file:///E|/eMule/Incoming/Oxford%20Thesaurus,%20dictionary%20of%20synonyms.txt/Oxford%20Thesaurus,%20dictionary%20of%20synonyms.txt

The Oxford Thesaurus

An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms

INTRO Introduction

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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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Title Page TITLE

Edition Notice EDITION

Introduction INTRO

Table of Contents CONTENTS

A 1.0

abandon... 1.1

academic... 1.2

adapt... 1.3

aesthete... 1.4

affair... 1.5

age... 1.6

ahead 1.7

aid... 1.8

akin 1.9

alarm... 1.10

amalgam... 1.11

anachronism... 1.12

apart... 1.13

arbitrary... 1.14

ashamed... 1.15

atmosphere... 1.16

audacious... 1.17

available... 1.18

awake... 1.19

B 2.0

babble... 2.1

beach... 2.2

bias... 2.3

blab... 2.4

board... 2.5

brace... 2.6

bubble 2.7

by... 2.8

C 3.0

cab... 3.1

cease... 3.2

chafe... 3.3

circle... 3.4

claim... 3.5

coach... 3.6

crack... 3.7

cuddle... 3.8

cycle 3.9

D 4.0

dab... 4.1

dead... 4.2

diabolic... 4.3

dock... 4.4

drab... 4.5

duck... 4.6

dwarf... 4.7

dying... 4.8

E 5.0

eager... 5.1

ebb... 5.2

eccentric... 5.3

eddy... 5.4

eerie 5.5

effect... 5.6

egoistic... 5.7

eject... 5.8

elaborate... 5.9

emaciated... 5.10

enable... 5.11

epicure... 5.12

equable... 5.13

era... 5.14

escape... 5.15

etch... 5.16

eulogize... 5.17

evacuate... 5.18

exact... 5.19

eye... 5.20

F 6.0

fabric... 6.1

fear... 6.2

fianc‚(e)... 6.3

flabby... 6.4

foam... 6.5

fracas... 6.6

fuel 6.7

G 7.0

gab... 7.1

gear... 7.2

ghastly... 7.3

giant... 7.4

glad... 7.5

gnarled... 7.6

go... 7.7

grab... 7.8

guarantee 7.9

gyrate 7.10

H 8.0

habit... 8.1

head... 8.2

hidden 8.3

hoard... 8.4

hub... 8.5

hybrid... 8.6

I 9.0

icing... 9.1

idea... 9.2

ignorance... 9.3

ill... 9.4

image... 9.5

inability... 9.6

irk... 9.7

island... 9.8

itch... 9.9

J 10.0

jab... 10.1

jealous... 10.2

jiggle... 10.3

job... 10.4

judge... 10.5

K 11.0

keen... 11.1

kick... 11.2

knack... 11.3

kowtow 11.4

kudos 11.5

L 12.0

label... 12.1

lead... 12.2

liability... 12.3

load... 12.4

luck... 12.5

lying... 12.6

M 13.0

macabre... 13.1

meadow... 13.2

microbe... 13.3

moan... 13.4

muck... 13.5

mysterious... 13.6

N 14.0

nab... 14.1

near... 14.2

nice... 14.3

nobility... 14.4

nub... 14.5

O 15.0

oar... 15.1

obedience... 15.2

occasion... 15.3

odd... 15.4

off... 15.5

ogle... 15.6

oil... 15.7

OK 15.8

old... 15.9

omen... 15.10

once... 15.11

ooze 15.12

opacity... 15.13

oracle... 15.14

oscillate... 15.15

otherwise 15.16

out... 15.17

oval... 15.18

owe... 15.19

P 16.0

pace... 16.1

peace... 16.2

phantom... 16.3

pick... 16.4

place... 16.5

pocket... 16.6

practicable... 16.7

pseudonym... 16.8

pub... 16.9

Q 17.0

quack... 17.1

R 18.0

rabble... 18.1

reach... 18.2

rhapsodic... 18.3

ribaldry... 18.4

road... 18.5

rub... 18.6

S 19.0

sabotage... 19.1

scale... 19.2

sea... 19.3

shabby... 19.4

sick... 19.5

sketchily... 19.6

slab... 19.7

small... 19.8

snack... 19.9

soak... 19.10

space... 19.11

squad... 19.12

stab... 19.13

suave... 19.14

swagger... 19.15

sybarite... 19.16

T 20.0

tab... 20.1

teach... 20.2

thank... 20.3

tickle... 20.4

toast... 20.5

trace... 20.6

tug... 20.7

tweak... 20.8

tycoon... 20.9

U 21.0

ugly 21.1

ulcer... 21.2

umbrage... 21.3

unabashed... 21.4

upbeat... 21.5

urge... 21.6

usage... 21.7

Utopia... 21.8

V 22.0

vacancy... 22.1

vehicle... 22.2

viable... 22.3

vocalist... 22.4

vulgar... 22.5

W 23.0

wad... 23.1

weak... 23.2

wheedle... 23.3

wicked... 23.4

woe... 23.5

wrap... 23.6

Y 24.0

yank... 24.1

yearly... 24.2

yield... 24.3

young... 24.4

yucky... 24.5

Z 25.0

zany... 25.1

zealot... 25.2

zone... 25.3

1.0 A

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1.1 abandon...

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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.

1.2 academic...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

accidental

adj. chance, fortuitous, lucky, unlucky, serendipitous;

undesigned, unpremeditated, uncalculated, unintended,

unintentional, unwitting, inadvertent; unexpected, unplanned,

unforeseen, unanticipated, adventitious; casual, random: Our

meeting was entirely accidental.

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.

1.3 adapt...

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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?

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.

1.4 aesthete...

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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.

1.5 affair...

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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.

affectý 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.

1.6 age...

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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.

1.7 ahead

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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.

1.8 aid...

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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.

1.9 akin

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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.

1.10 alarm...

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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 œ100 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.

1.11 amalgam...

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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.

1.12 anachronism...

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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.

angleý 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.

1.13 apart...

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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.

1.14 arbitrary...

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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.

1.15 ashamed...

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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.

1.16 atmosphere...

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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 fˆte 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 chƒteau-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.

1.17 audacious...

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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.

1.18 available...

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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?

1.19 awake...

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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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2.1 babble...

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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.

bandý 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 œ100 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.

baseý 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, mˆl‚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.

2.2 beach...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 180ø.

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.

betterý 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.

2.3 bias...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 œ500

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.

billý 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.

2.4 blab...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

bloodthirsty

adj. murderous, homicidal, savage, feral, cruel, ruthless,

pitiless, vicious, brutal, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, Formal

sanguinary, Literary fell: Bloodthirsty pirates had slaughtered

the whole crew.

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.

blowý 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.

bluffý 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.

2.5 board...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

boilý 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.

boreý 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, derriŠre, 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.

boundý 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‚bƒcle, 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 œ50 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.

bowlý 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.

boxý 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.

2.6 brace...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 œ20,000. 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, mˆl‚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 compŠre 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.

brooký 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, confrŠre, 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.

brushý 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.

2.7 bubble

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, derriŠre, 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.

buttý 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, derriŠre, 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 boutonniŠre: 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 œ2,000, 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.

2.8 by...

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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

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3.1 cab...

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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?

campý 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.

capeý 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.

caseý 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,

chƒteau: 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.

3.2 cease...

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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, fˆte, 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.

3.3 chafe...

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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, tˆte-…-tˆte, 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, crŠme de la crŠme: 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.

3.4 circle...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

3.5 claim...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 grƒce, 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.

clipý 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.

3.6 coach...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, confrŠre: 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, confrŠre, 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, premiŠre: 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, confrŠre, 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,

confrŠre, 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.

contentý 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; tˆte-…-tˆte, 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.

3.7 crack...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

3.8 cuddle...

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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.

3.9 cycle

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cycle n. 1 round, rotation, circle, course; series, sequence, run,

succession, pattern: We must learn to break the continuous

cycles of war and peace.

--v. 2 recur, return, rotate, recycle, circle: The water from

the fountain is cycled back to the reservoir.

4.0 D

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4.1 dab...

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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 œ50. 3 damages. compensation,

reparation, indemnity: We won the suit and were awarded damages

of œ10,000 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.

4.2 dead...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 premiŠre, 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.

deferý 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.

desertý 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.

4.3 diabolic...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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,

tˆte-…-tˆte, 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 F•hrer: 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.

dietý 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.

dignified adj. stately, noble, majestic, formal, solemn, serious, sober,

grave, distinguished, honourable, distingu‚, elegant, august,

sedate, reserved; regal, courtly, lordly, lofty, exalted, grand:

Despite the abuse, he maintained a dignified demeanour.

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‚bƒcle, 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, mˆl‚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, mˆl‚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.

4.4 dock...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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‚bƒcle, 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.

4.5 drab...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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,

portiŠre, 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 couturiŠre, 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.

4.6 duck...

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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.

4.7 dwarf...

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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.

4.8 dying...

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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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5.1 eager...

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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 œ10,000

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.

easygoing adj. relaxed, casual, mellow, carefree, undemanding, easy,

even-tempered, forbearing, lenient, tolerant, permissive,

over-tolerant, over-permissive, lax, weak, Colloq wishy-washy,

laid-back: He's an easygoing sort of person.

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.

5.2 ebb...

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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.

5.3 eccentric...

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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.

5.4 eddy...

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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.

5.5 eerie

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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.

5.6 effect...

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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.

5.7 egoistic...

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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.

5.8 eject...

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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.

5.9 elaborate...

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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, crŠme de la

crŠme, 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.

5.10 emaciated...

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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.

5.11 enable...

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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.

enchanting

adj. beguiling, bewitching, entrancing, spellbinding, charming,

fascinating, captivating, intriguing, enthralling, alluring,

delightful, hypnotic, attractive, appealing, winsome, ravishing,

seductive: Caesar found Cleopatra utterly enchanting.

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'ˆtre,

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 D•rer 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.

entranceý 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 scŠne, 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.

5.12 epicure...

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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.

5.13 equable...

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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.

5.14 era...

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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.

5.15 escape...

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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 cortŠge, 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 œ10,000. 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.

5.16 etch...

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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'.

5.17 eulogize...

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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'.

5.18 evacuate...

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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.

5.19 exact...

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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.

5.20 eye...

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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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6.1 fabric...

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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, tˆte-…-tˆte,

… 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.

fairý n. fˆte, 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.

fastý 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.

6.2 fear...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, bˆte 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, fˆte, 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 œ25. 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, fˆte, feast, commemoration,

anniversary: He wanted to be with his family for the Christmas

festival. 2 celebration, fˆte, 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.

fˆte 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 fˆte 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

fˆted 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.

6.3 fianc‚(e)...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, mˆl‚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.

fineý 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 grƒce, 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.

fitý 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.

6.4 flabby...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

flagý 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.

flagrant adj. blatant, brazen, bold, barefaced, audacious, arrant,

glaring, outrageous, shocking, shameless, scandalous, atrocious,

infamous, notorious, defiant, egregious, obvious, conspicuous,

open, complete, out-and-out, utter, flagitious, monstrous,

heinous, cruel, villainous, treacherous, nefarious, awful,

gross, rank, inconsiderate, scornful, contemptuous;

reprehensible; contemptible: Speeding shows a flagrant

disregard for the safety of others.

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.

--v. 4 burn, blaze, flame, flare, burst (out), dazzle, spark,

sparkle, coruscate, fulgurate, glitter, twinkle, flicker,

scintillate, shimmer, glimmer, gleam, beam, glare, shine: The

light flashed every eight seconds. 5 race, speed, dash, streak,

flick, tear, rush, hurry, hasten, fly, zoom, shoot, bolt,

whistle; run, sprint, dart, scuttle, scamper, Colloq scoot,

skedaddle, take off, whiz or whizz: The train flashed by, doing

about 100.

--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.

fleetý 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.

flightý 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‚bƒcle: 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‚bƒcle, 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, crŠme de la crŠme, 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.

flushý 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.

6.5 foam...

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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.

foilý 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.

forecast v. 1 predict, foretell, prophesy, prognosticate, foresee,

augur, presage, vaticinate, anticipate; forewarn, calculate:

Seers forecast coming events; meteorologists forecast the

weather.

--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 LemaŒtre.

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'ˆtre, 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.

founderý 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.

6.6 fracas...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, mˆl‚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, mˆl‚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.

frayý 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, confrŠre, 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.

frightful adj. 1 See frightening. 2 awful, dreadful, terrible,

disagreeable, atrocious, abhorrent, loathsome, grisly, ghastly,

lurid, macabre, horrible, horrifying, horrid, horrendous, nasty,

hideous, vile, unspeakable, nauseating, nauseous, repugnant,

repulsive, shocking, revolting, abominable, offensive, ugly:

Brixton police report a frightful crime of decapitation.

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.

6.7 fuel

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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'ˆtre,

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.

7.0 G

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7.1 gab...

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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.

gagý 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 fˆte 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.

gallý 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.

7.2 gear...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, crŠme de la crŠme, 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, Šlite, aristocracy,

landed gentry, gentlefolk, upper class(es) or strata, cream,

crŠme de la crŠme; 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.

7.3 ghastly...

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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.

7.4 giant...

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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.

gifted adj. talented, able, skilled, capable, skilful, outstanding,

excellent, superior, superb, brilliant, expert, master,

masterful, masterly, virtuoso, first-class, first-rate,

top-drawer, top-flight, good, Colloq top-notch, ace,

crackerjack, crack: Grants are available for gifted, indigent

artists.

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.

gingerly adv. 1 warily, cautiously, charily, carefully, delicately,

fastidious, daintily, squeamishly, tentatively, nervously,

cannily, circumspectly, guardedly, watchfully, timidly,

timorously, shyly: Handle that nitroglycerine very gingerly.

--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?

7.5 glad...

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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.

glossý 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.

7.6 gnarled...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

7.7 go...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

goreý 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.

7.8 grab...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

graftý 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 œ12,467.22. 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.

graveý 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.

7.9 guarantee

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

7.10 gyrate

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gyrate v. rotate, spin, revolve, turn (round or about), whirl, twirl,

swirl, pirouette; swivel: The dancers were gyrating to the

deafening music.

8.0 H

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8.1 habit...

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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.

hacký 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.

--adj. 4 hackneyed, trite, banal, overdone, commonplace,

routine, stereotyped, stock, tired, tedious, mediocre,

overworked, stale, unoriginal, run-of-the-mill, humdrum,

moth-eaten, mouldy, Colloq old hat: Haverstock keeps publishing

hack romances.

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.

hailý 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.

hamperý 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.

8.2 head...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

heelý 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, premiŠre 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.

8.3 hidden

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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.

hideý 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.

8.4 hoard...

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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, fˆte 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, compŠre, 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.

hostý 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'.

8.5 hub...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

8.6 hybrid...

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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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9.1 icing...

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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.

9.2 idea...

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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'ˆtre: 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, flƒnerie, 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.

9.3 ignorance...

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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.

9.4 ill...

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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.

9.5 image...

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image n. 1 likeness, representation, picture, sculpture, statue,

effigy, figure, portrait, simulacrum; icon or ikon, idol, graven

image, fetish, tiki: Images of Bol¡var 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.

9.6 inability...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

inane adj. silly, asinine, vapid, vacant, vacuous, absurd, fatuous,

foolish, senseless, nonsensical, unreasonable, preposterous,

ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, mad, lunatic, crazy,

stupid, dumb, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, Colloq nutty, nuts,

daft, daffy, screwy, batty, dippy, wacky, cuckoo, loony, goofy,

Brit bonkers, dotty: Students seem especially prone to inane

behaviour.

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.

incandescent

adj. glowing, red-hot, white-hot, alight, aflame, flaming,

burning, fiery, candent, flaring: Light-bulbs contain an

incandescent filament.

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.

inconsequential

adj. unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, nugatory,

inconsiderable, inappreciable, negligible, minor, paltry, petty,

immaterial, slight, lightweight, worthless, Colloq piddling:

Why dwell on inconsequential details?

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 22øC. 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 67øC.

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.

intelligible

adj. understandable, comprehensible, fathomable, decipherable,

legible, clear, plain, lucid, unambiguous: Crowther's notes are

barely intelligible.

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 œ40,000 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, tˆte-…-tˆte, 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, confrŠre, 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.

intimateý 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.

invalidý 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.

9.7 irk...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

9.8 island...

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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‚lŠbre: 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.

9.9 itch...

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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?

10.0 J

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10.1 jab...

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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, fˆte, 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.

jarý 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.

10.2 jealous...

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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.

10.3 jiggle...

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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.

10.4 job...

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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.

10.5 judge...

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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.

11.0 K

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11.1 keen...

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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.

keený 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.

11.2 kick...

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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 grƒce, 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 grƒce; 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.

kindý 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?

11.3 knack...

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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 œ1000 watch is selling

for œ50.

knockout n. 1 coup de grƒce, 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.

11.4 kowtow

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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.

11.5 kudos

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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.

12.0 L

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12.1 label...

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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.

lapý 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.

lashý 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.

lastý 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.

layý 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.

12.2 lead...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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, premiŠre 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.

leaný 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!

leaveý 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.

letý 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.

12.3 liability...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 M•nchhausen, 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.

lieý 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.

lightý 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.

lightený 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.

likeý 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.

limpý 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 cortŠge, 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.

lineý 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.

listý 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.

12.4 load...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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!

loafý 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, flƒneur, 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.

locký 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.

longý 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, tˆte-…-tˆte; 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 BohŠme 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.

lowý 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.

lowerý 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.

12.5 luck...

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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.

lumpý 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.

lurchý 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.

12.6 lying...

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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.

13.0 M

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13.1 macabre...

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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 œ25 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 œ1000 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 cortŠge,

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, piŠce 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 œ2000.

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.

13.2 meadow...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

meaný 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.

meetý 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 BohŠme ? 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.

13.3 microbe...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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 34ø 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 chƒteau 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 maŒtre 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.

minuteý 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.

missý 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.

13.4 moan...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

modeý 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, crŠme de la crŠme, 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

compŠre, 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.

moorý 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, arriŠre 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.

mouldý 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.

13.5 muck...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

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.

muscular adj. sinewy, brawny, burly, powerful, powerfully built,

strapping, rugged, husky, robust, athletic, sturdy,

well-muscled, broad-shouldered: We all envied Nick's muscular

physique.

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.

13.6 mysterious...

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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.

14.0 N

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

14.1 nab...

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nab v. catch, capture, arrest, put or place under arrest, seize,

apprehend, pick up, bring in, take into custody, Colloq pinch,

collar, run in, nail, Brit nick: They finally nabbed that cat

burglar in Hampstead.

nag° v. 1 Sometimes, nag at. annoy, irritate, irk, pester,

criticize, ride, scold, carp (at), upbraid, badger, harass,

harry, vex, henpeck, torment, hector, pick at, goad, pick on,

find fault with, berate, nettle, bully, provoke, plague, worry,

bother, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy, Colloq needle: He nags

her day and night about going on a diet.

--n. 2 scold, harpy, pest, shrew, virago, termagant, fishwife:

You certainly can be a terrible nag, can't you?

nagý n. jade, Rosinante; horse, hack, pony, dobbin, racehorse,

Thoroughbred, Slang gee-gee, US hayburner, plug, bangtail,

gee-gee: That old nag wouldn't be able to clear the fence.

nagging adj. distressing, chronic, continuous, continual, persistent,

unrelenting, relentless, recurring: He complains of a nagging

pain in his shoulder. I have a nagging feeling that I have an

appointment to be somewhere.

nail n. 1 fastener, fastening, spike, pin: The pieces were held

together by several nails. 2 fingernail, toenail, claw, talon:

The detective found some fibres under the victim's nails. 3

bite one's nails. worry, agonize, fret, lose sleep (over),

chafe, suffer, Colloq stew (over or about): Carl is biting his

nails over the result of his cholesterol test. 4 hard or tough

as nails. a tough, vigorous, hardy: After years of

mountain-climbing, Ren‚ is as hard as nails. b cold,

unsentimental, unsympathetic, unfeeling: The boss, as hard as

nails, doesn't care what you sacrifice to get the job done. 5

hit the nail on the head. be accurate, be correct, be precise,

be right, put (one's) finger on it: When you said they were

fools, you really hit the nail on the head. 6 on the nail.

immediately, at once, straight or right away, promptly, without

delay, on the spot, Colloq US on the barrel-head: He has always

paid his bills right on the nail.

--v. 7 attach, secure, join, pin, tack, clinch or clench;

fasten, fix, focus, rivet, glue: The door to the mysterious

room was nailed shut. His eyes were nailed to the pressure

gauge. 8 See nab, above. 9 hit, strike; punch; shoot: She

nailed him with a left hook and he sank like a stone. 10 nail

down. settle, secure, resolve, complete, conclude, make final;

finalize: Let's celebrate: I nailed down the order for 10,000

air-conditioning units.

na‹ve adj. naive or na‹f, ingenuous, innocent, credulous, childlike,

born yesterday, unaffected, unsophisticated, inexperienced,

green, unworldly, unsuspecting, unenlightened, unsuspicious,

trusting, trustful, gullible, artless, guileless, simple,

simplistic, simple-minded, unpretentious, unpretending, candid,

natural: Is Chatterley na‹ve enough to believe that the

gamekeeper's meetings with his wife were to discuss fox-hunting?

na‹vety n. naivety, na‹vet‚ or na‹vet‚, ingenuousness, innocence,

credulity, credulousness, inexperience, (blind) trust,

gullibility, artlessness, callowness, guilelessness, simplicity,

unpretentiousness, candour, naturalness, frankness, openness,

sincerity: I hope that no one takes advantage of her na‹vety.

naked adj. 1 stark naked, unclothed, undraped, bare, exposed,

stripped, undressed, unclad, uncovered, bared, nude, in the

nude, Colloq in the altogether, in one's birthday suit, in the

buff, in the raw, au naturel, in a state of nature, Brit

starkers, in the nuddy: The two of them stood there, completely

naked. 2 unaided, unassisted: Stars of the seventh magnitude

or brighter are visible to the naked eye. 3 plain, unadorned,

unembellished, stark, overt, patent, obvious, conspicuous,

manifest, sheer, undisguised, unvarnished, unmitigated, evident,

palpable, unconcealed, in plain sight or view, blatant,

barefaced, undeniable, glaring, flagrant, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, unalloyed, unmixed, blunt, unadulterated, pure:

He told her the naked truth about how he felt. 4 unsheathed,

unprotected, bare, exposed: How dare he show a naked sword in

the presence of the Emperor?!

name n. 1 designation, label, appellation, term, tag, style, Colloq

moniker or monicker, handle: His name is Chauncy but they call

him Rusty. 2 reputation; repute, honour, esteem, (high) regard,

respect, rank, standing, rating, pre-eminence, superiority,

eminence, notability, prominence, prestige, favour, distinction,

renown, fame, popularity, celebrity: She has made a name for

herself as a clever business executive. He thinks he has to

protect his name as a ladies' man. 3 personage, somebody,

celebrity, star, superstar, hero, VIP, dignitary, luminary,

Colloq big shot, bigwig, big cheese, big name: The programme

included some well-known names in the entertainment world.

--v. 4 label, tag, style, entitle; call, dub, christen,

baptize: They named their book 'The Alien Tongue'. Why would

people want to name their child 'Quercus'? 5 choose, elect,

select, delegate, nominate, designate, appoint; identify,

denominate, pinpoint, specify: She has been named 'Woman of the

Year'. I asked her to name our wedding day. She refuses to name

her attacker. 6 name names. identify, specify, mention, cite:

In exchange for a lighter sentence, the witness agreed to name

names.

nameless adj. 1 unnamed, innominate, unidentified, anonymous,

pseudonymous, incognito, unknown, unheard-of, unsung: How much

we owe the nameless inventor of the wheel! 2 inexpressible,

indefinable, unidentifiable, unspecified, unspecifiable: A

nameless dread seized him as he entered the cave. 3 ineffable,

unutterable, unspeakable, unmentionable, abominable, horrible,

indescribable, repulsive: Paganism allowed man to sink beneath

a flood of nameless sensualities.

namely adv. specifically, to wit, that is (to say), id est, i.e.,

videlicet, viz., scilicet, sc.; for example, for instance,

exempli gratia, e.g. or eg or eg.: We visited three countries,

namely, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

nap° v. 1 doze, nod (off), catnap, Colloq catch forty winks, drop

off (to sleep), get some shut-eye, snooze, zizz, US catch or log

a few zees (Z's): I nap every afternoon.

--adv. 2 napping. unawares, off guard, unexpectedly, in an

unguarded moment: The ball, hit to his backhand, caught him

napping.

--n. 3 doze, catnap, siesta, Colloq forty winks, shut-eye,

snooze, zizz, Brit lie-down: Take a short nap before dinner.

napý n. pile, fibre, texture, weave, down, shag: Choose a carpet

with a short nap for areas of heavy wear.

narcotic adj. 1 soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, somnolent,

sleep-inducing, opiate, dulling, numbing, anaesthetic,

stupefacient, stupefying, stupefactive, tranquillizing, Lethean:

Most narcotic drugs may be sold only with a doctor's

prescription.

--n. 2 drug, soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, opiate,

anaesthetic, stupefacient, tranquillizer: Many doctors are

reluctant to prescribe narcotics.

narrate v. relate, tell, recount, report, give an account (of), recite,

rehearse, repeat, review, unfold, chronicle, describe, detail,

reveal, retail: She narrated a bone-chilling story of intrigue

and murder. Please narrate the events leading up to your finding

the body, Mrs Easton.

narration n. 1 telling, relating, unfolding, recounting, chronicling,

recording, describing; report, recital, recitation, rehearsal,

relation, chronicle, description, portrayal, detailing,

revelation, story, tale, narrative: His narration was

accompanied by nervous gestures. Her narration disagrees with

her husband's in certain essential respects. 2 reading,

voice-over: The narration did not seem to be coordinated with

the pictures on the screen.

narrative n. 1 story, tale, chronicle, description, revelation,

portrayal, account, report, record, history, recital, statement:

The characterizations were poor, but the narrative was

fascinating.

--adj. 2 storytelling, chronicling, anecdotal: One of her

long, narrative poems has been published in a collection.

narrator n. reporter, storyteller, raconteur, taleteller, teller of

tales, anecdotist or anecdotalist, relator, annalist,

chronicler, describer, author; voice-over: We sat spellbound

waiting for the narrator to continue.

narrow adj. 1 constricted, slender, slim, thin, restricted,

straitened, attenuated, narrowed; narrowing, tapering: We

squeezed through the narrow passage to freedom. 2 confined,

confining, limited, cramped, close, meagre, pinched, tight,

incommodious: I awoke in a cell so narrow I could scarcely

move. 3 strict, careful, close, precise, exact, exacting,

demanding, finicky, finical, sharp, meticulous, scrupulous,

fussy, rigid, searching, critical: The suspected forgeries were

submitted to the narrow scrutiny of several experts. 4

restricted, limited, circumscribed, proscribed, denotative: I

learnt the meaning of charity in its narrowest sense. 5 See

narrow-minded, below. 6 close, hairbreadth, lucky: I'd had a

very narrow escape, for the bullet just grazed my scalp. 7

stingy, niggardly, parsimonious, miserly, tight, sparing,

tight-fisted, mean, mercenary Brit mingy, Dialectal near, Colloq

close: He was so narrow he barely allowed himself the

essentials.

--v. 8 constrict, limit, qualify, reduce, lessen, diminish,

decrease: She narrowed her chances of winning by buying only

one lottery ticket. 9 limit, restrict, focus, confine,

concentrate, narrow down: They have narrowed the search for the

boy to the area near Chester.

--n. 10 narrows. strait(s), channel, passage: The vessel

approached the narrows at dead slow speed.

narrowly adv. 1 barely, (only) just, scarcely, hardly, by a hair's

breadth; by the skin of one's teeth, Colloq by a whisker: The

speeding lorry narrowly missed those children. 2 closely,

carefully, meticulously, scrupulously, searchingly, critically:

She regarded him narrowly before speaking.

narrow-minded

adj. bigoted, prejudiced, illiberal, narrow, biased,

opinionated, one-sided, intolerant, non-objective, conservative,

reactionary, parochial, ultra-conservative, stiff-necked,

conventional, hidebound, fundamentalist, literal-minded,

narrow-spirited, mean-minded, mean-spirited, petty,

pettifogging, small-minded, puritanical, unprogressive,

old-fashioned, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, strait-laced, Colloq

stuffy, US close-minded, square, screed-bound, red-necked: The

vote reflected a reasonable balance between broad-minded and

narrow-minded factions.

nasty adj. 1 foul, filthy, dirty, unclean, offensive, disgusting,

nauseating, revolting, horrible, loathsome, repugnant,

repellent, vile, odious, obnoxious, objectionable, nauseous,

sickening, vomit-provoking, fetid or foetid, noisome, mephitic,

rank, malodorous, rancid, noxious: The nasty stench of rotting

vegetation assailed our nostrils. 2 unpleasant, disagreeable,

unsavoury, painful, objectionable, annoying, untoward, awkward,

difficult, bad, serious: Lord Petherbridge had some very nasty

experiences in the war. 3 obscene, dirty, pornographic, blue,

smutty, lewd, vulgar, sordid, indecent, licentious, gross,

coarse, crude, rude, ribald, bawdy, risqu‚, off colour,

suggestive, Colloq X-rated, raunchy: The shops are selling some

rather nasty videos that I don't want the children to watch. 4

unpleasant, disagreeable, ugly, bad-tempered, vicious, currish,

surly, abusive, spiteful, irascible, ill-natured, ill-tempered,

cruel, inconsiderate, rude, churlish, obnoxious, crotchety,

curmudgeonly, cantankerous, crabbed, cranky, US and Canadian

mean: Why is your father so nasty to everyone who wants to go

out with you? 5 bad, severe, acute, painful, serious; dangerous,

critical: I got a nasty shock when I opened the cupboard door.

That's a nasty wound you have there.

nation n. country, state, land, political entity, polity, domain,

realm: The countries of Europe are unlikely to become one

nation.

national adj. 1 nationwide, country-wide, state, governmental, civil;

public, popular, US federal: It took years to enact national

clean-air laws. 2 nationalistic, nationalist, patriotic,

jingoistic, chauvinistic: During the war, national feelings ran

high.

--n. 3 citizen, subject, inhabitant, resident; native:

Stephenson left England years ago and is now an Australian

national.

nationalistic

adj. nationalist, patriotic, jingoist(ic), chauvinist(ic),

xenophobic, isolationist: As communications improved,

nationalistic feelings were eroded.

nationality

n. 1 citizenship: Some countries allow their citizens dual

nationality. 2 race, nation, ethnic group, ethnos, clan, tribe;

strain, stock, pedigree, heritage, roots, extraction, bloodline,

breed: The country became a melting-pot of myriad

nationalities.

native adj. 1 innate, natal, inborn, natural, inherent, congenital,

indwelling, inherited, hereditary, in the blood, intrinsic,

constitutional: Early in life, Carla demonstrated a native

ability for music. 2 domestic, local, home-grown; indigenous,

autochthonous, aboriginal: The native oysters in this area are

superb. 3 basic, first, best, original, exclusive: Can you

tell that my native language is Hungarian? 4 national, ethnic,

clan, tribal: We visited a Dutch town where the people wear

traditional native dress. 5 aboriginal, provincial, local: We

soon fell in with the native custom of taking a siesta. 6 born;

by birth: Are you a native Glaswegian?

--n. 7 aborigine, indigene, autochthon; national, citizen,

resident, inhabitant: It is not difficult to distinguish the

natives from the tourists in London.

natural adj. 1 ordinary, common, commonplace, normal, standard,

regular, usual, customary, unexceptional, routine, habitual,

typical, everyday; reasonable, logical, reasonable, sensible,

accepted: They say that Count Dracula could not die a natural

death. The natural thing to do in case of attack is to defend

oneself. 2 normal, ordinary, regular, expected; spontaneous:

The natural motion of the waves carried the bottle out to sea.

3 simple, basic, fundamental, real, unartificial, genuine,

unembellished, unadorned, unpretentious: She has great natural

beauty and needs no cosmetics. 4 unstudied, unconstrained,

candid, frank, spontaneous, unaffected, easy, honest, straight,

straightforward, artless, guileless, impulsive, unpremeditated,

unaffected, ingenuous, unsophisticated, unsophistic(al): His

kindness is quite natural. 5 See native, 1, above: She has a

natural gift for painting. 6 true, real, genuine, actual,

authentic, bona fide: That, believe it or not, is his natural

hair. 7 lifelike, true to life, realistic: Note the natural

colours of the sea in this painting by Whistler. 8

illegitimate, bastard: He was the duke's natural son and had no

claim on the estate. 9 consistent, consonant, consequent,

logical, reasonable, fitting, appropriate, proper, expected, not

incongruous, understandable: In the circumstances, it would

have been natural for her to despise Jonathan. 10 organic,

organically grown, non-chemical, health: They eat only natural

foods, which they grow themselves.

--n. 11 genius, artist, talent: When it comes to chess, Boris

is a natural. 12 Archaic idiot, imbecile, simpleton, fool,

halfwit: One would have to be a natural to give money to that

crook.

naturally adv. 1 (as a matter) of course, needless to say, to be sure,

certainly, surely, not unexpectedly, as expected or anticipated,

obviously, clearly, logically, consequently, as a consequence or

result: He treated her badly, so, naturally, she refuses to see

him again. 2 normally, by nature, by character, really,

actually, genuinely; inherently, instinctively, innately,

congenitally: My hair is naturally curly. He is not aloof, just

naturally shy. 3 unaffectedly, unpretentiously, easily,

candidly, openly, simply, plainly, honestly, straightforwardly,

uncomplicatedly: If only politicians expressed themselves

naturally and not pompously.

nature n. 1 quality, properties, features, character, personality,

make-up, essence, constitution, identity, attributes,

disposition, temperament, complexion: Only detailed analysis

will reveal the nature of this compound. It is not in his

nature to be envious. 2 universe, cosmos, world, creation,

environment: Science fiction deals with phenomena and

contrivances that defy the laws of nature. 3 scenery,

countryside, wildness, primitiveness, simplicity: I often

enjoyed sitting by the river, communing with nature. 4 kind,

variety, description, sort, class, category, type, genre,

species; stamp, cast, mould, feather, kidney, colour, stripe:

The duties of the position are largely of a ceremonial nature.

5 by nature. See naturally, 2, above.

naught n. nought, nothing, nil, zero, aught or ought; ruin,

destruction, disaster, collapse, failure: All my efforts had

come to naught.

naughty adj. 1 mischievous, impish, puckish, roguish, scampish,

devilish; frolicsome, playful: The children would get naughty

the minute the teacher turned her back to the class. 2

disobedient, refractory, insubordinate, bad, perverse, wicked,

fractious, unruly, wayward, unmanageable, ungovernable,

undisciplined, defiant, obstreperous: Naughty pupils in this

school are birched. 3 improper, offensive, vulgar, indecent,

immoral, risqu‚, off colour, ribald, bawdy, blue, pornographic,

smutty, lewd, obscene, dirty, Colloq X-rated, raunchy: The

teacher caught Keith reading a naughty book.

nauseate v. sicken, disgust, repel, revolt, offend: Your hypocrisy

nauseates me. When you get used to it, eating snails no longer

seems nauseating.

nauseated adj. sickened, disgusted, repelled, revolted, offended, sick

(to one's stomach), queasy, squeamish; seasick, carsick,

airsick: They were nauseated when they saw the cadavers. I

became nauseated by the rocking of the boat.

nauseous adj. nauseating, loathsome, sickening, disgusting, repellent,

vomit-provoking, offensive, revolting, repugnant, repulsive,

abhorrent, nasty, foul, unpleasant, stomach-turning, Technical

emetic: A nauseous odour emanated from the crypt.

nautical adj. maritime, marine, seafaring, seagoing; naval; boating,

yachting, sailing; navigational: Britain has always been a

nautical nation. One must observe the nautical rules of the

road.

navel n. Technical umbilicus, omphalos, Colloq belly button: The

dancer wore a ruby in her navel.

navigable adj. 1 passable, traversable, negotiable, unblocked,

unobstructed, clear: The Thames is not navigable above

Lechlade. 2 manoeuvrable, sailable, controllable, steerable,

yare: My boat is navigable when under way at about four knots.

navigate v. 1 sail, voyage, cruise, journey; cross, traverse: After

navigating the Indian Ocean for a month, we reached the

Seychelles. 2 manoeuvre, handle, sail, guide, pilot, steer,

direct, skipper, captain, Nautical con: It was tricky

navigating through the shoals. Richard has navigated the company

through rough waters over the years.

navigation

n. pilotage, helmsmanship, seamanship, steersmanship, steering,

sailing: The navigation of a small vessel in such a storm is no

mean task.

navigator n. pilot, helmsman, seaman, tillerman, wheelman, steersman,

skipper: The navigator without knowledge of local waterways

must engage a pilot.

navy n. fleet, flotilla, naval force(s), armada, Literary argosy:

The entire navy sailed across the Channel to Le Havre.

naysayer n. denier, refuser, disdainer, rejecter or rejector; prophet of

doom, pessimist, sceptic, dissenter, defeatist: Don't expect

any encouragement from a naysayer like Raymond.

14.2 near...

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near adv. 1 close (by or at hand), not far (off or away), nearby,

nigh, in or into the vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy)

reach: Draw near and listen to my tale. 2 close to, next to:

Don't go near the edge! 3 nearly, almost, just about, wellnigh,

close to being; not quite, virtually: She was damn near killed

in the car crash.

--adj. 4 close, imminent, immediate, impending, looming,

coming, approaching, forthcoming; in the offing, at hand: We

hope to settle the pollution problem in the near future. The

time is near for me to go. 5 nearby, close, adjacent, next-door,

close-by, adjoining, abutting, neighbouring, contiguous: My

nearest neighbours live a mile away. 6 stingy, mean, niggardly,

miserly, parsimonious, penurious, cheap, penny-pinching,

cheese-paring, selfish, close, tight-fisted, close-fisted: He

is so near he begrudged me even a cup of tea. 7 close,

intimate, connected, related, attached: In case of emergency,

list the name and address of a near relative. 8 close, narrow,

hairbreadth: Although I escaped, it was a near thing.

--prep. 9 close to, in the vicinity or neighbourhood of, next

to, adjacent to, within reach of, within a mile of; a stone's

throw from, not far (away) from: She wouldn't allow the doctor

to come near her. I live near the railway.

--v. 10 approach, draw near or nigh, come close or closer,

verge on, approximate on, lean towards: As summer nears, I

think of going on holiday. The ship neared port. His estimate is

beginning to near mine.

nearby adv. 1 close by, close at hand, not far-off or -away, in the

vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy) reach, about, around:

Hyenas loitered nearby waiting for the lions to leave the kill.

--adj. 2 close, within reach, handy, accessible, at or to hand,

adjacent: Nearby villagers helped put out the fire. We always

kept a gun nearby because of pirates.

nearly adv. 1 almost, not quite, about, approximately, all but, just

about, virtually, wellnigh, practically, as good as, more or

less; around, approaching, nearing, barely, hardly, scarcely,

close to: We were nearly there but couldn't make it. She was

nearly ninety when her first book was published. 2 closely,

identically, exactly, precisely: Her opinions agree most nearly

with his. His painting most nearly resembles Picasso's.

near-sighted

adj. 1 myopic, short-sighted: Being near-sighted, I must wear

spectacles for driving. 2 Chiefly US short-sighted,

narrow-minded, blinkered, narrow, close-minded, illiberal,

unthinking, heedless, insular, partial, one-sided, parochial,

unsophisticated, unimaginative, biased, unobjective,

opinionated, dogmatic, prejudiced, intolerant, bigoted: They

maintain a near-sighted attitude towards associating with anyone

outside their immediate clique.

neat adj. 1 tidy, orderly, clean, uncluttered, trim, spruce, natty,

fastidious, spick and span, shipshape (and Bristol fashion),

organized, well-organized, well-ordered, systematic, Brit

dialect trig, Colloq neat as a pin, Brit dinky: His room was

always neat - very odd for a teenager. 2 straight,

unadulterated, unmixed, undiluted, uncut, unblended, pure; on

the rocks: He drinks his whisky neat. 3 unembellished,

unadorned, unornamented, simple, elegant, graceful, smart,

uncomplicated, regular, precise, copperplate; calligraphic: An

invitation in her neat handwriting awaited my return from

abroad. 4 deft, adroit, clever, efficient, ingenious, expert,

practised, skilful, dexterous: He contrived a neat plan to

avoid paying taxes. 5 fine, wonderful, marvellous, great,

splendid, excellent, exceptional, capital, grand, first-class,

Colloq cool, smashing, keen, nifty, top-notch, A1 or A-1 or

A-one, Brit top-hole, Chiefly US A-OK or A-okay, Slang swell,

far-out, boss, Brit topping, US and Canadian spiffy: She found

a really neat way to get boys to ask her out. Gordon has a neat

new car.

neaten v. Often, neaten up. tidy (up), straighten (up or out), clean

(up), spruce up, (put in) order, Brit dialect trig: If you

don't neaten up your room, Mandy, you may not borrow the car.

nebulous adj. vague, hazy, clouded, unclear, obscure, indistinct, fuzzy,

muddy, ill-defined, shapeless, amorphous, blurred,

indeterminate, murky, opaque, turbid, dim, foggy, faint, pale:

He has only the most nebulous idea of what the lecture was

about.

necessarily

adv. inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, axiomatically,

inexorably, ineluctably, irresistibly, incontrovertibly,

automatically, naturally, (as a matter) of course, as a result,

certainly, surely, to be sure, like it or not, willy-nilly,

perforce, of necessity, by definition: If you accept his

premise, then you must, necessarily, accept his conclusion. You

don't necessarily need to be rich to be happy.

necessary adj. 1 indispensable, essential, required, needed, compulsory,

requisite, vital, demanded, imperative, obligatory, needful, of

the essence, important, of the utmost importance, top-priority,

high-priority, urgent, exigent, compelling, life-and-death or

life-or-death: A good diet is necessary for good health. It is

necessary that you come at once. Take the necessary steps to get

the job done. 2 inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable,

ineluctable: In the circumstances, we find it necessary to ask

for your resignation. 3 sure, certain, predetermined,

predestined, fated, inexorable; resulting, resultant: The

necessary outcome of the affair was that the child was returned

to her natural parents.

--n. 4 See necessity, 1, below.

necessity n. 1 requirement, essential, necessary, requisite, need,

prerequisite, basic, fundamental, sine qua non, desideratum,

constraint: I was marooned for a year with only the bare

necessities of life. We regard honesty as a necessity in a bank

manager. 2 indispensability, unavoidability, needfulness,

inexorability: The necessity for exercise is often met by

private health clubs. 3 poverty, want, indigence, need,

destitution, penury, straits, difficulty, difficulties,

pauperism, neediness: The extreme necessity of the unemployed

demands that the government act quickly. 4 urgency, emergency,

crisis, misfortune, exigency, pinch, extreme, matter of life and

death: She has made a virtue of necessity. Electric power is no

longer a matter of choice but of necessity.

need v. 1 require, demand, want, be in want of, call for, have need

of or for; lack, miss, have occasion for: This room needs a

coat of paint. Although she may want more money, she doesn't

need it. Do you need anything to make you more comfortable?

--n. 2 necessity, requirement; call, demand, constraint:

There's no need to shout - I can hear you. There is a need to

keep this matter confidential. This facility will meet our

electricity needs for decades. 3 essential, necessary,

requisite, prerequisite, necessity, basic, fundamental, sine qua

non, necessary, desideratum: I am perfectly capable of taking

care of my family's needs. 4 distress, difficulty, trouble,

(dire or desperate) straits, stress, emergency, exigency,

extremity, neediness, needfulness; poverty, penury,

impecuniousness, destitution, privation, deprivation, indigence,

beggary: She was very supportive in his hour of need. The need

of the people in that district is heart-rending. 5 want, lack,

dearth, shortage, paucity, scarcity, insufficiency, desideratum:

The need for medical supplies was most sharply felt in areas

that were already ravaged by famine.

needless adj. 1 unnecessary, non-essential, unessential, unneeded,

unwanted, useless, uncalled-for, gratuitous, superfluous,

redundant, excess, excessive, tautological, dispensable,

expendable, supererogatory, de trop, pleonastic: He went to a

lot of needless trouble to change the tyre. It is needless to

raise further questions. 2 needless to say. naturally, (as a

matter) of course, obviously, it goes without saying: Needless

to say, he will have to resign when this comes to light.

needy adj. poor, indigent, poverty-stricken, destitute, impoverished,

penniless, impecunious, necessitous, underprivileged, deprived,

disadvantaged, below the poverty level, in dire straits, in or

on the way to the poorhouse, in reduced circumstances,

down-and-out, insolvent, Colloq on one's uppers, dead or flat or

stony-broke, hard up, strapped, pinched, on the breadline, up

against it, Brit on the dole, US dead broke, on welfare, on

relief: It is not enough to look after needy families only at

Christmas time.

negative adj. 1 contradictory, anti, contrary, dissenting, dissentious,

disputing, disputatious, argumentative, adversarial,

adversative, antagonistic, antipathetic, adverse, US adversary:

He has adopted a very negative attitude towards his job. Few

negative voices were heard on the issue. 2 pessimistic,

unenthusiastic, cool, cold, uninterested, unresponsive: The

reaction to our offer has been largely negative. 3 nullifying,

annulling, neutralizing, voiding, cancelling: The laws are

mainly negative, listing only things one must not do. 4

negating, refusing, denying, gainsaying, opposing: The judge

came to a negative decision regarding bail. 5 in the negative.

negatively, 'No': Asked if she wanted to go, she replied in the

negative.

neglect v. 1 disregard, ignore, slight, pay no attention to, be

inattentive to, overlook, pass by, spurn, rebuff, scorn,

disdain, contemn, Colloq cold-shoulder: Scholars neglected his

work for years. 2 fail (in), omit; disregard, let slide or

pass, be remiss (about or in or regarding), abandon, lose sight

of, forget, shirk: Have I neglected telling you how much I love

you? Sybil has neglected her obligations.

--n. 3 disregard, disrespect, inattention, indifference,

slighting, unconcern, oversight, heedlessness, neglectfulness,

carelessness, inadvertence: We lost business to our competitor

through simple neglect. 4 negligence, laxity, laxness,

slackness, neglectfulness, passivity, passiveness, inactivity,

inaction, dereliction, default, failure, failing, remissness:

She has been accused of neglect in looking after her children

properly.

negligence

n. inattention, inattentiveness, indifference, carelessness,

unconcern, dereliction, failure, failing, heedlessness, laxity,

laxness, disregard, oversight, omission, inadvertence, neglect,

remissness, forgetfulness, oscitancy or oscitance: The car

crash was attributed to the lorry driver's negligence.

negligible

adj. insignificant, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial,

inconsequential, piddling, inappreciable, small, slight, paltry,

nugatory, worthless, petty, niggling, not worth mentioning or

talking about: The differences between the two plans are

negligible.

negotiate v. 1 deal, bargain, dicker, haggle, chaffer, palter; discuss,

debate, mediate, consult, parley, speak, talk, transact, come to

terms: A conglomerate is negotiating to buy our company. The

company asked me to negotiate on our behalf. 2 arrange (for),

organize, orchestrate, conduct, handle, manoeuvre, manage,

engineer, work out, settle, get, obtain, bring off or about,

carry off, accomplish, do, execute, effect, complete, conclude,

Colloq pull off: Will you be able to negotiate a loan for the

car? 3 manoeuvre, clear, get through or past or round or over,

pass, cross, Colloq make (it (through or past or round or

over)): Will you be able to negotiate the barbed-wire fence?

negotiation

n. 1 discussion, mediation, arbitration, bargaining, parley,

parleying, talk, coming to terms: The disarmament negotiations

have dragged on for years. 2 deal, bargain, transaction,

agreement, arrangement, understanding, determination, decision,

settlement; contract, pact, compact, covenant, concordat,

treaty: All parties seem pleased with the final negotiation.

negotiator

n. arbitrator, arbiter, mediator, moderator, diplomat,

ambassador, go-between, middleman, intercessor, interceder,

intervener, agent, broker: An independent negotiator was

invited to the bargaining table with the union and management

representatives.

neighbourhood

n. 1 locality, area, region, vicinity, vicinage, environs,

quarter, district, precinct(s), purlieus, locale; surroundings,

confines: Houses in the neighbourhood of the blast were

levelled. 2 in the neighbourhood of. approximately, about,

around, nearly, practically, close to, almost, more or less,

Colloq in the ballpark of, in the region of, Brit getting on

for, not far off, US within an eyelash of, Slang as near as

dammit to: The playground will cost in the neighbourhood of

œ5,000.

neighbouring

adj. nearby, near, around, adjacent (to), surrounding,

adjoining, contiguous (to), touching, bordering (on), next (to),

nearest: Owners of properties neighbouring the nuclear power

plant worry about radiation. The neighbouring villages will

participate in the fˆte at Long Norton.

neighbourly

adj. friendly, cordial, warm, amiable, agreeable, affable,

companionable, well-disposed, kindly, kind, well-wishing,

genial, sociable, social, harmonious, considerate, thoughtful,

helpful, gracious, courteous, civil: It was quite neighbourly

of the Constables to look after our cat.

neologism n. neoterism, coinage, neology, nonce-word; blend, portmanteau

word: Lexicographers must decide the neologisms to be added to

their dictionaries.

nerve n. 1 courage, coolness, boldness, bravery, intrepidity,

determination, valour, daring, fearlessness, dauntlessness,

pluck, mettle, spirit, fortitude, will, tenacity, steadfastness,

staunchness, firmness, doughtiness, resoluteness, Colloq guts,

grit, gumption, spunk, US sand, Brit bottle, US moxie , Taboo

slang balls: It took a lot of nerve to go back into that

burning building. 2 effrontery, brazenness, gall, impertinence,

brass, impudence, insolence, audacity, brashness, presumption,

presumptuousness, temerity, Colloq cheek, sauce, chutzpah, Slang

crust: You have a lot of nerve, talking to your mother that

way! 3 get on someone's nerves. annoy, irritate, upset: That

loud rock music gets on my nerves. 4 nerves. tension,

nervousness, hysteria, anxiety, fretfulness, stress, worry,

apprehension, fright, Colloq the jitters, Slang the willies, the

heebie-jeebies, US the whim-whams: I had a bad case of nerves

before learning the doctor's diagnosis.

nerve-racking

adj. nerve-wracking, harrowing, agonizing, distressing, trying,

vexing, vexatious, troublesome, worrisome, irksome, irritating:

Waiting for the names of the survivors was the most

nerve-racking experience of my life.

nervous adj. 1 highly-strung, excitable, sensitive, tense, agitated,

wrought up, worked up, upset, flustered, ruffled, disturbed,

perturbed, distressed, worried, anxious, troubled, concerned,

disquieted, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety, fretful,

uneasy, apprehensive, frightened, fearful, shaky, scared,

skittish, US on a tightrope, Colloq jumpy, jittery, flappable,

in a stew, in a dither, in a sweat, in a tizzy, in a flap,

uptight, Brit nervy, US on pins and needles, Slang strung out:

Thomas is nervous because he has to give a speech. 2 difficult,

tense, critical: There were a few nervous moments before we

knew if the rope would hold.

nest n. 1 roost, perch, eyrie or US also aerie, den, lair: The

birds, which mate for life, return to the same nest each year.

2 snuggery, retreat, refuge, haunt, hideaway, hide-out; resort:

We have a little nest in the country which we escape to at

weekends.

nestle v. cuddle (up), snuggle (up), huddle, curl up, nuzzle (up):

They nestled close together to keep warm.

net° n. 1 network, netting, mesh, mesh-work, web, webbing, openwork,

lattice, lattice-work, trellis, trellis-work, lace-work,

reticulum, reticle, rete, plexus, grid, grid-work, grille,

grate, grating, fretwork; sieve, screen, strainer, sifter: They

watched the fishermen mending their nets.

--v. 2 catch, capture, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, bag: As I

bring the fish close to the boat, you net it with this.

netý n. 1 nett, (net) profit, gain, earnings, return(s), Colloq US

take: The net for the first quarter was 15 per cent higher than

last year's.

--adj. 2 clear, after deductions, after taxes, take-home,

final, bottom-line: The tax increase was greater than my salary

increase, so my net income was lower this year. 3 final, end,

closing, concluding, conclusive, effective, ultimate: The net

result of the advertising campaign was a sales increase of 18

per cent.

--v. 4 make, realize, clear, take home, bring in, earn, pocket,

take in, get: How much did you net last year - after taxes,

that is.

network n. 1 See net°, 1, above. 2 system, arrangement, structure,

organization, complex, grid, criss-cross, web, plexus; maze,

labyrinth, jungle, tangle: She has developed a worldwide

network of contacts for her business. Before transistors, the

back of a radio was a network of multicoloured wires.

neurotic adj. psychoneurotic, unstable, disturbed, confused, irrational,

disordered, maladjusted, distraught, overwrought, anxious,

nervous, obsessive, deviant, abnormal: Many people are neurotic

about something.

neuter adj. 1 asexual, sexless, epicene: Worker bees are neuter,

neither male nor female.

--v. 2 desex or desexualize, doctor; castrate, emasculate,

geld, capon or caponize, eunuchize; spay, ovariectomize,

oophorectomize; Colloq fix, cut, US alter: We had our cat

neutered after her first litter.

neutral adj. 1 non-belligerent, non-combatant, unaligned, non-aligned,

unaffiliated, uninvolved, unallied, non-allied, non-partisan,

impartial, disinterested, indifferent, dispassionate, unbiased,

uncommitted, noncommittal, aloof, withdrawn, detached, remote,

removed: Switzerland has remained neutral during both world

wars. 2 dull, drab, colourless, achromatic, toneless,

indeterminate, washed out, pale, indefinite, indistinct,

indistinguishable, indeterminate, vague, drab, beige, ecru: A

neutral wallpaper colour won't clash with the paintings.

neutralize

v. void, annul, cancel (out), nullify, invalidate, negate,

delete, undo, make or render ineffective, counterbalance,

counteract, offset, equalize, even, square, compensate for, make

up for: The forces on both sides of the sail, being equal,

neutralize each other.

never adv. 1 at no time, not ever, not at any time, on no occasion,

under no circumstances or condition(s), on no account, not at

all, Colloq not in a million years, not till hell freezes over:

You are never to use such language again! 2 in no way, not in

any way, not in the least, not in any degree, not under any

condition, not: Never fear, for I am near.

nevertheless

adv. still, notwithstanding, yet, in spite of that, despite

that, nonetheless, regardless, be that as it may, for all that,

even so, but, however, just or all the same, everything

considered, at any rate, anyway, in any case, in any event, at

all events, Literary withal: He said he dislikes sweets;

nevertheless, he ate a whole bar of chocolate.

new adj. 1 novel, original, unique, unusual, different, fresh,

creative, imaginative, brand-new: Ruth has a new idea for the

sales campaign. 2 latest, late, modern, contemporary, modish,

stylish, fashionable, chic, recent, advanced, up to date,

brand-new, late-model, Colloq trendy, Slang mod, hip: MacGregor

buys a new car every year: it has to be equipped with the newest

gadgets. 3 fresh, further, additional, supplemental,

supplementary: Has the new issue of Verbatim come out yet? 4

unfamiliar, unknown, strange, different; unique, unheard of: I

hear there's a new girl in your office. I want to introduce my

new friend, Dan Hammond. Every year they discover a new virus. 5

revitalized, reborn, renewed, rejuvenated, changed, altered,

redone, restored, redesigned, remodelled: I saw before me a new

Marie. They published a new version of the Bible. 6

inexperienced, green, fresh, callow, unfledged, budding,

immature, unripe, untrained: Let us look over the new recruits,

Sergeant. 7 late, young, recent: We found newer fossils at

higher levels. 8 uncharted, unexplored, untrodden, unknown,

experimental: Astronomers are breaking new ground in the

analysis of pulsars.

newcomer n. 1 alien, immigrant, foreigner, outlander, stranger, settler,

colonist, outsider: The newcomers quickly established

themselves and became self-sufficient. 2 beginner, amateur,

novice, proselyte, neophyte, tiro or tyro, initiate, trainee,

learner, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US freshman, Colloq

greenhorn: Though experienced in book publishing, he was a

newcomer to magazine publishing.

news n. 1 tidings, word, information, advice, intelligence; rumour,

talk, gossip, hearsay, dirt, scandal, expos‚, Colloq info,

low-down, scoop, US scuttlebutt, Slang dope: What's the latest

news about the situation in the Middle East? 2 dispatch or

despatch, report, account, story, communication, bulletin,

communiqu‚, announcement, information, message, word, statement,

(press) release, (news)flash: The news from our correspondent

contains no mention of finding a cache of arms. 3 newscast, news

broadcast or telecast, news programme; newsflash: Please be

quiet so that I can listen to the news. 4 (good) copy,

front-page news, (hot) item: The royal family is always news.

14.3 nice...

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nice adj. 1 pleasant, agreeable, amiable, amicable, friendly,

cordial, warm, gracious, warm-hearted, kind, kindly, outgoing,

charming, genial, delightful, courteous, polite, refined,

gentlemanly, ladylike, winsome, likeable, attractive: They are

one of the nicest couples I have ever met. 2 good,

satisfactory, commendable, worthy, worthwhile: The manager said

that I had done a nice job in preparing the specifications. 3

good, fine, superb, superior, attentive, sharp, acute, keen,

careful, exact, exacting, rigorous; precise, accurate, unerring,

scrupulous, meticulous, punctilious, discriminating,

discriminative, perceptive, delicate, fastidious, flawless,

faultless, subtle, strict, close, small, slight, minute,

complex, complicated, intricate: A diamond cutter must have a

nice eye for detail. It is difficult to maintain nice

distinctions of meaning among certain words, given that people

are so careless with their speech these days. 4 delicate,

subtle, sensitive, exquisite, hair-splitting, over-nice, fine,

critical, ticklish, dangerous, precarious, perilous, Colloq

hairy: The matter of Hong Kong requires some nice political

negotiations. 5 trim, well turned out, tidy, neat, fine: Don't

you want to look nice for your birthday party? 6 nice and -

pleasantly, delightfully, pleasingly, agreeably, enjoyably,

gratifyingly, satisfyingly, comfortably: It's nice and warm by

the fire.

niche n. 1 recess, hollow, alcove, nook: A small statue of Buddha

stood in a niche in the wall. 2 place, position, Colloq slot,

pigeon-hole: Humphrey has finally found a niche for himself

working as a tax inspector.

nick n. 1 cut, notch, chip, gouge, gash, scratch, dent, indentation,

flaw, mark, blemish, defect: Be careful of that nick in the rim

of the glass. 2 jail or Brit also gaol; police station: The

police took him to the nick to help them with their inquiries.

--v. 3 steal, purloin, take, appropriate, make off with, Colloq

pinch: Who nicked my biro? 4 arrest, nab, take in, Colloq

collar: Alan was nicked for possession of marijuana. 5 nick

off. depart, go or run off or away, take off, take to one's

heels, show a clean pair of heels, beat a (hasty) retreat,

Colloq scarper, make tracks, beat it: The cops were coming so I

nicked off.

nickname n. 1 pet name, sobriquet, epithet, agnomen, Colloq moniker or

monicker, handle: Her real name is Josephine, but her nickname

is Dusty. 2 diminutive: A common nickname for Terence is

Terry.

nifty adj. 1 smart, stylish, modish, chic, spruce: I borrowed a

nifty outfit from Grandma for the flapper's costume ball. 2

healthy, in good form, spry, energetic, agile, quick: I'm not

as nifty as I was in 1950. 3 excellent, neat, great, splendid,

fine, clever, skilful, apt, suitable: Having a picnic was a

nifty idea. That was as nifty a bit of bargaining as I 've ever

seen. 4 satisfactory, satisfying, good, profitable, substantial,

considerable: He made a nifty profit on the sale of his house

in Chelsea.

niggle v. find fault, nag, carp, fuss, cavil, criticize; complain,

Colloq grouse, Slang bitch, US kvetch: I do wish she would stop

niggling when we cannot do anything about the situation.

niggling adj. 1 irritating, worrying, worrisome, irksome, vexing,

vexatious, annoying, troublesome: There are a few niggling

matters that I must see my accountant about. 2 petty, nugatory,

trifling, trivial, fussy, insignificant, unimportant,

inconsequential, frivolous, Colloq piddling, nit-picking, US and

Canadian picayune: Bill always ignores the core of a problem

and occupies himself with the niggling details.

night n. 1 (Stygian or Cimmerian) dark or darkness or blackness or

gloom; night-time, shades of night, Formal tenebrosity or

tenebrousness or tenebriousness: The strange creature slunk off

into the night. 2 nightfall, gloaming, twilight, dusk,

eventide, evening, evensong, edge of night, sunset, sundown, end

of day, vespers: When night comes, one can hear the frogs

calling from the pond. 3 night and day. all the time,

continually, incessantly, unceasingly, continuously, unendingly,

endlessly, round-the-clock, ceaselessly, non-stop: Those

animals keep up their caterwauling night and day.

nightly adj. 1 every night, each night, each and every night, night

after night: The watchman does his nightly rounds. 2

night-time, nocturnal, bedtime: A nightly glass of warm milk

promotes sound sleep.

--adv. 3 every night, each night, nights, after dark, after

sunset; nocturnally: The bird sings nightly outside my window.

nightmarish

adj. frightening, terrifying, alarming, horrific, horrible,

dreadful, awful, ghastly, dismaying, agonizing, worrisome,

exasperating, frustrating, Kafkaesque, Colloq creepy, scary:

Dealing with officialdom can be a nightmarish experience when

abroad.

nil n. nothing, zero, nought or naught, aught or ought, Tennis,

table tennis, etc. love, Cricket duck, US goose-egg, Slang US

zip: Oxford United: 4; Queens Park Rangers: Nil.

nimble adj. 1 agile, lively, active, light, lithe, limber, spry,

sprightly, brisk, smart, energetic, rapid, quick, swift, adroit,

deft, dexterous; nimble-fingered; nimble-footed: She's as

nimble as a cat on a hot tin roof. 2 agile, alert, acute,

nimble-witted, quick-witted, ready-witted, intelligent, keen,

sharp; smart, brilliant, sparkling, scintillating, coruscating:

Despite his inability to make decisions, Desmond has quite a

nimble mind.

nip° v. 1 bite, nibble; pinch, snip, clip, cut, snap, tweak, twitch,

trim, lop, crop, shear; grip, squeeze: The dog nipped the

postman's ankle. Nip off the suckers to promote healthy growth

of the tomatoes. 2 nip in the bud. stop, arrest, check, thwart,

frustrate, stymie, forestall; quash, squelch, suppress,

extinguish, put down: The revolt of the army officers was

nipped in the bud.

--n. 3 bite, nibble, morsel, pinch, snip: The deer had taken

nips off the tips of the shrubbery. 4 chill, coldness, iciness,

sharpness, tang, bite: There's a definite wintry nip in the air

tonight.

nipý n. taste, drop, sip, soup‡on, portion, swallow, gulp, mouthful,

finger, Brit peg, tot, draught, Scots dram, US draft, Colloq

snort, shot: I had a few nips of brandy to ward off the cold.

14.4 nobility...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

nobility n. 1 nobleness, dignity, grandeur, illustriousness, greatness,

glory, influence, authority, leadership, distinction, probity,

integrity, excellence, goodness, character, rectitude,

righteousness, ethics, honesty, honourableness, decency,

justness, high-mindedness, magnanimity, prestige, loftiness,

primacy, significance: The man's nobility was evident from his

mien and bearing. 2 rank, position, class, birth, blue blood:

Their nobility is recognized only at court and in fashionable

society. 3 the nobility. the gentry, the ‚lite, the aristocracy,

Colloq the upper crust, the ruling class(es), the Establishment,

US the Four Hundred: With a name like Hohenzollern, her family

must be from the European nobility.

noble n. 1 nobleman, noblewoman, aristocrat, patrician, lord, lady,

peer; gentleman, gentlewoman, Colloq blue blood: The nobles

united and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.

--adj. 2 high-born, high-class, upper-class, aristocratic,

titled, high-ranking, lordly, patrician, Colloq blue-blood(ed):

She came from a noble Austrian family. 3 dignified, eminent,

distinguished, august, grand, lofty, elevated, illustrious,

prestigious, pre-eminent, noted, honoured, esteemed, celebrated,

renowned, acclaimed, respected, venerated: The noble Knights of

the Round Table have become legend throughout the world. 4

upright, righteous, honourable, honest, virtuous, incorruptible,

chivalrous, staunch, steadfast, true, loyal, faithful,

trustworthy, true, principled, moral, good, decent,

self-sacrificing, magnanimous, generous: The qualities that

make a noble friend make a formidable enemy. 5 splendid,

magnificent, imposing, impressive, stately, exquisite, sublime,

grand, striking, stunning, superb, admirable, elegant, rich,

sumptuous, luxurious: The Taj Mahal is probably one of the

noblest works of man.

nobody pron. 1 no one, not anyone, no person: We had to wait because

nobody was in the shop when we entered.

--n. 2 nonentity, unknown, zero, cipher, Colloq nothing:

Overnight, Tony went from being a celebrity to being a nobody.

nod v. 1 greet, acknowledge, recognize: The maŒtre d'h“tel nodded

to me as I entered the restaurant. 2 say yes; consent, assent,

agree, concur, acquiesce: Asked if she had seen Nick, the

barmaid nodded. I asked permission to leave the room and the

teacher nodded. 3 doze (off), nap, drowse, drop off, fall

asleep: Exhausted travellers nodded in their chairs waiting for

their flights to be announced. 4 slip (up), err, make a mistake,

be mistaken or wrong; be careless or negligent or lax or

inattentive: Sometimes, even Homer nods.

--n. 5 signal, sign, cue, indication, gesture: I saw him give

a nod to the barber, who suddenly held a cutthroat razor to my

throat. 6 approval; consent, acquiescence, concurrence, assent,

agreement, Colloq OK or okay: The company has given me the nod

to open an office in Acapulco.

nodding adj. casual, slight, superficial, distant; incomplete: I know

Graham slightly - he's a nodding acquaintance. It was clear that

the violinist had only a nodding acquaintance with Mozart's

concerto.

noise n. 1 sound, clamour, crash, clap, clash, clangour, din,

thunder, thundering, rumble, rumbling, outcry, hubbub, uproar,

hullabaloo, racket, charivari or US and Canadian also shivaree,

rattle, caterwauling, rumpus, blare, blast, blasting, bawling,

babel; commotion, bedlam, fracas, tumult, pandemonium, turmoil;

discordance, dissonance, cacophony; Archaic alarms or alarums

and excursions, Colloq ruckus, ruction, ballyhoo: I couldn't

sleep because of the unbearable noise from the party next door.

You may call acid rock music, but she calls it noise. 2 sound,

disturbance: Did you just hear that strange noise? It's only

the noise of the crickets.

