen things in a cedar
chest. 5 Often, keep on or at. continue, carry on, persist
(in), persevere (in); prolong, sustain: How did you keep going
after Elsa's death? She kept at it all night long. Keep on
working till I tell you to stop. 6 keep to, abide by, follow,
obey, mind, adhere to, attend to, pay attention to, heed,
regard, observe, respect, acknowledge, defer to, accede (to),
agree (to): Only a stickler would keep the letter of such a
law. 7 stay, remain: Keep off the grass. Keep to the left. 8
support, finance, provide for, subsidize, maintain: He kept a
mistress in Chelsea. 9 confine, detain; imprison, incarcerate,
jail or Brit also gaol: The police have kept him overnight. 10
celebrate, observe, solemnize, memorialize, commemorate: We
always kept Easter at my mother's house in the country. 11
last, be preserved, survive, stand up, stay fresh: Eggs keep
longer in the refrigerator. 12 harbour, maintain, safeguard,
keep dark: Can you keep a secret? 13 keep from. prevent, keep
or hold back, restrain, (hold in) check, restrict, prohibit,
forbid, inhibit, disallow, block, obstruct, deny, curb, deter,
discourage: How can I keep my plants from dying while I'm away?
14 keep in. a keep or hold back, repress, suppress, stifle,
smother, muzzle, bottle up, withhold, conceal, hide, shroud,
mask, camouflage: She keeps in her true feelings. He could
hardly keep in the tears. b confine, shut in or up, coop up,
detain; fence in: Keith thought the teacher kept him in after
school because she liked him.
--n. 15 upkeep, maintenance, support, room and board,
subsistence, food, sustenance, living: He works hard to earn
his keep. 16 donjon, tower, dungeon: He was imprisoned in the
keep of the castle for twenty years.
keeper n. custodian, guardian, guard, warden, caretaker; warder,
nurse, attendant, Brit minder: The keepers are very strict
about not letting people feed the animals. How come they let you
out without your keeper?
keepsake n. memento, souvenir, token, reminder, remembrance, relic: The
locket is a keepsake from those happy days in Antibes.
keg n. cask, barrel, butt, hogshead, tun, puncheon: We bought a
keg of beer for the party.
kernel n. 1 grain, seed, pip, stone; nut, meat, US nut-meat: Try to
extract the walnut kernel without breaking it. 2 centre, core,
nucleus, heart, essence, quintessence, substance, gist, pith,
nub, quiddity: Let's get down to the kernel of the problem.
key n. 1 latchkey, skeleton key, passkey, opener: Have you lost
your car keys again? You will need a key to open the air valve
on the radiator. 2 clue, cue, guide, indication, indicator,
explanation: The key to his behaviour can probably be found in
the way his mother treated him in his childhood. 3 pitch, tone,
timbre, level, tonality, frequency: The song was originally
written in the key of C. 4 legend, explanation, description,
explication, clarification, translation: A key to the symbols
appears on every other page. 5 mood, tenor, tone, humour,
style: In this passage there is a change to a more sombre key.
--adj. 6 important, essential, vital, necessary, crucial,
critical, main, pivotal: Automatic reversal is a key feature of
this cassette player. Roderick is a key man in the company.
keystone n. necessity, crux, linchpin, basis, principle, foundation,
cornerstone: Predestination was the keystone of his religion.
kick v. 1 boot, punt: The basic aim in soccer is to kick the ball
into the back of the net. 2 recoil, backlash, rebound: The
shotgun kicked when I fired it.
--n. 3 punt, drop-kick: His kick sent the ball down the field.
4 recoil, backlash, rebound: That gun has quite a kick!
kickback n. rebate, refund, share, compensation, commission, percentage,
reward; bribe, pay-off, Colloq chiefly US payola, US plugola:
We get a kickback on every computer sold. Some disc jockeys were
accepting kickbacks for playing particular records.
kidnap v. abduct, capture, seize, carry off, Slang snatch: He was
kidnapped by guerrillas and held prisoner for over two years.
kill v. 1 execute, slay, murder, assassinate, do away with, put to
death, cause the death of, liquidate, dispatch or despatch, take
(someone's) life, finish (off), put an end to, write 'finis' to,
silence, kill off, administer the coup de grѓce, eliminate, put
(someone) out of (his or her) misery, exterminate, extinguish,
obliterate, eradicate, destroy, annihilate, massacre, slaughter,
decimate, butcher, (of animals) put down, put to sleep, Slang do
in, bump or knock off, hit, polish off, snuff (out), take for a
ride, US waste, rub out, ice, fit with concrete overshoes or a
wooden kimono: He was the third police officer to be killed
this year. 2 destroy, ruin, devastate, ravage, wreak or work
havoc (up)on, kill off: The entire orange crop was killed by
the sudden frost. 3 muffle, neutralize, deaden, damp, silence,
nullify, dull, absorb, smother, stifle, suppress, still: This
padding should kill the noise of the motor. 4 exhaust, tire
(out), fatigue, weary, Colloq fag (out): Pushing that mower all
day nearly killed me. 5 hurt, pain, torment, torture: These
shoes are killing me. 6 quash, suppress, defeat, veto, cancel:
The tobacco interests campaigned to kill the bill to ban smoking
in public places. 7 consume, use up, spend, while away, occupy,
fill, pass, idle: While waiting, I killed time doing a
crossword puzzle.
--n. 8 game, prey; quarry: The lioness allowed her cubs to eat
part of the kill. 9 death, killing, end, finish, deathblow,
coup de grѓce; termination, denouement or d‚nouement,
conclusion: She wants to be in at the kill.
killer n. 1 murderer, assassin, slayer, cutthroat, butcher,
exterminator, Bluebeard, (Jack the) ripper, Slang US torpedo,
hit man, triggerman, gunsel, hooligan, gunfighter, iceman,
hatchet man: What are the statistics on the number of killers
who are not caught? 2 Slang old-fashioned bee's knees, US
humdinger, doozy, killer-diller (from Manila), lallapalooza or
lollapalooza, lulu, daisy, dilly: The new show at the Odeon is
a killer.
killing n. 1 murder, carnage, butchery, execution, slaughter,
bloodshed, death, massacre, genocide, liquidation, mass murder
or destruction, decimation, extermination, blood bath,
manslaughter; slaying, homicide, fatality: The killing of
dissidents must stop. There has been another killing in the
park. 2 coup, bonanza, success, windfall, stroke of luck, gain,
profit, Colloq Brit bomb: They've made a killing on the Stock
Exchange.
--adj. 3 devastating, ruinous, destructive, punishing,
exhausting, debilitating, fatiguing, tiring, enervating,
difficult, arduous: How can you keep up the killing pace of
having two jobs?
killjoy n. spoilsport, damper, dampener, grouch, grump, malcontent,
pessimist, cynic, prophet of doom, Cassandra, Colloq wet
blanket, sourpuss, US party pooper, gloomy Gus, picklepuss: Go
to the dance and stop being such a killjoy!
kin n. 1 family, relative(s), relation(s), kindred, kinsfolk or US
and Canadian kinfolk, kinsman, kinswoman, stock, clan,
blood-relation(s), blood-relative(s): We might have the same
name, but he's no kin of mine. Grandmother says that too many
people are thoughtless of their kin these days.
--adj. 2 related, akin (to), kindred, consanguineous,
consanguine, cognate, agnate: One often forgets that all men
are kin.
kind° adj. friendly, kindly, nice, congenial, affable, approachable,
amiable, obliging, accommodating, amicable, well-disposed,
courteous, good, good-natured, benevolent, well-meaning,
well-wishing, thoughtful, well-intentioned, generous,
big-hearted, humanitarian, charitable, philanthropic, gentle,
understanding, sympathetic, considerate, lenient, tolerant,
indulgent, compassionate, kind-hearted, gracious, warm,
warm-hearted, cordial, tender-hearted, affectionate: It was
kind of you to stop and help us. I never thought of him as a
kind man.
kindэ n. 1 sort, type, variety, style, genre, species, class, breed;
brand, make: What kind of tree is the cypress? Do we always
have to have the same kind of breakfast cereal? 2 nature,
character, manner, description, sort, persuasion, stripe,
feather, kidney: What kind of person is she? Today's students
are of a totally different kind.
kindle v. ignite, light, set alight, set fire to, set afire, inflame,
fire, foment, incite, instigate, provoke, prompt, prick, goad,
spur, whip up, stir (up), work up, excite, agitate, shake up,
jolt, arouse, rouse, (a)waken, inspire, inspirit, stimulate,
animate, enliven, energize, innervate, galvanize: Kindling a
fire in the rain is not easy. The wholesale pillaging kindled a
feeling of deep resentment among the native population.
kindly adj. 1 See kind.
--adv. 2 cordially, graciously, obligingly, amiably, amicably,
politely, genially, courteously, thoughtfully, considerately,
hospitably, agreeably, pleasantly: He very kindly invited me in
for a cup of tea. 3 please, be so kind as to, be good enough
to: Would you kindly pass the salt?
kindness n. 1 friendliness, kind-heartedness, warm-heartedness,
graciousness, goodness, good-naturedness, good-heartedness, good
will, benevolence, benignity, humaneness, humanity, decency,
tenderness, gentleness, kindliness, charity, charitableness,
generosity, philanthropy, beneficence, compassion, sympathy,
understanding, thoughtfulness, consideration, cordiality,
hospitality, warmth, geniality, indulgence, tolerance, patience:
We shall always appreciate the kindness shown to us by our hosts
during our visit. 2 favour, good deed or turn, service, act of
kindness; generosity, assistance, aid: She did me a great
kindness in introducing me to you. How can I repay your
kindness?
kindred adj. 1 close, associated, united, allied, analogous, like,
similar, matching, parallel, common, related; akin: Because we
both like sports, Samantha's interests are kindred to mine. 2
related, consanguineous, consanguine, cognate, agnate:
Linguists regard the Romance languages as kindred tongues.
--n. 3 See kin, 1.
king n. prince, crowned head, majesty, sovereign, monarch, ruler,
regent, Colloq Brit royal: In former times, the king had power
of life and death over his subjects.
kingdom n. 1 realm, empire, sovereignty, principality, monarchy: He
sought a suitable wife throughout the kingdom. 2 field, area,
domain, province, sphere (of influence), territory, bailiwick,
Colloq turf: The operating theatre is the surgeon's kingdom.
kink n. 1 twist, crimp, tangle, knot, wrinkle, curl, coil, curlicue,
crinkle: Those kinks wouldn't occur if you had coiled the rope
properly. 2 pang, twinge, stab, spasm, cramp, stitch, tweak,
crick: I have a kink in my neck from constantly looking down.
3 difficulty, complication, flaw, hitch, snag, defect,
imperfection, distortion, deformity: There were several kinks
that had to be ironed out before the plan was presented to the
board. 4 crotchet, quirk, whim, caprice, fancy, vagary,
eccentricity, idiosyncrasy: He would win more support if he rid
himself of certain kinks in his thinking.
kinky adj. 1 outlandish, peculiar, odd, queer, quirky, bizarre,
crotchety, eccentric, strange, idiosyncratic, different,
offbeat, unorthodox, capricious, irregular, erratic,
unconventional, unique, freakish, weird, fantastic, whimsical:
This school is not interested in kinky notions of education. 2
perverted, unnatural, deviant, degenerate, warped, abnormal,
depraved: There is a rumour that they engage in kinky sex. 3
crisp, frizzy, frizzed, frizzled, curly, crimped, wiry; knotted,
tangled, twisted: He has kinky red hair.
kinship n. 1 consanguinity, (blood) relationship, (family) ties,
(common) descent, lineage, flesh and blood: At that time,
several of the royal houses of Europe were connected by kinship.
2 connection, correspondence, parallelism, relationship,
similarity, association, agreement, alliance; affinity: There
is a clear kinship among the Germanic languages. She felt a
kinship with other adopted children.
kiss v. 1 osculate, peck, Colloq smack, smooch, neck, Old-fashioned
spoon, canoodle: I kissed her on the cheek. A young couple were
kissing on the park bench. 2 touch, brush, graze: The cue-ball
barely kissed the black, toppling it into the pocket. 3 kiss
goodbye. bid adieu, say farewell to, give up, relinquish,
abandon, forsake, desert, renounce, repudiate, forget (about),
dismiss, disregard, ignore: With those marks, you can kiss
goodbye to any thought of winning a scholarship.
--n. 4 osculation, peck, Colloq smack, smooch, US and Canadian
buss, Slang Brit smacker: He ran over and gave me a big hug and
a kiss.
kit n. apparatus, gear, equipment, paraphernalia, appurtenances,
rig, accoutrements or US also accouterments, tackle, trappings,
supplies, furnishings; instruments, tools, utensils, implements:
Did you bring your tennis kit? The model aeroplanes were built
from kits. The plumber left his tool kit behind.
kitchen n. kitchenette, cookhouse; scullery, pantry, larder; Nautical
galley, Brit caboose: He was in the kitchen getting dinner
ready.
kittenish adj. coy, seductive, flirtatious, coquettish, sportive,
playful: Barbara tends to get a bit kittenish when she's with
men.
kitty n. pot, pool, collection: Has he contributed anything to the
kitty?
knack n. genius, intuition, talent, gift, talent, facility, skill,
aptitude, bent; ability, flair, dexterity, capacity, adroitness,
proficiency, skilfulness: He has an uncanny knack for saying
the wrong thing. When it comes to gourmet cooking, Peggy
certainly has the knack.
knife n. 1 blade: This knife couldn't cut through warm butter.
--v. 2 stab, pierce, slash, cut, wound: There was a struggle,
and one youth was knifed in the chest.
knit v. 1 join or fasten or weave (together), interweave, interlace,
interconnect, intertwine, link, bind, unite, tie (up or
together), consolidate, combine, compact: He was the first king
to succeed in knitting together the diverse elements of the
empire. 2 grow (together), heal, mend, join: The broken bones
will knit in about a month. 3 furrow, contract, wrinkle, knot,
crease: He knit his brow and sighed.
knob n. boss, stud, protuberance, projection, protrusion, handle:
Turn the knob, then pull the drawer open.
knock v. 1 strike, hit, rap, thwack, whack, thump, bang, tap: Knock
on the door. He knocked the man on the head with his
walking-stick. 2 Colloq criticize, deprecate, carp or cavil at,
disparage, put down, run down: Don't knock something till
you've tried it. 3 knock about or around. a wander, roam,
ramble, rove, travel, gad about: She's going to knock about the
world for a bit before settling down. b associate with, consort
with: He was only knocking about with some of the boys. c
discuss, debate, talk over, Colloq kick about or around: I have
a business proposition that I want to knock around with you. d
beat (up), maltreat, mistreat, maul, manhandle, batter, abuse,
hit, strike: He's been known to knock his wife about. 4 knock
down. a raze, demolish, destroy, level, wreck, lay in ruins,
throw or pull down: They knocked down those beautiful old
houses and erected an ugly office block in their place. b fell,
floor, cut down: As soon as he got up, McCloskey knocked him
down again. 5 knock off. Colloq a stop work(ing), quit, go
home, clock off or out, terminate, lock up, close down: I think
I'll knock off for a few hours' rest. b steal, pilfer, thieve,
rob, Colloq lift, Brit pinch, Slang Brit nick, US knock over:
Two men in balaclavas knocked off the bank in the High Street.
c See kill, 1. d make quick or short work of, complete, finish,
bring to an end, Colloq polish off: He knocked off that book in
a week. e US copy, imitate: They knock off expensive items,
then sell them for much less than the originals. 6 knock out. a
knock or render unconscious, floor, prostrate, trounce, whip,
Slang flatten, K.O. or kayo: The smart money says that the
challenger will knock out the champion in the third round. b
overwhelm, overcome, daze, stagger, astound, astonish, bewilder,
stun, Colloq bowl over, blow (someone's) mind, Slang Brit knock
for six: She'll really knock them out in that dress! 7 knock
up. a knock or put together, improvise: I think I can knock up
something quickly that will pass muster. b arouse, (a)waken,
wake up: They knocked me up at dawn to go to work. c Slang
impregnate, get with child, make pregnant: Her boyfriend
knocked her up and then refused to marry her.
--n. 8 blow, rap, tap, thump, pounding, hammering: I was woken
by a knock on the wall from my neighbour. 9 blow, punch, jab,
smack, thwack, whack, right, left, cuff, Colloq clout, bop,
biff, conk: He gave me a knock on the nose, and it started to
bleed. 10 slap (in the face), censure, criticism, condemnation,
slur, insult: My latest novel took quite a few knocks from the
reviewers.
knock-off n. Colloq US imitation, copy, simulation, replica, facsimile,
duplication: This cheap knock-off of a њ1000 watch is selling
for њ50.
knockout n. 1 coup de grѓce, Slang K.O., kayo: Carnera won by a
knockout in the first round. 2 success, sensation, triumph,
Colloq hit, winner, smash, smash hit, stunner: She looks a
knockout with her new hairstyle.
knoll n. hillock, hummock, mound, barrow, hill, elevation, rise: We
climbed to the top of the knoll where we had a better view of
the house.
knot n. 1 snarl, gnarl, tangle; tie, bond: I cannot loosen this
knot. 2 collection, assemblage, aggregation, congregation,
crowd, cluster, bunch, gathering, company, band, gang, crowd,
throng: A small knot of people were standing in front of my
painting.
--v. 3 fasten, tie, bind, secure, lash, tether, affix, fix,
attach: I knotted the rope around his neck.
know v. 1 understand, comprehend, be familiar with, grasp, be
acquainted with, be versed or skilled in: Do you know anything
about nuclear physics? I know Italian fairly well. She knows how
to dance the tango. 2 recognize, identify, recall, remember,
recollect: I know him from somewhere. 3 be sure or certain or
positive: I knew I was right! I just know I'm going to win the
first prize. 4 distinguish, separate, discern, differentiate,
recognize, identify: Charles doesn't know right from wrong. 5
be aware or conscious or cognizant of, be informed or advised
of, have knowledge of: He knows that he cannot fire her because
she knows too much.
knowing adj. 1 conspiratorial or conspiratory, secret, private;
significant, meaningful, eloquent, expressive; shrewd, canny,
artful, sly, wily, crafty: She gave him a knowing wink. 2
wise, clever, shrewd, (well-)informed, knowledgeable or
knowledgable, aware, expert, qualified, astute, perceptive,
intelligent, sagacious: Harold is quite knowing about horses,
why not ask him?
knowledge n. 1 knowing, awareness, apprehension, cognition, grasp,
understanding, discernment, consciousness, conception, insight:
Miles's knowledge of history is extensive. 2 facts,
information, data, intelligence: They had no knowledge of any
defections to the enemy. 3 acquaintance, acquaintanceship,
familiarity, appreciation, conversance, expertise, experience,
adeptness, proficiency: Has he any knowledge of their work on
the DNA molecule? 4 schooling, education, scholarship,
instruction, learning, erudition: A little knowledge is a
dangerous thing.
knowledgeable
adj. 1 knowledgable, aware, au fait, au courant, up to date,
(well-)informed, (well-)acquainted, cognizant, familiar,
enlightened, expert, knowing, Colloq in the know: She is
knowledgeable about events in eastern Europe. 2 well-educated,
erudite, learned, cultured, well-read, intelligent,
sophisticated, worldly, wise, sage, sagacious: Professor Evans
is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met.
kowtow v. Often, kowtow to. genuflect (before), salaam (to), prostrate
oneself (before), bow (down) (to or before), pay court to,
scrape before, cringe before, fawn (before), grovel (before),
toady ((up) to), pander to, truckle ((up) to), dance attendance
on, Colloq butter up, Slang suck up to, play up to, shine up to,
Taboo slang US brown-nose: He kowtows to anyone who he thinks
may be of use to him.
kudos n. praise, acclaim, glory, fame, renown, honour, plaudits,
applause, laudation, acclamation, accolade: They got a lot of
kudos out of funding a new opera-house.
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label n. 1 identification, identifier, ID, mark, marker, earmark,
tag, ticket, sticker, stamp, imprint, hallmark, brand, Brit
docket: The label shows the weight, composition, and price of
the contents. A proper shipping label should show both source
and destination. 2 name, denomination, designation, appellation,
nickname, epithet, sobriquet, classification, characterization,
description: It is difficult to give a label to the kind of
novels she writes. 3 trade mark, trade name, brand, logo, mark:
Many supermarket chains market products under their own label.
--v. 4 identify (as), mark, tag, earmark, ticket, stamp,
hallmark, imprint, brand, Brit docket: In those days, every
liberal was labelled a communist. Prepared food packages must be
labelled with their ingredients. 5 name, denominate, designate,
call, term, dub, classify, categorize, pigeon-hole, class,
characterize, describe, portray, identify, Colloq US peg: We
cannot label Voltaire either spiritualist or materialist.
laborious adj. 1 arduous, burdensome, onerous, strenuous, gruelling,
back-breaking, Herculean, exhausting, taxing, tiring, fatiguing,
wearying, wearisome, toilsome, difficult, tough, hard, uphill,
stiff: Few realize how laborious farm work can be. 2
painstaking, detailed, careful, thorough, diligent, scrupulous,
exhaustive, steady, steadfast, relentless, unrelenting, dogged,
assiduous, sedulous, persevering, persistent, untiring,
tireless, indefatigable, unremitting: After laborious research
the virus was finally identified. 3 industrious, hard-working,
dogged, determined, unwavering, obstinate, stubborn, unflagging,
obdurate: He made a laborious effort to get ahead. 4 laboured,
strained, forced, ponderous, overworked: The book contains some
of the most laborious prose ever written.
labour n. 1 toil, (hard) work, travail, exertion, effort,
laboriousness, strain, drudgery, pains, industry, slavery,
donkey-work, Colloq sweat, grind, elbow-grease, Brit swot: They
know the labour involved in building a road. 2 employees,
workers, wage-earners, labourers: A meeting between labour and
management is scheduled for today. 3 effort, task, job, chore,
undertaking: Raising funds for the museum was a labour of love.
4 travail, childbirth, parturition, labour pains, contractions,
delivery: She went into labour at midnight, and the twins were
born just after four.
--v. 5 work, toil, travail, drudge, strain, strive, struggle,
slave, Colloq sweat, grind, Brit peg away (at), swot: We
laboured hard to get where we are today. 6 dwell on, overdo,
overemphasize, harp on, overstress, strain, Colloq belabour: I
heard you the first time, so don't labour the point. 7 labour
under. be burdened or troubled or distressed by, be deluded or
deceived by, be disadvantaged by, suffer, endure: He is
labouring under a misapprehension. She labours under the
impression that she will not be affected by a lack of education.
laboured adj. 1 strained, forced, difficult, hard, laborious, heavy:
His breathing became laboured. 2 overdone, excessive,
overwrought, ornate, elaborate, overworked, over-embellished,
contrived, affected, artificial, unnatural: Her writing style
is very laboured and much too stiff.
labourer n. worker, workman, hand, blue-collar worker, working man,
manual worker, drudge, Colloq Brit navvy: Get some labourers to
clear away that rubble.
labyrinthine
adj. labyrinthian, maze-like, mazy, tortuous, sinuous, winding,
convoluted, complicated, confusing, perplexing, puzzling,
enigmatic, baffling, confounding, complex, Daedalian or
Daedalean or Daedalic, daedal, intricate, Byzantine, twisted,
gnarled, snarled, tangled, knotted, knotty, Gordian: The plot
was so labyrinthine that the audience was unable to follow it.
lace n. 1 lace-work, tatting, openwork, filigree, mesh, web,
webbing, net, netting, network: She wore a collar of handmade
lace. 2 shoelace, shoestring, bootlace, cord, string, thong,
tie, lacing: They made me remove my belt, tie, and laces before
locking me in a cell.
--v. 3 thread, weave, string, twine, interweave, intertwine:
First lace the cord through the eyelets, then draw it tight. 4
spike, fortify, strengthen: I saw her lace my punch with vodka,
so I didn't drink it. 5 lace into. a attack, assault, beat,
assail, thrash, belabour, fall on or upon, set upon, pounce on
or upon, lay into, Colloq light into: The brothers laced into
one another with a fury. b berate, scold, revile, attack,
upbraid, castigate, rant or rave at: She really laced into me
for being an hour late for dinner.
lacerate v. gash, cut, slash, tear, rip, claw, mangle; wound, rend,
hurt: My feet were lacerated by the sharp stones. She suffered
a lacerating attack from him for forgetting to pass on the
message.
lack n. 1 want, deficiency, dearth, absence, scarcity, shortage,
need, insufficiency, paucity, deficit, inadequacy: We suffered
from a severe lack of water. The orchestra is experiencing a
serious lack of talent at the moment.
--v. 2 want, need, require, be deficient in, be or fall short
of, be without: He lacks the votes needed to win. Simon lacks
the ability to paint any better.
lackadaisical
adj. 1 lethargic, languorous, languid, listless, lazy,
sluggish, spiritless, idle, indolent, inactive, slothful,
fain‚ant: She's much too lackadaisical to go out and get a job.
2 unenthusiastic, dull, apathetic, insouciant, uncaring,
unconcerned, indifferent, blas‚, cold, cool, lukewarm, tepid,
unexcited, phlegmatic, unemotional, unexcitable, uninterested,
unimpressed, uninspired, unmoved, pococurante: How can you
explain the government's lackadaisical attitude towards the
greenhouse effect?
lacklustre
adj. drab, dull, lustreless, flat, dingy, colourless, dismal,
dreary, unexciting, boring, prosaic, tiresome, tedious,
wearisome, uninteresting, two-dimensional, insipid, vapid,
bland, unimaginative, thick, slow, dense, Colloq wishy-washy,
blah: He gave a very lacklustre performance as Shylock. She has
been leading a lacklustre life since John left.
lad n. boy, young man, fellow, schoolboy, youth, juvenile,
youngster, hobbledehoy, stripling, (street) urchin, (street)
Arab, gamin, Colloq guy, (little) shaver, kid, US sprout: Round
up a few of the lads for a game of football.
ladylike adj. well-bred, well-born, aristocratic, noble; refined,
respectable, cultured, polished, elegant, mannerly, gracious,
genteel, courteous, polite, courtly, dignified, proper, correct,
decorous: I cannot believe that Mrs Gibson did not behave in a
ladylike way.
lag v. 1 fall behind, linger, loiter, delay, straggle, trail, hang
back, dally, dawdle, inch or poke along: If you lag behind too
far, you'll never catch up. 2 diminish, decrease, slacken,
abate, slow (down or up), flag, wane, ebb, falter, fail, let up,
fall (off or away), ease (up), lighten: Contributions to the
fund are lagging. Military preparations are lagging.
laggard n. straggler, idler, dawdler, loiterer, slouch, sluggard,
loafer, snail, loller, Colloq Brit slowcoach , US slowpoke: As
a young boy he was always the laggard, dragging along behind
everyone else.
lair n. 1 den, burrow, hole, nest, tunnel, cave, hollow, covert: We
cautiously approached the lair of the man-eating tiger. 2
hide-out, hideaway, retreat, hiding-place, refuge, asylum,
sanctuary, Colloq hidey-hole or hidy-hole: Oliver will not
emerge from his lair before tea-time.
laissez-faire
n. laisser-faire, laissez-faireism, free enterprise,
non-intervention, non-interference, freedom, free trade,
individualism, laissez-aller or laisser-aller, deregulation,
decontrol, laxness: The government's policy of laissez-faire
has spurred business on.
lambaste v. 1 beat, whip, scourge, flog, lash, maul, horsewhip, cane,
birch, thrash, bludgeon, trounce, drub, pummel, batter,
belabour, cudgel: Terry threatened to lambaste anyone who
interfered. 2 censure, rebuke, scold, reprimand, chide,
admonish, reprove, upbraid, berate, scold, revile, attack,
castigate, flay, Colloq dress down, get on (someone's) back,
rake or haul over the coals, US call down, Slang chew or bawl
out: The press lambasted the company for its unfair employment
policies.
lame adj. 1 crippled, disabled, handicapped, hobbled, limping,
incapacitated, impaired, halting, halt, spavined, Colloq US
gimpy: The mare was found to be lame after the previous day's
hunting. 2 feeble, weak, flimsy, thin, unconvincing,
unpersuasive, awkward, clumsy, poor, ineffective, Colloq
half-baked: Refusing to go because you have a headache sounds
like a pretty lame excuse to me.
lament v. 1 mourn, bemoan, bewail, wail, weep (over), grieve (for or
over), keen (over), sorrow (for or over): A year later, and she
is still lamenting the death of her hamster?!
--n. 2 lamentation, moaning, mourning; keen, dirge, elegy,
knell, Requiem, monody, threnody, thanatopsis, epicedium, Scots
and Irish coronach: Laments for Kitty's late husband were heard
throughout the village.
lamentable
adj. deplorable, wretched, miserable, terrible, distressing,
awful, regrettable, pitiful, despicable, intolerable,
unfortunate: The hall was left in a lamentable state after the
party. His death was presaged by a lamentable series of events.
lamentation
n. mourning, grieving, moaning, weeping, wailing, crying,
sobbing, lamenting: The lamentation went on far into the night.
lampoon n. 1 burlesque, caricature, satire, parody, pasquinade or
pasquil, squib, Colloq take-off, Brit send-up: The students
published a hilarious lampoon of the teaching staff.
--v. 2 burlesque, caricature, satirize, parody, pasquinade or
pasquil, mock, ridicule, squib, US skewer, Colloq take off, put
or run down, Brit send up: The cows we hold most sacred are
often lampooned by irreverent cartoonists.
lance n. 1 spear, pike, javelin, assegai; lancet: He transfixed the
knight with his lance, and claimed victory in the joust.
--v. 2 pierce, stab, puncture, prick, incise, open, slit: The
boil must be lanced at once to draw out the poison.
land n. 1 earth, (solid) ground, terra firma: After weeks in an
open boat, Captain Bligh was relieved to have land under his
feet again. 2 dirt, earth, soil, turf, sod, loam, mould:
Trumble tilled the land as his ancestors had done for
generations. 3 property, grounds, real property or realty or US
and Canadian also real estate, acreage; estate: How much land
goes with the house? 4 fatherland, motherland, nation, country,
homeland, native land: The land of our fathers flowed with milk
and honey.
--v. 5 arrive, alight, light, touch or come or go down, splash
down, settle on or upon, come to rest, berth, dock, disembark,
debark, go ashore, deplane, dismount: The plane was forced to
land on the water. We land at dawn. 6 catch, capture, take
captive, Colloq bag: He was unable to land the shark unaided.
7 Colloq get, secure, obtain, win, acquire: He finally landed a
job with his father-in-law. Sadie finally landed a millionaire!
landing n. 1 touchdown, alighting, splashdown, docking: The fog made
landing quite dangerous. 2 disembarkation, deplaning, arrival:
After landing, passengers proceed through passport control. 3
landing-place, dock, pier, jetty, wharf, quay: We walked onto
the landing to watch the ship come in.
landlady n. 1 proprietor or proprietress, lady of the house, mistress,
manager or Brit manageress, hostess: My landlady owns three bed
and breakfasts. 2 See landlord, 2, below.
landlord n. 1 host, publican, proprietor, innkeeper, hotelier, manager,
restaurateur, Boniface: Landlord! Two pints of your best
bitter! 2 landlady, landowner, householder, (property) owner,
lessor, Brit freeholder: My landlord has raised my rent
claiming that his expenses have increased.
landmark n. 1 feature, guide, guidepost; identification: The tower
serves as a landmark for those seeking the castle. 2
turning-point, watershed, milestone, monument: His essay
remains a landmark in philosophical thought.
--attributive 3 critical, crucial, pivotal, important, historic,
significant, precedent-setting, momentous, notable, noteworthy,
major: This stands out as a landmark decision in the annals of
criminal law.
landscape n. prospect, view, scene, aspect, vista, countryside: Here and
there the landscape is dotted with spinneys.
language n. 1 speech, tongue, idiom, parlance, dialect, idiolect,
patois, jargon, cant, argot, vernacular, Colloq lingo: How many
languages do you speak? 2 communication, intercourse,
interaction: Karl von Frisch studied the language of the bees.
3 jargon, lingua franca, vocabulary, terminology, vernacular,
Colloq lingo: In medical language, a head cold is called
'coryza'. 4 wording, words, phrasing, phraseology, style,
diction: Guarantees, insurance policies, and other such things
should be written in simple language.
lanky adj. thin, loose-jointed, lank, lean, gaunt, gangling, rangy,
long-legged: They recruited three tall, lanky youths for the
basketball team.
lap° v. 1 Often, lap up. lick up, tongue; sip, drink: In a moment,
the cat had lapped all the cream from the saucer. 2 wash,
splash, ripple, plash, purl: The water rose till it was lapping
at the doorstep. 3 lap up. a consume, drink, eat: The dog
lapped up every last scrap of food. b accept, believe, credit,
fall for, Colloq swallow (whole), buy: She lapped up Felix's
sob story and invited him in at once.
lapэ n. 1 circuit, orbit, ambit, circle, tour, trip, revolution:
She runs four laps round the track every day for exercise. 2
flap, fold, lappet, projection, lapel, overlap: This lap hides
the zip.
--v. 3 overlap, fold, enfold, envelop, wrap: Lap the fabric so
as to cover the seam.
lapse n. 1 slip, error, mistake, fault, failing, oversight, blunder,
shortcoming, omission, Formal lapsus, Colloq slip-up, fluff,
goof: Apart from a brief lapse, the child behaved very well.
Owing to a lapse, your payment was not credited. 2 gap, break,
interval, intermission, interruption, pause, lacuna, hiatus,
Prosody caesura, Colloq hold-up: Listeners in Scotland
experienced a lapse in transmission, for which we apologize. 3
decline, lowering, fall, deterioration, drop, diminution,
descent: There has been a serious lapse in church attendance.
--v. 4 decline, lower, fall, drop, diminish, sink, slip, slump,
subside, deteriorate: Despite the doctor's best efforts, he
lapsed into a coma. 5 run out, expire, be discontinued, become
void, terminate, end, cease, stop: Your option to sell the
shares at the offering price lapses on Friday. 6 pass, elapse,
go by, slip away: Three months had lapsed since she last saw
him.
large adj. 1 big, great, broad, stout, heavy, thickset, chunky,
stocky, heavy-set, brawny, husky, sturdy, hefty, muscular,
strapping, burly, solid, weighty, corpulent, fat, obese, rotund,
portly, adipose, beamy, overweight: Two large gentlemen came up
and offered to help me find the door. 2 big, generous,
bountiful, charitable, eleemosynary, philanthropic, open-handed,
magnanimous, munificent, unselfish, big-hearted, large-hearted,
substantial, considerable, ample, beneficent, liberal; goodly,
kind, good; Colloq tidy: We have to thank Mr Wilson for large
donations to our Christmas fund. 3 big, huge, ample, enormous,
gigantic, immense, colossal, monumental, massive, mammoth,
Brobdingnagian, gargantuan, elephantine, monstrous, staggering,
sizeable, substantial, wide, broad, capacious, extensive, Colloq
jumbo, US humongous, ginormous: The house has a large dining
room. Supertankers are the largest ships afloat.
--adv. 4 big, prominently, overwhelmingly, imposingly,
eminently, pre-eminently: The problem looms large in the
history of biology.
--n. 5 at large. a free, unfettered, at liberty, on the loose,
unconfined, unrestrained: One of the robbers is still at large.
b generally, mainly, in general, chiefly, as a whole, in a body,
altogether, in the main: The people at large support reductions
in taxes.
largely adv. chiefly, mainly, as a rule, by and large, generally, in
general, to a great extent, mostly, in great part, in great
measure, in the main, on the whole, pretty much, essentially, at
bottom, basically, fundamentally: The voters are largely in
favour of keeping the present government.
largesse n. largess, gifts, alms, grants, bonuses, endowments, presents,
contributions, donations, hand-outs; support, subvention, aid,
subsidy, charity, philanthropy, generosity, munificence, bounty,
liberality, open-handedness: The church depends on the largesse
of its members.
lark n. 1 frolic, spree, escapade, caper, fling, romp, adventure,
revel, jape, game, antic, horseplay, shenanigans, mischief,
prank, practical joke: The boys say they took the horse just as
a lark.
--v. 2 Often, lark about. frolic, caper, romp, revel, play,
sport, cavort, gambol, Colloq skylark: We spent a lot of time
larking about after our exams.
lascivious
adj. 1 lustful, randy, lecherous, licentious, lewd, prurient,
salacious, libidinous, erotic, sensual, lubricious or lubricous,
ruttish, goatish, hircine, satyr-like, wanton, Cyprian,
debauched, Slang horny, hot: I wouldn't let that lascivious old
man near my daughter. 2 pornographic, obscene, blue, lurid,
indecent, smutty, dirty, Fescennine, filthy, vile, ribald,
bawdy, gross, coarse, offensive: He said that such lascivious
novels should be banned and certainly not read in schools.
lash° n. 1 whip, scourge, cat-o'-nine-tails, cat, quirt, knout,
bull-whip, thong; rope's end: The bosun gave him twenty of the
best with his lash. 2 stroke, blow, strike, slash, cut: Few
could stand up after five lashes with his whip.
--v. 3 flog, beat, thrash, switch, whip, scourge, horsewhip,
lambaste, flail, smite, thwack, Colloq whack: Any boy was
liable to be lashed for the most trivial misdemeanour. 4 lash
out. attack, flay, lambaste, belabour, punish; criticize,
berate, scold: She often lashes out at her critics quite
virulently.
lashэ v. fasten, tie, bind, secure, rope, fix, strap, make fast: His
crew lashed Odysseus to the mast as they sailed past the land of
the Sirens.
lass n. girl, young woman, miss, mademoiselle, schoolgirl,
Old-fashioned maiden, maid, damsel, demoiselle; Scots lassie,
Irish colleen: He has married a young lass from Arbroath.
lasso n. 1 lariat, rope, SW US reata or riata: The cowboy tossed the
lasso round the calf's neck.
--v. 2 rope: He lassoed steers to practise for the rodeo.
last° adj. 1 hindmost, rearmost, aftermost; final: I was the last
person to board the plane. 2 latest, newest, most recent or up
to date: What was the subject of his last novel? During the
last week I have seen seven films. 3 final, concluding,
terminal, ultimate, terminating: The last train to London
leaves at eleven. She was the last speaker of Cornish. 4
definitive, conclusive, decisive, closing: That is my last word
on the subject.
--adv. 5 behind, at or in the end, in or at the rear, after:
My horse always seems to come in last.
--n. 6 end, termination, finish: That was the last we ever saw
of Charlie. 7 at last. finally, eventually, ultimately, at
length: At last we shall see the results of our work.
lastэ v. 1 continue, endure, survive, keep on, persist, remain, stay,
abide, carry on, hold out, Colloq go the distance: He wouldn't
last a day in my job. 2 wear, stand up, endure, survive: This
shirt has lasted through innumerable washings.
last° n. mould, matrix, form, model, pattern: These shoes were not
made on the same last as those.
lasting adj. permanent, enduring, durable, everlasting, long-term,
undying, eternal: She made a lasting contribution to
ophthalmology.
late adj. 1 tardy, delayed, overdue, behindhand, dilatory,
unpunctual; belated, US past due: He was even late for his own
wedding. Better late than never. Your mortgage payment is late
again. 2 recent, last, new, fresh, current, up to date: Have
you got a copy of a late edition of today's newspaper? 3
deceased, departed, dead; former, past, ex-, recent, previous,
preceding, old (See also 5., below.): Here is a song by the
late, great Bing Crosby. He has a meeting with Lord Pamby, late
chairman of United Oxidation. 4 of late. See 5., below.
--adv. 5 recently, lately, previously, formerly, once,
heretofore, in recent or former time(s), of late, latterly (See
also 3., above.): They are dining tonight with Sir Keith, late
of Scotland Yard. 6 till or at an advanced hour or time: I was
up late last night. She married late. 7 tardily, unpunctually,
belatedly: We arrived too late for the first act. 8 recently,
lately: As late as a week ago they were still holding the job
open for her.
lately adv. See late, 5.
latest adj. 1 See last°, 2. 2 fashionable, current, modern, up to the
minute, Colloq in: She drives the latest model.
--n. 3 most recent or up-to-date or modern development or news
or example: What's the latest? Have you seen the latest in
scuba gear?
lather n. 1 suds, froth, foam: He spread lather on his face and began
to shave. 2 sweat; dither, fuss, pother, flutter, Colloq tizzy,
state, flap: He got into a real lather when he missed the
train.
--v. 3 soap (up); foam, froth: The barber lathered my chin
thoroughly. 4 thrash, beat, belabour, maul, drub, flog, whack,
pummel, buffet, whip, flail, lash: If he dared to swear, his
father would lather him.
laud v. praise, commend, celebrate, sing or speak or sound the
praises of, honour, acclaim, extol, glorify, promote, advance,
recommend, exalt: Bramble's paintings have been lauded by
leading art critics the world over.
laudable adj. praiseworthy, meritorious, creditable, admirable,
outstanding, excellent, noteworthy, notable, commendable,
estimable, creditable: He has made a laudable effort to keep up
in his work.
laudatory adj. laudative, praiseful, eulogistic, panegyric(al),
encomiastic(al), complimentary, favourable: None of the
laudatory comments made in the introduction was true.
laugh v. 1 titter, giggle, snigger, snicker, chuckle, chortle,
guffaw, split one's sides, Colloq break or crack up, roll on the
floor, go into hysterics, roar with laughter, hoot: Whenever he
wore his hat, they couldn't stop laughing. 2 Often, laugh at.
a deride, ridicule, mock (at), jeer (at), make a mockery of,
poke fun (at), make fun or sport (of), make an ass or a fool
(out) of, tease, taunt, pull (someone's) leg, satirize,
pasquinade or pasquil, parody, lampoon, jest (at), joke (about),
scoff (at), scorn, Colloq Brit take the mickey out of, US roast:
They laughed when I sat down - I didn't know the chair was
broken. Why did the other children laugh at you? b laugh away or
off, spurn, dismiss, brush aside, minimize, shrug off, reject,
ignore, disregard, deny, belittle, Colloq pooh-pooh: He laughed
off his injury and insisted on continuing to work.
--n. 3 titter, giggle, snigger, snicker, chuckle, chortle,
guffaw, horse laugh: She would do anything for a laugh.
laughter n. laughing, tittering, giggling, sniggering, snickering,
chuckling, chortling, guffawing: Children's laughter filled the
air.
launch v. 1 start (off), set in motion, set or get going, begin,
embark upon or on, initiate, inaugurate: The council is about
to launch a scheme for dockside development. The attack was
launched at dawn. 2 originate, establish, organize, set up,
found, open, start: Robson is talking about launching a new
company. 3 shoot, fire, discharge, hurl, throw, sling, pitch,
fling, catapult, send, dispatch or despatch: The enemy launched
ground-to-air missiles against our planes. 4 float, set afloat:
Two frigates will be launched today.
--n. 5 inauguration, start, initiation, opening: The launch of
the offensive is scheduled for noon tomorrow. 6 boat, skiff,
tender, motor boat, runabout, gig, dinghy: The launch will
shuttle passengers between the pier and the cruise ship.
launder v. 1 wash, clean, scrub, cleanse: The chambermaid laundered
three shirts for me. 2 legitimize, legitimatize, legitimate,
legalize: The money from heroin was being laundered through
several car dealerships.
laurels n.pl. honour(s), distinction(s), fame, awards, tributes,
rewards, acclaim, acclamation, glory, renown, celebrity,
popularity, reputation; successes, accomplishments: With no new
fields to conquer, he is resting on his laurels.
lavatory n. water-closet, WC, toilet, bathroom, Colloq Brit the Gents,
the Ladies('), Men's (Room), rest room, privy, Chiefly military
or institutional latrine; Nautical head; Brit (public)
convenience, US equipment, outhouse; Colloq (little) boys' or
girls' room, powder-room, Brit loo, lav, US can; Slang Brit bog:
Our new house has two upstairs bathrooms and a downstairs
lavatory.
lavish adj. 1 profuse, abundant, liberal, copious, plentiful,
prolific, opulent: He wore a silk tunic with lavish gold
embroidery. 2 generous, liberal, open-handed, unstinting,
bountiful, unsparing, unselfish, effusive, free: She showered
the most lavish gifts on her children. 3 extravagant, wasteful,
exaggerated, prodigal, improvident, excessive, unreasonable,
immoderate, profligate, uncurbed, unrestrained, intemperate:
The council was accused of lavish overspending on the civic
centre.
--v. 4 squander, waste, throw away, dissipate, spend, expend,
sink: We lavished a fortune on the gardens. 5 shower, bestow,
thrust, heap, pour: Granny always lavished gifts on us.
law n. 1 rule, regulation, ordinance, statute, act, enactment,
by-law, measure, edict, decree, order, directive, injunction,
command, commandment, canon, mandate, ukase: They have a law
that forbids smoking on aeroplanes. 2 corpus juris, (legal)
code, constitution, rules and regulations, charter, Law equity:
The law must be applied equally to all citizens. 3 principle,
proposition, theory, theorem, formula, axiom, deduction,
corollary, postulate, conclusion, inference: Not every
observable phenomenon obeys the laws of physics.
lawful adj. 1 legal, licit, legitimate, de jure, constitutional, just,
rightful, valid, proper: I am the lawful heir. 2 permissible,
allowable, justifiable, authorized, allowed, permitted: It is
not lawful to let your dog foul the footpath.
lawless adj. 1 anarchic(al), anarchistic, chaotic, unruly, unregulated:
There was a lawless period between the revolution and the
establishment of government. 2 illegal, illicit, unlawful,
criminal, felonious, larcenous, dishonest, corrupt, venal,
Colloq crooked: Holding a demonstration without a permit is a
lawless act. 3 villainous, nefarious, wicked, sinful,
flagitious, iniquitous, treacherous: He was once a member of a
lawless motor-cycle gang.
lawn n. sward, greensward, turf, sod, green: I lay back on the lawn
and gazed at the sky.
lawyer n. counsel, advocate, member of the bar, legal practitioner,
Brit solicitor, barrister, Queen's or King's counsel, bencher,
US attorney(-at-law), counselor(-at-law), Slang US mouthpiece:
We have turned the case over to a lawyer.
lax adj. 1 loose, slack, casual, slipshod, easygoing, careless,
negligent, permissive, weak, indulgent, flexible, relaxed: Law
enforcement has always been lax in that city. 2 imprecise,
undefined, indefinite, non-specific, unspecific, vague,
shapeless, amorphous, general, broad, inexact, hit-or-miss,
careless, untidy, Colloq sloppy: His ideas about tactics are
too lax for a military man.
lay° v. 1 place, put (down), set (down), position, deposit; spread:
Lay the cloth on the table, then lay the book on top of it. 2
set, arrange: The table was laid for four. 3 Often, lay down.
establish, build, construct: Before I can argue my case, I must
lay a firm foundation of trust. 4 stake, bet, wager, gamble,
hazard, risk: I'll lay ten to one that you won't be able to
move that crate. 5 destroy, suppress, exorcize: Did Edward
ever succeed in laying that ghost of a rumour that haunted his
career for so long? 6 present, offer, submit, set or put forth,
advance, bring or put forward, set out: We have laid our
proposal before the board. 7 charge, impute, direct, lodge,
prefer, aim, attribute, ascribe: There is no justification for
laying the blame on Leonard. 8 copulate (with), couple (with),
have (sexual) intercourse (with), sleep (with), lie (with), bed,
go to bed (with), mate (with), have sex (with), go all the way
(with), service, Slang screw, shack up (with), Brit roger, Taboo
fuck. 9 lay bare. expose, reveal, uncover, disclose, divulge,
bring to light, show, unveil, lift the veil from: She laid bare
the most intimate details of their relationship. 10 lay down.
stipulate, require, demand, insist on, dictate: She laid down
the conditions on which he could return home. 11 lay hold of.
seize, grab, snatch, nab, catch or get hold of, get: I have
been trying to lay hold of that book for weeks. 12 lay in. See
19 (a), below. 13 lay into. attack, assault, set about, assail,
lambaste, belabour: We laid into the gang and gave them a sound
drubbing. 14 lay it on. exaggerate, overstate, embroider:
Don't believe what Frank tells you - he really lays it on pretty
thick sometimes. 15 lay low. See 18 (c), below. 16 lay off. a
suspend; dismiss, discharge, fire, let go, cashier, drum out of
the corps, Colloq (give the) sack, (give the) axe, kick out,
(give the) boot, boot out, give (someone) his or her walking
papers: Fifty workers were laid off because business was slack.
b let up, quit (it), stop (it), cease, desist, leave off, leave
alone, Colloq knock (it) off, cut (it) out, come off (it): I
wish you'd lay off for a while and stop bothering me. You must
lay off phoning your mother twice a day. 17 lay on. a provide,
cater (for), supply: The company laid on quite a Christmas
party. b impose, charge, assess; demand, require: In addition
to enforcing payment of back taxes, they laid on a penalty of 20
per cent. 18 lay out. a design, plan, outline, sketch, arrange,
set up: The art department laid out the advertisements for the
new campaign. b advance, disburse, spend, expend, pay, give,
contribute, Colloq shell out, ante up, kick in with, fork out:
The salesmen often lay out the money for their expenses and are
then reimbursed. c lay low, floor, prostrate, knock down or out,
strike or cut down, flatten, fell, strike down, Colloq knock for
six, kayo or K.O.: He laid out the challenger with a blow to
the solar plexus. 19 lay up. a lay in, amass, accumulate, save
(up), hoard, preserve, store, keep, put away, put by: We laid
up a supply of canned goods for the winter. b hospitalize,
incapacitate, disable, confine to bed, keep indoors: She has
been laid up with a virus all week.
layэ adj. 1 secular, non-clerical, laic, non-ecclesiastical: He
served as a lay preacher for many years. 2 amateur,
non-professional, non-specialist: Members of the lay public did
not immediately understand the dangers of the greenhouse effect.
lay° n. ballad, song, air, refrain, strain, melody; poem, ode,
lyric, rhyme, ballade: Macaulay wrote a book entitled Lays of
Ancient Rome .
lazy adj. 1 indolent, slothful, dilatory, idle, shiftless, inactive,
listless, fain‚ant, otiose, slack, lax, lethargic: He's so lazy
and so rich that he pays someone just to walk his dog. 2 slow,
languid, easy, easygoing, sluggish, slow-moving, languorous:
The hot lazy summer days were whiled away fishing.
lead v. 1 conduct, escort, usher, guide, show the way, pilot, steer:
If you lead, I'll follow. 2 cause, influence, prompt, bring,
incline, induce, persuade, move, dispose, convince: What led
you to suspect the butler? 3 head (up), direct, govern,
command, supervise, superintend, preside (over), take the lead,
take or assume command (of), manage, captain, Colloq skipper:
The orchestra would like you to lead. Who is going to lead the
men into battle? Nicole leads a weekly discussion group on
alcoholism. 4 come or be or go first, excel, surpass, exceed,
precede, be ahead (of), outstrip, distance, outrun, outdo: They
lead the world in the production of sugar. 5 live, experience,
spend, pass; while away: He is leading a life of ease on the
French Riviera. 6 be conducive to, create, engender, cause,
contribute to, result in, bring on or about, produce: Your
stubbornness can lead only to frustration. 7 lead astray. lead
on, mislead, misguide, misdirect, deceive; fool, decoy,
hoodwink, Colloq bamboozle: She might have been led astray by
that wolf in sheep's clothing. 8 lead off. start (off or in or
out or up), begin, commence, get going or moving, get under way,
initiate, inaugurate, Colloq kick off: The proceedings will
lead off with the national anthem. Who is going to lead off the
singing? 9 lead on. a See 7, above. b lure, entice, seduce,
beguile, inveigle, tempt: They led me on with offers of a huge
salary. 10 lead up to. a prepare or pave or clear (the way),
do the groundwork or spadework, precede: The events leading up
to the overthrow of the government may never be known. b
approach, broach, bring up, present, introduce, work up or round
or around to, get (up) to: I should lead up to the subject
delicately, if I were you.
--n. 11 front, vanguard, van, lead or leading position or
place, advance or advanced position or place: The horse that he
had bet on was in the lead coming down the home straight. 12
advantage, edge, advance, supremacy, margin, priority, primacy,
pre-eminence: She has the lead over all her competitors. Our
team had a two-point lead at half-time. 13 direction, guidance,
leadership, precedent, example, model, exemplar, pattern,
standard: We decided to follow his lead. 14 tip, clue, hint,
suggestion, cue, intimation; prospect, possibility, potential;
Colloq tip-off: Barry is following up some leads for a new job.
The advertisement produced some new sales leads. 15 leash,
tether, restraint, cord, chain: The dog fetches his lead
himself when he wants to go out. 16 protagonist, hero or
heroine, leading or starring role or part, leading or lead actor
or actress, leading lady or man, male or female lead, principal;
prima donna, diva, prima ballerina, premiЉre danseuse, premier
danseur: She has the lead in the new production of Giselle .
17 wire, cable, Brit flex: Connect this lead to the power
source.
--adj. 18 leading, foremost, first; main, chief, principal,
premier, paramount: The lead climber fell when the rope broke.
The lead story in today's paper is about an American take-over
bid for the longest-standing British car-manufacturing company.
leaden adj. 1 heavy, onerous, ponderous, dense, burdensome:
Exhausted, he dragged his leaden feet to the next meeting. 2
heavy, dull, numbing, oppressive: I was happy to escape the
leaden atmosphere of the theatre. 3 grey, dull, dingy, gloomy,
glowering, lowering, dreary, dismal, oppressive, dark, sullen,
sombre: The leaden sky seemed to forebode disaster as he fled
across the moor. 4 inert, lifeless, listless, sluggish,
inanimate, inactive, lethargic, languid, languorous, torpid,
spiritless, stagnant, static, dormant, soporific, sleepy: The
refugees trudged along at a leaden pace.
leader n. 1 chief, head, commander, ruler, superior, director,
chairman, chairwoman, chairlady, chairperson, chieftain,
captain, commandant, principal, Colloq boss, bossman, kingpin,
big cheese, number one, numero uno, Brit gaffer, Chiefly US Mr
Big, Slang US the man: The police can identify the leader of
the gang. The leader of the assembly is elected for a year. 2
bandmaster, band leader, director, US and Canadian conductor,
bandleader, concert-master: The leader tapped his baton for
silence.
leadership
n. direction, guidance, management, directorship,
administration, supervision, command, regulation, control,
operation, influence, initiative; governorship, superintendence,
running: The company made huge profits under Katherine's
leadership. The leadership of the country at this time was in
the hands of the privileged class.
leading adj. 1 important, influential, chief, prime, cardinal,
foremost, paramount, primary: A leading politician hinted today
that interest rates might go down soon. 2 best, outstanding,
pre-eminent, greatest, supreme, peerless, matchless, unequalled,
unrivalled, unsurpassed: He was the leading writer of his time.
leaflet n. folder, circular, brochure, handbill, bill, booklet,
advertisement, US and Canadian throw-away, flier or flyer,
Colloq Brit advert: The candidate gave out leaflets urging us
to vote for him.
leafy adj. green, verdant, bosky, woody, shady, shaded, arborescent:
We lay beneath the leafy bowers and dreamed of summers past.
league n. 1 confederation, association, alliance, combination,
coalition, federation, confederacy, guild, society, fraternity,
union, band, fellowship, club: The teams in the south favour
forming a football league of their own. 2 in league (with).
allied (with), united (with), associated (with), leagued (with),
federated (with), collaborating (with), conspiring (with), in
collusion (with), Colloq in cahoots (with): The suspects are
said to be in league with saboteurs.
--v. 3 ally, unite, associate, band, combine, collaborate, join
(forces), conspire, collude: Did most people league with the
rebels or the official government?
leak n. 1 leakage, leaking, discharge, trickle, escape, seepage,
seeping, oozing, exudation: We have to stop leaks of
radioactive waste from power plants. 2 hole, fissure, crack,
chink, crevice, aperture, opening, puncture, cut, break, split,
gash, rent, tear, gap, flaw: There was a leak in the balloon
and it began to descend. 3 disclosure, revelation: The press
knew about his defection because of a security leak.
--v. 4 escape, discharge, spill, trickle, drip, seep, ooze,
exude, extravasate: Oil was leaking out through a hole in the
container. 5 disclose, divulge, let slip, release, give away
(the game), make known or public, let (something or it) be
known, Colloq spill the beans (about); let the cat out of the
bag: Someone as yet unidentified leaked the scandal to a
reporter. 6 leak out. transpire, become known, come out, be
revealed: Their secret relationship has leaked out.
lean° adj. 1 thin, slim, slender, rangy, spare, wiry, lanky, lank,
skinny, angular, bony, raw-boned, gaunt, gangling, gangly,
spare, meagre, skeletal, scraggy, scrawny, haggard, emaciated,
pinched, wasted, shrunken, macilent: He has the lean leggy
build typical of a runner. 2 unfruitful, unproductive, barren,
infertile, poor, meagre, scanty, bare, arid, sparse,
impoverished: The Kanes tried for years to eke a living from
the lean soil. 3 impoverished, destitute, needy,
poverty-stricken, penurious, indigent, necessitous, hard, bad,
difficult: The Depression was a lean period for most people.
leanэ v. 1 rest (against or on or upon), be held up or supported by:
She leant her head on his shoulder. 2 incline, slant, tilt,
bend, tip: Isn't that pole leaning over too much? 3 Often,
lean towards. favour, gravitate towards, tend towards, be
disposed towards, prefer, show a preference for, incline
towards, be or lean on the side of, be biased towards, be
(prejudiced) in favour of: She leans towards conservatism when
it comes to morality. 4 lean on. a rely on, depend on, count
on, believe or trust in, pin one's hopes or faith on or upon:
You can lean on me if you need help. b pressure, bring pressure
to bear on, intimidate, threaten, cow, terrorize, terrify,
scare, frighten, warn, menace, endanger, imperil, Brit
pressurize: Sometimes the gang would lean on a shopkeeper who
refused to pay for 'protection'.
leaning n. bent, inclination, bias, prejudice, favouritism, partiality,
predilection, liking, taste, preference, penchant, sympathy,
tendency, tendentiousness: The judges' leanings in favour of
short-haired dogs are well known.
leap n. 1 spring, bound, jump, vault (into); hurdle, clear, hop
over, skip over, negotiate: He leapt into the saddle. Superman
leaps tall buildings at a single bound. 2 jump, cavort, gambol,
dance, frisk, caper, frolic, romp, prance, curvet: He leapt for
joy at the news that he had won first prize. 3 jump, rush,
hasten, form hastily, accept (prematurely or without question):
The speaker kept leaping from one subject to another. Don't leap
to conclusions about her strange behaviour. 4 leap at. jump at,
accept, be eager for, move quickly, take: I leapt at the chance
to apply for a scholarship.
--n. 5 spring, bound, jump, vault, hurdle, hop, skip: With one
leap I was on the other side. 6 jump, increase, (up)surge,
rise, upswing, growth, escalation: The figures show a leap in
inflation for the month. 7 by leaps and bounds. rapidly,
quickly, swiftly, speedily: The plans for the new theatre are
progressing by leaps and bounds.
learn v. 1 Often, learn of. find out, discover, hear (of), chance or
hit upon, understand, gather, have revealed to one; determine,
ascertain, uncover: I learned today that you are leaving. I
learned of your plans yesterday. 2 be taught, be instructed in,
master, become proficient (in), acquire knowledge (of): I
learned German at school. 3 understand, see the light, get the
picture, Colloq catch on, get the idea, get it, Brit twig: No
matter how often they are told, some people never learn. 4
memorize, commit to memory, learn by heart: Bolton was told to
learn his part by the next day.
learned adj. (well-)informed, erudite, knowledgeable, au fait,
cultured, intellectual, highbrow, (well-)educated, scholarly,
academic, scholastic, lettered, experienced, skilled, practised,
accomplished, expert, literate, well-read, (well-)versed,
(well-)trained, (well-)grounded: The consultants to the
encyclopedia are all learned people.
learner n. student, pupil, scholar, trainee, apprentice, novice, tiro
or tyro, abecedarian, beginner, initiate, neophyte: Learners of
English as a second language will benefit from this book.
learning n. knowledge, erudition, culture, scholarship, lore,
information, wisdom: You have the advantage of being able to
draw on centuries of learning.
lease n. 1 rental agreement or contract, sublease, sublet: A new
ten-year lease will be signed tomorrow.
--v. 2 rent (out), let (out), sublet (out), sublease (out),
charter (out), hire (out): They leased their home to us for the
summer. We arranged to lease their boat for the weekend.
leave° v. 1 go (away or off), depart, set off, be off, get away or
off, retire, retreat, withdraw, decamp, (make an) exit, run, be
gone, bid (someone or something) goodbye, say goodbye or adieu
(to), take (one's) leave (of), quit, desert, pull out, check
out, fly, Colloq push or shove off, take off, skedaddle, flit,
disappear, do a disappearing act, pull up stakes, up-anchor,
Slang beat it, scram, vamoose, split, Brit beetle off, do a
bunk, do a moonlight flit, hop it, Taboo slang Brit bugger off:
Please leave at once. May I leave the room? She left him alone.
2 go or run off, deviate from: The car left the road and hit a
tree. 3 forget, mislay, lose: I left my car keys somewhere in
the house. 4 abandon, desert, take leave of, wash one's hands
of, turn one's back on; quit, resign from, give up, renounce,
drop (out of): She left him because he mistreated her. I left
school at sixteen. 5 make, render, cause to be or become or
remain: The beauty of the place left me speechless. 6
bequeath, will, hand down, devise, demise, transfer: Her aunt
left some valuable paintings to my wife. 7 entrust, commit,
assign, cede, relinquish, give over or up, consign, resign:
They are leaving all the responsibility to me. 8 cause or allow
to remain, have as a remainder, yield, give: Seven from eleven
leaves four. 9 leave off. stop, cease, desist, forbear, give
up, refrain from, discontinue, abstain (from), renounce: He
won't leave off gossiping about her. 10 leave out. omit,
disregard, ignore, neglect; count out, reject, exclude,
eliminate, bar, except: You left out the best part. Don't leave
me out of the fun!
leaveэ n. 1 permission, authorization, consent, freedom, liberty,
licence, sanction, dispensation: Who gave you leave to borrow
my car? 2 furlough, leave of absence, time off, sabbatical,
recess, holiday, vacation: I am overworked and badly in need of
some leave. 3 departure: He took his leave of us at last.
lecherous adj. lewd, lascivious, salacious, libidinous, sensual,
lubricious or lubricous, lustful, concupiscent, licentious,
prurient, dirty-minded, filthy-minded, carnal, goatish, hircine,
randy, libertine, wanton, profligate, depraved, degenerate,
decadent, dissolute, Slang horny: The lecherous villain dared
to proposition my wife.
lecture n. 1 speech, address, talk, discourse, disquisition, treatise,
dissertation, paper, lesson, instruction, sermon, declamation,
harangue, diatribe, philippic, screed: The preacher delivered a
lecture on the evils of drink. 2 reproof, reprimand, rebuke,
criticism, censure, reproach, scolding, upbraiding, chiding,
berating, tongue-lashing, remonstration, Colloq dressing-down,
telling-off, Slang Brit wigging, US and Canadian chewing-out: I
had to listen to another lecture about staying out late.
--v. 3 make or deliver or give a speech or address or talk,
discourse; sermonize, hold forth, moralize, pontificate, orate,
preach, declaim, expound, go on about, harangue: She lectures
on Chinese art of the 18th century. He insists on lecturing to
everyone he meets. 4 reprove, reprimand, rebuke, reproach,
scold, upbraid, berate, chide, tongue-lash, remonstrate with,
rail at, fulminate against; admonish, warn; Colloq dress down,
tell off, send (someone) away or off with a flea in his or her
ear, Slang Brit wig, US and Canadian chew out: She is always
lecturing me about keeping my room tidy.
ledge n. shelf, projection, step, mantel or mantle, mantelpiece or
mantlepiece, overhang, sill: We stood on a small ledge of rock
unable to move.
leer v. 1 ogle, eye: He leers at every pretty girl.
--n. 2 ogle, the eye, Colloq once-over, Slang glad eye: She
was repelled when he gave her a leer.
leery adj. suspicious, sceptical, dubious, doubtful, doubting,
distrustful, wary, cautious, chary, careful: I was very leery
of his story.
leeway n. space, elbow-room, room, play, scope, slack, latitude, wide
berth; freedom: We allowed him some leeway to make changes in
the manuscript.
left adj. 1 left-hand, sinistral, Nautical port, (formerly)
larboard, Heraldry sinister: In most countries, the driver sits
on the left side. 2 leftist, left-wing, progressive, liberal,
socialist(ic), pink; radical, communist(ic), red: The party's
platform has become a bit too left for my taste.
--n. 3 left side or hand or fist, Nautical port, port side,
(formerly) larboard: The fort is on the left as you enter the
bay. The champion has a powerful left.
left-handed
adj. 1 clumsy, awkward, gauche, fumbling, maladroit,
cack-handed: He has a left-handed way of doing things. 2
insulting, disparaging, derisive, uncomplimentary, insulting,
paradoxical, ambiguous, questionable, dubious, doubtful:
Calling her piano-playing 'not bad' was a left-handed
compliment.
leftover n. 1 Usually, leftovers. remainder(s), remnant(s), rest,
residue, residuum, balance, surplus, excess, superfluity,
overage; scrap(s), leavings, crumbs, odds and ends, debris or
d‚bris, refuse, waste, rubbish, rubble, detritus, Archaic orts:
I'm just having leftovers for dinner tonight.
--adj. 2 remaining, residual, extra, excess, unused, uneaten:
Save some of the leftover ice-cream for later.
leg n. 1 limb, member, Colloq pin, peg, stump, Slang gam: I have a
touch of arthritis in my left leg. 2 support, brace, prop,
upright, standard, column, pillar: One of the legs of this
table is about to collapse. 3 part, portion, segment, stretch,
stage, section, length, lap: The first leg of my journey passed
without incident. 4 a leg up. boost, assistance, push, help,
helping hand, advance, support, US and Canadian assist: Let me
give you a leg up over the wall. Gordon might give you a leg up
in getting a job. 5 leg it. run, hurry, hasten, scurry, Colloq
scoot, skedaddle: He legged it down the street to catch the
bus. 6 not a leg to stand on. defenceless, unsupported,
insupportable or unsupportable, indefensible, unjustifiable,
untenable, invalid: She insists she's right, but she hasn't got
a leg to stand on. 7 on one's or its last legs. decrepit,
failing, exhausted, dying, worn out, run-down, falling apart or
to pieces, broken-down, the worse for wear; dilapidated,
rickety, shabby, ramshackle, crumbling, tumbledown: George
looked as if he was on his last legs. My car is on its last
legs. 8 pull (someone's) leg. tease, mock, jeer at, taunt, gibe,
make fun of, chaff, guy, fool, deceive, Chiefly Brit twit,
Colloq rib, kid, rag: We were just pulling his leg, but he took
it seriously. 9 shake a leg. a hurry (up), hasten, rush,
Colloq get going or moving or cracking, look alive or lively:
You'll have to shake a leg to catch that train. b dance, trip
the light fantastic (toe), Slang hoof it, US cut a rug: What do
you say we go out and shake a leg tonight? 10 stretch one's
legs. (take or go for a) walk, (take some) exercise: After
sitting for so long, I have to stretch my legs.
legal adj. 1 lawful, licit, statutory, acceptable, permissible,
permitted, admissible, authorized: The police officer was found
to have exceeded his legal authority. 2 legitimate, proper,
right, rightful, sound, constitutional, authorized, Slang legit:
I question whether his business is legal. Who is the legal heir?
3 judicial, juridical, judiciary, forensic: The case is without
legal precedent.
legalistic
adj. narrow(-minded), disputatious, contentious, litigious,
literal, strict, niggling, hair-splitting, cavilling, quibbling,
Jesuitical, pettifogging, nice, fine, subtle, Colloq
nit-picking: Her argument is legalistic and ignores the spirit
of the law.
legend n. 1 epic, saga, myth, story, (folk) tale, romance, narrative,
fable, tradition, fiction, Scandinavian Edda: There are scores
of legends woven into the cultural fabric of our lives. 2
celebrity, phenomenon, tradition, wonder, luminary, personage,
somebody: Someone said that Rudolph had become a legend in his
own mind. 3 key, table of symbols, code, explanatory note:
Refer to the legend for explanations of symbols used in the map.
4 motto, slogan, inscription, caption, title: The legend reads,
'Dieu et mon droit'.
legendary adj. 1 fabled, storied, traditional; heroic, epic, mythic:
Legendary tales have been identified in every culture. 2
fanciful, imaginary, fabulous, mythical, romantic, fictional:
Was King Arthur a real person or a legendary figure? 3 famous,
celebrated, noted, famed, well-known, renowned, illustrious,
immortal, prominent, eminent, great, acclaimed, noteworthy:
Irena became known for her legendary dinner parties.
legible adj. readable, decipherable, clear, understandable, plain,
distinct: The handwriting is legible, but I don't know what
language it's in.
legitimate
adj. 1 valid, proper, right, rightful, authorized, legal,
genuine, real, true, authentic: Which one of them was the
legitimate Anastasia? 2 lawful, licit, legal, by law, de jure,
statutory: Bonnie Prince Charlie claimed to be the legitimate
ruler of Scotland. 3 commonsensical, sensible, reasonable,
proper, correct, acceptable, valid, logical, justifiable, just,
fair: The question is perfectly legitimate and deserves a
proper answer.
--v. 4 legitimize, legitimatize, legalize, authorize, sanction,
warrant, validate, certify: By signing before two witnesses,
she legitimated her will.
leisure n. 1 spare or free time, time (off), liberty, freedom,
opportunity: How many people these days have the leisure to do
what they like? 2 holiday, vacation, respite, relief, rest,
recreation, relaxation, ease, breathing-space, quiet,
tranquillity, repose, US military rest and recreation, R and R:
Everyone needs a few days of leisure now and then. 3 at
leisure. a unoccupied, inactive, retired, resting, free, on
holiday or chiefly US and Canadian vacation; at liberty,
available, unemployed: I have been at leisure for a year now.
b Often, at one's leisure. at one's convenience, when
convenient, unhurriedly, in one's own time: I shall mow the
lawn at my leisure.
--adj. 4 recreational: The 'leisure industry' is booming with
theme parks opening throughout the country. 5 free, unoccupied,
non-working, unencumbered, idle, holiday, vacation: How do you
usually spend your leisure time?
leisured adj. wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous, moneyed or monied,
well-to-do, leisured: Yachts of that size are strictly for the
leisured classes.
lend v. 1 make a loan of, loan, advance: The bank agreed to lend me
the money for a boat. 2 impart, furnish, bestow, give, confer,
contribute, add: The silk scarf lends cachet to the whole
outfit. 3 lend itself to. suit, fit, be fitted or appropriate
or suitable (to or for), be applicable or adaptable (to or for):
The book lends itself well to film adaptation.
length n. 1 extent, measure, span, reach, size, magnitude, dimension,
measurement: What is the length of a piece of string? The pool
is 25 metres in length and 15 metres in width. 2 duration,
stretch, term, period, space: What length of time did he spend
in prison? 3 at full length. fully, completely, to the fullest
extent: They were stretched out at full length on the floor. 4
at length. a finally, at (long) last, eventually, after a
(long) time or while, ultimately; in the long run: At length,
the doctor emerged from his office. b for a long time,
interminably, for ages: He read to her at length, till she
dozed off. c in depth, thoroughly, completely, exhaustively,
extensively, to the fullest or greatest extent, in detail: I
haven't the time to go into the story at length just now.
lengthen v. make longer, extend, elongate; stretch, drag out, draw out,
prolong, protract, expand, continue: I need to lengthen the
skirt an inch. The ten-minute interview lengthened into an hour.
They lengthened the playing field.
lengthy adj. long, over-long, long-drawn(-out), protracted; endless,
interminable, prolonged, long-winded, wordy, prolix, verbose,
garrulous, talkative, loquacious, boring, dull, tedious: He
underwent a lengthy operation for removal of the clot. She
launched into a lengthy description of the life cycle of a frog.
lenient adj. gentle, kind, kindly, easy, sparing, merciful, tender,
humane, tender-hearted, kind-hearted, indulgent, permissive,
forgiving, easygoing, tolerant, patient, compassionate,
forbearing, understanding, magnanimous, generous, charitable:
Do you think they were lenient in their treatment of prisoners
caught while escaping?
lesson n. 1 exercise, drill, reading, lecture, recitation; assignment,
homework, task: The pupils are having an English lesson at the
moment. You must finish your lessons before you can go out and
play. 2 class, session; instruction, teaching, tutoring,
schooling; practice: I take piano lessons on Tuesday
afternoons. 3 example, exemplar, model, guide, maxim, paragon,
message, deterrent, discouragement; warning, admonition; moral,
precept: Norman's punishment should be a lesson to you. 4
punishment, chastisement, chastening, castigation, scolding,
chiding, rebuke, reprimand, reproof: If she does that again,
I'll give her a lesson she won't forget in a hurry!
let° v. 1 allow (to), permit (to), sanction (to), give permission or
leave (to), authorize (to), license (to), suffer (to): Don't
let him go alone. Let George do it. 2 cause (to), arrange for,
enable (to): Let me know if you have any difficulty. Let me
help you. Let the police know of any crime. 3 Sometimes, let
out. rent (out), hire (out), lease (out), charter (out);
contract (out), subcontract (out), farm (out), job (out): Mrs
Finney lets rooms by the week. Much of the work is let out to
people who work at home. 4 let down. disappoint, fail,
frustrate; disenchant, dissatisfy, disillusion: He promised to
be here at nine, but he let me down. 5 let in. admit, allow in;
include, take in, receive, welcome, induct, install or instal:
I'll just open a window and let in some fresh air. I wouldn't
want to be a member of a club that would let in someone like me.
6 let off. a pardon, forgive, excuse, release, discharge, let
go: They let him off with only a severe reprimand. b
exonerate, absolve, clear, acquit, vindicate, Slang let off the
hook: When the real culprit confessed, she was let off. c
detonate, explode, detonate, discharge, fire, set off: Don't
let off those fireworks so near the haystack. d emit, give out
or off, release, throw off or out, let loose, exude: Some
plastics let off an awful smell when they burn. 7 let on. a
confess, admit, disclose, divulge, reveal, expose, let it be
known, let out, say, tell, give away, let slip, betray; leak:
I'll never let on that you are to blame. b feign, affect,
pretend, fake, (put on an) act, simulate, dissemble,
dissimulate: He let on that he had a bad leg and couldn't play
in the match, when in fact he just wanted to go away for the
weekend. 8 let out. a See 7 (a), above. b (let) loose,
liberate, (set) free, release, let go, discharge: He served
three years before being let out. Let the cat out, will you. c
emit, give vent to, produce: She let out a scream that could
have woken the dead. d end, stop, break up, finish, close,
terminate: When does school let out for the Christmas holidays?
9 let up. decrease, abate, ease (up), slacken, diminish, lessen,
mitigate, subside, moderate: Perhaps we can still go if the
rain lets up soon. 10 let up on. ease up on, slack off on: He
didn't let up on haranguing us for an hour.
letэ n. hindrance, impediment, obstruction, obstacle: People can
now cross the border without let or hindrance.
let-down n. disappointment, disillusionment, disenchantment: She had
practised so hard that losing was all the more of a let-down.
lethal adj. deadly, fatal, mortal: The lethal blow was delivered by a
blunt instrument.
lethargic adj. 1 lethargical, sluggish, slow, dull, heavy, lazy,
indolent, phlegmatic, slothful, idle, languid, languorous,
listless, fain‚ant, inactive, torpid, stuporous, comatose;
indifferent, apathetic: They were so lethargic that they did
absolutely nothing about it. 2 weary, tired, fagged out,
fatigued, enervated, weak, exhausted, drowsy, sleepy, somnolent:
I have a bad cold and feel very lethargic.
lethargy n. 1 sluggishness, sloth, dullness, heaviness, laziness,
indolence, phlegm, idleness, languidness, languor, listlessness,
dolce far niente, inactivity, inertia, torpor, stupor;
indifference, apathy: After taking the medicine, a feeling of
lethargy overtook me. 2 weariness, tiredness, fatigue,
weakness, exhaustion, drowsiness, sleepiness, somnolence: The
strident persistence of my alarm clock dragged me out of my
lethargy.
letter n. 1 character, symbol, sign: Epsilon is a letter in the Greek
alphabet. 2 missive, epistle, communication, note, line,
message, dispatch or despatch; correspondence: Write me a
letter when you get there. 3 letters. literature, the
humanities, belles-lettres, the classics; erudition, culture,
the world of letters, learning, scholarship: He is a widely
known man of letters. 4 to the letter. precisely, literally,
exactly, accurately, strictly, sic, thus, letter for letter,
literatim, word for word, verbatim: The document has been
copied to the letter.
--v. 5 inscribe, write, spell (out): She carefully lettered
the caption under the picture.
lettered adj. literate, literary, (well-)educated, erudite, scholarly,
learned, well-informed, enlightened, knowledgeable,
(well-)versed, well-read, cultured, cultivated: He was greatly
influenced by the lettered men of his time.
let-up n. cease, stop, stopping, ceasing, cessation, surcease, break,
interruption, pause, intermission, suspension, time out or off;
moderation, lessening, abatement, diminution, relief,
hesitation, respite, relaxation: I was nagged without let-up
about getting the work done by the end of the month.
level adj. 1 even, smooth, plane, uniform, plain, flat, flush,
straight, true: The plaster is not level enough to apply the
wallpaper. 2 horizontal; prone, supine: Make sure the playing
field is level. Try to keep the body level when doing this
exercise. 3 uniform, constant, steady, consistent, invariable,
unvarying, unalterable, unchanging, unfluctuating; very: I did
my level best to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. 4 parallel,
even, equal, equivalent, consistent: The top floor of my house
is level with the roof of the one across the street. The problem
arises because wages are not level with inflation. 5 up (on),
informed (about or on), up to date (on or with), au fait (with),
au courant (with): He does his best to keep level with what is
going on in the world. 6 even, tied, equal, neck and neck: The
scores are level. So at half-time, it's level pegging between
Arsenal and Liverpool. 7 See level-headed, below.
--v. 8 level off, even, smooth (out), flatten (out): The
concrete is levelled by dragging a straight-edge over it. 9
destroy, demolish, raze, lay waste, devastate, knock down, tear
down, pull down, wreck, bulldoze: The building was levelled in
a matter of minutes. 10 aim, point, draw a bead, direct, train,
focus: He levelled his gun at her and she screamed. 11 level
with. be or play fair with, be honest or straight with, be open
or frank or straightforward with, Colloq be upfront with: I am
going to level with you - I find you very difficult to work
with.
--n. 12 plane, horizontal, elevation, height; altitude: The
windows are at the same level. 13 floor, storey: On which
level is Mr Stone's office? 14 plane, position, status,
standing, rank, stage: She functions at a higher level, both
administratively and intellectually. 15 on the level. straight,
straightforward, honest, direct, sincere, square, open,
above-board, Colloq upfront, on the up and up, US
straight-shooting: You haven't been on the level with me about
your plans for the company.
level-headed
adj. (well-)balanced, sensible, sane, reasonable,
commonsensical, level, unruffled, undisturbed, unperturbed,
imperturbable, even-tempered, composed, calm, cool, collected,
tranquil, serene, unflappable, poised, relaxed, self-possessed:
Even when she was a teenager, Fran was quite level-headed.
levity n. light-heartedness, lightness, frivolity, frivolousness,
flippancy, trivialization, triviality, facetiousness: Politics
is a weighty business and should not be treated with levity.
lewd adj. lascivious, salacious, lecherous, lustful, licentious,
carnal, goatish, hircine, satyric(al), ruttish, concupiscent,
libidinous, lubricious or lubricous, indecent, offensive, wild,
debauched, obscene, smutty, crude, dirty, foul, filthy, rude,
pornographic, prurient, gross, dissolute, Fescennine, bawdy,
ribald, scurrilous, raw, blue, erotic, suggestive, unchaste,
unvirtuous, Colloq randy, Slang hot, horny: He is said to have
chronicled the lewd goings-on at the Hellfire Club.
liability n. 1 answerability, responsibility, burden, onus,
accountability: Who bears the liability for the company's
losses? 2 obligation, debt, indebtedness, arrear(s), debit:
Outstanding shares are treated as a liability of the
corporation. 3 disadvantage, drawback, hindrance, impediment,
encumbrance, snag, hitch, barrier, obstacle, obstruction,
burden, onus: Her biggest liability is her inability to read.
4 exposure, susceptibility, vulnerability: The insurer's
liability is spread amongst many underwriters.
liable adj. 1 likely, apt, prone, inclined, disposed: She is liable
to want payment for her contribution. 2 answerable,
responsible, accountable, obligated, blameable, blameworthy, Law
actionable: An owner is liable for damage done by his dog. 3
exposed, susceptible, vulnerable, open, subject: Certain kinds
of plants are more liable to disease.
liaison n. 1 connection, communication, contact, linkage, affiliation,
relationship, relations: Liaison between the ministries is
improving. 2 contact, intermediary, link, tie, medium,
go-between, agent: She acts as liaison between the heads of
research and manufacturing. 3 (love) affair, amour,
relationship, affaire d'amour, affaire de coeur, intrigue,
romance, entanglement, flirtation: David's wife soon found out
about his liaison with the girl in the typing pool.
liar n. fabricator, prevaricator, perjurer, falsifier, teller of
tales, false witness, Ananias, Baron von MЃnchhausen, Colloq
fibber: He's a liar if he says he saw me that night - I was ill
in bed.
libel n. 1 defamation, vilification, denigration, denunciation,
deprecation, depreciation, belittlement, disparagement,
derogation, disgrace, ill repute, dishonour, obloquy, shame,
humiliation, mortification: His entire conversation is a
perpetual libel on his acquaintances. 2 slander, calumny, lie,
falsehood, prevarication, untruth, misrepresentation, aspersion,
innuendo, insinuation, slur, smear, blot, stain, smirch, stigma:
For years he suffered the libels circulated by his ex-mistress.
--v. 3 defame, vilify, denigrate, denounce, deprecate,
depreciate, belittle, disparage, derogate, disgrace, dishonour,
shame, humiliate, mortify: He claims to have been libelled by
an article in the newspaper. 4 slander, calumniate, lie about,
misrepresent, asperse, insinuate, slur, smear, malign, stain,
blacken, discredit, besmirch, stigmatize, traduce, vilify, Rare
vilipend, Colloq chiefly US bad-mouth: There is often a fine
line between libelling a person and exercising freedom of
speech.
liberal adj. 1 generous, bountiful, free, open-hearted, open,
open-handed, bounteous, charitable, philanthropic, munificent,
magnanimous, big, big-hearted, unstinting, unselfish, unsparing;
lavish, abundant, ample, large, handsome, plentiful, copious:
Lady Browning is a liberal benefactor of our cause. Thank you
for your liberal contributions. 2 progressive, libertarian,
reformist, humanistic, left (of centre), latitudinarian,
non-partisan, unaligned or non-aligned, individualistic, South
African verligte: The liberal voters found little to attract
them in the latest election. 3 free, not literal, flexible,
lenient, loose, broad, open, disinterested, impartial,
dispassionate, fair, broad-minded, open-minded, unprejudiced,
unbigoted, unjaundiced, unopinionated, tolerant: Judge Reid is
known for his liberal interpretation of the law.
--n. 4 progressive, libertarian, reformer, progressivist,
latitudinarian, independent, freethinker, leftist, left-winger,
South African verligte: They think of themselves as liberals,
not as conservatives.
liberalize
v. 1 broaden, widen, extend, expand, stretch, enlarge: The
purpose of the law is to liberalize the functions of solicitors.
2 loosen, ease, slacken, relax, modify, change, moderate,
soften: The police really ought to liberalize the parking
regulations in this area.
liberate v. 1 (set) free, release, set at liberty, disenthral,
emancipate, manumit, deliver, enfranchise, (let) loose, let go,
let out, let off: When the enemy retreated, the army liberated
the prisoners of war. After her divorce, she felt like a
liberated woman. 2 steal, pilfer, purloin, take, appropriate:
She was caught liberating some books from the library.
liberation
n. freeing, liberating, deliverance, emancipation,
enfranchisement, enfranchising, delivery, rescue, rescuing,
release, releasing, loosing, unfettering, unshackling,
unchaining: The liberation of the prisoners occurred on May
Day, 1945.
libertine n. 1 lecher, reprobate, profligate, rake, rakehell, rou‚,
debaucher, womanizer, seducer, fornicator, adulterer, debauchee,
whoremonger, philanderer, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Colloq
wolf, lady-killer, (old) goat, dirty old man: He fancied
himself a libertine, but women shunned him like the plague.
--adj. 2 licentious, lecherous, reprobate, profligate, rakish,
rakehell, philandering, dissolute, immoral, degenerate,
depraved, debauched, decadent, dirty, filthy, amoral, wanton,
lewd, lascivious, prurient, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
Paphian, libidinous, ruttish, goatish, hircine, satyric(al),
carnal, bestial, Colloq randy, Slang horny: A paragon of
prudery to his family, Viscount Guarnier secretly led a life of
wild, libertine abandon.
liberty n. 1 freedom, independence, self-determination, autonomy,
self-rule, self-government, self-direction, sovereignty: People
have always been willing to die for their liberty. 2 right,
freedom, franchise, carte blanche, privilege, prerogative,
licence, leave, permission, authorization: I was given the
liberty to go where I pleased. 3 freedom, licence, initiative,
exemption, exception, privilege: On a strict diet, she allowed
herself no liberties whatever. 4 at liberty. free, uninhibited,
unfettered, unconstrained, unrestricted, unrestrained,
liberated: I was at liberty to do as I pleased. 5 take a
liberty or the liberty or often liberties. be unrestrained or
presumptuous or bold or uninhibited or overfamiliar or forward
or aggressive or impudent or impertinent or audacious or
improper; display or exercise boldness or impropriety or
presumption or presumptuousness or indecorum or unseemliness or
boldness or arrogance: She thought he was taking liberties in
asking her to dance. I took the liberty of asking her to
accompany me.
licence n. 1 leave, permission, liberty, authorization, authority,
entitlement, dispensation, right, carte blanche, freedom,
latitude, free choice, privilege, charter: Merely being
eighteen does not give you licence to do exactly as you please.
2 permit, certificate, credential(s), paper(s): Bring along
your driving licence. 3 disregard, deviation, departure,
nonconformity, non-compliance, divergence: Such grammatical
abnormalities are an exercise of poetic licence.
license v. 1 authorize, allow, permit, certify, sanction, approve,
commission: The government once had the power to license books
for publication. 2 certify, document, accredit, entitle,
validate, enable, empower: Whoever licensed him to drive a car
made a grave mistake.
lie° v. 1 prevaricate, fabricate, misrepresent, invent, commit
perjury, perjure or forswear oneself, Colloq fib: If he says
that I ate the last cake, he's lying.
--n. 2 falsehood, untruth, falsification, misrepresentation,
fiction, invention, prevarication, fib, fabrication, Colloq
story, cock-and-bull story, (tall) tale, whopper, US fish story,
fish tale: His claim of having been attacked was found to be a
lie.
lieэ v. 1 recline, stretch out, be prostrate or recumbent or prone
or supine: I'm going to lie down for a nap before dinner. 2
rest, repose; can be found, be, be situated: The book is lying
on the table. The land lies on the Berkshire-Surrey border. 3
rest, repose, be, reside, dwell, abide, remain, belong: The
responsibility lies with you. 4 press, burden, weigh, rest, be:
The onus for the crime lies heavily on him. 5 lie low. hide,
remain concealed or in hiding, keep out of sight, Colloq Brit
lie doggo: You'd better lie low till the affair is forgotten.