--v. 3 Often, noise about or around. circulate, spread, rumour,

bruit (about): It is being noised about that John and Marsha

are getting a divorce.

noiseless adj. muted, quiet, soft, hushed, muffled, deadened, dampened,

damped; silent, mute, still, inaudible, soundless: We watched

the noiseless boats gliding past.

noisy adj. loud, deafening, ear-splitting, jarring, grating, harsh,

piercing, shrill, discordant, unmusical, dissonant, cacophonous

or cacophonic, resounding, clarion, clamorous, clangorous,

thunderous, uproarious, blaring, blasting, obstreperous,

vociferous, boisterous, tumultuous, riotous: I could hear

nothing over the noisy aeroplane engines. When she arose to

speak, the noisy crowd fell silent.

nominal adj. 1 titular, in name only, formal, pretended, so-called,

self-styled, soi-disant, professed, purported, supposed,

would-be, representational, represented, supposititious;

proposed, propositional; puppet: Elliot is the nominal

chairman, but Foster actually runs the company. 2

insignificant, trivial, trifling, minor, minuscule, tiny, small,

insubstantial, minimal, inconsiderable, token: We charge a

nominal fee for the analysis if you refuse our recommendation.

nominate v. choose, select, name, appoint, designate, suggest, offer,

submit, recommend, propose, present, put up or forward; forward;

Formal put forth: Baker has been nominated for the presidency.

nominee n. candidate, office-seeker, designee, selectee, appointee,

assignee: We must choose a nominee to run in the next election.

non-aligned

adj. uncommitted, non-allied, non-affiliated, unaligned,

unaffiliated, unallied; neutral, impartial: There are several

non-aligned nations that remain independent of the influence of

the superpowers.

non-believer

n. unbeliever, disbeliever, cynic, doubting Thomas, doubter,

sceptic, freethinker, agnostic, atheist, nullifidian; infidel,

heathen, pagan: During his reign, thousands of non-believers

were put to the sword.

nonchalant

adj. cool, unexcited, unexcitable, unperturbed, imperturbable,

undisturbed, untroubled, unflappable, unruffled, dispassionate,

unemotional, detached, distant, unconcerned, indifferent,

pococurante, insouciant, uninterested, aloof, blas‚, offhand,

calm, collected, composed, easygoing, free and easy,

happy-go-lucky, casual, relaxed, at ease; unenthusiastic,

apathetic; Colloq laid-back, together: How can you be so

nonchalant about important issues that affect all our lives?!

noncommittal

adj. wary, cautious, careful, gingerly, guarded, (playing it)

safe, circumspect, watchful, prudent, canny, tentative, on

guard, reserved, cool; precautionary or precautional,

precautious; Colloq playing it cool, playing it safe, playing it

or one's cards close to the chest: The company is still

noncommittal about the take-over of the American company.

non-completion

n. non-fulfilment, unfulfilment, non-performance,

incompleteness, deficiency: We regret the non-completion of the

work on your house and will refund in full the amount already

paid.

non-compliance

n. disobedience, nonconformity, non-observance, disregard,

disregarding, failure, non-cooperation, uncooperativeness,

unresponsiveness, rejection, refusal, denial: If you fail to

provide the records requested by the tax inspector, you can be

charged with non-compliance.

nonconformist

n. 1 nonconformer, renegade, maverick, rebel, radical,

individualist, heretic, dissenter, dissident, iconoclast, loner,

exception, anomaly: In the 1960s, Alastair counted himself

among the nonconformists who wore unconventional clothes and

flouted conventional behaviour.

--adj. 2 nonconforming, renegade, maverick, rebellious,

radical, individualist(ic), heretical, dissentient, dissident,

iconoclastic: Suffragists were ridiculed for their

nonconformist ideas.

nondescript

adj. indescribable, unclassifiable, unclassified, ordinary,

common-or-garden variety, common, commonplace, unremarkable,

colourless, drab, everyday, bland, uninteresting, insipid,

characterless, undistinctive, unexceptional: He was wearing

nondescript clothing and blended into the crowd.

none pron. no one, not anyone, nobody, no person; not one; not any;

nil: Of all the people I met, none impressed me more than

Kathy. I'd give you a sweet if I had one, but I have none. I'd

even give you money, but I have none.

non-essential

adj. 1 non-vital, unessential, unneeded, unnecessary, needless,

inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, superfluous,

dispensable, expendable, gratuitous, uncalled-for, extraneous,

peripheral, extra, de trop, adventitious, additional,

supplemental, adscititious, redundant, accessory, subordinate,

secondary, subsidiary: The non-essential industries were

converted to the war effort during the 1940s.

--n. 2 unessential, inessential, nonentity, cipher, zero,

nobody; extra, supernumerary, spear-carrier, Colloq nothing,

Slang US nebbish: She used him as a lackey, a non-essential

whom she could dispose of at will.

nonetheless

adv. See nevertheless, above.

non-event n. anticlimax, Colloq non-starter, lead balloon, dud, Brit damp

squib: Jeremy's party turned out to be the non-event of the

year.

non-existent

adj. unreal, imaginary, imagined, fictional, fictive, fanciful,

fancied, mythical, fabulous, fabled, illusory, chimerical,

delusive: Although the entire Graeco-Roman pantheon became

non-existent overnight, its gods and goddesses continue to

pervade our culture.

non-flammable

adj. non-combustible, incombustible, non-inflammable,

unburnable; fire-retardant: The government recently passed

regulations requiring that non-flammable materials be used in

upholstered furniture.

no-nonsense

adj. serious, unfrivolous, businesslike, practical,

non-trivial, untrivial: Customs officials take a no-nonsense

approach to drug trafficking.

nonpareil n. paragon, model, standard, ne plus ultra, exemplar, ideal,

Literary nonsuch or nonesuch, Colloq oner, one in a million,

Brit one-off: Annabelle was a nonpareil among the artists of

her day.

non-partisan

adj. 1 non-partizan, non-aligned, unaligned, unaffiliated,

independent, non-committed, uncommitted, neutral, uninvolved,

free, (sitting) on the fence: Choose between non-partisan and

coalition candidates. 2 impartial, even-handed, fair, just,

objective, unbiased, unprejudiced, equitable, dispassionate,

disinterested: One could not find a more non-partisan judge

than Sir Ronald.

--n. 3 independent, neutral, mugwump: I am a non-partisan on

the subject of privatization of public utilities.

nonplus v. confound, perplex, puzzle, confuse, dismay, baffle, stop,

check, stun, shock, dumbfound or dumfound, take aback, astonish,

astound, US faze, Colloq bring up short, flummox, stump: She

was nonplussed to learn that Simpson had been arrested.

non-productive

adj. 1 unproductive, barren, sterile, infertile, unfertile,

unfruitful, infecund: Non-productive land was left

uncultivated. 2 ineffectual, bootless, ineffective,

impractical, unavailing, pointless, useless, worthless,

wasteful, time-consuming, time-wasting: Executives should spend

more time working and less in non-productive meetings discussing

the work to be done.

nonsense n. 1 rubbish, drivel, gibberish, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,

twaddle, trash, babble, balderdash, moonshine, bombast, fustian,

rodomontade, puffery, flummery, blather or blether, bunkum,

poppycock, stuff and nonsense, double-talk, jargon, mumbo-jumbo,

jabberwocky, cackle, gas, palaver, Colloq bunk, piffle, rot,

bosh, eyewash, hogwash, malarkey, bilge (water), boloney or

baloney, claptrap, hot air, Brit tosh, Old-fashioned Brit

gammon, waffle, US apple-sauce, horse feathers, garbage, bushwa;

Slang crap, tripe, bull, hooey, double Dutch, Taboo slang

bullshit, horseshit, Brit (a load of old) cobblers: Watson's

speech on the benefits of tobacco was unmitigated nonsense. 2

mischief, clowning, antics, capering, horseplay, pranks, tricks,

jokes, silliness, foolishness, inanity, frivolity, tomfoolery,

joking, jesting, waggishness, buffoonery, shenanigans, Colloq

monkey business, Brit monkey tricks, US monkeyshines: Keep up

this nonsense and you'll get into a lot of trouble!

nonsensical

adj. senseless, meaningless, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,

laughable, preposterous, irrational, warped, askew, crazy, mad,

silly, foolish, hare-brained, asinine, idiotic, moronic,

imbecilic, stupid, dumb, Colloq nutty, screwy, cock-eyed, fool,

screwball, Slang loony: What is your nonsensical excuse for

being late this time?

non-stop adj. 1 uninterrupted, continuous, unbroken, direct: Is this a

non-stop flight to New York? 2 unending, endless, interminable,

unceasing, ceaseless, continual, continuous, uninterrupted,

unbroken, persistent, relentless, constant, unremitting, steady,

round-the-clock, ongoing, continuing, unhesitating, unfaltering,

tireless,; regular, habitual: I told my neighbour that his

non-stop rock 'n' roll music was driving me mad.

--adv. 3 unendingly, endlessly, interminably, unceasingly,

ceaselessly, continually, continuously, uninterruptedly,

persistently, relentlessly, constantly, unremittingly, steadily,

round-the-clock, day in and day out, tirelessly; regularly,

habitually: He continues to play his hi-fi non-stop.

nook n. 1 cranny, recess, niche, alcove, corner, cavity, crevice,

crack, opening: Flowers grew from the nooks in the wall. 2

retreat, hide-out, hideaway, nest; inglenook: I curled up with

a book in my nook next to the fireplace.

noon n. twelve o'clock (noon), midday, 1200 hours, noontime, high

noon, Archaic noontide; noonday: We sit down to lunch promptly

at noon. The noon sun is terribly hot in the tropics.

norm n. 1 usual, average, mean, normal: The norm for the day is 12

degrees Celsius. 2 model, standard, type, pattern, criterion,

rule, measure, gauge, yardstick, benchmark: That style of

window became the norm for many years.

normal adj. 1 standard, regular, average, conventional, usual,

run-of-the-mill, ordinary, routine, universal, general, common,

customary, natural, typical, conformist, orthodox; healthy: If

living in this mess seems normal to you, we clearly have

different standards. His temperature and pulse are normal. 2

sane, stable, rational, reasonable, well-adjusted: After he had

set fire to his school, Julian's parents began to wonder if he

was quite normal.

normalize v. regularize, standardize, regulate, control; conform: The

program is directed at normalizing the codes used in keyboarding

text.

nosy adj. nosey, curious, inquisitive, prying, meddlesome, spying,

peeping, eavesdropping, Colloq snooping, snoopy: Mind your own

business and don't be so nosy.

notable adj. 1 noteworthy, noted, famous, famed, well-known, renowned,

illustrious, important, prominent, eminent, outstanding, great,

distinguished, celebrated, acclaimed: Many notable people

attended my college. 2 remarkable, different, distinctive,

singular, unusual, uncommon, pre-eminent, peerless, matchless,

unmatched, unequalled, unparalleled, extraordinary, conspicuous,

outstanding, memorable, unforgettable, striking: She enjoyed a

notable reputation as a cellist. Last night's notable

performance was enjoyed by a capacity audience.

--n. 3 dignitary, personage, worthy, VIP; celebrity, luminary,

Colloq (big) name, big shot: Many notables attended the charity

ball.

notably adv. 1 particularly, especially, markedly, noticeably,

signally, distinctly, remarkably, unusually, uncommonly,

outstandingly, conspicuously, clearly, obviously, evidently,

manifestly, specifically, distinctly, curiously, oddly,

uniquely, strangely, strikingly, shockingly, surprisingly,

stunningly: In the temperate zones, the seasons vary notably in

length. 2 meaningfully, significantly, importantly,

prominently: The viruses changed in notably different ways.

notation n. 1 note, memorandum, jotting, record, reminder, minute(s),

abstract, Colloq memo: I shall make a notation of that in my

diary. 2 symbols, signs, code, characters, symbolism: In

musical notation, a minim represents two beats.

notch n. 1 nick, cut, dent, indentation, groove, cleft, score, mark,

gouge, gash: For every man he killed, the gunfighter cut a

notch in the barrel of his gun. 2 step, grade, level, rung, peg,

degree, stage, gradation: Gillian's promotion moves her up

another notch towards the chairmanship.

--v. 3 nick, cut, dent, indent, groove, score, mark, gash,

gouge: You notch the end of the arrow to admit the bowstring.

4 notch up. gain, win, accomplish, achieve, score, register,

mark (up): The All-India cricket team has notched up another

win.

notched adj. serrate(d), sawtooth(ed), crenellate(d), crenate,

serriform, pinked, scalloped, zigzag, toothed, dentate,

denticulate(d), dentiform: The flower has notched yellow

petals. The vase was decorated with a notched pattern.

note n. 1 See notation, 1, above. 2 message, letter, communication,

(piece of) correspondence, memorandum, epistle, postcard or

(postal) card, fan letter, love-letter, billet doux,

bread-and-butter letter, word, line, thank-you note, Colloq

memo, US old-fashioned mash note: She sent Rob a note only last

week asking him to attend the meeting. 3 comment, commentary,

remark, observation, explanation, annotation, footnote,

side-note, marginalia (pl.), gloss, critique, criticism,

Literary scholium, exegesis, eisegesis, Technical shoulder-note:

Her notes on insect behaviour are of great interest. 4

banknote, money, bill, currency, treasury note; promissory note,

demand note, bill of exchange, letter of credit, (bank) draft,

note of hand; Colloq folding money: I found a packet of notes

dropped by the bank robbers. The bank is holding my note for

œ10,000. 5 theme, characteristic, motif, element, quality, mood,

tone, tenor: There is a note of angry frustration that runs

through her writing. 6 signal, cue, intimation, hint, inkling,

suspicion, clue, suggestion, idea, tip, Slang tip-off: Her

greeting, though warm, contained a note of suspicion. On that

note, I decided to leave. 7 heed, attention, notice, regard,

respect, thought, Colloq US mind: Note of the prosecutor's

objection to that line of questioning has been taken. 8 mark,

consequence, substance, importance, moment, weight, distinction,

merit, prestige, (high) rank or standing, eminence, prominence,

repute, reputation, renown: People of note have been

entertained at our table. 9 tone, sound; key: He knows the

music but gets the notes wrong. 10 notes. jottings,

impressions, record(s), report, (thumbnail) sketch, (rough)

draft, outline, synopsis: The entire account is based on the

notes she made during the trial.

--v. 11 notice, observe, perceive, see, mark, think about, give

thought to, consider, contemplate, study, pay attention to,

attend to; look into, investigate, check out: Have you ever

noted how people try to avoid you because of your bad temper?

Note how quickly the days seem to grow shorter towards the end

of summer. A detective has been assigned to note every move the

suspect makes. 12 record, register, write down, put or set down,

put on record, jot down, put in writing, chronicle: The traffic

warden noted down the number-plate of the car. 13 call

attention to, remark on or about, mention, report, touch on,

comment on or about: The report failed to note the

disappearance of the murder weapon.

noted adj. respected, eminent, distinguished, illustrious, esteemed,

acclaimed; well-known, famous, famed, prominent, celebrated,

notable, popular; notorious: We are pleased to welcome the

noted violinist, David Popov. Was it his aunt or his mother who

ran the noted house of ill repute near Brighton?

noteworthy

adj. notable, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary,

unusual, rare, uncommon, singular, unique, different: Miss

Byrne has made many a noteworthy contribution to our knowledge

of local Roman sites.

nothing n. 1 naught or nought, nothing at all or whatsoever, no thing,

not anything, Taboo slang Brit bugger-all, (sweet) Fanny Adams

or F.A., SFA: Nothing that you tell me can be held against you

in court. You may think it important, but I tell you it is

nothing. 2 cipher, zero, nobody, nonentity: If it weren't for

her, he would be nothing. 3 trifle, bagatelle, Colloq peanuts:

A million is nothing to him.

notice v. 1 note, take or make note (of), take notice (of), pay or

give attention to, attend (to), heed, take heed (of), give heed

to, mark, remark, mind, observe, perceive, see: Notice how

quickly he retracted his remarks when challenged. I waved to

them, but they didn't notice me. 2 mind, observe, perceive,

discern, see, detect, make out, identify, recognize, Colloq

spot: I noticed signs of illness when I visited her.

--n. 3 attention, awareness, consciousness, perception,

observation, cognizance: Let me bring to your notice the second

paragraph on page six. 4 regard, consideration, respect,

observation, attention, note, heed: They have published many

books worthy of notice. He considers matters of money beneath

his notice. 5 notification, announcement, information, advice;

warning, intimation: A notice showing the currency exchange

rates is posted in the bank. The company let Corbett go without

notice. 6 criticism, critique, review, comment, commentary: The

play has enjoyed excellent notices in the London newspapers. 7

give notice. warn, admonish, notify, announce, advise, inform:

British Rail gave notice of a curtailment of service to this

station. Barry gave notice today of his resignation.

noticeable

adj. 1 discernible, perceivable, observable, perceptible,

recognizable, distinguishable, visible, palpable, manifest,

distinct, evident, clear, clear-cut, conspicuous, obvious;

patent, unmistakable or unmistakeable, undisguised, unconcealed:

Is the scratch noticeable? Wrinkles around the eyes are one of

the first noticeable signs of ageing. 2 noteworthy, notable,

significant, signal, remarkable, important, singular,

exceptional, pronounced, distinct, especial, considerable,

major: After the reprimand, there was a noticeable improvement

in his work.

notify v. 1 inform, tell, advise, alert, apprise, warn: She notified

us that she might come in late today. They wrote to notify

shareholders of the new share offer. 2 announce, publish,

declare, proclaim, give notice of; intimate, hint: The arrival

of the first salmon notified to us the change of season.

notion n. 1 idea, thought, concept, conception, image, impression,

general idea, (mental) picture, inkling: She has a pretty good

notion of who did it. I haven't the slightest notion of what you

are talking about. 2 fancy, whim, crotchet, whimsy, caprice,

impulse, inclination, vagary, conceit, quirk, kink: She

suddenly took a notion to fly to New York and left.

notoriety n. notoriousness, disrepute, dishonour, disgrace, infamy,

shame, discredit, scandal, stain, blot, obloquy, ignominy,

opprobrium: The notoriety attending his latest escapades

displeased the prime minister.

notorious adj. 1 disreputable, dishonourable, disgraceful, infamous,

shameful, shaming, embarrassing, discreditable, scandalous,

naughty, flagrant, ignominious, opprobrious: Charles was yet

again seen in public with a notorious arms dealer. 2

celebrated, renowned, famous, well-known, fabled, legendary,

memorable: Annie was notorious for riding her horse to victory

in every event.

notwithstanding

adv. 1 nevertheless, nonetheless, despite that, in spite of

that, yet, anyway: He was refused permission to go but he left

notwithstanding.

--prep. 2 despite, in spite of, regardless of, in the face of,

against: Notwithstanding his mother's objections, George

married Marsha.

--conj. 3 although, though, even though, despite the fact that:

The product was almost totally unknown, notwithstanding it had

been on the market for years.

nourish v. 1 feed, sustain, support, maintain, keep, provide for, care

for, take care of, look after, nurture, nurse: The child seems

to be thriving and well nourished. 2 foster, cherish, nurse,

maintain, harbour, keep, nurture, sustain: Iago nourished a

terrible hatred for Othello. 3 strengthen, fortify, encourage,

promote, stimulate, cultivate, help, advance, aid: These

malcontents continue to nourish trouble in the party ranks.

nourishment

n. food, sustenance, nutriment, nutrition, victuals: You must

take nourishment to maintain your strength.

novel adj. 1 new, unusual, unfamiliar, unconventional, fresh,

different, original, creative; untested, untried: I have a

novel idea for the design of an ultralight aircraft.

--n. 2 story, tale, narrative, romance; novella, novelette,

best-seller, Colloq blockbuster: The members of our company

board behave like characters out of a novel.

novelty n. 1 originality, newness, uniqueness, freshness,

innovativeness: We are enthusiastic about the novelty of the

new sales campaign. 2 gimmick, gimcrack, trifle, gewgaw,

bauble, knick-knack, toy, trinket, ornament, plaything,

Brummagem, kickshaw: New subscribers receive as a premium some

novelty, like a ball-point pen or a cheap clock.

novice n. beginner, neophyte, newcomer, proselyte, tiro or tyro,

noviciate or novitiate, learner, amateur, initiate, apprentice,

trainee, probationer, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US

freshman, Colloq greenhorn, rookie: She is a mere novice at

parachuting.

now adv. 1 at present, just now, right now, at the present time or

moment, at this (very) moment or minute or second or instant:

He's in the shower and cannot come to the phone now. 2 these

days, nowadays, today, in these times, at the moment, in this

day and age, under or in the present circumstances or

conditions, in the present climate, things being what they are,

contemporarily, any more, any longer; for the time being, for

the nonce: What makes you say that the minimum wage is enough

to live on now? Selling now might bring the highest price. 3 at

once, immediately, right away, without delay, instantly,

promptly, Chiefly law instanter, Chiefly Brit straight away: I

want you here now - not in five minutes, but now! 4 now and

then or again. occasionally, from time to time, at times, on

occasion, sometimes, sporadically, once in a while, every now

and then or again, randomly, intermittently; infrequently,

seldom, rarely, once in a blue moon: There was a power cut now

and then. He visits his mother only now and then.

--adj. 5 contemporary, up to date, modern, stylish,

fashionable, trendy, Colloq in, with it: Advertisers must

appeal to the yuppies of the now generation.

nowadays adv. See now, 2, above.

14.5 nub...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

nub n. 1 projection, protuberance, knob, boss, lump, bump, knop,

protrusion, bulge, node, knot; excrescence, swelling,

tumescence: Press the small nub on the side to open the door.

2 essence, core, heart, nucleus, crux, point, gist, pith,

kernel, nucleus, meat, (sum and) substance, main issue,

gravamen: Let's get to the nub of the argument.

nuclear adj. atomic: He joined the protest march against nuclear

weapons.

nucleus n. core, heart, centre, kernel, pith, focus, nub: We already

have the nucleus of a very good team. The market square was the

nucleus around which many towns were built.

nude adj. unclothed, undressed, uncovered, au naturel, bare, naked,

in the nude, stark naked, undraped, without a stitch (on),

Colloq in the buff, in the altogether, in one's birthday suit,

Brit starkers, Brit and Australian in the nuddy: A nude man

streaked across the football pitch.

nudge v. 1 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, prompt, shove; prod,

push, US encourage: I had to nudge him to stay awake for the

film's thrilling climax.

--n. 2 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, shove; prod, push,

encouragement: Nigel just needs a nudge in the right direction.

nuisance n. 1 annoyance, inconvenience, trial, ordeal, burden,

irritation, irritant, thorn in the flesh or side, difficulty,

bother, US bur under the saddle, Colloq pain (in the neck or

rear), headache, hassle, Slang US and Canadian pain in the butt,

Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse, or US ass: Having to paint

the room again was a terrible nuisance. 2 bore, pest, nag,

tease, tormentor or tormenter: James has made a nuisance of

himself by telephoning every fifteen minutes.

numb adj. 1 numbed, benumbed, insensible, insensate, dead, deadened,

without feeling, sensationless, senseless; asleep: My feet are

numb from the cold.

--v. 2 benumb, anaesthetize, drug, deaden, dull, freeze,

paralyse, immobilize, stun: The doctor numbed my hand before

removing the wart. Fear numbed her, and she felt nothing as the

monster approached.

number n. 1 numeral, integer, figure, digit: The columns of numbers

were entered in a neat hand. 2 few, handful, crowd, slew, gang,

bunch, party, bevy, covey, troop, company, platoon, swarm,

horde, multitude, mob, host, army, mass, hundred, thousand,

million, billion; several, many, numbers, legions, US and

Canadian slew(s) or slue(s), Colloq loads, tons: A number of

people attended the meeting. An enormous number of viruses could

fit on the head of a pin. 3 issue; edition, copy: The fourth

number of the quarterly is published at the end of the year.

--v. 4 count, enumerate, compute, calculate, tally, figure

(up), add (up), include, total, tot (up), reckon, sum (up): Who

can number the stars?

numberless

adj. uncountable, uncounted, countless, innumerable,

incalculable, immeasurable, numerous, untold, myriad, infinite:

Although seemingly numberless, the number of grains of sand in

the universe is calculable.

nuptial adj. bridal, matrimonial, wedding, spousal, wedded, marital;

connubial, conjugal, Literary hymeneal: The nuptial

arrangements have been made.

nurse n. 1 angel of mercy, Florence Nightingale, Brit sister: I

awoke to see two nurses bending over me.

--v. 2 care for, look after, tend, attend, minister to, treat;

nurture, foster, coddle, baby, pamper, cherish, preserve, keep

alive, cultivate, develop: During his illness, she nursed him

night and day. We nursed the company along through the first

year. 3 wet-nurse, suckle, breast-feed, nourish: Nursing

mothers must be careful about what they eat. 4 preserve,

harbour, keep alive, nurture, foster: She has nursed a grudge

against him for ten years.

nutritious

adj. healthful, healthy, nutritive, wholesome, life-giving,

beneficial, salutary, nourishing, alimentary, nutrimental: Be

sure you eat a nutritious breakfast every day.

15.0 O

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15.1 oar...

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oar n. 1 paddle, scull: The ancient galleys sometimes had six men

on each oar. 2 oarsman, oarswoman, bencher, sculler, rower,

paddler: With Hanson out because of his back, we'll need a new

oar for tomorrow's race.

oasis n. 1 fertile patch, watering-hole: In the desert, you cannot

always be sure whether you are looking at an oasis or a mirage.

2 haven, refuge, (safe) harbour, sanctuary, retreat, asylum,

resort, sanctum: We escaped to the cottage, a tiny oasis away

from the city's frenetic activity.

oath n. 1 vow, avowal, pledge, promise, word (of honour), promise,

plight, guarantee or guaranty, warrant or warranty, (sworn)

statement, Archaic troth: She has taken an oath to tell the

whole truth. 2 curse, profanity, blasphemous language or

expression or word, imprecation, malediction, swear-word,

expletive, four-letter word, obscenity, dirty word: The door

slammed on his finger and he muttered a foul oath.

15.2 obedience...

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obedience n. compliance, dutifulness, observance, respect,

respectfulness, tractability, conformity or conformance,

yielding, conformability, adaptability, agreement, agreeability,

agreeableness, acquiescence, submissiveness, submission,

subservience, docility, passiveness, passivity: The abbot

demanded unquestioning obedience with regard to every rule of

the monastic order.

obedient adj. compliant, dutiful, duteous, observant, respectful,

tractable, yielding, conformable, adaptable, agreeable,

amenable, acquiescent, submissive, subservient, docile, passive,

timid, biddable, pliant: Prunella was always an obedient child.

All matter and energy is obedient to the laws of physics.

obeisance n. deference, respect, respectfulness, homage, submission,

reverence, honour: As she entered the chamber, she made

obeisance to the king.

obese adj. fat, overweight, stout, fleshy, gross, corpulent, heavy,

plump, portly, tubby, pudgy, chubby, paunchy, rotund,

pot-bellied, Rare abdominous: I sat down next to an obese

person who occupied nearly two chairs.

obesity n. corpulence, plumpness, tubbiness, chubbiness, grossness,

embonpoint, rotundity, portliness, paunchiness, size, bulk,

weight, avoirdupois: Risk factors with respect to heart disease

include smoking, bad diet, obesity, and family history of heart

disease.

obey v. 1 comply (with), agree (to), consent (to), submit (to),

abide (by), observe, respect, adhere to, follow, conform (to or

with), acquiesce (to or in), mind, accept, heed, defer to, yield

(to), knuckle under (to), give way (to), surrender (to), succumb

(to), give in (to), truckle to, bow to, bend to, take or accept

orders from: Unfortunately, Ogilvy has obeyed his baser

instincts in making the punishment fit the crime. Everything

must obey the laws of nature. Harold obeys Millie's slightest

whim. 2 discharge, execute, effect, carry out, fulfil, meet,

satisfy, do, perform; serve, act: We obeyed the colonel's

orders to the letter. It is your function to command, mine to

obey.

obituary n. necrology, death notice, eulogy, necrologue, Colloq obit:

Mark Twain is one of the few people ever to have read his own

obituary.

object n. 1 thing, tangible, item; reality, entity, fact, phenomenon:

A number of objects lay on the table. Thoughts may be considered

as objects of the imagination. 2 focus, target, butt, aim,

destination, quarry, goal: The object of my affection has

married someone else. 3 purpose, end, intention, objective,

reason, intent, idea, goal: The object of our visit is to ask

you a few questions.

--v. 4 protest (to or against), interfere (with), raise

objections (to), argue (against), oppose, be against, take

exception (to), disapprove (of), draw the line (at), complain

(about), remonstrate (over or about), take a stand (against),

refuse: I won't object if you want to bring the wine. Would you

object to rereading that passage? If they ask me, I cannot

object.

objection n. protest, opposition, exception, argument, challenge,

interference, demur or demurral or demurrer, question, doubt,

disapproval, interference, complaint, remonstration,

remonstrance, stand, refusal, dislike, antipathy: The meeting

proceeded without further objection from the audience. If you

have no objection, I'd like to leave now. The secretary has

raised an objection to the method of procedure.

objective adj. 1 fair, impartial, just, judicious, equitable, neutral,

disinterested, dispassionate, open-handed, open-minded,

detached, unbiased, unprejudiced, unbigoted, even-handed,

uncoloured, unjaundiced: How can you be objective about the

guilt or innocence of your own child?

--n. 2 target, goal, object, aim, purpose, end (in view),

intent, intention, design, aspiration, ambition, hope: If we

capture the flag, we shall have gained our objective. My

objective is to win the pentathlon.

objectivity

n. impartiality, fairness, fair-mindedness, equitableness,

equitability, even-handedness, neutrality, disinterest,

detachment, indifference, dispassion: The jury's objectivity

was never in doubt.

obligate n. oblige, pledge, commit, bind; require, compel, constrain,

force: I feel deeply obligated to her for her kindness to our

children. We are obligated to do what we are told.

obligation

n. 1 responsibility, duty, charge, burden, onus;

accountability, liability, trust; demand, requirement,

compulsion, Literary devoir: It was Frank's obligation to get

the children home safely. Civil servants have an obligation to

serve the people. I could never fulfil all my obligations. 2

constraint, requirement, contract, promise, pledge, bond,

agreement, covenant: The company is under no obligation to

replace a product because the customer dislikes its colour. I am

under an obligation to her for introducing us. 3 debt,

liability: Denby may be unable to meet all his obligations.

obligatory

adj. required, demanded, necessary, requisite, compulsory,

mandatory; incumbent; indispensable, essential: Has she been

able to meet all the obligatory qualifications?

oblige v. 1 accommodate, indulge, favour, serve, please, cater to,

gratify: The hotelier obliged us with every luxury he had to

offer. Please oblige us by keeping your dog on a lead. 2 make,

require, demand, force, compel, coerce, bind, obligate: What

hold has she over you that obliges you to do her housework?

obliged adj. 1 thankful, grateful, appreciative, beholden, indebted,

obligated: We are deeply obliged to you for lending us your

car. 2 bound, required, compelled, forced, made, obligated:

Under the terms of the agreement, I am obliged to repay the debt

by May.

obliging adj. accommodating, willing, indulgent, gracious, courteous,

civil, considerate, polite, agreeable, amenable, kind, kindly,

helpful, friendly, amiable, neighbourly, supportive: It was

very obliging of you to look after my cat while I was gone.

oblique adj. 1 slanting, slanted, sloping, aslant, inclined, diagonal,

inclining, angled, angling, canted, canting, banked, banking,

cambered, crooked, askew, divergent, diverging, tilted, atilt,

tilting: The roof joins the wall at an oblique angle. 2 awry,

devious, roundabout, indirect, circuitous, circumlocutionary,

evasive, sly, sidelong, offhand, surreptitious, furtive,

implied, clandestine, underhand(ed), deceitful, devious,

deceptive, false: She made some oblique comments about the

candidate's wife.

obliterate

v. 1 erase, expunge, rub out, efface, eradicate, wipe out,

delete, dele, strike off or out, strike from, rule out,

eliminate, write off: After the scandal, that name was

obliterated from the roll of honour. 2 annihilate, destroy,

kill, exterminate, wipe out, eliminate, blot out, eradicate,

extirpate: The entrance to the cave was completely obliterated

by the explosion.

oblivion n. 1 blankness, blackness, darkness, obscurity, nothingness,

nihility, anonymity, extinction, non-existence, void, limbo:

The rock band enjoyed brief fame, then sank into oblivion. 2

unawareness, obliviousness, forgetfulness, heedlessness,

disregard, unconsciousness, insensibility: I sank back into the

sweet oblivion of deep sleep.

oblivious adj. unaware, unconscious, unmindful, disregardful, insensible,

insensitive, distant, unconcerned, detached, removed, unfeeling,

abstracted, absent-minded, forgetful, Lethean: Many are

completely oblivious to the plight of the starving millions in

Africa.

obnoxious adj. revolting, repulsive, repugnant, disgusting, offensive,

objectionable, fulsome, noisome, vile, repellent, nauseous,

nauseating, sickening, foul, noxious, mephitic, unsavoury,

execrable, abominable, abhorrent, loathsome, detestable,

hateful, odious, scurvy, base, obscene, despicable, awful,

terrible, unpalatable, distasteful, unlikeable, unpleasant,

nasty, Colloq chiefly Brit beastly: Mary's obnoxious sister

even has obnoxious table manners.

obscene adj. 1 inelegant, improper, rude, impure, unchaste, shameless,

shameful, indecent, immodest, off colour, indecorous,

indelicate, risqu‚, vulgar, immoral, degenerate, amoral,

dissolute, broad, suggestive, erotic, sensual, ribald,

debauched, wanton, loose, libertine, bawdy, blue, scabrous,

coarse, dirty, filthy, smutty, pornographic, libidinous, lewd,

licentious, lecherous, lustful, goatish, carnal, ruttish,

lascivious, filthy, salacious, prurient, disgusting, offensive,

repulsive, foul, abominable, vile, loathsome, gross,

foul-mouthed, scurrilous, scatological, vile, Literary Cyprian,

Paphian, Fescennine, thersitical: In the cinema business,

'adult' and 'obscene' seem to be synonyms. 2 evil, wicked,

heinous, atrocious, awful, outrageous, repulsive, shocking,

repellent, obnoxious, off-putting, objectionable, beastly,

intolerable, insufferable, unpalatable, distasteful, nauseous,

nauseating, sickening, execrable, despicable, nasty: The

obscene monster dashed the brave warriors to the rocks far

below.

obscure adj. 1 dark, unlit, gloomy, sombre, dismal, murky, dusky,

black, Cimmerian, tenebrous, dim, faint, blurred, veiled,

shadowy, subfusc, subfuscous, umbral, shady, hazy, foggy,

befogged, clouded, nebulous, overcast, cloudy: The traveller's

lantern was barely seen in the obscure reaches of the wood. 2

unclear, uncertain, ambiguous, vague, hazy, doubtful, dubious,

equivocal, indefinite, indistinct, fuzzy, blurred, confused,

confusing, Delphic, puzzling, enigmatic, perplexing, baffling,

mystifying, mysterious, cryptic, incomprehensible, unfamiliar,

foreign, strange: The sorcerer muttered some obscure words, and

a golden horse stood prancing before them. 3 secret, concealed,

hidden, remote, out-of-the-way, inconspicuous, unnoticeable,

secluded, unnoticed: The caped figure scurried down the alley

and disappeared into some obscure doorway. 4 unknown,

unheard-of, anonymous, unnamed, insignificant, unimportant,

inconsequential, humble, lowly, mean, inglorious, inconspicuous,

undistinguished, unnoticed, unsung, minor, little-known: Though

extremely popular, the song was written by an obscure composer.

5 abstruse, arcane, recondite, esoteric, intricate, complex,

occult, out of the ordinary, unfamiliar, Colloq far-out: He is

an authority on some obscure subject like Coptic calligraphy.

--v. 6 cover, conceal, hide, veil, shroud, cloak, mask, screen,

disguise, keep from: Her link with military intelligence was

obscured from her family. 7 dim, bedim, cloud, becloud, dull,

shroud, shade, adumbrate, overshadow, darken, obfuscate, block,

eclipse: The street lamp was obscured by trees.

obscurity n. 1 dimness, darkness, gloom, murk, murkiness, duskiness,

dusk, blackness, faintness, blurriness, shade, shadow, haze,

fog, cloudiness, nebulousness: The two of them vanished into

the obscurity of the night. 2 abstruseness, ambiguousness,

intricacy, complexity, unintelligibility; mystery, arcanum,

secret, esoterica (pl.): Can he truly believe that he has

fathomed all the obscurities of Scripture? 3 insignificance,

unimportance, ingloriousness, inconspicuousness, anonymity,

namelessness, limbo: After a fleeting surge of popularity, punk

rock sank into obscurity.

obsequious

adj. low, cringing, toadying, toadyish, sycophantic(al),

sycophantish, unctuous, truckling, grovelling, crawling,

fawning, deferential, ingratiating, menial, flattering, servile,

slavish, subservient, submissive, abject, mealy-mouthed, slimy,

Colloq boot-licking, Chiefly Brit smarmy, Taboo slang

brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing, arse-licking, US ass-licking,

ass-kissing: He is surrounded with obsequious followers who

cater to his every whim.

observable

adj. perceptible, perceivable, noticeable, discernible,

recognizable, detectable, visible, apparent, distinct, evident,

manifest, plain, obvious, clear, explicit, transparent, patent,

tangible, unmistakable or unmistakeable: A marked change in

public sentiment became at once observable.

observance

n. 1 observation, observing, obedience, obeying, compliance,

complying, conformity, conforming, adherence, adhering, keeping,

accordance, regard, recognition, recognizing, respect,

respecting, heed, heeding, attention: Observance of the rules

by everyone makes for a happier community. 2 ceremony,

celebration, ceremonial, practice, rite, ritual, service,

performance, form, custom, convention, tradition, formality,

usage, habit, wont, institution: Almost all the fine arts

derived their origin from religious observances. 3 observation,

examination, inspection, scrutiny, looking, watching: His

observance of the passing scene was chronicled in his diary.

observant adj. 1 watchful, alert, attentive, vigilant, on the lookout, on

the qui vive, on guard, wide awake, regardful, mindful, aware,

keen, keen-eyed, sharp-eyed, eagle-eyed, perceptive, sharp,

shrewd: Hannay was observant of all who passed him on the way

to the train. How very observant of you to spot the man in the

crowd! 2 Usually, observant of. obedient (to), compliant (with),

respectful (of), heedful(of), attentive (to or of), conformist

(to), adherent (to): One must be always be observant of the

rules of the road.

observation

n. 1 watching, examination, scrutiny, inspection, viewing,

survey, surveillance; notice, discovery, attention, awareness:

The police put the house under 24-hour observation. The smuggled

weapon escaped the guard's observation. 2 comment, remark, note,

reflection, opinion, sentiment, point of view, impression,

feeling, commentary, criticism; utterance, word, announcement,

pronouncement, proclamation, declaration: She made a number of

trenchant observations concerning life in Britain today.

observe v. 1 obey, abide by, comply with, be heedful of, attend to,

conform to, regard, keep, follow, adhere to, respect, pay

attention to: We observed the prohibition against swimming. 2

watch, look at, examine, monitor, scrutinize, study, regard,

view, inspect, pore over, contemplate, consider , Colloq check

(out or up on), check over, size up, Slang case: The

naturalists went to the Arctic to observe the polar bears. 3

see, mark, notice, look, perceive: Observe how swiftly the skin

forms pustules when this substance is applied. 4 Sometimes,

observe on or upon. comment (on or upon), remark (on or upon),

mention, say, note, refer (to), make reference to, animadvert on

or upon or to; state, declare: It is impolite to observe on

others' manners. He couldn't help observing to his cell-mate how

easy it would be to escape. 5 celebrate, keep, solemnize,

respect, keep holy, mark, commemorate, memorialize, remember,

recognize: We always observe the sabbath.

observer n. witness, eyewitness, spectator, viewer, onlooker, beholder,

watcher, looker-on; non-participant: UN observers reported that

the battle was over.

obsess v. haunt, harass, plague, bedevil, torment, take over,

preoccupy, dominate, control, grip, possess, hold: He was

obsessed by the conviction that he could design a successful

flying machine.

obsession n. fixed idea, id‚e fixe, fixation, conviction, preoccupation,

prepossession, passion, mania, phobia, Colloq hang-up, thing:

Thoughts of death became his constant obsession.

obsessive adj. haunting, harassing, tormenting, dominating, controlling,

possessing, all-encompassing, passionate, unshakeable or

unshakable: She has an obsessive fear of heights.

obsolescent

adj. fading, waning, on the wane, declining, dying, on the way

out, on the decline, going or passing out of use or fashion or

style: Much of yesterday's newest slang is obsolescent today.

obsolete adj. out of date, out of fashion, out-dated, pass‚, out, dead,

outmoded, old, antiquated, antediluvian, ancient, superannuated,

dated, archaic, old-fashioned, d‚mod‚; unused, disused,

discarded, superseded, extinct, Colloq old hat: The expression

'tickety-boo' is obsolete. He plays his 78-rpm records on an

obsolete gramophone.

obstacle n. impediment, hindrance, obstruction, hurdle, hitch, catch,

snag, stumbling-block, barrier, bar, check: The obstacles in

the road prevented our proceeding further. One must often

overcome many obstacles before achieving success.

obstinacy n. obstinateness, stubbornness, doggedness, tenacity,

persistence or persistency, mulishness, pigheadedness,

wilfulness, contrariness, perverseness, perversity,

cantankerousness, recalcitrance, uncooperativeness,

rebelliousness, contumacy, contumaciousness, refractoriness,

intractability, intransigence, pertinacity, pertinaciousness,

obduracy, fixedness, stolidity, inflexibility, firmness, Archaic

frowardness, Colloq Brit bloody-mindedness: His obstinacy and

narrow-mindedness made it impossible to work in any cooperative

way with him.

obstinate adj. stubborn, dogged, tenacious, persistent, mulish, perverse,

headstrong, pigheaded, single-minded, wilful, strong-willed,

self-willed, contrary, recalcitrant, uncooperative, rebellious,

contumacious, refractory, intransigent, pertinacious, obdurate,

fixed, inflexible, stony, adamant, set, unmoving, immovable,

inexorable, intractable, unchangeable, resolute, steadfast,

unyielding, persevering, stiff, rigid, hard, Archaic froward,

Colloq Brit bloody-minded: The obstinate man does not hold

opinions - they hold him.

obstreperous

adj. vociferous, clamorous, noisy, loud, raucous, riotous,

uproarious, tumultuous, boisterous, rowdy, rumbustious,

tempestuous, unruly, disorderly, unmanageable, uncontrollable,

uncontrolled, unrestrained, irrepressible, out of control,

undisciplined, roisterous, wild, turbulent, Colloq rambunctious,

Brit mafficking: The party was getting rough and some of the

guests a bit too obstreperous.

obstruct v. 1 block, bar, check, prevent, stop (up), arrest, halt, clog,

make impassable; bring to a standstill: The vein is obstructed

by a large blood clot. A clogged drain is obstructing the water.

2 hamper, slow, impede, interfere with, retard, hinder,

interrupt, delay, stay, stall: An overturned truck obstructed

traffic on the motorway. 3 preclude, prevent, debar, block,

prohibit, forbid, stop, stand in the way of: They are

manoeuvring to obstruct her from taking over the company.

obstruction

n. 1 obstacle, barrier, bar, check, stumbling-block, hindrance,

impediment, hurdle, hitch, snag, catch, bottleneck, limitation,

constraint, restriction: The fallen trees created an almost

impassable obstruction. 2 checking, stopping, cessation,

proscription, forbidding, forbiddance; hindering, impeding,

limiting, halting, slowing: The obstruction of the bill's

passage can be blamed on the Tories.

obtain v. 1 get, procure, acquire, come by, come into (the) possession

of, secure, get hold of or one's hands on, grasp, capture, take

possession of, seize; buy, purchase: She has been unable to

obtain the job she wants. You can obtain that kind of soap at

the supermarket. 2 earn, gain: We talked to the manager about

obtaining an increase in wages. 3 prevail, be in force, be in

vogue, exist, subsist, have (a) place, be prevalent, be

established, be customary, apply, be relevant, relate: A

different set of regulations obtains here.

obtrude v. thrust (oneself) forward or forth, intrude, impose

(oneself), force (oneself): The best writers never obtrude

between the reader and the story.

obtrusive adj. interfering, intrusive, meddling, officious, meddlesome,

importunate, forward, presumptuous, forceful, Colloq pushy: She

found him somewhat obtrusive - always giving advice when she

least needed it.

obtuse adj. 1 rounded, unpointed, blunt: When mature, the leaves

become more obtuse. 2 dull, insensitive, unfeeling,

imperceptive, thick-skinned, stolid, thick, dense, doltish,

cloddish, thickheaded, dull-witted, dim-witted, slow-witted,

(mentally) retarded, boneheaded, lumpish, loutish, oafish,

simple, simple-minded: Luke is a bit too obtuse to get the

point of the story.

obvious adj. clear, plain, apparent, patent, perceptible, evident,

self-evident, clear-cut, manifest, palpable, (much) in evidence,

conspicuous, open, visible, overt, ostensible, pronounced,

prominent, glaring, undeniable, unconcealed, unhidden, unsubtle,

distinct, simple, bald, bald-faced, straightforward, direct,

self-explanatory, indisputable, unmistakable or unmistakeable:

There are obvious flaws in the fabric. The reason you were

refused seemed obvious to me.

obviously adv. clearly, plainly, apparently, patently, evidently, simply,

certainly, of course, undeniable, unmistakably or unmistakeably,

indubitably, doubtless(ly): You are obviously the right person

for the assignment.

15.3 occasion...

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occasion n. 1 time, moment, circumstance, incident, occurrence,

opportunity, chance, opening, advantage: I took the occasion of

the inquiry to leave town. 2 reason, cause, call,

justification, ground(s), warrant, provocation, prompting,

impulse, stimulus, incitement, inducement: Tom gave David no

occasion to doubt his honesty. 3 event, function, happening,

affair, observance, commemoration, ceremony, celebration, gala,

party,: Grandpapa's ninetieth birthday was a great occasion.

This hall is saved for important occasions. 4 on occasion. See

occasionally, below.

--v. 5 give rise to, bring about, cause, bring on, effect,

prompt, provoke, evoke, call forth, elicit, call up, induce,

impel, create, generate, engender, produce, make (for): An

increase in the inflation rate occasions a decrease in the value

of money.

occasional

adj. 1 intermittent, irregular, periodic, random, sporadic,

infrequent, casual, incidental: They staged occasional raids on

the arsenal. He works as an occasional farm hand. 2 additional,

extra, spare, supplementary, incidental, auxiliary, accessory:

We bought a few occasional chairs in case we have company. 3

special, particular, ceremonial, ritual: She writes occasional

verses for memorial services.

occasionally

adv. sometimes, on occasion, (every) now and then, from time to

time, at times, (every) now and again, once in a while, every so

often, periodically, intermittently, sporadically, irregularly,

off and on: We go up the Lake District for a weekend

occasionally. Trevor occasionally drops in at the local pub for

a beer.

occult adj. 1 secret, dark, concealed, private, privy, hidden,

obscure, veiled, obscured, shrouded, vague, abstruse, shadowy,

mystical, mysterious, cabbalistic, esoteric, recondite, arcane:

Printing was kept an occult art for generations. 2 magical,

mystical, alchemic(al), unexplained, unexplainable,

inexplicable, puzzling, baffling, perplexing, mystifying,

mysterious, incomprehensible, inscrutable, indecipherable,

impenetrable, unfathomable, transcendental, supernatural,

preternatural, mystic: They dress in odd clothes and

participate in occult rituals at peculiar times of the day and

night.

--n. 3 Usually, the occult. the supernatural, the unknown, the

black arts; arcana, cabbala or cabala or kabbala; cabbalism or

cabalism or kabbalism, occultism, sorcery, witchcraft, black

magic: Keith has studied the occult for many years.

occupant n. resident, inhabitant, occupier, tenant, lessee, leaseholder,

renter, owner, householder, indweller, dweller, denizen, lodger,

roomer, boarder; addressee; incumbent: The occupant of the flat

upstairs is rarely home.

occupation

n. 1 job, position, post, situation, appointment, employment,

vocation, line (of work), career, field, calling, trade, m‚tier,

craft, skill, profession, business, work: Claverton pursued his

occupation as a miniaturist for some fifty years. 2 possession,

tenure, occupancy, rule, control, suzerainty, subjugation,

subjection, oppression, bondage: Terrible atrocities were

committed while the land was under the occupation of the

Mongols. 3 conquest, seizure, appropriation, take-over:

Francisco Pizarro was responsible for the occupation of Peru.

occupy v. 1 capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, take

over, overrun, garrison, dominate, hold: Rebel forces had

occupied the capital and toppled the governor. 2 live or reside

or dwell in, tenant, be established or ensconced or situated in,

establish or ensconce or situate oneself in, inhabit, be settled

in or into, settle in or into, take up residence in, make one's

home in, move in or into; be located in: She occupies a

luxurious flat in Belgravia. 3 engage, busy, absorb,

monopolize, hold, take up or over, catch, grab, seize, grip;

divert, amuse, entertain, distract, beguile, preoccupy, hold

(someone's) attention, interest, engross, involve: Other

matters occupied my attention last Sunday. While one man was

keeping the shopkeeper occupied, the other man was robbing the

till. 4 fill (in or up), take up, cover, extend over, consume,

use (up), Colloq eat up: The car occupies more garage space

than I thought it would. Housework occupies very little of my

time.

occur v. 1 happen, take place, arise, come about, befall, come to

pass, chance, appear, surface, materialize, develop, become

manifest, manifest itself, Colloq transpire, crop up, come off,

turn up: We reported to the police all that had occurred. What

occurred to make you late this time? 2 occur to. dawn on,

strike, hit, come to, suggest itself to, cross (someone's) mind,

enter (someone's) head, be brought to (someone's) attention:

Has it occurred to you that she might not like opera?

occurrence

n. 1 happening, event, incident, phenomenon, affair, matter,

experience: Earthquakes are frequent occurrences in California.

2 existence, instance, manifestation, materialization,

appearance, development: The occurrence of mutations

diversifies the species. 3 frequency, incidence, rate;

likelihood, chance: What is the recorded occurrence of typhoons

in the South China Sea?

ocean n. 1 (deep blue) sea, (bounding) main, high seas, the deep,

Davy Jones's locker, the depths, Colloq the briny, the drink:

The sails filled, and our tiny craft was swept out into the open

ocean. 2 Often, oceans. flood, abundance, multitude, profusion,

plethora, Colloq scads, loads, tons, lots, oodles, gobs,

zillions: The direct mail campaign yielded oceans of responses.

oceanic adj. marine, pelagic, thalassic; salt-water, deep-water,

aquatic, maritime, sea, ocean: These creatures are chiefly

oceanic, coming ashore only to breed.

15.4 odd...

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odd adj. 1 strange, peculiar, unusual, uncommon, different,

unexpected, unfamiliar, extraordinary, remarkable, atypical,

untypical, exotic, out of the ordinary, unparalleled,

unconventional, exceptional, unique, singular, individual,

anomalous, idiosyncratic, rare, deviant, outlandish, uncanny,

queer, curious, bizarre, weird, eccentric, funny, quaint,

fantastic, freak, abnormal, freakish, Colloq offbeat, screwy,

kinky, freaky, Slang Brit barmy, bent, rum, US and Canadian

kooky or kookie: Ebenezer is an odd name for a dog. Where did

you get that odd hat? I cannot account for his odd behaviour. 2

occasional, casual, part-time, irregular, random, sporadic,

discontinuous, disconnected, various, varied, miscellaneous,

sundry, incidental: After being made redundant, he worked at

odd jobs for a year or so. The odd shower can be expected during

the afternoon. 3 leftover, surplus, remaining, unused, spare,

superfluous, extra: After the patterns were cut, we were

allowed to take the odd scraps of fabric. 4 uneven, unmatched,

unpaired: This gallery has an odd number of columns.

oddity n. 1 peculiarity, strangeness, unnaturalness, curiousness,

incongruity, incongruousness, eccentricity, outlandishness,

extraordinariness, unconventionality, bizarreness, weirdness,

queerness, oddness, unusualness, individuality, singularity,

distinctiveness, anomalousness, anomaly, Colloq kinkiness, US

and Canadian kookiness: What caught my attention was the oddity

of the clothes worn by the students. 2 peculiarity, curiosity,

rarity, freak, original, phenomenon, character, eccentric,

nonconformist, fish out of water, odd bird, rara avis, misfit,

square peg in a round hole, maverick, Colloq card, crank,

weirdie or weirdo, oner, Brit odd fish, US and Canadian kook,

oddball, screwball: The townspeople thought Albert an oddity,

but we knew he was a genius. 3 peculiarity, irregularity,

anomaly, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, deviation, quirk,

mannerism, twist, kink, crotchet: I suppose people all have

their own oddities when it comes to food.

odds n.pl. 1 chances, likelihood, probability: The odds are that

Janet will finish the job in time. 2 edge, advantage, lead,

superiority: We have won before against greater odds. 3

difference, inequality, disparity, unevenness, discrepancy,

dissimilarity, distinction: It makes no odds who you are, you

may not go in there. 4 at odds. at variance, at loggerheads, at

daggers drawn, at sixes and sevens, at cross purposes, at each

other's throats, in disagreement, in opposition, on bad terms,

not in keeping, out of line, inharmonious, conflicting,

clashing, disagreeing, differing: Teenagers have been at odds

with their parents since time immemorial. 5 odds and ends.

oddments, fragments, debris, leftovers, leavings, remnants, bits

(and pieces), particles, shreds, snippets, scraps, rubbish,

litter, Colloq Brit odds and sods: We managed to pack

everything into boxes except for a few odds and ends.

odour n. 1 smell, scent, aroma, bouquet, fragrance, perfume,

redolence; stench, stink, fetor or foetor: The air was filled

with the odour of orange blossoms. The odour of rotting

vegetation assailed our noses. 2 air, breath, hint, suggestion,

atmosphere, spirit, quality, flavour, savour, aura, tone: She

would never allow the odour of scandal to touch her family.

15.5 off...

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off adv. 1 away, out, elsewhere: His secretary said that he'd gone

off for the weekend. 2 distant, away, afar, far-off: The

U-boat was a mile off. Christmas is only a month off.

--adj. 3 incorrect, wrong, inaccurate, in error, mistaken,

misguided, misled, off the mark: I'm afraid you're off on the

question of the best way to approach him. 4 mad, insane, crazy,

eccentric, touched (in the head), Colloq dotty, dippy, nutty,

potty: Underwood's aunt is slightly off. 5 remote, distant,

improbable, unlikely: He went to the station on the off chance

that she would be on the midday train. 6 off work, at leisure,

idle, free, open; on holiday: Can you get the day off tomorrow

to go on a picnic with me? 7 sour, mouldy, bad, rotten, rancid,

turned, high: The cream smells a bit off. 8 bad, unpropitious,

disappointing, unsatisfactory, disheartening, displeasing,

slack, slow, substandard, below par, below average, quiet: It

has been an off year for the local football team. 9 cancelled,

postponed: The meeting is off till next week. 10 situated,

fixed, supplied: Is he really that well off? She was much worse

off when they were married.

offbeat adj. strange, eccentric, bizarre, weird, peculiar, odd, queer,

unconventional, unorthodox, Bohemian, idiosyncratic, unusual,

unexpected, outr‚, outlandish, deviant, novel, innovative,

Colloq kinky, way-out, far-out, off-the-wall, freaky, weirdo:

Jasper's offbeat, satirical humour has made him a popular

comedian.

off colour

adj. 1 unwell, ill, off form, out of sorts, queasy, sick, run

down, awful, seedy, Colloq under the weather, poorly, Slang

lousy, rotten: I have been feeling off colour since eating that

fish. 2 indelicate, risqu‚, ribald, bawdy, indecent,

suggestive, broad, indelicate, inelegant, improper,

inappropriate, unseemly, blue: My mother does not tolerate

off-colour remarks at the dinner table.

offence n. 1 violation, breach, crime, felony, misdemeanour,

infraction, transgression, trespass, wrong, wrongdoing, sin,

peccadillo, misdeed, fault, infringement, malefaction;

dereliction, lapse, slip, error: He was accused of offences

against the rights of others. Some regard the splitting of an

infinitive an offence against the Queen's English. 2 give

offence. incur displeasure, create annoyance or irritation or

resentment or pique, evoke indignation or anger; slight, injure,

hurt, harm, offend, insult, outrage, Colloq put (someone) down:

He denied that he meant to give offence in his criticism of the

play. 3 take offence. take umbrage, feel displeasure or

annoyance or resentment or pique or indignation, be angered or

enraged: Why should you take offence at what a fool says?

offend v. 1 hurt (someone's) feelings, affront, insult, slight, snub,

give offence, hurt, pain, displease, disgruntle, chagrin,

humiliate, embarrass; pique, fret, gall, vex, annoy, irritate,

nettle, needle, rankle, provoke, ruffle, outrage, rile, anger ,

Colloq miff, put (someone's) back up, put (someone's) nose out

of joint, tread or step on (someone's) toes, put (someone) out,

rattle: I hope you weren't offended by my saying that you could

do with losing some weight. 2 disgust, sicken, turn (someone's)

stomach, nauseate, repel, repulse, revolt, Colloq turn (someone)

off: I, for one, am offended by seeing explicit sex on

television.

offender n. criminal, malefactor, lawbreaker, outlaw, wrongdoer,

culprit, miscreant, transgressor, sinner, evil-doer, Slang

crook: I don't know if they apprehended the offender.

offensive adj. 1 antagonistic, hostile, contentious, quarrelsome,

attacking, aggressive, threatening, provocative, combative,

martial, belligerent, warlike, bellicose: The minute the enemy

made an offensive move, we attacked. 2 insulting, rude,

disrespectful, uncivil, insolent, discourteous, impolite,

unmannerly, impertinent, impudent, objectionable, displeasing:

Nigel has been asked to leave because of his offensive

behaviour. 3 disgusting, unsavoury, unpalatable, nauseating,

nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, repugnant, repulsive,

repellent, revolting, abominable, foul, loathsome, vile,

sickening, fetid or foetid, rank, malodorous, mephitic, putrid,

putrescent, putrefying, rancid, rotten: An offensive stench

emanated from the stagnant pond.

--n. 4 attack, offence: At last, our team was on the

offensive. 5 attack, onslaught, drive, assault, offence, push:

The offensive to capture the arsenal will be launched at dawn

tomorrow.

offer v. 1 proffer, propose, tender, bid: They offered twice what I

had paid for it. She offered to buy my old car. 2 make

available, present, tender, put on the market, sell, put up for

sale, put up, furnish: The supermarket is offering lettuce at

half price. 3 proffer, provide, submit, put forward or forth,

advance, tender, extend, make; suggest: Can you offer a

suggestion for improving office efficiency? He offered to forget

the whole thing if I paid him œ1000. 4 volunteer, present

oneself, step or come forward: I offered to help with her

luggage.

--n. 5 proposal, bid, tender, offering: She said she would

double any offer we have already had for the painting. 6

proposal, presentation, proffer, proposition: The company said

they could entertain no offers past the deadline. My offer to

lend the money was contingent on being repaid.

offering n. sacrifice, oblation, contribution, donation, gift, present:

They made offerings to the gods in order to propitiate them.

offhand adj. 1 offhanded, casual, informal, nonchalant, cool, distant,

aloof, easygoing, blas‚, unceremonious, relaxed, easy, smooth,

unconcerned, insouciant, light-hearted, uninterested,

superficial, cursory, cavalier, careless: His offhand reaction

shows that he doesn't care as much about her as we thought. 2

curt, brusque, abrupt, perfunctory, ungracious, glib, smooth:

When asked when he expected to pay, he gave an offhand reply. 3

extempore, impromptu, unpremeditated, unstudied, extemporaneous,

informal, off the cuff, ad lib: She rose to make some offhand

comments about the accomplishments of the guest of honour.

--adv. 4 extempore, impromptu, extemporaneously, informally,

off the cuff, ad lib, on the spur of the moment, at the drop of

a hat: That was a pretty good speech considering it was made

offhand. 5 casually, informally, incidentally, by the way,

offhandedly, by the by, parenthetically, in passing, en passant,

cursorily, superficially: Offhand, I'd say that the two of them

deserve each other.

office n. 1 business, organization, department, firm, house,

establishment, company, corporation: Whenever I'm travelling, I

always try to phone the office once a day. 2 commission,

department, branch; section, division: He was with the overseas

office for years. 3 workplace, offices; room, area: Our new

office is completely air-conditioned. My office is next to the

board room. 4 duty, obligation, responsibility, charge,

commission, service, employment, occupation, position, post,

appointment, assignment, chore, task, job, place, berth, work,

role, function, purpose, part, bit, Colloq thing, Slang shtick:

He was appointed to the office of Minister of Health. In her

office as Minister of Finance, she wields great power. 5

offices. indulgence, intermediation, auspices, support,

advocacy, aegis, help, aid, intercession, mediation, patronage,

favour, backing, backup: She appealed to the police chief's

good offices to allow her to visit her son.

officer n. 1 (public) official, dignitary, office-holder, public

servant, office-bearer, (political) appointee, (government)

agent, bureaucrat, functionary, commissioner, administrator,

manager, director; apparatchik: He was stopped by customs

officers who demanded to search his baggage. The bailiff is an

officer of the court. 2 policeman, policewoman, police officer,

officer of the law, constable, Old-fashioned catchpole, US

lawman, peace officer, G-man, T-Man, Colloq gendarme, Slang cop,

copper, fuzz, US dick, narc, Brit Old Bill, tec: The officer

standing at the door was there to serve a writ.

official adj. 1 authorized, legitimate, lawful, legal, authentic, bona

fide, proper, true, accredited, valid, documented, licensed,

sanctioned, endorsed, certified, verified, recognized, accepted:

I won't believe I've won till I hold the official notification

in my own hands. 2 ceremonial, formal, solemn, ritualistic,

ceremonious, pompous, stiff, proper, seemly, decorous: She has

to make an acceptance speech at the official dinner.

--n. 3 See officer, 1, above.

officiate v. preside, direct, manage, chair, conduct, oversee, head (up),

run, lead, supervise, superintend; umpire, referee, judge,

adjudicate, moderate, mediate: Who will officiate at the annual

meeting? Dennis has been invited to officiate at the football

match on Saturday.

officious adj. dictatorial, intrusive, intruding, meddlesome, meddling,

obtrusive, forward, bold, interfering, aggressive, insistent,

persistent, demanding, importunate: Hamish is one of those

officious little men who are always ready to give unasked-for

advice.

offset v. 1 compensate, counterbalance, countervail, counterpoise,

counteract, balance (out), equalize, even (out or up), square,

cancel (out), neutralize, nullify, make up (for), atone (for),

redress; recompense, repay, make amends or restitution, make

good, reimburse, indemnify: The votes from the Centre offset

those lost to the Far Left. How are you going to offset losses

resulting from pilferage by shop assistants?

--n. 2 compensation, counterbalance, counteraction, check,

equalizer, neutralizer: The bank manager considered the money

owed to the company as sufficient offset for the money owed by

it.

offshoot n. 1 branch, spur; shoot, limb, bough, twig, stem, appendage,

sucker, sprout, sprig, tendril, scion: There is an offshoot of

this road that goes up the hill. The offshoots are trained to

grow along the arms of the espalier. 2 descendant, relation,

relative, kin, kindred, offspring, scion, heir: One offshoot of

the family later emigrated to the United States. 3 outgrowth,

development, branch, spin-off; by-product, derivative: An

offshoot of the company manufactures optical instruments. The

sale of gravel for concrete is an offshoot of our mining

operations.

offspring n. (Often used as plural) child, progeny, issue, seed,

youngster, brood, young, successor, heir: None of the earl's

offspring ever amounted to much.

often adv. frequently, regularly, much, many times, usually,

habitually, commonly; ordinarily, again and again, over and over

again, time after time, repeatedly, time and (time) again, in

many cases or instances, on numerous occasions, day in (and) day

out, continually, Literary oftentimes, oft: How often do you

visit your mother? We often went to the seaside for our summer

holiday. She was often warned not to go too near the edge.

15.6 ogle...

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ogle v. 1 leer, eye, make eyes at, Colloq give (someone) the glad

eye, give (someone) the once-over, make sheep's eyes at: The

old lecher is always ogling the pretty young secretaries. 2

gape, gaze, goggle, gawk, stare, Slang Brit gawp or gaup: We

took turns ogling the rings of Saturn through the telescope.

--n. 3 leer, stare, gape, goggle, oeillade, Colloq once-over,

glad eye: They all crowded round the paper for an ogle at the

pin-ups.

ogre n. ogress, monster, giant, fiend, demon, troll, man-eater,

bogey, bogeyman, bugbear, spectre, Minotaur, Cyclops, Gorgon,

Caliban; brute, sadist, villain, cad, scoundrel: The ogre

chased Jack to the beanstalk. The persistent ogre of poverty

threatened him all his life.

15.7 oil...

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oil n. 1 lubricant, grease, lubricator, unguent: A little oil will

stop that squeak. 2 fuel: Miraculously, the lamp burned for

eight days with only one day's supply of oil.

--v. 3 lubricate, grease: Oil the bearings or they will burn

out.

oily adj. 1 greasy, oleaginous, fat, fatty, adipose, pinguid,

sebaceous, soapy, saponaceous, buttery, butyraceous, lardaceous;

slippery, slimy, slithery, smooth, unctuous: The cars slid

about as the tyres failed to grip the oily surface. 2 glib,

smooth, unctuous, servile, obsequious, sycophantic,

ingratiating, flattering, hypocritical; suave, urbane,

sophisticated, Colloq smarmy: Sarah found Curtis's approach

sickeningly oily.

ointment n. unguent, balm, salve, emollient, embrocation, demulcent,

pomade, pomatum, petrolatum; lotion, cream: A little ointment

will keep the sore moist till it heals.

15.8 OK

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OK interj. 1 O.K.!, Okay!, Fine!, Yes!, Definitely!, Agreed!, Very

well!, All right!: 'Would you have dinner with me?' 'OK!' 'I

think you ought to leave.' 'OK!'

--adj. 2 satisfactory, acceptable, correct, suitable, all

right, fine, good, in order: Is it OK if I go the cinema

tonight? That dress is OK to wear to the dance. 3 adequate,

mediocre, fair, middling, passable, tolerable, Colloq so so,

pretty good, not bad, not great: The film was OK, I suppose. 4

well, healthy; sound, in good condition, in fine fettle, fine,

all right: Now that he's on the proper medication, Sam is OK.

The mechanic assured me that my car would be OK.

--v. 5 approve, sanction, ratify, authorize, endorse, support,

agree to, allow, consent to, agree to, Colloq give the go-ahead

or green light to, give the thumbs up or the nod to,

rubber-stamp: A department head must OK your expense account

before you can be reimbursed.

--n. 6 approval, sanction, ratification, authorization,

endorsement, agreement, support, permission, consent: You need

an OK from the security guard to enter the restricted area.

--adv. 7 all right, satisfactorily, well (enough), adequately:

She can get along OK without me.

15.9 old...

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old adj. 1 elderly, ageing, aged, advanced in years or age,

long-lived, past one's prime, grey, full of years, getting on

(in years), hoary, superannuated, Colloq over the hill, past it:

Bill is too old to continue working in the mine. 2 ancient,

antiquated, antediluvian, fossil, prehistoric, Noachian,

obsolete, antique, outdated, out of date, old-time, dated,

archaic, stale, out-moded, pass‚, Literary Ogygian: The

archaeological dig has turned up some interesting old artefacts.

3 time-worn, decayed, dilapidated, ramshackle, disintegrated,

crumbling, shabby, worn out, dusty, broken-down, tumbledown,

disused, unused, cast off, cast aside: They have torn down the

old mill near the river. 4 long-standing, well-established,

enduring, lasting, age-old, time-honoured: It is hard to see an

old friendship die. 5 former, olden, bygone, early, primordial,

primitive: In the old days, it took a week to travel from

London to Edinburgh. 6 previous, preceding, prior, former,

quondam, erstwhile, one-time, ex-: The West End was my old

stamping-ground when I lived in London. 7 experienced, veteran,

practised, (well-)versed, knowledgeable, proficient,

accomplished, adept, skilled, expert, old-time: Charles is an

old hand at steam engines. 8 dear, beloved, loved, esteemed,

valued, precious, well-known, intimate, close, familiar:

Penelope is an old friend of the family's.

old-fashioned

adj. antiquated, antique, pass‚, out-moded, out-dated,

unfashionable, stale, out-dated, dated, out of date, tired,

old-time, obsolete, obsolescent, dead, superseded, replaced,

disused, out, old-fangled, old hat: Whoever thought we would

see the day when miniskirts were old-fashioned?

15.10 omen...

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omen n. portent, augury, sign, token, foretoken, indication,

harbinger, forewarning, premonition, foreshadowing, writing on

the wall, prognostic, presage: Solar eclipses were once

regarded as omens, sometimes good, sometimes bad.

ominous adj. 1 foreboding, threatening, fateful, dark, black, gloomy,

lowering or louring, menacing, sinister; unpropitious,

unfavourable, ill-omened, ill-starred, unpromising,

star-crossed, inauspicious: With ominous solemnity, the judge

placed a black cloth square on his head before passing the death

sentence. 2 minatory, warning, admonitory, cautionary: The

whispering had taken on ominous overtones. 3 portentous,

prophetic, oracular, vaticinal, predictive, prognostic, augural,

mantic, sibyllic, meaningful, premonitory, foreshadowing,

foretelling, foretokening, indicative: Virtually everything was

regarded as ominous in ancient times.

omission n. 1 non-inclusion, omitting, leaving out or off, excluding,

eliminating, dropping, skipping; exclusion, exception, deletion,

elimination, excision: The omission of your name from the list

was a mistake. Allowing for inadvertent omissions, the inventory

is complete. 2 failure, default, neglect, dereliction,

oversight, shortcoming, negligence: She is being punished for

her innocent omission in failing to notify the police while he

is at liberty despite his deliberate commission of a crime.

omit v. 1 leave out, exclude, skip, except, pass over; delete,

erase, cancel, eradicate, edit out, strike (out), dele, cut

(out), cross out, obliterate: She was offended because he

omitted any mention of all that she had contributed. 2 neglect,

disregard, fail, forget, overlook, let slide, ignore: I omitted

to tell you that your sister telephoned yesterday.