--n. 6 lie of the land. state, status, condition, situation,
atmosphere, mood, spirit, temper, character: You ought to
determine the lie of the land before submitting your proposal.
life n. 1 existence, entity, being; sentience, viability: Who can
imagine the possible forms of life in the universe? 2
existence, survival, living, subsistence, sustenance: Certain
nutriments are necessary to life on earth. 3 existence, living,
way of life, lifestyle: What kind of life does he lead? I enjoy
country life. 4 existence, lifetime, time; duration: She did
much during her short life. The life of a light-bulb depends on
how often it is switched off and on. 5 person, mortal, human
(being), individual, soul: The new drug might save millions of
lives. 6 biography, autobiography, memoir(s), (life) story: He
has written a life of Mozart. 7 soul, spirit, spark of life,
vital spark, moving spirit, life-force, ‚lan vital; lifeblood;
animation, vitality, liveliness, sprightliness, vivacity,
sparkle, dazzle, dash, ‚lan, vigour, verve, zest, flavour,
pungency, freshness, effervescence, brio, flair, vim, energy,
exuberance, enthusiasm, Colloq pep, zing, get-up-and-go: We
must breathe some life into these people. Eva is always the life
of the party. 8 obsession, preoccupation, passion, fixation,
compulsion: Model railways are his life. 9 bounce, resilience,
spring, elasticity: There's no life in this old tennis ball.
lifeless adj. 1 dead: I stared at the lifeless body of the man. 2
unconscious, inanimate, insensate, inert, unmoving, dead,
insensible: At the news of the accident, she sank, lifeless, to
the floor. 3 dull, boring, tiresome, heavy, lacklustre, torpid,
tedious, flat, stale, uninteresting, colourless, uninspiring,
vapid, wooden: The production was a success apart from Ellen's
lifeless performance as Portia. 4 barren, desert, desolate,
bare, sterile, bleak, empty, uninhabited, unoccupied, dreary,
waste: We gazed at the lifeless landscape of the moon.
lifelike adj. authentic, realistic, natural, true to life, real,
faithful, graphic, vivid: She painted a very lifelike picture
of her cat.
lift v. 1 raise, elevate; hoist, heave (up): She lifted her eyes to
the heavens. The pallbearers lifted the coffin to their
shoulders. 2 Often, lift up. exalt, raise, elevate, uplift,
boost, upgrade, promote, advance; improve, ameliorate, better,
dignify, enhance, ennoble, enshrine, deify, immortalize: His
unusual talents lifted him up from the ranks of ordinary
mortals. 3 discontinue, end, terminate, stop: The siege was
lifted after six months. 4 withdraw, cancel, confiscate, take
away, rescind, void, annul: They charged him with driving while
intoxicated and lifted his licence. 5 rise, disappear,
dissipate, vanish: When the fog lifted, I saw that we were
about to run aground. 6 steal, appropriate, pilfer, pocket,
thieve, take, purloin; plagiarize, copy, Colloq pinch, crib,
liberate, Slang Brit nick, Old-fashioned half-inch: He went
into the supermarket and lifted a bottle of scotch. This passage
was lifted from my book in its entirety.
--n. 7 ride: She looked tired so I gave her a lift home. 8 US
and Canadian elevator: Take the lift to the tenth floor. 9
encouragement, boost, stimulus, inducement, inspiration,
reassurance, cheering up, Colloq shot in the arm: Winning first
prize has given Susan the lift she needed to continue with her
writing.
light° n. 1 illumination, brightness, daylight, lamplight,
candlelight, firelight, gaslight, torchlight, starlight,
moonlight, sunlight; gegenschein, counterglow: There is just
enough light for me to read the label. 2 lamp, light-bulb,
torch, beacon, lantern, candle, flare, headlight or headlamp,
street-light or street lamp, US and Canadian flashlight: I saw
a light in the distance. Someone turned off the lights. 3
radiance, radiation, luminescence, glare, gleam, glow,
reflection, luminosity, shine, sparkle, scintillation,
incandescence, phosphorescence, fluorescence: The light of the
full moon shone through the window. 4 daybreak, dawn, sunrise,
US sun-up: We leave at first light. 5 clarification,
enlightenment, insight, understanding, elucidation,
simplification, explanation: After an hour's talk with his
lawyer, he finally saw the light and confessed. Can you shed a
little light on this problem, Robyn? 6 window, window-pane: The
west wall has three windows of six lights each. 7 match,
lighter, spill, taper, fire, flame, ignition: Can you give me a
light for my cigarette? 8 highlight: Note the chiaroscuro
effect from the lights and shadows in the drawing. 9 bring to
light. reveal, unearth, find, uncover, unveil, discover, expose,
disclose, make known: A vital fact has recently been brought to
light. 10 come to light. be revealed, be unearthed, be
uncovered, be unveiled, be discovered, be exposed, be disclosed,
appear, come out, turn up, transpire, develop, evolve, emerge:
The truth about her parents has finally come to light. 11 Brit
in the light of or US in light of. considering, in view of, in
consideration of, taking into account, keeping or bearing in
mind: In the light of his condition, he has decided to pull out
of the competition. 12 shed or throw (some, a little) light on.
explain, elucidate, simplify, clarify: Perhaps you could throw
some light on the reason why she refuses to leave the house.
--adj. 13 (well-)illuminated, bright, alight, (well-)lit,
(well-)lighted, shining, luminous, effulgent, brilliant,
beaming, incandescent, phosphorescent, fluorescent: The
lightest room in the house is the kitchen. 14 pale, light-hued:
Put the light blue chair over here.
--v. 15 ignite, set alight, set or put a match to, kindle;
burn, touch off, set fire to, fire: It's getting chilly, so
you'd better light the fire. When the bomb was in place, they
lit the fuse. 16 illuminate, light up, lighten, brighten: Take
this candle to light your way to the bedroom. 17 turn on,
switch on, put on: Light the lamps. 18 light up. lighten,
brighten, cheer up, liven up: The moment she walked in, the
whole room lit up. Her face lit up when she saw him.
lightэ adj. 1 lightweight, portable: I bought some light garden
furniture. 2 underweight, skinny, slight: Isn't Ted a bit
light for his height? 3 faint, dim, obscure, indistinct,
unclear, faded, imperceptible: There is a very light pencil
mark on the paper. 4 faint, gentle, mild, slight, delicate,
insignificant: A light breeze rippled the surface of the pool.
5 dainty, graceful, delicate, gentle, slight: He felt the light
brush of her lips on his. 6 not weighty, frivolous,
unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, inconsiderable,
trivial, trifling, evanescent, unsubstantial, slight,
superficial: The party was a very light affair. 7 nimble,
agile, active, swift, spry, lithe, sprightly, lightsome,
light-footed, limber, lissom or lissome: When dancing, he may
be light on his feet, but he's not very light on mine. 8
simple-minded, light-headed, scatterbrained, rattle-brained,
bird-brained, feather-brained, hare-brained, flighty, giddy,
dizzy, silly, inane, foolish, frivolous, empty-headed, vacant,
vacuous, shallow, superficial: Featherstone is a bit too light
in the head to be a good manager. 9 cheerful, happy, gay,
sunny, merry, light-hearted, happy-go-lucky, easygoing, joyful,
jovial, jolly: No‰l has written another light drawing-room
comedy. 10 easy, not burdensome, endurable, bearable,
tolerable, supportable, undemanding, effortless, untaxing,
moderate: After my surgery, I was able to resume light duties
at the office. The tax on such a small income is very light.
You should take some light exercise every day. 11 amusing,
entertaining, witty, diverting: The book hasn't much substance,
but it makes good light reading. 12 make light of. dismiss,
write off, shrug off; trivialize; ridicule: The teacher made
light of my attempts to play the concerto.
--v. 13 alight, land, come or go down, descend, settle;
deplane, disembark or debark, detrain, dismount: The bird was
so tame it lighted on my finger. 14 light into. attack, assail,
lambaste, assault, pounce or fall on or upon, beat, belabour;
abuse, tongue-lash, harangue, upbraid, scold, berate, Colloq
lace into; Slang clobber: He really lit into the challenger in
the third round. Her mother lit into her for not doing her
homework. 15 light on or upon. chance or happen or stumble or
hit on or upon, come across, encounter, find, meet up with: She
claimed she lit upon the formula when reading some ancient
hieroglyphics.
lighten° v. 1 illuminate, brighten, light up: Opening the curtains
would lighten up the room. 2 cheer (up), brighten, gladden,
shine; smile: Her face lightened when he said he would be home
for the holidays.
lightenэ v. disencumber, disburden, relieve, alleviate, reduce, lessen,
mitigate: To lighten my load, I had left my suitcase at the
hotel.
like° adj., adv. 1 similar (to), akin (to), allied (to), parallel (to
or with), comparable (to or with), equivalent (to), equal (to),
identical (to), cognate (with), analogous (to), corresponding
(to), correspondent (to), close (to), homologous (to or with),
of a piece (with), (much) the same (as), along the same lines
(as), not unlike: We hold like opinions. Her opinions are like
mine. Her pies are like the ones my mother used to bake.
Problems like this give me a headache. Opposite charges attract,
like charges repel. 2 in the mood for, disposed to: Do you feel
like a walk in the park? He felt like going with me.
--adv. 3 as if, as though: He ran like mad.
--prep. 4 similar to, identical to or with: Her daughter looks
like her. He makes her feel like a perfect fool. 5 in the same
way as, in the manner of, similarly to: Sometimes she acts like
a maniac. The jacket fits him like a glove. He laughed like a
drain. He treats his mother like a child. 6 such as, for
example, for instance, e.g., that is (to say), i.e., in other
words, namely, to wit, viz.: Mistletoe grows on various trees,
like oaks and birches.
--n. 7 match, equal, peer, fellow, opposite number,
counterpart, twin: It is doubtful that we shall see his like
again. 8 same or similar kind or sort or ilk or type or kidney
or breed or mould or cast or strain: The book deals with music,
literature, theatre, painting, and the like.
likeэ v. 1 be fond of, approve of, appreciate, be partial to, have a
fondness or liking for, have a weakness for, take to, delight
in, take pleasure in, derive or get pleasure from, delight in,
find agreeable or congenial, feel attracted to, be or feel
favourably impressed by, relish, love, adore, adulate, Colloq
take a shine to, Slang go for, dig, get a kick out of, US get
off on, groove on, get a bang or a charge out of: She likes a
day at the seaside. He likes chocolate ice-cream. I think she
likes me. 2 Usually, would or should like. prefer, want, wish,
ask: I would like you to try to get to work on time in future.
I'd like a drink.
--n. 3 Usually, likes. preference, partiality, predilection,
liking: We all have our different likes and dislikes.
likeable adj. likeable, genial, amiable, congenial, pleasant, simpatico,
agreeable, pleasing, attractive, appealing, nice, friendly,
winning, charming, engaging, good-natured, winsome: He is
likeable enough, but not my ideal son-in-law.
likelihood
n. probability, strong or distinct possibility, good chance:
We must consider the likelihood that she will refuse to go.
likely adj. 1 probable, liable, expected: Three o'clock is the likely
arrival time. 2 probable, conceivable, reasonable, credible,
plausible, tenable: It seemed likely that Holmes would solve
the case. 3 fitting, able, suitable, probable, seemly, meet,
right, proper, qualified, acceptable, appropriate, apposite;
favourite, odds-on, favoured, promising: Peters is the likely
man for the job. 4 disposed to, apt to, inclined to, liable to:
It's likely to rain. You're likely to think me mad, but I have
my reasons for going.
--adv. 5 probably, undoubtedly, indubitably, no doubt, in all
probability, Colloq like as not: You would most likely say that
I am wrong. He will very likely win the election.
liken v. compare, equate, match, juxtapose: How can you liken him to
Mahatma Gandhi?
likeness n. 1 similarity, resemblance, correspondence, analogy,
agreement, parallelism: The artist has caught her likeness in
the second painting. 2 copy, replica, facsimile, duplicate,
reproduction, model, representation, portrait, painting,
picture, drawing, photograph, sculpture,statue, statuette,
image, simulacrum, icon or ikon: He sells miniature likenesses
of the Eiffel Tower to tourists. 3 appearance, face, figure,
image: The premier's likeness appears on posters throughout the
country.
likewise adv. 1 similarly, in the same or like manner or way: Penny is
sitting quietly and you should do likewise. 2 as well, too,
also, furthermore, further, besides, in addition, moreover, to
boot: There are many ways to take exercise and, likewise, many
ways to avoid it.
liking n. 1 affinity, fondness, affection, love, partiality, bias,
preference, bent, predilection, predisposition, inclination,
appreciation, penchant; eye, appetite, soft spot, weakness: He
has a liking for good claret and beautiful women. 2 taste,
pleasure, fancy, preference: The chef will prepare the steak to
your liking.
limbo n. in limbo. up in the air, consigned to oblivion, in abeyance,
suspended, hanging (fire), neither here nor there, Colloq on
hold, treading water, holding one's breath, US in a holding
pattern, on the shelf, on the back burner: My career is in
limbo till I learn the result of the interview.
limit n. 1 Sometimes, limits. extent, bound(s), end, limitation,
check, curb, restriction, restraint: Is there no limit to how
far you will go to get your own way? 2 Often, limits. border,
edge, end, extent, boundary, bound(s), (boundary or border or
partition) line, frontier, perimeter, periphery: That row of
poplars marks the limit of the property to the east. 3 Often,
limits. area, territory, confines, zone, region, quarter,
district, precinct(s): Stay outside the three-mile limit. We
have jurisdiction only within city limits. 4 the limit. a the
end, the last straw, the straw that broke the camel's back, all
(that) one can take, enough, too much, Colloq it: Your
presumption is the absolute limit - you can't seriously expect
me to lend you money. b outrage, joke, surprise, Colloq caution:
Wasn't Nigel the limit in that hat!?
--v. 5 check, curb, bridle, restrict, restrain, hold in check:
We must limit spending on arms. The shackles limited my
movements. 6 restrict, confine, delimit, narrow, focus, guide,
channel: Please limit your questions to the subject at hand. 7
set, define, determine, fix: The bank manager has limited my
overdraft to half what it was.
limited adj. 1 circumscribed, restricted, fixed, predetermined; small,
little, reduced, minimal: The theatre seats a limited number of
people. She was awarded limited access to the children. 2
narrow, restricted, restrictive, meagre: Few original ideas
presented themselves to his limited imagination.
limitless adj. unrestricted, unrestrained, unconfined, unbounded,
boundless, extensive, vast, immense, enormous, unlimited,
illimitable; interminable, unceasing, incessant, undefined,
immeasurable, innumerable, numberless, countless, myriad,
unending, perpetual, everlasting, eternal: Dickens possessed a
seemingly limitless capacity for characterization. In the
depths of space exist limitless numbers of stars. God's love is
limitless.
limp° v. 1 hobble, stagger, totter, dodder, falter: He limped slowly
along the road.
--n. 2 hobble, hobbling, stagger, staggering, totter,
tottering, dodder, doddering, falter, faltering, claudication,
Slang US gimp: He was easy to recognize at a distance because
of his limp.
limpэ adj. 1 flaccid, flabby, lax, slack, soft, drooping, relaxed,
unstarched, unstiffened, soft, flexible, pliable, floppy, loose:
The banners hung limp in the still, sultry air. 2 exhausted,
tired, fatigued, worn out, spent, enervated, wasted,
debilitated, weak, feeble, frail: He felt limp with exhaustion
after the day's hiking. 3 weak, feeble, ineffective,
ineffectual, flimsy, half-hearted, lukewarm, spineless,
thewless, namby-pamby, Colloq wishy-washy Slang gutless: Having
to visit her grandmother seemed a pretty limp excuse to me.
line° n. 1 mark, pencil-mark, pen-mark, rule, score; stroke,
underline, underscore; diagonal, slash, virgule, shilling-mark,
solidus, separatrix, oblique: The lines on this paper are very
faint. Draw a red line under your name. A line separates the
numerator from the denominator. 2 strip, belt, stripe, band,
border, edge, edging: Do you see that line of trees? Put a
heavy black line round the obituary notices. 3 wrinkle, crease,
crinkle, furrow, crow's-foot: He has many lines on his face.
The palmist said I have a long lifeline. 4 border, borderline,
frontier, limit, boundary; demarcation, threshold: We crossed
the line into Italy. I don't mind cooking dinner, but I draw the
line at washing the dishes. There is a fine line between genius
and insanity. 5 outline, silhouette, contour, figure, profile:
The line of the skirt is too straight. 6 row, rank, column,
file, train, parade, cortege or cortЉge, procession, Brit queue,
Colloq Brit crocodile, tailback: I stood in line for six hours
for tickets. The line wound all the way round the block. 7
field, area, activity, forte, speciality or chiefly US and
Canadian also specialty, specialization, business, profession,
occupation, (line of) work, job, vocation, pursuit, trade,
calling, employment, Colloq racket, game: Saying that he was a
computer programmer, he asked me my line. 8 note, word, card,
postcard, letter, US postal card: Drop me a line when you get
there. 9 course, direction, path, way, route, road, track,
procedure, tack, policy, strategy, tactic(s), approach, plan:
What line will our competitors take to win the account? I
adopted the line of least resistance. 10 information, data,
word, lead, clue, hint: Interpol is trying to get a line on
where he might be found. 11 cord, string, thread, twine, yarn,
strand, filament, rope, cable, hawser: The anchor line became
entangled. Hang the clothes out on the line. 12 track, railway
or US and Canadian also railroad: The accident on the southern
line is delaying all the trains. 13 telephone, wire, cable: We
have three lines at the office. He tried all day to get you on
the line. 14 front (line), vanguard, formation: These men have
been in the line for weeks. Captain Hughes was given command of
a ship of the line. 15 ancestry, descent, stock, lineage,
succession, family, parentage, extraction, heritage, genealogy:
She comes from a long line of horsewomen. 16 assortment, stock,
merchandise, offerings, goods, brand, make, type, kind, variety:
What line of lawnmower do you distribute? 17 Often, lines.
part, role, speech, script, words, Theatre US sides: I know my
lines by heart for the school play. She has one line in the
third act. 18 story, (sales) pitch, blarney, Colloq spiel, song
and dance, Slang con: He handed her a line about being lonely,
but she soon found out why. 19 in or into line. a aligned, in
alignment, true, straight, in a row, plumb: Bring the balusters
for the railing in line. b in agreement, in accord, in
accordance, in conformity, in step, in harmony, US lined up: We
are bringing the staffing requirements into line with the
council's recommendations. c Usually, into line. under or in
control: Were you able to bring the other board members into
line? 20 in line for. ready for, short-listed for, on the short
list for, up for, being considered for, under consideration for,
a candidate for, in the running for: We all think she's in line
for a promotion.
--v. 21 rule, inscribe, score, underline, underscore: If you
use lined paper, your writing wouldn't be so wavy. 22 edge,
border, fringe: Millions lined the streets for the parade. 23
line up. a organize, prepare, ready, assemble, set up, put or
set in place, develop, formulate, arrange (for), coordinate:
Everything is all lined up for the big event. b arrange for,
secure, get (hold of), obtain, contract for; uncover, dig up,
acquire, engage, hire, sign (up), contract with, hire, employ:
We lined up an excellent after-dinner speaker. c queue (up),
form a line, get in line, form ranks or columns: Hundreds of us
lined up for meals three times a day. d align, array,
straighten, order: These paragraphs should line up. Line up the
troops for inspection at 0600.
lineэ v. 1 interline, cover, face; ceil: The coat is lined with fur.
2 line one's pockets. accept bribes, graft, US sell out, Colloq
US be on the take: He was secretly lining his pockets during
his years on the council.
lineage n. 1 extraction, ancestry, family tree, pedigree, descent,
stock, bloodline, parentage, genealogy: She has spent a lot of
time tracing the lineage of the village's families. 2 forebears,
forefathers, foremothers, family, people, clan; descendants,
succession, progeny, offspring: Does Debrett list his lineage?
Peerages were confined to the lineage of the person ennobled.
linen n. Often, linens. bedclothes, bed linen(s), sheets and
pillowcases; table linen(s), napery, tablecloths and napkins;
bath linen(s), towels and wash-cloths: The soiled linen is sent
to the laundry.
linger v. 1 Sometimes, linger on. stay (behind), remain, tarry,
loiter, persist, hang on, endure, persevere, survive, Colloq
hang or stick about or around: The smell of tobacco lingered
for hours after he had gone. He lingered on for a day, then died
from his wounds. 2 pause, dawdle, dally, lag, idle: She
lingered for a moment at the jeweller's window. 3 Often, linger
on or over. dwell on, elaborate, harp on, labour: I shall not
linger over the details of the crime. 4 procrastinate, dither,
shilly-shally, temporize: You must stop lingering and decide
today.
lingering adj. 1 long, persistent, protracted, remaining: I was left
with the lingering feeling that I had forgotten to tell her
something. 2 slow, long-drawn-out, gradual: She died a
lingering, painful death.
lingo n. jargon, argot, cant, patois, pidgin, Creole, parlance,
vernacular, dialect, idiom, language, talk, speech; gobbledegook
or gobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo-jumbo: In medical lingo, he
is suffering from coryza - in other words, a cold.
link n. 1 tie, bond, coupling, connector, vinculum; element,
constituent, component: A chain is no stronger than its weakest
link. 2 connection, tie-up, tie-in, relation, relationship,
association, affiliation, interdependence: What is the link
between her arrival and his sudden departure? He thinks he's
identified the missing link.
--v. 3 Often, link up. couple, join, fasten (together), unite;
concatenate: They linked arms to form a barrier. 4 connect,
tie (up or in or together), associate, relate, identify with: I
cannot help feeling that this murder links up with the others.
liquid n. 1 fluid, liquor, juice, solution: Mixing these two liquids
could be dangerous.
--adj. 2 fluid, flowing, running, runny, fluent, liquefied,
watery, molten, melted: Her hair was the colour of liquid gold.
3 bright, shining, brilliant, clear, transparent, translucent,
limpid: The surface of the lake gleamed like liquid sunshine.
4 convertible; solvent, profitable: Government bonds are
regarded as liquid assets. The company remains liquid despite
losses.
liquor n. 1 spirits, alcohol, (strong) drink, intoxicants, John
Barleycorn, schnapps, whisky or US and Irish whiskey, demon rum,
moonshine, US white lightning, white mule; Colloq booze,
pick-me-up, hard stuff, fire-water, juice, mother's ruin (=
'gin'), US Kickapoo mountain joy juice; Slang rot-gut, Chiefly
US and Canadian hooch or hootch, US sauce, red-eye, mountain
dew: I don't drink liquor, but I will have some tea. 2 liquid,
fluid, extract, broth, stock, distillate, concentrate, infusion:
After poaching the fish, pour off the liquor and save it.
list° n. 1 listing, roster, roll, rota, catalogue, directory,
register, index, record, schedule, muster, slate, beadroll,
laundry list, shopping list, inventory, file, tabulation;
bibliography, liber veritatis, catalogue raisonn‚: Select what
you need from this list.
--v. 2 catalogue, register, index, record, note, itemize,
enumerate, schedule, tabulate, chronicle, book, enter, enrol:
Those eligible to vote are listed in this computer printout.
listэ v. 1 lean (over), tilt, slant, heel (over), tip, careen, cant,
incline: The ship suddenly listed to starboard and I was thrown
onto the deck.
--n. 2 lean, tilt, slant, heel, tip, cant, slope, inclination:
The leak caused a severe list to port.
listen v. 1 hear, pay attention (to), attend, lend an ear (to), prick
up one's ears, keep one's ears open, Archaic hark (to), hearken
or US also harken (to): I was listening to the radio when you
phoned. 2 obey, heed, mind, pay attention (to), do as one is
told: You wouldn't be in this trouble if you'd listened to me.
listless adj. sluggish, lethargic, weary, weak, enervated, spent,
languid, lifeless, heavy, phlegmatic, unemotional, impassive;
unenthusiastic, indifferent, apathetic, unconcerned, lukewarm,
tepid, cool, uncaring, insouciant; pococurante, Laodicean: She
was just over an illness and feeling quite listless.
litany n. 1 prayer, invocation, supplication, petition: The monks
trudged through the streets, chanting their litany. 2
recitation, recital, enumeration, listing, list, cataloguing,
catalogue, inventorying, inventory: We had to sit through an
interminable litany of the names of contributors to the fund.
literal adj. 1 word-for-word, verbatim, line-for-line,
letter-for-letter, literatim, exact, precise, faithful, strict:
In a literal translation the spirit of the original is often
lost. 2 denotative, etymological, semantic, dictionary,
lexical, basic, essential, pure, simple, simplistic, real,
objective, true, genuine, bona fide, unvarnished, unadulterated,
unembellished, simple-minded, uncomplicated, unbiased,
unprejudiced, Colloq honest-to-goodness, honest-to-God: 'Female
parent' may be the literal definition of mother, but it doesn't
convey the emotional and connotative senses of the word. 3
prosaic, matter-of-fact, colourless, dull, down-to-earth,
literal-minded, unimaginative, humdrum, boring, tedious: His
literal approach to everything spoils the conversation for those
who have any spirit.
literally adv. 1 word for word, verbatim, line for line, letter for
letter, literatim, faithfully, strictly, exactly, precisely,
closely; thus, sic: Generally cordon sanitaire means 'buffer
zone', but literally it means 'sanitary line'. 2 actually,
truly, in fact, really: When I said he'd spilled the beans, I
meant it figuratively, not literally.
literary adj. 1 erudite, well-read, cultured, learned, bookish,
scholarly, lettered, cultivated, refined, educated; literate:
Her latest book has been scorned by the literary ‚lite. 2
written, formal, scholarly, pedantic, learned, academic,
scholastic, school-marmish: His writing contains literary words
rarely heard in ordinary conversation.
literature
n. 1 writing(s), letters, belles-lettres, creative writing(s):
These works are representative of the literature of the period.
2 information, facts, data, publicity; propaganda; brochures,
pamphlets, hand-outs, handbills, leaflets, circulars: As a
member, you will be sent literature about future events. They
print subversive literature.
litigant n. litigator, party, plaintiff, appellant, suitor, petitioner,
suer, defendant, appellee, accused: The judge suggested that
the litigants settle out of court.
litigation
n. lawsuit, suit, action, case, legal remedy: The costs of
litigation are extremely high.
litter n. 1 rubbish, debris, refuse, fragments, odds and ends, US and
Canadian trash, Colloq junk: The room was strewn with food
wrappers, cigarette butts, and other litter. 2 brood, issue,
offspring, young: Note the differences in the young of the same
litter. 3 stretcher, palanquin or palankeen, sedan chair: The
potentate was borne in on a litter carried by four huge Nubians.
--v. 4 clutter, strew, scatter: The streets were littered with
bricks and broken glass.
little adj. 1 small, short, slight, tiny, minute, diminutive,
miniature, mini, baby, doll-sized, undersized, dwarf, midget,
pygmy, elfin, toy, bantam, petite, wee, infinitesimal,
minuscule, Lilliputian, teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy,
itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy, microscopic: I live in a little house.
A little red-faced man suddenly appeared. They sat drinking
coffee out of little white cups. 2 young, small, youthful: You
are asking a lot from a little boy. 3 small, sparse, skimpy,
meagre, scant, insufficient, inadequate, not enough, scanty,
barely or hardly any: A little crowd gathered round us. You
will get little help from her. There's too little milk for us to
make custard. 4 short, brief: We had only a little time
together before he was sent overseas. 5 trifling, trivial,
small, minor, petty, paltry, insignificant, inconsiderable,
unimportant, inconsequential, negligible: He seemed to consider
my safety of little importance. He does a little business on the
side. You are too concerned about little things. 6
small(-minded), petty, picayune, mean, ungenerous, illiberal,
cheap, narrow(-minded), unimaginative, shallow: What is going
on in his cunning little brain?
--adv. 7 seldom, rarely, hardly ever, scarcely: I travel very
little these days. 8 (but or only) slightly, barely, hardly,
scarcely, no, not any, not much: She arrived with little more
than what she was wearing. 9 scarcely, hardly: Little does he
care whether he wins his wager.
--pron. 10 bit, dab, dollop, particle, spoonful, taste,
thimbleful, speck, spot, scrap, crumb, particle, Colloq smidgen
or smidgin: If you could spare me a little of your time, I'd be
grateful.
live adj. 1 living, breathing, animate, viable, existent; material,
physical, tangible, real, actual, palpable: She said she'd
rather be a live beggar than a dead countess. My cat brought me
a live mouse into the house the other day. 2 energetic, lively,
spirited, vigorous, active, dynamic, busy; current,
contemporary: Our new advertising agency seems to have some
live ideas. The other party made nuclear disarmament a live
issue in the election. 3 burning, glowing, flaming, alight,
red-hot, white-hot: A live coal popped out of the grate onto
the carpet. 4 loaded, explosive, unexploded, combustible:
Builders have dug up a live bomb in London. 5 charged,
electrified: Don't touch a live wire or you'll get a shock.
--v. 6 breathe, exist; function: There has never lived a more
gifted scholar. She lives as a recluse. 7 survive, persist,
last, persevere, endure; spend, continue, live out, complete,
end, conclude, finish: He lived out his days happily in
Torquay. 8 reside, dwell, be; abide, stay, remain, lodge, room:
He normally lives in Acton, but at the moment he's living with
his mother in Kent. 9 subsist, get along, survive, fare: Many
old-age pensioners complain that they have barely enough to live
on.
lively adj. 1 full of life, vigorous, energetic, vivacious, spirited,
brisk, spry, active, animated, frisky, sprightly, agile, nimble,
perky, chirpy, bouncy, buoyant, gay, cheery, cheerful, Colloq
chipper, full of pep, peppy: His speech sparked off a lively
discussion. The carriage was drawn by a pair of lively horses. 2
strong, intense, vivid, keen, pointed, eager, energetic, active:
She takes a lively interest in current affairs. 3 active, busy,
bustling, stirring, eventful, swarming, teeming; astir, alive:
We joined the lively crowd at the antiques fair. The streets
near the square were lively with people rushing to and fro. 4
vivid, bright, gay, cheerful, glowing, brilliant, gorgeous,
rich: Some lively colours in the upholstery and curtains would
brighten up the sitting-room.
liven v. Often, liven up. 1 brighten, cheer, enliven, perk up: You
need some fresh paint to liven up the outside of the house. 2
invigorate, stimulate, energize, inspirit, activate, animate,
fire, stir (up), put (some) life into, enliven, perk up, Colloq
pep up: We need a good dance band to liven up the place in the
evenings.
load n. 1 weight, burden; onus, pressure, encumbrance, millstone,
cross, albatross, responsibility, care, anxiety, worry, trouble:
He put down his load and rested. Seeing her safe is a load off
my mind. 2 shipment, consignment, cargo, weight: That load is
too heavy for the van.
--v. 3 pack, pile, stack, heap, fill, lade, stuff, cram, jam,
squeeze: Load all the boxes you can in the truck. 4 Often,
load down. weigh down, burden, encumber, saddle with, overwhelm:
I was loaded down with too many responsibilities.
loaded adj. 1 overloaded, overwhelmed, burdened, laden, weighted
(down), filled (up), chock-full, chock-a-block, stuffed, jammed,
packed, crowded, brimming, brim-full, crammed: A fully loaded
lorry has overturned near exit 5. The train was loaded with
commuters. 2 charged, primed, ready: Be careful - the gun is
loaded. 3 charged, tricky, manipulative, insidious, prejudiced,
prejudicial, trap, devious: 'When did you stop beating your
wife?' is what anybody would call a loaded question. 4 rich,
wealthy, affluent, moneyed, well-to-do, well off, Colloq flush,
well-heeled , US in the chips, Slang rolling in it: I hear that
her new husband is really loaded. 5 drunk: He was loaded
before he even went to the party.
loaf° n. 1 brick, cake, block, chunk; lump, cube: We could do with
an extra loaf of bread. 2 head, sense, brains, Colloq noggin,
noodle, block, bean, Brit noddle, Slang Brit chump: Use your
loaf!
loafэ v. 1 lounge (about or around), loiter, idle, laze, lie about or
around, take it easy, vegetate, watch the grass grow, Colloq US
lallygag or lollygag, Slang Brit skive, Military scrimshank, US
goof off, US military gold-brick, Taboo slang US fuck off, fuck
the dog: There are always some youngsters loafing about in the
park. 2 loaf away. waste, fritter away, idle away: He loafs
away all his time watching the telly.
loafer n. idler, layabout, wastrel, shirker, flѓneur, ne'er-do-well,
tramp, vagrant, Old-fashioned lounge lizard, slugabed, Colloq
lazybones, Brit drone, US bum, (ski or tennis or surf) bum,
Slang Brit skiver, Military scrimshanker, US military gold brick
or gold-bricker, Taboo slang US fuck-off: Why did she marry
that good-for-nothing loafer?
loan n. 1 advance, allowance, credit, accommodation: We needed a
loan to pay for Melissa's education.
--v. 2 lend, advance, allow, credit: The bank loaned us enough
money to buy a car.
loath adj. loth, unwilling, reluctant, averse, disinclined,
indisposed: I was loath to tell my wife where I had been.
loathe v. detest, hate, despise, abhor, abominate, execrate, shrink or
recoil from, shudder at: I love broccoli but loathe
cauliflower.
loathing n. hatred, abhorrence, aversion, hate, odium, detestation,
antipathy, repugnance, horror, revulsion: She treated her
critics with loathing.
loathsome adj. detestable, abhorrent, odious, hateful, disgusting,
execrable, abominable, despicable, contemptible, noisome,
offensive, horrible, repulsive, repugnant, nauseating,
sickening, revolting, nasty, vile: Without warning, the
loathsome beast attacked me. She died shortly of a loathsome
disease.
lob v. 1 loft, toss, pitch, shy, heave, fling, chuck, hurl, throw:
She lobbed the ball high in the air over the net.
--n. 2 toss, throw, bowl, pitch, hit, US fly: I misjudged the
slow lob and swung too soon.
lobby n. 1 foyer, entrance-hall, vestibule, entry, US entry-way;
reception (room or area), waiting-room, corridor, hall, hallway:
We were to meet in the main lobby of the arts centre. 2
special-interest group, pressure group, lobbyist: A powerful
lobby has been formed to influence farming legislation.
--v. 3 (bring) pressure (to bear), (exert) influence, persuade,
pull strings or wires, put one's weight behind, sway, press,
push, promote, urge, Brit pressurize: Environmentalists are
lobbying for a ban on fluorocarbons.
local adj. 1 neighbourhood, neighbouring, nearby, close by;
adjoining: She works for a local butcher. The law affects only
the local area. 2 provincial, regional, district, state, county,
shire, municipal, city, town, village, neighbourhood;
restricted, limited, specific, particular, peculiar: Clean
water is a general, not a local problem.
--n. 3 resident, native, townsman, townswoman, townsperson:
The locals all voted against the proposition. 4 neighbourhood
pub: He stopped in at his local on the way home.
locale n. site, location, spot, place, setting, venue, neighbourhood,
situation, locality: We moved the locale of the film to Spain.
locate v. 1 situate, place, site, position, set (up), fix, pinpoint,
establish, settle, base: Where is your office located? We
located our warehouse close to the railway. 2 find, come across,
discover, unearth, lay or put or get one's hand(s) or finger(s)
on, chance or hit upon, turn up, track down: Where can I locate
a good piano player?
location n. 1 site, place, locale, spot, setting, situation, position:
We have just moved to a new location. 2 finding, discovery,
laying or putting or getting one's hand(s) or finger(s) on,
unearthing, turning up, tracking down: The location of the
other half of the coin became an obsession with him.
lock° n. 1 padlock, hasp, bolt, latch, bar, hook, clasp, catch: Why
put a lock on the door if there is nothing worth stealing
inside? 2 hold; control, power, sway, authority, command,
supervision: The bureau has a complete lock on the issue of
licences.
--v. 3 Often, lock up. padlock, bolt, latch, bar, secure, seal:
Lock the doors before leaving for the day. 4 clasp, entangle,
engage, join, entwine, close; clutch, grasp, grapple: For six
hours the knights were locked in battle. 5 lock away. See lock
up or away, below. 6 lock in. a secure, retain, fix, plant,
implant, stabilize: What does the maker mean by 'the flavour is
locked in'? b commit, oblige, constrain, bind: We are locked
in to the promises we made to our employees. c lock up or away,
confine, restrain, coop up: You'd better lock in the dogs
before you leave. 7 lock on. fix on or upon, track, follow,
pursue, keep track of: Our sights are locked on the target. 8
lock out. exclude, shut out, close out, keep out, bar, debar:
During the strike, the management locked out all employees. 9
lock up or away. confine, jail or Brit also gaol, imprison, coop
up, incarcerate, detain, impound, put behind bars, restrict,
cage: They threatened to lock him up and throw away the key.
lockэ n. tress, curl, ringlet: As a love token, she sent him a lock
of her hair.
lodge n. 1 hunting-lodge, cabin, chalet, cottage, house; gatehouse,
shelter, hut: I have a small lodge in the mountains. 2 branch,
chapter: He belongs to the Manchester lodge of the Masons.
--v. 3 reside, live, dwell, abide, stay, stop, room, occupy
rooms: For years they lodged together at 221B Baker Street. 4
accommodate, board, put up, billet, quarter, house, take in;
shelter, harbour: Mrs Mulrooney is lodging a student in her
spare room. Her house cannot lodge more than three. 5 stick,
wedge, catch, deposit, become stuck or wedged or fixed or caught
or deposited, embed itself, become embedded: I've got an apple
pip lodged in one of my back teeth. 6 register, enter, record,
submit, bring forward, set forth or out, file: We lodged a
complaint against our neighbours because of the noise.
lodging n. Often, lodgings. accommodation(s), shelter, quarters, rooms,
apartment, housing, house, dwelling, dwelling-place, residence:
I found a night's lodging in Cranberry Street.
lofty adj. 1 tall, high, elevated, towering, soaring: The lofty
skyscrapers of New York always impress visitors on first sight.
2 exalted, majestic, imposing, grand, magnificent, noble, regal,
imperial, blue-blooded, thoroughbred, aristocratic, magisterial,
august, stately, venerable, distinguished, dignified, elevated,
eminent, celebrated, honoured, honourable, respected, renowned,
famous, prominent, illustrious, notable, leading, pre-eminent,
sublime, immortal: He is heir to one of England's loftiest
peerages. 3 elevated, honourable, superior, exalted, noble:
Public servants should adhere to lofty principles of morality.
4 grand, grandiose, haughty, arrogant, disdainful,
condescending, contemptuous, scornful, supercilious,
contumelious, patronizing, superior, overweening, vainglorious,
pompous, snobbish, Colloq high and mighty, snooty, uppity, Brit
uppish, Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed: Her lofty attitude
made her unpopular with the voters.
logic n. 1 reasoning, deduction, dialectics, ratiocination,
inferential or scientific reasoning: Mill defined logic as the
science of proof, or evidence. 2 (good or common) sense, sound
judgement, wisdom, presence of mind: According to Disraeli,
England was not governed by logic. 3 reasonableness,
intelligence, judiciousness, practicality, rationality: Your
logic is valid, but you are forgetting the human factor.
logical adj. 1 syllogistic(al), inferential, deductive, inductive: Her
argument follows basic logical criteria. 2 reasonable,
plausible, sensible, sound, valid, intelligent, judicious,
practical, rational, wise, proper: Is it logical to assume that
people will believe you? 3 well-organized, sound, coherent,
consistent, sensible, rational, reasonable, well-reasoned,
well-thought-out: The proposal is set forth in a logical
fashion, from premise to conclusion.
lonely adj. 1 single, solitary, sole, lone, one; unaccompanied, alone:
The lonely survivor of the crash struggled out of the jungle.
She walked for miles, lonely and desolate. 2 desolate,
uninhabited, deserted, barren: Robinson Crusoe's world was a
lonely place. 3 friendless, lonesome, abandoned, outcast,
forsaken; solo, hermit-like, eremitic(al), reclusive, secluded,
retiring, withdrawn, unsocial: He felt lonely in the strange
city. She leads a lonely existence with only her cat for
company.
lonesome adj. 1 alone, forsaken, friendless, rejected, unpopular,
unwelcome, outcast, deserted, abandoned, estranged: She was
terribly lonesome and homesick before meeting Patrick. 2 See
lonely, 2.
long° adj. 1 extensive, extended, elongate(d), large, great, big:
That is a very long snake! 2 lengthy, prolonged, protracted;
extensive, extended, sustained: I waited for a long time.
longэ v. wish, crave, want, yearn, desire, hunger, fancy, covet,
dream of, hanker, eat one's heart out: I am longing for a good
roast beef dinner. I long to see you once more.
longing n. craving, wish, yearning, hunger, fancy, desire, hankering,
Colloq yen: I have a longing to be home again.
look v. 1 Usually, look at. see, observe, consider, contemplate,
regard, view, survey, inspect, scrutinize, study, scan; pay
attention, attend, notice, watch, witness; Literary behold,
Slang US eyeball: Look at what you've done! Look at the way I
do it. 2 seem (to be), appear (to be): That looks like a
useful utensil. You certainly look healthy. 3 face, front (on),
overlook, look out on: The house looks over the sea at the
back. 4 look after. care for, take care of, be responsible for,
attend, mind, watch, serve, wait on, nurse, protect: Rose will
look after your house while you're away. I need someone to look
after me. 5 look down on or upon or US at. disdain, despise,
contemn, scorn, disparage, derogate, spurn, sneer, misprize,
Colloq turn one's nose up at, look down one's nose at: They
look down on anyone with less money. 6 look for. a seek,
demand, require: We aren't looking for the same things in a
person. b hunt for, forage for, search for: I am looking for a
cup to match my set. c expect, hope, anticipate, count on,
reckon on: I am looking for a better school report next term.
7 look forward to. a anticipate, await, wait for: I am looking
forward to Sunday's match. b expect, count or rely on or upon:
We were looking forward to your help. 8 look into. examine,
study, investigate, inspect, delve into, dig into, probe,
scrutinize, explore, go into, research, check (out), check into:
I shall have to look into the matter. 9 look out. be careful,
be alert, be vigilant, be on the qui vive, be watchful, watch
out, beware, pay attention, be on guard: If you don't look out,
you'll bang your head. 10 look over. look at, examine, read,
scan, study, check (out or over), Slang US eyeball: I haven't
had a chance to look over the material you gave me. 11 look up.
a seek, search for, hunt for, try to find, track or run down: I
meant to look up the etymology of 'picnic'. b get in touch
with, (tele)phone, ring (up), visit, call on, call up, look or
drop in on, go to see: I looked up a friend of mine when I was
in Chicago. c improve, get better, pick up, show improvement,
progress, gain, make headway or progress: He was pleased to see
that business was looking up. 12 look up to. admire, regard
highly, respect, esteem, honour, revere, extol, worship,
idolize, venerate: The boy really looks up to you.
--n. 13 gaze, glance: Her look was inviting. He gave me a
dirty look. Let me have a look at you. 14 looks, appearance,
aspect, bearing, manner, air, demeanour; expression,
countenance, face, mien: I just didn't like the look of the
man. He had a nasty look.
look-alike
n. twin, double, exact or perfect likeness or match, clone,
Colloq spitting image or spit and image; doppelg„nger; Slang
(dead) ringer: She is such a perfect look-alike of Princess
Di's that people follow her in the street.
lookout n. 1 guard, sentry, sentinel, watchman: The lookout reported
that the fort was surrounded by Cochise's braves. 2 alert, qui
vive; guard, watch: Be on the lookout for shoplifters. 3
responsibility, worry, concern, problem, difficulty, Colloq
headache: How he wastes his free time is his lookout, how he
spends his working time is ours.
loom v. 1 appear, emerge, take shape or form, materialize, surface,
arise: A huge figure loomed out of the fog. 2 menace, impend,
threaten, overshadow, tower, dominate, hang or hover over:
Count Dracula's dark castle loomed over us. 3 loom large.
dominate, predominate, play a big or an important role or part:
Sales to children loom large in your predictions.
loop n. 1 hoop, noose, ring, circle, bow, eye, eyelet, coil, whorl,
Nautical bend: I caught my toe in a loop of rope and fell on
the deck.