15.11 once...

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once adv. 1 once upon a time, formerly, (at) one time, on a former

occasion, previously, before, in days gone by, in olden days, in

the (good) old days, long ago, some time ago, years or ages or

aeons ago, in days of yore: Your hair is as long as mine once

was. He was once a famous film star. That once revered leader

has fallen. 2 one time, on one occasion, a single time: He has

visited his family only once in all these years. 3 once and for

all. finally, positively, definitely, decidedly, conclusively,

for good: We must settle the itinerary once and for all before

we can make the bookings. 4 once in a while. occasionally,

(every) now and then, now and again, at times, sometimes,

periodically, from time to time, at intervals, sporadically: We

go to the theatre once in a while.

--conj. 5 (if) ever, as soon as, at any time: Once the bus

comes, you'd best get on it straight away.

--n. 6 at once. a immediately, straight away, right away,

directly, without delay, promptly, instantly, post-haste; in a

wink, in the twinkling of an eye, in a minute or moment or

second or split second, in no time (at all), before you can turn

around, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', in a trice, Colloq

in a jiffy, in two shakes of a lamb's tail: Watson, come here

at once. I'll be there at once. b together, at the same time,

simultaneously, at a stroke, in the same instant, in the same

breath, Colloq at one go, at a go, in one go: You cannot be in

two places at once.

oncoming adj. 1 advancing, arriving, coming, nearing, approaching,

onrushing, imminent: He swerved and just managed to avoid the

oncoming lorry.

--n. 2 onset, beginning, nearing, arrival, advance, approach:

With the oncoming of spring, the birds returned.

one adj. 1 single, lone, solitary, individual, sole, only: The one

time I kissed Margie it was heaven. 2 unified, united,

inseparable, joined, undivided, one and the same, identical,

equal, at one, harmonious, in unison, whole, entire, complete:

When he went into a trance, he felt one with his God. 3 a

particular, a certain, a given, a specific: I recall one

occasion when she brought all her dogs into work.

--pron. 4 a person, an individual, a man or a woman, everybody,

everyone, anybody, anyone; people; Possibly offensive man: One

ought to treat others as one would like to be treated. One

cannot be too careful these days.

--n. 5 joke, story, anecdote, chestnut, one-liner; limerick,

rhyme, ditty, song; bromide: Have you heard the one that

begins, 'There was a young man from Loch Ness'?

one-sided adj. 1 partial, biased, partisan, prejudiced, bigoted, unfair,

unjust, inequitable, close-minded, narrow-minded, intolerant:

His is a one-sided view of the problem. 2 lopsided, unbalanced,

unequal, unequalized, uneven, disproportionate, Slang cock-eyed:

The swelling on his left cheek made Tom's face look very

one-sided. 3 unilateral, independent, exclusionary, exclusive:

They made a one-sided decision to halt production of nuclear

weapons.

ongoing adj. 1 continuing, continued, continuous, continual, ceaseless,

unbroken, uninterrupted, constant, perpetual, non-stop,

relentless, persistent, unending, endless, interminable,

running: There has been an ongoing dispute with the museum over

the authenticity of the sculpture. 2 developing, evolving,

growing, successive, unfolding, progressing, progressive:

Rather than come to a hasty decision, we decided to monitor

ongoing developments.

onlooker n. spectator, observer, looker-on, eyewitness, witness,

watcher, viewer; bystander, passer-by: She was merely an

onlooker, not a participant. Onlookers reported that the driver

had run away from the accident.

only adj. 1 sole, single, solitary, lone, one and only, exclusive:

He is the only one who can identify the murderer.

--adv. 2 solely, just, exclusively, alone: He has a face that

only a mother could love. They have been here only twice. She

gets her own way only because she has a tantrum if anyone

crosses her. Harry was correct in one respect only. 3 merely,

simply, barely, at best, at worst, at most, just, purely, not or

no more than, not or no greater than: She is only seventeen. I

received your note only today. Don't get excited, it's only a

small present.

--conj. 4 but, however, on the other hand, on the contrary,

contrariwise: The flowers are lovely, only they have no scent.

onset n. 1 attack, assault, onrush, onslaught, charge, strike, hit,

raid, storming, sally, sortie: These troops had to bear the

brunt of the onset. 2 beginning, start, outset, initiation,

inauguration, commencement, inception, dawn, birth, origin,

genesis, appearance, debut: We must leave before the onset of

the monsoon season. The sudden onset of a new policy will throw

the ministers into a panic.

onward adj. forward, advancing, progressive, progressing, moving

onward or forward: They resumed their onward march, laying

waste to the countryside as they went.

onwards adv. onward, forwards or forward, ahead, in front, on, forth:

They marched onwards through the dismal valley. From this day

onwards afternoon visiting hours will be from two to four

o'clock.

15.12 ooze

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ooze n. 1 slime, muck, mud, mire, silt, sludge, sediment, slush,

Colloq goo, gunk, guck, Slang US glop, goop: I stepped into the

bog and the ooze rose over the tops of my shoes.

--v. 2 exude, weep, seep, secrete, bleed, leak, drain, trickle;

emit, discharge: Sap continues to ooze from the gash in the

tree.

15.13 opacity...

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opacity n. 1 opaqueness, darkness, murkiness, dimness, obscurity,

impermeability, impenetrability: The opacity of the lens

increases automatically in the presence of sunlight. 2

obscurity, density, impenetrability, unintelligibility,

indefiniteness, vagueness, reconditeness, abstruseness,

ambiguity, equivocation, mystification: For centuries

scientists were unable to penetrate the opacity of the question

of what occurred when substances burned. 3 stupidity, dullness,

denseness, thickness, obtuseness: A light finally dawned

through the thick opacity of his brain.

opalescent

adj. opaline, iridescent, nacreous, pearly, lustrous: The sea

was opalescent in the moonlight.

opaque adj. 1 dark, murky, dim, turbid, muddy, cloudy, obscure,

obscured, obfuscated, black, impermeable, impenetrable, clouded,

non-transparent, untransparent, non-translucent, hazy, blurred,

blurry, smoky: Solar eclipses should be viewed directly only

through special opaque glass. 2 unclear, vague, indefinite,

obscure, unfathomable, unplumbable, baffling, mystifying,

ambiguous, equivocal, impenetrable, cryptic, enigmatic,

puzzling, perplexing, mysterious, elusive, abstruse, arcane,

recondite: Despite years of study, the inscriptions on the tomb

have remained opaque to scholars. 3 unintelligent, dense, thick,

dull, obtuse, stupid, dull-witted, stolid, thickheaded,

dunderheaded, dunderpated, slow, doltish, backward, cloddish:

He was too opaque to notice the jeers of his colleagues.

open adj. 1 ajar, gaping, agape, unfastened, unlocked, unbarred,

unbolted, unlatched, unclosed: Come on in - the door is open.

2 yawning, agape, uncovered, revealed, unsealed, exposed, bare:

Her uncle escaped by hiding for three nights in an open grave.

3 unwrapped, unsealed, unfastened: The package was open and the

contents gone. 4 free, accessible, public, available;

obtainable; unrestricted, unobstructed, unencumbered or

unincumbered, unimpeded, unhindered, unhampered, unregulated,

unconditional, unqualified: The parks are open to all. We were

allowed open access to the library stacks. 5 unprotected,

unenclosed, unsheltered, bare; uncovered, exposed: They spent a

week in an open boat before being rescued. The roof can be

retracted, leaving the interior completely open to the sky. 6

unsettled, unagreed, unsigned, unsealed, unclinched,

unestablished, unconcluded, undecided, pending: As far as I am

concerned, the deal is open till the contract is signed. 7

undecided, unsettled, unresolved, debatable, arguable,

problematic, moot, US up in the air: Whether they should get

married is a question that will remain open until he returns

from abroad. 8 unscheduled, unbooked, unspoken for, unreserved,

uncommitted, free, unpromised: The doctor has an hour open at

noon on Friday. 9 clear, unobstructed, wide open, uncluttered,

roomy, spacious, extensive, expansive; treeless, uncrowded,

unfenced, unenclosed; ice-free, navigable, unblocked, passable:

We travelled through open country for days. In the spring the

shipping lanes will again be open. 10 available, unfilled,

vacant, untaken: There are not many jobs open in this part of

the country. 11 receptive, open-minded, flexible, amenable,

persuasible or persuadable, pliant, willing, responsive: The

management is open to suggestions for improving its products and

services. 12 exposed, public, well-known, widely known,

unconcealed: That they are living together is an open secret.

13 evident, obvious, conspicuous, manifest, clear, unconcealed,

unequivocal, plain, palpable, apparent, patent, downright, out

and out, blatant, flagrant, glaring, brazen: He operates with

open disregard for the law. 14 generous, liberal, charitable,

unreserved, open-handed, liberal, munificent, magnanimous,

big-hearted, beneficent, bounteous, unselfish, unstinting,

humanitarian, altruistic: They are quite open when it comes to

giving to charity. 15 unreserved, candid, frank, outspoken,

straightforward, forthright, direct, honest, sincere, guileless,

artless, fair: He found it difficult to be open with his wife.

16 free, unrestrained, unconstrained, uninhibited, unreserved,

unrestricted: They have an open marriage, each aware of the

other's affairs. 17 unfolded, extended, spread (out),

outstretched, outspread: She ran into my open arms. 18 liable,

subject, susceptible, exposed, inclined, predisposed, disposed:

These fraudulent shipping documents may well leave the captain

open to prosecution for barratry. 19 unprotected, undefended,

unfortified, exposed: With the invaders at the gates, Paris was

declared an open city.

--v. 20 begin, start, initiate, commence, get under way,

inaugurate, launch, put in or into operation, activate, get

going, set in motion; establish, set up; Colloq get or start the

ball rolling, get or put the show on the road, kick off: The

minister opened the proceedings with an interminable speech.

Jeremy is planning to open a restaurant in Pebble Lane. The show

opens in Manchester next week. 21 unlock, unbar, unlatch,

unbolt, unfasten; uncover; uncork, unseal; undo, untie, unwrap;

pull out: Open the door. Open the box. Open the bottle. Open

your present. He opened the drawer. 22 unblock, clear,

unobstruct, unclog, unstop: They had to dig up the yard to open

the drain. The new law has opened the way for increased exports.

23 disclose, unveil, uncover, expose, display, show, exhibit,

reveal, divulge, bring to light, communicate, bring out,

unbosom, explain, present, announce, release, publish, air, make

known, advertise: The wonders of the language were opened to me

by my first dictionary. 24 expand, spread (out), stretch out,

open up or out, unfurl, extend: The flag opened to the breeze.

25 present, offer, furnish, provide, afford, yield, reveal,

uncover, raise, contribute, introduce: Expansion of technology

opens new business opportunities every day.

opening n. 1 break, breach, rent, rift, cleft, crack, crevice, fissure,

cranny, chink, pit, gap, split, slit, slot, aperture, hole,

orifice, separation: Flowers grew from openings in the wall. 2

opportunity, chance, occasion, toe-hold, foothold, Colloq break,

toe or foot in the door, Brit look-in: I was waiting for an

appropriate opening to make my presentation. 3 job, position,

opportunity, vacancy: Is there likely to be an opening in the

art department of your company? 4 beginning, commencement,

start, birth, origin, outset, onset, inauguration, launch,

send-off, initiation, presentation, debut; vernissage, US

start-off, start-up: The opening of the autumn social season

was marked by Malcolm's birthday party. Aren't you going to the

opening at the museum tonight?

openly adv. 1 brazenly, brashly, flagrantly, unabashedly, unashamedly,

unreservedly, boldly, audaciously, flauntingly: She has openly

defied the direct orders of her employer. 2 frankly,

unreservedly, plainly, forthrightly, candidly, directly,

outright, freely, outspokenly: The man admitted openly that he

had stolen the plans for the missile.

operable adj. workable, practicable, serviceable, usable, functional,

fit, operational, in working order or condition: Aircraft

engines that rely on oxygen for burning fuel are not operable

where the air is too thin.

operate v. 1 go, run, perform; work, function, serve, act: This watch

operates even under water. The drug operates to reduce blood

pressure. 2 manage, run, direct, conduct, control, carry on,

ply, manipulate, handle; US drive: Katherine has been operating

as an antiques dealer for years. It is unsafe to operate this

machinery without goggles.

operation n. 1 function, functioning, working, running, performance,

action, motion, movement: The operation of the internal

combustion engine is very simple. 2 manipulation, handling,

direction, running, control, management, managing; manoeuvring:

The operation of the aircraft is under the control of the

captain. 3 undertaking, enterprise, venture, project, affair,

deal, procedure, proceeding, (day-to-day) business, transaction:

Who will be in charge of the operation while the president is

abroad? 4 Often, operations. action, manoeuvre, mission, task,

campaign, exercise: The generals directed military operations

from positions close to enemy lines. 5 in or into operation.

functioning, operative, in effect, in force, operating,

operational, functional, effective, efficacious: Is the factory

in operation yet? The new regulations went into operation last

week.

operative adj. 1 See operation, 5, above.

--n. 2 worker, hand, employee; craftsman, craftswoman, artisan,

mechanic, machinist: We hired two more lathe operatives today.

3 private detective, (private) investigator, Colloq private eye,

sleuth, Brit sleuth-hound, US P.I., gumshoe, Slang (private)

dick, US shamus, eye: Our operatives reported that Jones had

been seen in the company of a known enemy agent. 4 espionage or

intelligence agent, counter-espionage or counter-intelligence

agent, spy, counter-spy, undercover agent or man, (FBI or CIA)

agent, US G-man, Colloq US company man, member of the firm: We

had an operative at the top level of the NKVD.

operator n. 1 (bus or taxi or train) driver; worker, operative,

manipulator, practitioner: These operators are required to take

safety courses. 2 director, administrator, manager, supervisor,

superintendent: Shaughnessey is the operator of a roofing

business in Tring. 3 machinator, faker, fraud, manipulator,

manoeuvrer, Colloq finagler, wise guy, Slang smooth or slick

operator, smoothie, wheeler-dealer, big-shot, big-time operator,

Chiefly US and Canadian big wheel: Claude is a cunning operator

who always gets what he goes after.

opinion n. 1 belief, judgement, thought, sentiment, (point of) view,

viewpoint, conviction, way of thinking, perception, idea,

impression, notion, conception, theory, id‚e re‡u; mind: It is

my opinion that sickness benefits ought to be increased. In her

opinion all men are chauvinists. 2 evaluation, estimation,

estimate, appraisal, appreciation, impression: Myra has a very

low opinion of Ray's taste in architecture.

opinionated

adj. 1 stubborn, pigheaded, obstinate, doctrinaire, inflexible,

dogmatic, single-minded, cocksure, obdurate, dictatorial,

dogged, mulish, bull-headed, overbearing: Felix is too

opinionated to change his mind even if he knows he is wrong. 2

prejudiced, biased, bigoted, one-sided, jaundiced, coloured,

partial, partisan: You can count on Joan for an opinionated

view of social values.

opponent n. antagonist, adversary, disputant, contestant, competitor,

contender, rival, foe, enemy; the opposition: He may be my

opponent in the chess competition, but we are the best of

friends.

opportune adj. 1 favourable, advantageous, auspicious, good, felicitous,

happy, propitious, beneficial, helpful, fortunate, lucky,

profitable: As I need money, and you have it to invest, our

meeting is most opportune. 2 timely, well-timed, seasonable,

apt, appropriate, germane, pertinent, convenient, fitting,

suitable, becoming: If this is not an opportune time to bring

up the matter of the money you owe me, just say so.

opportunistic

adj. expedient, selfish, taking advantage, exploitive or

exploitative, unprincipled, Machiavellian, opportunist: Don't

you agree that it was opportunistic of him to inform on his own

brother for a reward?

opportunity

n. chance, occasion, opening, possibility, moment, time, Slang

break: She has taken advantage of every opportunity to vilify

her ex-employers.

oppose v. 1 resist, counter, object (to), defy, take a stand against,

withstand, resist, combat, contest, attack, counter-attack,

fight, grapple with, contend with or against: If it comes to

that, we must oppose force with force. 2 check, bar, obstruct,

block, hinder, impede, stop, slow, curb, restrain, inhibit,

interfere with, restrict, prevent, obviate, preclude, thwart,

foil, frustrate: Labour seeks to oppose the privatization of

industry. 3 match, offset, counterbalance, contrast, pit or set

against, play off (against), set off: What can they call upon

to oppose the power of the Devil?

opposed adj. Often, opposed to. against, in opposition (to), opposing,

in conflict (with), antipathetic, conflicting, contrary (to), at

variance (with), antithetical (to), hostile (to), inimical (to),

opposite (to), contrasting: Harvey is among those opposed to

abortion. All those who are opposed to the motion raise your

hands.

opposing adj. opposite, conflicting, contrary, antithetical,

antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, inimical, contrasting,

rival, contradictory, incompatible, irreconcilable, dissident,

discrepant: Those with opposing views will be heard from later.

opposite adj. 1 facing, vis-…-vis, en face: The sniper was on the roof

of the building opposite. 2 opposing, conflicting, contrary,

contrasting, contradictory, antithetical, differing, different,

divergent, diverse, antagonistic, inconsistent, irreconcilable:

William and his wife hold diametrically opposite political

views.

--n. 3 reverse, converse, contrary, antithesis: Whatever you

tell teenagers to do, their first reaction is to do the

opposite.

opposition

n. 1 hostility, antagonism, unfriendliness, resistance,

counteraction, disapproval, objection, conflict, defiance,

contrast, antipathy, adversity, Colloq flak: There is strong

opposition to plans for an amusement arcade. 2 competition,

opponent, adversary, competitor, antagonist, enemy, foe, rival,

other side: We must overcome the opposition in order to win. 3

in opposition. competing, competitive, antagonistic, hostile,

conflicting, in conflict, antithetic(al), opposed, at daggers

drawn, in deadly embrace: Although they agree on some points,

the parties are in opposition on others.

oppress v. 1 burden, afflict, trouble, weigh down, overload, encumber,

wear (down), press, weary, overburden, overwhelm, Brit

pressurize, US pressure: He was oppressed by the heavy burden

of responsibility. 2 crush, repress, put down, suppress,

subjugate, tyrannize (over), subdue, overpower, enslave,

persecute, maltreat, abuse, harry, harass, trample underfoot,

ride roughshod over: The Russian serfs had been oppressed for

centuries before they finally rose up against tyranny.

oppression

n. repression, suppression, subjugation, subjection, tyranny,

despotism, enslavement, persecution, maltreatment, abuse,

torment, torture, hardship, injury, pain, anguish, injustice:

People who have not known oppression cannot imagine the agonies

suffered by the oppressed who once were free.

oppressive

adj. 1 burdensome, overpowering, overwhelming, onerous, heavy,

cumbersome, exhausting, racking, unbearable, intolerable,

agonizing, unendurable, harsh, brutal, severe, tyrannical,

repressive; dispiriting, depressing, disheartening,

discouraging, grievous, distressing, dolorous, miserable,

harrowing, wretched: The conquerors resorted to oppressive

measures to keep the people subjugated. 2 suffocating, stifling,

stuffy, close, airless, unventilated, uncomfortable: The

atmosphere in the tiny cell quickly became oppressive, and a

couple of people fainted.

oppressor n. bully, tyrant, taskmaster, taskmistress, despot, autocrat,

persecutor, slave-driver, dictator, overlord, iron hand,

scourge, tormentor, torturer, intimidator: The citizens finally

banded together and overthrew their oppressors.

optimistic

adj. sanguine, positive, cheerful, buoyant, bright, hopeful,

expectant, confident, bullish, idealistic, Pollyannaish: We

have every reason to be optimistic that the venture will

succeed.

optimum n. 1 best, finest, most favourable, ideal, perfection, model,

paragon, exemplar: In all work, the optimum is difficult to

achieve.

--adj. 2 best, finest, most favourable, ideal, perfect,

choicest, optimal, first-rate, first-class, sterling, prime,

capital, excellent, exceptional, superlative, extraordinary,

unique, peerless, unequalled, unexcelled, unsurpassed: These

instruments keep the chamber at the optimum temperature. After

months of training, Guy is in optimum condition to win the

marathon.

option n. 1 choice, selection, alternative, recourse, opportunity, way

out: There are fewer employment options open to the uneducated.

2 choice, privilege, election, opportunity, chance: Investors

pay for the option to buy at a fixed figure if the price of the

shares goes up.

optional adj. voluntary, discretionary or discretional, elective,

facultative, free, spontaneous, uncoerced, unforced,

non-compulsory, uncompulsory, non-mandatory, unmandatory,

non-requisite, unrequisite: Life insurance is optional for

those who have our hospitalization policy.

opulent adj. 1 wealthy, affluent, rich, prosperous, well-to-do, well

off, comfortable, Colloq flush, well-heeled, loaded, rolling in

it, made of money, in clover, on Easy Street, Brit on velvet, US

in velvet, in the chips: Timothy was fortunate in having met

and wed an opulent widow. 2 luxurious, lavish, sumptuous: That

poor little rich girl was raised in the most opulent of

surroundings. 3 abundant, copious, bountiful, plentiful,

prolific, profuse, plenteous: We enjoyed a most opulent harvest

this year.

opus n. work, composition, production, oeuvre, creation; magnum

opus: Her most important opus will be performed at the Albert

Hall next week.

15.14 oracle...

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oracle n. 1 prophet, sibyl, seer, soothsayer, augur, fortune-teller,

diviner, prognosticator, US reader (and adviser or advisor),

Cassandra, Nostradamus; authority, guru, mastermind, mentor,

wizard: He insists on consulting his oracle before making any

final decision. 2 prophecy, augury, prediction, divination,

advice, prognostication, answer, message, divine utterance:

According to the oracle, the travellers would survive the perils

of the journey.

oral adj. spoken, said, verbal, uttered, voiced, vocal, vocalized,

enunciated, pronounced, articulated, word-of-mouth, viva voce:

Tomorrow James must make an oral presentation of his plan to the

entire staff.

oration n. speech, declaration, address, lecture, recitation,

discourse, monologue, declamation; valedictory, eulogy, homily,

panegyric; Colloq spiel: Bentley delivered a long oration on

the future of the economy.

oratory n. public speaking, speech-making, eloquence, rhetoric, way

with words, command of the language, fluency, glibness,

grandiloquence, magniloquence, declamation; elocution, diction,

enunciation, articulation, address; Colloq gift of the gab: The

crowds who thronged to hear Churchill's oratory were seldom

disappointed.

orb n. sphere, ball, globe: The golden orb of the sun sank into

the sea.

orbit n. 1 circuit, course, path, track, revolution, circle, round,

cycle: The earth's orbit round the sun is elliptical.

--v. 2 revolve, go round, circle, encircle, turn: The earth

orbits the sun in a year. Electrons orbit the nucleus of an

atom.

ordeal n. trial, test, tribulation(s), hardship, affliction,

trouble(s), suffering, distress, anguish, nightmare, misery,

grief, misfortune, adversity, tragedy, disaster: She never

fully recovered from her ordeal at the hands of the kidnappers.

order n. 1 organization, arrangement, grouping, disposition, form,

structure, categorization, systematization or systemization,

classification, codification, disposal, layout, array, sequence,

Colloq set-up: The order of the library is of crucial

importance if we are to find anything. 2 organization,

uniformity, regularity, system, pattern, symmetry, harmony,

tidiness, orderliness, neatness: Some believe that there is an

order of things in the universe, others that the universe tends

to chaos. 3 category, class, caste, level, kind, sort, rank,

group, scale, importance, hierarchy, position, status, degree,

Colloq pecking order: Gregory's musical talents are of a very

high order. 4 command, direction, directive, instruction,

commandment, dictate, mandate, edict, behest, request, demand,

ukase, decree, fiat, proclamation, pronouncement,

pronunciamento; rule, regulation, law, ordinance, statute,

requirement: The police have issued an order to surrender all

hand guns. 5 procedure, proceeding(s), discipline, conduct:

The order of the meeting was breached by some rowdies. 6

condition, state (of affairs): Please leave everything in the

order in which you found it. 7 purchase order, request,

requisition, commitment, commission, instruction: We received a

large order for office furniture. 8 calm, peace, peacefulness,

tranquillity, quiet, serenity, law and order, discipline,

lawfulness: After a brief commotion, order was restored. 9

brotherhood, fraternity, sisterhood, sorority, fellowship,

sodality, association, organization, society, guild, sect,

company, community, lodge, body, knighthood: One of her

ancestors was a Knight of the Teutonic Order. 10 in order. a

neat, clean, tidy, shipshape, orderly, (well-)organized, ready,

prepared, arranged: Is everything in order for the wedding

tomorrow? b fitting, suitable, appropriate, correct, right,

apt, called-for; required, demanded, needed: I think that an

apology is in order for the way you behaved. 11 in order that.

so (that), with the aim or purpose that, to the end that: We

invited him in order that you might meet him. 12 in order to.

to, for the purpose of: In order to get there, you have to

drive up the hill. 13 out of order. a disordered,

non-sequential, out of sequence, non-alphabetical, disorganized,

unorganized, in disorder: The cards in this catalogue are out

of order and I cannot find anything. b unseemly, out of place,

improper, uncalled-for, unsuitable, indecorous, Colloq chiefly

Brit not cricket: Your remark about her religion was completely

out of order. c out of commission, broken, in disrepair,

non-functioning, non-functional, not working, broken-down,

inoperative, out of kilter or Brit also kelter, Colloq (gone)

haywire, kaput, bust(ed), US out of whack, on the fritz, shot;

Slang on the blink, Brit wonky, gone phut: The telly is out of

order again.

--v. 14 direct, command, instruct, charge, tell, bid, require,

enjoin; demand, ordain; force, make: The sergeant ordered the

men to run around the drill field with full packs. The council

ordered that garden rubbish should be packed in special bags. 15

requisition, ask for, send (away) for, call for, apply for,

reserve, engage, commission, contract for; purchase, buy: Have

you ordered breakfast for tomorrow? Let's order a take-away from

the Chinese restaurant. 16 organize, systematize, arrange,

classify, categorize, codify, lay out, sort (out), straighten

(out or up): The bottles were ordered in neat rows along the

wall.

orderly adj. 1 in (good) order, (well-)organized, neat, shipshape,

tidy, arranged, methodical, systematic, systematized or

systemized, harmonious, symmetrical, regular, uniform: Before

you leave, make sure that your room is orderly. 2 well-behaved,

disciplined, decorous, law-abiding, well-mannered, peaceable,

tranquil, mannerly, polite, courteous, civil, civilized,

non-violent: Everyone left the burning theatre in an orderly

fashion.

--n. 3 assistant, adjutant, attendant, messenger; menial,

servant; nurse's aide; Brit military batman; US candystriper;

Slang US and Canadian gofer: An orderly arrived with dispatches

from the general. She has a job as a hospital orderly.

ordinarily

adv. usually, normally, as a rule, commonly, generally, in

general, customarily, routinely, typically, habitually, by and

large, for the most part: Ellie is ordinarily at her desk by

nine o'clock.

ordinary adj. 1 usual, normal, expected, common, general, customary,

routine, typical, habitual, accustomed, traditional, regular,

everyday, familiar, set, humdrum: This wine is quite good for

ordinary drinking. Just display ordinary good manners when you

meet the queen. 2 common, conventional, modest, plain, simple,

prosaic, homespun, commonplace, run-of-the-mill, everyday,

average, unpretentious, workaday, mediocre, fair, passable, so

so, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable, uninspired,

pedestrian, bourgeois, peasant, provincial, unrefined, Colloq

Brit common or garden, US common-or-garden variety,

garden-variety: They bought a rather ordinary house in an

inferior neighbourhood.

--n. 3 standard, norm, average, status quo, convention,

expected: Saint-Gaudens' architectural designs are far from the

ordinary. 4 out of the ordinary. extraordinary, unusual,

uncommon, strange, unfamiliar, different, unexpected,

unconventional, curious, eccentric, peculiar, rare, exceptional,

original, singular, unique, odd, bizarre, weird, offbeat,

outlandish, striking, quaint, picturesque: She was looking for

a gift that was a little out of the ordinary, so I suggested a

pet tarantula.

organ n. 1 device, instrument, implement, tool; member, part,

element, unit, component, structure, Technical process: The

eye, come to think of it, is a truly miraculous organ. 2

medium, vehicle, voice, mouthpiece, forum, publication, paper,

magazine, newsletter, house organ, newspaper, annual,

semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, fortnightly, weekly,

hebdomadal, daily, journal, periodical: The official organ of

the Society is published in Abergavenny.

organic adj. 1 living, natural, biological, biotic, animate, breathing:

Though coal may seem to be a mineral, it is organic, for it was

formed from plants. 2 basic, elementary, essential, innate,

inborn, natural, native, ingrained, primary, fundamental,

visceral, constitutional, inherent, structural, integral: The

organic differences between the styles of writing are obvious.

3 organized, systematic, coherent, coordinated, integrated,

structured, methodical, orderly, consistent: The various

elements of the painting blend into an organic whole.

organism n. living thing, structure, body; being, creature: It is the

work of natural scientists to classify all kinds of organisms.

organization

n. 1 organizing, structuring, assembling, assembly, putting

together, coordination, systematizing, systematization,

classifying, classification, categorizing, categorization,

codifying, codification: The organization of the school

timetable took hours to complete. 2 structure, pattern,

configuration, design, plan, scheme, order, system, organism,

composition, arrangement, constitution, make-up, grouping,

framework, format, form, shape: One must consider the

organization as a whole, not merely its constituent elements. 3

body, system, institution, federation, confederacy,

confederation, society, group, league, coalition, conglomerate,

combine, consortium, syndicate, organism: The organization is a

coherent structure made up of an enormous number of disparate

elements.

organize v. 1 structure, coordinate, systematize, systemize, order,

arrange, sort (out), classify, categorize, codify, catalogue,

group, tabulate, pigeon-hole, standardize: These files ought to

be organized so that you can find something when you need it. 2

form, found, set up, establish, institute, start, begin, create,

originate, initiate, put together, build, develop, US pull

together: In 1969, we organized a company to publish reference

books.

orgy n. 1 bacchanalia, bacchanal, Saturnalia, Dionysia, debauch,

carousal, carouse, spree, revel, party, Colloq binge, bender,

drunk, bust, Slang jag, US and Canadian toot, tear: The

journalist represented the earl's party as a wild orgy. 2

overindulgence, splurge, spree, fling, Slang US bender: Trying

to lift himself out of depression, Roger went on a spending

orgy.

orient n. 1 east: Harriet is in the orient on business.

--adj. 2 Literary oriental, eastern: The grass was sown with

orient pearls.

--v. 3 adjust, adapt, acclimatize or acclimate, habituate,

accommodate, condition, accustom, familiarize, feel one's way,

assess, get one's bearings, Colloq orientate: It is a new job

and she needs a few days to orient herself.

orientation

n. 1 placement, bearings, attitude, alignment, lie, placing,

situation, layout, location, position, positioning, arrangement,

set-up: The orientation of the buildings is such that the

windows face south. 2 introduction, training, initiation,

briefing, familiarization, assimilation, acclimatization,

preparation, instruction: The orientation of the new employees

is scheduled for next week. We were given orientation lectures.

origin n. 1 source, derivation, rise, fountain-head, foundation,

basis, base, well-spring, fount, provenance, Chiefly US

provenience: The origins of many English words are unknown. 2

creation, genesis, birth, birthplace, cradle, dawning, dawn,

origination, start, beginning, commencement, outset, launch,

launching, inception, inauguration: The origin of the notion of

democracy can be traced to ancient Greece. 3 Often, origins.

parentage, ancestry, extraction, descent, lineage, pedigree,

genealogy, stock, heritage: We have traced our family's origins

back to the Middle Ages.

original adj. 1 initial, first, earliest, primary, beginning, starting,

basic: The original report made no mention of any missing

jewellery. 2 native, indigenous, autochthonous, aboriginal,

primordial, primeval, primitive: At first, we could find only

slight traces of the original inhabitants. 3 master, actual,

primary, authentic, true, genuine, real, basic; prototypic(al),

archetypal, source: I have the original document and my lawyer

has a copy. 4 creative, novel, innovative, unique, imaginative,

unusual, inventive, ingenious; firsthand, fresh, underived,

unprecedented: The film is based on a highly original story by

Daphne du Maurier. The author has some original insights into

Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia.

--n. 5 prototype, archetype, source, model, pattern; master:

The original hangs in the National Gallery. 6 eccentric,

nonconformist, individualist, Colloq case, card, character, Brit

queer fish: True to his reputation as an original, Wilde

sauntered down the Strand with a lily in his hand.

originality

n. creativeness, creativity, inventiveness, ingenuity,

innovativeness, innovation, novelty, newness, unorthodoxy,

unconventionality, cleverness, daring, resourcefulness,

independence, individuality, uniqueness, nonconformity: One

must admire Dali for his originality.

originally

adv. in or at or from the beginning, (at ) first, from the

first, initially, to begin with, at or from the outset, at or

from the start, in the first place or instance, Colloq from the

word go, from day one: Originally, we were to have gone in

Patrick's car.

originate v. 1 create, bring about, engender, give birth to, beget,

conceive, initiate, inaugurate, start, begin, introduce, launch,

found, set up, institute, establish, invent, coin, devise,

pioneer, design, contrive, concoct, mastermind, compose,

organize, formulate, form, generate, produce, develop, evolve:

Wasn't it the Chinese who originated free public health schemes?

2 arise, rise, begin, start, come, spring, stem, flow, issue,

emerge, emanate, proceed, grow, develop, evolve, derive, result:

Where did the idea of the democratic form of government

originate?

ornament n. 1 enhancement, embellishment, adornment, decoration,

ornamentation, gingerbread, trimming, garnish, garnishment,

frill, embroidery, beautification, accessory; frippery;

knick-knack, furbelow, bauble, gewgaw, Slang US tchotchke: We

spent a pleasant afternoon putting ornaments on the Christmas

tree. The ornaments on the mantelpiece needed dusting.

--v. 2 decorate, embellish, enhance, adorn, trim, garnish,

embroider, elaborate, beautify, accessorize, deck (out), dress

up: The cabinet is ornamented with ormolu fittings in the

Empire style.

ornamental

adj. decorative, beautifying, adorning, garnishing,

embellishing: Nothing in the house is ornamental, everything is

functional.

ornate adj. elaborate, florid, overdone, laboured, rococo, baroque,

gingerbread, arabesque, fancy, lavish, rich, flowery, busy,

fussy, frilly, intricate; high-flown, euphuistic, Ossianic,

bombastic, pompous, pretentious, affected, grandiose, fulsome,

highfalutin or hifalutin, grandiloquent, flamboyant: Louis

Quinze style is far too ornate for my tastes. We find his

writing, with its contorted artificialities, far too ornate to

appeal to the modern reader.

orthodox adj. conformist, accepted, authoritative, authorized,

recognized, received, official, standard, prevailing, prevalent,

common, regular, popular, ordinary, doctrinal, established,

traditional, traditionalist, accustomed, conventional,

customary, conservative: The orthodox view is that he was

killed by an assassin acting on his own.

15.15 oscillate...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

oscillate v. fluctuate, vibrate, waver, see-saw, swing, sway; vacillate,

equivocate, shilly-shally, hem and haw, tergiversate: The

needle is oscillating between the 'Safe' and 'Danger' marks. I

wish he'd stop oscillating and make up his mind.

ostensibly

adv. outwardly, externally, superficially, patently,

ostensively, demonstrably, apparently, evidently, seemingly;

clearly, plainly, manifestly, conspicuously, obviously,

patently, noticeably, prominently: Ostensibly, he was visiting

his aunt, but we all know he went to see Stella.

ostentation

n. show, display, exhibition, exhibitionism, showing off,

pretension, pretentiousness, flaunting, flashiness, flourish,

flamboyance, parade, window-dressing: His clothes are elegant

without ostentation.

ostentatious

adj. showy, boastful, braggart, vaunting, vain, vainglorious,

flaunting, pretentious, flamboyant, theatrical, Colloq flash:

It's terribly ostentatious of Lady Penny to wear her diamond

tiara to the disco.

ostracize v. blackball, blacklist, banish, exile, boycott, isolate,

segregate, exclude, excommunicate, snub, shun, avoid, Chiefly

Brit send to Coventry, Colloq cut, cold-shoulder, give (someone)

the cold shoulder: Marcus has been ostracized at the club ever

since the court case.

15.16 otherwise

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

otherwise adv. 1 if not, or else, under other circumstances, in another

situation, on the other hand: I learned something about you

tonight that otherwise I should never have guessed. 2

differently, in another manner or way: You may travel unless

the doctor advises otherwise.

15.17 out...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

out adv. 1 outside, outdoors, in or into the open air: If you go

out take an umbrella. 2 away (from), abroad, elsewhere, not

(at) home, gone (from), gone away (from), absent (from): She

was out of the house when I phoned. 3 in or into the open, to

or into public notice, for all to see, out of the closet:

Everything will be brought out at the trial. 4 revealed,

exposed, visible, discernible, manifest, in sight, in view: Are

the stars out tonight? 5 short, minus, missing, in default, out

of pocket: He is out the œ2000 he invested in a Welsh diamond

mine. 6 free, at liberty, at large, loose, unconfined: They

let Matilda out after she served her sentence. 7 completely,

thoroughly, effectively, entirely: I was tired out after that

long swim.

--adj. 8 unconscious, senseless, insensible, Colloq out cold,

out like a light: He has been out for almost an hour. 9 dated,

out-dated, out-moded, pass‚, old-fashioned, antiquated, old hat,

d‚mod‚, obsolete, unfashionable: Longer skirts were out in the

mid-1960s. 10 outlying, distant, far-off, peripheral: He was

planning to travel to the outer reaches of his empire. Let's

sail to some of the out islands. 11 exhausted, gone, finished,

ended; over, completed: Our food was out. Rescue came before

the day was out. 12 inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, at fault,

faulty, off, wide of the mark: Your figures are out by a factor

of four. 13 unacceptable, forbidden, prohibited, not allowed,

Colloq not on: Smoking is out in the dining room. 14

extinguished, unlit; off, doused; inoperative, non-functioning,

out of order or commission, unserviceable, broken: Make certain

that all camp-fires are completely out. The light is out in the

corridor.

--n. 15 alibi, excuse, escape, loophole, evasion: She used

your visit as an out to avoid calling on her mother.

out-and-out

adj. complete, unmitigated, unalloyed, undiluted, pure, utter,

perfect, consummate, outright, total, downright, unqualified,

thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, dyed in the wool:

She was an out-and-out fool to turn down his marriage proposal.

outburst n. outbreak, eruption, explosion, blow-up, flare-up,

fulmination; upsurge, surge, outpouring, welling (forth),

upwelling, outflow(ing), rush, flood, effusion, effluence or

efflux; fit, access, attack, spasm, paroxysm, seizure, tantrum:

Another outburst like that, young man, and you'll be sent home.

outcast n. pariah, exile, reject, persona non grata, leper,

untouchable, expatriate, refugee, displaced person, DP, evacuee:

In 1946, Europe swarmed with outcasts, the detritus of the war.

outcome n. result, consequence, end (result or product), after-effect,

effect, upshot, sequel, development, outgrowth, aftermath, wake,

follow-up, Medicine sequela (usually pl. sequelae), Colloq

pay-off, bottom line: One outcome of the new safety regulations

will be higher fares. We eagerly awaited the outcome of the

race.

outcry n. protest, protestation, decrial, complaint, indignation,

uproar, vociferation, clamour, clamouring, commotion, outburst,

noise, hullabaloo, howl, howling, hoot, hooting, boo, booing,

hiss, hissing: The public outcry against terrorism was heard

round the world.

outdo v. exceed, surpass, excel, transcend, beat, outstrip, outshine,

top, cap, trump, overcome, defeat, outweigh: Their prices are

lower because they outdo us in cheapness of labour.

outdoor adj. outside, out of doors, alfresco, open-air: Both of them

enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and bicycling.

outfit n. 1 gear, rig, equipment, equipage, apparatus, accoutrements

or US also accouterments, paraphernalia, trappings, tackle,

tack, utensils: His mountain-climbing outfit turned out to be

extremely expensive. 2 clothes, costume, ensemble; attire,

garb, clothing, dress; Colloq get-up, togs: She was wearing a

very weird outfit that attracted a lot of stares. 3 firm,

concern, business, organization, company, (military) unit,

corporation; party, set, group; Colloq set-up: I joined the

outfit when it consisted of only a hundred people.

--v. 4 fit (out or up), equip, kit out, provision, stock,

accoutre or US also accouter, rig (out or up), supply, furnish:

The shop is prepared to outfit anyone for anything from a walk

in the country to an African safari or an Arctic expedition.

outgoing adj. 1 departing, retiring, ex-, former, past, emeritus,

leaving, withdrawing: It is our custom to honour the outgoing

president with a banquet. 2 genial, friendly, amiable, cordial,

warm, expansive, approachable, affable, accessible, amenable,

easygoing, amicable, sociable, congenial, extrovert, familiar,

informal, communicative: Because of his outgoing attitude,

Keith gets along well with most people.

outing n. jaunt, junket, excursion, trip, expedition, tour, ride,

Colloq spin: This year, the annual church outing will again be

to Torquay.

outlandish

adj. unfamiliar, strange, odd, queer, offbeat, peculiar,

curious, exotic, foreign, alien, unknown, unheard-of, different,

exceptional, extraordinary, quaint, eccentric, bizarre, outr‚,

weird, fantastic, unusual, singular, unique; freakish,

grotesque, barbarous; Colloq far-out, camp(y), kinky: Those

youngsters wear the most outlandish hair-dos you have ever seen.

outlast v. survive, outlive; outwear; weather: Considering her

condition, it seems doubtful that she will outlast her husband.

outlaw n. 1 criminal, gangster, robber, desperado, bandit, highwayman,

brigand, footpad, picaroon, pirate, fugitive (from justice or

the law), renegade, US road-agent: In Westerns, the sheriff

always wins out over the outlaws.

--v. 2 forbid, disallow, ban, interdict, bar, exclude,

prohibit, proscribe: Some countries have outlawed prostitution,

but with little effect.

outlay n. expense, cost, expenditure, spending, disbursement, payment:

The city council refused to approve the outlay for a new

swimming-pool.

outlet n. 1 way out, exit, egress, loophole, relief, escape, escape

hatch, vent, opening, release, safety-valve, discharge: There

seemed to be no outlet for his anger but to throw the cushion at

her. The main outlet of the Great Lakes is the St Lawrence

river. 2 retailer, shop, store, market: The company is having

difficulty finding outlets that will stock its products.

outline n. 1 profile, silhouette, contour, periphery, boundary,

footprint: This outline is of the desk area occupied by the

keyboard and monitor. 2 pr‚cis, synopsis, r‚sum‚, summary,

digest, abstract, conspectus, survey, overview, run-down,

recapitulation, review, (thumbnail) sketch, skeleton, (overall)

plan, layout, framework, draft, scenario: O'Brien presented an

outline of what his company planned to do after the take-over.

--v. 3 trace, draft, sketch, rough out, profile, block (out),

plan (out), lay out, define, delineate: None of the divers was

particularly enthusiastic about the procedure outlined for

bringing up the wreckage.

outlook n. 1 view, position, point of view, viewpoint, prospect,

perspective, slant, angle, standpoint, attitude, opinion: His

outlook on the situation in the Middle East is bound to be

somewhat biased. 2 prospect, forecast, expectation(s): What is

the outlook for the value of the pound sterling over the next

year?

outlying adj. distant, far-off, far-flung, outer, outermost,

out-of-the-way, remote, far-away, peripheral, furthest or

farthest: In those days it took weeks for the news to reach the

outlying parts of the empire.

out-of-the-way

adj. 1 untravelled, unfrequented, isolated, lonely, outlying,

obscure, hidden, secluded, inaccessible: She now lives in some

out-of-the-way village in the Himalayas. 2 unusual, odd,

peculiar, extraordinary, far-fetched, remarkable, outr‚,

exceptional, outlandish, strange, rare, uncommon, exotic,

unheard-of, unconventional, queer, weird, bizarre: His latest

book is a treatise on some out-of-the-way subject.

outpouring

n. effusion, outflow, flow, outburst, flood, deluge, torrent,

spate, emanation, spouting, spurt, gushing, efflux, effluence,

outrush, tide, cascade, cataract, Niagara, Technical

debouchment: We scarcely expected such an outpouring of grief

at her death. This writing appears to reflect the outpourings

of his soul.

output n. 1 production, result, yield, crop, harvest: Nobody was

quite ready for such a massive output. 2 productivity,

achievement, efficiency: Job insecurity has diminished her

output.

--v. 3 put out, produce, generate, create, manufacture, yield,

achieve: Our new laser printer outputs about ten pages a

minute.

outrage n. 1 violence, atrocity, inhumanity, barbarism, enormity, evil,

barbarity, savagery, brutality, malignity, malefaction,

wrongdoing, evil-doing, maltreatment, abuse, cruelty, injury,

harm, damage: Wherever there is war there is misery and

outrage. 2 resentment, affront, bitterness, indignation, hurt,

shock, anger, wrath, ire: The minister felt outrage at being

given a parking ticket. 3 insult, indignity, slight:

Contributors to the charity considered it an outrage that the

fund-raisers should keep so much of the money.

--v. 4 offend, insult, affront, vex, displease, distress,

nettle, chafe, infuriate, anger, enrage, madden, make one's

blood boil, raise (someone's) hackles, rile: He was outraged to

discover that the wretch had proposed to his daughter. 5

violate, desecrate, defile, do violence to, injure, harm, abuse,

damage: Such deeds outrage human feelings. 6 rape, violate,

ravage, ravish, deflower, attack: He seized the unhappy girl

and outraged her.

outrageous

adj. 1 excessive, extravagant, immoderate, exorbitant,

enormous, unreasonable, preposterous, shocking, extreme,

unwarranted, exaggerated, unconscionable, inordinate,

intolerable, disgraceful, shameful, scandalous: The prices at

that restaurant are absolutely outrageous. 2 vicious, cruel,

heinous, atrocious, barbaric, inhuman, abusive, beastly,

horrible, horrid, horrendous, iniquitous, villainous, wicked,

evil, egregious, flagrant, grievous, infamous, execrable,

abominable, grisly, hideous, monstrous, vile, unthinkable, foul,

awful, unspeakable, appalling, offensive, indecent: The

captives suffered the most outrageous treatment at the hands of

their conquerors. 3 indecent, offensive, immoral, rude,

indelicate, obnoxious, profane, obscene, dirty, filthy, lewd,

salacious, foul, smutty, scatological, pornographic,

objectionable, repellent, repulsive, nauseating, nauseous,

nasty, gross, revolting, shocking, repugnant, disgusting,

fulsome, perverted, depraved, dissolute, degenerate, dissipated,

debauched, profligate; explicit, unrestrained; foul-mouthed,

thersitical, insulting; unseemly, inappropriate, indecorous,

improper, naughty, appalling, embarrassing; Literary Fescennine,

US shy-making: The sermon denounced the outrageous films,

books, magazines, and television programmes to which children

are exposed. Warren sometimes says the most outrageous things.

outr‚ adj. unconventional, unusual, extravagant, bizarre, weird,

strange, odd, peculiar, grotesque, outlandish, freakish,

out-of-the-way: The attention of the media was turned upon the

singer's outr‚ behaviour on stage.

outright adj. 1 unqualified, total, unreserved, unrestricted, full,

complete, unconditional, unequivocal, clear, direct, definite,

unmistakable or unmistakeable: The duke is the outright owner

of the property. 2 undisguised, unmitigated, utter, consummate,

pure, out-and-out, all-out, sheer, absolute, stark, bald,

thorough, arrant, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, downright,

direct, definite, unmistakable or unmistakeable: Her outright

refusal to provide further help was met with dismay.

--adv. 3 directly, at once, immediately, instantaneously,

instantly, then and there or there and then, straight or right

away, on the spot, right off: One passenger was killed

outright, the other died later in hospital. 4 completely,

entirely, exactly, precisely, totally, in toto, utterly, baldly,

starkly, consummately, purely, thoroughly, directly,

unhesitatingly, quite, absolutely, explicitly, categorically,

straightforwardly, plainly, openly, forthrightly, unequivocally,

unambiguously, candidly: I wish that Henry wasn't so reticent

and would say outright what he means. 5 unrestrictedly,

unqualifiedly, unreservedly, unconditionally: The duke owns the

property outright.

outset n. beginning, start, inauguration, inception, first, Colloq

kick-off: Had you let them know who you were at the outset,

this wouldn't have happened.

outside n. 1 exterior, face, facing, shell, skin, case, casing,

surface, front; fa‡ade: What is that on the outside of the box?

The outside of the house is painted white. 2 aspect, appearance,

look, demeanour, face, front, fa‡ade, mien, mask, disguise,

false front, pretence: One cannot tell what people are really

like from the outside they present to the world. 3 extreme,

limit, most, maximum, utmost, best, worst, longest: At the

outside, you shouldn't pay more than half your income for

housing. I'll wait for her for an hour at the outside. 4 the

world at large: We had to bring in someone from the outside to

complete the work.

--adj. 5 exterior, external, out of doors, outdoor: They have

added an outside swimming-pool to the house. 6 maximum,

maximal, highest, best, worst, greatest, most, largest, longest,

furthest or farthest: What was their outside estimate for

replacing the roof? The outside time for driving here from

London is about an hour. 7 private, home, cottage, secondary,

peripheral, independent, freelance: Her outside job pays more

than her regular work. 8 unlikely, remote, faint, Colloq slim:

He has an outside chance of beating the world record. 9

foreign, alien, outward; unconnected, excluded, uninvolved,

disinvolved, independent, separate, different: I'm worried that

Phil might be subject to outside influences. An outside

contractor is doing the work.

--adv. 10 outdoors, out of doors: Perhaps you'd like to step

outside to discuss the matter further?

outsider n. non-member, non-initiate, foreigner, alien, outlander,

stranger, newcomer, guest, visitor, trespasser, interloper,

intruder, squatter, invader, Colloq gatecrasher: The others

always treated Peter as an outsider. Why do I feel an outsider

in my own home?

outskirts n.pl. periphery, edge, environs, outer reaches, vicinity,

border(s), suburb(s), exurb(s), general area or neighbourhood,

purlieus, fringes, vicinage, faubourg(s): The university is on

the outskirts of the city.

outsmart v. outwit, outfox, out-think, outmanoeuvre, outmanipulate,

outplay, steal a march on, get the better or best of, trick,

dupe, hoodwink, fool, deceive, hoax, gull, make a fool of;

swindle, cheat, defraud, cozen, Colloq put one over on, pull a

fast one on, take in, make a monkey (out) of, bamboozle, con,

Brit nobble, Slang slip or put one or something over on

(someone): 'I have been outsmarted by bigger fools than you!',

Mr White shouted.

outspoken adj. candid, frank, open, free, direct, unreserved, unreticent,

straightforward, forthright, explicit, specific, plain-spoken,

plain-speaking, unequivocal, unceremonious, unambiguous,

unsubtle, uninhibited, unshrinking, blunt, bold, brusque, brash,

undiplomatic, tactless, crude: Linda was always quite outspoken

in her opinions of her neighbours. Her outspoken observations

are a fruitful source of gossip.

outstanding

adj. 1 prominent, eminent, renowned, famous, famed,

unforgettable, memorable, celebrated, distinguished, special,

choice, noteworthy, notable, noted, important, conspicuous,

exceptional, excellent, superior, first-class, first-rate,

superb, remarkable, extraordinary, marvellous, sensational,

Colloq smashing, super: Liszt was the outstanding

pianist-composer of his time. 2 unsettled, on-going,

unresolved, unpaid, due, owed or owing, receivable or payable;

remaining, leftover: The company has a few outstanding debts.

outstrip v. overcome, surpass, outdo, outperform, outshine, outclass,

better, beat, transcend, best, worst, exceed, excel,

outdistance, overtake, top, cap, put in the shade, eclipse:

Bannister again outstripped everyone in the race.

outward adj. external, exterior, outer, outside, outlying, manifest,

obvious, evident, apparent, visible, observable; superficial,

surface, extrinsic, skin-deep, shallow, pretended, false,

ostensible, formal, physical, bodily, fleshly, carnal, mundane,

worldly, secular, temporal, terrestrial, material,

non-spiritual: She gave every outward sign of being the

bereaved widow. Whatever outward trappings money may buy, A

man's true wealth lies deep inside.

outwardly adv. externally, apparently, visibly, superficially,

ostensibly, evidently, seemingly, on the surface, to all

appearances, to all intents and purposes: Though the town was

outwardly quiet, we had a feeling of ominous foreboding.

outwards adv. outward, outside, away, out, without: The towns of the

early twentieth century centred on the railway station and

radiated outwards.

outweigh v. overcome, outbalance, overbalance, overweigh, tip the

scales, preponderate (over), surpass, prevail (over), override,

take precedence (over), compensate (for), make up for: His

feeling for his wife outweighed all else in his life.

outwit v. See outsmart, above.

15.18 oval...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

oval adj. egg-shaped, ovoid, ovate, oviform, obovoid, obovate;

elliptical, ellipsoid(al): His mother's picture hung in an oval

frame over the mantel.

ovation n. applause, acclamation, acclaim, plaudits, cheers, cheering,

clapping, laudation, praise, kudos, Colloq (big) hand: At the

conclusion of the concerto, the pianist was given a standing

ovation.

over prep. 1 above, on, upon, on top of, atop (of): She spread a

tarpaulin over the boat to protect it. 2 more than, greater

than, upwards or upward of, in excess of, (over and) above,

(over and) beyond; exceeding: Of the 2000 people questioned in

our survey, over half said they think prunes are funny. The

thieves took over œ50,000-worth of paintings. 3 across, to or

from or on the other side of; beyond: The children crossed over

the river to play in the woods on the other side. 4 for, during,

in or over or during the course of, through, throughout: Over

the next week she will be working in the Paris office. 5 (all)

through, throughout, (all) about, all over: We travelled over

the entire country in the course of our holiday. Have you gone

over the manuscript I left with you?

--adj. 6 done (with), finished, terminated, concluded, ended,

past, settled, closed, at an end, over with: I'm afraid it's

all over between us, Carrie.

--adv. 7 to, onto, past, beyond, across: This room looks out

over the sea. 8 remaining, as a remainder, as surplus,

outstanding: When we finished eating, there wasn't much left

over. 9 (once) again, once more, one more time: This pot will

have to be cleaned over again. 10 down, to the ground or floor:

You almost knocked over the lamp.

overall adj. total, complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, inclusive,

whole, entire, all-embracing, blanket: The overall cost,

including materials and labour, came to more than I had

expected.

overawe v. overwhelm, intimidate, cow, daunt, awe, bully, hector,

browbeat, dominate, domineer, frighten, scare, terrify,

disconcert, discomfit, upset, abash: The children were overawed

by their father's slightest sign of displeasure.

overbearing

adj. repressive, domineering, bullying, imperious, officious,

high and mighty, high-handed, overweening, magisterial, lordly,

authoritarian, wilful, despotic, dogmatic, autocratic,

tyrannical, dictatorial, peremptory, arbitrary, assertive,

arrogant, cavalier, haughty, superior, supercilious,

pretentious, Colloq bossy, pushy, hoity-toity, highfalutin or

hifalutin, snooty, Slang snotty: His temper was harsh and

severe, his manner haughty and overbearing.

overcast adj. cloudy, clouded, sunless, moonless, starless, murky, grey,

louring or lowering, dull, dark, darkened, dreary, sombre,

gloomy, dismal, threatening, menacing: The sky was overcast

this morning, but the sun is now beginning to shine through.

overcome v. 1 beat, defeat, conquer, overpower, subdue, worst, best,

triumph over, win (out) (over), prevail (over), overthrow,

overwhelm, vanquish, get the better or best of, whip, drub,

rout, break, subjugate, suppress, crush, master, Colloq lick:

If we do not overcome these temptations, they will overcome us.

The superior force easily overcame the tiny group of defenders.

--adj. 2 beaten, defeated, overwhelmed, subdued, worsted,

bested; affected, speechless, swept off one's feet, rendered

helpless, overpowered, moved, influenced, at a loss (for words),

Colloq bowled over: The victim's parents were overcome with

grief when the casualty list was published. Colin was too

overcome to speak at the award presentation.

overconfident

adj. 1 brash, arrogant, cocksure, cocky, brazen, hubristic,

swaggering, audacious, overbearing, vainglorious, Colloq pushy:

It is harmful for a sportsman's morale to be overconfident of

winning. 2 heedless, foolhardy, thoughtless, short-sighted,

hasty: Rock-climbers should not be overconfident and rely

entirely on their ropes.

overcritical

adj. supercritical, hypercritical, captious, carping, niggling,

cavilling, querulous, fault-finding, finicky, fussy,

hair-splitting, difficult, fastidious, harsh, severe, demanding,

exacting, small, small-minded, US and Canadian picayune, Colloq

picky, nit-picking, pernickety or US also persnickety: You

should not be overcritical of Maddy - she's only a child.

overcrowded

adj. jammed, packed, congested, populous, over-populous,

jam-packed, overpopulated; swarming, crawling, choked, packed to

the gunwales: The planet is becoming overcrowded. We squeezed

into an already overcrowded train.

overdo v. 1 carry to excess, overindulge, be intemperate, go or carry

to extremes, overact, exaggerate, carry or go too far,

overreach, not know when to stop, paint the lily, gild refined

gold, out-Herod Herod, Colloq go overboard, do to death, lay it

on thick, lay it on with a trowel; go off the deep end:

Exercise a little judgement and try not to overdo it. 2

overwork, do too much, overtax, exhaust, fatigue, overload,

overburden, Colloq bite off more than one can chew, burn the

candle at both ends: Don't overdo it or you'll feel the results

tomorrow.

overdue adj. late, tardy, behindhand, behind, unpunctual, belated, US

past due: As it is now December, payment is long overdue. I've

got an overdue library book to return.

overeat v. gorge, binge, gormandize, stuff oneself, overindulge,

guzzle, feast, wolf down, overfeed, do the gavage, Colloq pack

away, Brit pig, US pig out: People not only overeat but they

tend to eat the wrong foods.

overgrown adj. covered, overrun, overspread, luxuriant, weedy, abundant:

The walls are all overgrown with ivy.

overhang v. 1 jut (out), beetle, bulge (out), project (out), protrude,

stick out, loom (out), extend (out), hang (out) over: The

balcony overhangs the sea. 2 impend, threaten, menace, imperil,

loom: His life was overhung by the threat of blackmail.

--n. 3 ledge, projection, bulge, protrusion, extension: A

swallow nested under the overhang of the roof.

overhaul v. 1 overtake, pass, gain on or upon, draw ahead of, catch up

with, get ahead of, outstrip, outdistance, leave behind, lap:

We overhauled the ketch and were beginning to close on the yawl

when the squall hit us. 2 renovate, refurbish, recondition,

rebuild, restore, repair, service, adjust, patch (up), mend, fix

(up): The car engine needs to be thoroughly overhauled.

--n. 3 reconditioning, overhauling, refurbishing, rebuilding,

renovation, servicing, adjustment, mending, fixing (up): The

overhaul of the die-stamping machine will require two months to

complete.

overhead adv. 1 (up) above, (up) in the air or sky, high up, on high,

aloft, skyward: The aeroplanes passed overhead at dawn.

--adj. 2 elevated, raised, upper: The crane travels on an

overhead track.

--n. 3 Brit overheads, US overhead. (basic or fixed) costs,

operating cost(s), expense(s), outlay, disbursement(s), running

cost(s), expenditure(s), maintenance, cost(s) of doing business:

One way to increase profits is by reducing overheads.

overjoyed adj. delighted, ecstatic, elated, happy, rapturous, euphoric,

jubilant, thrilled, cock-a-hoop, transported, Colloq tickled

pink, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: We

were overjoyed to hear your news and to receive the invitation

to your wedding.

overlap v. 1 lap (over), overlie, overlay, shingle, Technical

imbricate, strobilate: Note how the upper tiles overlap the

lower to keep the rain out. 2 coincide, correspond, intersect:

Our work shifts overlap by four hours.

--n. 3 lap, flap, overlay, fly (front) or Brit flies,

imbrication: The overlap conceals the buttons that close the

skirt on the side.

overload v. 1 weigh down, burden, overburden, load (up), overtax, saddle

with, tax, strain, impede, handicap, oppress, encumber, cumber,

overcharge: They overloaded me with so much work that I'll

never finish.

--n. 2 surcharge, overcharge, overburden, dead weight,

oppression, handicap, tax, load, encumbrance, impediment,

hindrance: We had to hire extra people at Christmas to help

deal with the overload.

overlook v. 1 miss, slip up on, omit, neglect, slight, disregard, fail

to notice, ignore, pass over, leave out, forget, Colloq pass up:

You overlooked an error on the first page. 2 blink at, wink at,

let go (by), let pass, let ride, turn a blind eye to, shut

(one's) eyes to, pretend not to notice, take no notice of,

ignore, disregard, forgive, pardon, excuse, permit, allow,

forget about, write off, condone, make allowances (for), let

bygones be bygones, gloss over: I shall overlook your slowness

if you will work late to compensate for it. 3 front on (to),

face, give upon, command or afford a view of, look out on or

over, have as a vista or view: My room overlooks the lake.

overly adv. excessively, too, exceedingly, immoderately,

disproportionately, unduly, inordinately, extraordinarily, very,

Colloq damned: She seemed overly anxious for us to leave.

overpower v. 1 overcome, overwhelm, beat, vanquish, conquer, defeat,

crush, put down, worst, best, prevail, master, quell, subdue,

subjugate: The thugs easily overpowered the elderly couple and

took their money. 2 overcome, overwhelm, dumbfound or dumfound,

daze, stagger, amaze, stun, stupefy, nonplus, strike, Colloq

floor: I was quite overpowered by the grandeur of the house.

overpowering

adj. overwhelming, irresistible, powerful, telling, compelling,

unendurable, unbearable, oppressive: They presented an

overpowering argument against the use of asbestos as an

insulator.

overrate v. overvalue, make too much of, exaggerate the worth or value

of, attach too much importance to, overprize, assess too highly:

They insist that his value to the company is overrated and that

he should be dismissed.

overreact v. exaggerate, make much ado about nothing, make too much of

(something), make a mountain out of a molehill, lose all or

one's sense of proportion, blow (up) out of (all) proportion:

I'd say that she overreacted by leaving him because he forgot

her birthday.

overriding

adj. dominant, dominating, predominant, predominating,

compelling, prevailing, primary, prime, most important,

overruling, overwhelming, paramount, preponderant, principal,

cardinal, main, chief: His overriding reason for buying the

larger dictionary was that it made a better doorstop.

overrun v. invade, defeat, attack, ravage, destroy, overwhelm, conquer,

harry, vandalize, plunder, maraud, scourge, despoil, sack,

strip, pillage, storm, Colloq blitz: Within a week the armies

had overrun the country and captured the capital city.

overseas adv. abroad: Did you serve overseas during the war?

oversee v. direct, manage, watch (over), keep an eye on, administer,

superintend, run, supervise, operate, manipulate, handle,

control: We employed Gertrude to oversee our offices in

Frankfurt.

overseer n. superintendent, supervisor, manager, foreman, forewoman,

superior, Colloq boss, chief, super, Brit gaffer, US straw boss,

(head or chief) honcho: Simon is too hard a taskmaster to be

overseer of that sensitive operation.

overshadow

v. 1 dominate, outshine, eclipse, dwarf, diminish, minimize,

put in or throw into or leave the shade, steal the limelight

from, tower over or above, excel: The Crown, overshadowed by

the great barons, turned for aid to the Church. 2 spoil, blight,

ruin, mar, take (all) the pleasure from, put a damper on, take

the edge off, impair, take the enjoyment out of: The news from

the east overshadowed everyone's spirits at the party.

oversight n. 1 omission, inadvertence, neglect, laxity, laxness, fault,

failure, dereliction, error, mistake, blunder, carelessness,

heedlessness: It was owing to an oversight by a clerk that the

flight booking was not made. 2 supervision, superintendence,

surveillance, management, direction, guidance, administration;

charge, care, custody, keeping, hands, protection, auspices:

The matter of expenses must be left to the oversight of the

committee established to deal with such things.

overstate v. exaggerate, magnify, hyperbolize, embroider, overstress,

colour, make (too) much of, overdraw, overemphasize, stretch,

enlarge, inflate, blow up: They might have overstated the

problem by asking for a 24-hour police guard.

overstep v. exceed, transcend, surpass, go beyond: Again Hortense has

overstepped the bounds of propriety by inviting herself to the

reception.

overt adj. apparent, evident, plain, clear, obvious, manifest,

clear-cut, unconcealed, patent, open, visible, observable,

public: Moving the troops to the border may be considered an

act of overt hostility.

overtake v. 1 catch (up with or to), reach, draw level or even with,

overhaul, gain on or upon, move by or past, pass, leave behind,

outstrip, outdistance: The express train overtakes the local

one at Amersham. 2 come upon, seize, catch (unprepared),

befall, strike, hit, overwhelm: The weaknesses of old age

overtook the actress before she could finish writing her

memoirs.

overthrow v. 1 defeat, beat, rout, conquer, overpower, master, bring

down, depose, oust, overwhelm, unseat, unhorse, topple,

overturn, dethrone, thrash, worst, best: The new leader was

overthrown by the partisans in two weeks. Cotswold Rangers

overthrew Kent United in last night's match at Hurley.

--n. 2 defeat, rout, conquest, deposing, ousting, unseating,

toppling, overturn, overturning, downfall, end, ruin, fall,

collapse, destruction, suppression, quashing, crushing,

subjugation, US ouster: The overthrow of the military regime

was followed by weeks of rioting and looting.

overtone n. undertone, connotation, hint, suggestion, innuendo,

insinuation, intimation, indication, implication: Do I detect

overtones of regret now that you are finally leaving?

overture n. Often, overtures. approach, advance, offer, proposal,

proposition, tender: While they were winning, they rejected all

peace overtures.

overturn v. 1 turn over, knock down or over, tip over, capsize, up-end,

upset, turn turtle, turn upside down, turn topsy-turvy, invert:

The tanks overturned when they tried to drive past the huge

concrete barriers. On his first day as a waiter, he overturned

the soup in a guest's lap. 2 bring down, overthrow, throw over,

upset, depose, unthrone, unseat, oust, eject: The dictatorship

was overturned and the country returned to being a democratic

republic.

--n. 3 overturning, overthrow, unseating, ousting, toppling,

fall, destruction, ruin, defeat, US ouster: Could the overturn

of the present regime be effected without force of arms?

overwhelm v. 1 overpower, overcome, overtax, devastate, stagger, crush,

defeat, destroy, subdue, suppress, quash, quell, conquer, beat,

bring down, prostrate, weigh down, oppress: Overwhelmed by

grief, she dissolved into tears. 2 inundate, overcome, engulf,

submerge, flood (over); deluge, swamp, bury, immerse: A feeling

of terror suddenly overwhelmed me as I watched my safety rope

fray and break. In only a few hours the rising waters had

completely overwhelmed the house. 3 overcome, stagger, astound,

astonish, dumbfound or dumfound, shock, stun, bewilder, confuse,

confound, nonplus, surprise, take aback, Colloq bowl over, knock

off one's feet or pins, blow one's mind, discombobulate, Brit

knock for six: We were overwhelmed by the friendly reception

that awaited our return.

overwhelming

adj. 1 overpowering, uncontrollable, irresistible, devastating,

unendurable, unbearable, crushing, burdensome, formidable: He

had an overwhelming sense of shame for what he had said. 2

awesome, awe-inspiring, stupefying, astounding, astonishing,

staggering, bewildering, mind-shattering, prodigious,

mind-boggling, Colloq mind-blowing: When I first went to live

in London, I found its sheer size totally overwhelming.

overwork v. 1 overexert, overstrain, overburden, oppress, overtax,

overload, overuse: We were so overworked that the quality had

to suffer. 2 slave (away), burn the midnight oil, lucubrate:

She insisted on overworking in order to get the project finished

on time.

--n. 3 overexertion, overstrain, strain: I was ready to drop

from overwork.

overwrought

adj. 1 tense, nervous, jittery, jumpy, fidgety, touchy, in a

dither or twitter, all a-twitter, overexcited, on edge,

over-stimulated, frantic, frenetic, distracted, Brit strung up,

US strung out, Colloq (all) worked up, edgy, in a tizzy, wound

up, uptight: They were quite overwrought worrying about the

children's safety. 2 overworked, ornate, elaborate, baroque,

rococo, florid, flowery, fussy, ostentatious, busy, gaudy,

garish: Some of the Victorian houses were characterized by

overwrought gingerbread decoration. A few of his poems are

overwrought and difficult to digest.

15.19 owe...

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owe v. 1 be in debt to, be indebted to, be beholden to: It must be

a good feeling not to owe anyone any money at all. 2 owing to.

because of, on account of, thanks to; through, as a result of,

resulting from, Colloq due to: Owing to my schedule, I cannot

stay the night. The higher tides are owing to the positions of

the sun and moon.

owner n. possessor, holder; proprietor, proprietress: The papers

have been returned to their rightful owner. Who is the owner of

the property?

16.0 P

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16.1 pace...

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pace n. 1 step, stride: Please walk forward two paces. 2 rate (of

speed), tempo, speed, velocity, Colloq clip: We were proceeding

at a pace of five miles per hour.

--v. 3 walk, stride, tread; traverse: Alistair paced up and

down nervously, waiting for word from the surgeon. 4 measure,

gauge or gage, judge, rate, estimate, determine, reckon, figure,

compute: I was trying to pace myself to conserve some energy

for a sprint finish.

pack n. 1 parcel, package, packet, bundle, bale, backpack, knapsack,

rucksack, haversack, kitbag, kit, duffle or duffel bag: The

stranger hoisted his pack onto his shoulder and loped off. 2

load, lot, bunch, multitude, heap, pile, accumulation, mass,

amassment, mess, barrel, peck: She told the jury a pack of

lies. 3 group, collection, assembly, assemblage, congregation,

gathering, crowd, number, throng, horde, mass, crew, gang, body,

lots, loads, band, company, party, set, flock, herd, drove, mob,

swarm, bevy, covey, circle, coterie, clique: A huge pack of

people were waiting at the stage door for the star to emerge. 4

deck: We ought to have two packs of cards for bridge.

--v. 5 Often, pack in or into. package, bale, bundle, compact,

crowd, cram, jam, fill, stuff, squeeze, ram, press, wedge, tamp:

They packed us into the train like sardines. I packed as much as

I could into the short time I had left. 6 pack it in. stop,

cease, end, finish, quit, wind up, terminate, give up, call it a

day, Colloq chuck: Edward finally packed it in because they

were giving him too much trouble. 7 pack off. dismiss, send off

or away, bundle off or out, hustle off or out or away, get rid

of, drive off or away, order off or away or out, send (someone)

about his or her business: At the beginning of the war, Sally's

mother packed her off to America to stay with her aunt. 8 pack

up. a get or gather together, put away, store: Pack up your

troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile. b quit,

stop, break down, fail, give out, stall, die, give up the ghost,

Colloq conk out, have had it: After three days crossing the

desert, the engine finally packed up.

package n. 1 packet, parcel, box, container, case, carton, bundle: I

am donating a package of clothing to the relief fund. 2

combination, unit, package deal: Included in the package from

the car dealer are several luxury features.

--v. 3 wrap, pack, containerize, carton, case, encase, enclose,

include; combine, unite, coupled, incorporate: More and more

merchandise comes packaged in plastic these days. A special

sponge is packaged with the cleaning liquid.

packed adj. filled, full, loaded, crowded, stuffed, jammed, crammed,

brim-full, chock-a-block, chock-full, jam-packed, overloaded,

overflowing, loaded or filled to the gunwales, up to there,

bursting, groaning, swollen, replete, Colloq wall-to-wall: The

gallery was packed with the soprano's relatives, who cheered

every note. The publicity for the show promised a packed

programme of mirth and merriment.

packet n. 1 package, parcel, pack, batch: We found a packet of your

old love-letters in a trunk in the lumber room. 2 loads, lot(s),

great deal, fortune, mint, Colloq bundle, pretty penny, pile(s),

tidy sum, king's ransom, Brit bomb: He lost a packet on that

property when they built a sewage plant alongside it.

pact n. agreement, treaty, bargain, alliance, contract, compact,

concord, covenant, concordat, entente, understanding,

arrangement, deal: The companies entered into an illegal pact

not to compete in the same markets.

pad n. 1 cushion, pillow, wad, wadding, stuffing, padding, filling,

filler: Wrap a soft cotton pad over the wound to protect it. 2

writing-pad, note-pad, memo pad, block (of paper), jotter, US

filler: You'd best take a pad with you to make notes at the

lecture. 3 flat, apartment, room(s), home, place, quarters,

Colloq hang-out, Brit digs or diggings, Slang US flop: A few

friends are crashing at my pad while they're in town.

--v. 4 cushion, wad, stuff, fill; upholster: The chair seats

are padded with foam rubber, but the arms are bare. 5 Sometimes,

pad out. expand, inflate, stretch, dilate, lengthen, protract,

extend, blow up, flesh out, puff up, augment, spin out, amplify:

He pads his weekly newspaper column with trivia in order to fill

the space.

paddle n. 1 oar, sweep, scull: A 'crab' occurs when you catch the

water with the paddle blade on the return stroke.

--v. 2 row, scull, oar: Deftly she paddled the canoe over to

the pier. 3 wade: The children were paddling at the water's

edge. 4 spank, paddywhack, thrash, beat, whip, flog: Dad

threatened to paddle me if he caught me playing hookey again.

paddy n. rage, (fit of) temper, fit, tantrum, Colloq Brit paddywhack

or paddywack, wax: She was in a proper paddy when she found out

what you'd done.

pagan n. 1 heathen, unbeliever, idolater, polytheist, infidel,

Gentile: He joined the religion of the pagans and worshipped

the golden calf.

--adj. 2 heathen, infidel, idolatrous, polytheistic,

heathenish, Gentile: Many churchmen condemned Renaissance

scholars for their interest in pagan and pre-Christian writers.

page° n. 1 leaf, folio, side, sheet, verso or recto: On which page

does the index begin? 2 episode, phase, period, time, stage,

point, era, epoch, age, chapter: The early 1940s were among the

darkest pages in Britain's history.

--v. 3 paginate, folio, number: Roman numerals were used in

paging the preface to the book.

pageý n. 1 attendant, page-boy, servant, errand-boy, messenger, Brit

foot-boy, US bellman, bellhop, Offensive used of an adult

bellboy: Please have a page deliver this message to Mr

Simmonds.

--v. 2 announce, summon (forth), send for or after, call, call

for, call out: They are paging your wife now to give her your

message.

pageant n. spectacle, display, grandeur, tableau, show, parade,

procession, ceremony, formality, ritual, event, affair,

extravaganza, presentation, gala: The children stage a medieval

mystery play as a part of the annual Christmas pageant.

pageantry n. pomp, ceremony, display, magnificence, extravagance,

panorama, showiness, show: The pageantry of the Oberammergau

passion play should be experienced at least once.

pain n. 1 hurt, suffering, discomfort, soreness, ache, aching, pang,

spasm, smarting, cramp: I feel the pain in my back from lifting

that box. 2 anguish, agony, affliction, distress, grief, woe,

suffering, misery, travail, wretchedness, despair, torment,

tribulation, trial, torture, dolour, discomposure, ordeal,

disquiet: No one who has not experienced it can imagine the

pain of losing a child. 3 irritation, vexation, annoyance,

bother, nuisance, pest, Colloq pain in the neck, headache, drag,

bore, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: What a pain

it is that you have forgotten your keys again! David can really

be a pain when he goes on about the book he's writing. 4 pains.

effort, trouble, exertion, toil, labour: She went to great

pains to make our stay comfortable.

--v. 5 hurt, distress, grieve, wound, injure; trouble, depress,

sadden, sorrow, cut to the quick: It pained us to learn of Mrs

McArthur's illness.

painful adj. 1 hurting, grievous, hurtful, sore, distressing,

distressful, excruciating, torturous, agonizing, smarting,

stinging, aching, achy, throbbing, burning, piercing, stabbing,

sharp, tender, sensitive, raw, bitter, Formal nociceptive: The

bullet caused a painful wound in the knee. Mother's arthritis

can be quite painful at times. 2 vexing, vexatious, annoying,

harassing, irritating, irksome, aggravating, galling,

exasperating, unpleasant, afflictive, harrowing, worrisome,

worrying, troubling, disquieting, disturbing, distressing:

Fighting in the front lines was a painful experience for Rupert.

3 painstaking, laborious, careful, rigorous, arduous, assiduous,

sedulous, diligent, earnest, conscientious, meticulous,

scrupulous, detailed, thorough, thoroughgoing, exacting,

demanding: A great deal of painful research went into

discovering the cause of yellow fever.

painfully adv. agonizingly, distressingly, disagreeably, unpleasantly,

unfortunately, sadly, woefully, lamentably, ruefully, unhappily:

I became painfully aware that much of the relief destined for

the poor never reached them.

painkiller

n. anodyne, analgesic, anaesthetic, sedative, palliative: When

he wrenched his back, the doctor gave him a painkiller so that

he could walk.

painless adj. trouble-free, easy, simple, comfortable, effortless,

Colloq easy as 1, 2, 3 or as ABC, easy as pie, a piece of cake,

pushover, child's play, Slang cinch, no sweat: The procedure

for assembling the bicycle is relatively painless.

painstaking

adj. See painful, 3, above.

paint n. 1 colour, tint, dye, colouring, pigment, stain: I bought

the paint and brushes, and started work on the kitchen walls. 2

coating, coat, surface; enamel: The rust has come through the

paint here and there. 3 make-up, cosmetics, maquillage,

greasepaint, Colloq warpaint, face: Sheila is in her room

putting on some paint before we go out.

--v. 4 depict, portray, picture, show, represent, delineate,

render, draw, limn, characterize, describe: Whistler painted a

portrait of my grandmother. Correspondents painted a very grim

picture of the plight of the hostages. 5 coat, brush, apply,

cover, daub: The doctor painted the area with some medication

that soothed the pain. 6 colour, tint, dye, stain, decorate: We

are planning to paint the nursery pale blue. 7 paint the town

red. make merry, carouse, revel, go on a spree, go out on the

town, Colloq whoop it up, live it up, (go on a) pub-crawl, step

out, Slang make whoopee, go on a bender or drunk or binge, booze

it up: Saturday nights a few of the boys would go out and paint

the town red till the wee hours.

pair n. 1 couple, twosome, two of a kind, set of two, matched set,

duo, dyad, twins, double, doublet; brace, span, yoke, team,

tandem: A pair of silver candelabra disappeared during the

party.

--v. 2 match (up), mate, pair off or up, team (up), put

together, partner, twin, double, join, unite, yoke; wed, marry,

join in wedlock or in holy matrimony: Pair these gloves for me,

would you? Husbands may not pair off with wives for the next

dance.

pal n. 1 friend, consort, comrade, alter ego, crony, companion,

amigo, playmate, classmate, Colloq chum, sidekick, mate, Chiefly

US and Canadian buddy: Jim left a little while ago with a few

of his pals.

--v. 2 pal (up) with or about or US around (with). associate

(with), be or become friendly or friends (with), be or get or

become on friendly or intimate terms (with), go (around or

about) with, fraternize (with), consort (with), spend time

together or with, keep company (with), Colloq hang out or about

or around (with), knock about or around (with): Fiona and

Isabel palled up last year. Do you still pal about with Timothy?

palace n. mansion, castle, stately or palatial home or residence,

manor (house), (country) estate, chƒteau, palazzo, villa: After

the wedding, they went to the prince's palace and lived happily

ever after.

palatial adj. luxurious, de luxe, magnificent, splendid, stately,

sumptuous, opulent, majestic, magnificent, grand, elegant,

palatine, Slang posh, ritzy, swanky, classy: After winning the

pools, they moved into a palatial house in Belgravia.

palaver n. 1 nuisance, procedure, red tape, to-do, rigmarole or

rigamarole, Colloq song and dance, bother, nonsense, business,

carry-on, performance: He lost the certificates, so she now has

to go through all the palaver of getting new ones. 2 chatter,

babble, jabber, (empty or small) talk, blather or blether,

gossip, prating, prattle, prattling, palavering, Brit natter,

nattering, Scots clishmaclaver, Colloq jawing, hot air, Colloq

Brit witter, wittering: There is so much palaver at the annual

meeting that nothing important ever gets said. 3 parley, talk,

conference, discussion, colloquy, conversation, confabulation,

meeting, get-together, round table, powwow, Colloq confab,

huddle, chin-wag: The annual palaver of the regional general

managers is scheduled for next week.

--v. 4 chatter, babble, jabber, blather or blether, gossip,

prattle, prate, chit-chat, gabble, Brit natter, witter, Colloq

jaw, chin-wag, US and Canadian shoot the breeze, Slang yack,

yackety-yack: Peter and I were palavering outside the

supermarket when Sophie came along. 5 confer, consult, discuss,

parley, talk, converse, powwow, meet, get together, sit down

(together), confabulate, negotiate, Colloq confab, huddle, chew

the fat or the rag: Management and union representatives will

palaver tomorrow.

pale° adj. 1 colourless, white, wan, sallow, waxen, livid, ashen,

ashy, pallid, bloodless, whitish, pasty, whey-faced, washed out,

anaemic, blanched, drained, ghostly, ghastly, peaky or peakish,

peaked, cadaverous: If you had been through an ordeal like

that, you'd look pale, too. 2 faint, light, dim, washed out,

pastel: She was wearing a pale green evening gown tonight. 3

feeble, weak, flimsy, meagre, enfeebled, ineffective,

ineffectual, puny, insignificant, paltry, lame, poor,

inadequate, half-hearted, tame, spiritless, whey-faced, empty,

sterile, lifeless, uninspired, anaemic, Colloq half-baked: The

sequel was a pale imitation of the original film.

--v. 4 blanch, blench, dim, whiten: He paled when they told

him of the car crash. 5 diminish, lessen, fade (away),

decrease, abate: The works of most modern writers pale in

comparison with those of the Elizabethans.

paleý n. 1 paling, palisade, picket, upright, post, stake: The pales

are attached to horizontal rails to form a fence. 2 boundary,

limit(s), restriction, bounds, border(s), confines: Nothing is

outside the pale of the imagination of a great novelist. 3

beyond the pale. improper, irregular, unseemly, unsuitable,

indecent, unacceptable, inadmissible, forbidden, anathema,

disallowed, prohibited, verboten, interdicted; US unusual,

bizarre, peculiar, outr‚, weird, abnormal, strange: The

committee have found your behaviour to be beyond the pale,

Frances, and we demand your resignation.

pall° n. 1 shroud, covering, mantle, cloth, veil: A black velvet

pall covered the coffin. 2 gloomy or melancholy or sombre or

grave or depressing air or mood or atmosphere; damper, cold

water, Colloq wet blanket: The recently uncovered scandals have

cast a pall over his successes in office.

pallý v. 1 Often, pall on or upon. bore, tire, weary, jade, irk,

irritate, sicken: His position lost all its charm when the work

began to pall on him. 2 sate, satiate, cloy, glut, surfeit,

gorge: I had reached the point where even the finest foods

began to pall me.

paltry adj. trifling, trivial, petty, small, insignificant, worthless,

pitiful, pathetic, pitiable, puny, sorry, wretched, miserable,

inconsequential, inconsiderable, unimportant, meagre, mean,

beggarly, base, low, contemptible, Colloq piddling, Brit

twopenny, twopenny-halfpenny, mingy, US penny-ante, Slang Mickey

Mouse: Despite his wealth, his charitable contributions are

paltry. We all recognize Denison for the paltry pedant he is.

pamper v. baby, coddle, cosset, (over)indulge, spoil, mollycoddle,

cater to, pet, Rare cocker, Irish cosher: The Simpsons pamper

their children far too much.

pamphlet n. booklet, brochure, tract, essay, folder, leaflet, circular;

handbill, bill, notice, bulletin, advertisement, hand-out, ad,

Brit advert, US flyer, throw-away: He was arrested for printing

a pamphlet that denounced the government's repression of free

speech. Yesterday we received our sixteenth pamphlet promoting

replacement windows.

pan n. 1 saucepan, frying-pan, skillet, pot, casserole, US spider:

Melt a teaspoonful of butter in the pan, add the mixture, and

stir briskly over a medium heat. 2 face, visage, mien, fa‡ade,

Slang kisser, mug, puss: The worst part of Alf's not working is

that I have to look at his ugly pan all day. 3 depression,

indentation, concavity, cavity, hollow, pit, hole, crater: In a

rain-shower, the pans fill with water and the desert blooms.

--v. 4 wash, separate, sift: For years prospectors have panned

for gold in these hills. 5 criticize, censure, find fault, put

down, reject, flay, excoriate, Brit hammer, Colloq knock, roast,

slate, Slang Brit rubbish, US trash: The critics panned the

play and it closed after a week. 6 pan out. succeed, thrive,

prosper, flourish, fare well, make it; work out, turn out,

result, come out, end (up), conclude, culminate, eventuate:

Your grandiose plans for irrigating the Sahara didn't pan out,

either! How did the election pan out?

panache n. flourish, dash, ‚lan, ‚clat, chic, sophistication, savoir

faire, savoir vivre, flamboyance, verve, style, cultivation,

(good) taste, flair, smartness, boldness, self-assurance,

swagger, vigour, liveliness, spirit, brio, gusto, zest,

animation, enthusiasm, energy: Whatever needs to be done, you

can count on Irena to carry it off with panache.

pandemonium

n. bedlam, chaos, turmoil, disorder, tumult, frenzy, uproar,

Brit furore or US furor, confusion: Pandemonium reigned after

the first bomb struck.

pander v. 1 Usually, pander to. satisfy, gratify, humour, indulge,

fulfil, bow to, yield to, truckle to, cater to: She is tired of

pandering to his every wish. 2 procure, pimp, solicit: I

didn't believe he would sink so low as to pander for his

business clients.

--n. 3 panderer, pimp, procurer, solicitor, whoremonger, White

slaver, Slang flesh-pedlar or US also flesh-peddler or

flesh-pedler, Brit ponce, mack: The word pander is an eponym

for Pandarus, who acted as a sycophantic go-between for Troilus

in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde .

pane n. panel, sheet, glass, window-pane, light, quarrel,

bull's-eye: Ring up the glazier and have that pane replaced in

the door.

pang n. 1 pain, stab, ache, pinch, twinge, stitch, spasm: I felt a

sharp pang of hunger. 2 qualm, hesitation, scruple, misgiving,

remorse, regret, contrition, contriteness, self-reproach,

mortification, guilt, anguish, discomfort, malaise: Does Claire

feel the slightest pangs for treating him badly?

panic n. 1 terror, alarm, fear, fright, dread, horror, dismay,

consternation, hysteria; anxiety, apprehension,

apprehensiveness, nervousness: As the speeding car veered

towards us, a feeling of panic gripped me.

--v. 2 be terrified or alarmed or fearful or frightened or

terror-stricken or terror-struck, dread, fear, lose one's nerve;

frighten, scare; Colloq go to pieces, fall apart, Brit lose

one's bottle: I panicked, turned the wheel the wrong way, and

crashed the car into a tree. Gregory panics at the slightest

sign of danger. 3 frighten, scare, alarm, terrify, unnerve:

Something panicked the horses and one kicked out his stall door.

panic-stricken

adj. panic-struck, terrified, alarmed, horrified, aghast,

terror-stricken or terror-struck, panicky, frenzied, in a

frenzy, hysterical, besides oneself with fear or terror,

fearful, afraid, scared (stiff), petrified, horror-struck or

horror-stricken, frightened or scared out of one's wits,

appalled, stunned, stupefied, perturbed, unnerved, nervous,

distressed, upset, jittery, jumpy, (all) worked up, Colloq in a

cold sweat, in a flap, in a tizzy, Taboo slang scared shitless,

shitting green: At the news of the leak at the nuclear plant,

hundreds of panic-stricken people fled from the area.

panoramic adj. sweeping, commanding, extensive, comprehensive, wide,

overall, scenic, far-reaching, all-embracing, far-ranging,

all-encompassing, inclusive, bird's-eye, general: This room

affords a panoramic view of the sea-coast.

pant v. 1 gasp, huff (and puff), blow, heave, breathe hard, wheeze:

He was panting when he came into the room, having run up the

stairs. 2 Usually, pant for or after. crave, hanker after,

hunger or thirst for or after, yearn for, ache for, want,

desire, covet, wish for, long or pine or sigh for, have one's

heart set on, die for, be dying for, Colloq have a yen for, give

one's eye-teeth or right arm for: Margery was the girl that all

the boys panted after when we were ten.

pants n.pl. 1 In Britain (men's) drawers, small-clothes, smalls,

drawers, underpants, boxer shorts, trunks, undershorts,

Y-fronts, briefs, Colloq smalls; (women's) knickers,

camiknickers, panties, drawers, bloomers, pantalettes, tights,

pantihose, undies: The baby was dressed in a frilly dress and

matching pants. 2 In US: trousers, slacks, breeches, (Oxford)

bags, knickerbockers, flannels, shorts, Bermuda shorts or

Bermudas, pedal pushers, bell-bottoms, peg-tops, hip-huggers,

(blue) jeans, dungarees, denims, Trade Mark Levis, Scots trews;

Scots and No. Eng. breeks, US knickers, Colloq cut-offs:

Americans who go into British shops asking for a pair of pants

are embarrassed to be offered only underwear.

paper n. 1 newspaper, tabloid, daily, weekly, journal, gazette,

publication, periodical, newsletter, organ, Colloq rag, sheet:

She is feature editor of a paper in Manchester. 2 Often,

papers. a document(s), instrument, legal papers, form,

certificate, deed, ownership papers; credential(s),

identification: Bring the papers to my office for signing. His

papers are not in order. Many people lost their papers during

the war. b docket, files, dossier, record(s), archive(s): Your

papers seem to have disappeared from our office. 3 stationery,

letterhead, writing-paper, letter-paper, notepaper; foolscap;

scrap or US also scratch paper; wrapping paper; gift-wrapping,

gift-wrap; wallpaper: She wrote to me on the most beautiful

engraved paper. We buy our Christmas paper from a museum shop. 4

article, composition, essay, assignment, report, thesis, study,

tract, analysis, critique, exegesis, treatise, dissertation,

disquisition, manuscript, MS or ms, autograph, holograph,

typescript, script, speech: Adelaide will present her paper at

the meeting of the Royal Academy this year.

--v. 5 (hang) wallpaper, line; post, distribute: The entire

area was papered with posters announcing the meeting.

par adj. 1 standard, normal, average, expected: A success rate of

two per cent is par for these candidates.

--n. 2 level, rank, standing, scale, standard: How can you

place yourself on a par with her as a tennis player? 3 above

par. above average, superior, outstanding, excellent,

exceptional; choice, select, prime: Since I stopped taking that

medication, I've been feeling above par. I am pleased to

announce that the test results were above par for the school as

a whole. 4 at par. average, level, even, equal, equivalent,

standard; par value: The shares are selling at par, or below

their true market value. 5 below or under par. a below

average, substandard, inferior, second-rate, mediocre, middling,

not up to par, poor, inadequate, unsatisfactory, wanting, bad,

wretched, miserable, awful, terrible, Colloq lousy, not up to

snuff or scratch: Ian's goal-keeping has been below par all

season. b ill, sickly, unhealthy, unwell, not (very) well, not

oneself, not in good or the best shape, in bad shape, Brit off

form, off colour; Colloq under the weather, poorly, not up to

snuff: I was feeling below par. 6 up to par. all right,

adequate, average, satisfactory, good enough, passable,

acceptable, Colloq OK or okay, up to scratch or snuff, fair to

middling: If your game had been up to par, Davis would not have

won.

parable n. allegory, fable, lesson, morality tale: When we first read

Aesop's Fables we didn't know they were parables.

parade n. 1 procession, march, train, file, promenade, cortŠge,

column; entourage: They held a parade to celebrate the

soldiers' safe return from the war. 2 exhibition, (ostentatious)

display, show, spectacle, array, pomp, splash: She often makes

a parade of her knowledge of architecture. 3 promenade, walk,

(pedestrian) way, mall, esplanade: Let's meet in the Parade

when you have finished shopping.

--v. 4 march, pass in review, promenade, walk, file: The

generals saluted smartly as the troops paraded past. 5 strut,

flaunt, show (off), brandish, wave, vaunt, display, air: Why

does he feel it necessary to parade every new girlfriend in

front of all the neighbours?

paradise n. 1 heaven, City of God, Zion, Elysium, Elysian Fields, happy

hunting-grounds, Abraham's bosom, heavenly kingdom, Promised

Land, Celestial City, New Jerusalem, Avalon, Valhalla,

Hesperides, Isles or Islands of the Blessed, seventh heaven:

People all have their own ideas of paradise, but everyone agrees

it's a nice place to be. 2 heaven on earth, (Garden of) Eden,

(land of) Goshen, Utopia, Shangri-La, Land of Beulah: Early

settlers of California thought it a paradise. 3 bliss,

happiness, rapture, heaven, delight, blessedness, ecstasy,

seventh heaven, joy, dreamland, nirvana: Being with you has

been sheer paradise.

paradox n. contradiction, self-contradiction, incongruity,

inconsistency, absurdity, ambiguity, enigma, puzzle, mystery,

quandary, problem, dilemma: Can you explain away Zeno's paradox

of Achilles and the tortoise? The paradox was that although it

was Edward's fifth birthday, he was 20 years old.

paradoxical

adj. contradictory, self-contradictory, conflicting,

oxymoronic, impossible, improbable, incongruous, illogical,

inconsistent, absurd, ambiguous, confusing, equivocal,

enigmatic, puzzling, baffling, incomprehensible, bewildering,

perplexing, mysterious, problematic: It would be true, though

it might sound paradoxical, to say that the Norman Conquest made

England Saxon.

paragon n. epitome, archetype, model, prototype, quintessence, pattern,

standard, exemplar, ideal, beau id‚al, criterion: He had

previously regarded Michael as a paragon of virtue and was

deeply shocked by the revelations.

parallel adj. 1 similar, corresponding, congruent, analogous,

analogic(al), correspondent, like, matching, homologous,

coordinate, equivalent, coequal, proportional, proportionate,

pari passu, mutatis mutandis, in proportion, uniform;

contemporary or cotemporary, contemporaneous or cotemporaneous:

The situation in Northern Ireland could be compared with a

parallel situation in Lebanon.

--n. 2 analogue, match, homologue, equivalent, complement,

counterpart, equal, coequal: Campbell found many parallels

among the legendary heroes of other cultures. 3 analogy,

parallelism, equivalence, complementarity, relationship,

kinship, correspondence, resemblance, likeness, similarity,

symmetry, equality, coequality, parity, correlation; proportion,

balance, equiponderance, equipoise, counterbalance, offset: One

can draw parallels between the human arm, the fish's fin, and

the bird's wing. By way of parallel, consider the flood in the

Bible and that in the Gilgamesh epic.

--v. 4 correspond to or with, match, equate to or with, be

likened to, correlate to or with, compare with or to, imitate,

repeat, echo, iterate, reiterate, duplicate, follow, agree with;

keep pace with, conform (to), balance, set off, offset, even off

or up, be accompanied by, coincide with, Colloq jibe with: In

many respects, your attitudes towards life parallel mine when I

was your age. A decrease in the rate of inflation supposedly

parallels a rise in interest rates.

paralyse v. 1 immobilize, inactivate, deactivate, transfix; halt, stop:

The stroke paralysed his entire left side. As the thing

approached, the children became paralysed by fear. 2 deaden,

numb, freeze, anaesthetize, benumb, render insensible: This

injection will paralyse your thumb so that we can operate on it.

3 disable, cripple, incapacitate, disenable: His left leg was

paralysed in the accident.

paramount adj. pre-eminent, chief, supreme, dominant, main, predominant,

cardinal, first, prime, primary, principal, essential, vital,

requisite, basic: The company feel that the independence of

researchers is paramount. It is of paramount importance that

you study trigonometry before calculus.

paramour n. lover, love, inamorato or inamorata, amorist, mistress,

gigolo, concubine, cicisbeo, kept woman, Colloq flame,

sugar-daddy, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing

Living Quarters'), Slang fancy man or woman: At eighty, she

liked to reminisce about her many paramours.

paraphernalia

n. usually pl equipment, apparatus, accessories, outfit,

appliances, utensils, gear, rig, material(s), mat‚riel, things,

tackle, equipage, accoutrements, effects, chattels, possessions,

belongings, appurtenances, trappings, property, baggage,

impedimenta, supplies, stuff, Colloq junk, Brit rubbish,

clobber, Slang crap, Taboo slang US shit: Bring along your

scuba paraphernalia. It took us a month just to pack up all the

paraphernalia we had in the flat.

paraphrase

n. 1 rephrasing, rephrase, rewording, restatement, rewriting,

rewrite, rehash, rendition, rendering, version, Technical

paraphrasis: The editor wanted a revision, not merely a

paraphrase of the original.

--v. 2 rephrase, reword, restate, rewrite, explicate, explain:

Please paraphrase the specialized jargon to make it

understandable to non-professionals.

parasite n. leech, hanger-on, Colloq freeloader, sponger or sponge,

bloodsucker, cadger, scrounger or scrounge, barnacle, jackal,

hyena or hyaena: That parasite lives off Gemma's money and has

never worked a day in his life.

parcel n. 1 package, packet, carton, box, container, case: We are

sending food parcels to the needy. 2 portion, plot, plat, lot,

piece, section, tract: We have bought a small parcel of land

and plan to build on it next year. 3 lot, group, batch,

collection, pack, bundle, set: She gathered a parcel of

drawings and published them as a travel sketchbook.

--v. 4 Often, parcel out. apportion, allot, deal (out), dole

(out), mete (out), hand out, distribute, share (out), divide,

Colloq divvy (up): Before he died he parcelled out his fortune

amongst his grandchildren.

parch v. dry (out or up), desiccate, dehydrate, exsiccate; scorch,

sear, burn, bake; shrivel (up), wither: The earth was parched

by the unrelenting sun.

pardon n. 1 forgiveness, forgiving, amnesty, remission, release,

reprieval, absolution, indulgence, excuse, excusal, allowance,

overlooking, condonation, exoneration, exculpation: Should

there be any pardon for crimes against humanity?

--v. 2 forgive, remit, release, reprieve, absolve, indulge,

allow, overlook, let off, excuse, condone, exonerate, exculpate:

There are some crimes that ought not be pardoned.

pare v. 1 trim, peel, skin, shave (off), shuck; decorticate,

excoriate: Pare the apples and then grate them coarsely. 2

Often, pare down. reduce, diminish, decrease, cut (back or

down), curtail, slash (back), lower, lessen: Since his illness,

Bob has pared down his time at the office. We'll have to pare

our prices to stay competitive in the present climate.

parent n. 1 father or mother, progenitor, progenitrix, procreator,

begetter, materfamilias or paterfamilias; foster-parent,

stepmother or stepfather, guardian, Colloq old lady or old man,

Brit old-fashioned or facetiousmater or pater: Most teenagers

clash with their parents sooner or later. 2 source, origin,

originator, well-spring, fountain-head, root: The liturgy of St

James is undoubtedly the parent of the Armenian Rite.

parentage n. lineage, ancestry, line, family, extraction, descent,

origin, pedigree, stock, birth, strain, bloodline, heritage,

roots: As he was separated from his mother at birth, he knows

nothing of his royal parentage.

parenting n. (of children) rearing, upbringing, raising, nurturing:

Brian and Betty take their parenting very seriously.

parity n. 1 equality, equivalence, consistency, uniformity, par,

likeness, similarity, analogy, congruity, similitude,

conformity, congruence: The ministers agreed that they would

observe parity of power amongst themselves at the conference. 2

proportion, parallelism, analogy, balance, correspondence: We

are trying to maintain parity between the Deutschmark and the

pound sterling.

park n. 1 garden, green(s), common(s), preserve, reserve,

greensward, parkland, woodland, estate, Chiefly Brit

reservation: Twice a day he strolls through the nearby park. 2

Brit car park, US and Canadian and New Zealand parking-lot: I

shall meet you in the car park at the railway station.

--v. 3 leave, put, deposit, store: It is illegal to park in

this street.

parlance n. way or manner of talking or speaking, fa‡on de parler,

phrasing, phraseology, speech, wording, language, idiom,

dialect, jargon, Colloq lingo: In the parlance of the yuppies,

that's a ballpark figure.

parley n. 1 conference, discussion, dialogue, palaver, deliberation,

meeting, colloquy, colloquium, confabulation, powwow, talk(s),

Colloq huddle, confab: The issue will be decided at the

executive council's parley.

--v. 2 confer, discuss, palaver, deliberate, talk (over),

negotiate, deal, Colloq huddle: Would Sitting Bull parley with

General Custer?

parliament

n. 1 Parliament. Houses of Parliament, House of Lords and House

of Commons, Westminster, the House, Mother of Parliaments: The

new health bill got its second reading in Parliament today. 2

legislature, council, congress, diet, council, assembly, Upper

and Lower House or chamber: The United States parliament

consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

parliamentary

adj. formal, ordered, orderly, procedural, conforming,

conformist, US according to Roberts Rules of Order: The debate

must follow parliamentary procedure.

parlour n. living-room, Old-fashioned or Brit drawing-room, Chiefly

Brit sitting-room, reception (room), lounge: She invited us

into the parlour where tea was laid out.

parlous adj. perilous, risky, precarious, uncertain, dangerous,

hazardous, difficult, ticklish, awkward, Colloq chancy, iffy,

Slang hairy: These are parlous times in the Middle East.

parochial adj. regional, provincial, narrow, local, insular, isolated,

limited, restricted, narrow-minded, petty, short-sighted,

hidebound, conservative, conventional, illiberal, bigoted,

prejudiced, intolerant, one-sided, partial, biased, stubborn,

opinionated, dogmatic, rigid, stiff, stiff-necked, immovable,

intractable, unchangeable, unchanging, close-minded,

unsophisticated, unworldly, uncultivated, uncultured:

Uneducated and untravelled, Mr Shriver maintained a very

parochial view of the world.

parody n. 1 burlesque, lampoon, satire, caricature, mockery, mimicry,

Colloq take-off, spoof, Brit send-up: The more serious the

intent of the original author's work, the easier it is to write

a parody of it. 2 travesty, mockery, feeble or poor imitation,

distortion, perversion, corruption, debasement: The Inquisition

was a parody of justice and of religion.

--v. 3 burlesque, lampoon, satirize, caricature, mock, mimic,

ape, ridicule, deride, laugh at, poke fun at, guy, scoff at,

sneer at, rib, tease, twit, roast, pillory, make a

laughing-stock (of), make sport of, make fun of, make a monkey

(out) of, Archaic fleer, Colloq take off, spoof, kid, Brit send

up: Swift parodied English political figures and policies of

the day in Gulliver's Travels .

paroxysm n. fit, convulsion, spasm, throe, seizure, spell, outburst,

eruption, explosion, Colloq flare-up: At the sight of George

dressed as Madame Pompadour Melissa rolled on the floor in a

paroxysm of hysterical laughter.

parrot n. 1 imitator, mimic, Colloq copycat: She never has an

original idea of her own: she's a mere parrot of others'

fashions and fancies.

--v. 2 imitate, mimic, ape, copy, echo, repeat, reiterate:

Mick doesn't understand the issues and just parrots what he

hears on TV.

part n. 1 piece, portion, division, allotment, share, percentage,

participation, interest; parcel, fragment, scrap, shard; some:

I bought a part of the company when it was available. I want no

part of the deal now. 2 portion, component, factor, constituent,

element, ingredient: A part of her problem is that she doesn't

speak Japanese. 3 role, function, duty, responsibility, share;

say, voice, influence, participation, involvement, business:

Every man must do his part. Don't thank me! I had no part in

your getting the contract. 4 role, character: He plays the part

of Tweedledum in the school play. 5 side, interest, cause,

behalf, faction, party: Which part did you support in the

argument? No explanation has been offered on either part. 6

neighbourhood, quarter, section, district, region, area, corner,

vicinity, vicinage, Colloq neck of the woods: I come from the

same part of the country as you. 7 piece, portion, segment,

section; department, division, component, unit: Which part of

the turkey do you prefer? In which part of the company do you

work? 8 for the most part. mostly, generally, usually, mainly,

in the main, by and large, on the whole, chiefly, principally,

essentially, for all practical purposes, to all intents and

purposes, in most cases or instances: The shops are for the

most part closed on Sunday. 9 in part. partly, partially, to

some extent or degree, in some measure, relatively,

comparatively, somewhat: He is himself in part responsible for

the present state of affairs. 10 on the part of (someone) or on

(someone's or one's) part. by, on or US also in behalf of, (as)

for, as regards, as far as (someone) is concerned, in the name

of, for the sake of, in support of: Tyrannical acts on the part

of the king were not condoned. For my part, I want nothing to do

with it. 11 take (a) part (in). participate (in), join (in), be

(a) party to, play a part or role (in), be involved (in or

with), associate oneself (with), have or take a hand in, partake

(of), contribute (to): Why insist that she take part in your

nefarious plot? People began to sing, but she didn't feel like

taking part.

--v. 12 separate, part company, split up, go his or her (or

their) separate way(s), break up, say or bid goodbye (or adieu,

etc.); leave, depart, go (away or off): We parted on the best

of terms. 13 separate, divide, put or pull apart, put asunder:

I saw a pale hand part the curtains for a brief moment. A fool

and his money are soon parted. 14 part with. give up, yield,

relinquish, release, sacrifice, forgo, renounce, forsake, let

go, surrender: I doubt that you'll persuade Rover to part with

his bone.

--adj. 15 partial, fractional, limited: Ronald is a part owner

of the company.

partake v. 1 Usually, partake in. share (in), participate (in), take

(a) part (in), enter (in or into): We share each other's

burdens and partake in each other's joys. 2 Usually, partake

of. a receive, get, have a share or portion or part (of),

share: We were invited to partake of a meagre repast. b evoke,

suggest, hint at, intimate, imply, possess or have the quality

of: Greater knowledge often partakes of insolence.

partial adj. 1 incomplete, fragmentary, not total or whole, imperfect:

They were able to afford only a partial restoration of the

house. There will be a partial solar eclipse at noon. 2

prejudiced, biased, partisan, inclined, influenced, one-sided,

jaundiced, unfair, discriminatory: It will be difficult to find

a judge who is not partial. 3 partial to. in favour of,

predisposed to, fond of, having a soft spot or weakness for,

having a liking or taste or predilection for, having a fondness

for, feeling an attraction or affinity to or toward(s), finding

enjoyment in: She used to be partial to punk rockers. I am

partial to Scotch beef.

partiality

n. 1 prejudice, bias, inclination, favouritism, predilection,

predisposition, leaning, preference: The losers of the contest

accused the judges of partiality. 2 preference, taste, relish,

liking, fondness, appreciation, fancy, love, eye, weakness, soft

spot, penchant; fetish or fetich: Alas, my wife has acquired a

partiality for emeralds.

partially adv. partly, in part, to some extent or degree, to a limited or

a certain extent or degree, not totally or wholly or entirely,

restrictedly, incompletely, in some measure, relatively,

comparatively, moderately, (up) to a (given or certain) point,

somewhat: Jon found the meal only partially satisfying and

ordered another bread pudding.

participant

n. 1 participator, partaker, sharer, party, contributor, prime

mover: The chief participants in the recent terrorist attack

are in custody.

--adj. 2 Usually, participant in or of. participating,

partaking, sharing: As a shareholder, he will be participant in

the profits.

participate

v. Often, participate in. take part (in), share (in), partake

(in or of), join (in), engage (in), get or become involved (in),

be or become associated (with), enter (in or into), contribute

(to): We invited her to join the group, but she refuses to

participate. I would like to participate in the venture.

particle n. atom, molecule, scintilla, spark, mote, suggestion, hint,

suspicion, gleam, bit, crumb, jot, tittle, whit, mite, speck,

dot, spot, iota, grain, morsel, shred, sliver, scrap, Colloq

smidgen or smidgin: There isn't the slightest particle of

evidence linking them with the murder.

particular

adj. 1 certain, specific, special, peculiar, singular, single,

isolated, individual, distinct, discrete, separate, definite,

precise, express: These are not his particular sentiments but

those of thousands of his followers. In this particular instance

your theory does not apply. 2 marked, special, especial,

exceptional, remarkable, noteworthy, notable, outstanding,

unusual: The commendation is for her particular contribution to

the treatment of nervous disorders. Vintage port is a particular

favourite of mine. 3 detailed, itemized, item-by-item, thorough,

minute, precise, exact, exacting, painstaking, nice, rigorous,

close, blow-by-blow: The inscriptions reveal the particular

care taken in keeping daily records. 4 fussy, meticulous,

finicky, finical, fastidious, discriminating, selective,

demanding, hypercritical, critical, Colloq pernickety or US also

persnickety, choosy, picky: Daphne is very particular about

whom she invites to dinner.

--n. 5 Usually, particulars. detail, minutia, fine point, item,

specific, element, fact, circumstance, information: The

particulars may never be revealed, but we know in general what

took place that fateful night. 6 in particular. particularly,

specifically, precisely, exactly, especially, specially;

particular, specific, special, definite: I told mother that I

was just going out, not anywhere in particular.

particularly

adv. 1 especially, specially, exceptionally, peculiarly,

singularly, distinctively, uniquely, unusually, uncommonly,

notably, outstandingly, markedly, extraordinarily, very,

extremely, strikingly, surprisingly, amazingly: Susannah went

through a particularly bad patch but she's better now. Holroyd

is a good writer, particularly of biography. 2 in particular,

specifically, especially, principally, mainly, exceptionally,

expressly, explicitly, notably, markedly; only, solely:

Maeterlinck was particularly interested in bees.

parting n. 1 separating, splitting, dividing, breaking (up or apart),

sundering, cleaving; separation, split, division, break-up,

rift, rupture: The high point of the film was the parting of

the Red Sea. The parting between Harriet and Sam after twenty

turbulent years was to be expected. 2 leave-taking, farewell,

saying goodbye, departure, leaving, going (away), making one's

adieus or adieux; valediction: Parting is such sweet sorrow.

--adj. 3 closing, final, concluding, last, departing,

valedictory; deathbed, dying: Her parting comment was, 'If

you're leaving, take the rubbish'.

partisan n. 1 partizan, devotee, follower, supporter, adherent, backer,

champion, enthusiast, fan, zealot, fanatic, Chiefly US and

Canadian booster, Colloq US rooter: He has long been a partisan

of surrealism. 2 guerrilla or guerilla, freedom fighter,

underground or resistance fighter, irregular: During the war

the Yugoslav partisans were led by Marshal Tito.

--adj. 3 one-sided, factional, biased, tendentious, sectarian,

opinionated, partial, bigoted, prejudiced, parochial, myopic,

short-sighted, near-sighted, narrow, narrow-minded, limited:

She refuses to become involved in partisan politics. 4

guerrilla or guerilla, freedom, underground, resistance,

irregular: They were both members of the Maquis, the French

partisan group who fought against the Nazis.

partition n. 1 separation, division, splitting (up), split-up,

partitionment, break-up, breaking up, segmenting, segmentation:

One of the results of World War II was the partition of Germany.

2 allotment, allotting, apportionment, apportioning,

distribution, distributing, meting out, doling out, rationing

(out), sharing (out), dividing (up), giving or handing or

passing out, parcelling out, Colloq divvying up: The partition

of the estate is in the hands of our solicitors. 3 (room)

divider, (dividing) wall, barrier, screen, separator: Let's put

up a partition to divide this office into two. 4 compartment,

room, chamber, section, part, area, division, subdivision, cell,

stall, booth: In open floor planning, furniture, plantings, and

other movables are used to create the partitions where people

work.

--v. 5 divide (up), separate, cut up, subdivide, split (up):

It is always a mistake to partition a country into smaller,

potentially quarrelsome units. 6 Often, partition off. divide,

separate, subdivide, wall off, screen (off), fence off: We must

partition off the machine room so that the office staff are not

disturbed by the noise.

partly adv. See partially, above.

partner n. 1 sharer, partaker, associate, colleague, participant,

accomplice, accessory, confederate, comrade, ally, collaborator,

companion, team-mate, fellow, alter ego, friend, Colloq pal,

sidekick, mate, US and Canadian buddy, cohort: His partner in

the bank robbery was arrested this morning. 2 wife or husband,

spouse, mate, helpmate, helpmeet, consort: She became my life

partner more than 50 years ago. 3 companion, fellow-dancer:

Won't you change partners and dance with me?

party n. 1 (social) gathering, (cocktail or dinner) party,

celebration, fˆte or fete, function, reception, soir‚e, levee,

festivity, festivities, festival, frolic, spree, romp, carousal

or carouse, saturnalia, bacchanalia, debauch, orgy, Colloq

get-together, bash, bust, shindig or shindy, ball, at-home, do,

Brit beanfeast, beano, knees-up, US blow-out, Slang Brit rave or

rave-up, Chiefly US and Canadian wingding, bust-up, US hop:

Campbell said he had a marvellous time at your birthday party.

2 group, company, band, body, corps, gang, crew, team, squad,

troop, platoon, detachment, detail, cadre, unit, Colloq bunch,

outfit: A small party of men is trapped on the other side of

the river. 3 side, interest, faction, league, club, coalition,

bloc, division, sect, denomination, clique, coterie, set, cabal,

junta or junto, partisans, adherents, confederacy,

confederation, federation, Chiefly US and Canadian caucus: The

proliferation of political parties confuses the electorate. 4

participant, participator, confederate, associate, ally,

accomplice, accessory, approver, ratifier, upholder,

contributor, supporter, advocate, backer, aid, helper, seconder,

promoter, partisan, defender, exponent, proponent, champion: I

refuse to be a party to any illegal act. 5 individual, person,

litigant, plaintiff, defendant, side, interest, signer,

signatory, co-signatory, participant, US co-signer: The party

of the first part accuses the party of the second part of

infidelity. How many parties are there to this contract?

parvenu n. 1 parvenue, upstart, arriviste, nouveau riche, intruder,

adventurer, social climber: Usually one generation has to pass

before a parvenu is accepted by the class with which his money

associates him.

--adj. 2 nouveau riche, upstart, intrusive: This parvenu

industrialist tried to use his wealth to make up for his lack of

refinement.

pass v. 1 Often, pass by. proceed or move past, go by or past: She

passed me in the street. I didn't recognize her till she had

passed. We met like ships that pass in the night. 2 proceed,

move (onwards), go (ahead), progress, extend, lie, run, flow,

fly, roll, course, stream, drift, sweep: A flock of geese

passed overhead. 3 let pass, let go (by), overlook, disregard,

ignore, pay no heed, omit, skip: I think I'll pass on making a

decision till the proper time comes. 4 qualify (in), pass

muster (in), get or come through, succeed: Deirdre didn't

believe she would pass chemistry, but pass she did. 5 spend,

devote, use (up), expend, employ, occupy, fill, while away, take

(up); dissipate, waste, fritter away, kill: He passed his time

on Devil's Island planning ways to escape. 6 surpass, exceed,

outdo, transcend, go beyond, overshoot, outstrip, outrun,

surmount, outdistance: She passed her own expectations in

winning the scholarship. How Alan ever got a degree passes all

comprehension. 7 allow, tolerate, permit, approve, sanction,

accept, authorize, endorse, carry, agree to, confirm: The

customs inspectors passed my luggage without question. The bill

passed the committee and came up for voting. 8 give, hand round

or along or over, transfer, pass on or over, deliver, convey,

Sports US hand off, Colloq toss, throw, reach: Please pass the

salt. The sweeper passed the ball back to the goalkeeper. 9

utter, express, issue, declare, pronounce, deliver, set forth,

offer: Who is she to pass judgement on abstract paintings? 10

go away, disappear, vanish, evaporate, fade away, melt away,

evanesce, cease (to exist), (come to an) end, die out, go by the

board, terminate, Literary evanish, Colloq blow over: For an

instant I was gripped by a horrible fear, but the feeling

passed. 11 go (by), expire, elapse; slip by or away, fly; crawl,

creep, drag: Weeks have passed since we last met. Time passes

quickly when you're having fun. 12 evacuate, void, eliminate,

excrete, defecate, urinate: The tests showed that he had passed

some gravel in his urine. 13 come to pass. befall, happen,

occur, take place, come about, arise, Colloq come off: And it

came to pass that a great pestilence was abroad in the land. 14

pass away. a die, expire, perish, succumb, breathe one's last,

pass on, go to one's reward, go to one's final or last

resting-place, (go to) meet one's Maker, Colloq go west, give up

the ghost, Slang croak, kick the bucket, Chiefly US bite the

dust, turn up one's toes: He was the sole beneficiary when she

passed away. b vanish, disappear, go away, stop, cease, end:

The feeling of vertigo simply passed away when the plane landed.

15 pass by. See 1, above: The strikers were urging people to

pass by the shop. 16 pass for or as. a be taken for, be

mistaken for, be regarded as, be accepted as: He wrote a book

about being a man who passed for a woman. b impersonate,

imitate, mimic, pass (oneself) off as, come or go as, be

disguised as, disguise oneself as, assume the guise of,

masquerade as, pose as, assume the role of, act the part of, act

like, pretend to be, play: Using her best cockney accent, she

tried to pass as a Londoner. 17 pass off. evaporate, disappear,

evanesce, be emitted: The water passes off as steam, leaving

the distillate in the flask. 18 pass on. a proceed, continue,

progress: Let us now pass on to the next lesson. b bequeath,

hand down or on, transfer, make over, will, cede, give: The old

gambler passed on to me the secret of never losing - Don't

gamble. c See 14, (a), above. 19 pass (oneself) off as. See 16,

(b), above. 20 pass out. a faint, collapse, swoon, black out,

drop, Colloq conk out, keel over: When they told her of the

accident, she passed out on the spot. b distribute, dole out,

mete out, deal (out), hand out: After we took our seats, the

cabin staff passed out glasses of champagne. 21 pass over. See

3, above: I shall pass over his latest misdeeds without

comment. 22 pass up. reject, decline, refuse, waive, turn down,

dismiss, spurn, renounce; deny (oneself), skip, give up, forgo,

let go (by), abandon, forswear, forsake, let pass, ignore, pay

no heed, disregard, pay no heed, omit: If you don't buy this

car, you are passing up an opportunity of a lifetime.

--n. 23 defile, gorge, col, cwm, cut, canyon or ca¤on, notch,

gap, gully, couloir; passage, opening, way, route, road: We had

mined the pass to prevent the enemy's advance. 24

authorization, permit, licence, approval, safe conduct, green

light, go-ahead; permission, freedom, liberty, authority,

clearance; Colloq OK or okay: He bribed an official for a pass

to leave the country. 25 free pass, complimentary ticket, Slang

US twofer, Annie Oakley: I have two passes to the opera tonight

- Want to go? 26 state (of affairs), condition, situation,

stage, juncture, status, crux; predicament, crisis: At that

critical pass, it was too late to change policy. Things had come

to a pretty pass. 27 attempt, trial, try, effort, endeavour:

Anita's first pass at a perfect score resulted in disaster. We

made a pass at docking while under sail. 28 (sexual or indecent)

overture or advance(s), proposition, indecent proposal: That

lecher has made a pass at every secretary he's ever had. 29

manoeuvre, approach; passage, flight, fly-by, transit: The

pilot's first pass over the airfield was at 500 feet. 30

transfer, toss, throw, US hand-off: A forward pass is illegal

in rugby.

passable adj. 1 satisfactory, acceptable, tolerable, all right,

adequate, admissible, allowable, presentable, average, fair

(enough), fair to middling, fairly good, middling, not bad,

unexceptional, sufficient, indifferent, Colloq OK or okay, so

so: I thought the play passable, but not up to his usual

standard. 2 traversable, navigable, open, unobstructed,

unblocked: The channel is passable till October, when the river

freezes over.

passage n. 1 movement, moving, going, transition, transit, traversal,

traverse, progress, crossing, passing: The queen's passage

through the town was attended by much jubilation. We observed

the passage of Mercury across the sun's disc. 2 extract,

excerpt, selection, section, part, portion, text, paragraph,

canto, stanza, verse, line, sentence, phrase, citation,

quotation: I recognize this passage from The Faerie Queene . 3

way, route, avenue, course, channel; road, thoroughfare:

Amundsen found a navigable passage between the Atlantic and

Pacific across North America. 4 corridor, hall, passageway,

hallway, vestibule, lobby, foyer: As I stepped into the passage

outside my room I heard a door slam. 5 change, mutation, shift,

conversion, progression, passing: In sublimation, the passage

is directly between the solid and gaseous or vaporous states,

without an intermediate liquid stage. 6 passing, elapse,

progress, progression, flow, march, advance: She may become

more tractable with the passage of time. 7 voyage, trip,

journey, cruise, crossing, sail, run, travel, travelling; Brit

accommodation or US accommodations, arrangement(s), facilities:

In 1942 the trans-Atlantic passage was fraught with danger. The

refugees were guaranteed safe passage to the border. We have

been unable to book a passage to Majorca for tomorrow. 8 safe

conduct, permission, privilege, liberty, freedom, visa,

authorization, allowance: Our troops were denied passage

through Nepal. 9 enactment, ratification, sanction, approval,

acceptance, passing, adoption, endorsement, endorsing,

legitimatization or legitimization, legalization, legislation,

constitutionalization, ordainment: It appears that there is

enough support to ensure passage of the bill. 10 traffic,

trafficking, dealing, shipment, shipping, commerce, trade,

exchange, transaction: Representatives of several governments

discussed putting a halt to the passage of narcotics from

Colombia. 11 aperture, hole, orifice, opening; entry, access,

inlet; exit, outlet: We found a tiny passage through which the

termites were entering and leaving.

pass‚ adj. old-fashioned, unfashionable, dated, out of date, behind

the times, outmoded, obsolete, obsolescent, antiquated, archaic,

d‚mod‚, quaint, antique, superseded, Colloq out, not or no

longer in, old hat, back number: She persisted in dressing in a

style that had been pass‚ at the turn of the century.

passenger n. rider, fare, traveller, voyager, commuter: The cruise ships

have very comfortable accommodation for their passengers.

passing adj. 1 disappearing, vanishing, ephemeral, brief, going, fading

(away), slipping away, short-lived, expiring, transient,

transitory, temporary, momentary, fleeting, transitional,

impermanent: I hope that Anne's obsession with acid rock is a

passing fancy. 2 hasty, superficial, cursory, casual, quick,

fleeting, brief, summary, abrupt, dismissive; glancing: The

speaker paid only passing attention to those he disagreed with.

3 in passing. by the way, incidentally, by the by,

parenthetically, en passant: I might mention, in passing, that

my train was late owing to the strike.

--n. 4 death, dying, demise, end, loss, expiry, expiration,

dying out, extinction, disappearance, vanishment: Her passing

is a great sorrow to all of us. Who thought we would live to see

the passing of the steam engine?

passion n. 1 Often, passions. ardour, ardency, eagerness, intensity,

fervour, fervency, fervidness, zeal, zealousness, avidity,

avidness, zest, zestfulness, vivacity, vivaciousness, gusto,

verve, emotion, feeling, animation, spirit, spiritedness,

vigour, enthusiasm, eagerness; zealotry, fanaticism,

feverishness: The passions of the mob are uncontrollable.

Passion and prejudice govern the world. Passions ran high at the

political convention. 2 fit, outburst, frenzy, paroxysm,

seizure, spasm, convulsion, eruption, whirlwind, tempest, storm,

ferment, fury, furore or US furor: Henry fell on his knees in a

passion of grief. 3 infatuation, mania, obsession, craze,

craving, lust, (unquenchable) thirst, (insatiable) hunger, itch,

yearning, longing, desire, concupiscence, love, affection,

enthusiasm, compulsion, fondness, predilection, keenness, fancy,

fascination, partiality, liking, interest, weakness, Colloq yen:

Would the world be a better place if the passion for spiritual

values were as great as for material things? She has a passion

for chocolates. 4 love, heart's desire, beloved, idol, hero or

heroine, obsession, Colloq heartthrob, dream-girl or dream-boy:

He may not look much to you but he is the passion of every

teenage girl. 5 Usually, Passion. pain, suffering, agony,

martyrdom: Christ underwent his Passion at Calvary.

passionate

adj. 1 ardent, eager, intense, fervid, zealous, avid, eager,

earnest, zestful, feverish, fanatic(al), vehement, impassioned,

emotional, animated, spirited, enthusiastic, vigorous,

invigorated, energetic: Passionate environmentalists campaign

for better governmental control of carbon dioxide emissions. 2

aroused, lustful, lecherous, erotic, sexual, amorous, sensual,

Colloq hot: She tried to resist his passionate advances. 3

quick-tempered, irascible, hotheaded, fiery, testy, huffy or

huffish, peevish, cranky, peppery, choleric, touchy, bilious,

snappish, volatile, cross, temperamental, irritable,

quarrelsome, pugnacious, argumentative, contentious,

belligerent, Rare atrabilious or atrabiliar: Valerie gets into

a passionate mood whenever she thinks she is being treated

unjustly.

passive adj. 1 inactive, non-aggressive, inert, motionless,

unresponsive, quiet, calm, tranquil, serene, placid, still,

idle, unmoving, unmoved, impassive, untouched, cool,

indifferent, phlegmatic, uninterested, uninvolved,

dispassionate, apathetic, lifeless, listless, quiescent,

unperturbed, unaffected, imperturbable, unshaken, Colloq

laid-back, out of it: The comic was unable to get a reaction

from the passive audience. 2 submissive, repressed,

deferential, yielding, compliant, complaisant, receptive,

flexible, malleable, pliable, tractable, docile, subdued,

sheepish, ovine, lamblike, cow-like, bovine, tame, gentle, meek,

patient, unresisting, unassertive, forbearing, tolerant,

resigned, long-suffering, Colloq US excuse-me-for-living:

People tend to bully those of a more passive nature. 3

unexpressed, tacit, unrevealed, undisclosed, implicit,

unasserted: We can no longer take a passive position regarding

crime. Your passive support, while welcome, is not as effective

as active campaigning.

password n. watchword, shibboleth, open sesame, countersign: If you

don't know the password, the guard won't let you in.

past adj. 1 over, done, finished, (over and) done with, gone (and

forgotten), dead (and buried or gone), defunct: The day of the

horse and carriage is past. 2 late, former, one-time, sometime,

previous, prior, erstwhile, quondam, whilom; last, recent: Past

owners of the house had no idea that this treasure was buried in

the basement.

--adv. 3 on, (close) by, nearby: I was standing here when he

ran past. 4 ago, before, heretofore, since: The previous

owners moved out two years past.

--n. 5 history, background, life, lifetime, existence, career,

lifestyle, biography: She reveals all about her past in her new

book. 6 days or years or times gone by, days of yore, old

times, olden times or days, former times, (good) old days, days

of old, days beyond recall: In the past, life proceeded at a

more leisurely pace.

pastiche n. mixture, medley, blend, compound, composite, patchwork, olla

podrida, pot-pourri, motley, miscellany, omnium gatherum,

m‚lange, gallimaufry, farrago, mishmash, hotchpotch or US and

Canadian hodgepodge, tangle, Colloq mess: The room was

furnished in a pastiche of styles from every imaginable period.

pastime n. hobby, avocation, recreation, diversion, distraction,

amusement, entertainment, fun, play, leisure-time activity,

relaxation, leisure, sport, divertissement: As a pastime, she

collects books.

pastor n. vicar, clergyman, clergywoman, parson, minister, churchman,

churchwoman, rector, canon, reverend, father, divine,

ecclesiastic, priest, bishop: The pastor led the congregation

in prayer.

pastoral adj. 1 bucolic, idyllic, Edenic, innocent, simple, tranquil,

serene, quiet, restful, peaceful, peaceable, placid, pacific,

harmonious, simple, uncomplicated, Literary Arcadian, georgic:

After a week in those pastoral surroundings, she felt inspired.

Theocritus is noted for his pastoral poetry. 2 country, rural,

rustic, provincial, farming, agricultural, agrarian; humble: He

has chosen a pastoral setting for the play, which contrasts

sharply with the emotional intensity of the characters. 3

clerical, ministerial, ecclesiastic(al), church(ly): Our vicar

discharges his pastoral duties with energy and sincerity.

--n. 4 idyll, eclogue, georgic: Flambeau did these marvellous

engravings for a book of pastorals.

pasture n. meadow, meadow-land, pasture land, grassland, grass, lea,

range; pasturage: How much pasture is needed for 200 head of

cattle?

pasty adj. wan, pallid, pasty-faced, sallow, pale, pale-faced,

whey-faced, sickly, anaemic: He had the pasty complexion of a

child raised in an industrial city.

pat° v. 1 tap, touch, dab, pet, stroke, caress: Being short, he

hated it when people affectionately patted him on the head. Pat

down the coverlet to smooth out the wrinkles. 2 pat on the back.

congratulate, commend, praise, compliment, encourage, reassure:

The sales manager patted me on the back for clinching the

contract.

--n. 3 tap, touch, dab, stroke, caress: Give the dog a pat and

he'll leave you alone. 4 (small) piece, patty, lump, cake,

portion; patty: The waiter put a pat of butter on my plate. 5

pat on the back. commendation, praise, compliment, flattery,

encouragement, credit, reassurance, approval, endorsement,

recognition; honeyed words: I was expecting a big bonus, but

all I got was a pat on the back.

patý adv. 1 perfectly, exactly, precisely, faultlessly, flawlessly,

just so or right, Brit off pat: She has the new technique pat.

2 aptly, suitably, appositely, readily, appropriately,

fittingly, relevantly: His reply came out a little too pat.

--adj. 3 apt, suitable, apposite, ready, appropriate, fitting,

relevant: The poet made a very pat comparison.

patch n. 1 piece, scrap, reinforcement; shred, snip, snippet, tatter;

pad: Mother sewed colourful patches over the holes in my jeans.

2 area, section, segment, plat, plot, lot, tract, ground,

parcel, field: All he ever wanted was a little house on a

little patch of land. 3 responsibility, area, bailiwick,

territory: The handling of customer complaints is in your

patch, Gordon. 4 period, interval, spell, stage, episode, time;

experience: She went through a bad patch shortly after Starkey

died.

--v. 5 patch up or over, mend, repair, vamp, revamp, darn, sew

(up), reinforce, cover: I had my trousers patched where the dog

bit me. Her father always wore the same patched jacket to the

club. 6 Often, patch up. fix (up), doctor, jury-rig, improvise,

knock together or up: Can you patch it up so I can drive it

home? 7 patch up. settle, set right or straight, straighten

out, reconcile, resolve, heal; come or bring to terms, bury the

hatchet, kiss and make up, call a truce: Will the two girls

ever patch up their differences?

patchwork n. pastiche or pasticcio, mixture, confusion, hotchpotch or US

also hodgepodge, gallimaufry, olio, olla podrida, mishmash,

jumble, m‚lange, medley, hash, US crazy quilt, Colloq mixed bag:

The landscape is a patchwork of ploughland and pasture, with

little copses and rivers. The concerto by Lindslade is

'derivative' - that is, it is a patchwork.

patent n. 1 certificate of invention, letters patent, trade name,

trade mark, copyright, US service mark; licence, permit,

charter, franchise, grant; control: My brother holds the patent

on a new piece of laboratory equipment. You think you have a

patent on misery, but I have news for you.

--adj. 2 obvious, clear, transparent, manifest, apparent,

plain, evident, self-evident, unmistakable or unmistakeable,

unequivocal, explicit, palpable, tangible, physical,

conspicuous, flagrant, blatant, prominent: The results are as

patent as the fact that two and two make four.

paternal adj. 1 fatherly, kindly, indulgent, solicitous, fond,

concerned, devoted, loving; patriarchal: Uncle Charles takes a

paternal interest in the welfare of his nieces and nephews. 2

patrilineal or patrilinear, patriclinous or patroclinous or

patriclinal or patroclinal or patriclinic or patroclinic,

patrilateral, patrimonial: She resembles her paternal

grandmother. His fortune is partly paternal, partly acquired.

paternity n. fatherhood, fathership; parentage, descent, heritage, line,

lineage, extraction, family, stock, strain, blood, patrilineage:

The child's paternity was established through DNA tests.

path n. 1 footpath, pathway, tow-path, track, trail, walk, walkway,

Brit footway: A little kitten was sitting on the garden path.

2 way, course, track, route, road; orbit, trajectory, circuit:

She had to overcome many obstacles in her path to the

directorship. The path of the missile will take it outside the

atmosphere. 3 course, approach, channel, direction, procedure,

process, way, avenue, means, method, technique, strategy,

scheme, plan, Colloq US game plan, scenario: What path would

you follow to accomplish your ends?

pathetic adj. 1 moving, stirring, affecting, affective, touching,

emotional, emotive, poignant, tragic, heart-rending,

heart-breaking, pitiful, pitiable, piteous, plaintive, wretched,

miserable, sorrowful, grievous, sad, doleful, dolorous,

mournful, woeful, lamentable: The boat people told a pathetic

tale of the hardship of weeks in the open sea. 2 meagre, paltry,

feeble, inadequate, poor, petty, puny, sorry, piddling, Colloq

measly, Slang crummy: He made a pathetic effort to pull himself

together. A return of three per cent a year is pathetic.

patience n. 1 tolerance, forbearance, restraint, toleration, sufferance,

leniency, submission, resignation, self-control,

imperturbability, even temper, unflappability, composure,

calmness, serenity, equanimity: Many parents lose their

patience when dealing with children. 2 diligence, tenacity,

doggedness, indefatigability, endurance, assiduity,

perseverance, constancy, persistence, steadfastness,

pertinacity, determination, resolve, resolution, firmness,

stoicism, fortitude, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: Where do

you get the patience to wait in those long queues?

patient adj. 1 resigned, submissive, stoical, long-suffering,

compliant, acquiescent, passive, self-possessed, philosophical,

serene, unaggressive: The staff who handle complaints must be

extremely patient. 2 diligent, dogged, tenacious, persistent,

assiduous, sedulous, steadfast, staunch, perseverant,

unwavering, unswerving, constant, unfaltering, unfailing,

untiring, tireless, indefatigable, pertinacious, determined,

resolved, resolute, firm, unyielding: Be patient, and don't do

anything rash. 3 forbearing, tolerant, forgiving, lenient,

accommodating: We have been patient long enough and must now

put a stop to the vandalism.

--n. 4 invalid, sufferer, case, valetudinarian: Doctors were

called in to treat patients who developed the symptoms.

patriot n. nationalist, loyalist; flag-waver, jingo, jingoist,

chauvinist: She was among the patriots ready to do battle for

their country.

patriotic adj. nationalist(ic), loyalist; flag-waving, jingoist(ic),

chauvinist(ic): The fact that they criticize the government may

show that they are more rather than less patriotic.

patrol n. 1 guard, sentry, watch, watchman, sentinel, patrolman: The

patrol passes here once every hour. 2 rounds, policing,

patrolling, beat; protecting, protection, guarding,

safeguarding, defending, watchfulness, vigilance: The patrol

must be maintained night and day.