--v. 2 twist, coil, wind, tie, circle, curl, entwine, turn,
ring, Nautical bend: Loop the thread round the crochet hook and
pull it through.
loophole n. outlet, way out, means of escape, escape, subterfuge,
pretext, evasion, quibble, Colloq dodge: They couldn't
prosecute him because he found a loophole in the law.
loose adj. 1 unattached, unconnected, disconnected, detached, free,
unsecured, unfastened, movable: I have a loose tooth. The
vacuum cleaner will pick up any loose bits. 2 unconfined,
untied, unfettered, released, freed, unshackled, unchained;
free, at liberty, at large, on the loose, untrammelled: In
Pamplona, they allow loose bulls to run through the streets to
the arena. 3 unconfining, free-flowing, flowing, baggy, slack,
hanging: That skirt is loose on you since you lost weight. 4
disordered, disorganized, unbound, untied, messy; strewn or
spread or tossed or thrown about or around, scattered (about or
around), in disorder, in disarray, dispersed: On the desk was a
loose pile of papers. 5 rambling, disconnected, unstructured,
unconnected, discontinuous, non-specific, unspecific,
indefinite, imprecise, inexact, inaccurate, free, broad, rough,
offhand, casual, careless, untidy, sloppy, slapdash, general,
vague: He gave a loose description of his assailant. A loose
translation does not convey the flavour of the original. 6 lax,
relaxed, negligent, careless, sloppy: Discipline has been quite
loose around here lately. 7 wanton, dissolute, debauched,
immoral, promiscuous, abandoned, fast, libertine, profligate,
licentious, lewd, perverted, corrupt: She was quickly gaining a
reputation for being a loose woman.
--adv. 8 break loose. escape, flee: The boy broke loose from
my grasp and ran to greet his mother. 9 hang or stay loose.
relax, stay or keep calm or cool, cool off or down, sit back,
take it easy: Hang loose and everything will be all right. 10
let or set or turn loose. discharge, let go (with); emit, give
out (with), fire: They let him loose after questioning. She let
loose a stream of invective like a fishwife.
--v. 11 let go, (set) free, release, let or set or turn loose;
liberate, deliver: Ten thousand balloons were loosed in the
celebration. 12 untie, undo, unfasten, let go, disengage,
relax, ease, loosen, slacken;, cast off: Loose these ropes,
please. 13 let go, let fly, fire, discharge, shoot, unleash,
deliver: We loosed a devastating barrage at the enemy.
loosen v. 1 loose; undo, unfasten, unhook, unbutton, unlace, untie,
unbind, unbuckle; unscrew: Quick! Loosen his collar! 2 weaken,
detach, separate, sever, break or cut (apart): The vibration
has loosened the rivets.
loot n. 1 booty, spoils, plunder, prize, haul, Slang swag, boodle:
They divided up the loot amongst the gang.
--v. 2 plunder, sack, ransack, rob, pillage, despoil, raid,
ravage, maraud, Rare depredate: The soldiers looted every house
in the city.
lop v. Often, lop off. chop off, trim, top, head, crop, prune,
dock, clip, trim, snip off, shear off, cut off, pare, shorten,
hack off, amputate: Lop the lower branches off close to the
trunk.
lopsided adj. 1 uneven, askew, one-sided, awry, unsymmetrical,
asymmetrical, unequal, crooked, unbalanced, irregular, Colloq
cock-eyed: That lopsided bookcase is the sole product of Ed's
cabinet-making class. 2 uneven, unequal, one-sided, biased,
disproportionate, unfair, warped, twisted: Four against two -
I'd call that lopsided, wouldn't you?
lord n. 1 master, monarch, ruler, sovereign: Harry considers
himself lord of all he surveys. 2 noble, nobleman, peer,
aristocrat; earl, duke, count, viscount, baron: He was made a
lord in recognition of his achievements. 3 The or Our Lord.
God, the Almighty, God Almighty, the Creator, the Supreme Being,
Christ, Jesus, Jehovah: The Lord moves in mysterious ways his
miracles to perform.
--v. lord it over. domineer, swagger, be overbearing, Colloq
boss (around), act big, pull rank: He lords it over everyone in
the office.
lore n. 1 folklore, beliefs, culture, tradition(s), mythology,
myths, mythos, ethos, teaching(s), doctrine, wisdom: According
to their lore, the American Indians go to the Happy Hunting
Ground when they die. 2 knowledge, learning, erudition: He was
acquainted with medical lore through his reading.
lose v. 1 mislay, misplace, displace, part with; suffer the loss of,
be deprived of: I lost my pen. He lost a leg in the war. 2
forfeit, yield: He says he lost the rent money gambling. 3
give up, yield, capitulate, admit defeat, succumb, bow to, be
defeated or conquered, suffer defeat, be beaten or overcome or
worsted or bested, Colloq lose out: It was a good game, but we
lost. 4 waste, let slip, squander, dissipate, fritter or trifle
away, run out of; consume, use (up), expend, spend: We lost a
lot of time waiting for him to decide. 5 elude, evade, escape,
throw or shake off, give the slip: I managed to lose the
sinister-looking man who was shadowing me.
loser n. also-ran, misfit, failure, fiasco, non-starter, Colloq flop,
dud, washout, bummer, lead balloon, lemon, born loser, Brit damp
squib, Brit and Australian no-hoper, US clinker, nebbish,
schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel, schlimazel or shlimazel or
shlimazl, schnook, sad sack: Dick is a real loser and will
never amount to anything. His idea for a company newsletter was
a loser.
loss n. 1 deprivation, bereavement, privation, denial, sacrifice,
forfeiture, disappearance: We must be constantly vigilant to
watch for any loss of our liberty. 2 diminution, erosion,
reduction, impoverishment, depletion, shrinkage: New policies
are in place to stem the loss of parkland. 3 disadvantage,
detriment, harm, impairment, injury, damage: I don't regard
Wentworth's resignation as any great loss. 4 waste, wastage,
wasting, squandering: The loss of time was owing to a train
delay. 5 defeat, set-back, disadvantage, disappointment,
failure, downfall, collapse, breakdown, ruin; drubbing,
trouncing: His loss is my gain. 6 Often, losses. debit(s),
liability (liabilities), negative cash flow: The company wrote
off the losses. 7 Often, losses. death, dying, passing, demise,
destruction, extermination, extinction, annihilation: The loss
from disease was overwhelming. What losses did they suffer in
the battle?
lost adj. 1 gone, departed, vanished, strayed; missing, mislaid,
misplaced, irrecoverable: They found my lost dog. The airline
told me that my bag was lost. 2 wasted, misspent, gone by the
board, squandered, down the drain, spent, exhausted, Colloq out
of the window: The new arrangement is resulting in a lot of
time lost. I watched another lost opportunity slip by. 3
confused, baffled, perplexed, puzzled, mystified, bewildered,
confounded, adrift, helpless, disoriented, at sea, astray: I am
totally lost when it comes to high finance. 4 forgotten,
bygone, extinct, past, obsolete, vanished, buried: Good writing
needn't be a lost art. 5 dead, extinct, departed, fallen, late:
We held a memorial service for our lost comrades. 6 destroyed,
demolished, devastated, ruined, wrecked, irreparable,
unsalvageable, irreclaimable, irremediable: After the expos‚ in
the newspaper, his name was consigned to the limbo of lost
reputations. 7 damned, cursed, accursed, abandoned, corrupt,
fallen, wanton, unchaste, dissolute: Unrepentant sinners are
lost souls. 8 hopeless, distraught, distracted, desperate,
frantic, frenzied: He had the lost look of a cornered fugitive.
lot n. 1 collection, batch, consignment, assortment, group,
portion, set, quantity, grouping, apportionment: They are
expecting a new lot of furniture this afternoon. 2 luck,
fortune, destiny, fate, kismet, plight, doom, end: It seems to
be my lot to stay in the same place all my life. 3 lottery,
drawing, raffle, drawing lots or straws: The winner will be
decided by lot. 4 share, portion, division, interest, part,
allotment, assignment, apportionment, ration, allowance:
Marguerite was bequeathed the house, while my lot included the
paintings. 5 a lot or lots. a a good or great deal: You have a
lot of nerve! I'd give a lot to be able to paint like you. He
got into a lot of trouble. b much, loads or a load, mountains or
a mountain, tons or a ton, barrels or a barrel, stacks or a
stack, piles or a pile, heaps or a heap, masses or a mass,
oceans , Colloq oodles, scads, US gobs: She has lots of money.
c many, myriad, numerous, countless, reams, infinite or an
infinity, quantities or a quantity, enormous numbers or an
enormous number, Colloq oodles, scads, loads, tons, masses,:
There are lots of fish in the sea. 6 the lot. everything,
Colloq the whole kit and caboodle, all: I'll give you a fiver
for the lot.
lotion n. cream, liniment, balm, salve, ointment, embrocation,
unguent, pomade: The doctor said to rub in some of this lotion
twice a day.
lottery n. raffle, sweepstake, drawing, pool, Brit tombola: I've never
known anyone who won anything in the national lottery.
loud adj. 1 deafening, ear-splitting, booming, blaring, stentorian,
thundering, thunderous, sonorous, noisy, clamorous, piercing,
fortissimo: The hi-fi is so loud I can't hear myself think. A
loud crash came from the kitchen. 2 tawdry, garish, flashy,
gaudy, tasteless, extravagant, showy, ostentatious, Colloq
splashy, snazzy, jazzy: He was wearing a check suit and the
loudest shirt and tie I had ever seen.
lounge v. 1 idle, loaf, laze, loll, languish, vegetate: After dinner,
we lounged till midnight, sipping port.
--n. 2 sitting-room, salon, front room, parlour: Mother
insisted that we entertain visitors in the lounge. 3 lobby,
foyer, waiting-room, reception (room), vestibule: I was waiting
in the lounge when the doctor returned. 4 cocktail lounge,
(lounge or saloon) bar: We went into the lounge and ordered a
drink. 5 sofa, couch, divan, studio couch, day-bed, settee,
settle, love-seat, chaise longue; causeuse, t€te-…-t€te; US and
Canadian Davenport: The psychoanalyst has a lounge on which you
lie while talking to him.
lour v. 1 lower, darken, threaten, menace, loom: The clouds loured:
she suddenly began to feel afraid. 2 lower, frown, scowl,
glower; sulk, pout, mope: He said nothing, but loured at me
from beneath his beetled brow.
lousy adj. 1 awful, terrible, mean, contemptible, low, base, hateful,
detestable, despicable, vile, wretched, miserable, scurvy,
dirty, vicious, Colloq rotten: Telling tales to the teacher was
a lousy thing to do. 2 bad, poor, awful, terrible, inferior;
low-quality, shoddy, shabby, inferior, miserable, second-rate,
wretched: We had lousy seats for the theatre last week. The
dealer seems to have sold you a really lousy car. 3 pedicular,
pediculous, Brit lice-infested, lice-ridden, US louse-infested,
louse-ridden: Even lice are lousy - they have their own
parasites. 4 lousy with. alive with, overloaded with, swarming
with, teeming with, Colloq crawling with, knee-deep in: In five
minutes the place was lousy with cops.
lovable adj. loveable, adorable, darling, dear, cherished, likeable,
attractive, engaging, cute, fetching, taking, alluring,
endearing, appealing, winsome, sweet, tender, cuddly,
affectionate, charming, enchanting: She has the most lovable
little baby boy.
love n. 1 warmth, affection, attachment, fondness, tenderness,
devotion, attraction, friendship, amity, regard, admiration,
fancy, adoration, adulation, ardour, passion, fervour, rapture,
infatuation: Her love for him grew over the years. 2 liking,
delight, enjoyment, pleasure, fondness, attraction,
predilection, bent, leaning, proclivity, inclination,
disposition, weakness, partiality, preference, taste, relish,
passion: In his retirement, Charles has developed a love for
golf. 3 darling, beloved, sweetheart, sweetie, sweet, honey,
dear one, dearest, angel, turtle-dove, true-love, light of one's
life, lover, paramour, mate, intended, betrothed; girlfriend,
inamorata, lady-love, young lady, fianc‚e; boyfriend, beau,
inamorato, suitor, swain, young man, fianc‚, Archaic leman,
tally, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing Living
Quarters'), Colloq girl, woman, guy, man: Let me tell you
something, my love. Come live with me and be my love. 4
sympathy, tenderness, concern, charity, care, solicitude,
affinity, rapport, harmony, brotherhood, sisterhood,
fellow-feeling: He has great love for his fellow human beings.
5 love affair. a amour, liaison, affair, romance, relationship,
affaire de coeur, intrigue: He's been having a love affair with
his secretary. b passion, mania, Colloq thing: George allows
nothing to interfere with his love affair with tennis. 6 make
love (to) or (with). embrace, cuddle, caress, fondle, have
sexual intercourse, Archaic take, know, Colloq neck, pet,
canoodle, romance, have sex, make the beast with two backs, US
and Canadian make out; Taboo slang screw, fuck, hump, bang, Brit
roger, bonk: He still makes love to his wife even though they
are both in their eighties.
--v. 7 cherish, admire, adore, be in love with, lose one's
heart to, worship, idolize, dote on, treasure, be infatuated
with, think the world of, adulate, hold dear, like, Colloq be
hung up on, be crazy or nuts or wild or mad about, have a crush
on: Only after ten years of friendship did she discover that
she loved him. 8 delight in, take pleasure in, derive pleasure
or enjoyment from, relish, be partial to, have a passion or
preference or taste for, be attracted to, be captivated by, be
fond of, like, enjoy, appreciate, value, Colloq get a kick from
or out of, be wild about, be thrilled by, US get a bang or
charge from or out of: She loves chocolates. I just love your
new dress! Love me, love my dog.
love letter
n. billet-doux, Archaic mash note: She saved all his love
letters.
lovely adj. 1 good-looking, pretty, handsome, attractive, comely,
fair, fetching, engaging, captivating, alluring, enticing,
bewitching, ravishing, gorgeous, beautiful, beauteous,
pulchritudinous: Larry has two lovely daughters. The house has
a lovely view of Lake Windermere. 2 satisfying, satisfactory,
agreeable, enjoyable, gratifying, nice, pleasing, pleasant,
pleasurable, engaging, delightful: What a lovely way to spend
an evening!
lover n. See love, 3, above.
low° adj. 1 short, squat, little, small, stubby, stumpy, stunted;
low-lying: The terrain has many low shrubs, not more than two
feet tall. 2 inadequate, insufficient, deficient, down, short,
sparse, scanty, scant, limited: The air in the tyres is a bit
low. Our water supply ran low. 3 coarse, unrefined, indelicate,
improper, naughty, risqu‚, indecent, unseemly, vulgar, crude,
common, rude, offensive, gross, ill-bred, lewd, obscene, ribald,
bawdy, scurrilous, smutty, pornographic, dirty: The old
burlesque acts were characterized by their low humour. 4 weak,
frail, feeble, debilitated, enervated, sickly, unhealthy,
infirm, shaky, decrepit, ill, sick: He's very low and sinking
fast. 5 ineffectual, ineffective, weak: Her resistance to
disease is low. I have a low pain threshold. 6 miserable,
dismal, wretched, abysmal, sorry, abject, destitute: I seem to
have reached a low point in my career. 7 humble, poor,
low-born, lowly, base, inferior, base-born, plebeian,
proletariat, ignoble: He rose from those low beginnings to a
peerage. 8 unhappy, depressed, dejected, sad, gloomy,
melancholy, miserable, despondent, disconsolate, blue, downcast,
down, glum, wretched, morose, crestfallen, broken-hearted,
heart-broken, tearful, lachrymose, sorrowful, mournful,
heavy-hearted: I felt low for weeks after the death of my
kitten. 9 inferior, second-rate, poor, bad, not up to par,
worthless, shoddy, shabby, mediocre, substandard: Their
products are of low quality. 10 inferior, lower, lesser, small,
smaller: Play a low card. 11 low-cut, d‚collet‚, revealing,
Colloq US low and behold in the front and vie de BohЉme in the
back: Gilda wore a low, strapless black satin evening gown. 12
base, vile, abject, contemptible, despicable, mean, menial,
servile, ignoble, degraded, vulgar, foul, dastardly, depraved,
nasty, sordid: That was a low trick he played telling on his
friends. I didn't know that anyone could sink to such a low
level. 13 quiet, hushed, soft, subdued, gentle, muted, muffled,
stifled, indistinct, whispered, murmured, murmurous: Her low
voice was sweet. 14 unfavourable, critical, adverse: She has a
rather low opinion of his singing.
lowэ v. moo, bellow; bawl: The lowing herd moved slowly into the
pasture.
low-down n. information, intelligence, data, the facts, inside story,
Colloq info, dope, dirt, Brit bumf: I have the low-down on the
scandal.
lower° v. 1 drop, reduce, decrease, mark down, discount, lessen,
diminish, downgrade, cut, slash: Prices on all goods have been
lowered. 2 let or move or bring or put down, drop: The
drawbridge was lowered and the knights rode across. They lowered
the coffin into the grave. 3 cut or lop off, cut or take down,
reduce, diminish, crop, trim: We lowered the hedge by a foot.
4 abase, debase, degrade, discredit, shame, disgrace, demean,
belittle, humble, humiliate; stoop, deign, condescend: I
wouldn't lower myself to so much as speak to him. 5 turn down,
quieten, moderate, modulate, soften, tone down: He lowered his
voice to a whisper.
--adj. 6 further or farther down: My mother has a flat on a
lower floor of the building. 7 earlier: These primitive
amphibians are from the Lower Carboniferous. 8 lower case.
small, minuscule: Use capitals for the first letters and lower
case for the rest in these names.
lowerэ v. See lour, above.
lowly adj. See low°, 7, above.
loyal adj. faithful, true, dependable, devoted, trustworthy, trusty,
steady, steadfast, staunch, trusted, reliable, stable,
unswerving, unwavering, dedicated, constant, patriotic: Give me
twelve men loyal and true and we shall rout the enemy.
loyalty n. faithfulness, fidelity, dependability, devotedness,
devotion, allegiance, patriotism, trustworthiness,
steadfastness, staunchness, firmness, resolution, resolve,
reliability, stability, dedication, constancy: I hope that we
can rely on the loyalty of everyone in your unit, Colonel.
luck n. 1 fortune, chance, destiny, fate, accident, fortuity,
serendipity; fluke, stroke of luck, US happenstance: Luck
brought us together. 2 good fortune, (good) break: It takes a
lot of luck to get the kinds of roles you want as an actor. 3
chance(s), success rate, fortune(s): I hope that my luck
improves soon.
lucky adj. 1 fortunate, blessed, favoured, charmed: She was very
lucky to get the job. 2 providential, timely, opportune,
propitious, favourable, auspicious, advantageous, convenient,
fortuitous: It was lucky that you were at the swimming pool to
save her.
ludicrous adj. ridiculous, laughable, absurd, farcical, nonsensical,
preposterous, incongruous, asinine, foolish, silly, zany, crazy,
comical, risible; funny, facetious, droll, waggish, jocular,
witty, jocose: The explanations of the new tax laws have been
carried to ludicrous extremes. You can count on Billy to come up
with some ludicrous prank on April Fools' Day.
lug v. drag, tug, tow, haul, heave; carry, tote, transport: You're
mistaken if you think I'm going to lug that case round
everywhere.
luggage n. baggage, bags, gear, impedimenta, paraphernalia, things,
belongings: When I arrived in Torremolinos, I found my luggage
was missing.
lukewarm adj. 1 tepid, room temperature, warm: I like my bath-water
lukewarm. 2 cool, indifferent, half-hearted, chill, chilly,
phlegmatic, unresponsive, unenthusiastic, nonchalant,
lackadaisical, apathetic, insouciant, Laodicean, unmoved, US
half-baked, Colloq laid-back: My ideas for improving efficiency
continued to receive a lukewarm reception from the board.
lull n. 1 pause, respite, interlude, intermission, interval, break,
hiatus, interruption, stop, halt, lapse, delay, Literary
caesura, Colloq let-up: After a brief lull, the hurricane
resumed in all its ferocity. 2 quiet, quiescence, hush, calm,
calmness, stillness, silence, peace, peacefulness, tranquillity:
There was a lull, then the noise of the artillery again
shattered the night.
--v. 3 soothe, calm, quiet, hush, pacify, mollify,
tranquillize: Do not let her sweet words lull you into a sense
of false security. I was lulled to sleep by the crickets and
the bees.
lumber n. 1 odds and ends, junk, clutter, jumble, rejects, white
elephants; rubbish, litter, Chiefly US trash: The small room
off the kitchen is for lumber. 2 timber, wood, beams, planks,
boards, wood: I have ordered the lumber for building the
garage.
--v. 3 encumber, burden, load, overload, saddle, impose upon,
land: We have been lumbered with looking after our neighbours'
six cats.
luminous adj. 1 shiny, shining, bright, brilliant, lighted (up), lit
(up), illuminated, radiant, alight, resplendent, lustrous,
gleaming, shimmering, glistening, sparkling, dazzling,
refulgent, effulgent: The moon shone with a luminous beauty. 2
glowing, aglow, luminescent, incandescent, phosphorescent,
fluorescent: He had a watch with luminous hands. 3 clear,
lucid, perspicuous, percipient, perspicacious, penetrating,
discerning, perceptive, clear-eyed, clear-headed, keen, acute,
sharp, explicit, incisive, specific, express; understandable,
intelligible: His latest novel provides another example of his
luminous style.
lump° n. 1 mass, piece, gob, gobbet, clod, chunk, clot, wad, clump,
hunk, nugget; cube, wedge, cake: There was a lump of earth was
clogging the drain. May I have two lumps of sugar, please? 2
bump, growth, swelling, protuberance, protrusion, prominence,
bulge, excrescence, tumescence, nodule, knob; wen, cyst, boil,
carbuncle, blister, wart, corn: You ought to see a doctor about
that lump on your foot.
--v. 3 Often, lump together. combine, join, consolidate,
collect, bunch, group, unite, mass, aggregate, blend, mix, throw
or put together: Don't lump me together with everyone else,
without even asking my opinion.
lumpэ v. Usually, lump it. allow, tolerate, suffer, put up with,
bear, stand, brook, endure: I'm afraid you'll just have to lump
it, whether you like it or not.
lumpy adj. chunky, bumpy, uneven, granular, grainy: Mix the batter
till it is no longer lumpy.
lunacy n. 1 madness, insanity, dementia, craziness, derangement,
psychosis, mania: Formerly, it was believed that lunacy
fluctuated in accordance with the phases of the moon. 2 folly,
foolishness, bad or poor judgement, illogicality, illogic,
senselessness, ridiculousness, irrationality, foolhardiness,
stupidity: It would be sheer lunacy to confess to something you
did not do.
lunge n. 1 thrust, jab,, strike: He was impaled by the first lunge
of the sword. 2 dive, plunge, rush, leap, jump, spring, pounce:
I made a lunge for the knife but missed.
--v. 3 dive, plunge, charge, pounce, dash, bound, jump; thrust,
stab, strike, hit, jab, cut: He lunged at her with his machete.
lurch° n. leave in the lurch. desert, abandon, forsake; drop, jilt:
He left her in the lurch, waiting at the church.
lurchэ n. 1 stagger, sway, pitch; list, tilt, toss: The man gave a
sudden lurch, knocking the vase from my hands.
--v. 2 stagger, sway, stumble; roll, tilt, veer, pitch, list,
heel, wallow: He lurched into the room, a dagger protruding
from his back. The ship lurched dangerously in a heavy sea.
lure v. 1 tempt, attract, induce, coax, inveigle, seduce, draw in,
entice, lead on, decoy, charm, persuade, allure, catch: She
lured me into the trap of believing that she loved me.
--n. 2 bait, decoy, attraction, temptation, inducement, magnet,
siren song, charm, US drawing card, Slang come-on: Too many
na‹ve people fall for the lure of easy money.
lurid adj. 1 sensational, vivid, shocking, startling, graphic,
melodramatic: The tabloids delight in a lurid scandal. 2
ghastly, horrid, horrifying, horrendous, gory, grisly, gruesome,
macabre, revolting, disgusting, appalling, frightful, terrible,
awful: Every lurid detail of the massacre was shown on TV. 3
pale, ashen, sallow, wan, pallid, ghastly, baleful: From the
lurid shade of his skin, I could see he had some horrible
affliction. 4 glaring, fiery, flaming, burning, aglow, glowing,
glowering: The burning city cast a lurid light in the sky.
lurk v. skulk, slink, prowl, steal, sneak, hide, (lie in) wait, lie
low: The muggers were lurking in the shadows, waiting for a
victim.
luscious adj. delectable, delicious, mouth-watering, tasty, toothsome,
savoury, appetizing, rich, sweet, epicurean, ambrosial,
palatable, pleasant; succulent, juicy, Colloq scrumptious,
yummy: My grandmother used to make the most luscious pies and
tarts.
lush adj. 1 luxuriant, thick, lavish, flourishing, verdant, green,
dense, overgrown, thick, exuberant: The walls were covered with
a lush growth of ivy. 2 juicy, succulent, mouth-watering,
fresh, moist, ripe: We ate lush pears that we picked straight
from the tree. 3 palatial, extravagant, elaborate, luxurious,
opulent, sumptuous, Colloq ritzy, plush: The bridal suite is
the lushest accommodation they offer.
lust n. 1 sensuality, libido, libidinousness, sexuality,
lustfulness, concupiscence, sexual appetite, Slang horniness:
The nouveaux riches spend much of their time and money
satisfying their lust. 2 desire, drive, energy, voracity,
avidity, avidness, ambition, ravenousness: Henry has an
infectious enthusiasm and lust for life.
--v. 3 lust after. desire, crave, hunger or thirst or hanker
for or after, ache for: Barney was lusting after the barmaid at
The Two Magpies.
lustful adj. libidinous, carnal, concupiscent, licentious, lewd,
prurient, lascivious, salacious, Colloq horny, randy: On her
way to work she was forced to endure daily the lustful calls of
the construction workers.
lustre n. 1 sheen, gleam, glow, gloss, luminosity, luminousness,
radiance: A good waxing should restore the lustre to the table.
2 glory, renown, brilliance, celebrity, honour, distinction,
fame, illustriousness: Winning first prize lent a little lustre
to his tarnished reputation.
lustrous adj. glossy, shiny, shined, polished, burnished: French
polishing gives the furniture a lustrous finish.
lusty adj. 1 vigorous, healthy, strong, energetic, robust, hale and
hearty, lively; buxom: The sailors were accompanied by a couple
of lusty young women. 2 vigorous, substantial, strong, husky,
powerful: He sang in a lusty voice.
luxuriant adj. 1 abundant, profuse, copious, lush, rich, bounteous,
overflowing, full, luxurious: Her luxuriant hair hung down to
her waist. 2 lavish, full, rank, prolific, thriving, rife,
exuberant, lush, abounding, plenteous, abundant, superabundant,
dense, fruitful, teeming: The luxuriant orange groves are
yielding a bumper crop this year. 3 ornate, elaborate,
decorated, fancy, rococo, baroque, flowery, frilly, florid,
overdone, flamboyant, showy, ostentatious, gaudy, garish, Colloq
flashy: The elders disapproved of the luxuriant ornamentation
of the churches.
luxuriate v. 1 Often, luxuriate in. wallow in, swim in, bask in, indulge
in, delight in, relish, revel in, enjoy oneself, savour,
appreciate, like, love: She luxuriates in her new-found wealth.
2 live in luxury or comfort, be in the lap of luxury, have a
good or great or marvellous time, take it easy, enjoy oneself,
live the life of Riley, live off the fat of the land, Colloq
have the time of one's life, have a ball, US live high off the
hog: Their postcard says that they are luxuriating on Capri for
a week.
luxurious adj. 1 opulent, sumptuous, grand, extravagant, lavish,
magnificent, splendid, de luxe, fancy; epicurean, gourmet;
Colloq swanky, swank, ritzy, plush, posh: We had a luxurious
room overlooking the sea and ate the most luxurious meals. 2
self-indulgent, voluptuous, voluptuary, sybaritic, hedonistic,
pampered: We lived a truly luxurious life for two years till
the money ran out.
luxury n. 1 opulence, splendour, sumptuousness, grandeur,
extravagance, magnificence, richness, luxuriousness: I cannot
describe the overwhelming luxury of the maharaja's palace. 2
indulgence, self-indulgence, hedonism, sybaritism,
voluptuousness: He had been living a life of luxury in Tahiti.
3 security, confidence; gratification, satisfaction, enjoyment,
pleasure, delight, comfort: He has the luxury of knowing that
his dog will be well looked after. 4 frill, extravagance, extra,
indulgence, non-essential, expendable, treat: He showered her
with luxuries from the finest shops.
lying n. 1 prevarication, fibbing, mendacity, mendaciousness,
falsification, untruthfulness, perjury; dishonesty, deceit,
duplicity: She was accused of lying while under oath.
--adj. 2 untruthful, false, mendacious, hypocritical,
dishonest, deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous, treacherous,
perfidious: Whoever told you they had found the solution is a
lying scoundrel.
lyric adj. 1 melodic, song-like, musical, melodious, lyrical: Lyric
drama is no longer fashionable. 2 personal, subjective,
individual, idiosyncratic; sentimental, rhapsodic: He expresses
his own feelings in the lyric poems. 3 sweet, dulcet, graceful,
silvery, lilting, mellifluous, mellow, light: This song sounds
best when sung by a lyric tenor.
--n. 4 lyrics. libretto, book, words: Ira Gershwin wrote the
lyrics for much of George Gershwin's music.
lyrical adj. 1 See lyric, 1, above. 2 enthusiastic, ecstatic,
encomiastic, rapturous, rhapsodic, effusive, impassioned,
emotional, ebullient, exuberant, panegyrical: He waxed lyrical
whenever he spoke of his children.
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macabre adj. grim, ghastly, grisly, gory, gruesome, grotesque,
ghoulish, fiendish, dread, eerie, fearsome, frightful,
frightening, terrifying, terrible, dreadful, dire, morbid;
deathly, deadly, deathlike, ghostly, cadaverous: He told a
macabre story of how they survived by resorting to cannibalism.
The crypt had a macabre eeriness about it.
machiavellian
adj. deceitful, cunning, shrewd, crafty, wily, foxy, scheming,
tricky, perfidious, nefarious, treacherous, sneaky: Mr Williams
has concocted a truly machiavellian plan for getting the
pensioners to move out.
machination
n. plotting, scheming, intriguing, manoeuvring, designing,
manipulating; plot, scheme, intrigue, manoeuvre, design,
stratagem, ruse, trick, trickery, artifice, dirty trick(s),
wile, manipulation, ploy, tactic(s), move, gambit: He escaped
from the machinations of his enemies. Must you resort to such
machinations merely to get them to listen?
machine n. 1 mechanism, device, apparatus, contrivance, appliance,
instrument, implement, tool, utensil, gadget, Colloq
contraption, US gismo or gizmo: What kind of machine is used to
make a corkscrew? 2 engine, motor, prime mover, vehicle; car,
automobile, motor car, US auto: We used to get into the machine
and go for Sunday picnics. 3 organization, system, ring, gang,
cabal, clique, party, faction: The entire council is run by a
political machine.
--v. 4 shape, make, manufacture: In this department we machine
the castings to a tolerance of one ten-thousandth of an inch.
machismo n. masculine pride or arrogance, manliness, virility,
masculinity, grit, Colloq guts, Slang balls: He is just trying
to impress you with his machismo.
macho adj. manly, masculine, virile, proud, arrogant: He's afraid
his macho image will be destroyed if he admits to enjoying
ballet.
mad adj. 1 insane, deranged, crazy, crazed, demented, lunatic,
unhinged, delirious, out of one's mind or head, psychotic,
maniacal, (mentally) unbalanced, mentally ill, of unsound mind,
non compos mentis, Chiefly Brit daft, Colloq out of one's head,
touched (in the head), screwy, cuckoo, mental, certifiable,
having a screw loose, dotty, cracked, mad as a March hare, mad
as a hatter, not all there, off-the-wall, stark raving mad,
Chiefly Brit potty, US nutty as a fruit cake; Slang nuts, loony,
goofy, loopy, crackers, batty, off one's rocker or trolley,
bananas, Brit round the bend or twist, twisted, off one's chump,
barmy or balmy, bonkers, US out to lunch, bughouse, bugs, crazy
as a bedbug or a coot, loco, wacky, out of one's tree, meshuga:
You're mad if you think I'm going in there with that lion. 2
foolish, silly, childish, immature, puerile, wild, nonsensical,
foolhardy, madcap, heedless, senseless, absurd, imprudent,
unwise, indiscreet, rash, ill-advised, ill-considered, reckless,
extravagant, irrational, fatuous: I did many mad things when I
was a student. Hitching to Inverness is a mad idea. 3 wild,
ferocious; rabid: Have they caught that mad dog yet? 4
furious, angry, infuriated, incensed, enraged, irate, fuming,
berserk, irritated, provoked, wrathful, exasperated, Literary
wroth: Will you get mad if I ask you a question? Please don't
be mad with me - I wrecked your car. 5 like mad. madly,
feverishly, in a frenzy, frenziedly, desperately, excitedly,
violently, wildly, hysterically, furiously; enthusiastically,
fervently, ardently; Colloq like crazy: He's been running about
like mad trying to find her. 6 mad (about or for). crazy,
infatuated, ardent, enthusiastic, eager, avid, zealous,
passionate, fervent, fervid, keen, fanatical, wild, Colloq
hooked, Brit dotty, Slang nuts: She's absolutely mad about
cricket.
madden v. 1 infuriate, anger, enrage, incense, provoke, inflame,
excite (someone) to (a) frenzy or rage, make (someone's) blood
boil, raise (someone's) hackles, make (someone) see red, get
(someone's) back up, drive someone crazy, Literary raise
(someone's) ire, Colloq drive (someone) up the wall, Brit drive
(someone) round the bend or twist, US tick (someone) off, burn
(someone) up, tee (someone) off, bug, drive (someone) up the
wall: Their getting away with something like that maddened us
all. 2 irk, vex, pique, exasperate, irritate: He has the
maddening habit of affecting a lisp. 3 bait, badger, torment,
plague, bedevil, US rile, hassle: The dog was maddened into
attacking anything that moved.
madly adv. 1 insanely, hysterically, dementedly, wildly,
distractedly, frenziedly: The patient keeps screaming madly,
day and night. 2 foolishly, stupidly, inanely, ridiculously,
ludicrously, idiotically, absurdly, irrationally, senselessly:
The king madly spurned the proffered aid and was soundly
defeated. 3 furiously, wildly, ferociously, fiercely,
energetically, desperately, like mad, vehemently, feverishly,
excitedly, fanatically, violently, impetuously: He dashed about
madly trying to get help. 4 excessively, extremely,
desperately, intensely, passionately, wildly, ardently,
fervently, fervidly, exceedingly: She was madly in love with
George.
madman n. madwoman; lunatic, psychopath, psychotic, maniac, Colloq
crackpot, psycho, loony, screwball, US kook, Slang nut, nutcase,
Brit nutter: I am working like a madman to finish the book by
the deadline.
madness n. 1 insanity, lunacy, mania, dementia, psychosis, mental
illness: That form of madness is called schizophrenia. 2
craziness, lunacy, folly, foolishness, nonsense, senselessness,
ridiculousness, pointlessness, illogicality, illogic,
illogicalness, impracticality, preposterousness, futility: He
soon realized the madness of trying to stem the tide of public
opinion.
magazine n. 1 periodical, journal, publication: We publish a quarterly
magazine about language. 2 arsenal, ammunition or munitions
dump, armoury: Saboteurs infiltrated the camp and blew up the
magazine.
magic n. 1 witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, black magic, necromancy,
black art, voodoo, obeahism, devilry or deviltry, diabolism,
demonolatry, occultism; sortilege, theurgy, white magic; spell:
As the magic began to work, he slowly changed into a horrible
ghoul. 2 legerdemain, conjuring, prestidigitation, sleight of
hand, illusion, hocus-pocus, trickery: He performs tricks of
magic, including sawing a woman in half. 3 enchantment, allure,
allurement, charm, bewitchment, spell, witchery, witchcraft,
wizardry, glamour, fascination, magnetism, ensorcellment: She
worked her magic on every man she met.
--adj. 4 magical, miraculous: The magic ointment made her
young again. 5 necromantic, occult, mystic, shamanistic,
theurgical: Using a magic spell, she turned him into a toad. 6
magical, enchanting, entrancing, bewitching, fascinating,
hypnotic, mesmerizing, entrancing, spellbinding, charming,
magnetic, ensorcelling: The music had a magic effect on them.
magician n. 1 conjuror or conjurer, illusionist, wizard, sorcerer,
sorceress, magus, necromancer, enchanter, enchantress, Merlin,
Houdini, Circe, witch, warlock; thaumaturge, theurgist: The
court magician changed the pebbles into precious stones by a
wave of his wand. 2 marvel, miracle-worker, virtuoso, wizard,
genius, master, Colloq whiz: Mary Lou Williams is a magician on
the boogie-woogie piano.
magnetic adj. attractive, attracting, engaging, captivating,
enthralling, seductive, alluring, entrancing, bewitching,
beguiling, arresting, spellbinding, irresistible, charismatic,
winning, winsome, inviting: Because of Amy's magnetic
personality, men flock about her.
magnetism n. attraction, draw, appeal, allure, magic, lure,
attractiveness, charm, pull, seductiveness, irresistibility,
drawing power, charisma, duende, likeableness, sex appeal:
JFK's personal magnetism won him millions of votes.
magnification
n. enlargement, amplification; build-up, strengthening,
enhancement, aggrandizement, raising, elevation, increase,
expansion, heightening, glorification, ennoblement: The
microdot can be read only at a magnification of 260X. The
advertising agency worked on the magnification of the
candidate's record of achievement.
magnificent
adj. great, excellent, splendid, superior, superb, marvellous,
glorious, grand, fine, impressive, imposing, awe-inspiring,
impressive, brilliant, commanding, august, noble, majestic,
regal, distinguished, elegant, exalted, sublime, outstanding;
sumptuous, resplendent, opulent, rich, luxurious, lavish: She
lives in a magnificent country house.
magnify v. 1 enlarge, expand, amplify, inflate, increase, augment,
exaggerate, heighten, build up, boost, dramatize, aggravate,
worsen, exacerbate; overstate, Colloq blow up, make a mountain
out of a molehill: Tiny errors in the beginning are magnified
later on. I fear that he has magnified its importance out of all
proportion. 2 enlarge, blow up: They had to magnify the
photograph to read the registration number of the stolen car.
magnitude n. 1 greatness, size, extent, bigness, immensity, enormousness,
dimensions: You cannot imagine the magnitude of the
unemployment problem in our area. 2 importance, significance,
consequence, note: This is a matter of sufficient magnitude to
warrant a board meeting.
maid n. 1 girl, maiden, lass, miss, nymphet, nymph, wench, damsel,
mademoiselle, demoiselle, Scots lassie; virgin, virgo intacta:
A lovely young maid was milking the cow. 2 housemaid,
maidservant, domestic, chambermaid, lady's maid, Archaic or
literary abigail, Brit daily, Archaic colloq Brit tweeny: When
she rang, the maid brought in the tea. 3 old maid. spinster,
bachelor girl: She never married and now is an old maid.
maiden n. 1 See maid, 1, above.
--adj. 2 virgin, virginal, undefiled, intact, chaste, (virgo)
intacta; unmarried, unwed: His maiden aunt was visiting for the
weekend. 3 inaugural, first, initial, Colloq US shakedown: The
Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.
mail n. 1 post, correspondence; letters: Has the mail arrived?
--v. 2 post, send, dispatch or despatch: Please mail this
letter tonight.
maim v. cripple, mutilate, lame, disable, incapacitate, wound, wing,
impair, hamstring, put out of action or commission; injure,
harm, damage: Their daughter was badly maimed in the fire.
main adj. 1 chief, primary, prime, (most) important, principal,
cardinal, paramount, first, foremost, leading, pre-eminent,
predominant, predominating, dominant, ranking, major;
outstanding: The main cause of traffic deaths is drunken
driving. In Britain, the main street of a town is called 'the
High Street'. We arrived late and missed the main entertainment.
2 largest, biggest, greatest, strongest: The main part of the
strike force landed in Normandy. 3 necessary, essential, basic,
particular, fundamental, critical, crucial, vital: Economic
recovery is the main thrust of our programme for reform. 4
sheer, brute, utter, pure, out-and-out, absolute, mere, plain:
He lifted that block by main force!
--n. 5 pipe, duct, channel, line, pipeline, water or gas main,
Brit (electric) cable, mains, power (supply), conduit: Water
reaches the city through a huge underground main. 6 strength,
power, might, effort, energy, vigour: With all his might and
main he tried to move the stone blocking the cave. 7 in the
main. See mainly, below.
mainly adv. in the main, chiefly, principally, predominantly,
generally, above all, on the whole, in general, mostly, most of
all, effectively, essentially, at bottom, first and foremost,
for the most part, largely, by and large, primarily,as a rule,
usually, all in all, on balance, for all practical purposes, in
the long run: We are concerned mainly with safety. The tourists
are mainly from Italy.
mainstay n. main or chief or principal support, anchor (to windward),
sheet anchor, bulwark, buttress, linchpin, main or greatest
strength: David remains the mainstay of the sales force.
maintain v. 1 continue, preserve, persevere in, keep going, persist in,
keep (up), carry on, retain, perpetuate, prolong, sustain,
uphold: Sarah maintained friendly relations with her
ex-husband. Try to maintain your composure. 2 look after, take
care of, care for, preserve, (keep in) service, keep up, keep in
repair; nurture, support: It is expensive to maintain a vintage
car. Allison maintains an ancient aunt in Piddlington. 3 hold,
state, say, declare, claim, assert, allege, testify, contend,
aver, avow, announce, proclaim, vouchsafe, profess, insist (on),
affirm: Despite evidence to the contrary, he maintains that he
is innocent. 4 defend, stand by, keep, fight for; take up the
cudgels for, make a case for, advocate, champion, take or make a
stand for, plead for, back (up), support, vindicate, justify,
Colloq go to bat for: He maintained his ground in the face of
virulent attacks.
maintenance
n. 1 upkeep, care, preservation, conservation, support,
sustention, sustentation: I can no longer afford the
maintenance of a large country estate. 2 continuation,
continuance, perpetuation, prolongation, persistence,
maintaining: His maintenance of an untenable position will lose
him votes. 3 upkeep, livelihood, subsistence, support,
allowance, living, sustenance, stipend, subvention,
contribution, alimony, keep: How much maintenance does he pay
to his ex-wife and children?
majestic adj. 1 regal, dignified, grand, imperial, royal, noble, lordly,
lofty, elevated, exalted, glorious, magnificent, monumental,
impressive, striking, imposing, awesome, splendid, marvellous,
kingly, queenly, princely: With majestic ceremony, the
procession entered the cathedral. 2 pompous, supercilious,
disdainful, superior, arrogant, haughty, magisterial, imperious,
grandiose, affected: She dismissed him with a majestic wave of
her hand.
major adj. 1 larger, greater, bigger, main, chief, important:
Henderson grabbed the major portion of the credit. 2 vital,
important, critical, crucial, principal, foremost, paramount,
primary, prime, main, big, biggest, pre-eminent, notable,
noteworthy, significant, outstanding, dominant, dominating;
serious, grave, worst: The major problem in commercial kitchens
is sanitation.
majority n. 1 bulk, preponderance, mass, more than half, the better or
best part, the greater part or number, lion's share: The
majority of shares were bought by existing shareholders. 2
adulthood, maturity, seniority, womanhood, manhood: They reach
their majority in 1997.
make v. 1 build, assemble, construct, erect, put together, set up,
fashion, form, mould, shape, frame, create, originate,
fabricate, manufacture, produce, put out, forge, contrive,
devise: She makes her own dresses. They make TV sets here. The
Colossus of Rhodes was said to be made of bronze. 2 cause,
compel, force, impel, coerce, provoke, urge, exhort, press,
pressure, require, command, order, induce, persuade, prevail
upon, insist upon, oblige, Brit pressurize: The devil made me
do it. 3 bring about, occasion, cause, give rise to: The new
regulation is going to make trouble for you. 4 make out or up,
draw (up), create, write, sign, frame: I made a new will
leaving everything to my children. 5 produce, cause, create,
generate: The engine made a funny noise, then died. 6 enact,
pass, frame, establish, institute: He thinks that laws were
made to be broken. 7 earn, return, reap, garner, take in, get,
procure, gather, clear, realize, gross, net, pocket, get,
acquire, obtain, receive; win, gain, Slang US pull down: Has
her invention made money? He makes a good living out of his
shop. He made њ25 playing poker. 8 amount to, constitute,
represent, add up to, total, come to: He knows how many beans
make five. Three and two do not make four. One singer does not
make an opera. 9 change, turn, alter, modify, transform,
convert; transmute, mutate, metamorphose: He made her into a
star. The alchemists tried to make base metal into gold. 10
become, be, change or turn or grow into, perform as: I think
Quentin will make a brilliant surgeon one day. 11 serve as or
for, be suitable for, be, prove to be, turn out to be, turn
into, become: This cut of meat will not make a good roast. 12
fetch, realize, earn, return: The locket made њ1000 at the
auction. 13 score, earn, secure: The West Indies made 654 in
their first innings. 14 reach, arrive at, attain, get (to),
win, achieve, accomplish; come in, Brit be placed, US place:
Fran might make first place in the marathon. 15 prepare,
arrange, rearrange, tidy (up), neaten (up): You have made your
bed, now you will have to lie on it. 16 record, arrange, fix,
decide (on or upon), agree (to): I made an appointment to see
the doctor. 17 prepare, fix, cook: I made what you like for
dinner. 18 deliver, present: Janet made a good speech. 19
traverse, cover, do, travel, navigate: We cannot make more than
100 miles a day over this terrain. 20 do, go, travel or move
at, move: His old banger could hardly make 40 m.p.h. 21 judge,
think, calculate, estimate, reckon, gauge, suppose: What do you
make of Sidney's new book? 22 establish, set up, organize: We
made our headquarters in the farmhouse. 23 appoint, name,
select, choose, elect, vote (in as), designate, authorize,
commission, delegate, depute, deputize, assign, sanction,
approve, affirm, certify, confirm: They made him their leader.