--v. 3 police, guard, protect, defend, watch over, walk a beat,

make (the) rounds, stand or keep guard or watch (over), keep

vigil: Some of the local residents have taken to patrolling the

neighbourhood at night.

patron n. 1 patroness, benefactor, benefactress, philanthropist,

Maecenas, protector, supporter, defender, advocate, champion,

guardian (angel), sponsor, backer, promoter, sympathizer,

friend, US booster; friend at court; Colloq angel: Lady Agnes

is a well-known patron of the arts. 2 customer, client,

purchaser, buyer, patronizer, habitu‚, regular, frequenter: The

patrons habituate her shop because of the bargains to be found

there.

patronage n. 1 sponsorship, support, backing, promotion, encouragement,

boosting, aid, help, sympathy, financing, auspices, protection,

guardianship, aegis: The exhibition was organized with the

duke's patronage. 2 trade, business, custom, trading, traffic:

The shop could never succeed with our patronage. 3

condescension, disdain, scorn, contempt, contumely, superiority,

patronizing, stooping, deigning, humiliation: There is an air

of patronage about him when he finally does allow me a visit. 4

favouritism, partiality, preference, bias, nepotism, political

patronage, granting of indulgences, US spoils (system):

Politicians have always used patronage to reward support.

patronize v. 1 look down on, scorn, look down one's nose at, treat

condescendingly, talk down to, treat as (an) inferior, disdain,

demean, put down, humiliate, Formal contemn: He patronizes

people by patting them on the head. 2 bring trade to, deal or

trade or do or transact business with, buy or purchase from,

frequent, shop at, be a customer or client of: You should

patronize the local merchants in your town. 3 sponsor, support,

back, promote, encourage, boost, aid, assist, help, fund,

contribute or subscribe to, underwrite, foster: The fund has

patronized the arts in this town for many years.

patter° v. 1 tiptoe; scurry, scuttle, skip, trip: I could hear the

squirrels pattering across the metal roof. 2 spatter,

pitter-patter, tap, pit-a-pat; beat, pelt: The rain pattered on

the tent with increasing intensity.

--n. 3 spatter, spattering, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, tattoo,

drum, thrum, beat, beating, tap, ratatat, tap-tap: The

rhythmical patter of the rain lulled me to sleep.

patterý n. 1 pitch, sales talk, spiel, line: Anyone listening to his

patter might be inclined to buy a time-share holiday. 2 chatter,

prattle, prate, babbling, babble, gabble, gabbling, cackle,

cackling, palaver, jabber, jabbering, chit-chat, small talk,

gossip, blather or blether, gibberish or gibber, Chiefly Brit

natter, nattering, Scots clishmaclaver, Colloq gab, gabbing,

Slang gas, hot air, yackety-yack, yack: The chap tapping our

phone had to listen to the teenagers' patter for hours on end.

--v. 3 chatter, prattle, prate, babble, gabble, cackle,

palaver, jabber, rattle (on), chit-chat, chaffer, gossip,

blather or blether, gibber, Chiefly Brit natter, witter (on),

Colloq gab, Slang gas, yackety-yack, yack, jibber-jabber: They

just patter on about nothing in particular.

pattern n. 1 model, original, archetype, prototype, exemplar, paragon,

ideal, standard, yardstick, criterion, gauge, measure: Their

life together could serve as a pattern for any couple. 2

figure, motif, design, device, decoration, ornament: The

pattern of the wallpaper clashes with that of the curtains. 3

system, order, arrangement, plan, theme; repetition,

consistency, orderliness, regularity, sequence, cycle: By

carefully noting the movements of the heavenly bodies, ancient

observers were able to detect a pattern. 4 blueprint, diagram,

plan, layout, design, draft, guide, template or templet,

stencil, mould, matrix: These new lighting fixtures are made to

a 19th-century pattern. 5 sample, example, instance, specimen,

representation: Were you able to match up your fabric pattern

with one of those in the tailor's book? 6 layout, configuration,

figure, formation, composition: The geese often flew in a

V-shaped pattern.

--v. 7 Often, pattern on. model on, imitate, copy, mimic,

duplicate, follow, emulate, simulate: She tried to pattern her

behaviour on that of her older sister. 8 decorate, figure,

ornament: Cynthia's gifts were wrapped in a beautifully

patterned paper.

paunch n. belly, pot-belly, Colloq corporation, US bay window, Slang

beer-belly: Capitalism is often conventionalized as a

top-hatted older man, in tails, with a huge paunch and a cigar.

pauper n. have-not, indigent, down-and-out(er), bankrupt, insolvent;

beggar, mendicant; tramp, hobo, vagrant, US bum: The mortgage

payments on such a lavish house soon made him a pauper.

pause v. 1 hesitate, interrupt, delay, hold up, discontinue, break,

wait, mark time, suspend, intermit, falter, rest: He paused for

a moment to allow late-comers to take their seats.

--n. 2 hesitation, interruption, delay, lull, lapse,

moratorium, hold-up, wait, break, breather, breathing-space,

discontinuity, lacuna, hiatus, abeyance, discontinuation,

discontinuance, Prosody caesura, Music fermata, Colloq let-up:

There was a brief pause, then the altercation in the

neighbouring flat resumed.

pave v. 1 macadamize, tarmac, asphalt, tile, flag, concrete, cover,

surface: Europeans thought that the streets of America were

paved with gold. 2 pave the way for or to. prepare or smooth the

way for, open the door for, make easy or easier for; facilitate,

ease: If I talk to him first, perhaps I can pave the way for

you to make your proposal.

pawn° v. 1 pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, plight, deposit, Formal

pignorate, Archaic gage, Colloq Brit pop, Chiefly US and

Canadian hock: I had to pawn my watch to get enough money to

eat. 2 venture, stake, risk, gamble, hazard, chance,

jeopardize: By agreeing to donate one of his kidneys, he pawned

his life to save hers.

--n. 3 collateral, guaranty or guarantee, pledge, surety,

security, assurance, bond, bail, deposit: She gave her jewels

as pawn for the safe return of the children.

pawný n. tool, cat's-paw, puppet, instrument, dummy, dupe, Colloq

stooge: He's not important: he's just being used as a pawn by

the powerful interests involved.

pay v. 1 recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify;

repay, refund, reimburse; pay off, pay out, pay up, satisfy,

clear, remit, discharge, liquidate, settle, honour, meet: Do

you think that nurses are poorly paid? You have 30 days to pay

this invoice. 2 reward, benefit, recompense, requite,

compensate: Thurlew has been amply paid by having his name

engraved on the roll of honour. 3 extend, bestow, transmit, pass

on, give, deliver: Please pay my respects to your wife. 4

benefit, profit, avail, (turn out to) be or prove profitable or

worthwhile, yield a return, be advantageous, produce results,

pay off: It no longer pays to complain about the service in the

shops. Honesty pays. 5 pay back, repay, retaliate, settle

(accounts) (with), even the score or a score, reciprocate,

requite, take or get revenge on, avenge oneself for or on, treat

in kind, hit or strike or get back (at), settle or pay off or

even a score or the score (with), exact one's pound of flesh

(from), make (someone) pay (for), punish, chastise, castigate,

Brit pay out, Colloq get even (with): If I catch him, I'll pay

him for turning informer. 6 suffer (the consequences), answer

(for), make amends (for), atone (for), get one's (just) deserts,

undergo punishment (for), be punished (for): If I catch him,

I'll make him pay. Society requires that he pay for his crime. 7

produce or make or generate or earn money, yield a return, pay

off: His vending-machine business certainly pays well. 8 pay

back. a recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify;

repay, pay off, refund, reimburse: I paid back every penny I

borrowed from the bank. I'll pay her back if it's the last thing

I do. b See 5, above. 9 pay for. See 6, above. 10 pay off. a

See 4 and 7, and 8(a), above. b bribe, suborn, buy off, grease

(someone's) palm, give (someone) a bribe or a rebate, Colloq

give (someone) a kickback, slip (someone) something: Did he

really pay off the judges to select his daughter as Miss

Tyneside? 11 pay out. a distribute, deal out, give out,

disperse, disburse: The managing director paid out bonuses to

the entire staff. b disburse, expend, spend, contribute, Colloq

shell out, lay out, US and Canadian and Australian and New

Zealand kick in with, Slang cough up, fork out or over or up:

In the office, we are forever paying out for leaving presents.

c release, loosen, let out, slack or slacken off (on): Pay out

more rope so that he can reach it. d See 5, above: We'll pay

him out for everything he's done to you, never fear!

--n. 12 payment, compensation, recompense, settlement, return;

remuneration, consideration, reward, money, wages, salary, fee,

honorarium, remittance, stipend, income, takings, take-home

(pay), gain, profit, Colloq US take: His sole pay for painting

the kitchen was a big hug and a kiss. The work is tedious, but

the pay isn't bad.

payable adj. due, owed, owing, outstanding, unpaid, receivable, mature:

This bill is payable at the end of the month.

payment n. 1 See pay, 12, above. 2 expenditure, disbursement,

distribution, outlay, fee, contribution, charge, expense,

payout: You are not authorized to make payment of any amount

over œ100.

pay-off n. 1 See pay, 12, above. 2 result, outcome, upshot,

conclusion, wind-up, settlement, final reckoning, Colloq

punch-line, crunch, grand finale, Slang US and Canadian kicker:

The pay-off was that permission to march on Sunday was denied.

3 bribe, graft, rebate; ransom, blood-money, Colloq kickback,

hush money, Chiefly US payola, US plugola: The pay-off was

always made in cash, in used notes.

16.2 peace...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

peace n. 1 serenity, tranquillity, calm, calmness, placidity or

placidness, peace of mind, quiet, peacefulness, peaceableness,

stillness: For a summer holiday, we enjoy the peace of the

Lakes. 2 harmony, accord, harmoniousness, concord, amity,

peacefulness, peacetime; cease-fire, armistice, truce: Since

the Second World War, Europe has enjoyed more than 45 years of

relative peace.

peaceable adj. 1 See peaceful, 1, below. 2 pacific, inoffensive, dovish,

peace-loving, mild, non-violent, non-belligerent, unbelligerent,

unwarlike, non-warring, non-combative, temperate, agreeable,

compatible, congenial, genial, friendly, amiable, amicable,

cordial, civil: Despite cultural differences, the two countries

maintained peaceable relations.

peaceful adj. 1 peaceable, serene, placid, calm, quiet, quiescent,

gentle, restful, tranquil, untroubled, undisturbed, unruffled:

After our week-end guests left, the house was again peaceful. 2

See peaceable, 2, above.

peacemaker

n. conciliator, pacifier, reconciler, propitiator, placater,

pacificator, mediator, arbitrator, intermediator, intermediary,

diplomat, appeaser, interceder, go-between, referee, umpire,

adjudicator; peacemonger: The ambassador was called upon to act

as peacemaker between the warring nations.

peak n. 1 top, pinnacle, crest, ridge, tor, mountain top, summit,

mountain, eminence, elevation, hill: We were just able to make

out the snow-capped peaks in the distance. 2 top, tip, tiptop,

apex, acme, culmination, apogee, zenith, high point, crown,

extreme, utmost, uttermost, perfection, ne plus ultra,

consummation, climax: Irene has brought the office to a peak of

efficiency. 3 visor, brim, US bill, nib: The peak of the

fisherman's cap serves as an eyeshade.

--v. 4 rise, crest, culminate, (reach a) climax, top (out):

Prices peaked during the Christmas shopping season.

peaky adj. peakish, pinched, unhealthy, sickly, ailing, ill, unwell,

infirm, unwholesome, pale, pallid, wan, waxen, anaemic, pasty,

sallow, whey-faced, ashen, washed out, drained, emaciated,

wasted, gaunt, hollow-eyed, haggard, drawn, weak, feeble, US

peaked: Paul has been looking a bit peaky of late.

peal n. 1 ringing, ring, carillon, chime, chiming, toll, tolling,

clang, clangour, tintinnabulation, clamour, reverberation;

knell; clap, crash, roar, rumble, thunder: The constant peal of

the bells nearly drove him mad. The doleful peal rang out for

yet another fisherman lost at sea. A resounding peal of thunder

shook the house.

--v. 2 ring, toll, chime, clang, tintinnabulate, reverberate,

resonate, resound; knell; boom, crash, roar, roll, rumble,

thunder: The cowbells pealed plaintively, reminding me of my

youth in the Alps. Lightning flashed, and the echoing thunder

pealed through the valley.

pearl n. gem, treasure, prize, cream, flower, wonder, nonpareil:

Wasn't Cuba once called the Pearl of the Antilles?

pearly adj. nacreous, pearl-like, perlaceous, lustrous,

mother-of-pearl: The dress was trimmed with pink lace and

little pearly buttons.

peasant n. rustic, countryman, countrywoman, farmer, provincial, (farm)

worker, (country) bumpkin, bucolic; peon, fellah, muzhik or

mouzhik or mujik; Historical esne, serf, Archaic swain, hind,

churl, Derogatory yokel, hill-billy, bog-trotter, oaf, lump,

lout, boor, churl, clod, clodhopper; Colloq US and Canadian

hick, galoot or galloot, Derogatory hayseed, rube, Derogatory

and offensive US poor white (trash): Regimes came and went, but

the life of the medieval peasant endured.

peccadillo

n. slip, error, lapse, mistake, infraction, violation, misdeed,

shortcoming, misstep, blunder, faux pas, indiscretion, gaffe,

botch, stumble, fault, petty sin, (minor) transgression,

trespass, Colloq slip-up, goof: We have to forgive the

occasional peccadillo.

peculiar adj. 1 odd, curious, strange, queer, bizarre, weird, unusual,

abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, deviant or deviate, eccentric,

uncommon, outlandish, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the

ordinary, offbeat, unorthodox, atypical, idiosyncratic,

unconventional, out-of-the-way, quaint, unique, singular, one of

a kind, sui generis, distinct, distinguished, special,

particular, quirky, funny, freakish, Slang far-out, freaky, Brit

rum: Don't you agree that anyone who by choice goes barefoot in

winter is a bit peculiar? She enjoys a peculiar immunity to

colds. 2 Usually, peculiar to. typical of, characteristic of,

characterized by, natural to, symptomatic of, appropriate to or

for, distinctive of, restricted to, specific to, indicative of,

denotative of, limited to, individual to, personal to, special

to, unique to; seen or observed (only) in, local to, native to,

indigenous to: Such behaviour is peculiar to those who have

served long prison sentences.

--n. 3 Typography arbitrary, sort: Characters with diacritical

marks are called 'peculiars' in the printing trades.

peculiarity

n. 1 idiosyncrasy, oddity, eccentricity, abnormality,

irregularity, quirk, kink, crotchet, caprice: Keeping

alligators was only one of Jess's peculiarities. 2 feature,

characteristic, property, quality, trait, attribute, earmark,

hallmark, mark, particularity, singularity, Brit speciality, US

specialty: One of the peculiarities of the books is their wide

margins.

pedantic adj. 1 didactic, doctrinaire, donnish, pedagogic, pedantical,

preachy, professorial, bookish, ostentatious, pretentious,

sententious, pompous, vain, stuffy, stilted, stiff, dry: A

pedantic approach to marketing may be all right in the

classroom, but it doesn't sell products. 2 perfectionist,

scrupulous, overscrupulous, finicky or finical, fussy,

punctilious, fastidious, meticulous, exact, chop-logic,

hair-splitting, quibbling, Colloq nit-picking: His secretary

left because of his pedantic criticisms of her work.

peddle v. sell, hawk, market, vend, huckster, Colloq push, flog: He

is a publishing tycoon today, but he started by peddling books

door-to-door.

pedestal n. 1 foundation, base, platform, stand, substructure, mounting,

pier, foot, mounting, support, Technical plinth, socle, dado:

The statue crumbled away and only its pedestal remained. 2 put

or place or set on a pedestal. glorify, exalt, worship, deify,

revere, idolize, dignify, apotheosize, ennoble, elevate, raise:

No woman is worth putting on a pedestal.

pedestrian

n. 1 walker, stroller, ambler, rambler, footslogger; itinerant,

peripatetic: A special crossing has been installed for

pedestrians.

--adj. 2 boring, dull, banal, tiresome, commonplace, mundane,

tedious, unimaginative, uninteresting, monotonous,

run-of-the-mill, humdrum, stock, prosaic, insipid, dry, flat,

jejune, colourless, dreary, pale, ordinary, hackneyed, trite,

(as) dull as ditch-water or US also dishwater, vapid, stale,

uninspired, uninspiring, spiritless, lifeless, dead: The dean

delivered his customary pedestrian lecture to the new students.

3 walking, strolling, ambulatory, on foot, rambling,

peripatetic: We were exhausted after taking a pedestrian tour

of London.

pedigree n. (line of) descent, ancestry, genealogy, blood, bloodline,

line, extraction, lineage, stock, heritage, family, derivation,

birth, parentage, strain, roots: His pedigree is all right, but

does he have brains as well as money?

pedlar n. hawker, (door-to-door) salesman or saleswoman or

salesperson, vendor, huckster, seller, colporteur, US peddler,

drummer, Archaic chapman, Colloq cheapjack: How can you expect

the watch to work if you bought it from a street pedlar?

peek v. 1 peer, peep, glimpse, look, squint (at), squinny (at),

Scots keek, Colloq take or have a gander (at), Brit take a dekko

(at): A small boy peeked out from under the blanket.

--n. 2 look, glimpse, peep, glance, Scots keek, Colloq gander,

look-see: I've had a peek at what Father hid in the cupboard.

peel v. 1 Sometimes, peel off. skin, strip (off), pare, flay, flake

off, descale, decorticate; shuck, hull, bark, scale; desquamate:

Beulah, peel me a grape. 2 strip, undress, disrobe; do a

striptease: In the last act, everyone peels to the bare skin.

3 peel off. take off or doff, strip off: I peeled off my coat

and dived into the canal to save her.

--n. 4 skin, rind, coating, peeling: Don't you like candied

orange peel?

peep v. 1 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup: The

birds peeped excitedly when they saw the cat.

--n. 2 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup,

chirr or chirre or churr: The night was filled with the peep of

the frogs at the pond. 3 sound, complaint, outcry, protest,

protestation, grumble, murmur: The students didn't let out a

peep when ordered to remain after class.

peer° n. 1 noble, nobleman or noblewoman, lord or lady, aristocrat;

duke or duchess, marquess or marchioness, earl or countess,

viscount or viscountess, baron or baroness: As a peer of the

realm, she had certain rights. 2 equal, coequal, compeer, like,

match, confrŠre, associate, colleague: Under law, he is

entitled to trial by a jury of his peers.

peerý v. 1 peep, peek, squint (at), squinny (at), look, examine; spy:

Scrooge peered closely at the accounts ledger. 2 appear, peep

through or out, break through, show, become visible, emerge:

Now and then, the moon peered through the clouds.

peerless adj. without equal, unequalled, matchless, unmatched,

unrivalled, unique, incomparable, beyond compare, unparalleled,

nonpareil, inimitable, unexcelled, unsurpassed, superior,

superb, excellent, supreme, superlative, finest, best, ne plus

ultra, sovereign, consummate, pre-eminent, paramount: James's

mother was a peerless beauty and the toast of her generation.

peevish adj. irritable, testy, touchy, fretful, ill-humoured, waspish,

petulant, crabbed, churlish, querulous, short-tempered,

ill-natured, tetchy, cross, bad-tempered, ill-tempered,

fault-finding, captious, carping, cavilling, crusty,

curmudgeonly, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy or grumpish,

pettish, acrimonious, splenetic, Colloq bilious, US and Canadian

and Irish cranky: He's very peevish today, so don't get on his

wrong side.

peg v. 1 pin, dowel, rod, stick, bolt; thole or thole-pin;

clothes-peg, hook: Pegs and glue are often used for fastening

good furniture together. Hang your coat on the peg. 2 off the

peg. ready-made, ready-to-wear, stock: As bespoke clothing is

so dear, I buy mine off the peg. 3 take down a peg (or two).

humble, diminish, lower, subdue, suppress, downgrade, dishonour,

mortify, humiliate, put down, abase, debase, devalue or

devaluate: He was acting a bit high and mighty, so she took him

down a peg or two.

--v. 4 fasten, secure, make fast, fix, attach, pin: They

pegged the tent firmly to the ground. 5 fix, attach, pin, set

(by), control by, limit by, restrict, confine, freeze, bind,

regulate, govern: In indexing, the rate of inflation is often

used for pegging wages. 6 toss, throw, shy, flip, sling, cast:

I'll bet a fiver you can't peg that stone across the river. 7

peg away or US also along. work (away) (at), persevere (at),

apply oneself (to), persist (in or at), go to or at (it), keep

at (it), stick to or with or at (it), stay with or at (it),

carry on (with or at), Colloq plug away (at), beaver away (at),

hammer or bang or peck away (at): Trevor pegs away at his

homework every evening.

pell-mell adv. 1 helter-skelter, slapdash, rashly, feverishly,

incautiously, confusedly, chaotically, wildly, impulsively,

recklessly, slap-bang, impetuously, hastily, hurriedly,

precipitately, spontaneously: The ice-cream vendor pedalled

down the street with the children running pell-mell after him.

--adj. 2 helter-skelter, slapdash, rash, feverish, incautious,

confused, disordered, disorderly, disorganized, wild, mad,

chaotic, tumultuous, panicky, impulsive, reckless, precipitate,

impetuous, hasty, hurried: Quick action by the soldiers was

responsible for the pell-mell rout of the attackers.

--n. 3 confusion, disorder, chaos, tumult, pandemonium,

turmoil, mˆl‚e or melee, furore or US furor, commotion, bedlam,

brouhaha, hubbub, excitement: In the pell-mell that followed,

several bystanders were injured.

pelt° v. 1 bombard, shower, bomb, pepper, strafe, batter, shell,

assail, assault, attack, US pummel or pommel, belabour, pound,

Old-fashioned lay about, Slang US clobber, wallop, paste, work

over: The hooligans pelted the crowd with sticks and stones. 2

Often, pelt down. beat, dash, pound, hit; come down, teem, pour,

Colloq rain cats and dogs, bucket down, US rain pitchforks: The

rain came pelting down just as we were ready to go out. 3 pelt

along or over. hurry, rush, run, dash, shoot, scoot, scurry:

The constables pelted along after the escaping thief.

--n. 4 stroke, blow, whack, hit, smack, slap, thwack, bang,

thump, Colloq wallop, belt: Chris received a pelt on the head

from a rock.

peltý n. skin, hide, coat, fur, fleece: The trappers traded the fox

pelts for supplies.

pen° n. 1 writing instrument, fountain-pen, ball-point (pen), Brit

trade mark Biro, Old-fashioned quill: Dearest, I have finally

found time to put pen to paper. I prefer a pen with a fine

point.

--v. 2 write (down or up or out), jot down, (make a) note (of),

draft, draw up, compose, put on paper, commit to paper, commit

to writing, put in writing, scribble, scrawl, scratch, Formal

indite: While he was in prison, he penned letters to many men

of influence.

pený n. 1 coop, enclosure, hutch, (pig)sty, pound, fold, stall,

confine, US and Canadian corral: We kept the geese in a pen by

the barn.

--v. 2 Often, pen up. enclose, confine, coop up, shut up,

impound, round up, US and Canadian corral: It took three of us

to pen the sheep. During the blockade, the ships remained penned

up at Gibraltar.

penal adj. correctional, punitive, disciplinary: Crime and its

punishment are covered in the penal code. He was sent to a penal

colony for life.

penalize v. punish, discipline, mulct, amerce, fine, handicap, impose or

invoke a penalty against, impose a penalty on, Formal amerce;

sentence: This judge penalizes speeders mercilessly.

penalty n. punishment, discipline, penance, sentence; forfeit, fine,

handicap, price, mulct, Formal amercement; imprisonment,

incarceration: The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty

allowable under law for the crimes.

penance n. 1 punishment, penalty, reparation, amends, atonement,

self-punishment, self-mortification, regret, repentance,

contrition, suffering, penitence: A year of public service was

fair penance for the offence. 2 do penance. pay, suffer, make

amends or reparation(s), atone, wear sackcloth and ashes or a

hair-shirt: She has done penance enough for her crime.

penchant n. inclination, bent, proclivity, leaning, bias,

predisposition, predilection, partiality, proneness, propensity,

tendency, affinity, liking, preference, fondness, taste: Agnes

has a penchant for tennis and for men who play tennis.

pendant n. ornament, tassel, lavaliere or lavaliŠre, medallion, locket,

necklace, riviŠre, ear-drop, tear-drop, drop, Old-fashioned

carcanet: I recognized the pendant she wore at her neck as my

mother's.

pending prep. 1 awaiting, waiting (for), depending on, till, until,

'til, till such time as; while, during: Pending the outcome of

the trial, he was remanded in custody.

--adj. 2 unsettled, undetermined, undecided, unconfirmed,

unfinished, inconclusive, up in the air, hanging fire, in the

balance, in abeyance; forthcoming, imminent, impending, in the

offing, Colloq US in a holding pattern, on hold: The pending

negotiations on the rent will determine whether we stay or move

house. While the matter is pending, we can do nothing.

pendulous adj. 1 pendent, hanging, drooping, sagging, dangling,

suspended, pensile: The weaver-bird's pendulous nest is a

marvel of engineering. 2 swinging, swaying, waving, undulating,

undulatory, oscillating, oscillatory: I was hypnotized by the

pendulous motion of the bell.

penetrate v. 1 enter, go or pass through or into, pierce, bore (into),

lance, spear, go through or into, probe, stab, puncture,

perforate, drill: The shell penetrated the tank's heavy armour.

2 permeate, diffuse, suffuse, pervade, filter or seep through,

percolate through: The soothing balm penetrated my aching body

and I relaxed into a deep sleep. 3 reach, get to, get at, touch,

affect, hit, strike: Her cruel words penetrated the darkest

recesses of my soul. 4 sink in, be absorbed, be understood,

register, come or get through, become clear, come across, be

realized, Colloq soak in, seep in: It took a while for it to

penetrate that she did not wish to see him again. 5 understand,

sense, become aware or conscious of, see (through), gain insight

(in)to, discern, uncover, discover, find (out), comprehend,

grasp, work out, unravel, fathom, perceive, Colloq get, figure

out, dig, Brit suss out: Will we ever penetrate all of nature's

secrets?

penetrating

adj. 1 incisive, trenchant, keen, searching, deep, acute,

sharp, perceptive, perspicuous, percipient, quick,

discriminating, intelligent, sensitive, clever, smart,

discerning: This is a penetrating analysis of the situation

which clarifies many of the issues. 2 piercing, shrill,

strident, ear-splitting, ear-shattering, pervasive; pungent,

harsh, biting, mordant, strong, stinging: I was awakened by a

penetrating scream. The penetrating odour of ammonia assailed my

nostrils.

penetration

n. 1 piercing, perforation, puncturing, incision, puncture,

penetrating; inroad, entry, entrance: Penetration of the skull

required great effort on the part of the surgeon. Tentatively we

attempted the penetration of the jungle. 2 insight, keenness,

perception, percipience, intelligence, perspicacity,

perspicuity, perspicaciousness, perceptiveness, acuteness,

incisiveness, sensitivity, sentience, understanding, acuteness,

discernment, discrimination, cleverness, shrewdness, wit,

quick-wittedness: We all admired the penetration that was shown

by the examiner in the questions she asked.

penitence n. penance, contrition, regret, repentance, regretfulness,

compunction, remorse, sorrow, sorrowfulness, ruefulness, grief,

sadness, shame, self-reproach: Brendan's penitence for his

former misdeeds was shown by his selfless devotion to good

causes.

penitent adj. contrite, regretful, repentant, remorseful, sorrowful,

sorry, rueful, grief-stricken, sad, shame-faced,

self-reproachful, apologetic, conscience-stricken: He said that

he was truly penitent for all the heinous crimes of his youth.

penmanship

n. calligraphy, hand, fine Italian or Italic hand, handwriting,

script, writing, longhand, chirography: One must admire the

penmanship of the medieval scribes.

pennant n. flag, banner, pennon, streamer, banderole, gonfalon, ensign,

colours, standard, labarum, Chiefly nautical jack, Nautical and

yachting burgee, Technical vexillum: We saw from her pennant

that she was a Spanish frigate.

pension n. 1 benefit, allowance, annuity, subsistence, superannuation,

allotment, old-age pension, US social security, Colloq golden

handshake: She finds that her pension is not enough to live on.

--v. 2 Usually, pension off. (cause to) retire, superannuate;

dismiss; Colloq shelve, put out to pasture: The company cut

back on staff by pensioning off everyone over 60.

pensioner n. retiree, veteran, senior citizen, Brit OAP (= 'old-age

pensioner'), US golden-ager, Colloq Brit wrinkly: The housing

units were specially designed for pensioners' needs.

pensive adj. thoughtful, meditative, musing, in a brown study,

cogitative, contemplative, reflective, preoccupied, ruminative,

wistful, day-dreaming, in a trance, in a reverie, brooding,

sober, serious, grave: I found the professor in a pensive mood,

staring out the window.

pent-up adj. restrained, constrained, repressed, stifled, bottled-up,

corked-up, held in, checked, held back, curbed, inhibited,

restricted: After weeks of frustration, he wanted to release

his pent-up emotions in a scream. They went jogging to try to

work off their pent-up energy.

penurious adj. 1 stingy, mean, penny-pinching, miserly, tight,

tight-fisted, close-fisted, cheese-paring, niggardly, cheap,

ungenerous, parsimonious, skinflinty, thrifty, begrudging,

grudging, Scrooge-like, Colloq near, Brit mingy, US chintzy:

Even today, he is so penurious that he gives his children an

allowance of only 50 pence a week. 2 poor, poverty-stricken,

destitute, impoverished, penniless, indigent, needy,

impecunious, necessitous, beggarly, bankrupt, Colloq (dead or

flat) broke, stony-broke, hard up: They lived in penurious

circumstances.

people n.pl. 1 persons, individuals, men and women, ladies and

gentlemen, males and females, living souls; mortals; bodies:

How many people can this aeroplane carry? 2 relations,

relatives, kin, kinsmen, kinsfolk or US and Canadian kinfolk,

family, kith and kin; ancestors, forebears: His people left

Russia in 1917. 3 masses, (general) public, hoi polloi,

consumers, multitude, populace, common people, common man,

commoners, subjects, citizenry, plebeians, grass roots,

proletariat, rank and file, the crowd, commonalty or

commonality, mobile vulgus, bourgeoisie; man or woman in the

street, Everyman, Everywoman, Mr or Mrs Average, Brit A. N.

Other, Joe Bloggs, man or woman on the Clapham omnibus, US John

Doe, Mary Doe, Richard Roe, John Q. Public; Colloq and often

derogatory proles, the rabble, ragtag and bobtail, silent

majority, common herd, Brit plebs, admass: Politicians unable

to communicate with the people are seldom elected.

--n.sing. 4 race, community, clan, tribe, folk, nation,

population, society: On the subject of religion, they were a

people divided. The anthropologists were studying the peoples

south of the Sahara.

--v. 5 populate, colonize, settle, occupy: The area was once

peopled with Berber tribesmen.

pep n. 1 vigour, vim (and vigour), spirit, animation, vivacity,

energy, verve, zest, fire, sprightliness, life, effervescence,

sparkle, ebullience, dash, enthusiasm, brio, ‚lan, Colloq zip,

zing: He certainly has a lot of pep for an octogenarian.

--v. 2 pep up. stimulate, invigorate, animate, enliven,

vitalize, vivify, energize, exhilarate, quicken, arouse, breathe

(some) life into, inspire, activate, actuate, fire, cheer up,

Colloq buck up, spark, work or fire up, US wind up: After those

defeats, the team needed to be pepped up.

pepper v. sprinkle, scatter, dot, speckle, fleck, spot, spray,

bespeckle, speckle, spatter, stipple, mottle: The letter was

peppered with ink-spots. Their speech was peppered with

swear-words.

perceive v. 1 see, make out, discern, catch sight of, glimpse, spot,

espy, apprehend, take in, notice, note, discover, descry,

observe, mark, remark, identify, distinguish, detect: I

perceived his hesitation when a solo flight was suggested. She

perceived a strange odour emanating from the cupboard. 2

appreciate, grasp, feel, sense, apprehend, understand, gather,

comprehend, deduce, infer, figure out, ascertain, determine,

conclude, decipher, Colloq dig, catch on: She perceived that he

was going to renege on his promise to take her to the Riviera. 3

Often, perceive of. regard, view, look on, consider,

contemplate, judge, deem, believe, think: Calthorpe perceives

of himself as a great actor, but he is dreadful. This gesture

is often perceived as threatening.

percentage

n. share, part, portion, proportion, interest, piece, Colloq

cut: We are to get a percentage of the profits in return for

our investment.

perceptible

adj. discernible, detectable, observable, perceivable,

noticeable, distinguishable, recognizable, apparent, evident,

notable, obvious, patent, manifest, palpable, plain, clear,

prominent, unmistakable or unmistakeable: There are perceptible

differences between your playing and Heifetz's.

perception

n. 1 appreciation, grasp, apprehension, understanding,

comprehension, knowledge, perspective, view: Mrs Hart's

perception of the situation is quite different from mine. 2

intuition, insight, instinct, feel, feeling, sense, impression,

awareness, idea, notion, consciousness, realization: Norton

hasn't the slightest perception of what is going on behind his

back at the office.

perceptive

adj. astute, alert, attentive, quick, alive, quick-witted,

intelligent, acute, sharp, sensitive, sensible, percipient,

discerning, observant, perspicacious; on the qui vive; Colloq on

the ball: No one was sufficiently perceptive to predict the

full extent of the recession. She is perhaps the most perceptive

journalist writing on French politics today.

perch n. 1 roost, rest, seat; spot, location, position, place, site,

vantage point, perspective: From his perch at the top of the

cliff, Martin had a clear view of the cave entrance.

--v. 2 roost, rest, sit, nest; place, put, set, situate,

locate, position, site: The owl was perched in the tree,

waiting for the vole to appear from its burrow.

percolate v. seep, steep, transfuse, leach, drip, drain, strain, filter,

pervade, infuse, ooze, transude, filtrate, trickle, permeate,

suffuse, penetrate: The earth is too hard for the rainwater to

percolate to the roots below. It slowly percolated through to me

that Clare had told the police where I was hiding.

perdition n. damnation, hell, hell-fire, doom, ruin, condemnation,

destruction, ruination, downfall: If what divines call lust be

punished with perdition, who is pure?

peremptory

adj. 1 commanding, imperative, compelling, obligatory,

mandatory, irrefutable, incontrovertible, decretal: After the

sound of marching came a peremptory knock at the door. 2

decisive, final, preclusive, arbitrary, categorical,

unequivocal, dogmatic, unconditional, unreserved, flat,

out-and-out, outright, unqualified, unmitigated: The juror was

subject to peremptory dismissal because he was the defendant's

cousin. 3 imperious, authoritative, tyrannical, despotic,

dictatorial, autocratic, emphatic, positive, firm, insistent,

Colloq bossy: How dare you take such a peremptory tone when

speaking to your father!

perennial adj. 1 durable, lasting, continuing, enduring, constant,

stable, lifelong, persistent, incessant, uninterrupted,

continual, continuous, chronic: Once we expected our rivers to

yield a perennial supply of fresh water. Bing Crosby has been a

perennial favourite since the 1930s. 2 permanent, unfailing,

never-failing, endless, unending, ceaseless, unceasing,

imperishable, undying, perpetual, everlasting, timeless,

eternal, immortal, Literary sempiternal: The artificial flowers

at her grave symbolize Ingrid's perennial youth.

perfect adj. 1 complete, absolute, finished, (fully) realized,

fulfilled, consummate, pure, entire, whole, perfected, best,

ideal: Many have called the building a perfect example of the

Palladian style. 2 sublime, ideal, superb, supreme, superlative,

best, flawless, faultless, pre-eminent, excellent, exquisite,

unexcelled, unrivalled, unequalled, unmatched, matchless,

incomparable, nonpareil, peerless, inimitable: At her throat

she wore the most perfect emerald I had ever seen. 3 blameless,

righteous, holy, faultless, flawless, spotless, immaculate:

Nobody's perfect. 4 fitting, appropriate, (just) right, apt,

suitable, correct, proper, made-to-order, best, Brit spot on:

Arthur would be perfect for the role of Quasimodo. 5 precise,

exact, accurate, correct, unerring, true, authentic, lifelike,

right on, excellent, superlative, superb, reliable, Brit spot

on: These copies are perfect replicas of the original. 6

utter, absolute, complete, mere, thorough, out-and-out,

through-and-through; 24-carat, categorical, unqualified,

unalloyed, unmitigated: We were perfect strangers at the time.

Once again, he's shown himself to be a perfect idiot. 7 expert,

proficient, accomplished, experienced, practised, skilful,

skilled, gifted, talented, adept, deft, adroit, polished,

professional, masterly, masterful: The admirable Crichton was

the perfect butler.

--v. 8 complete, finish, realize, fulfil, consummate,

accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, carry out or through,

bring (to perfection): The design of the bicycle was not to be

perfected for several years. 9 rectify, correct, emend, (put or

set) right, improve, refine, polish, cultivate, better,

ameliorate: Viniculture has been perfected in the Bordeaux

region of France.

perfection

n. 1 purity, flawlessness, faultlessness, sublimity,

superiority, excellence, pre-eminence, transcendence: Though we

strive for perfection, we never can achieve it. 2 completion,

completeness, achievement, fulfilment, realization,

consummation, accomplishment, attainment: The building doesn't

reach perfection till the last roof-tile is in place. 3 ideal,

paragon, model, archetype, pattern, mould, standard,

idealization, essence, quintessence, acme, pinnacle, summit:

Machiavelli probably achieved the perfection of political

cunning.

perfectionist

n. 1 purist, pedant, precisian, precisionist, stickler, Colloq

fusspot, US fuss-budget: The foreman is such a perfectionist

that there's no satisfying him.

--adj. 2 meticulous, precise, punctilious, scrupulous,

exacting, particular, demanding, fastidious, fussy; obsessive;

Colloq picky, nit-picking: She takes a perfectionist attitude

towards everything she does.

perfectly adv. 1 completely, purely, entirely, absolutely, utterly,

totally, wholly, consummately, thoroughly, quite, definitely,

positively, unambiguously, unequivocally, unmistakably or

unmistakeably, explicitly, truly, very, extremely,

extraordinarily, remarkably: Your instructions for finding the

house were perfectly clear. 2 superbly, superlatively,

flawlessly, faultlessly, impeccably, inimitably, incomparably,

sublimely, exquisitely, marvellously, admirably, wonderfully:

Sally plays that Chopin ‚tude perfectly. 3 exactly, precisely,

flawlessly, faultlessly, accurately, literally, line for line,

word for word, verbatim, letter for letter, to the letter,

literatim: He knows the entire Koran perfectly. 4 very, full,

quite, Dialect right, Brit jolly, Slang damned, bloody: You

know perfectly well that I hate cauliflower.

perfidious

adj. treacherous, deceitful, traitorous, treasonous,

treasonable, disloyal, faithless, false, unfaithful, untrue,

insidious, hypocritical, two-faced, Janus-faced, corrupt,

dishonest: His perfidious brother betrayed him to his enemies.

perfidy n. perfidiousness, treachery, deceit, traitorousness, treason,

disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, unfaithfulness,

infidelity, insidiousness, hypocrisy, betrayal: The name of

Judas is a byword for perfidy.

perforate v. riddle, puncture, pierce, honeycomb, drill, bore, punch;

enter, penetrate, pass into: A perforated metal screen let

through a pattern of light. The bullet perforated his lung but

he survived.

perform v. 1 execute, complete, bring off or about, accomplish, effect,

carry out, discharge, dispatch, conduct, carry on, do, fulfil,

Colloq pull off, knock off, polish off; put up or shut up:

Postmen perform their duties despite hazards such as vicious

dogs. 2 do, act, behave, operate, function, run, work, go,

respond: How does your new car perform? 3 present, stage,

produce, put on, mount, do; act, depict, take, play, appear as:

The repertory group performs six shows weekly. He is performing

the role of Scrooge.

performance

n. 1 execution, completion, bringing off or about,

accomplishment, effectuation, carrying out, discharge, dispatch,

conduct, carrying-on, doing, fulfilment: The soldiers acquitted

themselves nobly in the performance of their duties. 2 show,

exhibition, exhibit, play, playing, engagement, act, appearance,

Colloq gig: She does three performances nightly at the Blue

Angel. 3 playing, acting, interpretation, presentation,

portrayal: His performance in the courtroom scene was

outstanding. 4 behaviour, conduct, deportment, demeanour: Her

performance in the pub last night was outrageous. 5 scene,

show, exhibition, display: The lad put on quite a performance

till threatened with punishment by the headmaster.

performer n. actor or actress, artiste, Thespian, trouper, player: They

received their training as performers in a repertory company.

perfume n. 1 essence, extract, parfum, eau-de-Cologne, toilet water,

scent, fragrance; aroma, odour, smell, bouquet, nose: What is

that wonderful perfume you're wearing? The perfume of the wine

wafted over to me.

--v. 2 scent: Orange blossoms perfumed the air.

perfunctory

adj. 1 routine, mechanical, automatic, robot-like, unthinking,

businesslike, unspontaneous, formal, dismissive, inattentive,

uninvolved, apathetic, indifferent, unconcerned, removed,

distant, d‚gag‚, offhand, heedless, uninterested, hasty,

hurried, superficial, cursory, fleeting, rushed: I don't care

for the perfunctory service in those fast-food restaurants. 2

careless, slipshod, slovenly, negligent, sketchy, spotty: The

bill, made out in a perfunctory fashion, was incorrect.

perhaps adv. maybe, possibly, it is possible that, conceivably, as the

case may be, it may be, Archaic or literary perchance,

peradventure, Archaic or dialect mayhap: Perhaps she'll be on

the next train.

peril n. danger, threat, risk, jeopardy, exposure, vulnerability,

susceptibility, uncertainty, insecurity: You enter there at

your peril. It was a time of peril for us all. The child's life

was in peril.

perilous adj. dangerous, risky, hazardous, vulnerable, susceptible,

uncertain, insecure, unsafe, unsure: Why undertake such a

perilous journey alone?

perimeter n. boundary, border, borderline, margin, periphery, limit(s),

bounds, ambit, circumference, edge, verge, fringe(s), Archaic or

literary bourn or bourne: The perimeter of the military base is

patrolled by sentry dogs.

period n. 1 interval, time, term, span, duration, spell, space,

stretch; while; Colloq chiefly Brit patch: During the period of

his absence, his children had grown up. I waited a short period,

then phoned again. We went through a bad period last year. 2

era, days, epoch, aeon, age, years: During the Old English

period, very little was written down. 3 full stop: Place

periods at the ends of sentences.

periodic adj. periodical, intermittent, regular, recurrent, repetitive,

iterative, cyclic(al), repeated; episodic, sporadic, occasional:

We called in the plumber because of the periodic hammering in

the pipes. The next periodic return of Halley's comet is

expected in 2061-62.

periodical

n. magazine, journal, paper, publication, newsletter, organ,

serial, weekly, fortnightly, semi-monthly, monthly, bi-monthly,

quarterly, semi-annual, annual, yearbook, almanac, Rare

hebdomadal or hebdomadary: Nicole's story will soon be

published in an important literary periodical.

peripheral

adj. 1 incidental, unimportant, minor, secondary, inessential

or unessential, non-essential, unnecessary, superficial,

tangential, irrelevant, beside the point: Let's ignore the

peripheral issues for the time being and concentrate on the

important ones. 2 circumferential, external, perimetric,

outside, outer: The peripheral measurement of the figure is

seven inches.

periphery n. 1 perimeter, circumference, border, edge, rim, brim, ambit,

boundary, bound, margin: Trees will be planted along the

periphery of the car park. 2 surface, edge, superficies: Your

analysis deals with the periphery, not the core, of the problem.

perish v. die, expire, lose (one's) life, be killed, be lost, meet

(one's) death, be destroyed: Three gnus perished in the fire at

the zoo.

perjury n. lying, mendacity, mendaciousness, forswearing,

prevarication, bearing false witness: The defendant was

acquitted and the prosecution witnesses charged with perjury.

perk n. See perquisite, below.

perk up v. cheer up, become jaunty, brighten, liven up, invigorate,

smarten up, quicken, (re)vitalize, pep up, revive, inspirit,

Colloq buck up: The old lady perks up when her grandchildren

come to visit. To perk up the party, Peter suggested we should

all play a game.

perky adj. lively, cheery, cheerful, jaunty, bouncy, bright,

invigorated, vigorous, vitalized, peppy, spirited, sprightly,

frisky, animated, vivacious, effervescent, bubbly, buoyant, gay,

Colloq bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of pep: Sue's been

quite perky since she started going with Trevor.

permanence

n. permanency, stability, durability, fixedness,

changelessness, lasting quality, longevity, endurance,

persistence, dependability, reliability, survival: The new

roofing material is being tested for permanence.

permanent adj. 1 everlasting, eternal, unending, endless, perpetual,

unceasing, constant, undying, imperishable, indestructible,

stable, abiding, long-lasting, lasting, enduring, perennial,

long-lived, durable: The satellite is in permanent orbit around

the earth. 2 unchanging, invariable, changeless, fixed,

unchangeable, immutable, unalterable, stable, persistent: This

stain is permanent and will not come out in the wash. Bonham is

a permanent member of the executive committee.

permanently

adv. forever, for good, once and for all, forevermore, always,

eternally, everlastingly; perpetually, constantly, incessantly,

non-stop, continuously, endlessly, ceaselessly, unendingly,

interminably: Is the boy permanently disabled? According to one

theory the universe will not continue to expand permanently.

permeate v. imbue, diffuse, penetrate, pervade, infiltrate, enter,

spread through(out), saturate, seep through(out), percolate

through, soak through: He felt the warmth permeate every limb.

Greed seemed to permeate every level of society.

permissible

adj. allowable, admissible, acceptable, allowed, permitted,

tolerable, legal, licit, lawful, legitimate, authorized, proper,

(all) right; pardonable, excusable, venial, Colloq OK or okay,

kosher, legit: Some things that are permissible are not

necessarily honourable.

permission

n. consent, assent, leave, acquiescence, sufferance, tolerance,

laxity, leniency or lenience, leave, licence, sanction,

acceptance, authorization, approval, approbation, countenance,

allowance, liberty, indulgence, sufferance; franchise,

enfranchisement: Have you permission to watch television? She

eats anything she likes with the doctor's permission.

permissive

adj. assenting, consenting, indulgent, lenient, latitudinarian,

acquiescent, lax, easygoing, liberal, tolerant,

non-constraining, non-restrictive, libertarian: Allison grew up

in the permissive society of the 1960s.

permit v. 1 Often, permit to. allow, agree (to), consent (to), give

permission or leave (to), authorize, sanction, license,

tolerate, countenance, suffer, brook, admit, grant, enable,

empower, franchise, enfranchise; let: He permitted me to use

his name as a reference. Do they permit smoking here?

--n. 2 licence, authority, authorization, franchise, warrant;

pass, passport, visa: Your parking permit expired last week.

Shirley has a permit to visit Tibet.

perpendicular

adj. 1 erect, upright, vertical, plumb, straight (up and down):

The plumb-line shows that the wall isn't perpendicular. 2

Often, perpendicular to. at right angles (to), at 90 degrees

(to): The two paths are perpendicular to one another.

perpetrate

v. commit, execute, perform, carry out or through, effect,

effectuate, accomplish, do, be responsible for, practise, Colloq

pull (off): Atrocities were perpetrated on both sides in the

war.

perpetual adj. 1 eternal, infinite, everlasting, never-ending, unending,

perennial, ageless, timeless, long-lived, permanent, unceasing,

lasting, enduring, unvarying, unchanging, immutable, invariable,

undeviating, Literary sempiternal: They declared their

perpetual love for each other. 2 constant, uninterrupted,

continuous, unfailing, incessant, persistent, unremitting,

unending, non-stop, endless, recurrent, continual, repetitive:

Why should we have to listen to the neighbours' perpetual

bickering?

perpetuate

v. continue, maintain, extend, keep (on or up), keep going,

preserve, memorialize, immortalize, eternalize: Thoughtless

jokes can perpetuate damaging stereotypes.

perpetuity

n. permanence, constancy, timelessness; eternity: The estate

was bequeathed to the townspeople in perpetuity.

perplex v. confuse, bewilder, puzzle, mystify, distract, baffle,

befuddle, confound, muddle, disconcert, stump, nonplus, stymie,

stupefy, stun, daze, dumbfound or dumfound, flabbergast, Colloq

bamboozle, hornswoggle, Chiefly US and Canadian discombobulate,

throw for a loop: The more I tried to understand bathymetric

semiotics, the more perplexed I became. Anne-Marie's reticence

perplexed us all.

perplexing

adj. confusing, bewildering, puzzling, mystifying, baffling,

confounding, disconcerting, stupefying, flabbergasting,

enigmatic, paradoxical, incomprehensible, unfathomable,

impenetrable, recondite, arcane, labyrinthine, complex,

complicated, Byzantine, intricate, involved, convoluted,

twisted, knotty, Gordian: The writing is filled with perplexing

references to the author's personal experiences, of which the

reader is told nothing.

perplexity

n. 1 confusion, bewilderment, bafflement, distress, doubt,

difficulty: My perplexity grew as he related his version of the

event. 2 intricacy, complexity, complicatedness, arcaneness,

reconditeness, impenetrability, impenetrableness, involvement,

unfathomability, obscurity, difficulty: The more deeply the

enigma was probed, the greater its perplexity. 3 puzzle,

enigma, mystery, dilemma, problem, paradox, catch-22, quandary,

predicament, bind: Because of the interlocking directorships of

the companies, we faced many perplexities in trying to sort out

what had happened to the funds.

perquisite

n. consideration, emolument, bonus, (fringe) benefit, extra,

bonus, dividend, gratuity, tip, douceur, baksheesh, token (of

appreciation), US lagniappe or lagnappe, Colloq perk: It was

traditional to provide each director with a company car as a

perquisite.

persecute v. 1 oppress, suppress, subjugate, maltreat, ill-treat, abuse,

outrage, molest, victimize, tyrannize, afflict, punish, martyr,

torment, torture: For years black people had been persecuted.

2 bother, annoy, pester, plague, hector, bully, badger, harry,

harass, irritate, worry, vex, trouble, worry, importune, hound:

Her lawyers continually persecuted him for non-payment of

alimony.

persecution

n. 1 oppression, suppression, subjugation, maltreatment,

ill-treatment, abuse, outrage, molestation, victimization,

tyranny, affliction, punishment, torment, torture: They

suffered persecution because of their difference of religion. 2

bother, annoyance, hectoring, bullying, badgering, harrying,

harassing, irritation, worry, vexation, trouble: The press is

often guilty of the persecution of famous people.

perseverance

n. persistence, steadfastness, determination, resolution,

resolve, decisiveness, decision, firmness, purposefulness,

pertinacity, staying power, stamina, sedulousness, assiduity,

grit, pluck, tirelessness, indefatigableness, indefatigability,

patience, endurance, diligence, devotion, tenacity, doggedness,

stubbornness, inflexibility, obstinacy, obstinateness,

obdurateness, Colloq guts, US stick-to-it-iveness: Perseverance

is essential for success in the theatre.

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 if we are to win.

I shall persevere in my loyalty.

persist v. 1 Often, persist in or at. persevere, be persistent, insist

(on), stand firm or fast, be steadfast or staunch, strive, toil,

labour, work (hard) (at): She persists in arguing her

innocence. Only those who persist will succeed. 2 remain,

continue, endure, carry on, keep up or on, last, linger, stay:

The bad weather persisted through the weekend.

persistence

n. perseverance, resolve, determination, resolution,

steadfastness, tenacity, constancy, assiduity, stamina,

tirelessness, indefatigability, indefatigableness, tirelessness,

pluck, grit, patience, diligence, pertinacity, doggedness,

stubbornness, obstinacy, obduracy: By sheer persistence he got

his own way.

persistent

adj. 1 persisting, persevering, tenacious, steadfast, firm,

fast, fixed, staunch, resolute, resolved, determined,

unfaltering, unswerving, undeviating, unflagging, tireless,

untiring, indefatigable, dogged, unwavering, stubborn,

obstinate, obdurate, inflexible, rigid: He was persistent in

his demands for justice. The inspector never gave up his

persistent pursuit of criminals. 2 continuing, constant,

continuous, continual, unending, interminable, unremitting,

unrelenting, perpetual, incessant, unceasing, non-stop: The

persistent rainy weather began to depress us. At last he gave in

to her persistent complaints and bought a washing machine.

person n. 1 individual, human (being), being, man or woman or child,

(living) soul; mortal: Not a single person knew the answer to

my question. 2 in person. physically, personally, bodily,

actually, myself or yourself or himself or herself or ourselves

or yourselves, or themselves, Colloq in the flesh: The

correspondent visited the battlefield in person to see for

himself the extent of the carnage. I know their records, but I

have never seen them in person.

persona n. face, front, fa‡ade, mask, guise, exterior, role, part,

character, identity, self: Her office persona is quite

different from the one she displays at home.

personage n. celebrity, luminary, VIP, name, notable, somebody,

personality, star, superstar, magnate, mogul, Colloq big-shot,

big wheel, hotshot, hot stuff, Brit big noise, Theatre US

headliner: My cousin is fast becoming a personage in the

financial world.

personal adj. 1 individual, physical, bodily, actual, live; in person,

in the flesh: The star is scheduled to make a personal

appearance on tonight's chat show. 2 intimate, exclusive,

private, special, particular: Would you do me a personal

favour? I hear they are having personal problems. 3 intimate,

close, dear, bosom, familiar, special: Wendy happens to be a

personal friend of ours. 4 intimate, individual; disparaging,

slighting, offensive, derogatory, critical, deprecating,

belittling, adverse, unfriendly, insulting: He should confine

his criticism to her acting and avoid personal remarks.

personality

n. 1 character, nature, temperament, disposition, make-up,

persona; identity, psyche: Miles has an extremely abrasive

personality that has upset many people. 2 celebrity, luminary,

star, superstar, name, headliner, somebody: Whom shall we get

as a personality to attract the crowds?

personalized

adj. monogrammed, initialled, individualized; signed: They

ordered personalized stationery with their new address on it.

personally

adv. 1 in person, alone, by oneself, on one's own, myself or

yourself or himself or herself or ourselves or yourselves or

themselves, Colloq in the flesh: She has not met them

personally, but we have. They will see to the matter personally.

2 in one's own view or opinion, for one's part, for oneself, as

far as one is concerned, from one's own viewpoint, from where

one stands, as one sees it or things, as for oneself:

Personally, I wasn't sure I would make it. 3 as an individual,

as a person, privately, in private: I like him personally but

would never have him as my dentist.

personify v. 1 embody, typify, exemplify, epitomize, be the embodiment

of, manifest, represent, stand for, symbolize, Archaic

impersonate, personate: In my view, he personifies everything

that is evil. 2 humanize, personalize: In literature,

personifying inanimate things in nature with human attributes is

called the pathetic fallacy.

perspective

n. 1 (point of) view, viewpoint, standpoint, prospect, vantage

point, position, angle, Colloq where one is coming from: I can

see that my view would be illogical from his perspective. 2

attitude, position, angle, approach, sentiment, outlook,

lookout: Management has a different perspective on what is good

for the company.

perspiration

n. sweat, dampness, wetness; sweating; Technical sudor;

diaphoresis: I could feel the perspiration stand out on my

forehead. They say that perspiration makes one cooler on a hot

day.

persuade v. 1 urge, induce, prevail upon, influence, exhort, importune,

dispose, incline, prompt, sway, press: The officer persuaded

him to surrender. 2 bring round, convince, win over, talk or

argue into, convert: We persuaded her to open the door. He was

persuaded to vote Labour.

persuasion

n. 1 inducement, inducing, influence, influencing, exhortation,

exhorting, persuading: At the bank's persuasion, the company

tightened up its cashflow management. She has extraordinary

powers of persuasion at her command. 2 opinion, belief, creed,

faith, set of beliefs, faith, religion, (religious) conviction;

sect, denomination, faction, school (of thought), affiliation:

Till he met Maggie, he had always been of the Baptist

persuasion.

persuasive

adj. convincing, telling, influential, effective, productive,

impressive, efficacious, cogent, weighty, compelling, forceful,

valid, winning, authoritative, dynamic: His most persuasive

argument for our leaving was that if we stayed we'd be shot.

pert adj. 1 forward, brash, brazen, cheeky, insolent, impertinent,

flippant, saucy, bold, presumptuous, impudent, disrespectful,

audacious, rude, impolite, uncivil, ill-mannered, unmannerly,

Archaic malapert, Colloq fresh, flip, out of line, brassy,

big-mouthed, wise-guy, Slang Brit smart-arsed, US smart-ass(ed),

wise-ass(ed): He's a clever child, but I don't like his pert

manner. 2 lively, jaunty, ebullient, vivacious, enthusiastic,

bouncy, sprightly, brisk, cheerful, jolly, bright, perky,

animated, nimble: She is usually quite pert in the morning,

becoming depressed as the day wears on.

pertain v. Often, pertain to. concern, refer to, regard, have reference

or relation (to), apply (to), relate (to), include, cover,

affect, appertain (to), be appropriate (to), be fitting (for),

befit, bear on, have bearing (on): The sign, 'Keep Off the

Grass', does not pertain to the people who mow the lawn, Morris.

pertinent adj. pertaining, appropriate, fitting, suitable, apt, relevant,

germane, apropos, apposite: Try to keep your comments pertinent

to the subject under discussion.

perturb v. upset, disturb, fluster, ruffle, unsettle, disconcert, make

uneasy, discomfit, vex, worry, agitate, shake up, alarm,

disquiet, confuse, discompose, unnerve, addle, disorganize: He

became quite perturbed when the police asked him to help with

their inquiries.

perusal n. reading, scrutiny, check, examination, study, inspection,

scanning, review: I saw nothing blasphemous in my perusal of

the text.

peruse v. read, study, scan, scrutinize, examine, inspect, review,

browse, run one's eye over: As Gregory was perusing the ancient

manuscript, a sudden draught blew out the candle.

pervasive adj. penetrating, pervading, omnipresent, general, inescapable,

prevalent, universal, widespread, ubiquitous, permeating,

permeative: A pervasive sense of doom in the castle made

everyone feel uneasy.

perverse adj. 1 wrong, wrong-headed, awry, contrary, wayward, incorrect,

irregular, unfair, improper, contradictory: It was most

perverse of you to change your mind after all the arrangements

had been made. 2 cantankerous, testy, curmudgeonly, churlish,

crusty, bad-tempered, petulant, captious, cross, cross-grained,

peevish, waspish, snappish, bilious, splenetic, fractious,

ill-tempered, quarrelsome, irascible, sullen, contentious,

touchy, obstreperous, crabby, crabbed, irritable, surly, Colloq

grouchy, Brit stroppy, US and Canadian cranky: With everything

going wrong, Catherine feels particularly perverse today. 3

stubborn, self-willed, wrong-headed, intractable, wilful,

obdurate, obstinate, pigheaded, adamant, inflexible, unbending,

refractory, unyielding: I refuse to give in to a perverse child

just because he has a tantrum.

perversion

n. 1 deviation, irregularity, misdirection, corruption,

subversion, distortion, twisting, falsification,

misrepresentation, diversion, sidetracking: The conduct of this

trial has been a perversion of the course of true justice. 2

unnatural act, deviation, deviance or deviancy, abnormality,

depravity, vice, aberration, debauchery, Colloq kinkiness, Brit

kink: Every kind of perversion flourished in ancient Rome.

pervert v. 1 deflect, divert, sidetrack, turn aside or away, subvert,

misdirect, distort, twist, abuse, falsify, misapply,

misconstrue, misrepresent, corrupt: By withholding evidence,

you have perverted the course of justice. 2 seduce, lead

astray, debauch, degrade, corrupt, demoralize, subvert: He was

accused of perverting young girls. 3 deviant, degenerate,

debauchee, US deviate, Colloq weirdo: I worry about your being

out late, when there are so many perverts about.

perverted adj. deviant, deviate, abnormal, amoral, unmoral, immoral, bad,

depraved, unnatural, warped, twisted, profligate, dissolute,

delinquent, degenerate, evil, wicked, malign, malicious,

malefic, malevolent, evil-minded, sinful, iniquitous, base,

foul, corrupt, unprincipled: Members of the Hell-Fire Club

yielded themselves up to the most perverted, abandoned

behaviour.

pessimistic

n. gloomy, negative, despairing, hopeless, inauspicious,

depressed, despondent, dejected, melancholy, downhearted,

heavy-hearted, defeatist, glum, sad, blue, unhappy, cheerless,

joyless, cynical, bleak, forlorn: The bears in the Stock

Exchange take a pessimistic view of share prices.

pest n. nuisance, annoyance, nag, irritant, bother, gadfly, bane,

trial, heckler, vexation, curse, thorn in one's flesh, Colloq

pain (in the neck), Slang US (Yiddish) nudge or noodge or nudzh,

nudnik, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: That man

is such a pest, I wish he'd leave me alone.

pester v. annoy, nag, irritate, irk, bother, get at or to, badger,

plague, vex, fret, hector, harass, harry, heckle, nettle, chafe,

peeve, pique, provoke, exasperate, bedevil, get or grate on

(someone's) nerves, get under (someone's) skin, get in

(someone's) hair, try (someone's patience), torment, persecute,

Brit chivvy, Colloq drive (someone) up the wall, needle, give

(someone) the needle, hassle, ride, give (someone) a hard or bad

time, bug: Please stop pestering me about going to the football

game.

pestilence

n. 1 plague, epidemic, pandemic, Black Death, Rare pest: The

pestilence raged throughout all Europe, killing 50 million

people. 2 scourge, blight, curse, cancer, canker, bane,

affliction: How are we to overcome the pestilence of greed?

pet° n. 1 darling, favourite, idol, apple of (one's) eye, Colloq

Brit blue-eyed boy, US fair-haired boy: You know that you were

always Father's pet.

--adj. 2 tame, trained, domesticated: Doesn't the landlord

take a dim view of your keeping a pet alligator in the bath? 3

favourite, favoured, preferred, cherished, special, particular;

indulged, prized, treasured, precious, dearest, adored, darling:

Building the summer-house was Desmond's pet project. Elizabeth's

pet pupil is Anne.

--v. 4 caress, fondle, stroke, pat; cuddle, nuzzle, nestle,

snuggle, Colloq neck, smooch or Australian and New Zealand also

smoodge or smooge, Chiefly US and Canadian make out: Small

children need to be petted a lot. Two teenagers were petting in

the back seat of the car. 5 humour, pamper, favour, baby,

coddle, cosset, mollycoddle, cocker, spoil, indulge, dote on:

His mother pets him far too much.

petý n. (bad or ill) temper, pique, sulk, (bad) mood, fume, Colloq

Brit paddy or paddywhack or paddywack: He's in a terrible pet

because they forgot to cancel the milk when they went on

holiday.

peter out v. diminish, evaporate, wane, come to nothing or naught or US

also nought, die out, disappear, fail, fade (out or away),

dwindle (into nothing), run out, give out, flag, melt away: The

path petered out after a mile or so and they realized that they

had lost their bearings.

petite adj. delicate, dainty, mignon(ne), diminutive, small, little,

slight, tiny, small-boned, Colloq Brit dinky: It was

incongruous to see the basketball player with a petite blonde.

petition n. 1 request, application, solicitation, suit, entreaty,

supplication, plea, appeal: An anti-pollution petition, signed

by thousands of people, was delivered to the Department of the

Environment.

--v. 2 request, ask, apply to, apply for, solicit, sue, call

upon, entreat, supplicate, plead, appeal (to), appeal (for),

beseech, implore, importune, Rare obsecrate: The shopkeepers

petitioned the council for better police protection.

petrified adj. 1 horrified, horror-stricken, terrified, terror-stricken,

panic-stricken, frightened, afraid, paralysed, numbed, benumbed,

frozen: The maiden stood petrified as the dragon, breathing

fire, approached. 2 shocked, speechless, dumbfounded or

dumfounded, dumbstruck, stunned, thunderstruck, astonished,

astounded, confounded, stupefied, appalled, aghast, Colloq

flabbergasted: The firemen rescued three petrified children who

were huddled in a corner. 3 ossified, fossilized: These were

not stones but the petrified remains of ancient trees.

petrify v. 1 frighten, scare, horrify, terrify, paralyse, numb, benumb:

I was petrified by the noise of the explosion. 2 shock,

dumbfound or dumfound, stun, astonish, astound, amaze, confound,

disconcert, stupefy, appal, Colloq flabbergast: The sight of so

much destruction petrified even hardened reporters. 3 ossify,

fossilize, turn to stone: Over thousands of years the desert

conditions petrify the wood.

petty adj. 1 insignificant, trivial, paltry, minor, inferior,

niggling, trifling, negligible, puny, inessential,

non-essential, inconsequential, unimportant, slight, nugatory,

of no account, US dinky, Colloq piddling, measly, no great

shakes, no big deal, small-time, Brit twopenny-halfpenny or

tuppenny-halfpenny, US and Canadian picayune: He has been

convicted only of petty crimes. 2 miserly, mean, mingy, stingy,

cheese-paring, grudging, small-minded, cheap, niggardly,

parsimonious, tight, tight-fisted, close, close-fisted: It was

very petty of you to refuse the beggar a few pence.

petulant adj. peevish, pettish, impatient, ill-humoured, testy, waspish,

irascible, choleric, cross, captious, ill-tempered,

bad-tempered, splenetic, moody, sour, bilious, crabby, crabbed,

irritable, huffish, huffy, perverse, snappish, crotchety,

cantankerous, curmudgeonly, grouchy, grumpy: With a petulant

gesture she hurled the rose away.

16.3 phantom...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

phantom n. 1 apparition, spectre, ghost, spirit, phantasm, shade,

wraith, revenant, vision, Formal eidolon, phantasma, Colloq

spook: The so-called phantom of the opera turned out to be a

real person. 2 figment (of the imagination), illusion,

delusion, chimera or chimaera, hallucination, fancy, mirage:

She was a phantom of delight When first she gleamed upon my

sight.

Pharisaic adj. Pharisaical, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous,

pretentious, holier-than-thou, sanctimonious, pietistic(al),

formalistic, canting, unctuous, oily, slimy, Literary

Tartuffian, Pecksniffian, Colloq goody-goody , Chiefly Brit

smarmy: I cannot tolerate his Pharisaic preaching.

Pharisee n. hypocrite, pretender, dissembler, humbug, fraud, whited

sepulchre, pietist, formalist, canter, Literary Tartuffe,

Pecksniff, Colloq phoney or US also phony: She is such a

Pharisee with her pious little anecdotes.

pharmacist

n. pharmacologist, Rather old-fashioned or formal apothecary,

Brit (pharmaceutical) chemist, US and Canadian druggist, Formal

posologist, Colloq pill pusher, US pill roller: The pharmacist

said that those pills have bad side-effects.

pharmacy n. 1 dispensary, Rather formal or old-fashioned apothecary,

Brit chemist's (shop), US and Canadian drugstore, druggist's:

Stop off at the pharmacy and get me something for this headache,

please. 2 pharmaceutics, pharmacopoeia: Research has vastly

expanded modern pharmacy.

phase n. 1 stage, period, development, step: The boy is just going

through a phase. 2 time, moment, juncture, occasion: At this

phase of the discussion, I should like to introduce a new

subject. 3 state, form, shape, configuration, aspect,

appearance, look, condition, status: Here is a diagram of the

phases of the moon at various points in its orbit. 4 facet,

side, angle, viewpoint, point of view, Colloq slant: Only one

phase of the argument has so far been presented.

--v. 5 phase in. (gradually) introduce, usher in, work in,

inject, insert, insinuate, include, incorporate: The new work

schedules will be phased in over the next month. 6 phase out.

ease out or off, taper off, wind up, put a stop to, (gradually)

eliminate, remove, withdraw, discontinue, end: The use of

non-biodegradable and non-recyclable packaging is being phased

out.

phenomenal

adj. outstanding, remarkable, exceptional, extraordinary,

unusual, freakish, rare, uncommon, singular, unorthodox,

unprecedented, unheard-of, unparalleled, unbelievable,

incredible, marvellous, wonderful, amazing, astonishing,

astounding, staggering, stunning, prodigious, miraculous,

fantastic, Colloq mind-boggling, mind-blowing,: She made a

phenomenal recovery and can walk again.

phenomenon

n. 1 event, happening, occurrence, incident, occasion,

experience, fact: Everyone knows the phenomenon of the souring

of milk. 2 wonder, curiosity, spectacle, sight, sensation,

marvel, rarity, exception, miracle, Slang stunner: An

eight-year-old chess champion is truly a phenomenon, even in

Russia.

philanderer

n. flirt, gallant, rou‚, rake, Casanova, Lothario, Don Juan,

Romeo, lover, playboy, gay dog, Colloq lady-killer, womanizer,

Old-fashioned wolf, Slang stud: In his memoirs it emerged what

a philanderer he had been, often dallying with six women at

once.

philanthropic

adj. charitable, eleemosynary, generous, magnanimous,

munificent, benevolent, open-handed, ungrudging, unstinting,

beneficent, humanitarian, altruistic, humane: Finlay was always

philanthropic, and spent much of his fortune on worthy causes.

philanthropist

n. contributor, donor, benefactor or benefactress, patron or

patroness, sponsor, Maecenas, Good Samaritan, humanitarian,

altruist: Some anonymous philanthropist provided the funds for

the new school swimming-pool.

philanthropy

n. 1 generosity, benevolence, charity, patronage, magnanimity,

charitableness, public-spiritedness, big-heartedness,

thoughtfulness, alms-giving, kind-heartedness, beneficence,

benignity, liberality, open-handedness: Carnegie's philanthropy

was focused on libraries and education. 2 donation,

contribution, largesse, aid, grant, assistance, help: Mrs

Ander's recent philanthropy allows us to offer six new

scholarships.

philistine

n. 1 boor, barbarian, yahoo, lowbrow, Boeotian, vulgarian,

ignoramus, bourgeois, US Babbitt: Charlotte never could abide

the philistines who put love of money above love of culture.

--adj. 2 uncultured, uncultivated, tasteless, commonplace,

unenlightened, unrefined, unread, unlettered, uneducated,

untutored, unlearned, narrow-minded, anti-intellectual, boorish,

lowbrow, dull, prosaic, boring, bourgeois, crass, commercial,

materialistic: The television companies were accused of

pandering to the basest appetites of the philistine viewer.

philosophical

adj. 1 philosophic, abstract, esoteric, learned, scholarly,

erudite, theoretical, rational, logical, impractical: The

person who is out of a job cares nothing about philosophical

reasons for unemployment. 2 detached, unconcerned, unemotional,

unimpassioned, composed, thoughtful, reflective, meditative,

cogitative, contemplative, judicious, sober, level-headed,

realistic, practical, pragmatic(al), down-to-earth, cool, calm,

serene, placid, stoical, patient, unruffled, cool-headed,

tranquil, unperturbed, even-tempered, temperate, moderate,

equable, equanimous, imperturbable: Over the years, Evelyn had

learned to take a philosophical attitude towards her husband's

shortcomings.

philosophy

n. 1 metaphysics, epistemology, logic, natural or moral or

metaphysical philosophy, rationalism, thinking, aesthetics: He

views philosophy as the attempt to describe and codify universal

truths. 2 viewpoint, (point of) view, outlook, opinion,

attitude, feeling, sentiment, idea, notion, ideology, (set of)

beliefs or values, tenets, Weltanschauung, world-view: Harold's

philosophy of life is 'Live and let live'. 3 stoicism,

sang-froid, control, self-control, restraint, coolness,

composure, calmness, serenity, placidity, cool-headedness,

equanimity, thoughtfulness, imperturbability, self-possession,

aplomb, dispassion, patience, resignation: You may be sure that

Paul allows nothing to disturb his philosophy.

phlegmatic

adj. 1 phlegmatical, stoic(al), unemotional, unenthusiastic,

unanimated, sluggish, apathetic, uninvolved, lethargic,

unfeeling, uncaring, cold, unresponsive, stolid, unmoved,

insensitive, unaffected, insensible, indifferent, unconcerned,

uninterested, listless, torpid, indolent, inactive, passive,

Rare hebetudinous: Hutton is far too phlegmatic to be stirred

by the fervour of the revolutionaries. 2 phlegmatical,

self-possessed, self-controlled, controlled, restrained,

composed, calm, serene, tranquil, placid, cool-headed,

equanimous, cool, undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled,

imperturbable, even-tempered, philosophical, temperate,

moderate: One has to learn to be phlegmatic about things going

wrong at the office.

phobia n. fear, horror, terror, dread, hatred, detestation,

abhorrence, loathing, execration, aversion, revulsion,

repugnance, dislike, distaste, antipathy; disquiet, nervousness,

qualm, distrust, suspicion, apprehension, worry: He suffers

from claustrophobia, which means that he has a phobia for

enclosed places, and he avoids lifts and telephone booths.

phoney adj. 1 unreal, fake, synthetic, artificial, factitious, false,

fraudulent, imitation, bogus, spurious, counterfeit, mock,

ersatz, paste, trumped up; sham, pretended, insincere,

hypocritical, dissimulating, deceitful, dishonest; US also

phony, Colloq pseudo or Brit pseud: They were caught trying to

collect insurance on the theft of a string of phoney pearls.

Every time she wanted something, she'd turn on the phoney charm.

--n. 2 fake, fraud, imitation, counterfeit, forgery, hoax,

sham, US also phony: The diamond she's wearing is a phoney. 3

trickster, faker, humbug, impostor, pretender, charlatan,

mountebank, double-dealer, counterfeiter, quack, deceiver, US

also phony, Colloq Brit pseud, Slang US paper-hanger: Madame

Tatiana claims to be able to communicate with the dead, but I

think she's a phoney.

photograph

n. 1 snapshot, print, picture, slide, transparency; negative,

positive, Colloq photo, snap, shot, pic (pl. pix): Heinrich has

taken some marvellous photographs of the children.

--v. 2 take a picture (of), shoot, film, take, Colloq snap: He

photographed Jennifer holding her kitten.

photographer

n. lensman, lenswoman, cameraman, camerawoman, cinematographer,

paparazzo (pl., paparazzi), Old-fashioned photographist: The

photographers clustered round the prime minister.

photographic

adj. 1 vivid, natural, realistic, graphic, accurate, exact,

precise, faithful, detailed, lifelike, true to life: Many such

neo-realist paintings are virtually photographic. 2 cinematic,

filmic, pictorial: Uncannily, a photographic image appeared on

the Shroud under certain light.

phrase n. 1 clause, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase,

adverbial phrase, adjectival phrase: When asked for an example

of a verb phrase, the student responded, 'Shut up'. 2

expression, word-group, collocation, locution, idiom, idiomatic

expression, collocution, proverb, motto, slogan, saying,

catch-phrase, adage, maxim, axiom, saw, colloquialism, clich‚,

platitude, commonplace, Colloq chestnut: Do you know the source

of Churchill's famous phrase, 'Blood, sweat, and tears'? 3

phraseology, phrasing, wording, language, usage, way or manner

of speaking, diction, parlance, fa‡on de parler, modus loquendi,

modus scribendi, speech habit, style, choice of words, word

choice, syntax, vocabulary: He was to 'let slip', to use

Shakespeare's phrase, 'the dogs of war'.

--v. 4 express, term, word, put, frame, formulate, couch, put

into words, put or set forth, verbalize, articulate, voice,

utter, say, write; describe, delineate: I am pondering over the

best way to phrase this example.

physical adj. bodily, corporeal, corporal, fleshly, incarnate, carnal,

mortal, earthly, natural, somatic; material, tangible, palpable,

real, actual, true, concrete, manifest, solid: Curtis doesn't

have the physical strength to lift that weight. As a chemist,

James deals with the physical, not the spiritual universe.

physician n. doctor, medical doctor, M.D., doctor of medicine, medical

practitioner, general practitioner, G.P., medical man or woman,

specialist, diplomate, Brit navy surgeon, Colloq doc, medico,

medic, US man, Slang sawbones, bones: You ought to see a

physician if the pain persists.

physique n. build, figure, body, frame, shape, bodily structure, form,

Slang chassis, US bod, built: She has the physique of an Amazon

but the disposition of a lamb.

16.4 pick...

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pick v. 1 Often, pick out. select, choose, cull, sort out,

hand-pick, single out, opt for, fix or decide upon or on, elect,

settle upon or on, screen (out), sift (out): Melanie was picked

to succeed Hubert as president. 2 pluck, gather, collect,

harvest, bring or take in, garner: Scores of extra workers were

brought in to pick apples. 3 provoke, foment, incite, start,

initiate, work or stir up: He tried to pick an argument with me

about who is taller. 4 pick at. a criticize, carp at, find

fault with, cavil (at or about), quibble (at or about), pick on,

nag (at), niggle (at), harass, pester, annoy, irritate, bother:

Stop picking at your brother! b nibble (at), peck at: We can't

get him to eat a thing, he just picks at his food. 5 pick off.

shoot (down), kill: We picked them off one by one as they

emerged from the trench. 6 pick on. bully, ride, intimidate,

abuse, browbeat, badger, harry, hector, harass, tease, taunt,

needle, torment: Robert must learn not to pick on the smaller

boys. 7 pick out. a See 1, above. b discern, distinguish,

tell apart, make out, recognize, separate, discriminate: I was

able to pick out a distant rider, approaching swiftly. From

amongst the forest sounds she picked out the song of the

nightingale. 8 pick up. a raise (up), lift (up), heft, hoist,

take up: The stone is too heavy to pick up. Please pick up that

piece of paper. b gather, collect, glean, take up: I wish you

would pick up your clothes. c tidy (up), neaten, straighten up

or out, clean (up): She refuses to continue to pick up after

him. d acquire, learn, become acquainted with; master; Colloq

get the hang of: We picked up a little Spanish on our holiday.

e acquire, find, come by, get hold of, obtain; buy, purchase,

get: Basil picked up a few bad habits in the army. Let's pick

up a bottle of wine on the way. f improve, get better, gain,

make headway, recover, perk up, rally, recoup, (make) progress,

move ahead, increase, Colloq make a comeback: Business usually

picks up before Christmas. g accelerate, speed up: The pace

picked up as they approached the finish line. h arrest,

apprehend, take into custody, Colloq pinch, collar, nab, bust,

run in, pull in, Brit nick: Two men were picked up trying to

break into the bank. i call for, give a lift or ride to,

collect, go for or US also after, go to get: I'll pick you up

at the railway station at noon. j meet, introduce oneself to,

strike up an acquaintance with, accost, make advances to: I

think she picked him up in a wine bar. k catch, come down with,

contract, get: He picked up a mystery virus in the Tropics.

--n. 9 selection, choice, option, preference: She could have

had the pick of any man in the place. Take your pick. 10

choicest, best, crŠme de la crŠme, cream: The early shoppers

had already taken the pick of the crop.

picket n. 1 stake, pale, post, peg, stanchion, upright, vertical,

palisade, paling: The walls of the fort were of strong pickets

tapered to a point at the top. 2 demonstrator, protester,

striker: The police prevented the pickets from attacking

workers who entered the factory. 3 picquet, sentinel, watchman,

guard, observer, patrol, vedette or vidette or vedette boat:

The picket reported no unusual activity.

--v. 4 enclose, shut in, wall in, fence (in), hem in, box in:

We picketed the camp for the night. 5 protest, demonstrate,

blockade: Strikers picketed the factory 24 hours a day.

picnic n. 1 garden party, fˆte champˆtre, meal alfresco, barbecue, US

clam-bake, US and Canadian cookout: The clouds had gone, and it

was a great day for a picnic. 2 child's play, Colloq pushover,

snap, cinch, piece of cake, walk-over, US and Canadian breeze,

lead-pipe cinch: Sailing home with a quartering wind - it was a

picnic all the way. 3 no picnic. difficult, arduous, torture,

torturous, agony, agonizing, painful, disagreeable,

discomfiting, misfortune, Colloq tough, tough luck, tough going,

rough, a pain in the neck, US tough sledding, Taboo slang pain

in the Brit arse or US ass: Being marooned on a desert island

for a month was no picnic, I assure you.

pictorial adj. 1 graphic, picturesque, vivid, telling, striking,

expressive, plain, explicit, clear, lucid: Many of the poet's

images are amazingly pictorial. 2 illustrated: They published

a pictorial history of biblical lands just for children.

picture n. 1 drawing, painting, representation, portrait, depiction,

artwork, illustration, sketch, photograph: Here is a picture of

our cottage in the Cotswolds. 2 image, (perfect or exact)

likeness, (carbon) copy, double, duplicate, twin, (exact)

replica, look-alike, facsimile, Colloq spitting image or spit

and image, Slang (dead) ringer: Isn't she just the picture of

her mother? 3 impression, idea, notion, understanding, image:

I think I have a pretty good picture of the situation. 4 model,

prototype, epitome, essence, embodiment, incarnation,

personification, perfect example: From her autobiography, you

might believe her to be the picture of sweet innocence. 5 put

(someone) in or into the picture. inform or advise fully, Colloq

fill (someone) in: Put me into the picture about what went on

here last night.

--v. 6 envision, envisage, visualize, imagine, fancy, conceive

of, see in the mind's eye: Picture yourself lying on a beach in

the Bahamas. 7 depict, draw, portray, paint, represent, show,

illustrate, display: In this fresco, Salome is pictured dancing

before Herod Antipas.

picturesque

adj. 1 colourful, interesting, intriguing, unusual, unique,

original, charming, idyllic, fetching, attractive, pretty,

lovely, quaint, delightful, pleasing, scenic: We came upon a

picturesque village in which all the houses were half-timbered

Tudor style with thatched roofs. 2 colourful, graphic,

realistic, vivid, striking: Bernard has written a picturesque

account of a walking trip through Bavaria.

piece n. 1 bit, morsel, scrap, chunk, hunk, sliver, lump, portion,

particle, fragment, shred, shard or sherd, remnant, quantity:

All the beggar wanted was a piece of bread. A piece of shrapnel

is still embedded in my arm. 2 wedge, slice, serving, helping,

portion: You may not have a piece of pie till you've eaten your

vegetables. 3 share, portion, fraction, part, division,

segment, section, interest, holding, percentage, proportion: It

turned out that a piece of the company had been sold without

shareholders' approval. 4 (short) story, article, essay, report,

theme, draft; poem; music, opus, (musical) number, composition,

arrangement, tune, melody, song, air, jingle, ditty; production,

play, drama, sketch, show: I read that piece about cholesterol

in yesterday's paper. He wrote a piece for the flute. Which

piece by Strindberg will you put on next? 5 man, token,

chessman, chess-piece, chequer, Brit draughtsman: Once you have

touched a piece you must move it. 6 go to pieces. fall apart,

disintegrate, crumble, shatter; be shattered, be upset, be

disturbed, have a nervous breakdown, go out of or lose control,

break down, Colloq crack up: Another earthquake and this wall

will go to pieces. At the news of his son's death, Joe simply

went to pieces. 7 in pieces. smashed, destroyed, ruined,

shattered, broken, in smithereens, smashed: The vase lay in

pieces at my feet. Though I had won the case, my life was in

pieces. 8 of a piece (with). similar, similarly constituted,

alike, of the same sort or kind or type, uniform, the same, part

and parcel (of the same thing), identical; in harmony, in

agreement, harmonious, in keeping: This book is of a piece with

the others in the same series. All his paintings are of a piece.

9 piece of cake. Colloq snap, cinch, US and Canadian lead-pipe

cinch, breeze: The French exam was a piece of cake. 10 piece

of (one's) mind. Colloq scolding, rebuke, lecture, reprimand,

tongue-lashing, chiding, rap over or on the knuckles, Colloq

hell, what for, dressing-down, US bawling-out, chewing-out: She

gave him a piece of her mind about the amount of time he spent

in the pub. 11 piece of the action. share, portion, interest,

stake, percentage, holding, quota: For œ1000 you can have a

piece of the action. 12 speak (one's) piece. have (one's) say,

express (one's) opinion, say what is on (one's) mind; vent

(one's) spleen, Colloq get a load off (one's) mind or chest:

All were given a chance to speak their piece.

--v. 13 piece together. assemble, put together, connect,

gather, compose; fix, unite, restore, mend: We pieced together

what happened from the witnesses' accounts. You'll never be

able to piece together the bits of that lamp.

piŠce de r‚sistance

n. highlight, (special or main) feature or attraction,

sp‚cialit‚ (de la maison), masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre, Brit

speciality, US specialty: The piŠce de r‚sistance of the meal

was a magnificent gateau.

piecemeal adv. 1 piece by piece, little by little, inch by inch, bit by

bit, inchmeal, gradually, by degrees, slowly, in bits and

pieces, by fits and starts, fitfully, intermittently,

sporadically, disjointedly: The ministry insisted that the

plans should remain as one package and not be introduced

piecemeal over the next two years. 2 into fragments or shreds or

pieces: He angrily took the cheque and tore it up piecemeal.

--adj. 3 fragmentary, bit by bit, inchmeal, gradual,

disjointed, sporadic: The South-east could become one huge

traffic jam unless the Government drops its piecemeal approach

to planning.

pier n. 1 wharf, landing (stage or place), jetty, quay, floating

dock, Technically inaccurate dock: The ship is tied up at the

pier. 2 pile, piling, post, upright, column, support, buttress:

Owing to lack of maintenance, the piers supporting the building

have crumbled.

pierce v. 1 stab, puncture, penetrate, thrust or poke into, lance,

spear, spit, run through or into, skewer, impale, fix, transfix:

The arrow pierced his heart and he dropped down dead. 2 bore

into or through, penetrate, drill, perforate, riddle, punch

through, hole, tunnel into: The wall is pierced to provide

ventilation. 3 penetrate, fathom, see, understand, comprehend,,

grasp, discover, realize: His keen analytical mind allowed him

to pierce the mysteries of nature. 4 affect (keenly), touch,

move, melt, stir, rouse, pain, cut to the quick, wound, strike:

It pierced my heart to hear the child weep.

piercing adj. 1 strident, shrill, harsh, ear-splitting, ear-shattering,

high-pitched, screaming, shrieking, screeching, loud, blaring:

The piercing sound of the police siren made me sit bolt-upright

in bed. 2 probing, searching, penetrating, sharp, keen;

arresting, gripping, spellbinding, enthralling, fascinating,

entrancing: I was completely transfixed by her piercing green

eyes. 3 penetrating, icy, frosty, frigid, chilling, freezing,

cold, numbing, keen, wintry, arctic, raw, bitter, fierce,

biting, nipping, nippy: Shivering in that piercing wind I

thought I'd never be warm again. 4 stabbing, shooting,

excruciating, exquisite, acute, sharp, severe, agonizing,

fierce, intense, painful, racking: I suddenly felt a piercing

pain in my left ear.

piety n. 1 devotion, devotedness, respect, deference, dedication,

dutifulness, loyalty, affection: In filial piety he hung the

painting of his parents prominently over the mantelpiece. 2

piousness, reverence, veneration, devoutness, holiness,

godliness, pietism, devotedness, devotion, observance,

religiousness, grace, sanctity: His life of piety had marked

him out as a likely candidate for sainthood.

pile° n. 1 heap, mound, stack, accumulation, stockpile, mass, supply,

deposit, collection, assemblage, batch, hoard, aggregation,

congeries, conglomeration, assortment, agglomeration,

concentration, amassment: A huge pile of gravel was delivered

today for the builders. 2 money, fortune, wealth, holdings,

Colloq bundle, loot, mint, Slang packet, tidy sum, US bankroll,

roll, wad: She made her pile selling arms to terrorists. 3

Usually, piles. abundance, over-abundance, superabundance,

plenty, great deal, quantity, ocean(s), lot(s), stack(s),

plethora, Colloq oodles, ton(s), bag(s), heap(s), bundle(s): He

made piles of money in the black market. 4 See pier, 2, above.

--v. 5 Often, pile up. stack (up), heap (up), mound,

accumulate, stockpile, amass, collect, assemble, hoard,

aggregate, cumulate: Please pile the cartons in the corner. 6

pile in or into. enter, get in or into, crowd in or into, pack

in or into, flood in or into, jam in or into, crush in or into,

Colloq jump in or into: All of us piled into my car to go to

the cinema. 7 pile it on. exaggerate: Ronnie was really piling

it on about how much his new job pays. 8 pile on or onto. a

get in or into or on or onto, crowd on or onto, jump on or onto:

We piled on the train after the game. They piled onto the hay

wagon for a ride home. b attack, assault, jump on, overwhelm:

They all piled on me and I had to give up. 9 pile out. leave,

get out (of) or down (from), exit: When we arrived, we all

piled out of the bus. Hordes of people piled out of the theatre.

10 pile up. accumulate, amass, collect: The rubbish kept piling

up during the strike.

pileý n. nap, shag, plush; fuzz, bristles, fleece: The feet of the

chairs have left marks in the carpet pile.

piles n.pl. haemorrhoids.

pile-up n. 1 (road) accident, smash, crash, (multiple) (rear-end)

collision, Colloq smash-up: Thirty cars were involved in that

pile-up on the motorway. 2 accumulation, heap, stack, mass,

Colloq mountain: How will you ever get through that pile-up of

work on your desk?

pilfer v. steal, rob, plunder, thieve, filch, embezzle,

misappropriate, purloin, take, walk off with, palm, Colloq

appropriate, pinch, snatch, grab, lift, borrow, Brit nick,

snaffle, US boost, Slang hook, snitch, swipe, rip off: The

auditors found that he had pilfered small sums from the company

for years.

pilgrim n. hajji or hadji or haji, Medieval history palmer; crusader:

The pilgrims visited holy places in and near Jerusalem.

pilgrimage

n. hajj or hadj, holy expedition, crusade; expedition, journey,

trek, voyage, tour, trip, excursion: Every year the entire

family made a pilgrimage to grandfather's grave.

pill n. 1 tablet, capsule, bolus, pellet, pilule; medicine,

medication, medicament, drug, pharmaceutical, remedy, cure;

cough drop, pastille, lozenge, troche: Doctor, can't you give

me some kind of pill for this headache? 2 nuisance, bore, pest,

Colloq pain (in the neck), crank, drag: I don't understand what

she sees in Leonard - he's such a pill.

pillage v. 1 plunder, raid, ravage, sack, despoil, rob, loot, ransack,

rifle, maraud, depredate, devastate, vandalize, ruin, demolish,

raze, level, strip: The Goths pillaged every community they

conquered and carried off the booty.

--n. 2 plunder, rapine, despoliation, looting, robbery, sack,

sacking, ransacking, marauding, brigandage, piracy, freebooting,

buccaneering, banditry, depredation, devastation, vandalization,

defilement, destruction, laying waste, destruction, razing,

demolition, levelling, ruin, stripping: Pirates from Tripoli

were responsible for the pillage of one coastal town after

another. 3 plunder, loot, booty, spoils: In the cave Ali Baba

found the pillage from a thousand robberies.

pillar n. 1 column, pilaster, pile, piling, pier, upright, post,

shaft, prop; atlas, caryatid: The roof is supported by a single

pillar. Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. 2 mainstay,

supporter, worthy, upholder, backbone, (tower of) strength,

leader: Cummings has been a pillar of strength in our

community.

pilot n. 1 aviator, aviatrix, flier, airman, airwoman, aeronaut,

captain: The pilot announced that we would land in five

minutes. 2 steersman, helmsman, navigator, US wheelman or

wheelsman; guide, leader, cicerone, conductor: The pilot knows

his way through the shoals. A student acted as our pilot in our

tour of Oxford.

--v. 3 guide, steer, run, direct, shepherd, control, lead,

navigate, drive; fly: Only someone with local knowledge can

pilot the ship into that harbour. The chairman piloted the

company through turbulent times.

pimp n. 1 procurer, panderer or pander, White slaver, whoremonger,

Slang US hustler: The police rounded up the pimps and

prostitutes for questioning.

--v. 2 procure, pander, solicit, Slang US hustle: He was well

known as having pimped for three generations of the nobility.

pimple n. pustule, papula, boil, swelling, eruption, blackhead or

technical comedo, excrescence, Brit spot, Scots plouk or plook,

US whitehead, Old-fashioned US hickey: The old witch had a

pimple at the end of her nose.

pin n. 1 peg, dowel, bolt, thole, thole-pin, spike, rivet; Brit

drawing-pin, US push-pin: The table is held together by wooden

pins. We need some more pins for the notice-board. 2 brooch,

clip; stickpin, tie-pin, scarf-pin, US tie tack: She is wearing

the cameo pin that her mother gave her. I had George's pin made

into a brooch.

--v. 3 attach, fix, affix, fasten, secure, tack; hold, staple,

clip: Let's play 'Pin the tail on the donkey'. Pin these papers

together. 4 pin down. a force, make, compel, coerce,

constrain, press, Brit pressurize, US pressure: We must pin him

down to give his decision by tomorrow. b define, specify,

pinpoint, name, identify, determine, name, put or lay one's

finger on, home or zero in on, focus on: The doctor was unable

to pin down what is wrong with her. c confine, hold (down),

fix, immobilize, tie down, constrain: We were pinned down by

enemy fire. 5 pin on. blame, hold responsible or accountable,

point the finger at, accuse; lay at (someone's) door: They'll

never be able to pin the murder on Drayton.

pincers n.pl. pliers, nippers, tweezers: Can you get the nail out with

these pincers?

pinch v. 1 squeeze, nip, tweak, press, compress, grip, grasp: I

pinched my finger in the drawer. 2 squeeze, cramp, confine,

crush, hurt: These shoes really pinch badly. 3 steal, thieve,

rob, take, shoplift, filch, pilfer, purloin, Colloq lift, Brit

nick, US boost, Slang swipe, knock off: I think it was Andrew

who pinched my book. 4 arrest, apprehend, take into custody,

Colloq nab, run in, collar, bust, run in, Brit nick: She was

pinched for driving while under the influence. 5 pinch pennies.

scrimp, save, skimp, economize: We're pinching pennies now so

that we can afford a nice holiday later.

--n. 6 squeeze, nip, tweak, twinge: Montrose gave the girl's

cheek an affectionate pinch. 7 touch, (tiny or wee) bit,

soup‡on, jot, mite, taste, Colloq US tad, smidgen or smidgin:

Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. 8 predicament,

emergency, crisis, difficulty, dilemma, (ticklish or delicate)

situation, complication, Colloq pickle, jam, scrape, Chiefly

Brit crunch: Sue will help me out in a pinch.

pink° n. 1 in the pink. at one's best, healthy, hearty, in the best

of health, in top form, in good shape, Colloq US up: I saw Rob

the other day, and he's in the pink.

--adj. 2 rosy, rose, rose-coloured, pinkish, flesh-colour(ed),

salmon(-colour(ed)): The designer suggests pink curtains for

the bedroom.

pinký v. serrate, notch, scallop; perforate, puncture, prick: Pink

the edge of the fabric to prevent fraying.

pinnacle n. top, peak, apex, acme, summit, zenith, maximum, climax,

crowning point, consummation, utmost, extreme, perfection; tip,

cap, crest, crown: Being elected chairman was the pinnacle of

Mark's career. The climbers reached the pinnacle, where they

will rest overnight.

pioneer n. 1 pathfinder, frontiersman, frontierswoman, trail-blazer,

explorer, colonist, (early) settler; ground-breaker, forerunner,

precursor, predecessor, innovator, leader, trend-setter,

pacemaker, pace-setter: The pioneers who explored and settled

the American west were daring men and women. Marconi was a

pioneer in the development of radio.

--v. 2 create, originate, invent, initiate, take the first

step, introduce, institute, actuate, trigger, set off,

inaugurate, start, begin, launch, establish, found, set up,

develop, lay the groundwork or foundation, set or put in motion,

take the lead, lead or show the way, blaze the trail, be a prime

mover, open up, Colloq kick off, get the ball rolling: Our

company has pioneered systems for automatic typesetting.

pious adj. 1 devout, religious, reverent, reverential, worshipful,

dutiful, God-fearing, godly, faithful, holy, dedicated, devoted,

spiritual, moral, good, virtuous, right-minded, saintly, holy,

angelic, seraphic, Christ-like, godlike: Francis is a pious boy

who attends church regularly. 2 hypocritical, sanctimonious,

pietistic, self-righteous, Pharisaic, mealy-mouthed, pretended,

fraudulent, goody-goody, unctuous, oily, Colloq Brit smarmy:

You are rationalizing your bad behaviour with a lot of pious

cant.

pipe n. 1 pipeline, tube, duct, hose, line, main, conduit, passage,

conveyor, channel: The pipes are inspected regularly for

corrosion. 2 briar, meerschaum, corn-cob, calabash, clay pipe,

water-pipe, hookah, narghile, chibouk or chibouque, peace-pipe

or pipe of peace or calumet, Colloq Irish briar, Brit

hubble-bubble, US bong: He slowly tamped down the tobacco in

his pipe, then lit it. 3 pan-pipe, whistle, boatswain's pipe,

tooter, horn, wind, wind instrument, woodwind, brass: They play

the pipes in the London Symphony.

--v. 4 tootle, tweet, skirl, warble, whistle, peep, cheep: One

was piping away on a flute, the other was dancing a jig. 5

transmit, deliver, channel, conduct, convey, supply: The gas is

piped directly into our homes. 6 US look at, notice, spot,

note, look at, Colloq get a load of: Pipe the guy trying to

climb up the outside of that building. 7 pipe down. become

quieter, quieten down, make less noise, hush (up), shush (up),

whisper, Colloq belt up, shut up: I wish they'd pipe down, I

can't sleep. 8 pipe up. speak (up), say, raise one's voice,

make oneself heard, offer, volunteer: Sally piped up with the

correct answer from the back of the classroom.

pipeline n. 1 pipe, tube, duct, hose, line, main, conduit, passage,

conveyor, channel: Pipelines carry gas from the North Sea

throughout Britain. Very little information was flowing through

the pipeline from Beirut. 2 in the pipeline. on the way, under

way, in the offing, ready, imminent, coming, Colloq in the

works, cooking, US in work: They said that the contract was in

the pipeline and should arrive soon.

pirate n. 1 buccaneer, sea rover, corsair, privateer, freebooter,

sea-robber, filibuster, Archaic picaroon: Captain Kidd and

Blackbeard were actual pirates who looted shipping in the

Americas in the 17th century. 2 plagiarist, plagiarizer,

infringer: Some of these pirates offer unauthorized cheap

reprints of expensive textbooks.

--v. 3 plagiarize, infringe, copy, reproduce, steal,

appropriate, poach, Colloq lift, pinch, crib: Our government

has no jurisdiction over those who pirate books in countries

with which we have no treaty.

pirouette n. 1 spin, whirl, twirl, turn, revolution, pivoting:

Antoinette did a beautiful pirouette followed by a pas de chat.

--v. 2 spin, whirl, turn (round), revolve, pivot: He was so

happy that he fairly pirouetted round the room.

pistol n. gun, handgun, revolver, automatic, Slang rod, piece,

shooting-iron, Chiefly US gat, US Saturday-night special,

heater, roscoe: In the United States, law enforcement officers

are required to carry a pistol.

piston n. plunger: The piston in a bicycle pump is worked by hand.

pit° n. 1 hole, excavation, shaft, cavity, mine, mine-shaft, quarry,

working, ditch, trench, trough: Pits had been dug for the

extraction of gravel. 2 pothole, hollow, depression, dent,

indentation, dimple, pock-mark: His face was disfigured by the

pits left by teenage acne. 3 abyss, chasm, well, crevasse,

crater: We found a bottomless pit that led to the centre of the

earth. 4 the pits. awful, terrible, the worst, Slang lousy:

That TV show last night was the pits. He thought that going to

school was the pits.

--v. 5 dent, pock-mark, dig, scar, hollow out, gouge: The salt

air has pitted the metal parts of my car. 6 Often, pit against.

match, oppose, set against; contrast: Shirley doesn't stand a

chance if they pit her against Maria.

pitý n. stone, seed, pip: I prefer seedless grapes, the ones

without pits.

pitch° v. 1 toss, throw, cast, fling, hurl, heave, sling, fire,

launch, shoot, send, let fly, Cricket bowl, Colloq chuck, peg,

lob, Brit bung: He rolled the paper into a ball and pitched it

into the basket. 2 erect, raise, set or put up, position, fix,

place: We ought to pitch the tent in a level area. 3 plunge,

fall (headlong), dive, drop, plummet, (take a) nosedive: I

caught my toe on the kerb and pitched forward onto the pavement.

4 Chiefly nautical toss about, lurch, plunge, flounder, go head

over heels, go keel over truck, US pitchpole or pitchpoll: The

wind reached force ten as we pitched and rolled and yawed in the

heavy seas. 5 pitch in. contribute, cooperate, help, assist,

Colloq chip in: Everyone pitched in to make the church fair a

success. 6 pitch into. a attack, lay into, assail, lash out

at, abuse, rail against, Colloq lace into, tear into, jump down

(someone's) throat, jump on: Reggie's wife really pitched into

him about going out with other women. b attack, assault, set

upon, belabour, Colloq light into, sail into, tear into: They

pitched into each other and fought like Kilkenny cats. 7 pitch

on or upon. determine, decide on, select, pick, choose, opt for,

elect, nominate, name, Colloq light on: They pitched on Carrie

to be the best candidate for treasurer.

pitchý n. tar, bitumen, asphalt: Peter patched potholes with pitch.

pitch-black

adj. black, dark, ebon(y), Stygian, inky(-black), unlit,

unlighted, pitch-dark, coal-black, jet-black; raven, sable: The

cellar was pitch-black. Her pale complexion was in stark

contrast to her pitch-black hair.

pitched adj. organized, planned, deliberate, coordinated, arranged,

systematized: The two armies fought a pitched battle on the

plain.

piteous adj. pitiable, pathetic, pitiful, plaintive, miserable,

heart-rending, poignant, distressing, grievous, heart-breaking,

mournful, sad, doleful, dolorous, tearful, lamentable,

deplorable, regrettable, rueful, woeful, moving, emotional: We

heard the piteous wailing of the mothers who had lost children

in the disaster.

pitfall n. 1 trap, pit: Pitfalls were often used in Burma for trapping

tigers. 2 danger, peril, hazard, catch, difficulty, snag: You

might well encounter pitfalls, but don't be discouraged.

pith n. 1 core, heart, kernel, nucleus, crux, gist, focus, focal

point, essence, meat, marrow, nub, point, spirit, substance,

quintessence: As usual, Randolph came immediately to the pith

of the argument. 2 weight, burden, gravamen, gravity, force,

moment, import, importance, significance, substance, depth,

matter: I have something of great pith to tell you about.

pitiable adj. See piteous, above.

pitiful adj. 1 See piteous, above. 2 small, little, insignificant,

trifling, unimportant, beggarly, sorry, mean, contemptible:

Does Hodges seriously expect us to praise him for that pitiful

contribution of his?

pittance n. mite, shoestring, Slang peanuts, chicken-feed, small

potatoes: The miserable pittance that she receives does not

even cover the necessities of life. He's trying to run that

business on a pittance.

pitted adj. eaten away, corroded, eroded, pock-marked, defaced,

marred, pierced, perforated: The chrome plating is all pitted

where the acid splashed.

pity n. 1 sympathy, commiseration, sorrow, condolence, compassion,

tenderness, Archaic ruth: I really feel pity for Betty, being

married to such a brute. 2 (crying or damned) shame, sad thing,

disgrace, misfortune, sin, sacrilege, Colloq crime: It's a pity

that no one can do anything.

--v. 3 sympathize, feel for, commiserate with, feel sorry for,

feel or have compassion or tenderness for, bleed for, weep for:

I pity any mother whose son goes off to war.

pivot n. 1 pintle, gudgeon, hinge, swivel, pin, kingpin, spindle,

fulcrum: Use this stone as a pivot for the lever to lift the

rock. 2 centre, heart, focal point, hub, nave, crux: The

finance minister regards the interest rate as the pivot on which

the economy turns.

--v. 3 rotate, revolve, turn, spin, twirl, whirl, swivel: The

flywheel pivots on a bearing that requires constant lubrication.

4 hinge, depend, hang, be contingent, revolve around, rely: The

whole deal pivots on the cooperation of the banks.

pivotal adj. critical, central, focal, crucial, significant, important,

essential, vital, pressing, urgent, radical: The attitude of

the judge is pivotal in the jury's decision.

16.5 place...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

place n. 1 location, site, position, point, spot, locus, area,

locale, scene, setting: This looks like a nice place for a

picnic. She likes to see a place for everything and everything

in its place. 2 locale, area, neighbourhood, vicinity, district,

section, part of the country, quarter, region; city, town,

village, hamlet: She comes from some place near Glasgow. 3

status, station, standing, grade, rank, position, niche, slot,

situation, estate, state, circumstance(s): Angela was just

saying how difficult it is today to find a servant who knows his

place. 4 function, role, part, purpose, duty, obligation, task,

responsibility, charge, chore, burden, concern, mission: It is

scarcely my place to remind you of your appointments with the

dentist. 5 position, job, post, berth, appointment, livelihood;

employment, occupation, Colloq billet: Is there a chance of my

earning a place in your new company? 6 home, house, flat,

apartment, room(s), quarters, lodgings, Rather formal residence,

domicile, dwelling, abode, Colloq digs or diggings, pad: Why

not stop by my place for tea on Sunday? 7 stead; lieu: As I

cannot go, would you go in place of me? 8 position, situation,

circumstances, condition: Put yourself in my place and I think

you would have done exactly the same. 9 seat, chair, position:

Kevin, please take your place at the head of the table. 10 go

places. succeed, become successful, get ahead, advance, prosper,

thrive, flourish, go up in the world, make good, strike it rich,

Colloq arrive, make a splash, US and Canadian hit pay dirt, luck

out: That boy will go places one day. 11 in place. a fitting,

suitable, appropriate, right, proper, correct, good form: I

don't think it in place for you to tell me what to do. b in

situ, in (the right or proper or correct) position, ready, all

set, set up, in order, all right, Colloq OK or okay: Is

everything in place for tonight's party? 12 out of place.

awkward, uncomfortable, unsuitable, inappropriate, wrong,

improper, misplaced: Compassion is out of place when dealing

with war criminals. 13 put (someone) in his or her or their

place. humble, mortify, bring down, embarrass, squelch, Colloq

cut down to size, take down a peg (or two): Aunt Agatha used to

put Uncle Wilfred in his place by reminding him who held the

purse-strings. 14 take place. happen, occur, go on, come about;

arise, Colloq transpire: We shall never know what took place

behind those locked doors.

--v. 15 put (out), position, situate, locate, dispose, arrange,

order, set (out), lay, deposit; station, post, spot, pinpoint,

Colloq stick, Brit bung: Place the forks on the left and the

knives on the right. They placed guards at the door of my room.

16 class, classify, sort, order, arrange, rank, group,

categorize, bracket, grade; regard, view, see, consider: She

places love of family above love of country. Critics place him

among the best writers of the century. 17 identify, put one's

finger on, recall, remember, recognize; associate: I just can't

place her for the moment. He finally placed me with those who

had ragged him at school. 18 put, set, assign, give: People

place too much importance on material things.

placement n. 1 arrangement, placing, position, distribution, array,

disposition, deployment, positioning, stationing, organization,

order, ordering, location, locating, arraying, emplacement,

emplacing: The placement of the chairs is all wrong for

tonight's meeting. 2 employment, appointment, engagement,

hiring: Placement of qualified engineers has not been a

problem.

plagiarism

n. plagiarizing, plagiary, piracy, pirating, theft, purloining,

stealing, copying, appropriating, appropriation, thievery,

usurpation, infringing, infringement, imitation, Euphemistic

borrowing, Colloq lifting, cribbing: The similarities between

the two books could only be explained by plagiarism.

plague n. 1 scourge, epidemic, pestilence, affliction, pandemic,

calamity, curse, evil, bane, blight, visitation: The

inhabitants turned a plague of locusts to advantage by eating

them. 2 irritation, annoyance, nuisance, pest, vexation, bother,

thorn in one's side or flesh, torment, torture, Colloq pain (in

the neck), headache, aggravation, Slang drag, bitch, hassle,

Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: It's a plague

trying to find a place to park the car.

--v. 3 badger, harry, hound, pester, annoy, vex, irritate,

bother, harass, nag, nettle, exasperate, gall, annoy, irk,

torment, torture, anguish, distress, Brit chivvy or chivy or

chevy: I wish the police would stop plaguing me with questions

about Jonathan's whereabouts.

plain adj. 1 flat, smooth, even, featureless, level, plane: I'd

rather have a paper with a plain surface, not an embossed one,

for the bedroom walls. 2 clear, evident, simple, distinct,

crystal clear, lucid, vivid, transparent, apparent, obvious,

patent, self-evident, manifest, distinct, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, unequivocal, unambiguous, understandable,

intelligible, graphic, direct, in black and white: His

intentions regarding my daughter are plain enough. The plain

fact is that she despises him. 3 open, honest, straightforward,

forthright, direct, frank, candid, blunt, outspoken, ingenuous,

sincere, guileless, artless, unreserved: I want to see some

plain talk between the two of us. 4 simple, unadorned,

undecorated, unembellished, basic, austere, stark,

unostentatious, colourless, drab, bare, unvarnished, Spartan:

Don't you find the average business suit a very plain affair? 5

homely, unattractive, ordinary-looking, unlovely, ugly: Who

would believe that such a plain child could become such a

beautiful woman?

--n. 6 prairie, grassland, pasture, meadow-land, veld or veldt,

pampas, campo, llano, savannah or savanna, steppe, tundra,

champaign or campagna; heath; moor, moorland; plateau, flatland;

down, downland, Literary wold, Archaic or literary mead: The

plain stretched out before us as far as the eye could see.

plan n. 1 design, layout, blueprint, scheme, method, procedure,

system, arrangement, programme, project, formula, pattern,

Colloq script, scenario: The plan called for monthly progress

meetings. The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley. 2

drawing, sketch, design, layout, blueprint, chart, map, diagram,

representation: This plan shows where the furniture will be

placed.

--v. 3 lay out or down, design, arrange, devise, outline,

organize, plot, map out, delineate, develop: She has been

invited to plan the new shopping mall. 4 intend, expect,

envisage, envision, foresee, aim, contemplate, propose: Were

you planning to go to the cinema tonight?

plane n. 1 flat or level (surface): The lines meet in the same

plane. 2 aeroplane, aircraft, airliner, jet (plane): I caught

the next plane for Marrakesh.

--adj. 3 flat, even, level, smooth, plain, regular, unbroken,

uninterrupted, uniform, horizontal: We landed on the plane

surface of the glacier.

--v. 4 glide, skim, skate, skid, slip, slide: I swiftly planed

along on my sailboard.

plank n. board, timber, slab: The flooring was made up of wide

planks laid side by side.

plant n. 1 flower, vegetable, herb, bush, shrub, tree, vine, weed:

Because of all the rain, the plants are flourishing this summer.

2 factory, mill, shop, works, workshop, foundry: The new plant

in Crawley is hiring lathe operators. 3 equipment, machinery,

apparatus; gear, fixtures: The plant includes heavy cranes,

JCBs, earth movers, and bulldozers. 4 spy, (undercover or

secret) agent, informer, informant: The new assistant is a

plant, sent in by management to report on union activities.

--v. 5 bed (out), sow, seed, set (out), transplant: We planted

a herbaceous border along the south wall of the garden. 6

implant, establish, root, fix, ingrain, lodge, instil,

insinuate, inject, introduce, impress, imprint: Who planted the

idea in your mind that you were a gifted writer? 7 place, put,

position, station, assign, situate: Watch-towers are planted at

50-foot intervals around the prison. 8 hide, secrete, conceal:

The company has planted detectives in the store to watch out for

shoplifters.

planter n. flowerpot, cache-pot: He poured the drugged wine into a

nearby planter.

plaque n. 1 tablet, medallion, plate, panel, marker, slab, plaquette:

The plaque on the house marks it as the birthplace of Thomas

Carlyle. 2 badge, brooch, pin, patch, medallion, medal,

insignia or insigne: The plaque shows him to be a member of the

Royal Yacht Squadron. 3 prize, honour, award, trophy: At the

annual dinner, she was presented with a plaque to mark her many

years of service.

plaster v. smear, daub, bedaub, spread, coat, cover, overlay,

superimpose: The mud was plastered all over my boots. They

plastered the walls with posters.

plastic adj. 1 mouldable, shapable or shapeable, fictile, soft,

malleable, workable, ductile, flexible, soft, pliant, supple,

pliable, clayey, waxy: The clay must be worked into the desired

form while it is still plastic. 2 impressionable, receptive,

open, persuadable or persuasible, susceptible, tractable,

compliant, responsive, manageable, unformed, inexperienced: One

encounters the children at an age when their minds and

personalities are still plastic enough to be influenced. 3

artificial, synthetic, imitation, fake, counterfeit, ersatz,

paste, bogus, meretricious, sham; cheap, pinchbeck, shoddy;

Colloq phoney or US also phony, crummy, US chintzy: She was

wearing a tawdry plastic brooch.

plate n. 1 platter, dish, Archaic trencher, charger: I left the cold

mashed potato on my plate. 2 course, serving, portion, dish,

platter: I ordered their speciality, a plate of spaghetti. 3

layer, leaf, sheet, pane, panel, lamina, slab: In the

condenser, insulation separates the thin metal plates. 4

coating, coat, plating, layer, lamination: The plate on our

cutlery is wearing thin. 5 illustration, picture, print, US

cut: The book contains many beautiful colour plates of flowers.

--v. 6 cover, coat, overlay, face, laminate: All the serving

dishes were plated with gold.

plateau n. 1 tableland, upland, highland, mesa: We climbed till we

reached a grassy plateau. 2 level, lull, pause, levelling off:

At 39, Julia seemed to have reached a plateau in her career.

platform n. 1 stand, dais, stage, podium, rostrum: After the

introduction, the speaker mounted the platform. 2 policy, party

line, principle(s), tenet(s), programme, plank: The main

elements of our platform will be revealed at the party

conference.

platonic adj. non-physical, asexual, non-sexual, celibate, chaste,

dispassionate, detached, spiritual, ideal, intellectual: Some

say that their relationship has not always been purely platonic.

platoon n. company, squad, squadron, group, patrol, team, cadre, body,

formation, unit, Colloq outfit: A platoon of soldiers was

marched to the barracks in close-order drill.

platter n. serving dish, server, salver, tray, plate, dish: Waiters

walked among the guests with platters of hot hors-d'oeuvres.

plausible adj. 1 likely, believable, reasonable, credible, tenable,

conceivable, thinkable, probable, imaginable, admissible, sound,

sensible, rational, logical, acceptable, trustworthy,

presentable: The police regarded our alibi as plausible. 2

specious, deceptive, meretricious, misleading, deceitful,

casuistic, sophistical, Jesuitical, smooth, empty: He was a

cunning, plausible sort of fellow.

play v. 1 amuse oneself, frolic, frisk, cavort, gambol, caper,

sport, have fun, have a good time, enjoy oneself, disport

(oneself), carouse: Ken's mother won't let him go out and play.

2 participate (in), take part (in), join (in), be occupied (in

or with); engage in, contend in, take up, take part in, occupy

oneself in or with, undertake: He was invited for a game of

poker, but he refused to play. I understand that you play

bridge. 3 engage, contend with, compete with or against,

challenge, vie with, pit oneself against, take on, rival: The

stranger played me at snooker, and I lost three games out of

three. 4 portray, depict, perform, act or take the role or part

of, act: In the new production of Othello she plays Desdemona.

5 perform (upon or on); put on: Play 'Misty' for me. She plays

the piccolo very well. Could you play that Caruso record? 6

operate: I wish they wouldn't play their hi-fi so loud. 7

gamble, bet, wager, stake, place, put: He played his last chip

on number 14. 8 play along. a Often, play along with.

cooperate, participate, go along (with), do or play one's part,

be a party to: I agreed to play along with her charade. b

manipulate, jolly along: She played him along till he bought

her a car. 9 play around. a fool around, tease, Colloq monkey

about or around, horse around or about: Stop playing around and

get to work. b dally, flirt, be unfaithful; philander,

womanize; Colloq fool around, run around, sleep around, play the

field: She found out about his playing around and filed for

divorce. 10 play at. pretend, make believe, fake, feign,

simulate, affect: She's merely playing at enjoying skiing to

please you. 11 play ball. cooperate, agree, work together, work

hand in glove, play along: They want him to smuggle diamonds,

but he won't play ball. 12 play by ear. improvise, extemporize,

ad lib , Colloq wing it: She can't read music and just plays by

ear. With no definite plan of action, I'll just play it by ear.

13 play down. belittle, minimize, diminish, disparage, make

light of, deprecate, decry, de-emphasize: He has always played

down his role in the affair. 14 play for time. delay,

procrastinate, stall (for time), temporize, hesitate, Colloq

drag one's feet: They don't yet have the money to pay, so they

are playing for time. 15 play on or upon. use, misuse, abuse,

trade on, exploit, take advantage of, impose on: He plays on

women's affections then persuades them to give him money. 16

play the game. behave, conduct oneself, deport oneself, act: It

makes no difference whether you win or lose, it's how you play

the game. 17 play up. a stress, emphasize, underscore,

underline, accentuate, call attention to, highlight, spotlight,

dramatize, build up: Always try to play up your assets and play

down your liabilities. b act up, misbehave, give or cause

trouble, malfunction, Colloq go on the blink or US fritz, Brit

be wonky: The bloody engine started playing up again, right in

the middle of a rainstorm. 18 play up to. curry favour with,

flatter, toady to, ingratiate oneself with, butter up, truckle

to, court, Colloq soft-soap, suck up to, boot-lick, US

apple-polish, Taboo slang brown-nose: Ray is always playing up

to the teacher, trying to get a better mark. 19 play with. a

toy with, trifle with, treat cavalierly or lightly, make light

of, think nothing of, dally with, amuse oneself with: He's just

playing with her till he gets what he's after. b consider,

think about, toy with, not treat seriously: We were playing

with the idea of a winter holiday this year. c mess with,

fiddle with, toy with, fidget with: Stop playing with your

food!

--n. 20 drama, stage play, show, piece, production,

entertainment: We have tickets to a different play for every

night this week. 21 behaviour, actions, deportment, conduct,

demeanour: In the game of life, many have no regard for the

rules of fair play. The police suspect foul play. 22 amusement,

frivolity, entertainment, recreation, fun, pleasure, sport,

merrymaking, revelry, tomfoolery, Colloq horseplay, skylarking,

monkey business, Brit monkey tricks or US monkeyshines: The

time for play is past, and we must get down to serious business.

23 move, manoeuvre, action: That last play might have won you

the game. 24 flexibility, looseness, freedom, leeway, margin,

room, space, movement, motion, Colloq give: There's too much

play in this gear lever. 25 treatment, coverage, attention:

The newspapers gave Connie's new book a big play.

playboy n. man about town, rou‚, rake, debauchee, gay dog, womanizer,

Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, Romeo, Colloq wolf, lady-killer:

He fancies himself as a playboy, but no women seem to agree.

player n. 1 contestant, participant, competitor, contender; athlete,

sportswoman, sportsman, Colloq US jock: Chess players from all

over the world came together for the championship. The referee

sent three players off. 2 actor or actress, performer,

entertainer, trouper, Thespian: The local drama group is the

Allen Arts Players. 3 gambler, better or especially US bettor,

gamester, speculator, Brit punter: J.B. is a big player in the

commodities market. 4 musician, instrumentalist, performer,

virtuoso: Gladys is one of the best tuba players in the band.

playful adj. 1 (high-)spirited, cheerful, frisky, frolicsome,

kittenish, sprightly, fun-loving, sportive, coltish,

mischievous, puckish, impish, elfish, devilish: The cat didn't

mean to scratch you, she was just being playful. 2 joking,

facetious, teasing, roguish, waggish, jesting, humorous,

tongue-in-cheek: Cleo's in a playful mood today, isn't she?

playmate n. playfellow, friend, comrade, Colloq pal, chum, US and

Canadian buddy: Some of Molly's playmates are asking if she can

come out to play.

plaything n. 1 toy, game, knick-knack, pastime: Please pick up your

playthings before supper. 2 tool, cat's-paw, dupe, pigeon,

pawn, Colloq US and Canadian fall guy: She had no use for Gerry

except as a plaything.

playwright

n. dramatist, dramaturge or dramaturgist, scriptwriter,

screenwriter, scenarist: The playwright has deftly caught the

way people talk to each other.

plea n. 1 request, entreaty, appeal, petition, supplication, suit,

cry, solicitation: Teenagers' mischievous behaviour is an

earnest plea for attention. 2 answer, defence, argument: She

entered a plea of 'not guilty' to the charge. 3 excuse, reason,

explanation, justification; pretext: His plea was that he had

not received the bill and therefore couldn't pay it.

plead v. 1 Often, plead for. request, appeal (for), cry (for), ask

(for), seek, beg (for), pray (for), supplicate (for): It was a

hot day and the children were pleading for ice-creams every half

hour. 2 Usually, plead with. request (of), entreat, appeal to,

petition, ask, apply to, implore, beseech, beg, importune,

solicit; demand: Bryan pleaded with us to let him go to the

rock concert. 3 assert, say, aver, allege, argue, maintain,

offer, put forward, declare, affirm, avow, swear: She pleaded

that she was unaware that the goods she was selling had been

stolen.

pleasant adj. 1 pleasing, pleasurable, nice, enjoyable, satisfying,

good, lovely, attractive, inviting, enjoyable, gratifying,

delightful, charming, agreeable, suitable, fitting, appropriate;

harmonious, euphonious, melodic, mellifluous; delicious,

delectable, palatable, savoury, toothsome: Travelling on the

Orient Express was a most pleasant experience. The bedroom is

decorated in a combination of pleasant colours. He simply

doesn't find sunbathing particularly pleasant. That sauce has a

very pleasant taste. 2 friendly, affable, amiable, amicable,

gregarious, companionable, sociable, engaging, attractive,

winning, open, approachable, outgoing, welcoming, hospitable,

agreeable, gracious, charming, congenial, genial, nice,

likeable, urbane, cultivated, genteel, polite, courteous,

well-mannered, suave, debonair, polished, well-bred, cultured:

Murray always has a pleasant expression on his face. He is quite

a pleasant fellow, once you get to know him. 3 fair, sunny,

clear, bright, cloudless, balmy, nice, fine: What a pleasant

day for an outing in the country!

please v. 1 delight, gratify, satisfy, suit, humour, content, cheer,

gladden, amuse, divert, interest, entertain: I cannot tell you

how much it pleases me to see you again. 2 like, prefer,

choose, desire, want, see fit, wish, will, elect, opt: She may

have her birthday party wherever she pleases.

pleased adj. happy, delighted, glad, gratified, satisfied, contented,

thrilled; Colloq tickled pink, pleased as Punch, on cloud nine,

in seventh heaven, on top of the world, walking on air, Brit

over the moon, chuffed: His pleased look comes from his having

won first prize.

pleasing adj. 1 See pleasant, 1, above. 2 See pleasant, 2, above.

pleasurable

adj. See pleasant, 1, above.

pleasure n. 1 enjoyment, happiness, delight, joy, satisfaction,

fulfilment, contentment, gratification; comfort, recreation,

amusement, entertainment, diversion: It is a pleasure to meet

you at last. Fred derives so much pleasure from tinkering with

his model railways. 2 choice, option, desire, wish, preference,

fancy, inclination, discretion: Feel free to come and go at

your pleasure.

plebeian adj. 1 proletarian, working-class, blue-collar, low-class,

lower-class, lowly, low-born, common, mean, humble, inferior,

peasant-like, Colloq non-U: What would you expect from someone

with such a plebeian background? 2 unrefined, coarse, vulgar,

ignoble, lowbrow, unpolished, uncouth, crass, brutish, gauche,

provincial, rustic, popular, commonplace, undistinguished: The

entertainment caters to the most plebeian tastes.

--n. 3 proletarian, common man or woman, commoner, man or woman

in the street, (any or every) Tom, Dick, or Harry, Brit man or

woman on the Clapham omnibus, Colloq pleb, prole: This art

exhibition is not going to mean very much to the plebeians.

plebiscite

n. popular vote or ballot, referendum, poll: The plebiscite

revealed that the people were in favour of joining the Common

Market.

pledge n. 1 promise, oath, vow, word (of honour), covenant, assurance,

guaranty, guarantee, warrant, warranty: They have our solemn

pledge that we will return within the hour. 2 bail, surety,

collateral, security, deposit, earnest (money), pawn, gage,

bond, guaranty, guarantee: They wanted something besides my

signature as a pledge for the money. 3 toast, tribute, cheer,

health: They drank a pledge to the success of the voyage.

--v. 4 swear, vow, promise, give one's word (of honour),

contract, undertake, agree, vouch, vouchsafe: I pledge

allegiance to the nation. 5 deposit, pawn, mortgage, Archaic

gage, Colloq US and Canadian hock: He pledged his gold watch to

pay for her birthday present. 6 toast, drink (to), drink

(someone's) health: Drink to me only with thine eyes And I will

pledge with mine.

plentiful adj. 1 ample, abundant, profuse, copious, lavish, plenteous,

bountiful, generous, bounteous: We found a plentiful supply of

food in the markets. 2 fertile, fruitful, productive, bumper,

luxuriant, thriving, prolific: We thanked the Lord for a

plentiful harvest.

plenty n. 1 abundance, more than enough, great deal, mass(es),

quantity or quantities, multitude(s), number(s), load(s), mess,

scores, Colloq lot(s), mountain(s), heap(s), stack(s), pile(s),

load(s), ton(s), ocean(s), oodles, US and Canadian slew(s):

There is plenty of food, so it is just as well that plenty of

people are coming. There's plenty of time before your bus

arrives. 2 plentifulness, fertility, copiousness, abundance,

plenteousness, wealth, profusion, lavishness, prodigality,

plenitude, bountifulness: It was a land of plenty, a land of

milk and honey.

pliable adj. 1 flexible, pliant, elastic, plastic, fictile, malleable,

workable, bendable, bendy, ductile, flexuous, supple; lithe,

limber: This substance remains pliable only while it is warm.

2 tractable, adaptable, flexible, pliant, compliant, persuadable

or persuasible, impressionable, susceptible, responsive,

receptive, docile, manageable, yielding: The other directors

may not be as pliable when it comes to improving employee

benefits.

plight n. condition, state, circumstances, situation, case;

difficulty, predicament, quandary, dilemma, catch-22, straits,

trouble, extremity, Colloq hole, jam, pickle, spot, scrape, fix,

bind, hot water, mess, fine kettle of fish, fine state of

affairs: As soon as Elliott's sorry plight became known, we all

rallied round to help.

plod v. 1 Often, plod along. trudge (along), tramp, slog, drag,

tread, lumber, labour, Colloq stomp, galumph: We plodded

wearily up the road carrying our heavy packs. 2 Often, plod

along or away. labour, work, drudge, toil, moil, slave (away),

grind (away or along), grub (on or along), plug (along or away),

Brit peg away (at) or along: Plodding through the compilation

of the Oxford Thesaurus, he was only halfway through the letter

P.

plot° n. 1 scheme, plan, intrigue, machination, cabal; conspiracy:

The plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was uncovered at a

late stage. 2 story (line), chain of events, theme, outline,

scenario, thread, skeleton: Most operas have weak plots, but

the music can be sublime.

--v. 3 scheme, plan, intrigue, machinate, cabal, collude,

conspire, hatch, devise, design, arrange, organize, concoct,

dream up, conceive, Colloq cook up: Martin's wife had been

plotting to murder him since their wedding night. 4 draw, plan,

diagram, lay down, outline, calculate, compute, figure, chart,

map (out), find, determine, depict, show: The navigator plotted

our position as being in the Strait of Malacca.

plotý n. lot, plat, patch or parcel (of land), tract, acreage, area,

Brit allotment: I have a small plot by the canal which is ideal

for growing potatoes.

plough v. 1 till, cultivate, furrow, harrow, Literary delve: They

ought to finish ploughing the south field by tomorrow. 2 drive,

plunge, push, bulldoze, lunge, dive, shove, hurtle, crash: Out

of control, a bus ploughed through the fence and into my garden.

pluck n. 1 courage, spirit, bravery, grit, boldness, intrepidity,

backbone, mettle, determination, gameness, resolve, resolution,

steadfastness, hardiness, sturdiness, stout-heartedness,

stoutness, fortitude, nerve, Colloq guts, spunk, US sand, Slang

Brit bottle, US moxie: She certainly showed pluck standing up

to the boss like that.

--v. 2 pick, remove, withdraw, draw out, extract: The children

plucked flowers in the garden and made posies. 3 snatch, grab,

yank, jerk, tear (away): She was plucked from the jaws of death

by Tarzan, who happened to be swinging by on a vine. 4 tug (at),

pull (at), catch (at), clutch (at); vellicate: An ancient crone

plucked at his sleeve as he passed.

plug n. 1 stopper, stopple, bung, cork: If you pull the plug out,

the water will run out. 2 chew, twist, quid, wad, pigtail,

cavendish: As they forbade smoking, he would take snuff or chew

a plug of tobacco. 3 publicity, mention, promotion,

recommendation, puff, blurb, PR; advertisement, Colloq advert,

hype: His book was given a plug on yesterday's evening news.

--v. 4 Often, plug up. stop (up), close (up or off), seal (off

or up), cork, stopper, bung, block, jam, stuff, clog, obstruct,

dam (up): A piece of soap has plugged the drain. 5 publicize,

mention, promote, push, advertise, puff, commend, Colloq boost,

beat the drum for: It wasn't right to plug her brother's

company in her article on double glazing. 6 See plod, 2, above.

plum n. find, catch, coup, prize, treasure; bonus, cream: Harvey's

landed a plum job as overseas buyer.

plumb n. 1 weight, (plumb-)bob, plummet, lead, sinker: The plumb

holds the string taut and exactly vertical.

--adj. 2 vertical, perpendicular, straight up and down: Make

sure the jamb is plumb before hanging the door.

--adv. 3 vertically, perpendicularly, straight up and down:

The cord doesn't hang plumb because the shelf is in the way. 4

exactly, precisely, dead, right, accurately, Colloq slap, Brit

bang, spot: The navigator checked our position and we were

plumb on course.

--v. 5 sound, fathom, measure, probe, explore, measure, gauge,

delve, penetrate: The bathyscaphe has plumbed the deeps of the

Indian Ocean. I plumb the depths of depression thinking of

starving people everywhere.

plummet v. See plunge, 1, below.

plump° adj. 1 chubby, stout, fleshy, ample, full-bodied, portly,

tubby, rotund, squat, chunky, buxom, corpulent, roly-poly, fat,

obese, overweight, steatopygous, Brit podgy or US pudgy, Colloq

busty, beamy, hippy, beefy, well-upholstered: They went on a

diet because they were getting a bit plump.

--v. 2 puff up or out: When you get up, please plump up the

pillows on the sofa.

plumpý v. 1 drop, plummet, fall, plunge, dive, sink, collapse, flop:

I was so tired that all I could do was plump down in an armchair

and watch TV. 2 deposit, set or put (down), plunk, plop: She

plumped down the defective mixer on the counter and asked for a

refund. 3 plump for. support, choose, select, back, side with,

campaign for: Given the choice, they plumped for a film rather

than the circus.

--n. 4 drop, plunk, flop, thump, clunk, clump, thud, bump: He

dropped the book on the floor with a plump.

--adv. 5 abruptly, suddenly, directly, unhesitatingly, at once,

unexpectedly, surprisingly, without warning, (all) of a sudden,

plunk, bang: As I came out of the bank, I ran plump into a

policeman.

--adj. 6 direct, unequivocal, unmistakable or unmistakeable,

unambiguous, definite, definitive, blunt, simple, plain,

forthright, downright, straight, matter-of-fact: He asked her

to marry him and she gave him a plump 'no'.

plunder v. 1 pillage, loot, rob, ravage, ransack, rifle, despoil,

spoil, vandalize, sack, strip, maraud, devastate, desolate, lay

waste: The attacking army plundered the villages. 2 prey on or

upon, pirate, capture, seize: The buccaneers plunder the

Spanish treasure ships on the high seas.

--n. 3 pillage, looting, robbery, depredation, rapine,

despoliation, spoliation, vandalization, sack, vandalism,

vandalizing, sacking: It is said that the plunder of Rome took

no more than a fortnight. 4 booty, loot, spoils, prizes, Slang

boodle: The police displayed an Aladdin's cave of plunder

recovered from the thieves.

plunge v. 1 descend, drop, plummet, dive, pitch, nosedive, fall

(headlong): They lost their footing, and both Holmes and

Moriarty plunged into the abyss. 2 submerge, sink, immerse;

engulf, overwhelm: I plunged my hand in the icy water to

retrieve the keys. She plunged herself into her work to try to

forget him.

--n. 3 dive, nosedive, fall, pitch, plummet, drop, descent;

submersion, immersion: After the scandal his career took a

plunge from which it never recovered. Every winter they take a

plunge into the icy waters of the Serpentine. 4 gamble, wager,

bet, risk: Are you taking the plunge with an investment in

South America?

plus prep. 1 and, added to, increased by, with the addition of, with

an increment of, (coupled) with, together with: Two plus three

equals five. Your initial deposit plus accumulated interest will

make a substantial sum.

--adj. 2 added, additional, supplementary, extra: One must

take into account the plus value of the good publicity.

--n. 3 addition, bonus, extra, gain, benefit, asset, advantage,

profit, return: Improvements constitute a big plus in

evaluating the building.

plush adj. luxurious, posh, costly, (de) luxe, palatial, lavish,

rich, opulent, sumptuous, regal, elegant, Colloq ritzy, classy,

Old-fashioned swank(y): I had no idea that you lived in such

plush surroundings.

ply n. layer, leaf, thickness, fold: These seams are sewn through

two plies of fabric.

16.6 pocket...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

pocket n. 1 pouch, sack, bag, receptacle, reticule, satchel: You

should always have a clean handkerchief in your pocket. 2

cavity, pit, hollow, crater: We found water that had collected

in pockets in the surface of the rock. 3 area, island, camp,

centre, cluster, concentration: Leaders encountered pockets of

resistance to the new policies among the farmers.

--v. 4 take, appropriate, keep; filch, embezzle, steal,

purloin, thieve, pilfer, help oneself to, palm, Colloq walk off

or away with, pinch, swipe, rip off, hook, lift, snitch, Brit

nick, snaffle: While collecting for charity, Johnson was known

to have pocketed occasional contributions.

poem n. verse, lyric, rhyme or archaic rime, song, ode, rhapsody,

jingle, ditty: The anthology contains poems by politicians.

poet n. poetess, versifier, metrist, lyricist or lyrist, versemaker,

sonneteer, elegist, bard, minstrel; rhymester or rimester or

rhymer or rimer, poetaster: A widely published poet, Constance

is often invited to give readings.

poetic adj. 1 poetical, lyric(al), metrical, musical, melodic;

idyllic, elegiac, georgic, rhapsodic, epic, dithyrambic: She

bought a volume of the poetic works of John Keats. 2 artistic,

aesthetic, Parnassian, Hippocrenian, melodious: The novel

contains some poetic passages of surpassing quality.

poetry n. verse, versification, metrical composition, metrics, rhyme,

Archaic poesy: Modern poetry is often rather obscure.

po-faced adj. stern-visaged, austere, dour, disapproving, frowning,

grave, saturnine, solemn, sombre, humourless, grim, forbidding,

severe, strait-laced, uncompromising, puritanical, prim,

prudish, gruff, bluff, curmudgeonly: Despite having a po-faced

approach to his work, William has a keen sense of humour when

off duty.

poignant adj. 1 distressing, upsetting, agonizing, grievous, painful,

woeful, melancholy, blue, sad, sorrowful, tragic, disastrous,

heart-rending, heart-breaking, excruciating, bitter, pathetic,

pitiable, piteous, pitiful, miserable, moving, touching: The

biography also covers the poignant early years, spent largely in

orphanages and foster homes. 2 keen, acute, intense, incisive,

sharp, stinging, pointed, piercing, penetrating, barbed,

cutting, caustic, acid, acerbic, bitter, biting, mordant,

sarcastic, sardonic, severe: The headmaster's poignant remarks

about honesty and loyalty really hurt. 3 sincere, earnest,

heartfelt, deep, profound, dramatic, deeply felt, stirring,

moving, touching, emotional: The reunion of the little boy and

his dog was the most poignant moment in the film.

point n. 1 dot, mark, speck; (full) stop, period; decimal point: The

writing is smudged, but that looks like a point at the end of

the line. 2 tip, peak, apex, spike, spur, prong, sharp end: Be

careful of the point of that knife. 3 spot, place, stage,

position; site, station, location, locale: We have reached the

point of no return on that subject. I stopped at a few points

along the way to admire the view. 4 time, moment, instant,

juncture: At that point, we were summoned by the dinner bell.

5 focus, essence, meat, pith, quiddity, substance, heart,

nucleus, crux, nub, core, bottom, details, Colloq guts,

nitty-gritty: I wish he would stop all the palaver and get to

the point. 6 purpose, intent, intention, aim, goal, object,

objective, sense: What was the point of bringing that piece of

gossip into the discussion? 7 thrust, drift, theme, purport,

burden, import, implication, significance, signification, sense,

meaning; application, applicability, relevancy, appropriateness:

We found it difficult to see the point of the argument. 8

promontory, projection, headland, cape, peninsula: It may take

us a day to sail round the point. 9 brink, verge: We were on

the point of leaving when the guest of honour finally arrived.