24 seduce, make it with: Kenneth tried to make Sharon last
night. 25 make as if or as though. pretend, feign, act as if or
as though, affect, make a show or pretence of, give the
impression of: He made as if to strike me. 26 make away. run
off or away, flee, fly, make off, abscond, take to one's heels,
decamp, beat a (hasty) retreat, Colloq run for it, make a run
for it, beat it, clear out, cut and run, skedaddle, take off,
cut out, skip (town), make tracks, US fly the coop, Slang scram,
vamoose, US hightail it, take a (run-out) powder: Taking the
jewels, he made away as fast as he could run. 27 make away
with. steal, rob, filch, pilfer, purloin, walk away or off with,
Colloq borrow, liberate, boost, Slang pinch, hook, swipe, rip
off, lift, US boost: That boy has made away with my cherry
tarts! 28 make believe. pretend, fancy, play-act, dream,
fantasize, imagine, act as if: We used to make believe we were
grown-ups. 29 make do. get by or along, cope, scrape by or
along, manage, muddle through, survive, Colloq make out: We
have to make do on the pittance Randolph gets from the
university. 30 make for. a head for or towards, aim for, steer
(a course) for, proceed towards, be bound for: After this is
done, I am making for the nearest pub. b assault, attack, set
upon, charge, rush (at), pounce upon, fall upon or on, go for,
lunge at, storm, assail: The big fellow was making for me with
a knife when the lights went out. c promote, contribute to, be
conducive to, favour, facilitate: Good fences make for good
neighbours. 31 make good. a make up (for), pay (for),
compensate for, recompense (for), repay, offset, make
restitution for, settle, square, rectify, put to rights, set
right, remedy, correct, restore: He agreed to make good any
losses. b succeed, prosper, flourish, thrive, Colloq make it:
In later life he made good as a property developer. c fulfil,
carry out, Colloq deliver (the goods): She made good on her
promise to return my book. 32 make it. a succeed, prosper,
triumph, win, make good, Colloq make the grade: Do you think
she will make it as a doctor? b arrive, get (somewhere), show
up, appear, turn up: They are hoping to catch the 5:03 to
Ipswich but I doubt if they will make it. 33 make known. tell
of, impart, disclose, reveal, divulge, mention, communicate,
announce, declare, promulgate, publish, let slip, Colloq tip
off: She made known her demands. 34 make much of. a
exaggerate, overstate, colour, hyperbolize, Colloq make a big
deal of, blow up: He made much of his new title. b coddle,
cosset, baby, pamper, dote on, flatter, toady (up) to, cajole,
humour, indulge, Colloq butter up: Henry makes much of his
grandchildren. 35 make off. See make, 26, above. 36 make off
with. See make, 27, above. 37 make out. a see, discern,
descry, espy, detect, discover, distinguish, perceive: I made
out a dim figure in the gloom. b complete, fill in, Brit fill
up, US and Canadian fill out: I made out an application for the
job. c draw (up), write (out or down), record, Colloq US cut:
Please make out a list of your complaints. Make out the cheque
to me, personally. d understand, fathom, comprehend, figure out,
perceive, follow, grasp, see, decipher, read: She mumbles so, I
cannot make out what she's saying. Can you make out this name? e
suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, indicate, impute, intimate,
make to appear, pretend, make as if or as though, represent;
present, show, demonstrate, establish: She tried to make out
that I was a fool. He made out a strong case for dog licensing.
f get on, survive, manage, fare, thrive, succeed: How are you
making out in your new house? 38 make over. a do over,
remodel, redecorate, alter: We are making over our kitchen. b
transfer, hand over, sign over, convey, assign, turn over: The
property has been made over to me. 39 make up. a complete,
fill out, finish (out), flesh out: We need another player to
make up the team. b compose, form, constitute, be comprised of:
The gang is made up of ex-convicts. c hatch, invent, concoct,
devise, create, construct, dream up, originate, coin, compose,
Colloq cook up: He made up that story about the murder. d be
reconciled, make peace, settle amicably, come to terms, bury the
hatchet: The litigants have kissed and made up. e construct,
build: The shack is made up of scrap boards. 40 make up for.
compensate, redress, make good, atone, make amends: How can I
make up for all the bad things I said about you? 41 make way.
move aside, clear the way, allow to pass, make room or space:
Make way for the Lord High Executioner!
--n. 42 kind, brand, style, sort, type, mark: Foreign makes of
car currently dominate the market-place. 43 on the make.
aggressive, assertive, go-ahead, enterprising, vigorous,
energetic, Colloq pushy: The book is about a young man on the
make in today's financial world.
makeshift adj. 1 temporary, stopgap, expedient, emergency, temporary,
jury-rigged, improvised, tentative, stand-by, slapdash: We were
able to fashion a makeshift rudder out of an oar.
--n. 2 stopgap, expedient, improvisation, substitute: The
heater broke down and we had to get along with a makeshift.
make-up n. 1 cosmetics, maquillage, greasepaint, Colloq warpaint: Do
you think I am wearing too much make-up? 2 constitution,
character, cast, disposition, personality: There is not an
ounce of sympathy in Janet's make-up. 3 constitution,
arrangement, construction, composition, format, configuration,
build, form: What is the chemical make-up of the plastic?
male adj. masculine, man's; virile, manly, manful; Archaic spear:
His is bound to be a male point of view.
malignant adj. 1 virulent, pernicious, deadly, fatal, toxic, poisonous,
harmful, life-threatening: The tumour proved to be malignant.
2 malign, malevolent, evil, malicious, pernicious, vicious,
invidious, spiteful, bitter, hateful, venomous: The expos‚ was
full of malignant insinuations.
man n. 1 gentleman, male, fellow, Colloq guy, chap, Brit bloke,
squire, Slang gink, geezer, US gazabo: Have you met the man she
is going to marry? 2 people, human beings, mankind, mortals,
Homo sapiens, humanity, humankind, the human race: Man wants
but little here below. 3 valet, manservant, gentleman's
gentleman, servant, retainer, houseboy, houseman: Humberson
sent his man round with a note.
--v. 4 staff, people, crew; cover: Who will man the office
while I am away?
manacle n. 1 manacles. shackles, fetters, handcuffs, gyves, chains,
irons, Colloq cuffs, Slang bracelets, Brit darbies: The
manacles are cutting into his wrists.
--v. 2 shackle, fetter, handcuff, restrain, put or throw or
clap in irons, chain, Colloq US cuff: The manacled prisoner was
led away. 3 confine, inhibit, restrain, curb, check, control,
hamper: They felt manacled by the nine o'clock curfew.
manage v. 1 handle, administer, run, supervise, look after, watch
over, direct, head, oversee, superintend, direct, preside over,
be in charge (of), take care of, control; rule (over), govern,
regulate: Mr Grant manages the glove department. 2 handle,
cope or deal with, control, govern, manipulate: Will you be
able to manage such a frisky horse? 3 conduct, carry on, carry
out, bring off, control, undertake, take care of, look after,
handle: Is she old enough to manage her own affairs? 4
succeed, function, make do, make it, shift (for oneself), get
along or by or on, make out, muddle through, survive: Will you
be able to manage from here on?
manageable
adj. controllable; tractable, compliant, amenable, docile,
tameable, tame, trainable, teachable, manipulable, submissive:
Keep your spending within manageable limits. The dog is quite
manageable.
management
n. 1 managing, control, supervision, manipulation, handling,
direction, directing, directorship, administration, government,
conduct, governance, operation, running, superintendence,
command, guidance, stewardship: The management of the company
is in your hands. 2 administration, executive(s), bosses,
directors, board (of directors), directorate, Colloq (top)
brass: The management believes that you are the right person
for the job.
manager n. supervisor, superintendent, director, executive, head,
proprietor, overseer, foreman, forewoman, administrator, Chiefly
Brit manageress , US straw boss, Colloq boss, chief: The
position of manager entails a lot of responsibility.
mandatory adj. compulsory, obligatory, requisite, required; essential,
commanded, demanded, necessary, needed: The wearing of safety
belts in cars is mandatory.
mangle v. destroy, mutilate, butcher, deform, disfigure, spoil, mar,
ruin, wreck; cut, hack, lacerate, chop (up), crush, damage,
cripple, maim: Don't you hate the way they mangle the English
language? His hand was badly mangled in the accident.
mangy adj. scruffy, dirty, sleazy, wretched, miserable, repulsive,
sorry, squalid, slovenly, unkempt, filthy, dingy, seedy, poor,
shabby, mean, low, ignominious, base, abject, odious,
disreputable, moth-eaten, contemptible, despicable, nasty,
scurvy: The mangy beggar turned out to be our agent in
Calcutta.
manhandle v. maul, paw, rough up, batter, beat (up), pummel, abuse,
mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, trounce, belabour, Slang knock
about or around, clobber: His captors manhandled him into a car
and drove off.
man-hater n. misanthrope, misanthropist: He says he prefers to live
alone because he's a man-hater.
manhood n. 1 masculinity, manliness, manfulness, virility, Colloq
machismo: He felt that looking after the children at home
somehow compromised his manhood. 2 bravery, pluck, boldness,
determination, resolution, fortitude, grit, spirit, force, US
intestinal fortitude, Colloq guts: He joined the army to test
his manhood.
mania n. 1 rage, craze, passion, obsession, compulsion, urge,
fascination, preoccupation, furore or US furor, yearning,
craving, desire, cacoethes, Colloq fad, yen: By that time, the
hula hoop mania had died down. She has a mania for collecting
apostle spoons. 2 madness, lunacy, insanity, dementia,
derangement, hysteria, Technical manic disorder: The
psychiatrists diagnosed his problem as a mania.
maniac n. 1 madman, madwoman, lunatic, psychopath, psychotic, Colloq
crackpot, Slang nut, Brit nutter, loony, US kook: In former
times, maniacs were scorned and maltreated. 2 fanatic, fan,
enthusiast, zealot, Slang freak, fiend: Since his retirement,
he has become a golf maniac.
maniacal adj. 1 manic, maniac, insane, lunatic, mad, demented, deranged,
hysterical, mentally ill, of unsound mind, non compos mentis,
psychotic: He had to be hospitalized because of his maniacal
behaviour. 2 hysterical, berserk, wild, crazy, Slang loony:
His maniacal outbursts frightened us.
manifest adj. 1 apparent, clear, evident, obvious, plain, patent,
blatant, conspicuous, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
discernible, recognizable, comprehensible, distinct, palpable,
definite, explicit, unambiguous, unquestionable, indubitable,
indisputable: He lost his job because of his manifest
dishonesty.
--v. 2 show, demonstrate, exhibit, evince, reveal, disclose,
display, betray; express, declare: Fitzsimmons had been
manifesting signs of dissatisfaction with his assignment. 3
prove, corroborate, substantiate, attest: His distaste for
cauliflower was manifested by the look on his face.
manifestation
n. display, exhibition, demonstration, show, disclosure,
appearance, exposure, presentation, sign, indication, mark,
expression, example, instance; declaration, avowal, publication,
announcement: The police feared that the crime wave was a
manifestation of civil unrest. The first manifestation of
thought is speech.
manifestly
adv. evidently, clearly, obviously, plainly, apparently,
patently, unmistakably or unmistakeably, palpably,
unquestionably, indubitably, undoubtedly, indisputably: The
treaty is manifestly to England's advantage.
manifold adj. diverse, diversified, multifarious, varied, various,
assorted, multiplex, miscellaneous, sundry, many-sided, many
different, Literary divers; many, numerous, multitudinous: I
have manifold reasons for wishing you to stay.
manipulate
v. 1 manage, handle, control, manoeuvre, orchestrate,
choreograph, influence, use, exploit, play on, utilize: He
knows how to manipulate people to make them do what he wants. 2
handle, control, operate, direct, work, use, employ, negotiate:
The controls can be manipulated to make the robot imitate human
motion. 3 rig, falsify, juggle, tamper with, doctor, Colloq
cook, Chiefly Brit fiddle: He's been manipulating his expense
account for years.
manly adj. manful, virile, courageous, bold, brave, intrepid,
valorous, valiant, dauntless, fearless, plucky, daring,
venturesome, stout-hearted, resolute, stable, steadfast,
unflinching, unwavering, unshrinking, chivalrous, gallant,
noble, heroic; masculine, male, Colloq macho, red-blooded:
Emerson characterized the English as manly rather than warlike.
manner n. 1 way, mode, style, technique, procedure, method, fashion;
means, approach: Her incisive manner of reporting is widely
admired. 2 air, behaviour, mien, demeanour, bearing,
deportment, comportment, conduct, attitude, aspect: His manner
is overbearing and dictatorial. 3 manners. etiquette, decorum,
(good) form, politeness, proprieties, protocol, politesse,
civility, ceremony, social code, social graces, formalities,
niceties, amenities, social conventions; behaviour, conduct:
Can't you teach him some manners?
mannered adj. artificial, contrived, stilted, stiff, affected,
insincere, pompous, pretentious, posed, unnatural, hypocritical,
Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo, highfalutin or
hifalutin, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da, hoity-toity, on
one's high horse, high-hat, uppity or Brit uppish: Alice's
speech is too mannered for anyone to feel close to her.
mannerism n. quirk, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, trait, characteristic,
habit: She has the irritating mannerism of pulling on her ear
lobe.
manoeuvre n. 1 move, stratagem, tactic, trick, gambit, ploy, subterfuge,
ruse, dodge, artifice, device, wile, d‚marche; strategy, plan,
plot, scheme, intrigue, machination: That manoeuvre will never
work on a clever woman. 2 exercise, operation, drill, war-game,
operation, kriegspiel, training: We were out on manoeuvres for
a week.
--v. 3 manipulate, contrive, plot, scheme, machinate, intrigue,
trick, devise, engineer, finesse, manage, Colloq finagle,
wangle: His manoeuvred his way out of going on that mission. 4
manipulate, operate, run, drive, guide, navigate, jockey: She
manoeuvred the car into a surprisingly tiny space.
mantle n. 1 cloak, cape, wrap, shawl, pelisse, pelerine: Over his
armour he wore a mantle embroidered with his bearing. 2
covering, cover, sheet, veil, blanket, screen, cloak, shroud,
pall, canopy, curtain: A mantle of snow lay on the ground.
--v. 3 cover, clothe, envelop, surround, encircle, shroud,
veil, screen, obscure, cloak, conceal, hide, mask, wrap,
disguise: The mountains were brilliantly mantled and capped
with snow.
manual n. handbook, vade-mecum, enchiridion; directions, instructions,
guide: Follow the manual carefully to avoid mistakes.
manufacture
v. 1 make, (mass-)produce, construct, build, assemble,
fabricate, put together, turn out, create, originate: The
company manufactures windscreen wipers. 2 concoct, create,
contrive, invent, make up, fabricate, think up, US and Canadian
create out of or from whole cloth, Colloq cook up: She
manufactured that tale about being an orphan.
--n. 3 making, (mass) production, construction, building,
assembly, fabrication, turning or putting out, putting together,
creation, origination: The manufacture of durable goods
increased .02% in the last quarter.
manufacturer
n. maker, producer, industrialist, fabricator: Manufacturers
of computers usually buy components from specialized firms.
many adj. 1 numerous, multitudinous, myriad, profuse, innumerable,
numberless, uncountable: Many people have an irrational fear of
spiders. 2 diverse, multifarious, varied, various, assorted,
sundry, Literary divers: There are many kinds of courage.
--pron., (n.) 3 horde(s), crowd(s), lot(s), swarm(s),
throng(s), mass(es), profusion, multitude(s), abundance, plenty,
shoal(s), flock(s), drove(s), torrent(s), flood(s), number(s),
score(s), hundred(s), (thousand(s), etc.); Colloq ton(s), scads:
A great many will turn out to vote next week. Many are picked
but few are chosen.
mar v. 1 damage, ruin, mutilate, deface, spoil, scar, disfigure:
The surface of the table was marred by a deep scratch. 2
damage, wreck, ruin, impair, harm, hurt, blight, blot, taint,
stain, tarnish: She claims that her reputation was marred by
the article.
march v. 1 parade, step, stride, strut, tread, pace, walk: They
marched from Baxter Street to the Town Hall.
--n. 2 parade, procession, demonstration, cortege or cortЉge,
walk: The march was organized to protest against the
government's nuclear arms policy. 3 walk, trek, slog, hike: We
had a long march ahead of us to get to Hastings.
margin n. 1 edge, border, perimeter, periphery; rim, lip, side, brink,
verge: Leave a one-inch margin at the left side of the page.
Trees grew at the margin of the pond. 2 limit(s), bound(s),
boundary (line), border, frontier, line, partition line: These
streets form the margin of the inner city. 3 allowance, play,
leeway, latitude, scope, freedom, room, space; compass: These
calculations do not provide much of a margin for error.
marginal adj. 1 borderline, minimal, small, slight, negligible,
insignificant, tiny, infinitesimal: There are marginal
differences in policy on this issue. 2 borderline, on the edge,
disputable, questionable, doubtful, dubious: His qualifications
for the job are marginal.
marine adj. 1 maritime, nautical, naval, seafaring, seagoing,
ocean-going, sea: Marine commerce has declined during recent
decades. 2 maritime, sea, oceanic, aquatic, salt-water,
pelagic, thalassic: Many groups are concerned about the
conservation of marine life.
mark n. 1 spot, stain, blemish, smear, smudge, trace, impression,
dent, nick, scratch, pock-mark or pock, streak, line, Brit
splodge, US splotch: One of the children had made a mark on the
newly painted wall. 2 sign, symbol, insigne, emblem, device,
hallmark, earmark, fingerprint, badge, characteristic, token,
brand, stamp, label, identification, indication, feature,
attribute, trait, quality, property: This work bears the mark
of true genius. 3 standard, criterion, norm, yardstick, level,
measure: I'm afraid your son's work has not come up to the
mark. 4 rating, grade, grading: I'd give her a low mark for
originality but high marks for technique. 5 influence,
impression, effect: Her innovations have left their mark on all
music composed since 1900. 6 target, goal, objective, aim,
purpose, end, object: Her criticisms fell wide of the mark. 7
marker, indicator, guide, signpost, landmark: The next mark, a
bell-buoy, should be left to port. 8 consequence, importance,
note, noteworthiness, notability, distinction, eminence,
dignity, prestige, standing, account: Granada was a place of
little mark as compared with Cordova. 9 make one's mark.
succeed, get ahead, triumph, distinguish oneself, attain
distinction, bring honour upon oneself, acquit oneself, bring
credit to oneself, have an effect, Colloq make it big, make the
grade: Randolph has made his mark in the world of scholarship.
--v. 10 Sometimes, mark up. spot, stain, blemish, smear,
smudge, streak, dent, trace, pock-mark, nick, scratch, cut,
chip, pit, bruise: That glass has marked the finish on the
table. 11 signify, specify, indicate, designate, identify,
tick, label: Mark your choice with an 'X' next to the
candidate's name. 12 pay attention to, attend (to), pay heed
to, note, notice, take notice of, watch, see, look at, observe;
respect, mind, heed, obey: Mark the way she swings the golf
club. Mark my words or you'll be sorry. 13 brand, stamp,
identify, characterize, distinguish: His music is marked by
long atonal passages. 14 correct; grade, evaluate, assess,
appraise: The teachers are busy marking exam papers. 15 mark
down. a write (down), record, register, make (a) note of, note
(down): Mark down these numbers in your book. b decrease,
reduce, devalue, devaluate, cut, slash, discount: We marked
down the prices for a quick sale. 16 mark up. a See 10, above.
b increase, raise, hike, up: Prices were marked up to keep pace
with inflation.
marked adj. noticeable, conspicuous, decided, pronounced,
considerable, remarkable, significant, signal, unmistakable or
unmistakeable, prominent, obvious, patent, evident, apparent:
There is a marked improvement in your work.
market n. 1 market-place, exchange, Stock Exchange: There are some
excellent buys on the market. 2 shop, store, bazaar,
supermarket, Chiefly US superstore: If you are going to the
market, please buy some milk. 3 demand, customer base, call:
The market for computers is still growing rapidly.
--v. 4 sell, merchandise, retail, vend, peddle, hawk, make
available, furnish; trade (in), buy and sell, deal in: We
market these computers worldwide.
maroon v. abandon, cast away, desert, strand, forsake; isolate,
seclude: They were marooned on a desert island.
marriage n. 1 matrimony, wedlock: Their marriage has lasted over forty
years. 2 nuptials, wedding: The marriage took place at noon.
3 association, alliance, confederation, federation, affiliation,
connection, coupling, union, merger, amalgamation, integration,
Colloq hook-up: Would a marriage of the companies benefit the
shareholders?
marry v. 1 wed, join in matrimony or wedlock, become man and wife,
Colloq get hitched or spliced, tie the knot: They married and
lived happily ever after. 2 match (up), go or fit together,
fit; unite, unify, bond, weld, fuse, put together, couple, join,
link; league, affiliate, ally, amalgamate, combine: The marble
head, found in London, married perfectly with the torso, found
in Crete. The best qualities of each earlier model are married
in this new product.
marsh n. swamp, bog, fen, slough, quagmire: The marsh teems with new
life in the spring.
martial adj. 1 warlike, belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, militant:
We had no suspicion of their martial intentions. He is an expert
in the martial arts. 2 military, soldierly, courageous, brave,
valorous, valiant, stalwart, staunch, stout-hearted: The speech
was intended to rouse the soldiers' martial spirit.
marvel v. 1 wonder (at), gape (at), be awed or amazed (by), be agog or
astonished (at), gape (at): We marvelled at the way the homing
pigeons found their way home.
--n. 2 wonder, miracle, phenomenon: Tammy was a marvel at
fixing electrical equipment.
marvellous
adj. wonderful, astonishing, amazing, astounding, surprising,
remarkable, extraordinary, phenomenal, glorious, splendid,
superb, excellent, spectacular, breathtaking, miraculous,
unbelievable, incredible, sensational, mind-boggling,
unparalleled, Colloq terrific, great, fantastic, fabulous,
smashing, Slang far-out, crazy, wild, groovy, super, out of this
world, fantabulous, Brit spot or bang on, US marvy: It was a
marvellous show, and Renfrew is a marvellous actor.
mask n. 1 false face, domino: She wore a mask, and I don't know who
she was. 2 disguise, guise, camouflage, show, semblance,
pretence, cover, cover-up, false colours, false flag,
concealment, cloak, fa‡ade, veil: He wormed his way into her
confidence under the mask of friendship.
--v. 3 disguise, camouflage, cover (up), conceal, hide,
obscure, veil, screen, shroud: She was unable to mask her true
feelings for him.
masquerade
n. 1 masked ball, masquerade ball, costume party, ballo in
maschera, bal masqu‚: He went to the masquerade as Lorenzo di
Medici. 2 disguise, deception, pose, dissimulation, bluff,
subterfuge, false show, outward show, fakery, imposture,
play-acting, false front, cover-up, camouflage, Colloq act,
front, Slang put-on: How long will she continue her masquerade
as a wealthy widow?
--v. 3 Usually, masquerade as. pretend (to be), pass oneself
off (as), impersonate, simulate, pose (as), imitate, mimic: He
is a conservative masquerading as a liberal to garner votes.
mass n. 1 pile, heap, mountain, load, stack, mound, bunch, bundle,
lot, batch, quantity, hoard, store, collection, accumulation,
aggregation, agglomeration, congeries, assortment, miscellany,
assemblage, conglomeration: There was a mass of boulders at the
bottom of the cliff. 2 abundance, quantity, profusion, volume,
multitude, horde, host, mob, crowd, throng, drove(s), herd(s),
swarm(s), legion(s), score(s), number(s), Colloq bunch(es),
ton(s), mountain, piles, bags, barrels, oodles, lots, oceans,
loads, scads, US mess, slew(s): A mass of bills awaited my
return from a trip abroad. Masses of people greeted us at the
airport. 3 block, concretion, chunk, lump, hunk, nugget: A mass
of sludge was clogging the valve. 4 majority, best or better or
greater part, bulk, body, preponderance, almost all, lion's
share: The great mass of the votes was still uncounted. 5
dimension, size, magnitude, bulk, bigness, massiveness,
enormousness, immensity: The very mass of the elephant made it
a hard target to miss. 6 the masses. the common people, the
(common) herd, the proletariat, the plebeians, hoi polloi, the
lower class(es), the man or woman in the street, Brit the man or
woman on the Clapham omnibus, A. N. Other, US John Q. Public,
John or Jane Doe or Roe: The taxes became burdensome and the
masses rebelled.
--v. 7 amass, pile or heap up, gather: Thunderclouds began to
mass over the mountains. 8 aggregate, accumulate, collect,
assemble, congregate, meet, get or come together, gather,
forgather or foregather, throng, convene, flock together, rally,
group, cluster, marshal, muster, mobilize: Thousands of people
massed in front of the embassy. The massed bands made a
tremendous noise.
massacre n. 1 slaughter, slaughtering, carnage, annihilation,
annihilating, blood bath, killing, execution, extermination,
exterminating, butchery, butchering, (mass) murder, murdering,
slaying, liquidation, pogrom, genocide: The massacre of
millions of innocent people followed the coup.
--v. 2 slaughter, annihilate, kill, execute, exterminate,
butcher, murder, slay, liquidate, destroy, eliminate,
obliterate, eradicate, put to the sword, decimate, Colloq mow
down, Slang bump off: It was their policy to massacre all the
men and take captive all the women and children.
massage n. 1 rub-down, rub, manipulation, kneading: I felt really
relaxed after the massage and steam bath.
--v. 2 rub down, manipulate, knead, palpate: She gently
massaged my temples with her fingertips. 3 manipulate, handle,
manoeuvre, Colloq finagle, Brit fiddle: He massaged the figures
to make it look as if the company was solvent.
massive adj. big, large, oversized, huge, bulky, enormous, hulking,
immense, gigantic, towering, mammoth, colossal, titanic, vast,
tremendous, prodigious, mountainous, gargantuan, Brobdingnagian,
Cyclopean, elephantine, jumbo, stupendous, mighty, weighty,
ponderous, Literary massy, Colloq walloping, whopping, monster,
Brit whacking (great), US ginormous, humongous: They built a
massive wall round the city. Massive beams support the roof.
master n. 1 owner, head, chief, leader, chieftain, commander, lord,
governor, director, controller, employer, manager, overseer,
supervisor, superintendent, taskmaster, slave-driver, principal,
sovereign, monarch, ruler, Colloq lord high muck-a-muck,
Pooh-Bah, kingpin, big fish, boss, skipper, Brit gaffer, US
king-fish, the man, big fish, big boss, bossman; Slang US big
cheese, big wheel, Mr Big, chief or head honcho: He is master
of all he surveys. Decisions about punishment are referred to
the master. 2 expert, authority, genius, craftsman, adept,
maestro, mastermind, past master, old hand, virtuoso, ace,
professional, Colloq pro, wizard, Chiefly Brit dab hand, US
crackerjack; Slang US maven or mavin: He is a master in the art
of chicanery. 3 teacher, tutor, instructor, guide, leader,
guru, swami: She studied under the master for years.
--adj. 4 adept, ingenious, expert, masterful, masterly,
skilful, skilled, proficient: After twenty years, he became a
master craftsman. 5 overall, controlling, principal, main,
prime, basic, chief: Only the leader knows the master plan for
conquering the planet. This is the master switch that turns off
all the power. 6 main, biggest, principal, owner's: The master
bedroom had a bathroom en suite.
--v. 7 learn, grasp, become expert in, know inside out and
backwards, know, understand: He claims to have mastered the art
of levitation. 8 control, overcome, repress, suppress, subdue,
bridle, check, quell, get the better of, Colloq get a grip on:
You must learn to master your emotions.
masterful adj. 1 masterly, adept, expert, excellent, superior, superb,
adroit, exquisite, superlative, supreme, consummate,
accomplished, peerless, matchless, first-rate, proficient,
dexterous, deft, skilful, skilled, Colloq crack: She gave a
masterful performance of Bruch's violin concerto. 2
authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical, despotic, arbitrary,
domineering, imperious, overbearing, arrogant, dominating,
autocratic, high-handed, magisterial, overweening, self-willed,
Colloq bossy: I dislike Ian's masterful attitude, always
telling everyone what to do.
mastermind
v. 1 plan, devise, conceive, think up, engineer, design,
generate, create, manage, organize, develop, work up or out: It
was probably Fu Manchu who masterminded this diabolical plot.
--n. 2 planner, contriver, conceiver, creator, architect,
genius, mind, intellect, Colloq brain(s): it would take a
mastermind to get even a pass mark on that exam.
masterpiece
n. master-work, magnum opus, chef-d'oeuvre, tour de force,
jewel, work of art, work of genius, piЉce de r‚sistance: Among
his many fine paintings, I consider this his masterpiece.
match n. 1 equal, equivalent, peer, equivalent, fellow, mate;
parallel, replica, copy, double, twin, look-alike, facsimile,
counterpart: When it comes to punning, Crosby has finally met
his match. 2 contest, competition, game, meet, tourney,
tournament, bout, duel, rivalry, trial: The match was between
the top-seeded players. 3 marriage, betrothal, alliance,
combination, compact, contract, partnership, union, affiliation:
It was a match made in heaven. 4 prospect, candidate: With his
inheritance, he's considered a good match.
--v. 5 match up, join, marry, unite, link, combine, put
together, pair up or off, juxtapose, conjoin: However did you
manage to match names and faces? Glynis matched them up at the
dinner table. 6 equal, be equivalent (to), resemble, compare
(with), tie, measure up (to), compete (with), vie (with), rival:
His skill on the flute will never match hers. 7 fit, go with,
suit, accord, agree, harmonize, go (together), coordinate,
blend, correspond: Who will notice that your socks match your
tie? Your eyes don't match.
matching adj. 1 corresponding, homologous, comparable, equivalent,
complementary: Birds' wings and fishes' fins are matching
parts. 2 analogous, like, corresponding, identical: He wore a
pink jacket and matching shoes. She bought a set of matching
luggage.
matchless adj. unique, original, peerless, unequalled, without equal,
inimitable, unmatched, incomparable, unparalleled, beyond
compare: Stefania has a contralto voice of matchless quality.
mate n. 1 companion, associate, colleague, fellow, chap, co-worker,
comrade, crony, ally, friend, alter ego, Colloq chum, pal, US
buddy, cohort, Slang Brit cully, china: After work, my mates
and I stop off for a beer or two (or three ) . 2 spouse,
partner, helpmeet, helpmate, consort, husband or wife, better
half, Colloq hubby, old man or lady or woman, lord and master,
US bride, Slang trouble and strife (= 'wife'): He scarcely
seems a worthy mate for the winner of a Miss World contest. 3
fellow, twin, counterpart, parallel, one of a pair: Have you
seen the mate to this sock anywhere?
--v. 4 pair (up), match (up), marry, wed, join, unite, couple,
link (up): People should be free to mate with whom they wish.
5 breed, couple, copulate, pair (up): The zoo was able to get
the rhinoceroses to mate. A lion was mated with a tiger to
produce a tigon. 6 match (up), fit (together), synchronize,
join: I cannot get these gears to mate.
material n. 1 substance, matter, stuff, fabric: It is hard to tell what
material this is made of. 2 cloth, fabric, textile, stuff:
This material is too sheer for a dress. 3 constituents,
elements, components: We import the raw materials and make the
finished product here. 4 information, data, facts, statistics,
figures, documents, documentation, papers, notes, resources,
means, research, apparatus, supplies: I have not yet gathered
enough material for the article.
--adj. 5 physical, tangible, concrete, solid, real,
substantive, substantial, palpable, corporeal, bodily: It was
many years before scientists could persuade people that air is a
material substance. 6 consequential, important, significant,
serious, substantial: How could one horseshoe nail be material
in the outcome of a battle? 7 worldly, earthly, mundane,
temporal, non-spiritual, secular, lay, materialistic: He
ponders the abstract, not the base, material things of everyday
life.
materialistic
adj. expedient, money-oriented, possession-oriented, greedy,
Slang yuppy: He's very materialistic and only married her for
her money.
materialize
v. 1 appear, turn up, become visible, become manifest, be
revealed, take shape or form, form, emerge: A hulking shape
began to materialize out of the fog. 2 happen, come to pass,
take place, occur, become manifest or real, be realized, become
an actuality, be actualized: The dream of a united Europe is
finally materializing.
materially
adv. substantially, palpably, significantly, seriously,
essentially, basically, considerably, greatly, much, in the long
run, at bottom: I doubt that his criticism will materially
affect the success of the play.
maternal adj. motherly, warm, nurturing, caring, understanding,
affectionate, tender, kind, kindly, devoted, fond, doting;
maternalistic: Her interest in him is strictly maternal.
maternity n. 1 motherhood, parenthood, pregnancy: Maternity brings about
great changes in a woman's life. 2 parenthood, motherhood: The
maternity of the child was not questioned until the hospital
revealed that there had been a mix-up in the nursery.
mathematical
adj. arithmetical; precise, exact, rigorous: He went about his
plans with mathematical precision.
matrimonial
adj. marital, marriage, wedding, conjugal, nuptial; married,
wedded, connubial: She obtained a court injunction banning him
from the matrimonial home. They enjoy matrimonial bliss.
matter n. 1 material, substance, stuff, sum and substance: Some
yellowish matter oozed out of the wound. It is a question of
mind over matter. 2 situation, issue, question, affair,
business, subject, topic, condition, thing, fact, concern;
occurrence, episode, incident, event, occasion, proceeding: It
was a matter of life and death. His loss of face is not a matter
that need involve you. 3 problem, difficulty, trouble,
complication, worry, upset, dilemma, quandary, enigma, puzzle:
What is the matter? 4 content, essentials, pith, context,
theme, argument, purport, implication; signification, meaning,
meaningfulness, import, importance, significance, moment,
weight, consequence: Pay attention to the matter in his speech,
not his manner. It is of little matter to me whether you go or
not. 5 amount, sum, quantity, question: It was only a matter of
a few pennies' difference.
--v. 6 be important or of importance, count, be of consequence,
make a difference, mean something: What you think matters a
great deal.
matter-of-fact
adj. straightforward, direct, forthright, sober, factual,
unimaginative, unartistic, prosaic, unpoetic, dry, dry-as-dust,
dull, boring, tiresome, flat, mundane, lifeless, featureless,
unvarnished, colourless, unembellished, unadorned: The report
contained a matter-of-fact description of the events.
mature adj. 1 adult, grown (up), full-grown, fully grown, of age,
fully fledged, full-fledged, fully developed, matured,
experienced, knowledgeable, sophisticated: At twenty-two, she
is mature enough to be on her own. 2 ripe, ready, ripened,
mellow, aged,' seasoned: A good wine, like fruit, should not be
consumed till it is mature. 3 complete, matured, perfect,
perfected, polished, refined, ready, fully developed,
consummated: Our plans are not yet mature.
--v. 4 grow up, age, develop, come of age; Brit be one's age,
US act one's age: Has he matured sufficiently to be trusted
alone in the house for the weekend? I wish he'd mature a bit
more. 5 ripen, mellow, age, season; maturate: Fruit that has
matured on the plant tastes best. 6 develop, perfect, refine,
polish, maturate, bring to fruition: Their plans for major
changes in company structure have not yet fully matured.
maturity n. 1 adulthood, majority, full growth or development: Maturity
is as much a state of mind as a matter of age. 2 ripeness,
readiness, mellowness; maturation: Different wines need ageing
for different periods to attain maturity. 3 readiness,
perfection, completion, fullness, consummation, operability,
applicability; maturation: Their plans were brought to
maturity.
maudlin adj. sentimental, (over)emotional, mawkish, romantic; tearful,
lachrymose, weepy, teary(-eyed); Colloq mushy, slushy, Brit
soppy, US soupy: He gets maudlin thinking about his childhood
in the countryside.
maxim n. saying, proverb, axiom, aphorism, adage, byword, saw,
apophthegm or apothegm, epigram, motto, slogan; mot, witticism;
clich‚, truism: Her maxim is, 'What you don't know, can't hurt
you'.
maximize n. 1 increase, broaden, improve, magnify, augment, add to,
expand, build up, enlarge: He maximizes his chances for winning
by betting on several numbers. To compete, you must maximize
your productivity. 2 inflate, overplay, overdo, overstate,
exaggerate, oversell, make much of, overstress, (over)colour,
enhance, embroider (on), embellish, elaborate, magnify: Roland
tends to maximize his role while minimizing others'.
maximum n. 1 most, utmost, uttermost, greatest, peak, extreme,
extremity, pinnacle, top, highest, (upper) limit: Turn the
volume up to the maximum. 2 zenith, pinnacle, peak, limit,
apex, acme, apogee, climax, crest, high(est) point, top, summit:
Her career reached its maximum in the 1930s.
--adj. 3 maximal, greatest, most, utmost, uttermost,
superlative, supreme, paramount, extreme, highest, top, topmost,
climactic, crowning: The maximum amount that I can afford for a
car is њ2000.
maybe adv. perhaps, possibly, Literary perchance, Archaic or dialect
mayhap, Archaic peradventure: We could go and see a film
tonight, or maybe have a meal somewhere.
mayhem n. maihem, violence, havoc, destruction, disorder, devastation,
chaos; fracas, commotion, confusion: Someone screamed 'Fire!',
and the ensuing mayhem was unbelievable.
maze n. labyrinth, complex, intricacy, twistings and turnings,
convolutions: His application has been lost in the maze of
bureaucratic bungling.
meadow n. field, meadow-land, pasture, pasture land, Archaic or
literary lea, mead: The entire meadow was dotted with little
puffy clouds of white sheep.
meagre adj. 1 scanty, scant, poor, paltry, inadequate, skimpy,
scrimpy, sparse, spare, insufficient, bare, puny, piddling,
trifling, pathetic, exiguous, Colloq measly: Angela scraped out
a meagre living as a shop assistant. The meagre supplies
wouldn't last another day. 2 spare, skinny, scrawny, bony,
emaciated, gaunt, thin, lean, bare-boned, (half-)starved,
underfed, undernourished, starving: The meagre faces of the
survivors told of their ordeal. 3 spare, plain, bare-boned,
unadorned, unembellished, unelaborate, unelaborated, simple,
simplified, oversimplified, bare, inadequate, deficient,
undetailed, indefinite, non-specific, general, broad, loose,
vague: The police have only a meagre description to go on. 4
unfruitful, infertile, barren, deficient, poor, unproductive:
This land is too meagre to provide the people with a living.
meal n. 1 food, repast, victuals, nourishment, spread, collation,
refection; dinner, supper, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, Brit tea:
Meals will be served in the main dining room. 2 make a meal of.
overdo, overplay, go overboard, go or carry to extremes, carry
or go too far, do to excess: Perkins is bound to make a meal of
the slightest thing.
mealy-mouthed
adj. mincing, reticent, reluctant, hesitant, equivocal,
equivocating, ambiguous, indirect, unwilling to call a spade a
spade, euphemistic, roundabout, vague, circumlocutory,
periphrastic, hypocritical, deceitful, artful, slick, oily,
unctuous: All you'll get from that mealy-mouthed hypocrite is
platitudinous twaddle.
mean° v. 1 intend, design, purpose, plan, aim, have in mind,
contemplate, have in view; want, wish, expect, hope; be
motivated by, have as justification: I did mean to phone you
but had no time. I am sure she meant nothing by her remark. 2
denote, signify, indicate, note, specify, designate, represent,
betoken, signal, carry, convey, drive at, refer to, allude to,
communicate, express, bring out, get over or across; imply,
suggest, connote, intimate, hint (at): What does 'canicular'
mean? It depends on what you mean by 'liberty'. The footprints
meant that someone had already been here. 3 portend, show,
foretell, foreshadow, promise, presage, augur, herald: Those
clouds mean that it will soon rain. 4 carry or have the weight
or significance or importance of: Money means little to someone
in her circumstances.
meanэ adj. 1 stingy, miserly, tight, close, cheap, parsimonious,
penurious, stinting, niggardly, penny-pinching, tight-fisted,
close-fisted, mercenary, uncharitable, ungenerous,
mean-spirited, unaccommodating, small, petty, Colloq near,
money-grubbing, measly, Brit mingy: He is far too mean to buy
anyone a Christmas present. It seems rather a mean contribution
to the fund, given his wealth. 2 lowly, low, base, inferior,
abject, menial, servile, degraded, degenerate, undignified,
ignoble, plebeian, proletarian, modest, humble, common: He rose
to a position of great power in spite of his mean background. 3
disgraceful, run-down, poor, sorry, miserable, scruffy, seedy,
scurvy, shabby, squalid, wretched, vile, mangy, sordid,
contemptible, dismal, dreary, abysmal: They live in very mean
circumstances. 4 unkind, malicious, cruel, unaccommodating,
disobliging: It was very mean of you to steal that toy from the
baby. 5 cantankerous, churlish, nasty, hostile, ill-tempered,
bad-tempered, sour, unpleasant: That mean old lady would never
even talk to us. 6 excellent, wonderful, marvellous, great,
exceptional, effective, skilful, skilled, Slang far-out, US bad:
The saxophonist in that combo is one mean cat.
mean° n. 1 average, middle, norm, (happy) medium: We are attempting
to achieve the mean between the two extremes. 2 by all means.
a absolutely, definitely, certainly, surely, assuredly, of
course, positively: By all means, do tell us what you think is
wrong. b in any event, at all events, no matter what, without
fail, at any cost, in any case: By all means, you must do what
you think is right. 3 by means of. by dint of, via, through, by
way of, with the help or aid of, employing, using, utilizing:
She gained access to her victims by means of the telephone
directory. We entered by means of the front door. 4 means. a
instrument, agency, method, process, technique, mode, manner,
way(s), approach, course, procedure, avenue, medium, vehicle:
If you can find the means, then get the job done at once. b
resources, funds, money, wherewithal, capital, finances,
backing, support: I wanted to go to Australia to see my
brother, but I simply didn't have the means. c substance,
wealth, property, position, financial stability: She is a woman
of considerable means. 5 by no means. by no manner of means, in
no way, not at all, definitely or absolutely not, on no account,
not conceivably, not in one's wildest dreams or fantasies, not
by any stretch of the imagination, Colloq no way, US no way
Jos‚: This is sometimes but by no means always the case. He is
by no means a great artist.
--adj. 6 middle, centre, intermediate, medial, medium, median,
average, middling: The mean temperature for the year has
increased.
meander v. 1 wander, ramble, zigzag, snake, wind, twist, turn; stroll,
amble, rove, Colloq mosey, Brit swan around or about: The river
meandered with a mazy motion through the meadows. We meandered
through the forest.