10 detail, particular, item, element, nicety, aspect, facet,

matter, issue, subject, question; specifics: Some of the points

in her speech need clarification. 11 pointer, hint, suggestion,

piece of advice, tip: The golf pro at the club gave me some

good points on improving my swing. 12 thought, idea,

consideration; notion, view, plan, tactic; something: That's a

point to keep in mind if you buy another sailing-boat. 13 unit,

tally, score: She made her point and went on to win the match.

14 attribute, characteristic, feature, aspect, trait, quality,

side, property: I suppose he has his good points, too. 15

beside the point. irrelevant, inapt, inappropriate, malapropos,

incidental, immaterial, unimportant, pointless, inconsequential:

The fact that she's my sister is beside the point. 16 in point

of. in reference to, regarding, as regards, in the matter of,

concerning, with respect to: In point of date, the two events

coincide perfectly. 17 make a point of or US also make (it) a

point to. make an effort (to), put or place emphasis on, go out

of one's way (to); emphasize, single out, stress: He made a

point of apologizing to the hostess for his behaviour. She made

a special point of forgiving him. 18 to the point. relevant,

pertinent, appropriate, fitting, apropos, germane, apt,

applicable, apposite: The speech was short and to the point.

--v. 19 Often, point to. indicate, call or direct attention to:

Desir‚e pointed to the building and asked what it was. 20

direct, level, aim, train: I awoke to find her pointing a gun

at my head. 21 point out. a designate, call or direct

attention to, show, exhibit, indicate, identify: The taxi

driver pointed out all the sights as we drove along. b say,

bring up, mention, allude to, bring up, emphasize, stress, point

up, single out; allude to, call attention to, remind: I'd like

to point out that you have rarely won at bridge. She pointed out

the fallacy in his argument. 22 point up. emphasize, stress,

accentuate, underline, underscore, accent, spotlight: Such

errors point up the need to double-check everything.

point-blank

adj. 1 direct, straight, blunt, flat, straightforward, abrupt,

categorical, explicit, uncompromising, unmitigated, unalloyed,

downright, outright, to the point, straight from the shoulder,

(open and) above-board, unreserved: I asked her out to dinner

and got a point-blank refusal. 2 close, short, nearby: He was

shot at point-blank range.

--adv. 3 directly, straight (away), right away, bluntly, flat,

flatly, abruptly, categorically, unqualifiedly, explicitly,

uncompromisingly, unmitigatedly, outright,, unreservedly,

plainly, frankly, openly, candidly: He turned her down

point-blank when she offered him the job. 4 directly, straight:

He fired point-blank at the target.

pointed adj. 1 needle-shaped, sharp, acute, barbed, peaked, spiked,

spiky, Technical acuminate, cuspidate, aciform, acicular,

aciculiform, aculeous, apiculate, spiculate, serrate(d),

acuminate, mucroniform, mucronulate, mucronate(d), muricate,

hebetate: The child was poking holes in the sand with a pointed

stick. 2 incisive, piercing, cutting, sharp, pungent, keen,

penetrating, telling, trenchant, biting, unmistakable or

unmistakeable: The critic made a few pointed remarks about the

actors' reading of the lines.

pointer n. 1 indicator, rod, stick; index, sign, arrow, Typography

fist: The pointer is used to call attention to something

important. 2 tip, advice, hint, suggestion, recommendation,

piece of advice: McLeod gave me a few pointers on how to

improve the restaurant service.

pointless adj. purposeless, aimless, worthless, ineffective, meaningless,

ineffectual, futile, unproductive, fruitless, bootless, useless,

vain, senseless, absurd, silly, stupid, inane, asinine, fatuous,

preposterous, nonsensical, ridiculous, empty, hollow: After her

paper, someone rose and wasted half an hour making pointless

remarks.

point of view

n. 1 viewpoint, perspective, approach, position, angle, slant,

orientation, outlook, stance, standpoint, vantage point: From

his point of view, I can see why Fred thinks the research is a

waste of time. 2 opinion, view, belief, (way of) thinking,

principle, doctrine: Shouldn't everyone be entitled to express

a point of view?

poise n. 1 balance, equilibrium, equipoise, equiponderance, parity,

par: The chariots of the gods in even poise, obeying the rein,

glide rapidly. 2 composure, control, self-possession, aplomb,

assurance, dignity, equanimity, sang-froid, cool-headedness,

imperturbability, presence of mind, coolness, staidness,

reserve, sedateness, calmness, serenity, tranquillity, Colloq

cool: Jane's poise is remarkable, despite the heckling by the

audience.

--v. 3 balance, be balanced, hover, hang, float; make or be or

get ready, prepare: The boulder was poised on the edge of the

cliff.

poised adj. 1 composed, controlled, self-possessed, unflappable,

(self-)confident, (self-)assured, dignified, cool-headed,

imperturbable, unruffled, cool, staid, reserved, sedate, calm,

serene, tranquil, Colloq together: For a lad of eleven, Richard

is quite poised. 2 ready, standing by, waiting, prepared: Our

commando unit is poised to attack at your signal. 3 teetering,

hovering, tottering, wavering, suspended, trembling, wobbling,

balanced: In the present business climate, the company is

poised on the brink of bankruptcy.

poison n. 1 toxin, venom, bane; miasma, mephitis: The chemical plant

was found to be releasing poisons into the atmosphere. He kills

rats using poison. 2 virus, bane, cancer, canker, corrupt or

evil influence, pestilence, plague, blight: The drug barons

continue to spread their poison throughout the world.

--v. 3 defile, adulterate, infect, taint, pollute; contaminate,

debase, pervert, vitiate, subvert, warp, envenom: Chemicals

from the nearby plant have poisoned the drinking-water. Why

have you poisoned the child's mind against eating spinach? 4

murder, kill, do away with, destroy, dispatch or despatch:

Lucrezia Borgia poisoned her enemies in ingenious ways.

poisonous adj. 1 lethal, deadly, fatal, mortal, toxic, septic, virulent,

noxious or rare nocuous, venomous, malignant, pernicious,

miasmic, mephitic: Poisonous effluents were leaked into the

rivers by the chemical plant. 2 malicious, malevolent,

malignant, corruptive, vicious, baleful, evil, foul,

diabolic(al), defamatory, libellous, slanderous, dangerous,

deleterious,: They have been spreading poisonous gossip about

him again.

poke v. 1 jab, stick, prod, dig, goad, stab, thrust, push, elbow,

nudge, jog, jostle, butt, shove: Be careful not to poke someone

in the eye with your umbrella. He tells a joke, then pokes me

in the ribs to make sure I've got it. 2 punch, hit, strike, box,

cuff, smite, smack: I made a suggestive remark and she poked me

in the jaw. 3 pry, nose (about or around), stick one's nose

into, intrude, dig, probe, investigate; meddle, interfere, butt

in, tamper; Colloq snoop: I wish they would stop poking into my

affairs. 4 poke fun (at). tease, ridicule, mock, make fun of,

jeer (at), chaff, taunt, twit, make sport of, needle, Colloq

kid, rib, Brit send up, take the mickey out of: People who

don't understand something often poke fun at it. Stop poking fun

at my hat.

--n. 5 jab, prod, dig, stab, thrust, push, elbow, finger,

nudge, jog, jostle, butt, shove: Every time Rodney wants to

emphasize a point, he gives you a poke. 6 punch, hit, box, jab,

cuff, smack, blow: If anyone says anything bad about you, I'll

give him a poke in the nose.

polar adj. 1 Arctic, Antarctic, frigid, icy, glacial, freezing,

frozen, numbing, Siberian, hibernal, hyperborean, brumal,

wintry: It is positively polar in the house without the heat

turned on. 2 opposite, opposed, antithetical, contrary,

contradictory, diametric, antipodal, antagonistic, hostile:

Dante felt Good and Evil to be the two polar elements of the

Creation, on which it all turns.

pole° n. rod, stick, staff, spar, shaft, mast, standard, upright;

flag-pole, flagstaff, jackstaff; beanpole, hop-pole: We had to

use a long pole to get the kite down from the tree.

poleý n. 1 extremity, end, limit, extreme: Their views are at

opposite poles and they cannot agree. 2 from pole to pole.

everywhere, all over, far and wide, high and low, leaving no

stone unturned, throughout the world or the length and breadth

of the land, Colloq US everyplace: He searched for her from

pole to pole. 3 poles apart. (very or completely) different,

worlds apart, at opposite extremes, at opposite ends of the

earth, at odds, irreconcilable: I'm afraid that the union and

management remain poles apart on the issue of working hours.

police n. 1 constabulary, policemen, policewomen, police officers,

Colloq boys in blue, the (long arm of the) law, the cops, the

gendarmes, Slang the coppers, the fuzz, Brit the (Old) Bill, US

the heat: There was a bit of an argument, so we called the

police.

--v. 2 patrol, guard, watch, protect: Additional officers were

assigned to police the neighbourhood. 3 enforce, regulate,

administer, oversee, control, observe, supervise, monitor: A

unit was established to police the terms of the agreement.

police officer

n. officer, policeman, policewoman, constable, Brit police

constable, PC, WPC, Chiefly US peace officer, patrolman,

patrolwoman, Colloq cop, gendarme, Brit bobby; Slang copper,

fuzz, flatfoot, Brit rozzer, Old Bill, Offensive and derogatory

pig, Historical peeler, US bull, fuzz ball: The police officers

then asked if I wouldn't mind helping with their inquiries.

policy n. approach, procedure, (game) plan, design, scheme, programme,

method, system, management, conduct, behaviour, strategy,

tactic(s), principle(s), protocol, regulation, rule, custom,

way, practice, ways and means, action: What policy should we

follow regarding interest rates?

polish v. 1 shine, brighten, burnish, buff, furbish, wax, clean,

smooth, rub, gloss: He polished up the handles so carefully

That now he is the ruler of the Queen's navy. 2 Often, polish

up. refine, improve, perfect, finish, cultivate, ameliorate,

enhance; correct, emend: If you polish up the article we might

consider it for publication. 3 polish off. a conclude, end,

terminate, finish: Ned polished off his homework in less than

an hour. b kill, slay, murder, dispatch or despatch, destroy,

dispose of, do away with, liquidate, eliminate, Slang bump off,

rub out, do in, take for a ride: Three platoons were polished

off quickly. c dispose of, put away, eat, consume, wolf (down):

In a few minutes, MacGregor had polished off the entire meal. 4

polish up. study, review, learn, Archaic con, Colloq bone up

(on), Slang Brit swot up (on): If you're going to M laga, you'd

better polish up your Spanish.

--n. 5 gloss, shine, lustre, sheen, glaze, smoothness,

brilliance, sparkle, gleam, glow, brightness, radiance: You

cannot imagine what a fine polish she put on that old table. 6

wax, oil: The new polish really put a shine on the desk.

polished adj. 1 accomplished, adept, proficient, expert, fine,

outstanding, skilful, gifted, masterful, masterly, virtuoso,

excellent, superior, superb, superlative; flawless, faultless,

perfect, impeccable: Edna is quite a polished cellist. She gave

a polished performance. 2 refined, elegant, cultivated,

graceful, debonair, sophisticated, urbane, soign‚(e), courtly,

genteel, cultured, civilized, well-bred, well-mannered, polite:

Under her guidance, James has become a polished gentleman.

polite adj. 1 civil, respectful, well-mannered, mannerly, courteous,

deferential, diplomatic, tactful, formal, proper, cordial: We

asked our new neighbours to tea but were met with a polite

refusal. 2 See polished, 2, above.

politic adj. 1 ingenious, shrewd, crafty, canny, cunning, designing,

scheming, clever, wily, foxy, tricky, artful, Macchiavellian,

evasive, shifty, Colloq cagey: Daniel is politic enough to know

how to manoeuvre situations to his benefit. 2 tactful,

diplomatic, discreet, prudent, judicious, wise, sage, sagacious,

sensible, intelligent, percipient, discriminating, far-sighted,

expedient, perceptive: It was politic of the winner to share

the prize with those who had helped him most.

political adj. 1 governmental, civic, civil, public, state, national,

federal; administrative, bureaucratic: The movement began as an

attempt to gain political freedom. 2 partisan, factious,

factional: A coalition government was formed by the major

political parties.

politician

n. legislator, lawmaker, statesman, stateswoman; minister, Brit

Member of Parliament, MP, US public or civil servant,

administrator, official, bureaucrat, office-bearer, senator,

congressman, congresswoman, representative, assembly-man,

assembly-woman, selectman; Colloq US derogatory politico,

(political) boss or hack, machine politician, ward-heeler,

wirepuller: Some politicians have given a bad name to the art

of politics.

politics n. 1 public affairs, political science, civics, civil affairs,

government, statecraft, diplomacy, statesmanship: Hume viewed

politics as people united in society and dependent on each

other. 2 manoeuvring, manipulation, wirepulling, machination:

Office politics are such that they wouldn't dare dismiss that

department head.

poll n. 1 voting, vote, returns, tally, figures: The poll shows

that the incumbents are not as secure as they thought. 2

opinion poll, survey, canvass, census, ballot, count: A poll of

home-owners shows that most would like to own washing machines.

--v. 3 sample, survey, question, canvass, ballot, ask,

interview; count, enumerate, tally, register, record: We polled

teenagers to determine their reaction to a youth centre; those

in favour polled 73 per cent. 4 receive, get, win, register,

tally: Cavendish polled more than 60 per cent of the votes

cast.

pollute v. 1 contaminate, adulterate, befoul, foul, soil, spoil, taint,

stain, dirty, sully, blight, poison: These factories must be

prevented from continuing to pollute the atmosphere. 2 corrupt,

desecrate, profane, defile, violate: The altar was polluted

because it had been touched by a non-believer.

pollution n. contamination, adulteration, corruption, polluting, fouling,

befouling, soiling, spoiling, tainting, staining, dirtying,

sullying, blighting, poisoning, vitiation: Laws were passed to

prosecute those responsible for the pollution of the

environment.

pomp n. glory, grandeur, magnificence, splendour, show,

extravaganza, pageantry, ceremony, spectacle, brilliance,

ceremoniousness: The Chinese court's pomp and display of wealth

had never before been seen by a westerner.

pompous adj. 1 vain, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, pretentious,

ostentatious, showy, grandiose, haughty, overbearing, conceited,

egotistical, self-important, boastful, braggart, inflated,

snobbish, magisterial, imperious, pontifical, affected,

exhibitionist, Colloq uppity, highfalutin or hifalutin,

hoity-toity, high-hat, Slang snooty, snotty: Don't you despise

the pompous way Marshall struts about in that ridiculous

uniform? 2 bombastic, flowery, grandiloquent, pedantic, stuffy,

fustian, orotund, ornate, embroidered, flatulent, windy, turgid,

inflated, high-flown, euphuistic: He's always making

long-winded, pompous speeches because he loves the sound of his

own voice.

ponder v. consider, muse (over or on), brood (over or upon or on),

mull over, deliberate (over), meditate (upon or on), think (over

or on or about), weigh, ruminate (over), chew over, cogitate,

excogitate, reflect (on or over), contemplate: I shall need a

while to ponder the answer to that question. Give me a little

more time to ponder.

ponderous adj. 1 weighty, unwieldy, heavy, massive, huge, big, large,

awkward, clumsy, cumbersome or cumbrous: A ponderous juggernaut

bore down on us, completely out of control. 2 dull, tedious,

laboured, laborious, tiresome, turgid, boring, dreary,

pedestrian, stilted, windy, inflated, long-winded, wordy,

verbose, prolix, elephantine, pompous, grandiloquent, overdone:

Many students faced with textbooks written in ponderous prose

become disenchanted with learning.

pool n. 1 pond, lake, tarn, mere, lagoon; swimming-pool, leisure

pool, wading pool, Brit paddling pool, US wading pool, Formal

natatorium: We found an icy mountain pool where we went for a

swim. 2 collection, fund(s), purse, stakes, reserve(s), bank,

Colloq pot, jackpot, kitty: So far we have too little money in

the pool for an office party at Christmas. 3 syndicate, trust,

group, consortium, cartel, combine: The object of the pool was

the private regulation of market prices, which is illegal.

--v. 4 accumulate, collect, gather, combine, merge,

consolidate, amalgamate, league, bring or come or band or get

together, team (up) with: We would do better if we pooled our

resources.

poor adj. 1 needy, destitute, indigent, in want, in need, penniless,

poverty-stricken, impoverished, badly off, necessitous, poor as

a church-mouse, straitened, pinched, in reduced circumstances,

impecunious, financially embarrassed, down and out, out of

pocket, ruined, insolvent, bankrupt, Colloq broke, hard up, on

one's uppers, short, US wiped out, Brit in Queer Street, Slang

Brit skint: They were poor and didn't know where their next

meal was coming from. 2 low, bad, skimpy, meagre, scant, scanty,

inadequate, deficient, insufficient, sparse: How can a family

of five survive on such a poor salary? These days, 3 per cent

would be considered a poor return on investment. 3 barren,

unproductive, unfruitful, fruitless, infertile, sterile;

depleted, exhausted, impoverished: This is poor soil, and no

amount of cultivation is likely to make it productive. 4 bad,

awful, inadequate, unsatisfactory, unacceptable, bumbling,

inefficient, amateurish, unprofessional, inferior, second-rate,

third-rate, low-grade, shabby, shoddy, mediocre, defective,

faulty, flawed, substandard, sorry, not up to par or snuff,

slipshod, below or under par, Colloq rotten, lousy: They did a

poor job repairing my car. Her latest recital was pretty poor. 5

insignificant, slight, paltry, inconsequential, mean, modest,

trivial, trifling: They made only a poor attempt to correct the

problem. 6 unfortunate, unlucky, pathetic, luckless, pitiful,

pitiable, ill-fated, miserable, wretched, ill-starred,

star-crossed, jinxed, hapless: The poor chap lost his entire

family in the disaster. 7 bad, ill: Aunt Theresa has been in

poor health lately.

poorly adv. 1 badly, inadequately, unsatisfactorily, incompetently,

inexpertly, improperly, crudely, unprofessionally, amateurishly:

The decorators you recommended have done their work very poorly

indeed.

--adj. Colloq 2 unwell, indisposed, ailing, sick, below par,

Colloq rotten, under the weather: Charles is rather poorly, I'm

afraid.

pop v. 1 burst, explode, bang, go off: The balloon popped, making

me jump. 2 Often, pop in or out or by. visit, stop, call,

appear, Colloq drop in, Brit nip in: Guess who popped in to see

me on his way to the airport. 3 bulge, protrude, stick out, US

bug out: The little boy's eyes popped when they brought in the

birthday cake.

--n. 4 explosion, bang, report, crack: The Christmas cracker

went off with a loud pop. 5 soft drink, soda (water); cola,

Brit fizzy drink, lemonade, US soda (pop): A bottle of pop for

my daughter and a pint of bitter for me, please.

populace n. people, masses, commonalty, (general) public, commoners,

multitude, hoi polloi, crowd, throng, rabble, peasantry,

proletariat, common folk, rank and file, working class,

bourgeoisie, mob, Derogatory great unwashed, riff-raff, rabble,

canaille, ragtag and bobtail: Some MPs act on behalf of their

own constituencies rather than the populace at large.

popular adj. 1 favourite, favoured, in favour, accepted, well-received,

approved, (well-)liked, fashionable, in fashion, stylish, in

vogue, celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, famous, in demand,

sought-after, all the rage, Colloq trendy, in, hot: You would

become a millionaire overnight if you could accurately predict

the popular music of the coming year. 2 conventional, stock,

commonplace, public, normal, standard, general, universal,

average, everyday, ordinary, routine, common, habitual,

prevalent, current, prevailing, dominant, predominant,

predominating, customary: His films cater to popular tastes in

science fiction. 3 lay, non-professional, amateur,

understandable, accessible, popularized, simplified: He

presents a popular astronomy programme on TV.

popularity

n. favour, acceptance, approval, esteem, regard, repute,

reputation, vogue, trend, stylishness, renown, acclaim, fame,

celebrity, lionization, (hero-) worship, Colloq trendiness: The

immense popularity of her novels in America has made her very

rich.

popularly adv. commonly, generally, ordinarily, usually, universally,

widely, regularly, customarily, prevalently, habitually: It is

a popularly held belief among the French that their wine is the

best in the world.

populate v. colonize, settle, people, occupy; inhabit, dwell in, reside

in, live in: Shiploads of families braved the voyage to

populate the New World.

population

n. people, populace, inhabitants, residents, natives, denizens,

citizenry, citizens, folk: In those days there was no one to

look after the legal rights of the population.

populous adj. crowded, (heavily) populated, peopled, teeming, thronged,

crawling, swarming, jammed, jam-packed, packed: The populous

cities contrast with the sparsely inhabited rural areas.

pore° v. pore over. study, examine, scrutinize, peruse, read, go

over, Colloq con: Hamilton sits in the library, day after day,

poring over books of forgotten lore.

poreý n. opening, orifice, hole, aperture, vent, perforation,

Technical spiracle, stoma: A hot bath opens the pores in the

skin.

pornographic

adj. obscene, lewd, offensive, indecent, prurient, smutty,

taboo, blue, dirty, salacious, licentious, nasty, X-rated,

Colloq porno, US raunchy: Some prudes consider anything

concerning sex to be pornographic.

pornography

n. obscenity, smut, filth, dirt, erotica, Colloq porn: The

council voted to forbid the sale of pornography within the town

precincts.

porous adj. spongy, spongelike, permeable, pervious, penetrable: The

rainwater runs through the porous rock and collects in the pools

below.

port n. harbour, haven, seaport; mooring, anchorage; refuge: We

were bound east for the port of Cardiff.

portable adj. transportable, manageable, carriable, handy, light,

lightweight, compact, pocket, pocket-sized, little, small, US

carry-on, vest-pocket, shirt-pocket: He needs a van just to

transport his portable television, portable radio, portable

hi-fi, portable typewriter, portable computer, and portable

calculator.

portentous

adj. 1 ominous, threatening, momentous, sinister, fateful,

alarming, menacing, foreboding, ill-omened, inauspicious,

unfavourable, ill-starred, ill-fated, star-crossed, lowering or

louring, gloomy, unpromising, unpropitious: Precisely at

midnight they appeared with the most portentous news. 2

extraordinary, amazing, astonishing, astounding, prodigious,

awesome, awe-inspiring, remarkable, marvellous, phenomenal,

fabulous, fantastic, mind-boggling, wondrous, miraculous: The

coronation of a British monarch is truly a portentous event.

porter° n. bearer, (baggage) carrier or attendant, US airports skycap,

US railways redcap: I tipped the porter to carry our bags to a

taxi.

porterý n. 1 concierge, cleaner, caretaker, Chiefly US and Canadian

janitor, superintendent, Colloq US super: When we are away, the

porter keeps our mail for us. 2 door-keeper, watchman, doorman,

gatekeeper, concierge, US tiler: He went to my club, but the

porter would not let him in.

portico n. porch, veranda or verandah, gallery, colonnade, galilee: At

the front of the mansion, six corinthian pillars support a wide

portico.

portion n. 1 segment, part, section, division, subdivision, parcel,

piece, hunk, chunk, lump, wedge, slice, sliver, fraction,

fragment, bit, morsel, scrap: A portion of the masonry fell

into the street in the earthquake. 2 share, part, allotment,

quota, ration, apportionment, allowance, allocation, assignment,

percentage, measure, division, quantity: The size of an

investor's portion depends on the amount invested. 3 helping,

serving; ration, plate, platter: He complained that the

portions in nouvelle cuisine are too small.

--v. 4 Often, portion out. apportion, share out, allocate,

ration, allot, partition, assign, consign, dole out, deal (out),

parcel out, distribute, administer, dispense, disperse, divide,

split up, carve up, cut up, break up, section, Colloq divvy up:

The conquered territories were then portioned out among the

victors.

portrait n. picture, likeness, image,sketch, rendering, vignette;

representation, description, profile, thumbnail sketch,

portrayal, picturization, depiction; account, story,

characterization, study, record, file, dossier: We have the

culprit's portrait in our rogues' gallery. We need a more

accurate portrait of the kidnapper.

portray v. 1 represent, picture, show, depict, paint, render,

characterize, describe, delineate: She is portrayed wearing the

Castelli tiara. Why must I always be portrayed as the villain? 2

act or play (the part or role of), take the part or role of,

represent, pose as, impersonate: She portrays an aged crone who

regains her youth in the last act.

pose v. 1 sit, model; position, place, arrange, set (up), put:

Would you let your husband or wife pose in the nude? She posed

the model standing, looking out of the window. 2 Usually, pose

as. portray, act or play (the part or role of), take the part or

role of, represent, impersonate, be disguised as, masquerade as,

pretend or profess to be, pass (oneself off) as, pass for,

imitate, mimic; attitudinize, posture, put on airs, Colloq show

off: She posed as an art expert from Switzerland. She thinks

him a rou‚, but he's only posing. 3 set, put, ask, submit,

broach, posit, advance, present, predicate, postulate: The

interviewer posed some questions that were quite embarrassing.

--n. 4 position, attitude, posture, stance: Her profile is not

shown to best advantage in that pose. 5 affectation, act,

pretence, attitudinizing, affectedness, display, fa‡ade, show,

ostentation: His interest in art is just a pose to impress her.

poseur n. posturer, exhibitionist, pretender, impostor, masquerader,

attitudinizer; fake, faker, dissembler, fraud, Colloq show-off,

phoney or US also phony: He talks about literature, but he's a

poseur who just spouts the opinions of others.

posh adj. (de) luxe, luxurious, elegant, sumptuous, lavish, opulent,

rich, royal, regal, luxury, grand, fashionable, Colloq swank(y),

classy, ritzy, Slang snazzy: You ought to see what a posh

office my son has!

posit v. postulate, hypothesize, propound, put or set forth, put

forward, advance, propose, pose, offer, submit, predicate: If

we posit a downturn in prices next year, how does that affect

our profit forecasts?

position n. 1 posture, attitude, stance, pose; disposition, arrangement,

disposal: Once in a while, he would change his position so that

he faced the sun. With the pieces in this position the chess

game is a draw. 2 site, placement, situation, whereabouts,

placing, emplacement, location: Those bearings put his present

position about 20 miles west of C diz. 3 viewpoint, point of

view, outlook, attitude, angle, slant, stance, stand, opinion,

inclination, leaning, bent, sentiment, feeling, way of thinking:

My solicitor is pessimistic about my position in this case. 4

status, condition, state, circumstances, situation: Our

financial position vis-…-vis investment in gilt bonds has

changed. 5 class, caste, place, rank, standing, station, status,

importance: They insist on knowing the social position of the

girl's family. 6 job, occupation, situation, post, office,

function, appointment, capacity, place, role, Colloq billet,

berth, Australian possie or possy My mother's position as

managing director had nothing to do with my getting a promotion.

7 hypothesis, thesis, principle, contention, assertion,

predication, belief, proposition, postulate: His position is

based on the implications of the third law of thermodynamics.

--v. 8 put, place, situate, site, set, fix, settle, dispose,

arrange: The pointer is again positioned at zero. Position your

forces along this ridge and stay on full alert. 9 place, locate,

establish, determine, fix, localize: The scientists positioned

the seismic activity as being along the San Andreas fault.

positive adj. 1 sure, certain, definite, unequivocal, categorical,

absolute, unqualified, unambiguous, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, clear-cut, clear, explicit, express, decisive,

indisputable, indubitable, unquestionable, unquestioned,

incontestable, uncontested, undeniable, reliable, persuasive,

convincing, irrefutable: The police have positive evidence that

the men are innocent of any crime. Spending this evening with

you has been a positive delight. 2 definitive, emphatic,

decided, forceful, firm, peremptory, definite: He gave a

positive denial when asked if he had agreed to let the hostages

go. She made a positive commitment to meet me here at noon. 3

sure, certain, confident, convinced, satisfied: Are you

positive that the last train is at midnight? 4 beneficial,

favourable, complimentary, productive, useful: I heard many

positive things about the way she handled herself at the

interview. 5 overconfident, dogmatic, doctrinaire, pontifical,

opinionated, pigheaded, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate,

arbitrary, overweening, arrogant, assertive, dictatorial,

despotic, imperious, Rare thetic(al): His problem is that he is

quite positive about things that simply are not so. 6 practical,

realistic, utilitarian, productive, functional, pragmatic(al),

realistic, matter-of-fact, Colloq hard-nosed: They have taken a

positive approach to studying the economics of small businesses.

7 encouraging, supportive, constructive, reassuring,

enthusiastic, favourable, affirmative, yes, confirming: Our

plan to buy out the company has received a positive reaction

from our bankers. Asked if they would buy our product,

businessmen gave a positive response. 8 auspicious, promising,

propitious, encouraging; optimistic, favourable, cheerful,

confident; Colloq bullish, upbeat: In the long run, the picture

for home-owners looks positive. It pays to maintain a positive

outlook and not get depressed. 9 complete, utter, total,

perfect, out-and-out, consummate, unmitigated, thorough,

thoroughgoing; egregious, glaring, stark, sheer, outright,

unqualified, unequivocal: You were a positive idiot not to let

me know you needed help. All attempts at reconciliation ended

in positive disaster.

positively

adv. definitely, absolutely, unquestionably, certainly, (most)

assuredly, undeniably, undoubtedly, surely, to be sure,

emphatically, unmistakably or unmistakeably, unqualifiedly,

categorically, indisputably, beyond or without (a shadow of) a

doubt, indubitably, beyond question: The wine list at Le

MaŒtre's is positively the best in the area.

possess v. 1 be possessed or in possession of, have, own, enjoy, be

blessed or endowed with: In the 19th century, the family

possessed great wealth. 2 have, be born or gifted or endowed

with, contain, embody, embrace, include: He possesses a talent

to amuse people. Man does not possess as keen a sense of smell

as many animals. 3 dominate, control, govern, consume, take

control of, preoccupy, obsess; charm, captivate, enchant, cast a

spell over, bewitch, enthral: What possessed her to think that

I could help? He behaves as if he is possessed by the devil. 4

be possessed with or of. have, be held or influenced or

dominated by, be imbued or inspired or permeated or affected

with: She became possessed with the notion that she could sing.

Fiona believes herself the only person possessed of reason. 5

possess oneself of. acquire, achieve, get, come by, gain, come

into, win, obtain, procure, secure, take, seize, take or gain

possession of: Kevin has possessed himself of the only

comfortable bed in the place.

possessed adj. obsessed, driven, controlled, dominated, ridden,

bedevilled, consumed, haunted, pressed, maddened, crazed,

demented, frenzied, Colloq eaten up: He behaved like a man

possessed.

possession

n. 1 ownership, title, proprietorship, control, hold, tenure,

keeping, care, custody, guardianship, protection: The paintings

are now in my possession. 2 holding, territory, province,

dominion, colony, protectorate: How long will the Falkland

Islands remain a possession of the Crown? 3 possessions.

belongings, property, effects, chattels, assets, worldly goods,

things: The prison clerk placed all my possessions in an

envelope, explaining that they would be returned when I was

released. 4 take or gain possession of. seize, capture, take,

conquer, occupy, acquire, win, possess oneself of, secure,

obtain; repossess: The raiding party gained possession of the

port and surrounding area. The finance company has taken

possession of my car.

possessive

adj. 1 greedy, unyielding, selfish, ungiving, ungenerous,

stingy, niggardly, materialistic, covetous, acquisitive: He

refuses to see anyone, as he is very possessive of his time. 2

overprotective, controlling, grasping, dominating, domineering,

overbearing: Anyone with a possessive parent finds it difficult

to leave home.

possibility

n. 1 chance, odds, prospect, conceivability, feasibility,

plausibility, likelihood, admissibility: There is a possibility

of my leaving work early to meet you. What is the possibility

that he might be honest? They deny even the possibility of God's

existence. 2 Often, possibilities. opportunity, potentiality,

potential, capacity, promise: The old house has many large

rooms and offers great possibilities.

possible adj. 1 feasible, plausible, imaginable, conceivable, thinkable,

credible, tenable, reasonable, admissible: It is remotely

possible, though improbable, that she committed the crime. 2

realizable, practicable, workable, practical, doable,

achievable, attainable, reachable, accomplishable, viable,

Colloq on: In the present state of the art, a fully interactive

computer, operating in real time, is still not possible.

possibly adv. 1 maybe, perhaps, God willing, Deo volente, if possible,

Archaic or literary perchance, mayhap, peradventure: She is

possibly the best person for the job. 2 in any way, under any

circumstances, by any chance, by any means, at all: Could you

possibly help me find my contact lens? The weather forecast

couldn't possibly be correct.

post° n. 1 pole, stake, upright, column, pillar, pale, picket, shaft,

standard, newel, pier, pylon, pile, piling, strut, shore,

stanchion, leg, prop, stay, support, brace: A huge central post

held up the roof.

--v. 2 advertise, announce, proclaim, publish, circulate,

propagate, promulgate; put or pin or tack or stick or hang up,

affix: The notice of the meeting has been posted for all to

see.

postý n. 1 assignment, appointment, position, situation, job, place,

duty, role, function, employment, work, task, chore: Clarke was

given a post as consul in some forgotten country.

--v. 2 place, put, station, assign, appoint, position, situate,

set, locate: Guards have been posted around the enclosure.

post° n. 1 postal service, mail; delivery; collection: I am

expecting an important letter in the post. It hasn't come in the

first post.

--v. 2 send, dispatch or despatch, transmit, Chiefly US and

Canadian mail: I posted your cheque this morning. 3 record,

enter, register, list: We post the daily receipts in this

ledger. 4 keep (someone) posted. inform, advise, brief, notify,

Colloq fill (someone) in on: Our observers have kept me posted

as to your whereabouts every step of the way.

poster n. placard, notice, bill, advertisement, announcement,

broadside, broadsheet; circular, flier: Who designed that

striking poster for the new play?

posterior adj. 1 hind, rear, back, after, hinder, rearward, Nautical aft:

The posterior legs are somewhat longer. 2 later, after, latter,

ensuing, following, succeeding, subsequent: Analysis has

yielded evidence of the posterior origin of the lava.

--n. 3 buttocks, bottom, rump, seat, derriŠre, Colloq behind,

rear, backside, tail, Colloq hinie, Slang Brit bum, Taboo slang

Brit arse, US ass, butt, Yiddish tokus or tochis or tuchis: The

term describing a person with a fat posterior is 'steatopygous'.

posterity n. descendants, successors, heirs, children, offspring, issue,

progeny: It is good that these buildings will be preserved for

posterity. Posterity will be the judge of our success.

post-haste

adv. quickly, at once, without delay, immediately, directly,

straightaway, right away, promptly, speedily, swiftly,

instantly, before one can say 'Jack Robinson', before you can

say 'knife', rapidly, at full tilt, in a wink, in a trice, in

the twinkling of an eye, Colloq pronto, chop-chop, p.d.q. (=

'pretty damned quick'), US and Canadian lickety-split, like

greased lightning: He got me the report post-haste.

post-mortem

n. 1 autopsy, necropsy: We'll know the cause of death after

the post-mortem. 2 review, analysis, Slang US Monday-morning

quarterbacking: We can do without the post-mortem on every

bridge hand.

postpone v. delay, adjourn, defer, keep in abeyance, put off or aside,

lay aside, suspend, shelve, put or keep on ice, temporize,

dally, Colloq put on the back burner, US table: We ought to

postpone further discussion till we have the facts.

postponement

n. delay, adjournment, abeyance, suspension, stay, deferment,

deferral, moratorium: There has been a postponement of the

meeting till Monday.

posture n. 1 pose, position, attitude, stance, appearance, carriage:

She stood there in a defiant posture, with arms akimbo. 2

position, condition, situation, state, disposition; arrangement,

organization, layout, array, format: The government adopted a

conciliatory posture in the matter. 3 attitude, stance,

position, feeling, sentiment, outlook, (point of) view,

viewpoint, orientation, disposition, frame of mind, mood: The

interviewer tried to determine the general's posture on

disarmament.

--v. 4 pose, attitudinize, affect, put on a show, do for

effect, Colloq show off: Despite all her posturing, we believe

her to be sincere.

pot n. 1 pan, saucepan, cauldron, cook-pot, stewpot; kettle: How

many politicians have promised the people 'a chicken in every

pot'? 2 jackpot, bank, kitty: You will have to add œ5 to the

pot to see my hand. 3 pot-belly, paunch, gut, Colloq

corporation, beer belly, spare tyre, US bay window: If he

exercised more, Patrick wouldn't have such a pot.

potent adj. 1 powerful, strong; mighty, vigorous, forceful,

formidable, authoritative, influential, Literary puissant: A

potent poison will kill those weeds. We have to reckon with an

enemy that is quite potent. 2 effective, convincing, cogent,

persuasive, compelling, efficacious, telling, sound, valid,

impressive: Their argument is potent enough to convince the

biggest sceptics.

potential adj. 1 possible, likely, implicit, implied, imminent,

developing, budding, embryonic, dormant, hidden, concealed,

covert, latent, quiescent, passive, future, unrealized,

undeveloped: We are dealing with a potential threat to our

liberty.

--n. 2 capacity, capability, possibility, aptitude, potency,

Colloq the (right) stuff, what it takes: All teenagers have

potential; the problem is to teach them to exploit it to the

best advantage.

potion n. draught, brew, beverage, drink, philtre, potation, elixir,

tonic, cup, dose, concoction, decoction: The old crone gave him

a tiny bottle containing the love potion.

pot-pourri

n. mixture, medley, miscellany, assortment, olla podrida,

smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, gallimaufry, salmagundi, patchwork,

collection, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, m‚lange or

melange, motley, pastiche or pasticcio, mishmash, jumble, mess:

What a pot-pourri of styles is represented in that art gallery!

potter v. Chiefly Brit dabble (in or with), toy with, trifle with,

fribble, fool (with or about or around), fritter (away), mess

(about or around or with), tinker (with), meddle (with), monkey

(about or around or with), fidget (with), US putter (around or

with), Colloq fiddle (about or around or with), footle (around

or about): On Sundays I like to potter about in the garden.

pottery n. earthenware, ceramics, terracotta, crockery, stoneware,

porcelain, china, delftware: Ornamented pottery has been found

in pre-Columbian digs.

pouch n. pocket, sack, bag, purse, reticule, Dialect poke: A

Highlander's pouch is called a sporran. As I was going out, I

filled my tobacco pouch.

pounce v. 1 Often, pounce on or upon. spring (on or upon), leap (at or

on), swoop down (on or upon), fall upon, jump (at or on),

strike, take by surprise or unawares, attack, ambush, Colloq

mug: As I rounded the corner, three youths pounced on me, stole

my bag, and ran off.

--n. 2 spring, leap, swoop, jump: The cat was on the mantel

shelf in a single pounce.

pound° v. 1 beat, batter, pelt, hammer, pummel; thump, belabour,

thrash, bludgeon, cudgel, maul, strike, Colloq lambaste, Slang

paste, clobber, work over, give (someone) the works or a

pasting: She pounded on the door till someone came. It was

satisfying to see him pound the class bully into submission. 2

crush, powder, pulverize, bray, comminute, triturate, mash,

pulp: The corn must be pounded into a fine meal before use. 3

beat, throb, hammer, pulse, pulsate, palpitate: My heart was

pounding, waiting to see if the tiger would attack. 4 pound

into. instil, din into, drill into, drub into, hammer into, beat

into: Her parents have pounded into her that she must show

respect to her elders. 5 pound out. rid, expel, clear, cleanse,

empty, purge, beat out, hammer out: The last bit of

stubbornness was pounded out of me at school. 6 beat out;

hammer out, produce: The jungle drums pounded out the message

that Tarzan was coming.

--n. 7 pounding, beat, beating, thump, thumping: The pound of

horses' hooves heralded the arrival of the cavalry.

poundý n. enclosure, pen, compound, confine, yard: My car was towed

to the pound, and it cost a fortune to retrieve it.

pour v. 1 flow, run, gush, rush, flood, stream, course, spout,

discharge, spurt, spew out, cascade: Water was pouring from a

crack in the dam. 2 empty, discharge, let out: Pour the

boiling water over the tea leaves and let them steep for a few

minutes. 3 rain, teem, Colloq come down in buckets or by the

bucketful, bucket down, rain cats and dogs, US rain pitchforks:

It poured all night. 4 stream, swarm, crowd, throng, teem,

emerge, sally forth, issue (forth), go (forth): The show over,

people poured into the streets.

pout v. 1 mope, brood, sulk, make a moue, pull a long face, frown,

lour or lower, knit one's brows: Don't pout - I'll buy you an

ice-cream.

--n. 2 frown, moue, long face: Her pout was occasioned by her

father's scolding.

poverty n. 1 want, penury, indigence, insolvency, destitution,

pauperism, impecuniousness, neediness, beggary: Her childhood

was spent in poverty. 2 scarcity, scarceness, want, need, lack,

meagreness, insufficiency, shortage, dearth, paucity,

inadequacy: They criticized the poverty of talent among the

current crop of actors.

powder n. 1 dust; talc: I couldn't remember whether the jar contained

cornflour or baking powder. She dabbed her body all over with

scented powder. 2 take a (run-out) powder. run away, abscond,

escape, vanish, disappear, Slang Brit scarper, do a moonlight

flit, US take it on the lam: The cops are coming, so I'm taking

a powder.

--v. 3 pulverize, bray, grind, crush, pound, granulate,

triturate, comminute, levigate: The rocks must first be

crushed, then powdered. 4 sprinkle, besprinkle, dust, dredge,

cover, coat: Lightly powder the top of the cake with icing

sugar, and it is ready to serve.

power n. 1 Sometimes, powers. capacity, capability, ability,

potential, faculty, competency or competence, faculty,

potentiality, Colloq what it takes, US the (right) stuff, the

goods: Fishes have the power to change their buoyancy. He has

remarkable powers of observation. 2 control, dominance,

authority, mastery, rule, influence, sway, command, ascendancy,

sovereignty, dominion, weight, clout, Colloq pull, US drag: He

maintains a Svengali-like power over her. The prime minister has

the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers. 3 control,

command, authority: The party might not be in power for very

long. 4 strength, might, vigour, energy, force, mightiness,

potency, forcefulness, brawn, muscle, Literary puissance: His

speech was delivered with great power and a certain wit. Has she

the power it takes to toss the caber? 5 talent, skill, ability,

faculty, gift, aptitude, genius, knack: They say that she has

the power to see into the future. 6 authority, licence, right,

authorization, privilege, warrant, prerogative: By the power

vested in me, I now declare you man and wife. It is within her

power to grant a stay of execution. 7 Often, powers. activity,

effectiveness, effect, ability, capacity, active ingredient(s):

This mushroom has hallucinogenic powers. 8 energy, momentum,

impetus, drive, force, inertia: The car rolled halfway up the

next hill under its own power. 9 (mechanical or electrical or

atomic) energy, electricity, fuel: Yesterday there was another

demonstration against the use of nuclear power. 10 powers that

be. government, administration, authorities, incumbents: It is

up to the powers that be to investigate corruption.

powerful adj. 1 potent, strong, mighty, vigorous, robust, energetic,

sturdy, stalwart, tough, resilient, dynamic: Leslie has a

powerful physique. The cities of the Hanseatic League had

powerful economies. 2 influential, strong, compelling, forceful,

potent, substantial, weighty, authoritative, effective;

important, impressive, telling, effectual, formidable,

persuasive: Powerful arguments have been brought to bear

against taking such action. She has many powerful friends. 3

strong, potent; intense, substantial, great, high: The drug is

too powerful to be taken regularly. A powerful electrical charge

was sent through the wire to test the connection.

powerless adj. 1 helpless, incapable, unable, unfit, incompetent,

ineffectual, ineffective: Without his wand, the magician was

powerless. 2 incapacitated, helpless, weak, feeble,

debilitated, crippled, paralysed, disabled: He is completely

powerless without the use of his right hand.

16.7 practicable...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

practicable

adj. doable, feasible, workable, performable, achievable,

attainable, accomplishable, possible, viable: We climbed up the

glacier as far as was practicable. At last we had a practicable

flying machine.

practical adj. 1 pragmatic, useful, usable or useable, functional,

realistic, reasonable, sound, utilitarian, applicable,

serviceable, empirical, efficient: Whether the device is

practical will depend on its cost effectiveness. 2 sensible,

reasonable, common-sense or common-sensical, everyday, ordinary,

down-to-earth, expedient, matter-of-fact, mundane,

business-like, hard-headed, judicious, Colloq hard-nosed: Put

theory aside and focus on a practical solution to the problem.

3 applied, field, hands-on, personal, everyday: She has had

practical experience in nursing the elderly.

practically

adv. 1 almost, (very) nearly, wellnigh, virtually, in effect,

just about, essentially, fundamentally, at bottom, basically,

when all is said and done, at the end of the day, to all intents

and purposes: We are practically there. I have practically

finished the ironing. 2 realistically, matter-of-factly,

clearly, simply, reasonably, rationally, sensibly: Practically,

there was nothing to be done except let the fire burn itself

out.

practice n. 1 custom, wont, habit, routine, convention, tradition, rule,

procedure, usage, mode, style, way, modus operandi, technique or

technic, Formal praxis, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'): She

makes a practice of swimming for an hour every day. It is our

practice to get patients out of bed as soon as possible after

surgery. 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. 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. 4 in practice. practically,

actually, day-to-day, realistically, in real life: In practice

no one would ever treat an injury the way this book recommends.

5 out of practice. inexperienced, unpractised, unaccustomed,

rusty: I once played a good game of chess, but I'm out of

practice now.

practise v. 1 drill, exercise, work out, train, prepare, rehearse, run

through, repeat, study, US practice: I am practising for

Sunday's tennis tournament. She practises the piano every day.

You should practise your routine for the show. 2 carry on, make

a practice of, perform, do, act, carry out, put into practice,

US practice: She practises law. You should practise what you

preach.

practised adj. 1 accomplished, proficient, expert, skilled, experienced,

capable, adept, seasoned, able, qualified, gifted, talented,

skilful, masterful, consummate, superb, superior, US practiced:

She is a practised liar. 2 trained, rehearsed, versed,

cultivated, schooled, finished, perfected, US practiced: He

greeted them with the practised air of an veteran diplomat.

praise n. 1 acclaim, approval, approbation, applause, plaudits, kudos,

endorsement, acclamation, tribute, accolade, compliments,

commendation, encomium, eulogy, panegyric, ovation: Sheila has

received well-deserved praise for her work with paraplegic

children. Would you expect me to sing the praises of my rival? 2

honour, glorification, adoration, exaltation, devotion, homage,

worship, veneration, adulation, reverence, glory, hymn or song

of praise, paean, hosanna: The king rejoiced and said, 'Praise

be to God'.

--v. 3 acclaim, approve, laud, applaud, endorse, pay tribute

to, compliment, commend, eulogize, extol, honour, sing the

praises (of): The speaker praised Read for his many

contributions to linguistics. 4 worship, revere, reverence,

exalt, glorify, adore, pay homage to, venerate, give thanks to,

hallow: Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

praiseworthy

adj. commendable, laudable, admirable, creditable, worthy,

meritorious, deserving, exemplary: However praiseworthy your

motives were, you did not stop to consider the consequences.

prance v. caper, dance, gambol, skip, cavort, romp, leap, frisk, jump,

spring, bound, Dressage curvet, capriole: Ahead of the royal

coach came a dozen riders on prancing horses.

prank n. trick, (practical) joke, frolic, escapade, antic, caper,

stunt, lark, jest, jape, monkey tricks or esp. US monkeyshines,

mischief: Those schoolboy pranks we once thought hilarious now

seem quite silly.

prattle v. 1 prate, babble, blather or blether, blither, gibber,

jabber, jibber-jabber, palaver, tattle, twaddle, gabble,

chatter, patter, drivel, twitter, rattle on, go on (and on),

maunder, Brit natter, Colloq witter (on), gas, gab, spout, gush,

run (on), US run off at the mouth, Slang jaw, ya(c)k,

ya(c)kety-ya(c)k, shoot off one's mouth: Do I have to listen to

him prattle on and on about his grandchildren?

--n. 2 prate, prating, babble, babbling, blather or blether,

blathering or blethering, gibber, gibbering, jabber, jabbering,

palaver, palavering, tattle, tattling, twaddle, chatter,

chattering, gabble, gabbling, patter, drivel, twitter,

twittering, rattling on, going on, maundering, cackle, US

jibber-jabbering, twattle, clack, Colloq gas, gab, running off

at the mouth, Slang jawing, ya(c)kety-ya(c)k: We were treated

to constant prattle about eating healthy foods. 3 jabberwocky,

gobbledegook or gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo, rubbish, balderdash,

(stuff and) nonsense, humbug, bunkum, tommy-rot, trash, rot,

foolishness, Colloq pish and tush, hot air, flapdoodle,

rigmarole or rigamarole, bunk, piffle, moonshine, poppycock,

claptrap, bull, hogwash, swill, Brit tosh, fiddle-faddle,

boloney, Chiefly US garbage, horse feathers, Slang crap, hooey,

guff, Taboo slang bullshit, US crock (of shit): What they told

you about guaranteeing your job is just a lot of prattle.

pray v. 1 beseech, ask, call upon or on, entreat, implore, request,

appeal to, plead (with), beg (for), importune, solicit,

petition, supplicate, Rare obsecrate: I pray you to find it in

your heart to approve my work. 2 say one's prayers, offer a

prayer: We prayed for her safe return.

prayer n. 1 petition, supplication, request, entreaty, plea, suit,

appeal, Rare obsecration: Our prayers were answered, and she

returned safely. 2 devotion, praying, invocation, (divine)

service, Literary orison: Man ascends to God through prayer.

preach v. 1 deliver a sermon, evangelize, spread the Word or the

Gospel; catechize: The Most Reverend John Attwood will preach

next week at Winchester. 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.

preacher n. minister, evangelist, clergyman, clergywoman, cleric,

ecclesiastic, reverend, divine, Colloq tub-thumper: He studied

for many years to become a preacher.

preamble n. introduction, foreword, prologue, preface, Formal proem,

prolegomenon, exordium: As a preamble to today's proceedings, I

should like to welcome our honoured guests.

precarious

adj. uncertain, unreliable, unsure, risky, hazardous,

unpredictable, insecure, unstable, unsteady, unsettled, shaky,

doubtful, dubious, questionable, tricky, delicate, ticklish,

sensitive, slippery, touch-and-go, (hanging) in the balance,

hanging by a thread, Damoclean, perilous, treacherous,

dangerous, difficult, problematic, Colloq chancy, Brit dodgy,

dicey, US iffy, Slang hairy: If sales continue to drop, the

company will be in precarious condition. We followed a

precarious trail down the mountainside.

precaution

n. 1 provision, preventive measure, safety measure, safeguard,

insurance, protection, cover, escape: Unfortunately, he had

failed to take any precautions against storm damage. 2

foresight, prudence, providence, forethought, caution,

cautiousness, circumspection, care, attention, watchfulness,

vigilance, alertness, wariness, chariness, apprehension,

far-sightedness, anticipation: Precaution is wiser than

hindsight.

precede v. come or go or proceed before or first, go ahead or in

advance (of), lead (the way), pave the way (for), herald, usher

in, introduce, antecede; foreshadow, antedate, predate: His

wife preceded him into the room. The Decameron preceded The

Canterbury Tales by about fifty years.

precedence

n. precedency, priority, pre-eminence, superiority, supremacy,

preference, privilege, prerogative, importance, rank, position,

primacy: Your school work must take precedence over football

practice.

precedent n. prototype, model, example, exemplar, pattern, paradigm,

yardstick, criterion, standard, lead: The French considered the

War of American Independence a precedent for their revolution.

preceding adj. foregoing, former, previous, above, prior, earlier,

above-mentioned, aforementioned, above-stated, above-named: The

defendant in the preceding action was remanded in custody for a

week.

precept n. 1 rule, guide, principle, unwritten law, canon, guideline,

dictate, code, injunction, law, commandment, instruction,

injunction, directive, prescription, mandate, charge; statute,

regulation, edict, ukase, decree, order, fiat, ordinance: The

Ten Commandments provide basic precepts of moral behaviour. 2

maxim, proverb, axiom, motto, slogan, saying, byword, aphorism,

apophthegm or apothegm: Does anyone follow the precepts set

forth in Scripture?

precinct n. 1 Usually, precincts. area, territory, region, province,

environs, purlieus, borders, bounds, confines: Does he have any

authority outside the precincts of the city? 2 sphere,

neighbourhood, zone, sector, section, quarter, district, locale:

In some US cities, the area covered by a police station is

called a precinct.

precious adj. 1 dear, dearest, costly, expensive, high-priced, valuable,

invaluable, prized, priceless, irreplaceable, Colloq pricey:

The entire cabinet was filled with precious jewels. 2 esteemed,

choice, cherished, beloved, idolized, adored, loved, valued,

prized, revered, venerated, venerable, hallowed: The church

keeps its most precious relics in a special vault. 3 precise,

exquisite, overrefined, chichi, over-nice, studied, artificial,

effete, affected, overdone, pretentious, euphuistic,

alembicated, Colloq Brit twee, Slang US cutesy: His style is

characterized by somewhat precious language.

precipice n. cliff, escarpment, bluff, crag: We looked nervously over

the edge of the precipice at the raging sea below.

precipitate

v. 1 accelerate, hasten, speed (up), advance, hurry, quicken,

expedite, bring on or about, trigger, provoke, instigate,

incite, facilitate, further, press, push forward: The rise in

interest rates precipitated many bankruptcies. 2 hurl, fling,

cast, launch, project: The force of the impact precipitated him

through the windscreen.

--adj. 3 headlong, violent, rapid, swift, quick, speedy,

meteoric, fast: A powerful counter-attack brought about the

enemy's precipitate rout. 4 sudden, abrupt, unannounced,

unexpected, unanticipated: Today's fall in share prices was as

precipitate as yesterday's rise. 5 rash, impetuous, hasty,

volatile, hotheaded, careless, reckless, incautious,

injudicious, foolhardy, impulsive, unrestrained: The selection

of a career should not be a precipitate decision.

precipitation

n. showers, drizzle, downpour, rain, rainfall, snow, snowfall,

hail, sleet: Precipitation can be expected in advance of the

low-pressure area pushing down from the north.

precipitous

adj. 1 abrupt, steep, perpendicular, sheer, bluff, acclivitous,

declivitous: I cannot see how anyone can climb up the

precipitous face of that crag. 2 See precipitate, 5, above.

pr‚cis n. outline, summary, synopsis, aper‡u, r‚sum‚, conspectus,

survey, overview, abstract, abridgement, digest, compendium,

recapitulation; table of contents: As I haven't the time to

read the entire study document, let me have a pr‚cis of it.

precise adj. 1 correct, exact, definite, well-defined, explicit,

word-for-word, verbatim, literal, letter-for-letter, literatim,

faithful, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal, strict, authentic,

perfect, true, veracious, truthful, unerring, error-free,

accurate: Errors show that medieval scribes did not always

succeed in making precise copies. 2 strict, meticulous,

scrupulous, careful, conscientious, exact, unconditional,

rigorous, rigid, puritanical, unbending, inflexible, unyielding,

demanding, severe, prim, absolute: He has been very precise

about dates and facts. Margaret is precise in insisting on

obedience to her orders. 3 fastidious, particular, finicky,

finical, fussy, meticulous, scrupulous, careful, conscientious,

nice, exacting, critical, demanding: Painting miniatures is

very precise work. 4 exact, very: This is the precise spot

where I found the body.

precisely adv. 1 exactly, just, strictly, Colloq on the nail, smack,

slap, on the nose, Brit bang on, spot on: His view is precisely

the opposite of hers. We left precisely at five o'clock. You

phoned, and that is precisely why I came. The two paintings are

not precisely the same. 2 exactly, exactingly, correctly,

rigorously, absolutely, punctiliously, minutely, carefully,

meticulously, scrupulously, conscientiously, strictly, rigidly,

inflexibly; in all respects, in every way: This judge follows

the letter of the law precisely.

precision n. 1 correctness, exactness, fidelity, faithfulness,

exactitude, preciseness, accuracy, rigour, perfection,

flawlessness, faultlessness, literalism, faithfulness,

unerringness: This copy follows the original with precision. 2

definiteness, care, nicety, meticulousness, rigorousness,

rigour, fastidiousness, punctiliousness, scrupulousness,

unambiguousness, nicety, strictness, explicitness: The

precision of the wording leaves no doubt about what the writer

intended.

preclude v. obviate, bar, prevent, stop, exclude, prohibit, shut out,

forestall, rule out, debar, check, block, obstruct, avert,

avoid, thwart, frustrate, impede, inhibit, hinder, interfere

with: To preclude misunderstanding, please repeat what you

said. They may not engage in activities that preclude them from

performing their regular duties.

precocious

adj. advanced, mature, bright, gifted, intelligent, smart,

quick: It is hard to believe that Oliver was a precocious

child.

preconceived

adj. beforehand, predisposed, prejudged, predetermined,

prejudiced, biased, anticipatory: He has many false

preconceived notions about people.

preconception

n. predisposition, prejudgement, predetermination, prejudice,

bias, presumption, presupposition, assumption, id‚e fixe,

prepossession, preconceived notion or idea: This production of

King Lear will challenge your preconceptions of the play.

precondition

n. prerequisite, stipulation, condition, essential, must, sine

qua non, imperative, requirement, proviso, provision,

qualification, necessity: The release of the prisoners is a

precondition for talks. Is great humanity a precondition of

great music, or is it just a matter of the notes?

precursor n. 1 harbinger, herald, vanguard: The glow on the eastern

horizon is the precursor of another day. 2 See predecessor, 1,

below

predatory adj. 1 predacious or predaceous, carnivorous, preying,

raptorial: Despite domestication, dogs and cats are predatory

animals. 2 rapacious, ravenous, plundering, robbing, pillaging,

marauding, despoiling, looting, piratical, vulturine,

avaricious, greedy, voracious, larcenous, thieving,

extortionate, usurious: Predatory pirates once ravaged the

Mediterranean. Keep out of the hands of predatory money-lenders,

my son.

predecessor

n. 1 forerunner, predecessor, antecedent: I could not match

the accomplishments of my predecessor in this post. 2 forebear,

forefather, ancestor, antecedent: Can you name the Tudor

predecessors of Elizabeth I?

predestination

n. destiny, future, lot, fortune, kismet, karma; doom, fate;

foreordainment, foreordination: Meeting like this must have

been predestination.

predetermined

adj. 1 fixed, prearranged, pre-established, set (up), foregone,

preplanned, pre-set: A predetermined amount of milk is

automatically poured into each cup of coffee. 2 fated, doomed,

destined, ordained, foreordained, Colloq cut and dried, Brit on

the cards, US in the cards: One gets the feeling that the

outcome was predetermined.

predicament

n. dilemma, quandary, difficulty, trial, situation, state,

condition, imbroglio, emergency, crisis, impasse, Colloq pickle,

jam, fix, pinch, scrape, spot, bind, corner, hole, mess, US box:

I was hoping that you might help me out of a very awkward

predicament.

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!

predictable

adj. foreseeable, foreseen, probable, likely, liable, expected,

anticipated, (reasonably) sure or certain, Colloq Brit on the

cards, US in the cards: Her angry reaction at being dismissed

was quite predictable.

prediction

n. forecast, prophecy, augury, prognosis; intimation, hint,

suggestion: The weatherman's predictions are more accurate than

one might think. The prediction that he might be released the

next day did not come true.

predominance

n. predominancy, superiority, influence, dominance,

pre-eminence, preponderance, ascendancy, precedence, power,

supremacy, hold, sway, hegemony, leadership, mastery, control,

dominion, sovereignty, transcendence or transcendency,

authority, the upper hand, the whip hand, advantage, the edge:

We must re-establish the predominance of intellectual vigour

over crass commercialism.

predominant

adj. dominant, predominating, controlling, sovereign, ruling,

pre-eminent, preponderant, ascendant, superior, supreme,

leading, paramount, main, chief, transcendant, important,

telling, influential, primary, prevailing, prevalent: England

was the predominant power in the world during the 19th century.

The phlogiston theory was once predominant among scientists.

predominate

v. Often, predominate over. dominate, control, rule, reign,

preponderate, outweigh, obtain, prevail, overshadow, get or have

the upper hand, lord it over, hold sway, overrule: Though the

American president is a Republican, the Democrats predominate in

Congress.

pre-eminence

n. 1 See predominance, above. 2 peerlessness, magnificence,

excellence, distinction, eminence, inimitability, superiority:

There is no gainsaying the pre-eminence of Shakespeare as a poet

and playwright.

pre-eminent

adj. 1 See predominant, above. 2 peerless, excellent,

distinguished, eminent, inimitable, superb, unequalled,

matchless, incomparable, outstanding, unique, unrivalled,

unsurpassed, supreme, superior: In her opinion, Craig is the

pre-eminent authority on the subject.

pre-eminently

adv. primarily, principally, by far, far and away, manifestly,

eminently, notably, conspicuously, prominently, signally,

uniquely, extraordinarily, supremely, superbly, matchlessly,

incomparably, outstandingly: There is no doubt that Nathalie is

pre-eminently qualified to direct the play.

pre-empt v. appropriate, usurp, arrogate, take over, assume, take

possession of, seize, acquire, take, possess, expropriate: All

the seats on the committee had been pre-empted by the ruling

faction.

preen v. 1 trim, clean, plume, groom: The gliding swans stopped now

and then to preen their feathers. 2 primp, dress up, titivate

or tittivate, prettify, beautify, prink, spruce up, deck (out),

Colloq doll up, Brit tart up: He made Sonia wait while he

preened himself before the mirror.

preface n. 1 introduction, foreword, prologue, preamble, Formal proem,

prolegomenon, exordium: By way of preface, I should like to say

how happy I am to be here. The preface to the book is far too

long.

--v. 2 precede, introduce, prefix, begin, open: The speaker

prefaced his acceptance speech with a tribute to his

predecessor.

prefatory adj. opening, introductory, preliminary, preparatory: Would

you like to make a few prefatory remarks introducing this

evening's speaker?

prefer v. 1 favour, like better, fancy, lean or incline towards or on

the side of, be inclined, be partial to, pick, select, opt for,

choose, single out, take a fancy to, embrace, espouse, approve,

esteem: Which flavour do you prefer, chocolate or coffee? I

should prefer to take my own car. 2 present, offer, propose,

proffer, advance, submit, tender, put forward, file, lodge,

enter: They preferred charges against the hooligans for

criminal damage.

preference

n. 1 favourite, choice, selection, desire, option, pick: My

preference is the Dover sole meuniŠre. 2 partiality,

proclivity, prejudice, favouritism, predilection, liking, fancy,

predisposition, bent, inclination, leaning: She shows a marked

preference for short men.

preferential

adj. advantageous, biased, prejudiced, favourable, privileged,

partial, better, favoured, superior: What entitles her to

preferential treatment?

pregnant adj. 1 gravid, parturient, expectant, (heavy) with child,

enceinte, Colloq expecting, in a family way, Brit preggers,

Slang having a bun in the oven, Brit in the (pudding) club, up

the spout: Her twins are only seven months old and now she's

pregnant again. 2 charged, fraught, loaded, weighty,

significant, meaningful, suggestive, eloquent, expressive,

pointed: Although she said nothing, her smile was pregnant with

meaning. 3 fruitful, teeming, fertile, fecund, rich, abounding,

replete, productive: My mind was so pregnant with ideas that I

couldn't wait to get down to work.

prehistoric

adj. 1 primordial, primal, primeval, primitive, earliest,

early, antediluvian, Noachian or Noachic, fossil, ancient: The

prehistoric remains of yet another skeleton have been found in

the peat bogs. 2 antiquated, out-dated, old-fashioned, pass‚:

My mother makes me wear these absolutely prehistoric clothes to

school.

prejudice n. 1 partiality, preconception, prejudgement, bias, leaning,

warp, twist, preconceived notion, predisposition, predilection,

jaundiced eye, jaundice: The judge showed an unfortunate

prejudice against my client. 2 bigotry, unfairness, bias,

partisanship, favouritism, cronyism, discrimination,

intolerance, inequality; racism, racialism, apartheid, Jim

Crowism, sexism, (male) chauvinism: There is still prejudice

against many minority groups in society.

--v. 3 bias, influence, warp, twist, distort, slant; colour,

jaundice, poison: Stop trying to prejudice me against the book,

and let me form my own opinion. Are you prejudiced in favour of

Anita's getting the job?

prejudiced

adj. 1 unfair, one-sided, biased, jaundiced, opinionated,

predisposed, partial, partisan, non-objective, unobjective: The

prosecution objected to him as a prejudiced witness. 2 bigoted,

intolerant, narrow-minded, closed-minded, parochial, sexist,

racist, chauvinistic: We have no room in our organization for

people who are prejudiced.

prejudicial

adj. injurious, damaging, detrimental, harmful, unfavourable,

inimical, deleterious, disadvantageous, counter-productive,

pernicious: Such an investment decision might prove prejudicial

to her financial security.

preliminary

adj. 1 advance, prior, introductory, beginning, initial,

opening, preparatory, prefatory, preceding, antecedent,

forerunning; premonitory; Formal or technical prodromal or

prodromic: The preliminary design for the swimming-pool is

ready. After some preliminary remarks, the ceremonies got under

way.

--n. 2 introduction, beginning, opening, preparation,

groundwork, prelude, precedence; overture: We insist on

rigorous training as a preliminary to working in the field. 3

prelims. Rarely, preliminaries. introduction, preface, foreword,

preamble, prologue, front matter, Formal proem, exordium,

prolegomenon, prodromus, prodrome: The manuscript is finished

and we are waiting for the prelims.

premature adj. 1 immature, undeveloped, underdeveloped, unfledged,

untimely, unready, early, unripe, green: Much premature fruit

has been blown down in the winds. 2 hasty, untimely, ill-timed,

too early, too soon, beforehand, unseasonable, overhasty,

impulsive, inopportune: The post may be slow, but still I think

September a bit premature to send Christmas cards. The discovery

that money was missing accounts for his premature departure.

prematurely

adv. 1 untimely, too soon, too early: He died prematurely at

the age of 46. 2 rashly, (over-)hastily, at half-cock,

half-cocked: She dismissed him prematurely, before he had the

time to prove himself. The gun went off prematurely, with no

chance to aim it.

premeditated

adj. planned, conscious, intentional, intended, wilful,

deliberate, studied, purposive; contrived, preplanned,

calculated, preconceived: The murder was coldly premeditated. I

admit to being wrong, and I have no premeditated excuses.

premier n. 1 prime minister, PM, head of state, chief executive,

president, chancellor: The premiers of the Commonwealth met at

Kuala Lumpur in 1989.

--adj. 2 first, prime, primary, chief, principal, head, main,

foremost, top-ranking, highest-ranking, ranking, leading, top,

pre-eminent: He is the premier expert in his field.

premiŠre n. 1 premiere, first night, opening (night), debut: The

premiŠre of A‹da was at the opening of the Suez Canal.

--v. 2 open, debut: The film will premiŠre at the Festival

Cinema tomorrow.

--adj. 3 opening, debut, first, original, initial: The

premiŠre West-End performance is scheduled for May after a

provincial tour.

premise n. 1 premiss, assumption, proposition, postulate, hypothesis,

conjecture, assertion, supposition, thesis, presupposition,

proposal, theorem, surmise, basis, ground: He started out with

the premise that time had a beginning and will have an end.