--n. 2 Often, meanders. meandering(s), turn(s), turning(s),
twist(s), twisting(s), winding(s), curve(s), curving(s),
loop(s), looping(s), bend(s), coil(s), zigzag(s), convolutions;
tortuosities, flexuosities, anfractuosities: We followed the
river's meanders till we came to the ruined church.
meandering
adj. wandering, roundabout, circuitous, sinuous, tortuous,
winding, serpentine, indirect, flexuous, curvy, crooked,
convoluted, labyrinthine, mazy, anfractuous: The meandering
road followed the river through the valley.
meaning n. 1 sense, import, content, signification, denotation,
message, substance, gist: The meaning of the word 'lucid' is
clear. 2 purport, implication, drift, spirit, connotation,
significance, intention: You understand my meaning, so I need
not explain. 3 interpretation, explanation: What is the
meaning of my dream about being attacked by my philodendron?
meaningful
adj. 1 significant, important, consequential, serious, sober,
deep, substantial, pithy, substantive, telling, weighty, valid,
relevant: Tired of casual encounters, he was ready for a
meaningful relationship. 2 suggestive, pregnant, tell-tale,
pointed, sententious, significant, expressive, eloquent: She
gave him a meaningful look.
meaningless
adj. 1 empty, hollow, vacuous, unsubstantial, absurd, silly,
foolish, fatuous, asinine, ridiculous, preposterous,
nonsensical: He gave some meaningless excuse for having
forgotten the appointment. This gibberish is entirely
meaningless to me. 2 ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious,
bootless, unavailing, to no avail, trivial, nugatory, trifling,
puny, paltry, worthless, not worth anything or a straw or a rap,
valueless, inconsequential, unimportant, of no moment,
insubstantial, vain, pointless, senseless, purposeless,
undirected, irrelevant, insignificant: Considering the enemy
forces, anything we could do would be meaningless.
means n. See mean°, 4, above.
meantime n., adv. See meanwhile, below.
meanwhile n. 1 interim, meantime, interval: In the meanwhile, you could
study for the exam.
--adv. 2 in the meanwhile, meantime, in the meantime, in the
interim, for the moment, temporarily, for now, for the time
being, during the interval, in the intervening time: Ruth was
watching TV; meanwhile George was washing up.
measly adj. sparse, scant, scanty, meagre, paltry, pathetic, skimpy,
puny, piddling, miserly, niggardly, miserable, beggarly, stingy,
Colloq Brit mingy: 'Nouvelle cuisine' is the name given to a
restaurateur's design to serve decorative, but measly, portions.
measure n. 1 amount, quantity, magnitude, amplitude, size, bulk, mass,
extent, reach, dimension, scope, proportions, range, spread;
capacity, volume; width, length, breadth, height; weight: It is
difficult to calculate the measure of an irregularly shaped
object. 2 scale, gauge or technical gage, yardstick, rule, US
litmus test: I cannot determine the length without a proper
measure. 3 system, standard, criterion, rule, method;
barometer, Richter scale: The measure by which ice-cream is
sold ought to be weight, not volume. What sort of measure do you
apply when judging character? 4 assessment, evaluation,
valuation, appraisal, value, gauge or gage, rank, rating,
measurement, stamp, estimation: It is not easy to get the
measure of a man who wants to marry your daughter. 5 quota,
allotment, ration, share, amount, degree, proportion, quantity,
allowance; portion, part: He was accorded a measure of freedom
in choosing the method for getting the job done. She has had her
measure of praise. 6 Often, measures. step(s), procedure,
proceeding, action, course (of action), plan, method, means,
avenue, tactic(s), way, direction, approach, technique: They
took measures to ensure that it never happens again. 7 bill,
resolution, legislation, act, statute, law; plan, proposal: A
measure to change the speed limit is before the council. 8
bound, limit, end, extreme, extent, limitation, moderation,
control, constraint, restraint: Drug trafficking has gone
beyond all measure in some countries. 9 beat, rhythm, cadence,
metre, time; melody, tune, bar, theme, motif: The ambassador
entered, and the band played in stately measures. 10 for good
measure. to boot, in addition, additionally, as a dividend, into
the bargain, besides, as or for a bonus, moreover, furthermore:
The job includes a company car and, for good measure, free
medical insurance.
--v. 11 rank, rate, gauge or gage, meter, weigh, calculate,
reckon, compute, calibrate, determine, ascertain, figure out or
up, assess, appraise, estimate, evaluate, judge, value; survey,
find out: We must measure the effect of the new safety
regulations on our equipment budget. Public acceptance of the
new product may be difficult to measure. 12 proportion, pace,
adapt, gauge, relate, tailor, fit, adjust, regulate, control:
Teachers should measure homework assignments according to
pupils' available time. Measure your words when speaking to
young children. 13 measure off or out. mark off or out, limit,
delimit, fix, pace off or out, lay off: Now measure off exactly
122.5 metres due north. 14 measure out. mete out, dole out,
ration (out), parcel out, apportion, allot, share out, assign,
allocate; give out, deal out, distribute, issue, pass out, hand
out, dispense, disperse, spread around or about: The relief
workers measured out food and water to the victims of the
famine. 15 measure up (to). a meet, equal, fulfil, match,
reach, attain: The first eleven have not measured up to their
coach's expectations. Will they ever measure up? b qualify
(for), be suitable (for), be equal to, be fit or fitted for, be
adequate (to), be up to, Colloq make the grade, come up to
scratch, be up to snuff, US cut the mustard: If Clive gets the
assignment, are you sure that he'll measure up? No one else
measures up to the job.
measured adj. 1 slow, regulated, unhurried, leisurely, stately,
majestic, dignified, sedate, solemn: The silent procession
moved through the streets at a measured pace. 2 careful,
cautious, prudent, calculated, studied, considered, deliberate,
systematic, sober, intentional, planned, regulated,
premeditated, well-thought-out, reasoned: He planned the murder
with the same measured deliberation he used in writing computer
programs. 3 rhythmic(al), regular, cadenced, steady, uniform,
even, monotonous: The measured marching of the soldiers echoed
through the night. 4 precise, regulated, exact, predetermined,
modulated, quantified; clockwork: A measured amount of each
ingredient is automatically added at each stage of the
manufacturing process.
measurement
n. 1 measuring, reckoning, gauging or gaging, ascertainment,
determination, assessment, estimation, appraisal, evaluation,
valuation, judgement, calculation, computation, mensuration,
commensuration; metage: The measurement of astronomical
distances can only be approximate. 2 dimension, extent, size,
amount, magnitude, amplitude; length, breadth, height, width,
depth; area; volume, capacity; weight, tonnage; (elapsed) time,
period; (square or cubic) footage, (square) yardage, mileage,
acreage,: I need the measurements of the room to order the
fitted carpet.
meat n. 1 flesh; food, nourishment, sustenance, viands, victuals,
nutriment, provisions, provender, comestibles, edibles,
eatables, Colloq eats, chow, grub: She's turned vegetarian and
won't touch meat in any form. 2 pith, core, heart, marrow,
kernel, vital part, essence, gist, substance, basics,
essentials, crux: The sub-plot seems to swamp the real meat of
the play.
mechanical
adj. 1 automatic, automated, machine-driven; machine-made:
Early mechanical toys are sometimes quite intricate. This is a
mechanical, not a hand-crafted device. 2 automatic, reflex,
involuntary, instinctive, routine, habitual, unconscious,
perfunctory, machine-like, robot-like: Good manners ought to be
mechanical. Blinking is a mechanical reaction to bright light. 3
impersonal, distant, cold, matter-of-fact, unfeeling,
insensible, ritualistic, lifeless, spiritless, dead, inanimate,
unanimated, unemotional, unartistic, mechanistic, colourless,
uninspired, business-like: The girl at the check-out gave us a
mechanical smile.
mechanism n. 1 device, appliance, contrivance, apparatus, instrument,
machine: This mechanism will detonate the bomb at the right
moment. 2 machinery, workings, works, structure, system,
organization, arrangement: Astrophysicists can offer only an
imperfect account of the mechanism of the universe. 3 way,
means, method, procedure, approach, technique, medium, process,
agency: We shall use every mechanism at our disposal to have
the case heard by a different judge. 4 materialism,
mechanicalism, physicalism, logical positivism, identity theory,
monism: His notions of mechanism reject the idea of
free-thinking individualism.
meddle v. interfere, intrude, butt in, pry, intervene, interlope,
tamper, snoop, Rare intermeddle, Colloq stick or poke one's nose
in, have a or one's finger in the pie, kibitz: Why are you
always meddling in things that don't concern you?
mediator n. arbitrator, arbiter, referee, umpire, judge, negotiator,
intermediary, go-between, middleman, moderator, liaison,
intercessor, interceder, conciliator, appeaser, peacemaker: To
avoid a lawsuit, they agreed to allow a mediator to settle their
differences.
medicinal adj. healing, remedial, therapeutic, curative, restorative,
sanative; medical, iatric(al), Medicine roborant, analeptic,
alexipharmic: The doctor prescribed a medicinal ointment for
the rash.
medicine n. medication, medicament, remedy, drug, pharmaceutical,
prescription, Archaic physic; nostrum, panacea, cure-all: There
is no medicine that can cure your affliction.
mediocre adj. middling, indifferent, ordinary, commonplace, average,
medium, everyday, US garden-variety, run-of-the-mill,
pedestrian, undistinguished, uninspired, unimaginative,
unexceptional, tolerable, fair, not (that or too) good, not bad,
second-rate, third-rate, inferior, poor, Brit common-or-garden
variety, US garden-variety, Colloq so so, fair to middling,
nothing to brag or to write home about, no great shakes: It was
a mediocre play, and we couldn't be bothered to sit through it.
meditate v. 1 reflect, think, muse, ponder, study, ruminate, cogitate,
contemplate, cerebrate, be lost in thought, be in a brown study:
Please don't interrupt me while I'm meditating. 2 Often,
meditate on or upon. consider, contemplate, mull over, reflect
on or upon, ponder on or over, chew over, plan, scheme, devise,
design, conceive, frame, think up, have in mind: She was
meditating revenge, while I was meditating on how to discourage
her.
meditative
adj. thoughtful, pensive, contemplative, reflective, studious,
cogitative, excogitative, abstracted, rapt, engrossed, lost or
deep in thought, ruminative, brooding: She suddenly stopped
talking and became meditative, looking at me with a curious
expression.
medium adj. 1 average, middle, mid, medial, median, normal, standard,
usual, everyday, ordinary; mid-sized: His wife has an estate
car of medium size - nothing extravagant. 2 See mediocre,
above.
--n. 3 average, middle, mid-point, compromise, centre, mean,
norm, mediocrity: Instead of going to extremes, try for the
happy medium. 4 atmosphere, environment, ambience or ambiance,
milieu: The air serves as a medium of sound. The light is
refracted as it passes into a denser medium. 5 means, method,
mode, approach, instrumentality, device, mechanism,
intermediation, technique, contrivance, agency, expedient, way,
course, route, road, avenue, channel, conveyance, vehicle:
Latin and Greek were the media of the scholarship, the science,
and the theology of the Middle Ages. Television is a powerful
advertising medium.
medley n. mixture, assortment, combination, miscellany, m‚lange,
collection, conglomeration, agglomeration, hotchpotch or US and
Canadian hodgepodge, olio, blend, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum,
pastiche, pot-pourri, salmagundi, olla podrida, mishmash,
jumble, mess, farrago, stew, goulash, Colloq mixed bag: The
programme consisted of a medley of show tunes.
meek adj. 1 modest, humble, submissive, unassuming, unambitious,
unpretentious, mild, bland, patient, deferential, shy, retiring,
lowly: The meek shall inherit the earth. 2 tame, timid, weak,
docile, compliant, submissive, yielding, acquiescent, docile,
unaggressive, non-militant, tractable, manageable, subdued,
repressed, spiritless, suppressed, broken, Colloq wimpish: The
people are meek and will not offer any resistance to such
dictatorial government.
meet° v. 1 encounter, come across, chance on or upon, happen on or
upon, stumble on or into, see, Colloq run across or into, bump
into: Guess who I met in the park this morning! 2 Often, meet
with. rendezvous (with), get together (with); convene, assemble,
gather, collect, forgather or foregather, congregate: I met
with the mysterious stranger as arranged. The board meets at
9.00 am. 3 make the acquaintance of, be introduced to, first
encounter, come across, find: Where did you meet your wife? 4
link up, join, come together, unite, adjoin, abut, touch,
intersect: The horizon is where the sky meets earth. 5 answer,
deal with, handle, satisfy, fulfil, take care of, dispose of,
heed, observe, carry out; gratify, pay, settle, defray,
liquidate: Will these precautions meet the requirements of the
Department of the Environment? The police advised the parents
not to meet the kidnapper's demands. 6 meet with. encounter, be
met by, experience; undergo, endure, suffer, have, go through:
All our efforts met with little or no response. Gary met with an
accident yesterday.
--n. 7 competition, contest, meeting, match, tourney,
tournament; muster, rally: The track meet was won by our team.
meetэ adj. fitting, suitable, appropriate, proper, fit, congruous:
It is meet to offer praises to God.
meeting n. 1 appointment, engagement, rendezvous, encounter,
assignation, tryst, Slang US meet: She arranged a meeting with
her ex-husband. 2 assembly, convention, conference, gathering,
congress, conclave, session, congregation, convocation, US
caucus, Colloq get-together: Nominations for next year's
officers will be presented at the next meeting. 3 convergence,
converging, confluence, joining, union, junction, conjunction,
intersection: The earliest settlement was at the meeting of the
two rivers. 4 See meet, 7, above.
melancholy
adj. 1 sad, morose, depressed, unhappy, dejected, despondent,
blue, downhearted, glum, gloomy, woeful, woebegone, lugubrious,
disconsolate, downcast, dispirited, low-spirited, cheerless,
crestfallen, chap-fallen, forlorn, heartbroken, mournful,
sorrowful, miserable, dismal, Colloq down in the mouth, (down)
in the dumps, low: Harold has been melancholy ever since Lucy
left.
--n. 2 sadness, sorrow, misery, woe, gloom, unhappiness, blues,
moroseness, depression, dejection, dejectedness, despondence,
despondency, downheartedness, glumness, gloominess, woefulness,
lugubriousness, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, cheerlessness,
mournfulness, sorrowfulness, miserableness, dolour, anguish:
Getting Harold's mind off his problems may relieve his
melancholy.
mellow adj. 1 soft, juicy, luscious, delicious, rich, sweet,
flavourful, full-flavoured, ready, ripe, mature, ripened, aged:
She set before us a dish of mellow peaches. Amontillado sherry
is noted for its mellow taste. 2 musical, melodious, full, pure,
rich, sweet, dulcet, mellifluous, euphonious, vibrant: Her
voice was low, mellow, and suggestive. 3 soft, softened,
subtle, muted, pastel: The mellow shades of this painting would
fit well into the d‚cor. 4 easygoing, genial, gentle,
good-natured, easy, cordial, friendly, warm, amiable, agreeable,
pleasant, cheerful, happy, jovial, felicitous: Patrick seems to
have become more mellow with age.
--v. 5 mature, ripen, age, season, sweeten, develop, improve
(with age), soften: Frank has mellowed since taking up golf.
melodious adj. sweet(-sounding), dulcet, tuneful, euphonious, harmonious,
melodic, lyrical, musical, mellifluous, mellisonant, silvery,
golden: I agreed with her father that Sylvia has a most
melodious voice.
melodramatic
adj. sensational, sensationalistic, dramatic, stagy,
theatrical, emotionalistic, (over-)sentimental,
(over-)sentimentalized, overdrawn, overworked, overwrought,
overdone, exaggerated, blood-and-thunder, histrionic, Colloq
hammy, US schmaltzy, hokey: The slightest thing that happened
to him he blew up with melodramatic effect to elicit Maria's
sympathy.
melody n. 1 song, tune, air, strain, measure, theme, refrain: Isn't
that the melody from Mimi's aria in La BohЉme ? 2 tunefulness,
melodiousness, euphoniousness, euphony, harmony, musicality,
sweetness: The older music seems to be marked by so much more
melody than rock 'n' roll.
melt v. 1 soften, thaw, liquefy, fuse, dissolve, liquidize,
deliquesce: You'd better eat that ice-cream before it melts. 2
soften, thaw, mollify, assuage, touch, move, disarm, mellow:
The look on the child's face melted his icy reserve. 3 Usually,
melt into. blend, fade, merge, disappear, dissolve, shrink: As
soon as the police arrived, Phyllis tried to melt into the
background. 4 melt away. disappear, dissolve, vanish, evaporate,
go away, fade, pass, decline, decrease, shrink, dwindle,
diminish: When the company began to make a profit, all his
previous reservations melted away.
member n. colleague, associate, fellow: I am going to propose Fred as
a member of the club.
memento n. 1 souvenir, keepsake, remembrance, relic, trophy, token: I
kept his medals as a memento of our time together. 2 mementos.
memorabilia: There will be an auction of war mementos next
week.
memoir n. 1 account, report, reportage, narrative, essay,
dissertation, disquisition, paper, journal, record, biography,
life: They found her memoir about life in the jungle very
exciting. 2 memoirs. autobiography, reminiscences,
recollections, memories, diary, confessions, letters, life
story; annals, history, account(s), record(s), chronology: She
was reading the memoirs of Henry Kissinger.
memorable adj. unforgettable, catchy, never-to-be-forgotten, noteworthy,
notable, remarkable, significant, important, worthy, momentous,
eventful, historic, illustrious, celebrated, great: His first
book contains many memorable and quotable passages.
memorandum
n. note, record, minute, reminder, message, Brit chit or
chitty, Colloq memo: Send a memorandum reminding them of the
meeting.
memorial adj. 1 commemorative: A memorial plaque will be dedicated to
him tomorrow.
--n. 2 monument, marker, plaque, cenotaph, statue, memento,
remembrance, reminder, souvenir: Let this serve as a memorial
to those who died in the wars. Wreaths were laid at the foot of
the memorial.
memorialize
v. honour, commemorate, pay homage or respect or tribute to,
remember, eulogize, celebrate, mark: His life, devoted to
botany, is memorialized in these beautiful gardens.
memorize v. learn by heart or rote, commit to memory, learn word for
word, retain; remember: He memorized the entire Rime of the
Ancient Mariner .
memory n. 1 recall, recollection, retention: My memory of the
incident is very vivid. She has a poor memory for faces. 2
recollection, reminiscence, thought: The interviewer was
drawing on grandfather's memories of the 1920s. 3 remembrance,
honour, homage, respect, tribute, celebration: He wrote a
sequence of poems in memory of a dear friend.
menace v. 1 threaten, intimidate, daunt, terrorize, terrify, cow,
bully, frighten, scare, alarm: The loan sharks menaced him when
he refused to pay.
--n. 2 threat, danger, peril, hazard, risk: The sunken wreck
is a menace to navigation. 3 intimidation, scare, threat,
warning, commination: According to law, a menace alone does not
constitute an injury.
menacing adj. threatening, looming, impending, ominous, frightening,
terrifying, intimidating, minacious, minatory or minatorial,
louring or lowering; dangerous, perilous, hazardous, risky,
chancy: Menacing storm clouds scudded across the darkening sky.
mend v. 1 repair, fix, patch (up), rectify, correct, remedy,
restore, rehabilitate; heal: When will you get round to mending
the roof? 2 correct, improve, better, ameliorate, reform,
revise, rectify, set or put right, emend: When are you going to
mend your ways? 3 heal, improve, recover, convalesce,
recuperate, get better: It took me a few months to mend after
the accident.
--n. 4 repair, patch: You can hardly see where the mend is. 5
on the mend. recovering, recuperating, convalescing,
convalescent, improving: The good news is that father is on the
mend after his attack.
menial adj. 1 lowly, servile, humble, subservient, base, low, mean,
slavish, demeaning, degrading, ignoble; routine, unskilled: He
took a number of menial jobs to pay for his daughter's wedding.
2 servile, fawning, grovelling, toadying, sycophantic,
obsequious, cringing, time-serving, flattering, snivelling,
Colloq boot-licking, Taboo slang brown-nosing: His insecurity
makes him surround himself with menial hangers-on.
--n. 3 lackey, flunkey, serf, slave, underling, minion, Brit
fag, Colloq Brit dogsbody, skivvy, US gofer: He works as one of
the menials in the hotel kitchen. 4 toady, sycophant, yes-man,
lickspittle, leech, parasite, time-server, Colloq bootlicker,
Taboo slang brown-nose(r): The film star was attended by a
retinue of menials, all anxious to keep in her favour.
mental adj. 1 intellectual, cognitive, cerebral, perceptual, rational,
conceptual, theoretical, noetic, abstract: The boy staggered us
with his ability to perform rapid mental arithmetical
calculations. 2 lunatic, mad, crazy, psychotic, demented,
mentally ill, unstable, unbalanced, deranged, disturbed, daft,
certifiable, Slang off one's rocker, nutty, batty, balmy or
barmy, loony, screwy, bonkers, crackers, nuts, bananas, loco:
My great-aunt has gone a bit mental in her old age.
mentality n. 1 intelligence, brain, capacity, intellect, wit, sense,
judgement, acuity, acumen, I.Q., rationality, understanding:
I'd say that Frank is a man of average mentality. 2
inclination, attitude, bent, mind-set, disposition, frame of
mind, temperament, outlook, view: The news betrays little about
what is actually happening, but much about the mentality of the
leadership. They criticized Britain's 'island mentality'.
mention v. 1 speak or write about, refer to, allude to, touch on or
upon, make mention (of), bring up or in, introduce, broach, call
or direct attention to, note, name, cite, acknowledge; point
out, indicate, make known, adduce, report, quote: Sergeant
Payne was mentioned in dispatches from the front. He mentions
the works of Conrad in support of his thesis. 2 divulge, reveal,
intimate, disclose, impart, suggest, animadvert on or upon, hint
(at), imply, insinuate: Did he mention that Liz was present?
--n. 3 reference, allusion, note, naming, citation, mentioning,
Colloq cite: There was a mention of you in the newspaper today.
4 recognition, tribute, acknowledgement, kudos, praise: She won
no prize but came in for an honourable mention. 5 announcement,
reference, referral, remark: The speaker's mention of the
conference reminded me of something.
mercantile
adj. commercial, business, trade, marketing, market: The book
dealt with the mercantile affairs of the Hanseatic League.
mercenary adj. 1 money-oriented, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, covetous,
predatory, avaricious, venal, Colloq money-grubbing: She
objected that the 'financial world' ought to be renamed the
'mercenary world'. 2 venal, bribable, corrupt, bought, Colloq US
on the take: They found themselves a mercenary judge and the
indictment was quashed.
--n. 3 hireling, legionnaire, soldier of fortune: The highly
trained task force was made up entirely of mercenaries.
merchandise
n. 1 goods, commodities, products, stock, staples, produce:
The merchandise you ordered was shipped yesterday.
--v. 2 trade, deal in, traffic in, market, distribute, retail,
(buy and) sell, promote, advertise: We are merchandising the
new product line via direct mail.
merchant n. 1 dealer, retailer, seller, shopkeeper, store owner, trader,
tradesman or tradeswoman, vendor: High Street merchants are
complaining about a decline in sales. 2 pedlar, hawker;
(travelling) salesman, (sales) representative, commercial
traveller, huckster, door-to-door salesman, US old-fashioned
drummer, Colloq (sales) rep: His work as an itinerant merchant
took him away from home most of the week. 3 distributor,
wholesaler, jobber, broker, agent, forwarder; businessman,
merchant prince, mogul, tycoon, magnate, industrialist, US
baron: She comes from a family of steel merchants.
merciful adj. compassionate, sympathetic, forgiving, kind, kindly,
clement, kind-hearted, forbearing, sparing, lenient, tender,
humane, liberal, mild, tender-hearted, soft-hearted, gracious,
generous, magnanimous, benignant, beneficent, charitable,
thoughtful, considerate, indulgent, big: She begged the
governor to be merciful and to spare her life.
merciless adj. cruel, pitiless, ruthless, heartless, unmerciful,
inhumane, inhuman, brutal, savage, barbarous, barbaric,
barbarian, crude, rude, rough, harsh, tough, callous, hard,
hard-hearted, illiberal, tyrannical, stony-hearted, cold,
severe, unsparing, insensitive, indifferent, unsympathetic,
unforgiving, ungracious, malevolent, thoughtless, uncharitable,
inconsiderate, unmoved, unbending, inflexible, relentless,
unrelenting, inexorable: Their captors proved to be utterly
merciless. The merciless sun beat down on the desert outpost.
mercy n. compassion, pity, forbearance, quarter, tolerance, sympathy,
favour, forgiveness, kindness, kindliness, leniency, tenderness,
humanity, humaneness, liberality, kind-heartedness,
tender-heartedness, soft-heartedness, graciousness, generosity,
magnanimity, benignity, beneficence, charity, thoughtfulness,
consideration, indulgence: May the Lord have mercy on your
soul. We could expect no mercy from that slave-driver.
mere adj. bare, basic, scant, stark, sheer; absolute, unmixed, only,
just, nothing but, pure (and simple), unmitigated, undiluted:
She was a mere slip of a girl. We need something more to go on
than mere hearsay evidence.
merely adv. 1 only, simply; basically, purely, essentially,
fundamentally, at bottom: I was merely going to ask if you'd
like to go to the cinema. 2 only, no more than; barely,
scarcely, simply, solely, entirely: She was merely the
scullery-maid. We can't unlock the safe merely on your
authority.
merge v. combine, coalesce, unite, join, amalgamate, consolidate,
pool, blend, mix, mingle, commingle, fuse: If we merge our
companies, we shall save on overhead costs.
merger n. combination, coalescence, union, merging, amalgamation,
consolidation, coalition, pooling, blending, mixing, mingling,
commingling, fusing, fusion: A merger of the two firms might
result in a monopoly.
merit n. 1 worth, worthiness, value, excellence, quality, virtue,
good, goodness: Philip's plan has a good deal of merit. 2
Often, merits. assets, strong point, advantage, rights and
wrongs: What exactly are the merits of his approach over mine?
The case should be tried on its own merits.
--v. 3 earn, deserve, warrant, rate, have a right or claim to,
be entitled to, be qualified for, be worthy of: What gave you
the idea that you merited any special consideration?
meritorious
adj. honourable, laudable, praiseworthy, commendable,
creditable, admirable, estimable, excellent, exemplary,
outstanding: Penny has won the company award for meritorious
service five months in a row.
merriment n. jollity, joviality, merrymaking, revelry, gaiety, high or
good spirits, mirth, mirthfulness, joyfulness, felicity,
jubilation, festivity, exhilaration, buoyancy, exuberance,
cheer, cheerfulness, glee, fun, hilarity, enjoyment, happiness,
blithefulness, blithesomeness, frolicking: Everyone joined in
the merriment at the office party.
merry adj. 1 cheerful, happy, gay, cheery, jolly, jovial, in high or
good spirits, mirthful, joyful, joyous, hilarious, jubilant,
rejoicing, festive, exhilarating, exuberant, vivacious,
convivial, buoyant, gleeful, blithe, blithesome, carefree,
light-hearted, delighted: Didn't we have a merry old time at
the Christmas party! 2 make merry. revel, celebrate, carouse,
frolic: The guests made merry till the wee hours of the
morning.
mesh n. 1 mesh-work, network, netting, net, web, webbing, lattice,
lattice-work, screen, screening, interlacing, lace-work, grid,
grate, grating, grater, sieve, strainer, trellis, trellis-work,
decussation, Technical rete, reticle or reticule or graticule,
reticulation, plexus, plexure, reticulum; interstice: The mesh
of the hammock broke and I fell to the ground. 2 Often, meshes.
grip, clutches, grasp, toils, web, trap, entanglement, tangle,
complex, complexity, intricacy: Her papers were lost in the
meshes of the filing system.
--v. 3 catch, entangle, enmesh, grab, trap, entrap, snare,
ensnare, involve: I became meshed inextricably in the
complexities of her life. 4 engage, fit (together), dovetail,
knit, enmesh, match, interlock: After they were aligned, the
gears meshed perfectly.
mess n. 1 chaos, disorder, disarray, disorganization, shambles,
muddle, disarrangement, clutter, hotchpotch or US also
hodgepodge, litter, tangle, jumble, confusion, mishmash;
untidiness: Would you help me clean up this mess? Drugs have
made a mess of her life. 2 concoction, mixture, medley,
miscellany, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida,
pot-pourri, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, kedgeree: They
presented us with a huge mess of things from which we must
select what we want. 3 predicament, difficulty, plight, pinch,
trouble, dilemma, quandary, imbroglio, Colloq foul-up, stew,
fix, hot water, (pretty or fine) kettle of fish, pickle, jam,
Slang screw-up, Brit balls-up, can of worms, US snafu: You have
got yourself into a fine mess this time!
--v. 4 mess about or around (with). a potter, fool (around),
dally, busy oneself, fiddle about or around, play: He enjoys
messing about in boats. b philander, trifle, toy, flirt,
seduce, sleep around, fool around, run around: She doesn't want
him to mess about with other women. 5 mess up. a disarrange,
disarray, dishevel, tousle, Colloq US muss (up): He always
messes up my hair when he kisses me. b ruin, destroy, make a
shambles of, wreck, bungle, botch, foul up, Colloq make a hash
of, Slang muck up: Making that one little mistake messed up his
whole career. c dirty, clutter up, make untidy, turn upside
down, pull to pieces, upset: The police messed up my whole
house looking for the pistol. 6 mess with. interfere in or
with, intervene, meddle with or in, intrude in, butt in or into,
tinker with, tamper with, get involved in or with: They ought
to learn not to mess with things that don't concern them.
message n. 1 communication, bulletin, report, communiqu‚, news,
dispatch or despatch, information, word, intelligence, tidings;
note, missive, letter, memorandum: The message reached us by
carrier pigeon. 2 speech, address, presentation, statement,
declaration: His message was delivered via television to people
everywhere. 3 idea, point, import, meaning, essence,
implication: The message that he isn't liked around here still
hasn't penetrated his thick skull.
messenger n. envoy, emissary, legate, nuncio, intermediary, go-between;
page, errand-boy, errand-girl, messenger-boy, messenger-girl,
courier, runner, dispatch-rider, Pheidippides, Mercury, Hermes;
herald, harbinger; Colloq US gofer: If you don't like the
message, don't take it out on the messenger.
Messiah n. deliverer, liberator, emancipator, saviour, rescuer: They
believe in a Messiah who will release them from earthly bondage.
metaphor n. figure (of speech), allusion, analogy, analogue, reference,
image, trope, symbol; simile, parabole; metonymy, symbolism,
imagery: When she said she was blue, she was using 'blue' as a
metaphor. Poetry is rife with metaphor.
metaphoric
adj. metaphorical, non-literal, allusive, analogic(al),
analogous, figurative, symbolic, referential, parabolic(al),
metonymic, metonymous, tropological: I meant 'filthy' in a
metaphoric, not a literal, sense.
mete v. Usually, mete out. deal (out), apportion, distribute, dole
(out), allot, assign, allocate, parcel out, share (out), ration
(out), measure out, dispense, hand out, give out, pass out,
Colloq dish out: Punishment was meted out to those who deserved
it.
meteoric adj. 1 brief, short-lived, temporary, transitory, transient,
ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent, fleeting, momentary, swift,
overnight: She enjoyed a meteoric rise as a singer, but after
two years at the top she disappeared without a trace. 2
brilliant, dazzling, flashing, spectacular, sensational: His
meteoric career was launched in 1974.
method n. 1 way, means, procedure, approach, route, avenue, road,
mode, manner, technique, process, routine, modus operandi; plan,
scheme, programme, course, routine, practice, pattern, system,
methodology; Colloq US M.O.: What method was used to arrive at
the answer? 2 arrangement, order, system, structure,
organization, design, pattern, orderliness, neatness,
regularity, discipline: There is a discernible, underlying
method to what seems superficially chaotic.
methodical
adj. organized, ordered, systematic, structured, businesslike,
orderly, neat, tidy, regular, routine, balanced, disciplined,
painstaking, meticulous, deliberate, paced, laborious, plodding,
laboured: The weaver resumed his methodical throwing of the
shuttle, back and forth, back and forth.
meticulous
adj. careful, precise, accurate, exact, fastidious, scrupulous,
thorough, particular, painstaking, punctilious, fussy, finicky,
demanding, strict, critical, exacting, perfectionist: His work
is noted for its meticulous attention to detail.
metropolis
n. capital, (capital) city; metropolitan area, urban sprawl,
megalopolis, municipality: Street crime has become a problem in
every major metropolis.
microbe n. micro-organism, microzoon, germ; bacterium, virus, Colloq
bug: Only recently has science learnt that diseases are caused
by microbes.
midday n. noon, noontime, twelve (o'clock) noon, US high noon: By
midday, the temperature had reached 34ш Celsius.
middle adj. 1 central, centre, halfway, mid, midway, mean, medial,
Technical mesial: We had reached the middle stage of our
journey. Her index finger and middle finger are almost exactly
the same length.
--n. 2 centre, mid-point, midst, halfway point; heart,
bull's-eye: He lives in the middle of the city. The arrow found
the very middle of the target. 3 midriff, waist, mid-section,
stomach: She wore a red sash round her middle.
midst n. middle, centre, mid-point, halfway point: In the midst of
life we are in death. They live in a fairy-tale chѓteau in the
midst of beautiful Breton countryside. This proved a welcome
boost in the midst of a difficult election campaign.
midwife n. accoucheur or accoucheuse: Most babies in the world are
delivered by midwives.
might n. 1 strength, power, energy, force, muscle, potency, Literary
puissance: I hit my attacker with all my might. Might doesn't
always make right. 2 influence, authority, weight, sway,
dominion, ascendancy, superiority, mightiness, capability,
capacity, power, effect, effectiveness, Colloq clout: It was
not till the 20th century that the might of the United States
was felt outside its borders.
mighty adj. 1 powerful, strong, potent, influential, dominant,
predominant, ascendant, weighty, doughty, authoritarian,
autocratic, indomitable: The pen is mightier than the sword. He
should have thought twice before challenging such a mighty
opponent. 2 strong, muscular, powerful, robust, strapping,
sturdy, brawny, burly, well-built, able-bodied, hardy, Colloq
husky, hefty: The smith a mighty man was he, With large and
sinewy hands. 3 big, large, huge, grand, great, enormous,
gigantic, tremendous, towering, monumental, prodigious, massive,
bulky: The giant plucked a mighty tree from the earth and flung
it across the sea.
--adv. 4 very, extremely: It was mighty nice of you to visit
me here in the Ozarks.
migrant n. 1 wanderer, rover, drifter, gypsy, nomad, itinerant,
transient, migrator, wayfarer, bird of passage, peregrinator,
traveller; vagrant; Colloq US wetback: The townspeople were
having difficulty finding accommodation for the migrants.
--adj. 2 transient, migratory, itinerant, peripatetic,
drifting, nomadic, travelling, gypsy, floating; vagrant: The
farmers depend on migrant workers to bring in the harvest.
migrate v. 1 go, move, travel, settle, resettle, relocate, move house;
emigrate, immigrate, expatriate: During the potato famine, many
migrated from Ireland to America. 2 wander, roam, voyage, rove,
drift, range: Some say that the American Indians migrated
across the Bering land bridge from Asia.
mild adj. 1 placid, peaceful, calm, tranquil, bland, mellow,
inoffensive, gentle, serene, good-natured, affable, amiable,
kind, kindly, equable, easygoing, temperate, non-violent,
conciliatory, indulgent, merciful, forgiving, compassionate,
lenient, forbearing, peaceable, pacific, passive, submissive,
yielding, tractable, meek, unassuming, modest, quiet, subdued:
Judge Leaver is known for his mild disposition. 2 clement,
balmy, warm, fair, pleasant, temperate, placid, moderate: We've
had a succession of mild winters here. 3 bland, soothing,
lenitive, mollifying, demulcent, emollient, gentle, calming,
softening: The doctor recommended a mild laxative.
milieu n. environment, climate, surroundings, environs, background,
ambience or ambiance, sphere, setting, atmosphere, medium,
element, precincts: The British Library was the perfect milieu
in which to pursue his research and writing.
militant adj. 1 aggressive, combative, pugnacious, belligerent, hostile,
contentious, antagonistic, offensive, truculent, fierce,
ferocious, warlike, bellicose, martial, jingoistic, hawkish:
Those who have experienced war are not likely to be militant. 2
warring, fighting, combatant, combating, embattled; at war, up
in arms: The militant members of the council refused to discuss
terms.
--n. 3 fighter, aggressor, combatant, belligerent, warrior,
soldier: Anyone who experiences the hardships of a long strike
may think twice before being a militant.
military adj. 1 martial, soldierly, naval, army, fighting, service: The
military machine was poised to strike.
--n. 2 (armed) services or forces, army, navy, air force,
military establishment, soldiery: The military will oppose any
reductions in spending for arms.
militate v. 1 Usually, militate against. discourage, work or go or
operate against, foil, counter, countervail, cancel (out),
reduce (possibility of), prevent, hinder, resist, oppose: His
poor prison record militates against his early parole. 2
Usually, militate for or in favour of. be on the side of,
favour, further, promote, help, aid: The same reasoning that
militated in favour of lower taxes then persists today.
milk v. drain, bleed, extract, tap, exploit, wring, draw off or out,
withdraw: The comic milked the joke for yet another laugh. The
taxman is milking me dry.
milksop n. sissy or Brit also cissy, coward, weakling, namby-pamby,
mollycoddle, cry-baby, nancy (boy), dastard, poltroon, caitiff,
(little) Lord Fauntleroy, poltroon, Archaic caitiff, US
milquetoast, Colloq chinless wonder, Brit mother's or mummy's
boy, US mama's boy, pantywaist, Slang pansy: We want men, not
milksops, in the Marines.
mill n. 1 grinder, quern, crusher, roller: In many parts of the
world, corn is still ground by hand in a stone mill. 2 plant,
factory, works, workshop, shop, foundry: This mill turns out
rolled steel. 3 been through the mill. experienced,
knowledgeable, sophisticated, toughened, hardened, seasoned,
battle-scarred, Colloq been through the wringer, in the know:
He's been through the mill and knows what to expect. 4
run-of-the-mill. average, unexceptional, ordinary, common,
unremarkable, everyday, basic, simple, Brit common-or-garden
variety, US garden-variety: Critics found her voice pleasant
but rather run-of-the-mill.
--v. 5 grind, crush, comminute, powder, pulverize, grate,
granulate, pound, triturate, masticate, bray; crunch, mince:
Flour milled to a very fine consistency is more suitable for
pastries than for breads. 6 mill about or around. meander,
wander, walk, stroll, amble, move about or around, crowd,
throng, swarm: There were quite a few people milling about our
stand at the trade fair.
mimic v. 1 imitate, ape, copy, simulate, mirror, echo: The image in
the mirror mimicked every move I made. 2 reproduce, duplicate,
copy: This frieze mimics one on the Parthenon. 3 mock,
ridicule, satirize, caricature, parody, make fun of, lampoon,
impersonate, Colloq take off: It is rude to mimic your elders.
--n. 4 impersonator, imitator, impressionist, caricaturist,
parodist, Colloq copycat: Professor Eidolon, the greatest mimic
in the world, is here to entertain you!
--adj. 5 imitative, imitation, mock, simulated, mimetic, sham,
make-believe, pretend(ed); fake, counterfeit, feigned:
Naumachia is the name given to the mimic sea battle staged in
ancient Rome.
mincing adj. effeminate, dainty, delicate, niminy-piminy, foppish,
dandyish, over-dainty, affected, put-on, pretentious, precious,
Brit twee, Colloq la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da: His
mincing speech sets my teeth on edge.
mind n. 1 intelligence, intellect, wit, wits, mentality, brain,
brains, brainpower, sense, sagacity, wisdom, perception,
percipience, reason, astuteness, insight, shrewdness, sapience,
Colloq grey matter: There is nothing wrong with your son's
mind, Mr Field; he just doesn't want to apply it to school work.
2 memory, recollection; remembrance: Keep in mind what I am
about to tell you. 3 aptitude, head, perception, capacity,
brain: She has a great mind for dates - for figures of all
kinds. 4 intellect, intellectual, sage, genius, thinker, Colloq
brain: There is no doubt that your daughter is one of the great
minds of all time. 5 intention, disposition, temper,
temperament, humour, fancy, tendency, bent, inclination, bias,
persuasion: I was of a mind to let him have his own way. 6
opinion, sentiment, attitude, (point of) view, feeling,
judgement, belief, viewpoint, position: She has a mind of her
own. To my mind, the process could be greatly speeded up. 7
feeling, position, will, wish, desire, plan(s): Won't you
change your mind and stay to dinner? 8 attention, thoughts,
concentration, thinking: Try to keep your mind on your work. 9
bear or keep in mind. remember, do not forget or overlook,
recall, retain, be aware or cognizant or mindful of, consider:
Bear in mind that the post office is closed tomorrow. 10 give
someone a piece of one's mind. castigate, scold, rebuke,
reprimand, rail at, reprove, reproach, chastise, upbraid,
berate, read (someone) the riot act, Colloq tell off, dress
down, haul or rake over the coals, skin alive, US bawl out;
Slang give someone hell, US chew out: This time my father
really gave the maЊtre d'h“tel a piece of his mind. 11 in or of
two minds. vacillating, undecided, ambivalent, uncertain,
shilly-shallying, unsure, wavering: Sam was in two minds about
ordering a new computer. 12 know one's (own) mind. be decided
or resolved, be firm or resolute, be sure or certain or
positive, be (self-)assured or (self-)confident, be in touch
with oneself: He knows his own mind when it comes to his
career. 13 make up one's (own) mind. decide, choose, conclude,
form an opinion; determine, consider, weigh, judge, deem: Sally
hasn't yet made up her mind about marrying Jan. Let her make up
her own mind. 14 out of one's mind. insane, mad, crazy: You're
out of your mind if you think I'll go swimming in that
shark-infested bay!
--v. 15 object to, resent, take offence at, be offended by,
dislike, be troubled or annoyed by, care, have any objection to,
disapprove of, be bothered or affronted by: Do you mind not
smoking? Yes, I mind very much. Would you mind moving your car,
you're blocking the drive. 16 heed, attend to, pay attention to,
obey, listen to, make or take note of, mark, note: Please mind
what your mother says. 17 watch, be careful of, take care with,
be cautious of: Mind your head at that low doorway! 18 watch
over, take care of, care for, look after, sit with, babysit,
guard, keep an eye on or out for, have or take charge of,
attend: Suzie is minding the children so that we can get some
work done. 19 never mind. ignore, disregard, forget, pay no
attention to, do not think twice about, do not give a second
thought to, erase or obliterate or cancel from the mind, slough
off: Never mind what that naughty boy calls you!
minder n. 1 child-minder, babysitter, sitter, nanny, nurse, governess:
The minder will put the children to bed. 2 bodyguard, escort,
protector: Arthur hired an ex-fighter as his minder.
mindful adj. Often, mindful of. aware, alert, attentive to, alive,
conscious, heedful, conscientious, watchful, vigilant, on the
qui vive, on the lookout, circumspect, cautious: I am ever
mindful of the way you like things done. She was always mindful
of keeping the plants well watered.
mindless adj. 1 stupid, asinine, thick, thickheaded, obtuse, idiotic,
imbecilic, moronic, thoughtless, witless, senseless, brainless,
feeble-minded, fatuous, addle-brained, addle-pated,
feather-brained, Colloq Brit gormless: Many of the programmes
on television are mindless twaddle. 2 inattentive, unthinking,
thoughtless, unaware: He plunged into the pool, mindless of any
of the perils that awaited him.
mine n. 1 pit, excavation, lode, vein; colliery, coalfield: My
father worked in a mine from the age of 14. 2 source,
mother-lode, vein, store, storehouse, supply, deposit,
depository or depositary, repository, reserve, hoard, treasure
trove, reservoir, well-spring; abundance, fund, gold-mine,
wealth, treasury: This encyclopedia is a rich mine of
information.
--v. 3 excavate, dig, quarry, extract, scoop out or up, remove,
unearth; derive, extract, draw: He claims to have mined coal in
Wales and gold in South Africa. Analysis shows this ore was
mined in Pennsylvania. 4 ransack, search, rake through, scour,
scan, read, survey, look through, probe: Several directories
were mined to compile our list of sales prospects.
mingle v. 1 mix, blend, intermingle, commingle, intermix, combine,
amalgamate, merge, compound, marry, join, unite: The stories
cleverly mingle gravity and levity, the mundane and the magical.
There was loud applause, mingled with a few chuckles and gasps.
2 mix, socialize, associate, join, circulate, fraternize,
hobnob, consort, go, spend time, Colloq hang about or around or
out, rub shoulders, Brit pal up, US pal around: I asked Fred to
mingle with the guests and make them feel at home.
miniature adj. small, small-scale, little, tiny, diminutive, minute, wee,
minuscule, mini, microscopic, micro, midget, dwarf, bantam,
baby, pygmy,pocket, Lilliputian, US vest-pocket, Colloq minimal:
This miniature TV fits in the palm of your hand.
minimal adj. least, smallest, minutest, littlest, tiniest, slightest;
minimum, nominal, token: As a house plant, the cactus requires
minimal attention. There is a minimal charge for service.
minimize v. 1 reduce, shrink, lessen, diminish, prune, abbreviate, pare
(down), cut (down), curtail, abridge, shorten, decrease, minify:
Our stringent safety measures minimize the chance of an
accident. 2 belittle, de-emphasize, downplay, play down, make
little or light of, disparage, decry, deprecate, depreciate,
misprize or misprise, devalue, devaluate, undervalue, underrate,
underestimate, US talk down: Being modest, she minimizes her
role in the organization.
minimum n. 1 least, lowest, nadir: The hotel offered the minimum of
comfort for the maximum price.
--adj. 2 minimal, nominal, reduced, minutest, littlest, least,
slightest, lowest: What is the minimum deposit the travel agent
will accept? He refused to make even the minimum effort needed
to save himself.
minister n. 1 cleric, clergyman, clergywoman, ecclesiastic, pastor,
vicar, priest, father, reverend, churchman, divine, parson,
preacher, man or woman of the cloth, evangelist, missionary,
dean, curate, cur‚, abb‚, chaplain, Colloq padre, Slang US
military sky pilot, Holy Joe: The marriage was performed by a
visiting minister. 2 envoy, delegate, legate, diplomat,
ambassador, emissary, plenipotentiary, minister plenipotentiary,
envoy extraordinary, minister resident, consul, agent, charg‚
d'affaires, Brit cabinet officer or member: The minister
himself signed the treaty.
--v. 3 Usually, minister to. attend (to or on or upon), wait
on, care for, look after, see to, accommodate; serve, supply,
aid, help, assist, support: In his last days, she ministered to
him in every way.
ministry n. 1 priesthood, sacred calling, the church, the pulpit, the
cloth; religion, holy orders: Burt retired from the ministry to
write tracts. 2 clergy, clergymen or clergywomen, clericals,
the cloth, church elders or elders of the church: During his
regime, the ministry exercised great influence on the
government. 3 department, office, bureau, agency: Military
affairs are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.
minor adj. 1 lesser, smaller, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary:
The minor planets are bodies orbiting the sun in the asteroid
belt. 2 insignificant, obscure, inconsequential, unimportant,
trifling, trivial, negligible, inconsiderable, slight, petty,
paltry, small, Colloq small-time, one-horse, Brit two a penny,
US minor-league, bush-league, penny-ante, two-bit, picayune: It
is a minor matter to me whether you stay or go. She is only a
minor player in this game.
--n. 3 child, youngster, youth, stripling, teenager,
adolescent, schoolboy, schoolgirl, boy, girl, lad, laddie, lass,
lassie, Law ward, infant: At your age, you are still a minor in
the eyes of the law.
minstrel n. bard, troubadour, balladeer, jongleur, skald or scald,
minnesinger, Meistersinger: The medieval minstrels wandered the
countryside, entertaining as they went.
mint n. 1 (small) fortune, lot, king's ransom, millions, billions,
Colloq bundle, pile, heap, wad(s), packet, pot(s), loads, ton,
Slang Brit bomb, US (big) bucks: He lost a mint at roulette
last night. She made a mint on her inventions.
--v. 2 make, coin, produce, earn: Special commemorative coins
were minted to celebrate the Coronation.
minute° n. 1 instant, second, split second, flash, moment, before you
can say 'Jack Robinson', blink or wink or twinkling of an eye,
coup d'oeil, trice, Colloq one sec, two secs, bat of an eye,
shake, jiffy, tick, Brit half a mo, two shakes (of a lamb's
tail): I'll be with you in a minute. 2 minutes. log, record,
journal, transcript, notes, summary, r‚sum‚, proceedings,
transactions, memorandum: Have you the minutes of the last
meeting? 3 up to the minute. latest, newest, modern, up to
date, trendy, fashionable, smart, all the rage, in vogue,
stylish, in style, in fashion, … la mode, Colloq in, with it,
hep or hip, hot, cool, US now: She always wears the most
up-to-the-minute clothes.
--v. 4 record, transcribe, take down, write down, note, make
(a) note of, document, log: We need someone to minute the
meeting.
minuteэ adj. 1 small, little, tiny, tiniest, minuscule, miniature, wee,
infinitesimal, microscopic, micro, diminutive, mini, baby,
pint-sized, bantam, Lilliputian, Colloq teeny, teensy(-weensy),
itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy: The minute furniture in the doll's
house was made entirely by hand. 2 unimportant, petty,
insignificant, least, slight, mere, meagre, trifling, trivial,
minor, small, little, Colloq piddling, US picayune: The
painting was a perfect copy, down to the minutest detail.
miraculous
adj. marvellous, wonderful, wondrous, incredible, unbelievable,
inexplicable, unexplainable, extraordinary, spectacular,
amazing, astounding, astonishing, mind-boggling, remarkable,
phenomenal, fantastic, fabulous; magical, supernatural,
preternatural, superhuman, Colloq out of this world, Slang
far-out, crazy: Langley has made a miraculous recovery from
yellow fever.
mire n. 1 swamp, bog, fen, marsh, quagmire, morass, slough, Brit
dialect sump: The horse stumbled into the mire and began to
flounder. 2 mud, ooze, muck, slime, dirt: I had to wade
through muck and mire to get to your front door.
--v. 3 enmire, bog down, become entangled or tangled, become
enmeshed or meshed, become involved: Sorry I'm late; I got
mired in a problem at the office. 4 dirty, soil, begrime,
muddy, befoul, besmirch, sully, tarnish, smear, blacken, defile,
smudge: My boots were badly mired. The scandal badly mired his
reputation.
mirror n. 1 looking-glass, glass, speculum, reflector: She stared at
her reflection in the mirror, wondering whether she should grow
her hair. 2 reflection, reproduction, picture, representation,
replication, (mirror) image: Language is the mirror of society,
reflecting every social change.
--v. 3 reflect, reproduce, represent, depict, repeat, echo,
send back: The calm lake mirrored the moonlight. The people's
misery was mirrored in their faces.
mirth n. merriment, merrymaking, jollity, gaiety, fun, laughter,
amusement, frolic, frolicking, joviality, joyousness, revelry,
rejoicing, glee, high spirits, mirthfulness, hilarity, buoyancy,
Formal jocundity: Life without mirth is a lamp without oil.
Christmas is a time for mirth.
misalliance
n. m‚salliance, mismarriage, mismatch, mismatchment, bad match,
mismating: No one is surprised that John and Marsha's
misalliance has ended in divorce.
misanthrope
n. misanthropist, mankind-hater; man-hater, woman-hater,
misogynist; loner, hermit, recluse, anchorite or anchoret,
Colloq lone wolf: The longer he lived and the more he learned
of his fellow-man, the more of a misanthrope he became.
misanthropic
adj. man-hating; antisocial, unsocial, unfriendly, egocentric,
egoistic: In his misanthropic moods, Joel disdains human
company.
misappropriate
v. 1 embezzle, steal, filch, expropriate, pocket, Formal
peculate, defalcate: He was found guilty of misappropriating
club funds. 2 misapply, misuse, pervert, misemploy: The money
intended for the health service was misappropriated for the war
effort.
misbehave v. disobey, behave badly or improperly, be bad or naughty or
mischievous, Colloq carry on, act up, Slang raise hell, raise
Cain: The teacher sent for me because Robyn misbehaved in
class.
misbehaviour
n. naughtiness, badness, misconduct, misdemeanour(s),
disorderliness, disobedience, delinquency, disorderly conduct,
rowdyism: She was severely reprimanded for persistent
misbehaviour in class.
miscalculate
v. misjudge, err, misevaluate, misestimate, misreckon,
miscompute, miscount, misappreciate, misread; underestimate,
undervalue, underrate; overestimate, overvalue, overrate: She
miscalculated the effect of her resignation.
miscarriage
n. failure, abortion, collapse, breakdown, failing,
mismanagement, non-fulfilment, defeat, non-success, frustration:
Her acquittal was a miscarriage of justice.
miscarry v. abort, fail, fall through, break down, go wrong, founder,
come to nothing or naught or nought, go awry, come to grief, go
amiss, misfire, go up or end up in smoke, perish, die: The plan
to steal the crown jewels miscarried.
miscellaneous
adj. varied, heterogeneous, diverse, mixed, diversified,
divers, motley, sundry, assorted, various, varying,
multifarious, multiform, many-sided, multiplex, manifold: A
large part of the exhibition is devoted to miscellaneous
paintings and prints from his early period.
miscellany
n. mixture, assortment, variety, medley, diversity, mixed bag,
job lot, rag-bag, m‚lange, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, motley,
hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, salmagundi, olio, olla
podrida, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, odds and ends, omnium
gatherum, hash, mess, Brit lucky dip, jumble, US grab-bag: A
miscellany of household goods was contributed for the jumble
sale.
mischief n. 1 misbehaviour, naughtiness, impishness, elfishness or
elvishness, roguishness, rascality, devilry or deviltry,
mischievousness, playfulness, devilment, badness, Colloq monkey
business, shenanigans, Brit monkey tricks or US monkeyshines:
That boy is always up to some mischief. 2 harm, injury, damage,
detriment, trouble, hurt, wrong, difficulty, disruption,
destruction, misfortune, evil: He didn't realize the mischief a
casual remark could do. She was accused of malicious mischief
when she punctured his car tyres.
mischievous
adj. 1 naughty, impish, roguish, rascally, devilish, elfish or
elvish, puckish, scampish, frolicsome, playful, sportive: Tying
his cousin's shoelaces together was a mischievous prank and not
malicious. 2 harmful, injurious, hurtful, damaging, pernicious,
detrimental, destructive, deleterious, dangerous, spiteful,
malicious, vicious, malign, baleful, baneful, noxious, wicked,
evil, bad: The government regards as mischievous the detention
of any Foreign Office personnel.
misconceive
v. misunderstand, misconstrue, misjudge, mistake, misapprehend,
misinterpret, misread, get or have the wrong idea, get or have
(hold of) the wrong end of the stick: He has misconceived the
purpose in banning firearms.
misconception
n. false or wrong notion or idea, misunderstanding,
misconstruction, misconstrual, misjudgement, miscalculation,
misapprehension, mistaken belief, error, mistake, delusion: The
confused wording of the warranty could result in a misconception
of one's rights.
miscreant n. 1 villain, wretch, mischief-maker, scamp, rascal, criminal,
evil-doer, felon, malefactor, rogue, reprobate, scoundrel,
wrongdoer, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, blackguard,
hooligan, ruffian, hoodlum, thug, rowdy, Archaic knave, caitiff,
varlet, rapscallion, Colloq crook, roughneck, scallywag or
scalawag, Slang hood, Brit mug, rough, Australian larrikin, US
baddy, bad actor: The police have apprehended the miscreant who
had been attacking passers-by.
--adj. 2 villainous, wretched, mischievous, rascally, criminal,
felonious, corrupt, malefic, malevolent, evil, depraved, base,
nefarious, iniquitous, vicious, unprincipled, ne'er-do-well,
reprobate, scoundrelly, wicked: The miscreant terrorists may be
hiding in Greece.
misdeed n. Often, misdeeds. offence, crime, felony, wrongdoing,
misdoing, transgression, misdemeanour, fault, misconduct, sin,
trespass, wrong, peccadillo: Who will punish him for his
misdeeds now that he is safe in Argentina?
misdirect v. misguide, misadvise; misaddress: He misdirected us by
saying the lavatory was downstairs. The letter, misdirected, was
returned.
miser n. skinflint, hoarder, niggard, penny-pincher, pinchpenny,
cheese-parer, Scrooge, Colloq cheapskate, US tightwad: For that
old miser, charity begins and ends at home.
miserable adj. 1 wretched, unhappy, depressed, woeful, woebegone, sad,
dejected, forlorn, disconsolate, despondent, heartbroken,
sorrowful, broken-hearted, mournful, desolate, desperate,
despairing, downhearted, melancholy, glum, low-spirited, gloomy,
dismal, lachrymose, tearful, Colloq Brit cut up: Tanya is
miserable because no one invited her to go to the dance. 2
unpleasant, inclement, inconvenient, untoward, bad,
unfavourable, awful, terrible, adverse, Colloq rotten, lousy:
The weather was miserable throughout the weekend. 3 inadequate,
unworthy, poor, deplorable, contemptible, bad, despicable,
sorry, pitiful, pathetic, lamentable, Colloq rotten, lousy:
That was the most miserable play I have ever had the misfortune
to sit through. 4 squalid, wretched, bad, abject, deplorable,
shabby, mean, vile, shameful, scurvy, awful, disgraceful,
contemptible: He lives in a cellar in the most miserable
conditions.
miserly adj. stingy, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching,
parsimonious, mean, cheap, cheese-paring, tight, tight-fisted,
close, close-fisted, mercenary, avaricious, greedy, covetous,
Colloq money-grubbing, Brit mingy, US chintzy: Flynn is too
miserly to lend you a penny.
misery n. 1 unhappiness, distress, discomfort, wretchedness, woe,
sadness, melancholy, sorrow, dolour, heartache, grief, anguish,
anxiety, angst, depression, despair, desperation, desolation,
despondency, gloom: Worn out by grief and misery, she collapsed
into a chair. 2 squalor, poverty, destitution, privation,
indigence, penury, wretchedness, sordidness: The misery of
those slums is unbelievable. 3 hardship, suffering, calamity,
disaster, curse, misfortune, ordeal, woe, trouble, catastrophe,
trial, tribulation, adversity, burden, affliction: She cannot
bear the twin miseries of illness and poverty. 4 spoilsport,
damper, killjoy, dampener, Job's comforter, grouch, grump,
malcontent, pessimist, cynic, prophet of doom, Cassandra, Colloq
wet blanket, sourpuss, US party pooper, gloomy Gus, picklepuss:
How can you stand living with such a misery?
misfire v. 1 fail, abort, miscarry, go wrong, fizzle (out), fall
through, Colloq flop, come a cropper, Brit go phut, US go pfft
or phft: The plan to take over the conglomerate misfired when
the shares soared in price.
--n. 2 miscarriage, failure, fizzle, dud, Colloq abort, flop:
After two misfires, we gave up trying to buy a time-share in the
Algarve.
misfit n. oner, eccentric, individual, nonconformist, maverick, square
peg in a round hole: People regard him as one of society's
misfits and tend to steer clear.
misfortune
n. 1 bad luck, ill luck, ill fortune, hard luck, infelicity,
adversity, loss: He had the misfortune to marry the wrong
woman. 2 accident, misadventure, mishap, calamity, catastrophe,
mischance, disaster, contretemps, tragedy, blow, shock; reverse,
stroke of bad luck, Colloq bad news: With the death of his
father, then his illness, then the loss of his business, one
misfortune followed another.
misgiving n. apprehension, mistrust, worry, concern, anxiety, qualm,
scruple, disquiet, hesitation, doubt, question, uncertainty,
suspicion, unease, uneasiness, discomfort; dread, premonition,
foreboding, Colloq funny feeling: I had grave misgivings about
driving all that way on my own.
misguided adj. misled, wrong, misdirected, foolish, unreasonable,
erroneous, mistaken, misplaced, imprudent, unwise, impolitic,
ill-advised, fallacious, uncalled-for, labouring under a
misapprehension, wide of the mark, Colloq off (the mark),
barking up the wrong tree: Her helpfulness is often misguided,
ending in disaster for all concerned.
mishandle v. 1 abuse, mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, beat (up),
brutalize, maul, molest, injure, hurt, harm, handle or treat
roughly, manhandle, Colloq knock about or around: The poor
child was mishandled by her parents. 2 mismanage, bungle,
botch, misconduct, mangle, mess up, muddle, wreck, ruin,
destroy, Colloq muff, make a mess or hash of, Slang screw up,
bugger up, Taboo fuck up: Forster mishandled the deal so badly
that it cost the company millions.
mishap n. See misfortune, 2, above.
mishmash n. mess, medley, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, pot-pourri,
jumble, pastiche, mixture, salmagundi, hotchpotch or US and
Canadian hodgepodge, tangle, omnium gatherum, m‚lange, olio,
olla podrida, goulash, stew: His paper is nothing more than a
mishmash of other people's ideas.
misinform v. misguide, mislead, misadvise, misdirect, delude, deceive,
dupe, defraud, fool, gull, lead astray, throw someone off the
scent, Colloq con, slip or put something over on someone, pull a
fast one on, US give (someone) a bum steer, throw someone a
curve: If you think you have a right to compensation, you've
been misinformed.
misinformation
n. disinformation, misintelligence; red herring, false trail,
false scent: When we uncover an enemy agent in our midst, we
allow him to collect misinformation.
misinterpret
v. misunderstand, mistake, misconstrue, misconceive, misread,
misjudge, misapprehend, Slang screw up, bugger up: He
misinterpreted what I said and stepped off the ledge.
mislay v. misplace, lose, mislocate; misfile: I have mislaid my
reading spectacles.
mislead v. misinform, lead astray, misguide, misdirect, throw off the
scent or track, pull the wool over someone's eyes, fool, outwit,
bluff, hoodwink, trick, humbug, bamboozle, deceive, dupe, gull,
cozen, Colloq con, take in, lead up the garden path, flimflam,
slip or put or pass one over on, Slang take, US give someone a
bum steer: I was misled into believing that she loved only me.
He is misleading you if he says that the shares will soon
increase in value.
mismatched
adj. mismated, ill-matched, ill-mated, incompatible, unfit,
inappropriate, unsuited, unsuitable, incongruous, misallied,
disparate, uncongenial, inconsistent, inharmonious, discordant:
With her interest in art and his in football, they made a
mismatched pair.
misprint n. error, mistake, erratum, typographical error, printer's or
printing error, Brit literal, Colloq typo: We cannot publish a
book containing so many misprints.
misrepresent
v. distort, twist, pervert, garble, misstate, mangle, falsify,
belie, disguise, colour: In his report, he misrepresented
everything I said.
miss° v. 1 skip, forgo, absent oneself from, be absent from, fail to
keep; avoid, evade, escape, dodge, Colloq pass up: I missed my
dentist's appointment. I missed school because my grandmother
was ill. 2 long for, yearn for, pine for, feel nostalgia for, be
nostalgic for or about, want, need, wish for: I miss those long
summer evenings by the lake. 3 misunderstand, misinterpret,
misconstrue, misapprehend, fail to understand or perceive,
mistake: You have completely missed the point. 4 Sometimes,
miss out (on). pass up, omit, leave out, slip up (on), overlook,
let slip (by), let pass, pass over, disregard, ignore: You can
be sure that Frobisher would never miss a free meal.
--n. 5 omission, oversight, slip, failure, mistake, error,
blunder, Colloq slip-up: A miss is as good as a mile.
missэ n. Ms., girl, lass, lassie, maid, maiden, young lady, young
woman, schoolgirl, mademoiselle, nymphet, teenager, virgin,
spinster, old maid, Brit bachelor girl, Irish English colleen,
Literary nymph, Archaic demoiselle, damsel, Colloq old-fashioned
gal, US coed, Valley girl, bachelorette, Slang teeny-bopper,
groupie, Chiefly Brit bird, Old-fashioned US bobby-soxer: She's
a pretty young miss, isn't she?
misshapen adj. distorted, twisted, contorted, crooked, deformed,
crippled, malformed, grotesque, awry, warped, gnarled,
ill-proportioned, ill-made, monstrous, Technical acromegalic:
The misshapen bell-ringer in The Hunchback of Notre Dame was
named Quasimodo.
missile n. projectile, brickbat; guided missile, ballistic missile:
Bottles, stones, and other missiles were thrown at the police
during the riot.
mission n. 1 task, duty, function, purpose, job, office, work,
assignment, errand, charge, business, commission, undertaking,
pursuit, activity, aim, objective: He accepted the mission to
convert the natives to Christianity. 2 calling, occupation,
vocation, trade, line (of work), profession, m‚tier: It has
become my mission in life to see that you learn how to do sums.
3 delegation, legation, deputation, commission, committee,
group, ministry: She has been sent on a governmental trade
mission to Botswana.
missionary
n. evangelist, preacher, minister, proselytizer: During the
19th century, many missionaries were dispatched to spread the
faith in Africa.
missive n. letter, communication, message, dispatch, note, line,
postcard, card, epistle: I have just received a missive from
great-aunt Cecilia that took me an hour to read.
misspent adj. wasted, squandered, idle, dissipated, thrown away,
profitless, prodigal: Proficiency at billiards is a sign of a
misspent youth.
misstatement
n. 1 falsification, misreport, misquotation, miscitation,
distortion, misrepresentation, misconstruction,
misinterpretation, perversion, lie, falsehood, untruth,
fabrication: The prosecutor's indictment is a misstatement of
the charges against the defendant. 2 solecism, error, mistake,
gaffe, faux pas, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae, blunder,
Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and Canadian blooper: For an
educated man his speech is sprinkled with too many grammatical
misstatements.
misstep n. 1 false step, blunder, mistake, error, bad or wrong or false
move, trip, stumble, slip: One misstep meant a fall into the
abyss. 2 indiscretion, mistake, lapse, faux pas, oversight,
error, gaffe, Colloq slip-up, Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and
Canadian blooper, goof: Her misstep was telling her fianc‚'s
mother that she had formerly been an artist's model.
mist n. 1 fog, haze, smog, (low-hanging) cloud, vapour; drizzle,
Brit dialect mizzle: I could scarcely make out the road in the
mist.
--v. 2 Usually, mist up or over. cloud (up or over), becloud,
fog, befog, dim, blur, film, steam up: The mirror in the
bathroom had misted up when I was having a shower.
mistake n. 1 misconception, misapprehension, error, fault,
miscalculation, misjudgement, blunder, botch, fumble, bad move,
misstep, slip, erratum, gaffe, faux pas, Colloq boo-boo,
clanger, muff, howler, Brit boob, bloomer, US blooper, goof,
goof-up, flub: Giving Aston a salary rise was a mistake. 2
indiscretion, misstep, false step, wrong move: It was a mistake
not to stand up when she entered.
--v. 3 misunderstand, misinterpret, misjudge, misconstrue, take
the wrong way, get wrong, misread, misapprehend: The fool
mistook my remark as a compliment. 4 mistake for. mix up with,
misidentify as, confuse with, take for: In the dark, she
mistook him for her husband.
mistaken adj. 1 (all or completely) wrong, amiss, incorrect, in error,
wide of the mark, in the wrong, inaccurate, out of order, Colloq
barking up the wrong tree, off, (way) off the beam, on the wrong
track, US full of hot air, Slang full of it (= Taboo 'full of
shit'), US all wet: I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw your
wife with Lord Cholmondley. 2 erroneous, faulty, false,
fallacious, misinformed, incorrect, wrong, inaccurate, flawed,
warped, distorted, twisted, misguided, Slang cock-eyed: You
have a mistaken impression of me.
mistreat v. abuse, maltreat, ill-use, ill-treat, misuse, damage,
manhandle, harm; hurt, injure, molest, maul, rough up,
brutalize: He was found guilty of mistreating his dogs. She was
mistreated by her husband for years.
mistreatment
n. abuse, maltreatment, ill use, ill-treatment, brutalization,
misuse; manhandling, molestation, mauling, roughing-up, rough
handling, battery, assault: This mistreatment of employees must
stop at once. The children complained of their parents'
mistreatment.
mistress n. 1 lover, girlfriend, live-in lover, kept woman, concubine,
inamorata, paramour, Literary odalisque, Archaic doxy, Colloq US
alternative other, POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing
Living Quarters'): She was the mistress of a leading
politician. 2 schoolmistress, instructress, governess;
headmistress: She had a rewarding career as a mistress in a
girls' school in Lancashire.
mistrust v. 1 suspect, distrust, be suspicious of, doubt, be or feel
wary or suspicious or doubtful of or about, have (one's) doubts
about, question, have reservations; beware; Slang be or feel
leery of or about: He has not done anything specifically bad,
but I mistrust his motives.
--n. 2 suspicion, distrust, doubt, scepticism, wariness,
reservation, chariness, misgiving(s), uncertainty, unsureness,
apprehension, apprehensiveness: Is there nothing I can say to
dispel your mistrust of me?
misty adj. cloudy, foggy, hazy, murky; fuzzy, dim, blurred, blurry,
unclear, indistinct, vague, dark, opaque, shadowy, obscure,
unintelligible: It is very misty, so drive carefully. I have
only the mistiest idea of what you mean.
misunderstand
v. misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misapprehend, get
(it or it all) wrong, get the wrong idea (about), misread,
misjudge, miscalculate, miss the point (of): He understood your
words but misunderstood your meaning.
misunderstanding
n. 1 misconception, misconstruction, misinterpretation,
misapprehension, misreading, misjudgement, miscalculation, wrong
idea, wrong or false impression, mistaking, Technical
parasynesis: Misunderstanding of the law is no excuse for
flouting it. 2 disagreement, discord, dispute, argument,
difference, dissension, controversy, quarrel, rift, Colloq
falling out: We had a slight misunderstanding about who was to
pay the restaurant bill.
misuse n. 1 misapplication, misusage, misappropriation, misemployment,
diverting, diversion, perverting, perversion: He was accused of
the misuse of public funds for his personal gain. 2 misusage,
abuse, corruption, solecism, malapropism, barbarism,
catachresis, ungrammaticality, infelicity: His misuses of
English have made him a laughing-stock. 3 See mistreatment,
above.
--v. 4 abuse, misapply, misemploy, misappropriate; pervert: I
broke the knife blade misusing it as a screwdriver. He was
accused of misusing the courts to his own ends. 5 See mistreat,
above.
mitigate v. moderate, temper, reduce, abate, lessen, decrease, relieve,
ease, ease up (on), relax, alleviate, remit, assuage, allay, let
up (on), slacken, slacken up (on), tone down, lighten, appease,
palliate, mollify, calm, tranquillize, soothe, placate, quiet or
chiefly Brit quieten, still, soften, dull, blunt, take the edge
off, US lighten up (on): The pain was mitigated by taking
aspirin. The relief organizations did their best to mitigate the
effects of the disaster.
mitigating
adj. extenuating, justifying, excusatory, palliating,
vindicating, qualifying: Were there mitigating circumstances in
her taking the money?
mix v. 1 mingle, combine, intermingle, blend, incorporate, put
together, merge, unite, alloy, commingle, amalgamate, coalesce:
Mix the ingredients to a creamy consistency. 2 socialize,
fraternize, consort, hobnob, go round or around or about
(together), get together, keep company, join (with), associate
(with), Colloq hang out or about or round or around (with): The
Hatfields and the McCoys do not mix very well, so you'd best
invite them separately. 3 mix in. add, stir in, combine, fold
in: Mix in the chocolate at the very end. 4 mix up. a See
mix, 1, above. b confuse, confound, bewilder, muddle, perplex,
puzzle, fluster, upset; addle, disturb; Colloq US and Canadian
discombobulate: She mixed me up so that I cannot decide what to
do. c snarl, ensnarl, tangle, entangle, scramble, jumble: The
treasures were all mixed up with the rubbish at the church sale.
d confuse, interchange, exchange: Have they mixed up our room
keys again? 5 mix up in. involve, implicate, include, connect,
draw or drag into: Wasn't Wilcox mixed up in that scandal last
year? 6 mix up with. confuse, mistake, misidentify, confound;
interchange, exchange: I think you must have me mixed up with
somebody else. The porter mixed up my bag with someone else's.
--n. 7 mixture, blend, compound; amalgam, combination, alloy,
assortment, distribution: Was this cake made from a mix or from
scratch? The centre party has a good mix of liberals and
conservatives.
mixed adj. 1 hybrid, half-bred, mongrel, interbred, cross-bred;
impure, tainted, adulterated: This horse has mixed blood. 2
confused, muddled; varied, various, diverse; conflicting,
contradictory, opposing, clashing, opposite: He had mixed
feelings about ending his relationship with her. 3 mixed up in
or with. involved, connected, associated: Wasn't she mixed up
in that scandal last year? He doesn't want his children mixed up
with people who take drugs.
mixture n. 1 assortment, amalgam, amalgamation, medley, combination,
mingling, intermingling, composite, blend, jumble, mix,
miscellany, m‚lange, mess, mishmash, hotchpotch or US and
Canadian hodgepodge, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida,
hash, pot-pourri, ragout, goulash, omnium gatherum, salmagundi:
The design is an unfortunate mixture of many incompatible
styles. 2 mixing, amalgamation, amalgamating, combining,
mingling, intermingling, combination, blend, blending,
association, associating, compound, compounding, synthesis,
interweaving, merging, merger, fusion, fusing, alloy, alloying:
The mixture of household ammonia and bleach creates noxious
fumes.
mix-up n. confusion, mess, muddle, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge,
tangle, jumble, Colloq botch, mishmash, foul-up, Slang US
screw-up, snafu , Taboo slang Brit balls-up: The mix-up in the
files is due to a computer malfunction.
moan n. 1 complaint, lament, lamentation, groan, wail, moaning,
grievance: Disregard his moans about money - he has plenty.
--v. 2 complain, lament, groan, wail, bewail, grumble, bemoan,
deplore, whine, whimper, Colloq grouse, gripe, beef, bitch, Brit
whinge: She's always moaning about the way people take
advantage of her. 3 sigh, mourn, weep, sorrow, cry, wail, keen,
grieve, sob, snivel, bawl, mewl, pule, ululate: The women, all
in black, moaned and tore their hair as they neared the coffin.
mob n. 1 horde, host, press, throng, crowd, pack, herd, swarm,
crush, jam, multitude, mass, body, assemblage, collection,
group: The mob surged forward, hurling sticks and stones at
anyone in uniform. 2 rabble, riff-raff, proletariat, populace,
the masses, great unwashed, hoi polloi, canaille, bourgeoisie,
lower classes, scum (of the earth), dregs of society: The mob
cheered when the king was beheaded.
--v. 3 crowd (round or around), jostle, throng, surround,
beset, clamour over, swoop down on or upon: Thousands of
screaming teenagers mobbed the singer.
mobbed adj. crowded, packed, thronged, congested, teeming, swarming,
full, filled: They tried to leave by the emergency exit, but
that was mobbed, too.
mobile adj. 1 movable, non-stationary, unstationary, unfixed,
travelling, portable, transportable: A mobile display was
designed for industrial fairs. 2 motorized, mechanical,
transportable, movable: They live in a mobile home. The mobile
library comes round every Wednesday. 3 expressive, sensitive,
animated, plastic, flexible, US facile: Her mobile face at once
reflected her thoughts. 4 agile, versatile, nimble, quick,
alert, active, responsive: You need your wits about you to keep
up with Randolph's mobile mind. 5 ambulatory, ambulant: After
the artificial joint surgery, Keith was once again completely
mobile.
mobilize v. assemble, marshal, conscript, enrol, enlist, organize,
muster, levy, rally, activate, call up, prepare, ready, US
draft: A huge army was mobilized, virtually overnight.
mock v. 1 deride, ridicule, make fun of, tease, taunt, tantalize,
jeer (at), gibe (at), thumb one's nose at, chaff, laugh at, poke
fun at, make sport of, guy, scorn, flout, abuse, defy, scoff
(at), sneer (at), disdain, disparage, decry, Archaic fleer (at),
Colloq rag, rib, kid, put (someone) on, Brit take the mickey out
of, cock a snook at: He was taken in for questioning only
because he mocked a police officer. Jealousy is the green-eyed
monster that mocks the meat it feeds on. 2 ape, mimic, imitate,
caricature, lampoon, satirize, parody, burlesque, travesty,
Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up: The political cartoonist
mocks governments daily on the pillory of his pen.
--adj. 3 substitute, artificial, simulated, fake, synthetic,
imitation, false, forged, ersatz, sham, feigned, counterfeit,
fraudulent, bogus, make-believe, pretend, Colloq phoney or US
also phony, pseudo: By means of a mock car accident they
demonstrated how to rescue victims. Mock turtle soup, though
good, does not taste like real turtle soup.
mockery n. 1 ridicule, derision, disdain, taunting, disparagement,
abuse, scorn, contempt, contumely, decrial: John was expelled
for his mockery of the headmaster. 2 semblance, imitation,
impersonation; caricature, parody, burlesque, travesty, lampoon,
satire, pasquinade, farce; miscarriage; Colloq spoof, take-off,
Brit send-up: That wasn't a trial, it was a mockery of justice.
3 disappointment, joke, laugh, absurdity: It is a mockery to
speak of that wretched sadist and humanity in the same breath.
mode° n. 1 way, manner, method, approach, form, course, fashion,
procedure, technique, system, wise, modus operandi, methodology,
standard operating procedure, SOP: What mode of teaching
foreign languages do you use? 2 status, condition, state,
configuration, set-up: The computer is now in printing mode.
modeэ n. fashion, style, look, vogue; trend, rage, craze, Colloq fad:
We went to the ball dressed in the mode of the 1920s.
model n. 1 representation, replica, mock-up, maquette, scale model,
working model, miniature, dummy, image, likeness, facsimile,
copy: This is a model of the house he is planning. 2 original,
mould, archetype, prototype, pattern, paragon, ideal, exemplar,
example, standard: When the wax model is finished, we cast it
in bronze using the cire perdue process. Their government was
established after the Roman model. 3 ideal, paragon, exemplar,
epitome, beau id‚al, cream, crЉme de la crЉme, ne plus ultra,
nonpareil, nonsuch or nonesuch: He is the very model of what a
father should be. 4 subject, sitter, poser: Dali's wife served
as his model for many paintings. 5 mannequin; dummy: She is
tall and thin enough to be a fashion model. May I see the hat
that is on that model in the window? 6 design, kind, type,
style, version; variety, sort, form, fashion, configuration;
brand, mark: I'm intending to trade my car in for a newer
model.
--v. 7 fashion, mould, shape, form, sculpt, carve (out), make,
fabricate, produce: She modelled these figures out of fine
clay. 8 pose in, display, show (off), wear, Colloq sport: She
makes a fortune modelling swimwear. 9 model after or on.
imitate, copy, pattern on or after, emulate, follow: Architects
often used to model public buildings after the temples on the
Acropolis.
--adj. 10 copy, imitation, facsimile, representative,
miniature: He enjoys building model aeroplanes. 11 ideal,
exemplary, perfect, archetypal, unequalled, consummate,
inimitable: Oliver has been a model student.
moderate adj. 1 temperate, calm, reasonable, cool, judicious, rational,
balanced, unexcessive, modest, sober, sensible, commonsensical,
controlled, deliberate, steady: In view of the conflicting
interests expressed, the council has adopted a moderate policy
regarding parking. 2 centre, middle-of-the-road, non-radical,
non-reactionary: Bella's political outlook is said by some to
be moderate. 3 fair, middling, average, ordinary, medium,
middle, modest, mediocre, unexceptional, Colloq fair to
middling: They have a good range of clothing, all sold at very
moderate prices.
--n. 4 middle-of-the-roader, non-radical, non-reactionary,
centrist: Where do the moderates stand on the issue of
constitutional reform?
--v. 5 abate, calm, mollify, soothe, ease, relax, alleviate,
mitigate, soften, dull, blunt, cushion, relieve, reduce, lessen,
remit, slacken, diminish, decrease, defuse, temper, Colloq let
up (on): He would get along better if he moderated the violence
of his reactions and learned to relax. 6 mediate, arbitrate,
referee, judge, chair, supervise, preside (over), coordinate,
run, regulate, manage, direct: Professor Gill will moderate the
panel discussion.
moderately
adv. somewhat, rather, quite, fairly, pretty, comparatively,
slightly, passably, more or less; to some extent, within reason,
to a certain extent, to a degree, to some degree, in some
measure, in moderation, within limits; temperately; Colloq sort
of, kind of: Clifford is moderately well off. It was a
moderately hot day.
moderator n. mediator, arbiter, arbitrator, judge, referee, umpire;
Chiefly US chair, chairperson, chairman, chairwoman, chairlady,
presiding officer, president, coordinator, (discussion) leader;
anchorman, anchorwoman; master of ceremonies, toastmaster, Brit
compЉre, Colloq emcee, MC: Lady Felicia was chosen as the
moderator of next year's panel.
modern adj. up to date, current, contemporary, today's, new, fresh,
novel, brand-new, up to the minute, present-day, latest,
new-fashioned, newfangled; … la mode, modish, in vogue,
fashionable, in fashion, stylish, in style, chic, Chiefly Brit
flavour of the month, Slang trendy, in, with it, mod, hip, hot:
Elaine has little patience with modern electronic gadgets.
modernize v. renovate, streamline, redo, redecorate, refurbish,
refurnish, update, do over, rejuvenate, refresh, revamp,
redesign, remodel, refashion, remake: We installed air
conditioning when we modernized our offices.
modest adj. 1 unassuming, unpresuming, humble, unpretentious,
unobtrusive, reserved, retiring, diffident, shy, bashful,
demure, coy, shame-faced, self-effacing, self-conscious,
reticent, reluctant, timid, meek, timorous, Rare verecund:
Caroline is quite modest about her accomplishments. 2 humble,
simple, plain, ordinary, unpretentious, homely, lowly,
unexceptional, unostentatious; inconspicuous, unobtrusive: They
live in a modest little cottage. 3 moderate, limited,
understated, unimportunate, unexaggerated, reasonable, sensible,
constrained, restricted, restrained: The workers' demands seem
modest enough.
modicum n. bit, trifle, jot, jot or tittle, atom, scintilla, spark,
particle, iota, speck, grain, whit, scrap, shred, snippet,
sliver, fragment, splinter, morsel, crumb, ounce, dram, drop,
dash, spot, touch, tinge, hint, suggestion, Colloq smidgen or
smidgin: One must exercise a modicum of judgement in affairs of
the heart.
modify v. 1 adjust, adapt, change, transform, alter, revise, amend,
redo, remake, remould, reshape, reconstruct, reform, revamp,
refashion, remodel, rework, reword, reorient, reorganize: They
are modifying the car to increase its performance. He should
modify his views on censorship. 2 reduce, decrease, diminish,
lessen, moderate, temper, soften, lower, abate, tone down,
modulate; qualify, limit, restrict: The severity of the winter
is modified by our proximity to the sea. We shall have to modify
our demands.
modulate v. adjust, regulate, set, tune, balance, temper, moderate,
modify; lower, tune or tone or turn down, soften: Modulate the
volume to suit the size of the auditorium. Please modulate your
voice - everyone can hear you!
mogul n. magnate, tycoon, baron, mandarin, Colloq big shot, big gun,
big cheese, Pooh Bah, bigwig, big wheel, big (White) Chief, big
Daddy, hotshot, VIP, big noise, nabob, Slang US Mr Big: In the
old days, he was one of the moguls in Hollywood.
moist adj. 1 damp, wettish, dampish, dewy, dank, humid, clammy,
muggy, steamy, misty, foggy: During the monsoon everything
becomes so moist that your clothes never seem to dry. 2 damp,
wet, rainy, drizzly, soggy, moisture-laden: The moist climate
keeps Ireland green. 3 tearful, teary, misty, lachrymose:
Every eye in the theatre was moist at the end of that scene.
molest v. 1 annoy, irritate, vex, disturb, pester, badger, needle,
provoke, nettle, tease, harass, harry, worry, hector, irk,
bother, gall, chafe, roil, torment, plague, beleaguer: For
weeks people on the beach have been molested by green flies. 2
accost, meddle with, interfere with, annoy, abuse, bother,
attack, ill-treat, maltreat, manhandle; paw: The police are
looking for a man who has been molesting girls in the park.
moment n. 1 instant, second, minute, half a second, two seconds,
flash, twinkling, blink or wink of an eye, twinkling of an eye,
trice, Colloq jiffy, shake, two shakes (of a lamb's tail),
before you can say 'Jack Robinson', Brit mo, half a mo, tick:
I'll be with you in a moment, Madam. 2 instant, time, second,
minute, hour, point (in time), juncture, stage: At that very
moment, the phone rang. 3 importance, weight, consequence,
significance, import, gravity, seriousness, prominence, concern,
note, interest, consideration: What you decide to do is of no
great moment.
momentary adj. fleeting, temporary, ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent,
fugitive, passing, transitory, brief, short-lived, quick, short,
hasty: The medicine afforded only momentary relief from the
pain.
momentous adj. important, weighty, consequential, significant, grave,
serious, decisive, crucial, critical, vital, pivotal,
portentous, charged, laden, fraught, of concern: The Augustan
Age was a momentous period in Latin literature.
momentum n. energy, force, drive, strength, impetus, power, inertia,
impulse, thrust, push: The car's momentum carried it over the
cliff. Her encouragement has given me the momentum needed to
carry on.
monarch n. 1 ruler, sovereign, potentate, crowned head; queen, king,
empress, emperor, tsar or czar: Mary was the monarch of
Scotland from 1542 to 1567. 2 ruler, sovereign, chief, lord,
master, owner, Colloq boss: He is monarch of all he surveys.
monarchy n. 1 kingdom, empire, domain, dominion, principality; state,
nation, country: According to Gibbon, a hereditary monarchy
presents the fairest scope for ridicule. 2 monocracy, autocracy,
absolutism, royalism, monarchism, sovereignty, totalitarianism,
authoritarianism; despotism, tyranny: Those who are
discontented with monarchy call it tyranny.
monastery n. abbey, cloister, priory, friary, charterhouse, hospice,
Buddhism vihara, Hinduism ashram, Tibetan Buddhism lamasery: In
later life he retired to a monastery to contemplate the world.
monetary adj. pecuniary, cash, money, fiscal, financial, capital;
numismatic, Technical nummular, nummary: Monetary shortages
result from the government's tightening its hold on the economy
by raising interest rates.
money n. 1 currency, legal tender, medium of exchange, specie, (hard)
cash, ready money, banknotes, paper money, Brit notes, US bills,
coin(s), change, small change, Derogatory (filthy) lucre, pelf,
Colloq shekels, Brit lolly, readies, US folding money, cold
(hard) cash, US and Canadian and Australian shin-plasters; Slang
loot, dough, bread, spondulicks or spondulix, boodle, readies or
the ready, moolah, Brit rhino, US (long) green, greenbacks,
mazuma, wampum, simoleons, bucks, scratch, gelt, kale, cabbage,
lettuce, spinach: He makes daily rounds to collect the money
from the launderettes he owns. 2 resources, wealth, fortune,
funds, capital, wherewithal, affluence, means, (liquid) assets,
riches; Slang bundle: All the family money is invested in
long-term bonds. 3 gain, profit, net, Colloq take, percentage,
Slang rake-off: How much money does the shop take in at the end
of the day? 4 in the money. rich, wealthy, affluent, moneyed or
monied, well off, well-to-do, prosperous, Colloq flush, in
clover, in or on Easy Street, Slang loaded, well-heeled, rolling
in it or in money or in dough, filthy rich, stinking rich, fat:
They have been in the money since their uncle died.
mongrel n. cur, mutt, cross-breed, mixed breed, hybrid, half-breed,
Technical bigener; lurcher: There is little chance of that
mongrel winning a prize in the dog show.
monitor n. 1 watchdog, supervisor, sentinel, guard, guardian,
custodian; Brit invigilator, prefect, Rare prepositor or
praepostor; US proctor: The government has appointed a
committee to monitor oil prices. 2 (television) screen,
cathode-ray tube screen, CRT, display, Chiefly Brit visual
display unit, VDU: Do you prefer an amber, green, or
black-and-white monitor?
--v. 3 watch, oversee, observe, check (out or up on), audit,
supervise, superintend, scan, examine, study, follow, keep an
eye on, survey, keep track of, track, trace, record, Brit vet:
Before a drug is approved, it must be monitored through
thousands of tests.
monk n. brother, religious, coenobite, monastic, Loosely friar: He
was accepted into the Benedictine order, also called the black
monks.
monkey n. 1 simian, ape, primate, Colloq monk: The monkeys' antics
forever delight the children. 2 fool, ass, laughing-stock,
butt, victim, target, (fair) game, Colloq goat, Slang sucker:
The teacher should not have made a monkey out of Hubert in front
of his classmates. 3 imp, devil, mischief-maker, rascal, scamp,
rapscallion: She's a real little monkey: you wouldn't believe
what she got up to this morning.
--v. 4 mimic, mime, imitate, impersonate, copy, ape, duplicate:
He monkeys everything you do. 5 Usually, monkey around or about
(with). fool around (with), play (with), fiddle (about or
around) with, meddle (with or in), interfere (with or in), mess
(about or around) (with), tinker (with), tamper (with), Colloq
US screw around (with): Stop monkeying around with that switch
or the light will fuse. Colin is always monkeying around in
class.
monograph n. treatise, dissertation, disquisition, essay, paper:
Entwhistle's monograph is the definitive work on Hawthorne.
monolithic
adj. massive, huge, enormous, monumental, imposing, colossal,
gigantic, giant; featureless, uniform, undifferentiated,
characterless; rigid, impenetrable, invulnerable, unbending,
inflexible, solid, stolid, intractable, immovable: These
monolithic international conglomerates, assembled with the aid
of junk bonds, staffed by yuppies, and controlling markets worth
hundreds of billions, resemble the monolithic glass towers that
house them.
monopolize
v. corner (the market in), control, dominate, own, Slang hog:
Till recently, one company monopolized the telephone business in
the US.
monotonous
adj. boring, tedious, dull, tiresome, humdrum, sleep-inducing,
soporific, wearisome, wearying, tiring, monotonic, repetitious,
prosaic, banal, dry, dry-as-dust, uninteresting, dreary,
colourless, unexciting, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, commonplace,
routine, uneventful, everyday, mechanical, banausic, Colloq
ho-hum: Working in an assembly line became monotonous, so I
took a job in advertising.
monster n. 1 beast, fiend, ogre, giant, dragon, brute, demon, troll,
bogeyman: Why are so many children's fairy tales populated by
monsters? 2 monstrosity, (living) abortion, mutant, mutation,
freak, deformity, lusus naturae, eyesore, horror, miscreation,
missing link: Monsters of every description were the main
features of circus sideshows for centuries.
--adj. 3 See monstrous, 3, below.
monstrosity
n. 1 See monster, 2, above. 2 monstrousness, heinousness,
horribleness, horridness, hideousness, awfulness,
nightmarishness, dreadfulness, frightfulness, horror,
hellishness, ghoulishness, fiendishness, barbarity: The
monstrosity of the concentration camps was not widely known till
after the war.
monstrous adj. 1 awful, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrendous,
horrifying, hideous, ugly, nightmarish, dreadful, heinous,
grisly, gruesome, disgusting, nauseous, nauseating, repulsive,
repellent, revolting, frightful, grotesque, hellish, ghoulish,
freakish, fiendish, barbaric, barbarous, savage, inhuman,
merciless, ruthless, brutal, brutish, beastly: How could anyone
treat another human being with such monstrous cruelty! 2
outrageous, shocking, scandalous, atrocious, appalling, wicked,
villainous, evil, vile, insensitive, cruel, base, debased,
shameful, shameless, infamous, disgraceful, nefarious,
egregious, foul, vicious, flagitious, loathsome, depraved: It
is monstrous to suggest that money could compensate for the loss
of a child. It was a monstrous trick to make him think he had
failed the exam when he'd got the top mark. 3 gigantic, giant,
huge, vast, enormous, colossal, monster, gargantuan, jumbo,
immense, tremendous, titanic, prodigious, massive, towering,
elephantine, mammoth: They are planning to build a monstrous
shopping mall in the town centre.
monument n. 1 marker, cairn, memorial, tablet, shrine, commemoration;
sepulchre, gravestone, tombstone, headstone, tomb, mausoleum,
cenotaph: Many monuments have been established in memory of
those who died in the war. 2 testimony, testimonial, testament,
token, witness, record, evidence, example, exemplar: The book
will survive as a lasting monument to her scholarship.
monumental
adj. 1 staggering, awe-inspiring, outstanding, prominent,
stupendous, vast, awesome, epoch-making, historic,
history-making, memorable, lasting, permanent, unforgettable,
significant, notable, noteworthy, impressive, marvellous,
prodigious, wonderful, wondrous, spectacular, magnificent,
grand, striking, glorious, enduring, classic: This work is a
monumental contribution to linguistic theory. 2 massive, huge,
gigantic, enormous, prodigious, colossal, immense, vast,
tremendous: These monumental stones, each as big as a house,
were dragged from a quarry hundreds of miles away. 3
commemorative, memorial: A monumental obelisk will be raised to
mark the battle. 4 egregious, catastrophic, calamitous, huge,
enormous, awful, abject, terrible, unforgivable, unbelievable,
monstrous, Colloq whopping: Announcing our plans in advance
could prove to be a monumental blunder.
mood n. 1 humour, attitude, inclination, disposition, nature,
temper, frame of mind, spirit, atmosphere, sense, feeling: The
mood of the people is rebellious. She's in a bad mood. 2 in the
mood. ready, willing, eager, keen, (well-)disposed, inclined,
sympathetic, minded: I'm not in the mood for a film tonight,
but I am in the mood to go dancing.
moody adj. 1 sullen, melancholy, blue, sad, unhappy, dejected,
depressed, crestfallen, downcast, despondent, chap-fallen, in
the doldrums, downhearted, gloomy, glum, moping, mopy, mopish,
sulky, sulking, morose, brooding, broody, heavy-hearted, dour,
cheerless, dismal, desolate, disconsolate, lugubrious,
disheartened, saturnine, Colloq down in the mouth, (down) in the
dumps, out of sorts, US off (one's) feed: He's been moody the
past few days, and I don't know how to cheer him up. 2 testy,
crotchety, short-tempered, abrupt, short, curt, impatient,
crabby, crusty, huffy, huffish, crabbed, cantankerous,
curmudgeonly, ill-humoured, ill-tempered, cranky, petulant,
waspish, temperamental, snappish, snappy, irritable, peevish,
cranky, touchy, piqued; in a (fit of) pique, in high dudgeon:
If I were you, I shouldn't ask her for a favour today as she's
very moody. 3 fickle, volatile, capricious, mercurial, unstable,
fitful, flighty, unsteady, changeable, erratic, uneven,
inconstant, undependable, unreliable, unpredictable: Being
artists, they are moody, and there's no telling if they will
want to be interviewed today.
moonshine n. 1 moonlight, moonbeams: Her hair reflected silver in the
moonshine. 2 (stuff and) nonsense, rubbish, taradiddle, humbug,
drivel, twaddle, balderdash, blather or blether, Colloq hot air,
claptrap, pack of lies, con, bosh, gas, eyewash, hogwash, bunk,
guff, piffle, hokum, rot, malarkey, bilge (water), tripe, (the
old) song and dance, line, Brit tommy-rot, US apple-sauce,
razzmatazz, jive, Slang crap, bull, hooey, Brit tosh, US
garbage, BS, Taboo slang horseshit, bullshit: He fed her a load
of moonshine about owning a big yacht. 3 poteen, Colloq chiefly
US and Canadian hooch or hootch, white lightning, white mule,
home-brew, bootleg: Government agents raided a still that
produced 100 gallons of moonshine a day.
moor° n. heath, moorland, wasteland, No. Eng. and Scots fell: The
police pursued the escaped prisoner across the moor, but they
lost him.
moorэ v. secure, tie up, make fast, dock, berth, (drop) anchor; fix:
The vessel was soon moored and the passengers disembarked. The
huge aerial is moored by cables.
moot adj. 1 debatable, arguable, undecided, undetermined,
controversial, doubtful, disputable, open to debate, at issue,
indefinite, problematic(al), questionable, open (to question or
to discussion), confutable, confuted, contestable, contested,
unsettled, unresolved, up in the air, unconcluded: Whether he
would be found innocent was still a moot point.
--v. 2 bring up or forward, introduce, broach, put forward,
proffer, posit, propound, advance, submit, suggest: It has been
mooted that she was with the victim just before the murder.
moral adj. 1 ethical; right, good, pure, honest, proper, upright,
honourable, decent, moralistic, respectable, high-minded,
virtuous, upstanding, righteous, principled, scrupulous,
incorruptible, noble, just: She is one of the most moral people
I have ever met. 2 ethical, moralizing, moralistic: Questions
of right and wrong are a subject for moral philosophy. It is a
moral, not a legal, issue.
--n. 3 lesson, homily, teaching, point, message; aphorism,
maxim, precept, apophthegm or apothegm, adage, saw, proverb,
epigram, motto, slogan: The moral of the story is, 'Do unto
others before they do unto you'. 4 morals. behaviour, conduct,
mores, belief, habit(s), custom(s), practice(s), principle(s),
scruples, ethics, ideals, standards; probity, morality,
rectitude, integrity: For this appointment, we require a person
of the highest morals.
morale n. dedication, spirit(s), unity, esprit de corps, disposition,
attitude, confidence, self-confidence, self-esteem: The team's
morale improved after they won their first game in five weeks.
morality n. 1 ethics, morals, ethicalness, moralness, principle(s),
mores, integrity, propriety, standards, ideals; honesty, right,
rightness, righteousness, rectitude, justice, fair play,
fairness, decency, uprightness, integrity: Morality should not
be conditioned by expediency. 2 behaviour, conduct, habit(s),
custom(s): Are you suggesting that utilitarianism is a guide
for morality?
morass n. 1 bog, marsh, swamp, fen, quagmire, slough, marshland,
moorland, No. Eng. and Scots moss: The land not under
cultivation was morass or forest. 2 entanglement, confusion,
muddle, mess, quagmire, tangle, quicksand: It took years to
extricate the company from the legal morass of the bankruptcy
courts.
moratorium
n. halt, hiatus, suspension, stay, respite, freeze, delay,
waiting-period, postponement: The arts commission requests a
six-month moratorium on sales to foreign purchasers.
morbid adj. 1 unhealthy, unwholesome, disordered, unsound, sick,
pathological, pathogenic: Inhalation of fumes containing lead
has caused this morbid condition. 2 grim, ghoulish, macabre,
monstrous, ghastly, grotesque, grisly, gruesome: At an early
age, Glynis exhibited a morbid interest in cadavers. Spare me
the morbid details - please! 3 gloomy, lugubrious, glum, morose,
sombre, blue, sad, melancholy, despondent, depressed, dejected,
downcast: With Charley again in one of his morbid moods, we can
anticipate another cheerless visit.
moreover adv. furthermore, further, besides, not only that, more than
that, what is more; to boot, into the bargain, in addition,
additionally, as well, too: She was pleased that I had brought
some wine - it was, moreover, her favourite burgundy.
moribund adj. 1 dying, in extremis, at death's door, failing, fading,
with one foot in the grave, half-dead, breathing one's last,
expiring, on one's last legs, on one's deathbed: Apparently
moribund for weeks, he suddenly revived when he saw her. 2
ending, declining, obsolescent, weak, on the way out, waning, on
the wane, dying out; stagnating, stagnant: At the time, the
Ottoman Empire was already moribund.
morning n. 1 forenoon, a.m., dawn, daybreak, sunrise, Literary morn,
Archaic cock crow, day-spring, morrow, Chiefly US sun-up: The
meeting will be at nine o'clock in the morning.
--adj. 2 matutinal, matinal, a.m., forenoon: I prefer a
morning meeting.
morsel n. 1 mouthful, bite, gobbet, spoonful, forkful, chew, taste,
sample, nibble, bit, drop, dollop, soup‡on: She delicately ate
tiny morsels of the banana. 2 bit, crumb, fragment, scrap,
sliver, splinter, shard or sherd, shred, remnant, particle,
atom, speck, whit, fraction, grain, granule, pinch, piece,
Colloq smidgen or smidgin: There wasn't the slightest morsel of
evidence to connect me with the crime.
mortal adj. 1 human; transitory, temporal, transient, ephemeral: It
finally dawned on him that the king was mortal, like other men.
2 physical, bodily, corporeal, corporal, fleshly, earthly,
worldly, perishable: Her mortal remains are buried at Bognor
Regis. 3 deadly, fatal, lethal, terminal, destructive,
disastrous: The admiral lay dying from a mortal wound. 4
relentless, implacable, unrelenting, bitter, sworn, deadly,
unremitting, unappeasable, unceasing: Halifax was the mortal
enemy of despotism. 5 abject, extreme, awful, great, enormous,
intense, terrible, inordinate, dire: Giles lived in mortal fear
of offending his mother.
--n. 6 human (being), man, woman, person, soul, individual,
creature, earthling: The novel depicts a lifestyle far removed
from that of ordinary mortals. We mortals have nothing to fear
from intergalactic aliens.
mortify v. 1 humiliate, shame, humble, embarrass, abash, chagrin,
rebuff, crush, discomfit, deflate, bring down, degrade,
downgrade, reduce, chasten, subdue, suppress, make someone eat
humble pie, teach someone his or her place, Colloq put down:
She was mortified to learn that she had been disqualified. 2
punish, castigate, discipline, control, subdue, subjugate:
Repentance was considered insufficient penance, so the
flagellants mortified the flesh with scourges. 3 gangrene,
fester, necrose, putrefy, rot, decompose, decay, putresce:
After a fortnight, the flesh mortifies and falls away.
mother n. 1 dam, materfamilias, (female) parent, Old-fashioned or
formal or jocular mater, Formal progenitrix; matriarch, Colloq
ma, old lady, old woman, Brit mummy, mum, US mom, mommy, mama,
mamma, maw, mammy, mam: He runs crying to his mother whenever
anyone teases him. 2 source, origin, genesis: Necessity is the
mother of invention. 3 nourisher, nurturer, nurse: Poverty was
the mother of anarchy.
--adj. 4 native, natural, innate: She has the mother wit to
know better.
--v. 5 nurture, nourish, nurse, care for, look after, protect,
shelter, watch over, take care of: She mothered me when I
needed her, and I won't desert her now. 6 pamper, baby, coddle,
spoil, indulge, fuss over, overprotect: You mother the child
too much.
motif n. theme, idea, topic, subject, concept, leitmotif; pattern,
figure, refrain, device, ornament, decoration, element,
convention: The painter repeats the motif throughout his
pictures in much the same way that a composer repeats a bar of
music.
motion n. 1 movement, moving, change, shift, shifting, action, going,
travelling, travel, progress, passage, transit; activity,
commotion, stir, agitation, turmoil, turbulence: One could
barely sense the slow motion of the train. The leaves of the
aspen appear to be in constant motion. 2 mobility, movability,
motility: I could feel the motion gradually returning to my
numbed limbs. 3 gait, bearing, carriage, tread, walk, step:
The machine works with alternate upward and downward motions. 4
gesture, gesticulation, signal, sign: She made a motion for me
to come nearer. 5 proposal, suggestion, proposition,
recommendation, offering, submission: A motion must be seconded
by a member in good standing.
--v. 6 gesture, gesticulate, beckon, signal, sign, wave: The
cashier motioned to me and I went over to the window.
motivate v. prompt, activate, move, inspire, incite, induce, actuate,
stimulate, provoke, influence, encourage, occasion, bring about,
cause; excite, egg (on), urge, prod, spur, galvanize, goad,
rouse, arouse, stir (up), wheedle, coax, persuade, cajole,
tempt, push, impel, drive, instigate: The biggest problem is
motivating students to apply themselves to academic subjects.
motive n. 1 inducement, incentive, motivation, stimulus, motivating
force, stimulation, incitement, influence, cause, reason,
rationale, grounds; attraction, lure, enticement, goad, spur,
urge, prod: It is thought that jealousy was his motive for
murder. 2 purpose, aim, intention, intent, object, objective,
goal, end, arriЉre pens‚e (= 'hidden motive'); ambition, desire;
Colloq angle: I asked the chairman what his motive was in
trying to expand the company.
--adj. 3 driving, impelling, propelling, propulsive, moving,
kinetic, activating, operative: The motive power used in the
ultra-light aircraft is provided entirely by the pilot's
pedalling.
mottled adj. dappled, brindled, marbled, streaked, splodgy or US
splotchy, blotched, blotchy, freckled, spotted, spotty, patchy,
speckled, flecked, sprinkled, spattered, splashed, streaky,
stippled, pied, piebald; multicoloured, variegated,
particoloured, Colloq splodged or US splotched: Do you like
that mottled effect on the wallpaper?
motto n. maxim, proverb, saying, adage, saw, aphorism, apophthegm or
apothegm, gnome, slogan, byword, catchword, battle-cry, guide,
moral, principle, rule, precept: The motto of the Order of the
Garter is Honi soit qui mal y pense, 'Shame on whoever thinks
ill of it'.
mould° n. 1 form, cast, matrix, die; template or templet, pattern,
form: He broke the mould to prevent the casting of a duplicate
statuette. 2 form, shape, pattern, format, structure, build,
construction, design, arrangement, organization, configuration,
kind, brand, make, line, type, stamp, cut: Was man made in the
same mould as his God, or vice versa? 3 character, nature,
stamp, type, kind, kidney, ilk, sort: Grandpa said that he
wouldn't want someone of her mould in the family.
--v. 4 shape, form, make, work, fashion, configure, sculpture
or sculpt, model, knead, construct: carve, cut: The artist
moulded the original design in clay. 5 forge, cast, stamp,
die-cast: These beads are moulded from solid gold. 6
influence, shape, form, affect, make, control, direct, guide,
lead: The speech-writer's job is to mould the language to fit
his client's ideas. The candidate is trying to mould public
opinion in his favour.
mouldэ n. mildew, fungus, blight, smut: A mild solution of bleach
will clean that mould off the bathroom tiles.
mould° n. soil, earth, loam, topsoil, dirt, humus: Add some rich
mould to the house-plants periodically and they will flourish.
mouldy adj. aged, ancient, outdated, old-fashioned, antediluvian,
unused, stale, decayed, decaying, carious, mildewed, mouldering,
musty; spoilt or spoiled, rotten, rotting, putrid, putrescent,
putrefying, rancid, rank, decomposed, decomposing, mucid:
Digging about in the files, he unearthed some mouldy old plans
of the house. All the food in the fridge had gone mouldy while
they were away.
mound n. 1 hillock, rise, hummock, hill, hump, bank, elevation,
knoll, knob, swell, dune, slope, tor, Chiefly W US and Canadian
butte,: We stood on a high mound from which we could see for
miles. 2 heap, pile, stack, Archaeology tumulus, tell, barrow,
(kitchen) midden: Excavation of the mound yielded scores of
Iron Age artefacts.
mount n. 1 See mountain, 1, below.
--v. 2 climb (up), go up, ascend, scale, clamber up, make one's
way up: We mounted the ladder to the roof. The speaker mounted
the dais. 3 rise (up), arise, soar, fly (up), rocket (upwards):
With the salmon in its grasp, the eagle mounted to the sky. 4
climb or get or clamber up on, bestride, straddle, bestraddle:
The gunfighter mounted his horse and rode off. 5 (put on)
display, (put on) exhibit, put on exhibition, present, install
or instal, stage, prepare, ready, put on, put in place, set up;
arrange, coordinate, compose, organize, set in motion, launch:
The gallery will mount a show of John's sculpture next spring.
They have mounted a major advertising campaign for their face
cream. 6 frame, mat or matt, set off: This print should be
mounted using an olive green paper. 7 increase, wax, rise,
escalate, intensify, swell, expand, grow, mount up, multiply,
pile up, build up, accumulate: Complaints have been mounting
against the vulgar language heard on prime-time TV.
--n. 8 backing, setting, support, mounting, background, set,
arrangement, backdrop, scene: This style of mount sets off the
ruby to its best advantage. 9 horse, steed, charger, palfrey:
Her mount was a grey mare.
mountain n. 1 height, elevation, mount, eminence, prominence, peak, alp,
tor, summit, No. Eng. and Scots fell, Scots and Irish English
ben: Her favourite sport is climbing mountains. 2 heap, pile,
stack, mound, accumulation, abundance, mass, Colloq ton(s),
heaps, piles, stacks: I have a mountain of laundry to do.
mountainous
adj. 1 craggy, alpine, Himalayan: It was very slow going
through the mountainous parts of the country. 2 huge, towering,
high, steep, enormous, immense, formidable, mighty, monumental,
prodigious, staggering: Their tiny craft was almost engulfed by
the mountainous seas.
mourn v. grieve (over), lament, sorrow (over), bemoan, bewail, keen,
weep for or over, regret, rue, deplore: We all mourned the loss
of a great leader. After his death, the nation mourned for a
month.
mournful adj. 1 sad, sorrowful, dismal, melancholy, blue, afflicted,
doleful, dolorous, grief-stricken, rueful, forlorn, woebegone,
sombre, lugubrious, funereal, joyless, dispirited, cheerless,
unhappy, downhearted, heavy-hearted, disconsolate, heartbroken,
inconsolable, despondent, desolate, despairing, heartsick,
overcome, prostrate: The mournful crowd filed past the bier to
pay their last respects. 2 deplorable, sorrowful, grievous,
distressing, upsetting, tragic, saddening, disheartening,
depressing, lamentable, catastrophic, calamitous, disastrous:
The mournful news of the great loss of life in the explosion was
broadcast round the world.
mourning n. 1 grief, lament, grieving, lamentation, sorrowing, keening,
weeping, wailing: The Highlanders are wont to mingle a degree
of solemn mirth with their mourning. 2 bereavement, loss,
anguish, sorrow, misery, grief, sadness, woe, woefulness,
melancholy, heartache, despondency, despair, desolation: In
China people wear white as a sign of mourning. 3 black, widow's
weeds, sackcloth and ashes: It was customary at that time to
spend at least one month in mourning.
mousy adj. 1 mousey, mouse-coloured, dun, grey, greyish-brown,
brownish-grey, brownish, brown, dull, lustreless, lacklustre,
drab, flat, plain, colourless: Her lank, mousy hair hung down
over her shoulders. 2 timid, cowering, timorous, shy,
self-effacing, diffident: Adrian is far too mousy to ask for an
increase in salary.
mouth n. 1 lips; maw, jaws, oral cavity, Technical stoma, Slang trap,
kisser, muzzle, gob, chops, yap, US bazoo: I want to hear that
you don't love me from your own mouth. 2 opening, aperture,
doorway, door, gateway, gate, access, entrance, inlet, entry,
entry-way, way in, entr‚e; passage, passageway, way, orifice;
exit, way out, vent, outlet, outfall, Technical debouchment or
debouchure, debouch or d‚bouch‚, embouchure: We stood at the
mouth of the cave. An enormous delta formed at the mouth of the
river. 3 bragging, boasting, braggadocio, empty or idle talk,
bombast, rodomontade, fustian, Slang claptrap, hot air, gas:
The fellow is all mouth and no action. 4 disrespect, impudence,
insolence, sauciness, rudeness, impertinence, pertness,
boldness, audacity, presumptuousness, brashness, flippancy,
Colloq lip, cheek, backchat, sauce, freshness, US sass, back
talk: He'd better not give me any of his mouth or I'll have his
guts for garters. 5 grimace, pout, moue, face: She made a mouth
when I said she couldn't go. 6 down in or at the mouth.
dejected, despondent, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, melancholy, blue,
crestfallen, dispirited, disheartened, downcast, Colloq (down)
in the dumps, broken up: He was very down in the mouth after
seeing the results of the laboratory tests.
--v. 7 utter, say, speak, pronounce, announce, enunciate,
articulate, voice, sound, express, vocalize; declaim, orate: He
mouthed each word with excruciating care. Who wants to hear some
pompous fool mouthing platitudes?
mouthful n. morsel, bite, spoonful, forkful, lump, chunk, gob, hunk: He
took a mouthful of food.
mouthpiece
n. 1 embouchure; bit: I need a new mouthpiece for my clarinet.
2 spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, agent, representative,
intermediator, mediator, delegate: He is always quoted through
his mouthpiece, never directly. 3 lawyer, attorney, Slang US
shyster: A good mouthpiece could get me out of this fix.
movable adj. moveable, floating, variable, changeable, unfixed;
portable, transportable, transferable or transferrable: Easter
Sunday is a movable feast and has no fixed date on the calendar.
Recent developments have produced computers that are smaller
than an attach‚ case and easily movable.
move v. 1 shift, stir, budge, make a move, go; proceed, advance,
progress: It is difficult to move in a strait-jacket. The train
is moving at a rate of sixty miles an hour. Don't move - I have
a gun. 2 move house, move out, remove, move away, relocate,
decamp, depart, change residence, emigrate, go or make off,
transfer, Colloq take off (for), pull up stakes, Brit up sticks,
Slang US split (for): When did you say you were moving to
London? 3 shake (up), disturb, stir (up), agitate, affect,
touch: We moved heaven and earth to find a proper place for her
to stay. 4 affect, touch, stir, shake up, agitate, hit (hard),
upset, strike, smite, disturb, ruffle, disquiet, have an (or a
profound) effect (on), make a (deep) impression (on): The
pictures of starving children moved everyone. 5 provoke,
arouse, excite, stir up, lead, rouse, stimulate: At the end of
the film, when she died, I was moved to tears. 6 arouse, rouse,
provoke, actuate, lead, prompt, spur, motivate, influence,
impel, prod, remind, inspire, make: His mention of families
moved me to ask when he had last seen his father. 7 propose, put
forward or forth, forward, advance, submit, suggest, advocate,
propound: The question of budget was moved at the last meeting.
--n. 8 change, change-over, relocation, transfer, shift,
removal: My supervisor suggested a move to a different
department. 9 manoeuvre, device, trick, caper, dodge, ploy,
stratagem, artifice, ruse, action, act, deed, Colloq gimmick:
Getting Diana to invite Colin was a very good move. 10 turn,
time, opportunity: I have had my turn, now it's your move. 11
gesture, gesticulation, action, motion, stirring: One move and
you're a dead man! 12 get a move on. a get moving, begin,
start, commence, get going, get under way, get started, stir or
bestir oneself, Colloq get or start the ball rolling, get the
show on the road, break the ice, get cracking, step on it or the
gas: He doesn't usually get a move on till noon. b hurry,
hasten, make haste, rush, run: Get a move on down to the
supermarket before it closes. 13 on the move. a travelling, in
transit, on the way, on one's way, on the road, on the go,
moving: She is always on the move and it is difficult to catch
her. b on the go, working, on the run, busy, occupied: I have
been on the move since six this morning. c proceeding,
progressing, advancing, moving ahead, succeeding, on the go: It
looks as if the industry is again on the move after a brief
decline.
movement n. 1 repositioning, move, motion, relocation, moving,
migration, shift, transfer, flow, displacement: Population
movement increased dramatically in the Middle Ages. 2 action,
activity, move, moving, stir, stirring: There was a sudden
movement in the bushes. 3 gesture, gesticulation, move,
flicker, sign, signal; manoeuvre, change of attitude or
position: Only the slightest upward movement of his eyebrow
indicated his surprise. Every little movement has a meaning all
its own. 4 mechanism, works, workings, moving parts, machinery,
action, gears, Colloq innards: Technically, the movement of a
watch does not include the escapement. 5 campaign, crusade,
drive; front, faction, party, group, wing: The 1960s saw many
successes for the civil rights' movement in America. 6 change,
activity, action, shift, advance or decline, increase or
decrease, upward or downward movement, stirring; development,
progress: Shares displayed little movement in today's trading.
7 drift, trend, tendency, course, swing: They have noted a
growing movement towards religious fundamentalism.
movie n. 1 motion picture, film, moving picture, silent (picture),
talking picture, Colloq talkie, flick: Her grandfather was one
of the first actors in silent movies. 2 Usually, movies.
picture show, cinema, flicks, Colloq big or large screen, silver
screen: Why don't we go to the movies instead of watching
television tonight?
moving adj. 1 touching, poignant, emotive, affecting, stirring,
heart-rending, emotional, telling, effective, impressive,
striking, compelling; pathetic, exciting, thrilling, inspiring,
inspirational, impelling, persuasive: He related a moving story
of his years in various concentration camps. 2 active, mobile,
unfixed, unstationary, motile, going, operating, working, in
motion, on the move: Be careful not to touch any of the moving
parts inside the clock.
mow v. 1 cut (down), scythe, trim, shear: You don't need to mow
the lawn so much during a dry spell. 2 mow down. annihilate,
kill, massacre, butcher, slaughter, exterminate, liquidate,
eradicate, wipe out, cut down, cut to pieces, destroy, decimate:
The first platoon was mowed down by machine-gun fire.
muck n. 1 ordure, manure, dung, excrement, faeces, droppings; guano:
The muck is saved for use as fertilizer. 2 dirt, filth, bilge,
slime, sludge, ooze, scum, sewage, mire, mud, feculence, Colloq
gunge, gunk, US grunge: Give me a chance to get the muck off my
shoes.
--v. 3 muck about. fool around, waste time, idle, loiter, mess
around or about: She told me to stop mucking about and get a
job. 4 muck up. ruin, wreck, destroy, make a mess of, botch,
mess up, bungle, Colloq screw up, Slang bugger up, make a muck
of: She's mucked up her own life, and, given the chance, she'll
muck up mine.
mud n. muck, ooze, slime, mire, clay, sludge, silt, dirt, US and
Canadian gumbo or gombo: The mud came up to my ankles.
muddle v. 1 bewilder, confuse, confound, mystify, baffle, mix up,
disorient, befuddle, perplex, bemuse, puzzle, befog: I am
totally muddled by your explanation of differential calculus. 2
confuse, mix up, jumble, scramble, entangle, tangle, mess up,
disorder, disarrange, disorganize, bungle, mismanage, Colloq
muff: My financial affairs got hopelessly muddled when I
changed banks. 3 muddle through. (barely) manage, cope, make
it, scrape through or along, contrive, make do, get by, get
along: We were just muddling through when James was offered
this wonderful job.
--n. 4 mess, confusion, mix-up, jumble, tangle, disorder,
hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, mishmash, chaos, disaster,
Colloq stew, Slang US screw-up, snafu, Taboo slang Brit
balls-up: A lot of muddles, mix-ups, and misunderstandings
ensued.
muddy adj. 1 fouled, befouled, muddied, mud-spattered, dirty, grubby,
grimy, soiled, mud-caked, slimy, mucky, miry; oozy, squelchy,
squashy, boggy, fenny, marshy, swampy; Formal feculent; Colloq
squishy, squushy: Take off those muddy boots before you come
into the house. The walk up to the house has become all muddy in
the rain. 2 confused, unclear, vague, obscure, dull, dim, fuzzy,
muddled, addled, mixed-up: Greg has only a muddy idea of what
you're talking about. 3 drab, subdued, blurred, dingy, flat,
murky, mat, washed out: The colours in her paintings look very
muddy to me.
--v. 4 obscure, dull, dim, confuse, mix up, befog, cloud: His
explanation muddied the issue rather than clarifying it. 5
dirty, soil, begrime, smirch, besmirch, spatter, bespatter: A
passing car muddied my new skirt.
muffle v. 1 Often, muffle up. wrap, swathe, swaddle, cloak, envelop,
cover (up), enfold, shroud, enshroud, conceal, protect: Make
sure your neck is muffled when you're out in that icy wind. 2
deaden, silence, suppress, stifle, subdue, damp, dampen, mute,
hush, quiet, tone down, still: A few more thicknesses of
flannel will muffle the noise of the motor.
muffler n. scarf, boa; shawl, wrap: Wrap this muffler round your neck
for added warmth.
mug n. 1 jug, tankard, stein, toby (jug), pot, beaker, cup: The
relief workers passed round mugs of hot coffee to the homeless.
2 face, visage, features, countenance, Slang puss, kisser, mush,
Brit clock, dial, Archaic phiz or phizog, US pan: The ex-boxer
has a mug that only a mother could love. 3 fool, duffer,
simpleton, dupe, gull, innocent, Colloq chump, mark, soft or
easy touch, Brit muggins, Slang sucker: The mug thought he had
found a full wallet.
--v. 4 make a face or faces, grimace: Here are some pictures
of the twins mugging for the camera. 5 attack, set upon, rob,
assault; garrotte, throttle: Anyone who walks through the park
at night risks getting mugged. 6 mug up (on). study, Formal
lucubrate, Colloq cram, burn the midnight oil, get up (on), Brit
swot, bone up (on): I have to mug up on my Latin for tomorrow's
examination.
muggy adj. humid, damp, sticky, sultry, oppressive, clammy, steamy,
close, stuffy, moist, soggy: It was so muggy that every night
the bedlinen was completely soaked.
mull v. Usually, mull over. ponder, consider, study, think (over or
about), cogitate (on or over or about), con, evaluate, turn
over, weigh, deliberate (on or over), reflect (on), muse (on),
review, examine, contemplate, meditate (on), chew over, ruminate
(on or over),: I have been mulling over your suggestion that I
should join the navy.
mum adj. 1 silent, mute, close-mouthed, quiet, tight-lipped: She
swore she would keep mum about where the money was hidden.
--n. 2 Mum's the word. Don't tell a soul, Keep silent, Keep
secret, Keep quiet, Keep (something) to oneself, Keep
(something) under one's hat, Say nothing, Tell no-one, Play
dumb: He told who stole the bell, but mum's the word.
mumble v. murmur, mutter, say inarticulately, utter indistinctly,
swallow one's words: He mumbled the name of the person who had
shot him, but she didn't catch it.
mumbo-jumbo
n. 1 gibberish, nonsense, rubbish, gobbledegook or
gobbledygook, drivel, humbug, bunkum, double-talk, rigmarole or
rigamarole, jabberwocky, blather or blether, poppycock, Colloq
eyewash, rot, tommy-rot, hogwash, bilge, bosh, bull, malarkey,
claptrap, piffle, US hooey, moonshine, bunk Slang bull, crap,
Brit tosh, Taboo slang bullshit: Before he would give me the
cheque, the lawyer made me sign something full of legal
mumbo-jumbo. 2 spell, incantation, chant, formula, charm,
abracadabra, hocus-pocus, rite, ritual, conjuration, magic: She
had to sit through all the mumbo-jumbo of her husband's
investiture.
munch v. chew, crunch, masticate, champ, chomp, scrunch: He just sat
there munching peanuts.
municipal adj. civic, civil, metropolitan, urban, city, town, village,
borough, parish, Brit council: Voting takes place in the
municipal elections next week.
municipality
n. city, metropolis, town, village, borough, district,
township; suburb, exurb: The recreational facilities offered by
the municipality are in need of refurbishing.
murder n. 1 homicide, manslaughter, regicide, patricide, matricide,
parricide, fratricide, sororicide, uxoricide, infanticide;
killing, slaying, assassination: In many countries, murder is a
crime punishable by death. 2 slaughter, butchery, genocide,
massacre, liquidation, decimation, extermination, eradication,
wiping out, murdering, slaying, killing, bloodshed, carnage:
Their wanton murder of thousands of prisoners of war has been
proven.
--v. 3 kill, slay, assassinate, put to death, end the life of,
put away or down, put out of one's misery, wipe out, destroy,
butcher, massacre, liquidate, exterminate, eradicate,
annihilate, extinguish, slaughter, lay low, Slang eliminate,
bump off, knock off, do in, polish off, blow away, US rub out,
waste, ice, take for a ride, fit with a concrete overcoat or
with concrete overshoes, snuff (out): The drug dealers were
murdered, one by one, by a rival gang. 4 spoil, ruin, mar,
destroy, wreck, kill, mangle, butcher, mutilate: She murdered
the song by singing it far too fast.
murderer n. murderess, killer, slayer, assassin, homicide, cutthroat,
liquidator, executioner, butcher, Slang hit man: The police
have arrested someone they are certain is the murderer.
murderous adj. 1 fatal, lethal, deadly, deathly, mortal, destructive,
devastating, sanguinary, bloody, brutal, savage, bloodthirsty,
barbarous, fell, cruel, inhuman: The tolling of the bell
signalled that the murderous deed had been done. 2 killing,
strenuous, stressful, difficult, arduous, exhausting, hellish,
harrowing, rigorous, intolerable, unbearable: You cannot keep
up such a murderous pace, without any rest, and remain healthy.
murky adj. dark, gloomy, threatening, dim, clouded, cloudy, overcast,
grey, dismal, dreary, bleak, sombre, grim, funereal, shady,
shadowy: I could barely make out her face in the murky corner
of the chapel.
murmur n. 1 undercurrent, undertone, background noise or sound,
rumble, rumbling, mumble, mumbling, drone, droning, buzz,
buzzing, murmuration, murmuring, hum, humming, whispering,
Formal susurration or susurrus: They spoke in low voices,
barely audible above the murmur of the mourning doves. 2
muttering, complaining, complaint, grumble, grumbling, Colloq
grousing, grouse: We have heard not any murmurs since everyone
had an increase in salary.
--v. 3 mumble, mutter, whisper: He murmured into her ear
something about being pleased to see her. 4 complain, grumble,
mutter, moan, lament, wail, Colloq grouse: Employees will
always find something to murmur about.
muse v. cogitate, meditate, reflect, contemplate, ruminate, think
over, think about, consider, chew over, deliberate, revolve,
weigh, evaluate, study, mull over, brood (over), ponder; be
absorbed (in thought), be in a brown study, dream, day-dream, be
in a trance or reverie: Asked for a decision, Michael mused for
a while before answering.
mushy adj. 1 soft, pulpy, squashy, doughy, squidgy, spongy; swampy,
boggy, miry; Colloq squishy, squushy, squashy: The peach was
overripe and mushy. The bottom of the pond is all mushy and
feels awful when you stand up. 2 mawkish, maudlin, sentimental,
romantic, saccharine, sugary, syrupy, Colloq corny, sloppy,
gooey, slushy, Brit wet, Slang schmaltzy: She cried three
handkerchiefs-full over the mushy parts of Gone With The Wind .
musical adj. tuneful, melodic, harmonious, lilting, lyrical, melodious,
mellifluous, dulcet, euphonious: Many modern compositions,
while technically competent, are not as musical as the
old-fashioned pieces.
must v. 1 ought (to), should, have to, be obliged or obligated to,
be compelled or forced to, be required to: I must get this work
done before lunch-time. Must you go? Yes, I must.
--n. 2 necessity, requisite, requirement, obligation, sine qua
non, essential: Patience is an absolute must in this job.
muster v. 1 call or come together, assemble, convoke, convene,
collect, mobilize, rally, round up, gather, marshal, summon
(up): Within a month he had mustered a force of thousands to
fight the invaders. I mustered up enough courage to ask Joan out
to dinner.
--n. 2 rally, assembly, assemblage, convocation, meet, meeting,
convention, congress, round-up, turnout, gathering,
congregation, aggregation, aggregate: We attended the annual
muster of bagpipe marching bands. 3 pass muster. come up to
scratch, make the grade, measure up, be acceptable, Colloq come
or be up to snuff: Are you sure that your new design will pass
muster with the art director?
musty adj. 1 mouldy, damp, mildewed, mildewy, sour, rancid, spoilt,
decayed, rotten, putrid, fetid or foetid, fusty, stale: Open
the windows to get rid of that musty odour. 2 stale,
old-fashioned, antiquated, antediluvian, ancient, out of date,
bygone, pass‚, old hat, obsolete, archaic, tired, hoary, worn
out, trite, clich‚d, stereotypical: I've heard all those musty
jokes of his a thousand times before.
mutation n. 1 change, changing, alteration, altering, modification,
modifying, transformation, transforming, metamorphosis,
metamorphosing, transmutation, transmuting, transfiguration,
transfiguring, evolution, evolving, variation, varying: For
years he studied the mutation of the sweet pea. 2 variant,
variation, deviation, deviant, mutant, anomaly, departure: The
mutations exhibited marked differences over the generations.
mute adj. 1 silent, dumb, speechless, voiceless, wordless,
tight-lipped, taciturn, tacit, reserved, quiet, Colloq mum:
Though I persisted in asking his name, he remained mute. 2
unspoken, unsaid, tacit, silent: The stain on the floor was a
mute reminder of the crime.
--v. 3 deaden, silence, muffle, stifle, dampen, damp, subdue,
suppress, quiet or Brit also quieten, hush, soft-pedal, turn
down, tone down: The carpet muted her footsteps as she crept up
behind him.
mutilate v. 1 maim, disfigure, mangle, cripple, lame, butcher, disable;
dismember, amputate, hack off, cut off, lop off, tear off, rip
off: Formerly, the hands of thieves were mutilated as an
example to others. 2 spoil, mar, ruin, damage, deface,
vandalize, destroy: As the book had been mutilated, he had to
buy the library a replacement.
mutinous adj. 1 rebellious, revolutionary, subversive, seditious,
insurgent, insurrectionary: The mutinous crew was finally
subdued and clapped in irons. 2 recalcitrant, refractory,
contumacious, obstinate, defiant, insubordinate, disobedient,
unruly, unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable: Whenever we
told Clare to work harder at school she became mutinous.
mutiny n. 1 revolt, rebellion, revolution, subversion, subversiveness,
insurgency, insurgence, insurrection, uprising: The crew are
threatening a mutiny.
--v. 2 rebel, rise up (against), strike, revolt; disobey,
subvert, agitate (against): The crew of the Bounty mutinied and
set Captain Bligh adrift.
mutter v. 1 mumble, murmur, grunt: He was muttering something to
himself that I didn't catch. 2 grumble, complain, Colloq
grouch, grouse, Brit chunter: She has been muttering about cuts
in the postal service ever since I can remember.
mutual adj. 1 reciprocal, reciprocated, requited, interactive,
complementary: I love her and I hope that the feeling is
mutual. 2 common, communal, joint, shared: Gerald is our
mutual friend.
mysterious
adj. 1 puzzling, enigmatic, baffling, insoluble, unsolvable,
bewildering, confounding, confusing, perplexing, mystifying,
weird, bizarre, strange, uncanny, curious: A mysterious force
makes the saucer rise off the ground and fly at incredible
speeds. 2 cryptic, arcane, secret, inscrutable, covert, hidden,
furtive, unclear, dark, concealed, occult, inexplicable,
incomprehensible, mystic(al), unknown, unfathomable, mystical,
recondite, abstruse: It is mysterious how the agency
accomplishes its ends.
mystery n. 1 puzzle, enigma, conundrum, riddle, question: How he
escaped from the locked room is a mystery. 2 obscurity,
secrecy, indefiniteness, vagueness, nebulousness, ambiguity,
ambiguousness, inscrutability, inscrutableness: The identity of
the beautiful lady in the green dress is shrouded in mystery. 3
detective story or novel, murder (story), Colloq whodunit:
Joel, who once fancied himself an intellectual, now reads
nothing but mysteries.
mystical adj. 1 allegorical, symbolic(al), mystic, cabbalistic, arcane,
unrevealed, secret, occult, supernatural, esoteric,
other-worldly, preternatural, cryptic, concealed, hidden,
clandestine, private, veiled, ineffable, mysterious: A mystical
spirit dwells in the raven that sits on his shoulder. 2 See
mysterious, 2, above.
mystify v. fool, hoax, humbug, confuse, confound, mix up, bewilder,
stump, puzzle, baffle, Colloq bamboozle, stump, flummox, Slang
beat: We were totally mystified by the unfamiliar symbols on
the wall.
mystique n. mystery, magic, charisma, aura, inscrutability,
supernaturalism, preternaturalism, strangeness: She has a
certain mystique about her.
myth n. 1 legend, fable, allegory, parable, tradition, saga, epic,
(folk) tale, story, mythos; history: The ancient myths have
provided sources for much of modern literature. 2 fable, lie,
(tall) tale, fib, prevarication, fiction, untruth, falsehood,
fabrication, cock-and-bull story, Colloq whopper: He told her
some myth about his being a multimillionaire and she believed
it.
mythical adj. 1 mythic, mythological, fabled, legendary, traditional,
folkloric, storied, romantic, fairy-tale, story-book;
allegorical, symbolic, parabolic(al): Campbell has demonstrated
astounding similarities amongst the mythical tales of unrelated
cultures. 2 mythic, fanciful, imaginary, fictitious,
make-believe, made-up, chimerical, untrue: When she was about
seven, my daughter had a mythical friend named Theodosia.
mythology n. (body of ..) myths, folklore, tradition, lore, stories,
mythos: After only one generation, an extraordinary mythology
has been created about Marilyn Monroe.