--v. 2 assume, propose, postulate, hypothesize, hypothecate,

conjecture, posit, assert, suppose, presuppose, theorize,

surmise, put or set forth, predicate, argue: If you accept what

Einstein premised in the Special Theory of Relativity, then you

accept that space is curved.

premium n. 1 bonus, extra, dividend, prize, award, reward, perquisite:

In our slimming competition, a premium will be paid for each

pound that you lose beyond five. 2 incentive, inducement,

stimulus, incitement, lure, bait, spur, goad, reward, Colloq

come-on, Slang US and Canadian freebie: Many Building Societies

offer premiums to first-time buyers. 3 value, importance,

regard, stock, store, appreciation: We place a premium on the

way our staff treat customers. 4 at a premium. a scarce, rare,

scant, scanty, sparse, hard to come by, in short supply, Colloq

scarce as hen's teeth, Chiefly Brit thin on the ground:

Proficient, literate, experienced editors are at a premium these

days. b costly, expensive, dear, high-priced, Colloq steep,

stiff: The convertible model of this car is at a premium.

premonition

n. intuition, foreboding, presentiment, forewarning, suspicion,

feeling, hunch, Colloq funny feeling, sneaking suspicion: I had

a premonition that something terribly evil was lurking in store

for me.

preoccupied

adj. 1 engrossed, lost in thought, rapt, thoughtful, pensive,

absorbed, cogitating, cogitative, meditating, musing,

reflecting, reflective, contemplative, contemplating, pondering,

brooding, ruminating, in a brown study: John is preoccupied,

thinking about the speech he has to deliver tonight. 2 vague,

offhand, far-away, absent-minded, abstracted, oblivious,

unaware, wrapped up, immersed, inattentive, distracted,

distrait, Colloq turned off, US out of it: From her preoccupied

air it was obvious that something was wrong.

preparation

n. 1 Often, preparations. a groundwork, spadework,

provision(s), foundation, preparing, measures, proceedings:

Nothing will interfere with our preparation for the royal visit.

b plans, arrangements: We are making preparations to leave

tomorrow. 2 fitness, readiness, readying, preparing, training,

education, teaching, instruction, instructing, tuition,

briefing, grooming, Colloq gearing up, prep, US prepping: The

preparation of the students was your responsibility. 3 drawing

up, draughting, planning, setting up, putting together,

organizing, organization, composing, making: How is your

preparation of the new proposal coming along? 4 work,

preparing, getting ready, study, studying, practising, practice,

Colloq cramming, Brit swotting: All my preparation for the exam

was to no avail. 5 substance, compound, concoction, mixture,

product, material, stuff, composition: This preparation is a

furniture wax, not a suntan lotion.

preparatory

adj. 1 preparative, preliminary, introductory, prefatory,

opening: After some preparatory warnings about safety, the

scuba-diving lessons began. 2 elementary, basic, essential,

fundamental, primary, rudimentary: His preparatory training

left him ill equipped to deal with such a major problem. 3

preparatory to. before, in preparation for, preceding:

Preparatory to the mission, we were briefed by MI5.

prepare v. 1 (get or make) ready, prime, arrange, (put in) order,

organize, provide for, make provision(s) for, lay the groundwork

(for), (make) fit, fit (out), equip, outfit, adapt: Have you

prepared adequately for the meeting? We prepared the house to

receive guests. 2 train, (get or make) ready, study, practise,

Colloq cram, Brit swot, get up: He is preparing to take an

exam. 3 train, educate, teach, (get or make) ready, groom,

brief, develop: Her mother is preparing her for the next

Olympics. 4 cook (up), make, do, Colloq whip up, US and

Canadian fix: I shall prepare dinner for eight o'clock. 5

manufacture, fabricate, produce, make, put out, build,

construct, assemble, put together, turn out, fashion, forge,

mould: Our company prepares components for the printing

industry. 6 brace, strengthen, steel, fortify, ready: When I

saw the doctor's face, I prepared myself for bad news. 7

process, produce, make, treat, change, modify, transform: This

fabric has been specially prepared to repel stains.

prepared adj. 1 ready, set, advance, prearranged, planned: We have six

prepared questions for the interview. 2 treated, processed,

modified, changed: Using an etching needle, incise the lines on

the prepared surface of the steel plate. 3 willing, disposed,

predisposed, able, inclined, of a mind; ready, (all) set: Are

you prepared to apologize? 4 oven-ready, microwave-ready,

microwavable, instant, convenience, ready-to-eat,

ready-to-serve, precooked, ready-made: He lives alone and

usually buys prepared dinners that just need reheating.

preparedness

n. vigilance, alertness, readiness, fitness: The armed forces

were kept in a continuous state of preparedness.

preponderance

n. 1 majority, greater part, bulk, mass, lion's share: The

preponderance of voters want a change of government. 2 weight,

influence, weightiness, superiority, supremacy, predominance,

primacy, ascendancy, sway, strength, force, power, advantage,

control, authority, hegemony, leadership, rule: Good has always

appeared to have an incontestable preponderance over evil.

prepossessing

adj. attractive, appealing, pleasing, favourable, engaging,

charming, captivating, fascinating, winsome, winning, magnetic,

alluring, bewitching, taking, fetching, inviting, good-looking,

handsome, lovely, beautiful: She is a woman of prepossessing

appearance and a delightful nature.

preposterous

adj. absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, risible,

asinine, foolish, senseless, irrational, nonsensical, fatuous,

fatuitous, mindless, insane, crazy, crack-brained, mad, idiotic,

moronic, imbecilic, incredible, unbelievable, outrageous,

extravagant, extraordinary, extreme, exorbitant, outlandish,

outr‚, weird, bizarre, Slang barmy, nutty, screwy, batty, dotty,

wacky, loony, cuckoo, US balmy: To claim that it is all my

fault is simply preposterous!

prerequisite

adj. 1 essential, necessary, requisite, imperative,

indispensable, obligatory, required, called-for, demanded:

Naval service is a prerequisite condition for joining the club.

--n. 2 precondition, requirement, qualification, requisite,

condition, sine qua non, proviso, provision, necessity: A

thorough grounding in mathematics is a prerequisite for the

study of advanced physics.

prerogative

n. privilege, right, liberty, power, due, advantage, licence,

franchise, claim, sanction, authority, authorization: As

managing director, she exercises her prerogative to park her car

closest to the door.

prescribe v. ordain, order, direct, dictate, demand, decree, require,

enjoin, rule, set (down), stipulate, command, instruct, define,

specify, impose, lay down, exact, constrain: The doctor

prescribed rest. An independent journalist, Healey would not let

anyone prescribe what he could or could not write.

prescription

n. 1 formula, recipe, instruction, direction: The prescription

is for three tablets a day, and this dose must not be exceeded.

2 remedy, medication, medicine, drug, preparation, medicament:

That prescription had no effect at all on my headache.

prescriptive

adj. dictatorial, constrictive, didactic, restrictive,

dogmatic, authoritarian, overbearing, autocratic, imperious: As

grammar is a description of how language works, it cannot be

prescriptive.

presence n. 1 proximity, nearness, closeness, adjacency, vicinity,

Formal propinquity: The presence of a hospital near her home

made Aunt Mary feel more secure. 2 attendance, company,

companionship, society, association, existence, manifestation,

manifestness, being: The Queen honoured us by her presence at

the unveiling of the plaque. 3 poise, self-assurance, bearing,

self-possession, confidence, mien, carriage, comportment,

deportment, air, personality, aspect, aura, appearance: When

Geoffrey entered, his presence created quite a stir. 4 spirit,

wraith, spectre, shade: I had the vague but pervading sense

that a unidentifiable presence was with me in the empty room. 5

presence of mind. aplomb, sophistication, coolness,

cool-headedness, composure, imperturbability, phlegm,

sang-froid, self-possession, self-assurance, calm, equanimity,

level-headedness, quick-wittedness, alertness, Colloq cool:

With great presence of mind, Grainger walked up to the man and

took the gun from him.

present° adj. 1 current, contemporary, present-day, existing, existent,

up to date, Colloq now: Do you understand the present

generation? 2 nearby, nearest, immediate, closest, adjacent,

proximate, propinquitous; close, remaining; accounted for:

Everybody has been awful to me - present company excepted. All

those present heard what she said to me.

--n. 3 at present. (right or just) now, for the time being, for

the present, today, these days, Non-Standard presently, Colloq

at this point in time: I am not ready to invest at present. 4

the present. the time being, the moment, the hour, the nonce,

this juncture, these days, our times; today, (right) now,

nowadays; Colloq this point in time: She lives for the present,

and never thinks of the consequences.

presentý n. 1 gift: May I open my birthday presents now? 2 donation,

offering, bounty, grant, largesse, contribution, endowment:

I'll make you a present of the painting if you like it. 3 tip,

gratuity, pourboire, baksheesh or backsheesh, bonus; alms,

hand-out, dole, aid, allowance: She gave the maŒtre d'h“tel a

present for looking after us so well.

--v. 4 introduce, acquaint with, make known: I'd like to

present my wife, Cordelia, who has been looking forward to

meeting you. 5 offer, give, stage, show, exhibit, put on (show),

mount, produce: The local players will present a new production

of Blithe Spirit tonight. 6 give (out), award, confer (on),

bestow (on), turn or hand over, grant, provide, furnish;

dispense, distribute, dole out, pass out, deal out, mete out:

They presented her with a prize for the best poem. Is it tonight

that they present the awards? 7 offer, bring (in or up),

proffer, tender, introduce, produce, submit, set or put forth,

put forward, adduce; register, file, record: The lawyer for the

defence presented evidence of his client's alibi. 8 introduce,

announce, Brit compŠre, Colloq emcee: And here, to present our

show, is the inimitable Reginald Norton!

presentable

adj. 1 fit, fitting, suitable, acceptable, satisfactory,

adequate, passable, tolerable, admissible, all right, allowable,

up to par or standard or the mark, good enough, Colloq up to

scratch, OK or okay, up to snuff: Whether that argument is

presentable in a court of law is disputable. 2 decent, proper,

polite, decorous, respectable, well-bred, well-mannered, fit to

be seen: After a bath, shave, and change of clothing he looked

quite presentable.

presentation

n. 1 giving, bestowal, offering, proffering, presenting, award,

awarding, conferral, conferring, delivery; donation: The

presentation of the prizes will be at the annual dinner. 2

appearance, image, display, visual(s), spectacle, show,

performance, demonstration, production: The text of the

proposal was fine, but the presentation could be improved. 3

debut, launch, introduction, unveiling, disclosure: We attended

the presentation of the latest electric car.

presently adv. soon, by and by, in a little while, shortly, after a short

time, in due course, after a while or a time, before long, in a

moment or a minute or a while, Archaic or literary anon, Colloq

in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), Non-Standard now,

at present: The show opens presently in the West End. I shall

be with you presently.

preservation

n. 1 upkeep, maintenance, care, conservation: The preservation

of old paintings has become an art in itself. 2 keeping,

retention, retaining, perpetuation, perpetuating, continuation,

safe keeping, security, safeguarding, protection, protecting,

conservation: Several charities are dedicated to the

preservation of our heritage.

preserve v. 1 keep safe, protect, guard, take care of, care for,

safeguard, watch over, shield, shelter, defend, spare: What can

we do to preserve ourselves from this terrible pestilence? May

God preserve me, I never expected to see you again! 2 keep (up),

maintain, conserve, spare, perpetuate; continue, support,

sustain, save: We developed a technique to preserve antique

furniture. The sea preserves much of the heat it absorbs in the

summer. It is difficult to preserve one's sanity in this

madhouse. 3 conserve, put up, pickle, cure, smoke, kipper, salt,

corn, marinate, can, freeze, freeze-dry, refrigerate, dry,

dehydrate, vacuum-pack; embalm, mummify: The berries were

preserved by bottling and freezing. Some of the remains were

preserved for hundreds of years.

--n. 4 Often, preserves. conserve(s), jam, jelly, confiture,

marmalade: Susan likes thick toast with butter and preserves

for tea. 5 (game) reserve, reservation, sanctuary, Brit park:

No hunting is allowed in this preserve.

preside v. supervise, run, oversee, direct, operate, lead, head (up),

govern, rule, manage, handle, control, direct, chair,

administer, administrate, regulate, officiate: Melissa presides

over the meetings of the board.

press v. 1 subject to or exert pressure or force, force, push, impel,

thrust, bear (on), weigh on or upon, jam, cram, crush; pressure

or Brit also pressurize: The crowd was pressing against the

door. Although hard pressed at first, we eventually won. 2

squeeze, compress, depress, push: When the picture is in focus,

press this button to release the shutter. 3 squeeze, crush,

compress, mash: After harvesting, the grapes are pressed to

extract the juice. 4 iron, smooth, flatten, put through a

mangle; steam: I shall have to press my jacket before going out

to dinner. 5 clasp, embrace, hug, hold (close or tight(ly)),

take in one's arms, throw one's arms about or around, cleave to,

Archaic clip: She pressed the child to her with great

affection. 6 constrain, urge, force, pressure, compel, demand,

persuade, induce, prod, provoke, importune, beseech, ask,

request, beg, entreat: They pressed me to tell where the money

was hidden. 7 crowd, flock, gather, mill, swarm, throng,

seethe, cluster, congregate, meet, converge, huddle: The

reporters pressed round the chancellor to catch every word.

--n. 8 crowding, gathering, thronging, converging, convergence,

crowd, throng, swarm, cluster, huddle, pack, herd, host,

multitude, horde, mob, crush: When the doors opened, the huge

press of people pushed onto the train. 9 urgency, haste, hurry,

hustle, bustle, pressure, stress: The press of business

required me to postpone my trip to Paris. 10 the press. a

newspapers, the papers, Fleet Street, the fourth estate, the

media, the wire or news services, broadcasting, television,

radio: The press will have a field-day when this news gets out.

b newspaper people, newspapermen or newspaperwomen, newsmen or

newswomen, reporters, correspondents, ladies or gentlemen of the

press, journalists, commentators, paparazzi, Brit

leader-writers, US editorial writers, Colloq news-hounds, Brit

journos: The doors were opened and the press were invited in.

pressing adj. urgent, compelling, crucial, pivotal, burning, grave,

serious, major, important, vital, high-priority, critical,

portentous, momentous, profound, significant: Some pressing

matters kept me late at the office.

pressure n. 1 force, compression; weight, power, strength: The air

pressure in your tyres is low. The pressure of the water burst

the pipe. 2 compression, pressing, squeezing, compressing,

tension, stress, crushing: The pressure of a tourniquet has to

be loosened now and then. 3 affliction, oppression, press,

weight, burden, load, albatross, strain, stress, urgency,

demands, exigency or exigencies, vexation, distress, trouble(s),

adversity, difficulty or difficulties, straits, constraint(s),

problem(s): Pressure of work prevents me from taking any time

away from the office. When interest rates increase, we all feel

financial pressure. 4 influence, power, sway, constraint,

insistence, coercion, intimidation, arm-twisting; inducement,

persuasion, urging, pressing: Without more pressure from local

residents, the roadworks will not be completed in time.

--v. 5 persuade, influence; prevail upon or on, press, urge,

sway, intimidate, bring pressure to bear (on), apply pressure

(on or to), coerce, force, compel, constrain, require, demand,

make, insist upon or on, Brit pressurize, Colloq twist

(someone's) arm, lean on, turn the heat on, Slang put the screws

on or to: They pressured him to take the assignment in New

Zealand.

prestige n. status, reputation, standing, rank, stature, importance,

significance, eminence, esteem, pre-eminence, prominence,

predominance, primacy, superiority, supremacy, ascendancy,

distinction, renown, regard, fame, cachet, repute, celebrity,

glamour, stardom: To raise money, someone with prestige must be

found to serve as director of the charity.

prestigious

adj. important, significant, eminent, estimable, imposing,

impressive, pre-eminent, prominent, distinguished, august,

dignified, renowned, famous, famed, well-known, illustrious,

acclaimed, respected, celebrated, noted, notable, noteworthy,

outstanding, glorious, honoured, glamorous: She may be a

prestigious author, but she does not live at a very prestigious

address.

presumably

adv. probably, in all likelihood, (very or most) likely, in all

probability, seemingly, doubtless(ly), indubitably, no doubt,

undoubtedly, unquestionably, without a doubt, surely, certainly,

on the face of it, all things considered, all things being

equal: Presumably, you have heard the one about the colonel's

poodle.

presume v. 1 assume, take for granted, suppose, surmise, infer,

suppose, presuppose, take it, gather, understand, think,

believe, imagine, suspect, fancy, conjecture, postulate, posit,

theorize, speculate, hypothesize, hypothecate, US and Canadian

guess: For some unaccountable reason, we presumed that your

train would arrive on time. Dr Livingstone, I presume? 2 dare,

take the liberty, be so presumptuous as, make (so) bold (as),

have the audacity or effrontery, go so far as, venture: Who is

he to presume to judge others? 3 Often, presume on or upon.

encroach (on or upon), impose (on or upon), take liberties

(with), intrude (on or upon or into): I hate to presume on our

friendship, but could you lend me some money?

presumption

n. 1 arrogance, pride, effrontery, audacity, boldness,

brazenness, impudence, impertinence, insolence, temerity,

overconfidence, presumptuousness, forwardness, immodesty, Colloq

pushiness, cheek, cheekiness, nerve, gall, chutzpah, brass, Brit

brass neck: He had the presumption to ask my age. 2

assumption, supposition, presupposition, preconception, premise

or premiss, surmise, proposition, postulation; probability,

likelihood, plausibility, feasibility: The presumption of the

innocence of a person accused of a crime is established in law.

3 assumption, stand, position, inference, feeling, deduction,

conclusion, conviction, bias, guess, theory, hypothesis,

conjecture, belief, thought; suspicion: Having examined the

evidence, the pathologist's presumption was that the victim had

died of natural causes. 4 ground(s), reason, basis, evidence:

What is your presumption for thinking that you might win the

lottery?

presumptive

adj. 1 likely, reasonable, plausible, tenable, believable,

credible, conceivable, acceptable, justifiable, sensible,

rational, sound: There is strong presumptive evidence, but we

need proof. 2 inferred, presumed, assumed, supposed,

understood, predicted, predicated: As King Richard was

childless, his brother was heir presumptive to the Crown.

presumptuous

adj. arrogant, proud, prideful, audacious, bold, brazen, saucy,

impudent, impertinent, insolent, temerarious, brash,

overconfident, overweening, forward, presuming, immodest,

egotistical, Colloq pushy, cheeky, too big for one's boots, Brit

uppish: He is presumptuous enough to think he can do no wrong.

presuppose

v. See presume, 1, above.

presupposition

n. See presumption, 1, 2, above.

pretence n. 1 show, display, pretension, ostentation, airs, front,

fa‡ade, appearance, make-believe, fiction, hypocrisy, fakery,

faking, feigning, humbuggery, humbug, deception, artifice,

pretext, posturing, pretentiousness, pretending, camouflage,

cover-up: Her charming manner was all pretence, for in reality

she despised him. 2 hoax, humbug, artifice, pretext, sham, show,

pose, fa‡ade, front, cover-up, cover, cloak, veil, mask,

masquerade, disguise, guise, deception, ruse, dodge, blind,

fabrication, invention, fiction, story, fable, make-believe,

fairy tale, figment, falsification, impression: His loyalty was

a pretence under which he carried on many liaisons. 3 excuse,

pretext, pretension: They would ring for the butler on the

slightest pretence, just to impress us.

pretend v. 1 feign, profess, represent, allege, make believe, make out:

Let's pretend that we are royalty. Often, he pretends to be me.

2 try, attempt, endeavour, venture, presume, undertake: I could

not pretend to guess the number of people attending last night's

meeting. 3 make believe, act or play, play-act, fake, feign, put

on an act, dissemble, sham, sail under false colours: Is she

serious about wanting you to leave or was she just pretending?

pretended adj. so-called, alleged, asserted, reputed, professed,

ostensible, purported, so-called, imaginary, make-believe,

fictitious, fictional, sham, false, fake, feigned, bogus,

counterfeit, spurious, Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo,

pretend: So this is the pretended hero of yesterday's battle!

pretender n. claimant, aspirant, candidate, suitor, rival, seeker: He

was the pretender to the Scottish throne.

pretension

n. 1 Often, pretensions. claim(s), pretence(s), aspiration(s),

ambitiousness, ambition(s): He is known to have pretensions to

the chancellorship. 2 pretext, pretence, pretentiousness,

ostentation, pretending, affectation, hypocrisy: Gladys has

behaved without pretension and with great sincerity.

pretentious

adj. 1 ostentatious, showy, superficial, pompous, arrogant,

bombastic, inflated, high-flown, exaggerated, vainglorious,

fastuous, grandiose, grandiloquent, extravagant, magniloquent:

The minister's pretentious language is a bit too much to take.

2 snobbish, lofty, haughty, flaunting, Colloq high and mighty,

highfalutin or hifalutin, hoity-toity, high-hat, Slang snotty,

Brit toffee-nosed: That new couple next door are so pretentious

- they think that nobody is good enough to associate with them!

pretext n. 1 pretence, excuse, camouflage, guise, disguise, cover,

veil, cloak, colour: They carried on the surveillance under

pretext of working on the sewer. 2 ruse, red herring, cover

(story), rationale, pretence, rationalization, explanation:

What pretext did the thief use that made you let him in?

pretty adj. 1 comely, attractive, good-looking, nice-looking,

appealing, lovely, cute, mignon(ne), graceful, fair, bonny,

fetching, charming, winsome, beautiful, pulchritudinous, Colloq

easy on the eye(s): A pretty girl is like a melody. That's a

very pretty cottage. 2 tuneful, melodic, melodious, dulcet,

musical, lyrical, harmonious, catchy, mellifluous, euphonious:

He played a pretty tune on the piano.

--adv. 3 rather, quite, fairly, moderately, reasonably,

tolerably; somewhat; very, extremely, unbelievably, incredibly:

The children put on a pretty good performance, I thought. He had

become pretty fat since we last saw him.

prevail v. 1 hold sway, win (out), predominate, succeed, triumph, gain

or achieve a victory, prove superior, gain mastery or control:

It is sometimes disappointing to learn that right does not

always prevail. 2 predominate, be prevalent or widespread or

current, preponderate, dominate, be the order of the day: As

usual during Oktoberfest in Bavaria, revelry prevailed. 3

prevail on or upon. persuade, induce, influence, sway, dispose;

incline, win over, bring round, convince: We prevailed on the

guard to let us through the gate.

prevailing

adj. 1 dominant, predominant, prevalent, main, chief,

principal, common(est), usual, customary, universal: The

prevailing winds are westerlies. 2 influential, effective,

effectual, dominating, affecting, powerful, potent, forceful,

ruling, telling, main, principal: The prevailing religion there

is Buddhism.

prevalence

n. 1 prevalency, frequency, commonness, currency, universality,

ubiquitousness, ubiquity, pervasiveness, omnipresence,

extensiveness; predominance, practice, acceptance, popularity:

The prevalence of disease among the population is distressing.

2 sway, control, rule, primacy, ascendancy, mastery,

predominance: The prevalence of bushido in Japan has diminished

little since 1945.

prevalent adj. universal, catholic, common, frequent, prevailing,

current, ubiquitous, pervasive, omnipresent, general, usual,

customary, commonplace, extensive, widespread, established,

ascendant, dominant, predominant, governing, ruling: A desire

for change is prevalent throughout the country.

prevent v. anticipate, preclude, obviate, forestall, avert, avoid,

prohibit, ban, bar, forbid, interdict, taboo, enjoin, proscribe,

foil, frustrate, obstruct, debar, intercept, nip in the bud,

abort, thwart, check, block, ward or fend or stave off, baffle,

balk or baulk, (put a) stop (to), arrest, (bring to a) halt,

hinder, impede, curb, restrain, hamper, inhibit, delay, retard,

slow, mitigate, control: Some diseases can be prevented by

inoculation or vaccination. There is nothing to prevent us from

leaving. The barrier was built to prevent flooding.

prevention

n. preventing, anticipation, preclusion, obviation,

forestalling, avoidance, avoiding, prohibition, prohibiting,

ban, banning, bar, barring, forbiddance, forbidding,

interdiction, interdicting, taboo, tabooing, enjoining,

injunction, proscription, proscribing, foiling, frustration,

frustrating, obstruction, obstructing, debarment, debarring,

interception, intercepting, abortion, aborting, thwarting,

checking, check, blocking, block, warding or fending or staving

off, balk or baulk, balking or baulking, stopping, arrest,

arresting, halt, halting, hindrance, hindering, impedance,

impeding, curb, curbing, restraint, restraining, hampering,

inhibition, inhibiting, delay, delaying, retardation, retarding,

slowing, mitigation, mitigating, control, controlling: The

first item on the agenda is the prevention of cruelty to

children. As the total prevention of crime is impossible, we

must at least try to curb it.

preventive

adj. 1 preventative, preventing, hindering, impeding,

restraining, hampering, inhibitive or inhibitory, inhibiting,

restrictive: We must take preventive steps to ensure the

stability of the rate of exchange. 2 preventative, prophylactic,

precautionary, anticipatory or anticipative, protective,

counteractive: Preventive means are available to limit heart

disease.

--n. 3 preventative, hindrance, curb, inhibition, impediment,

block, barrier, obstacle, obstruction: Caffeine is one of the

most powerful preventives of sleep that exists. 4 preventative,

prophylactic, protection, shield, safeguard, prevention,

countermeasure, counteractant, counter-agent, inoculum or

inoculant, vaccine, serum, antidote, remedy: Heart specialists

have recommended an aspirin every other day as a preventive to

arterial blood clotting.

preview n. advance showing, private showing; opening, vernissage: We

saw the Picasso exhibition at a preview held for friends of the

gallery.

previous adj. 1 former, prior, past, earlier, one-time, foregoing,

sometime, erstwhile, preceding, Literary quondam, Archaic

whilom: A previous owner of the house filled in the fish-pond.

2 prior, former, foregoing, above, preceding, Formal antecedent,

anterior, aforementioned, above-mentioned, before-mentioned,

aforesaid, above-named: Please see the previous examples in the

Foreword. 3 premature, untimely, too soon or early: Isn't

putting up Christmas decorations in October being a bit

previous? 4 previous to. previously to, before, prior to,

preceding, anterior to, antecedent to: Previous to the advent

of motor cars, we had traffic jams of horse-drawn vehicles.

previously

adv. before, once, formerly, earlier, at one time, then,

beforehand, heretofore, theretofore, hitherto, thitherto, in the

past, in days gone by, in days of old, in days or time past, in

the old days, some time ago, a while ago, once upon a time,

yesterday, Literary in days of yore, in olden days or times:

The same thing had happened previously when I was in London.

Previously, people lived more relaxed lives - or so we like to

think.

prey n. 1 quarry, kill, game, objective, target: The lioness

singled out her prey from the herd of zebra. 2 victim, target,

objective; dupe, Colloq mark, Slang fall guy, pushover, Brit

mug: A public company with huge cash reserves, United Vector

seemed easy prey for a take-over bid.

--v. 3 prey on or upon. a live off, feed on or upon, eat,

consume, devour, kill, destroy, stalk, pursue, hunt, seize:

These snakes prey mostly upon other snakes. b victimize, go

after, exploit, use, take advantage of, intimidate, bully,

cheat, dupe, swindle, gull, trick, snooker, defraud, outwit,

outsmart, outfox, hoodwink, Literary cozen, Colloq rook,

bamboozle, flimflam: An unscrupulous gang is preying on the

elderly, persuading them to invest in non-existent properties. c

oppress, weigh on or upon, burden, depress, distress, strain,

vex, worry: His wretched condition preyed very much on her

mind.

price n. 1 charge, cost, expense, expenditure, outlay, payment,

amount, figure, fee; quotation, appraisal, value, valuation,

evaluation, worth: The price of this lamp is too high. What is

the price of that box? Can he afford the price of a ticket? The

current price of a London flat is out of my reach. 2 sacrifice,

toll, penalty, cost, consequence: Loss of his freedom was too

high a price for standing by his principles. 3 reward, bounty,

premium, prize, payment, bonus, honorarium, Literary guerdon:

The gunfighter had a price of œ1000 on his head. 4 without

price. See priceless, 1, below.

--v. 5 value, evaluate, rate, assay, assess, cost (out): How

would you price a piece of furniture like this chair?

priceless adj. 1 costly, dear, expensive, high-priced, valuable,

invaluable, precious, inestimable, incalculable; irreplaceable,

unique: The vaults in the Vatican contain a king's ransom in

priceless jewels. 2 hilarious, riotous, (screamingly) funny,

side-splitting, hysterical, droll, comical, amusing: The

expression on his face when he realized it was a joke was

priceless.

pricey adj. pricy, expensive, dear, costly, exorbitant, outrageous,

excessive, extortionate, Colloq steep, Brit over the odds: The

restaurant where she took him was certainly pricey, but the food

was excellent.

prick n. 1 puncture, pinhole, pinprick; hole, perforation: For the

blood test, the doctor made a tiny prick in my finger with a

needle. 2 sting, pinch, twinge, prickle, tingle, pain: The

teacher leapt from her chair the instant she felt the prick of

the tack.

--v. 3 puncture, pierce, stab, jab, punch, perforate, riddle;

lance: Using a pin, prick tiny holes in the paper to let the

steam escape. The doctor pricked a boil on my neck. 4 stab,

sting, hurt, prickle, pinch, bite, smart: The hypodermic needle

really pricked me when it went in.

prickle n. 1 spine, bristle, barb, thorn, bur, needle, tine, spike,

spur, prong: The prickles make the brambles cling to your

clothes. 2 pricking, prickliness, itch, itchiness, sting,

tingling, tingle: I felt the prickle of the rough wool against

my skin.

--v. 3 tingle, sting, itch, smart: Sloane complained that the

beard he had to grow for the pirate role made his face prickle.

4 stick, jab, prick: The child's hands had been prickled by the

chestnuts.

prickly adj. 1 bristly, thorny, brambly, spiny, barbed, briery,

spinous, spiky, Technical setaceous, setose, acanthoid,

aciculate, aculeate, muricate, spiculate: Dad's face is all

prickly when he hasn't shaved. 2 tingling, stinging, pricking,

prickling, itchy, crawly, crawling: The squeak of the chalk on

the blackboard gives me a prickly feeling. 3 touchy, irritable,

petulant, cantankerous, testy, waspish, bad-tempered, peevish,

fractious, short-tempered, curmudgeonly, Colloq cranky: Moira

gets a bit prickly if you ask her why she married Noel. 4

nettlesome, thorny, ticklish, touchy, troublesome, intricate,

complicated, complex, knotty, hard, difficult, contentious: The

prickly problem of how to pay for the university must still be

faced.

pride n. 1 honour, proudness, self-esteem, self-respect, amour

propre, dignity: It is gratifying to be able to look with pride

on one's children's achievements. 2 conceit, egotism,

self-importance, vanity, hubris, arrogance, overconfidence,

overweeningness, self-admiration, self-love, self-importance,

smugness, haughtiness, hauteur, snobbery, snobbishness, Colloq

uppitiness: Pride goeth before a fall. Her pride stems from an

exaggerated notion of her own worth. 3 boast, flower, best,

prize, pride and joy, treasure, jewel, gem: Those model railway

trains are Eustace's pride and joy.

--v. 4 Usually, pride oneself on. be proud of, take pride in,

delight in, revel in, celebrate, glory in: Irena prides herself

on having made her own way in life, without anyone's help.

priest n. priestess, clergyman or clergywoman, ecclesiastic, cleric,

churchman or churchwoman, reverend, vicar, divine, man or woman

of the cloth, man or woman of God, curate, confessor, minister

(of the Gospel), servant of God, father, mother, holy man or

woman, preacher, missionary, evangelist, abb‚, abbot or abbess,

Colloq padre: The high priest muttered some incantations over

the body of the sacrificial victim.

priestly adj. clerical, ecclesiastic, pastoral, hieratic, sacerdotal;

ministerial, canonical, missionary: She has taken her priestly

vows.

prig n. (ultra-)conservative, prude, purist, pedant, school-ma'm,

puritan, (Mrs) Grundy, Grundyite, Grundyist, precisionist,

precisian, conformist, formalist, Colloq stuffed shirt,

stick-in-the-mud, goody-goody: A terrible prig, the headmaster

forbade even the slightest hint of slang usage.

priggish adj. (ultra-)conservative, prim, demure, prudish, purist,

puristic, pedantic, school-marmish, strait-laced, hidebound,

stiff-necked, puritanical, conformist, (Mrs) Grundyish,

punctilious, formal, formalistic, strict, severe, fastidious,

fussy, particular; precious, pr‚cieux or pr‚cieuse,

niminy-piminy, over-nice, Colloq stick-in-the-mud, goody-goody,

prissy, old-maidish, stuffed-shirt, stuffy, uptight,

nit-picking, Brit twee: Victorians were less priggish in their

private behaviour than in their public image.

primarily adv. 1 principally, mainly, chiefly, especially, at bottom,

particularly, first of all, pre-eminently, basically,

essentially, fundamentally, on the whole, for the most part,

mostly, predominantly or predominately, generally: The rain in

Spain falls primarily in the plain. 2 initially, originally,

from or at the start, first (and foremost, in the first

instance, ab initio: The colonists, primarily refugees from

England, began to settle the New World in the 17th century.

primary adj. 1 first, prime, principal, chief, main, leading,

pre-eminent, cardinal, fundamental, basic, essential,

predominant, elementary, elemental, underlying: The primary

reason I want to see you is to discuss your future with the

company. The primary meaning of a word is given first. 2

earliest, first, original, initial, primitive, primeval,

primordial, embryonic, germinal, beginning, ultimate: The

primary source of life was possibly a sort of soup containing

proteins and other molecules. 3 firsthand, direct, immediate:

Bauxite is the primary source of aluminium ore. 4 elementary,

basic, rudimentary, fundamental: One of the primary lessons we

are taught is consideration for others. 5 unmixed,

unadulterated, pure, simple, rudimentary, fundamental,

principal: The primary colours in art are red, yellow, and

blue.

prime adj. 1 See primary, 1, above. 2 best, foremost, chief;

first-rate, first-class, choice, select, superior, pre-eminent,

leading, ranking, predominant, unparalleled, matchless,

peerless, noteworthy, outstanding, admirable, worthy,

exceptional, excellent, extraordinary, exceptional: She is a

prime example of the results of a modern education. Arthur is

certainly a prime candidate for the position. 3 original,

fundamental, basic, elemental, elementary: The prime cause of

scurvy is lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

--n. 4 youth, springtime; best years, heyday, pinnacle, acme,

peak, zenith: Some people reach the prime of life at 60.

--v. 5 (make or get) ready, prepare, educate, teach, instruct,

coach, train, tutor, drill: Has Sonia been fully primed to take

over the chairmanship when Sir William steps down? 6 inform,

advise, notify, apprise, brief: Having read your book, I am

fully primed on American history.

primitive adj. 1 first, original, aboriginal, earliest, primordial,

primal, primeval or Brit also primaeval, pristine, prehistoric;

antediluvian, Noachian or Noachic, old, ancient: In its most

primitive state, life probably originated from some random

strings of molecules. The most primitive farming tools date from

some 10,000 years ago. 2 crude, rude, unrefined, raw, barbaric,

uncultured, barbarian, coarse, rough, uncivilized, savage,

uncultivated, unsophisticated, uncouth: I cannot tolerate

Nigel's primitive table manners. 3 simple, basic, simplistic,

na‹ve, childlike, unsophisticated, uncultivated, unrefined,

unpolished, rough, untutored, untaught, untrained, unschooled,

undeveloped: Gary collects paintings of the primitive school

and has one by Grandma Moses.

primp v. preen, prink, prettify, titivate or tittivate, plume, dress

up, groom, Colloq doll up, get (all) dolled up, spruce up, put

on one's best bib and tucker, Chiefly Brit tart up, get (all)

tarted up, Slang deck out, trick out or up, put on one's glad

rags, Brit fig out, US gussy up, get (all) gussied up, dude up:

She was primping before the mirror, awaiting the arrival of her

beau.

princely adj. 1 lavish, bountiful, generous, liberal, ample,

substantial, huge, enormous: They paid a princely sum for their

stately home in Surrey. 2 lavish, magnificent, splendid,

luxurious, majestic, royal, regal, sumptuous, superb, Colloq

ritzy, swank(y), posh, plush: The hotel laid on princely

accommodation for us with rooms overlooking the sea. 3 royal,

noble, regal, sovereign, of royal or noble blood or rank: Who

would have thought that our humble home would ever shelter a

princely guest?

principal adj. 1 chief, primary, prime, paramount, main, first, foremost,

ranking, pre-eminent, predominant, dominant, prevailing;

leading, starring: The principal reason I'm here is to see you.

The principal food of the people is corn. The principal role was

sung by Pavarotti. 2 important, prominent, leading, key,

cardinal: Cuba is a principal source of sugar.

--n. 3 owner, proprietor, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson,

(managing) director, head, president, chief, chief executive

officer, CEO, manager or Brit manageress, superintendent,

supervisor, Colloq boss, US (head or chief) honcho: We should

talk to the principals about buying that company. 4 dean,

director, Chiefly Brit headmaster, headmistress, master, rector,

(vice-)chancellor: His appointment as principal is for a

two-year period. 5 (working) capital, capital funds, resources,

investment, backing, (cash) reserve(s), assets; money: She is

fortunate to be able to live on the income from her investments,

without touching the principal. 6 star, lead, heroine, hero,

leading lady or man, leading role, main part; diva, premiŠre

danseuse, premier danseur, prima donna, prima ballerina: The

principal in the ballet company was a Russian.

principally

adv. chiefly, mainly, first (and foremost), primarily, above

all, in the main, mostly, for the most part, largely,

predominantly, on the whole, at bottom, in essence, essentially,

basically, fundamentally; especially, particularly: He seems to

be interested principally in money, with little regard for

anything else.

principle n. 1 truth, given, precept, tenet, fundamental, grounds, law,

rule, dictum, canon, doctrine, teaching, dogma, proposition,

(basic) assumption, postulate, axiom, maxim, truism, guide,

standard, criterion, model: The perpetual-motion machine

violates a basic principle of physics. 2 Often, principles.

philosophy, code, attitude, (point of) view, viewpoint,

sentiment, belief, credo, creed, idea, notion, ethic, sense of

right and wrong: He cynically conducts his life on the

principle, 'Do unto others before they do unto you'. I am not

sure I can condone his principles. 3 (sense of) honour,

uprightness, honesty, morality, morals, probity, integrity,

conscience: If you don't think him a man of principle, don't do

business with him. 4 in principle. on principle, in theory,

theoretically, basically, fundamentally, at bottom, in essence,

essentially, ideally: I like your plan in principle, but in

practice it cannot be accomplished that way.

principled

adj. moral, righteous, right-minded, virtuous, noble,

high-minded, ethical, honourable, proper, correct, right, just,

upright, honest, scrupulous: Michael is too highly principled

to take bribes.

print v. 1 impress, imprint, stamp, publish, issue, run off, put out;

copy; (pull a) proof: We decided to print 500 copies of the

book. You may have your name printed on the cover for an

additional amount.

--n. 2 reproduction, copy, replica, facsimile; positive,

photograph, etching, (steel or wood-)engraving, lithograph,

woodcut, linocut, silk screen, rotogravure, Trade Mark Xerox;

picture, illustration; Colloq photo, cut, pic (pl. pix): Today,

a good print of a Picasso costs more than an original did fifty

years ago. 3 text, printed matter, type, writing; language,

wording, (choice of) words, phrasing: You'd be well advised to

read the small print before signing the agreement.

prior adj. 1 former, previous, earlier, one-time, ex, erstwhile; old,

last, late, latest, Literary quondam, whilom: If you overdraw

your account without prior arrangement, you will automatically

be charged a higher rate of interest. 2 prior to. before,

previous to, previously to, till, until, preceding: Prior to

the earthquake, Valdivia was a river port.

priority n. precedence, precedency, primacy, urgency, immediacy,

predominance, pre-eminence, preference, rank, superiority,

prerogative, right, seniority, importance, weight, immediacy:

The applications for aid will be processed in order of priority.

prison n. jail or Brit also gaol, dungeon, oubliette, lock-up, penal

institution, house of correction, correctional institution,

reformatory, house of detention; confinement, detention;

Old-fashioned reform school, Military guardhouse; Brit remand

centre, detention centre, remand home, community home, Military

glasshouse, Formal CHE (= 'community home with education on the

premises'), Old-fashioned approved school; US penitentiary,

Military brig; Archaic Brit bridewell; Slang clink, can, cooler,

jug, stir, Brit quod, chokey or choky, US and Canadian pokey or

poky; US pen, calaboose, slammer, hoosegow, Old-fashioned big

house: He was released from prison last Friday after serving

six months for burglary.

prisoner n. convict, trusty; internee, detainee; Colloq jailbird or Brit

also gaolbird, lifer, Slang con, Brit (old) lag, Old-fashioned

ticket-of-leave man, US two-time or three-time loser:

Prisoners' letters were censored.

prissy adj. fussy, precious, over-nice, finicky or finical,

strait-laced, school-marmish, prim (and proper), prudish,

squeamish, fastidious, Colloq old-maidish: He is awfully prissy

about changing on the beach.

pristine adj. 1 original, primal, basic, primeval or Brit also

primaeval, primitive, primordial, earliest, first, initial: It

is impractical to try to return the world to what some regard as

its pristine purity. 2 uncorrupted, pure, unsullied, undefiled,

virginal, virgin, chaste, untouched, unspoiled, unpolluted,

untarnished, spotless, immaculate, natural: One must travel far

today to experience the pristine beauty of nature. The car was

in pristine condition.

privacy n. 1 seclusion, retirement, solitude, isolation, retreat,

sequestration, reclusiveness, reclusion, solitariness;

monasticism: Coleman very much enjoys the privacy of living

alone. 2 secrecy, secretiveness, clandestineness,

confidentiality, surreptitiousness, covertness, concealment:

Many feel that the questions on census forms invade their

privacy.

private adj. 1 (top) secret, confidential, undisclosed, hidden,

clandestine, concealed, covert, surreptitious, off the record,

not for publication, unofficial, Colloq hush-hush: I think our

relationship should be kept private for the time being. What I

am about to tell you is strictly private. 2 privileged,

restrictive, restricted, exclusive, special, reserved, personal,

inaccessible, non-public; hidden, secluded, concealed, secret,

sneaking: The house is situated on a private road. I had a

private suspicion that they would cancel their trip. 3 personal,

individual, own, intimate, particular: My private affairs are

none of your business. 4 solitary, seclusive, reclusive,

withdrawn, retiring, reticent, ungregarious, non-gregarious,

unsocial, unsociable, antisocial, reserved, uncommunicative,

hermitic(al), hermit-like, eremitic(al); sequestered, secluded,

retired: You have to bear in mind that Edmund is a very private

person.

--n. 5 private soldier, infantryman, foot-soldier, US enlisted

man, Colloq Brit Tommy, Tommy Atkins, squaddie, US GI (Joe),

Slang US grunt: Before cashiering him, they reduced him from

colonel to private. 6 in private. in secret, secretly,

privately, sub rosa, personally, confidentially, behind closed

doors, in camera, off the record, US on the q.t. or Q.T.;

clandestinely, secretively, sneakily, sneakingly,

surreptitiously, furtively, covertly, on the sly: Family

matters should be discussed only in private. They met in private

with agents of the rebel forces. 7 private parts or privates.

genitals, sexual or sex organs, genitalia. The natives wore

loincloths to cover their private parts.

privation n. need, neediness, want, deprivation, hardship, indigence,

necessity, poverty, penury, destitution, strait(s), pauperism,

beggary; distress, misery: The lower classes in Victorian

England suffered terrible privation.

privilege n. benefit, advantage, right, prerogative, concession,

allowance, indulgence, immunity, exemption, dispensation,

freedom, liberty, franchise, permission, consent, leave,

authorization, sanction, authority, licence, carte blanche: The

children were given the privilege of choosing where the family

should go on holiday.

privileged

adj. 1 favoured, advantaged, indulged, entitled, ‚lite,

special, honoured: John was one of the privileged few to be

told her private telephone number. 2 protected, exempt(ed),

immune; licensed, empowered, admitted, permitted, sanctioned,

authorized, enfranchised, chartered: This is a privileged

institution as far as the dispensation of grants is concerned. 3

powerful, ruling; wealthy, rich: He despised the privileged

class till he became wealthy enough to be a member of it. 4

confidential, secret, private, privy, inside, off the record,

not for publication, restricted, Colloq hush-hush: What I am

about to tell you is privileged information.

privy adj. 1 See privileged, 4, above. 2 privy to. aware of, in on,

on to or onto, sharing (in), cognizant of, apprised of, informed

or advised about or of, informed on, knowledgeable about, Colloq

in the know about, Slang hip to, wise to, Old-fashioned hep to:

Was the minister's wife privy to what was discussed at cabinet

meetings?

--n. 3 lavatory, (outside or outdoor) toilet, latrine,

water-closet, WC, US outhouse, Colloq chiefly Brit loo, Slang

Brit bog, US crapper, Taboo slang US shithouse: In those days,

almost every home had an outside privy, as there was no interior

plumbing.

prize° n. 1 reward, award, trophy, premium; honour, accolade, Literary

guerdon: The first prize was a week's holiday in the Bahamas.

2 winnings, jackpot, purse, receipts, gain, windfall, stakes,

Colloq haul, Chiefly US take: He used his prize from winning

the lottery to buy a new car. 3 aim, goal: The prize they all

strove for was a grant to carry on lexicographic research. 4

loot, booty, spoil(s), trophy, plunder, pickings: The pirates

took the galleon as their prize.

--adj. 5 choice, excellent, (prize)winning, best, champion,

outstanding, select, superior, superlative, first-rate: This

dairy owns a prize herd of Guernseys.

prizeý v. value, treasure, esteem, cherish, appreciate, rate highly,

hold dear: I prize your friendship above all things.

probability

n. likelihood, likeliness, odds, expectation, chance(s),

(distinct) possibility, presumption: There is a high

probability that it will rain.

probable adj. (most) likely, apt, (quite) possible, presumed, plausible,

undoubted, indubitable, apparent, unquestionable, evident,

ostensible, odds-on, feasible, believable, credible: The

probable cause of the flooding was a blockage in the drains. It

is probable that most medieval churches had paintings round the

walls.

probably adv. (very) likely, in all likelihood, in all probability,

undoubtedly, doubtlessly, indubitably, unquestionably,

presumably, quite, all things considered, to all intents and

purposes, possibly, perhaps, Colloq as likely as not, quite:

She is probably the best tennis player in the world at the

moment.

probe v. 1 explore, examine, scrutinize, investigate, search (into),

look into, go into, study, dig into, delve into, poke about or

around, Colloq poke into: They probed his background thoroughly

but found nothing unusual. 2 poke, prod, explore, examine;

plumb, dig: Snipe use their long bills to probe for worms in

soft mud.

--n. 3 investigation, examination, exploration, scrutiny,

search, study, inquiry or enquiry, inquest: There will be a

governmental probe into the mismanagement of the department.

probity n. integrity, uprightness, honesty, morality, rectitude,

virtue, goodness, decency, righteousness, right-mindedness,

sincerity, trustworthiness, honour, equity, justness, justice,

fairness: Lord Chancellors have consistently been men of

unquestioned probity.

problem n. 1 difficulty, trouble, question, dilemma, quandary,

predicament, complication, hornet's nest, imbroglio, mess,

muddle, stew, Colloq can of worms, fine kettle of fish, (pretty)

pickle, Brit facer: The Chancellor must constantly deal with

the problems of the country's economy. 2 puzzle, conundrum,

poser, riddle, question, enigma, puzzler, Colloq mind-boggler,

hard or tough nut to crack: The problem is how to get the yolk

out without breaking the shell.

--adj. 3 unruly, unmanageable, intractable, uncontrollable,

difficult, ungovernable, refractory, incorrigible, obstreperous,

delinquent, maladjusted, disturbed, emotionally upset: He

teaches at a school where most of the students are problem

children.

problematic

adj. problematical, difficult, uncertain, questionable,

questioned, doubtful, doubted, debatable, disputable, disputed,

unsettled, moot, undecided, controversial, tricky, touchy,

sensitive, Colloq hairy, iffy: The value of treating colds with

massive doses of vitamin C is problematic.

procedure n. way, conduct, course, action, course of action, method,

methodology, mode, form, system, approach, strategy, plan (of

action), scheme, modus operandi, operation, policy, ways and

means; routine, tradition, practice, custom, wont, standard

operating procedure, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'), SOP (=

'standard operating procedure'), Chiefly Brit drill: What

procedure will you follow to regain the stolen property? The

procedure in ballroom dancing has always been for the man to

lead.

proceed v. 1 Sometimes, proceed with. go or move (on or ahead or

forward), advance, continue, progress, carry on, get or move

along, get going or moving or under way, start, pass on, make

progress or headway, push or press on or onward(s), forge ahead;

resume, renew, go on with, pick up (where one left off):

Proceed to the T-junction, then turn left. If the membership

committee has finished, let us proceed to the report of the

finance committee. After the break, the performance will

proceed. 2 Often, proceed from or out of. result from, arise

(from), come (from), stem from, spring from, develop (from),

issue (from or forth), derive from, be derived (from), descend

from, emerge (from), grow (from or out of), originate (in or

from or with), begin (with), start (with or from): The

outcropping proceeds from glaciation and erosion. They say that

more than half of a person's happiness proceeds from hope.

--n. 3 proceeds. profit(s), gain, yield; income, receipts,

return(s), gate, box office, US take: The proceeds from the

charity auction were better than ever this year.

proceeding

n. 1 measure, act, (course of) action, move, step, undertaking,

deed, procedure, process, operation, transaction, manoeuvre,

feat, accomplishment: Grace Darling's rescue of the shipwrecked

men was truly a heroic proceeding. 2 proceedings. a

transactions, report(s), minutes, record(s), annals, affairs,

dealings, business, account(s), archives, Formal acta: The

proceedings of the Society are published annually. b events,

goings-on, doings; celebration(s); performance(s): The

proceedings were briefly interrupted while the hecklers were

ejected from the hall.

process n. 1 procedure, proceeding, operation, system, method,

approach, technique; course of action: I am sure you understand

how the process works. What process do they use to make paper

out of wood? 2 activity, function, development: The process of

photosynthesis is the means by which plants synthesize

carbohydrates.

--v. 3 treat, prepare, (make or get) ready, change, modify,

transform, convert, alter: This is the room where the

ingredients are processed before mixing. 4 handle, take care

of, organize, deal with, manage; dispose of, answer, manipulate:

After the earthquake the insurance companies processed thousands

of claims.

procession

n. 1 parade, march, cavalcade, motorcade, cortege or cortŠge,

column, line, file, train, march past: A strange procession of

thousands of beggars silently wound its way through the city. 2

succession, cycle, sequence, string, train, chain, series,

course, run, progression, cavalcade: He began to recount the

procession of events that led up to the murder.

proclaim v. 1 announce, advertise, circulate, declare, broadcast,

pronounce, make known, bruit (about), trumpet, publish,

promulgate, herald; profess, protest, enunciate, articulate:

Edgar was proclaimed king. She proclaimed her innocence. 2

brand, accuse of being, stigmatize as, pronounce, rule, decree,

characterize, report: She found herself proclaimed a traitor.

proclamation

n. 1 announcement, advertisement, declaration, publication,

promulgation, statement, manifesto, pronunciamento,

notification, notice: A proclamation was issued granting

amnesty to all political prisoners. 2 proclaiming, announcing,

advertising, declaring, broadcasting, publishing, promulgating,

heralding, making known, bruiting about: The proclamation of

his appointment as Chancellor came at a bad time.

procrastinate

v. 1 temporize, act evasively, play for time, dally, delay,

stall; postpone, defer, put off or aside, shelve, US table: I

wish he would stop procrastinating and say what he plans to do.

2 hesitate, pause, waver, vacillate, be undecided, equivocate,

tergiversate, shilly-shally: Helen procrastinates every time

she is faced with making a decision.

procure v. 1 obtain, acquire, get, come by, secure, get or lay one's

hands on, get (a) hold of, gain, win, come into, pick up, find,

appropriate, requisition; buy, purchase: I have been trying to

procure early editions of Defoe's works. 2 accomplish, bring

about, effect, cause, produce: Using every resource available

to her, she finally procured his release.

procurer n. pander or panderer, pimp, White slaver, flesh-pedlar or US

also flesh-peddler or flesh-pedler, Archaic whoremaster, bawd;

madam, procuress: He became a procurer for the wealthy men in

the village.

prod v. 1 jab, dig, poke, nudge, elbow: Every time the comedian

said something risqu‚, Aunt Flora would giggle and prod me in

the ribs. 2 spur, urge, impel, egg on, push, thrust, prompt,

rouse, stir, incite, move, motivate, actuate, activate, provoke,

encourage, stimulate: My uncle keeps prodding me to continue

with my studies. 3 incite, goad, needle, irritate, irk, annoy,

pester, harass, hector, badger, plague, nag, hound, carp at,

cavil; henpeck: My parents are constantly prodding me to go out

and get a job.

--n. 4 jab, dig, poke, nudge, elbow, push: I was quite black

and blue from those prods I was getting from Aunt Flora. 5 goad,

spur; needle, rowel: These days electrified cattle prods are

available. 6 stimulus, push, prompt, reminder, signal, cue:

Calvin needed that prod to make him finally go home after the

party.

prodigal adj. 1 wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, lavish, excessive,

profligate, squandering, immoderate, intemperate, wanton,

improvident, reckless: If the government were less prodigal, it

would be possible to have a balanced budget. 2 generous,

bountiful, copious, profuse, bounteous, lavish, liberal,

luxuriant, sumptuous, abundant, abounding, rich, plentiful,

plenteous, superabundant, thriving, swarming, teeming: He was

prodigal of both compliments and criticism.

--n. 3 wastrel, spendthrift, profligate, squanderer, waster,

big spender: That prodigal went through his inheritance in less

than a year.

prodigality

n. 1 wastefulness, waste, extravagance, excess, excessiveness,

immoderation, intemperateness, wantonness, recklessness,

profligacy, improvidence, dissipation, squandering: Surely his

contemporaries must have condemned Shah Jehan's prodigality in

building the Taj Mahal. 2 lavishness, profuseness, luxury,

luxuriousness, luxuriance, abundance, plenty, bounty,

bountifulness, bounteousness, copiousness, profusion,

profuseness, sumptuousness, richness, plentifulness,

plenteousness, superabundance, exuberance: The prodigality of

Nature is unbounded.

prodigious

adj. 1 vast, immeasurable, colossal, enormous, huge, giant,

gigantic, immense, mammoth, monumental, tremendous, stupendous,

titanic, Brobdingnagian, gargantuan, Herculean, cyclopean,

leviathan, monstrous, extensive, Colloq US ginormous, humongous:

There is a prodigious amount of water vapour contained in a

cloudy sky. You may accuse her of being a workaholic, but

consider the prodigious amount she gets done in a day. 2

amazing, astonishing, astounding, startling, extraordinary,

exceptional, marvellous, wonderful, wondrous, fabulous,

miraculous, phenomenal, spectacular, fantastic, sensational,

unusual, staggering, striking, dumbfounding or dumfounding,

remarkable, noteworthy, notable, Colloq flabbergasting,

mind-boggling, mind-blowing: In those days, running a mile in

four minutes was considered a prodigious feat.

prodigy n. 1 (child or girl or boy) genius, wonder child, Wunderkind,

mastermind, talent, intellect, intellectual or mental giant,

wizard, virtuoso, Colloq brain, Einstein, whiz-kid or whizz-kid,

whiz or whizz, walking dictionary or encyclopedia or

encyclopaedia: She was a prodigy at the age of six and went on

to become a great concert performer. 2 wonder, marvel,

phenomenon, sensation, miracle: Some regarded the painting Nude

Descending a Staircase a prodigy of cubist art.

produce v. 1 make, develop, turn out, put or bring out, manufacture,

fabricate, generate, create; construct, assemble, put together,

compose; mould, cast; extrude: This machine is capable of

producing 10,000 units an hour. 2 yield, give rise to, cause,

bring up, bring forth, spark, initiate, occasion, bring about,

prompt, evoke, start, create, generate, beget, originate: He

was unprepared for the laughter produced by his slip of the

tongue. 3 generate, beget, create, put out or forth, breed,

propagate, bear, give birth to, hatch, grow: See how the plant

is producing buds at these nodes? 4 bring forward or in or out,

introduce, present, offer, show, exhibit, display, stage, put

on, mount: She was the first to produce Japanese Noh drama in

the west. 5 disclose, reveal, bring to light, show, display,

draw: When I refused to give him the money, he produced a gun.

6 supply, furnish, provide, deliver, distribute: They are

accused of continuing to produce fluorocarbons despite the

government ban.

--n. 7 vegetables, fruit, Chiefly Brit greengrocery: The

produce is delivered to the markets from the farms at the crack

of dawn.

producer n. 1 maker, manufacturer, fabricator, processor, creator;

grower, farmer: That company is the largest producer of

microchips in the world. 2 (in Britain) director, auteur,

impresario, regisseur; (in US and Canada) entrepreneur,

(business or financial) manager, organizer, impresario: He was

a producer of TV soap operas.

product n. 1 result, consequence, output, outcome, issue, effect,

fallout, yield, upshot; spin-off, offshoot, by-product: It is

evident that this work is the product of much thought. One

product of her interest in literature is a new publishing

company. 2 artefact or US artifact, good(s), produce, commodity,

output, merchandise, offering, work: It doesn't matter how good

the product is if nobody knows about it.

production

n. 1 producing, manufacture, manufacturing, making,

fabrication, preparation, origination, creation, output, putting

out, development; formation, forming, forging, shaping,

moulding, casting, assembly, building, construction: Our

business is the production of insulating materials. 2 product,

(end) result, work, effort, handiwork, output, opus, oeuvre:

These paintings are clearly productions of a fertile

imagination. 3 (in Britain) artistry, direction, staging; (in

US and Canada) display, presentation, staging, mise en scŠne,

setting: Both the acting and the production were superb. 4

drama, play, (stage or television or radio) show, performance;

film, motion or moving picture, movie: Our repertory company is

putting on a production of Othello next week.

productive

adj. 1 fruitful, fertile, rich, fecund, plentiful, plenteous,

abundant, bountiful, bounteous, prolific, dynamic: Owing to a

perfect balance of rain and sunshine, the earth has proved

productive this year. 2 imaginative, creative, inventive,

resourceful, generative, ingenious, fertile, vigorous: Her

latest science-fiction trilogy is certainly evidence of a highly

productive mind. 3 profitable, remunerative, rewarding,

valuable, worthwhile: Years ago he made an investment in

computer shares that has turned out to be very productive.

Discussing sales strategy is not as productive as getting out

there and selling.

profane adj. 1 irreverent, sacrilegious, blasphemous, idolatrous,

irreligious, infidel, heathen, unbelieving, disbelieving, pagan,

atheist(ic), impious, godless, ungodly, sinful, wicked,

iniquitous, contemptuous, disrespectful: The faithful attacked

anyone who was seen to perform a profane act. 2 unsanctified,

unholy, unconsecrated, defiled, impure, unclean, unhallowed,

non-religious, non-sacred, unsacred; lay, non-clerical, secular,

temporal; Judaism tref or treif or treifa, non-kosher: The

missionaries persuaded them to abandon their profane rites and

practices. 3 bad, dirty, filthy, smutty, foul, foul-mouthed,

obscene, vulgar, coarse, uncouth, low, taboo, blasphemous,

bawdy, ribald, scurrilous, off colour, immodest, improper,

naughty, indecent, unprintable, unmentionable, indecorous,

indelicate, common; abusive, vituperative, venomous,

thersitical, Literary Fescennine, Colloq blue: The boy was sent

home from school for using profane language.

--v. 4 debase, contaminate, pollute, taint, vitiate, degrade,

defile, desecrate, violate, pervert, corrupt: They swore

undying retribution against those who had profaned their temple.

profanity n. blasphemy, obscenity, cursing, curse-word(s), swearing,

swear-word(s), foul or bad or dirty or vulgar or coarse or

filthy or smutty or taboo language, four-letter word(s),

billingsgate: The film was held to be unfit for broadcasting as

it contained so much obscenity and profanity.

profess v. 1 assert, claim, aver, asseverate, state, affirm, confirm,

confess, declare, say, hold, maintain, present, offer, proffer,

tender, set forth, put forward, pronounce, enounce, enunciate,

announce, utter, vow, avow: He professed himself satisfied with

the judge's decision. 2 pretend, lay claim, make a pretence,

purport, act as if, simulate: They professed to be legitimate

businessmen, but I was always suspicious.

professed adj. 1 pretended, ostensible, apparent, alleged, purported,

so-called, would-be, self-styled, soi-disant(e): He was a

professed wine 'expert' but the bottle he recommended turned out

to be awful. 2 confessed, avowed, sworn, admitted, acknowledged,

confirmed, certified, declared: What do you do when a professed

friend betrays you?

profession

n. 1 occupation, calling, work, field, vocation, employment,

m‚tier, trade, business, craft, line, sphere, speciality or US

specialty, job, position, post, situation, Slang racket: I know

that she's a doctor, but what is her husband's profession? 2

confession, affirmation, statement, avowal, assertion,

asseveration, declaration, acknowledgement, testimony, averment,

admission, announcement: I was uncertain whether to believe his

professions of love.

professional

adj. 1 trained, educated, practised, veteran, experienced,

seasoned, able, skilled, skilful, gifted, talented, qualified,

knowledgeable, licensed, official, expert, masterful, masterly,

master, efficient, adept, proficient, competent, polished,

finished: He is a professional ambulance driver who has to work

as a plumber to make ends meet. 2 excellent, proficient,

efficient, skilful, masterly, thorough, prompt, conscientious,

authoritative, businesslike: She did a very professional job of

repairing my car.

--n. 3 master, expert, maestro, virtuoso, past master or

mistress, specialist, authority, Colloq wizard, pro, whiz or

whizz, US maven or mavin, Brit dab hand: You can always tell

when the work has been done by a professional.

proficiency

n. facility, skill, talent, adeptness, expertise, expertness,

skilfulness, aptitude, capability, ability, dexterity,

capability, competence or competency, ingenuity, knack, savoir

faire, Colloq know-how: The proficiency he displayed as a

racing-car driver was second to none.

proficient

adj. skilful, skilled, talented, adept, gifted, expert,

experienced, practised, au fait, veteran, well-versed, (highly)

trained, professional, qualified, capable, able, accomplished,

dexterous, competent, knowledgeable, top-notch, first-rate,

Colloq ace, crack, whiz-bang or whizz-bang, Brit wizard: She is

an extremely proficient surgeon.

profile n. 1 outline, silhouette, contour, side-view: His aquiline

nose shows up prominently in this profile. 2 biography,

(biographical or thumbnail or character) sketch, life, portrait,

vignette: That profile of Allen in a well-known magazine did

not do him justice. 3 analysis, study, survey, examination;

graph, diagram, chart, list, statistics: The profile of the

average newspaper reader revealed some interesting anomalies.

--v. 4 describe, draw, sketch, limn: The editor phoned to say

that they want to profile you in the Gazette's Sunday colour

supplement.

profit n. 1 Often, profits. gross or net profit, net or Brit also

nett, return(s), gain, yield, revenue, proceeds, bottom line,

surplus, excess, US take, Slang gravy, US vigorish: The profits

are down in the third quarter owing to the higher interest rate.

2 advantage, avail, good, benefit, welfare, gain, value,

interest, use, usefulness, Archaic or literary behoof: Let me

recommend a book that you will find of some profit.

--v. 3 advance, further, be of profit to, benefit, promote,

aid, help, be advantageous or of advantage, serve, avail,

improve: A few lessons from the club professional could profit

your golf game. 4 Often, profit from. take advantage of, use,

turn to advantage or account, exploit, utilize, make (good) use

of, make capital (out) of, capitalize on, maximize, make the

most of, Slang cash in on: I hope you profit from the

experience. 5 clear, realize, earn, gain, Colloq make a

killing, clean up, rake it in, make a bundle or a packet:

Ernestine profited to the tune of œ100,000 on the sale of her

house.

profitable

adj. 1 beneficial, productive, lucrative, fruitful,

(well-)paying, well-paid, worthwhile, effective, cost-effective,

gainful, remunerative, money-making, rewarding: I had never

thought of being a pavement artist as a profitable enterprise.

Playing professional golf can be very profitable - if you win

tournaments. 2 beneficial, helpful, useful, utilitarian,

valuable, worthwhile, advantageous, productive, rewarding: She

gave me a lot of good advice that I found profitable in my

professional life.

profiteer n. 1 racketeer, exploiter, extortionist, blackmarketeer: The

profiteers turned to selling sugar at exorbitant prices.

--v. 2 overcharge, fleece, exploit, milk, make the most of;

extort; US gouge: The arms dealers are profiteering by selling

banned mat‚riel to the guerrillas.

profligacy

n. 1 debauchery, vice, immorality, sin, sinfulness, wickedness,

evil, dissipation, dissoluteness, degeneracy, licentiousness,

depravity, corruption, promiscuity, lechery, lasciviousness,

lewdness, indecency, perversion, carnality, libertinism,

wantonness, unrestraint, eroticism, sybaritism, voluptuousness,

sensuality: Soho's reputation for profligacy is now much less

deserved. 2 prodigality, extravagance, excess, waste,

wastefulness, recklessness, exorbitance, lavishness,

improvidence, squandering: The profligacy of the French court

at the end of the 17th century was remarkable.

profligate

adj. 1 debauched, vice-ridden, immoral, unprincipled, sinful,

shameless, evil, iniquitous, wicked, dissipative, dissolute,

degenerate, loose, licentious, depraved, corrupt, promiscuous,

lecherous, lascivious, lewd, indecent, perverted, carnal,

libertine, wanton, unrestrained, erotic, sybaritic, voluptuous,

sensual, wild, abandoned: The duke suddenly gave up his

profligate life and became a monk. 2 extravagant, prodigal,

wasteful, reckless, squandering, improvident, spendthrift,

immoderate, excessive: As the family fortunes waned, my aunt

had to curb her profligate ways.

--n. 3 debauchee, sinner, degenerate, pervert, sodomite,

reprobate, rake, rakehell, libertine, lecher, whoremonger, rou‚,

wanton, sybarite, voluptuary, sensualist: With the restraints

removed, the profligate abandoned himself to every excess

imaginable. 4 prodigal, spendthrift, wastrel, waster,

squanderer: Such are the extravagances indulged in by the

profligates who never learnt the value of money.

profound adj. 1 deep, unfathomable, abstruse, recondite, arcane,

esoteric, intricate, knotty, involved, tricky, inscrutable,

indecipherable, cabbalistic, incomprehensible, obscure, subtle,

occult, secret, cryptic, puzzling, enigmatic, mystifying,

mysterious: Some aspects of the theory of thought are even too

profound for many specialists. 2 learned, scholarly,

intellectual, erudite, discerning, astute, sagacious, sage,

wise, penetrating, sharp, keen, insightful, analytical,

knowledgeable, informed, well-informed, well-read: Russell was

one of the most profound thinkers of his day. 3 deep, great,

intense, sincere; heartfelt, keen, acute, utter, extreme,

overpowering, overwhelming: He gave a profound sigh and fell

asleep at once. It is with profound regret that I must tender my

resignation. 4 utter, complete, total, perfect, absolute,

thorough, thoroughgoing, out-and-out, downright, consummate;

awful, terrible: Her casual attitude stems from her profound

lack of awareness of how important the work is. I was

immediately struck by the profound silence in the house.

Profound changes are under way.

profoundly

adv. very, extremely, deeply, greatly, keenly, acutely,

intensely, sincerely; terribly, awfully: We are profoundly

sorry to have been so much trouble to you.

profundity

n. 1 depth, profoundness, abstruseness, reconditeness,

arcaneness, intricacy, subtlety, complexity, complicatedness,

difficulty, inscrutability, involvement, involvedness;

indecipherability, incomprehensibility, incomprehensibleness,

obscurity: I wouldn't claim to have fully grasped the

profundity of his ideas. 2 erudition, discernment, scholarship,

scholarliness, sagacity, wisdom, sharpness, keenness,

astuteness, acumen, insightfulness, knowledgeableness,

knowledgeability: I was amazed by the profundity of the

argument of one so young.

profuse adj. 1 abundant, ample, plentiful, copious, unstinting,

unsparing, ungrudging: My profuse apologies if I have offended

you in any way. 2 extravagant, lavish, bountiful, bounteous,

prolific, luxuriant, abundant, exuberant, superabundant, lush,

thick, teeming, overflowing, bursting, thriving, productive,

fruitful, rich: From the seventh year onwards, the trees

yielded profuse crops of pears and plums. 3 excessive, copious,

considerable, prolific, liberal, lavish, free, abundant, ample:

This stage of the fever is accompanied by profuse sweating. 4

generous, abundant, plentiful, copious, unsparing, unselfish,

unstinting, exuberant, magnanimous, liberal: The audience was

profuse in its applause and cries of 'Bravo!' and 'Encore!'

profusion n. profuseness, quantity, abundance, plenty, plentifulness,

plenteousness, bounty, copiousness, superabundance; mass, host,

hoard, number, multitude, lot, mountain, load, mess, stack,

pile, heap, agglomeration, conglomeration, accumulation, wealth,

glut, surplus, oversupply, surfeit, plethora, superfluity,

Formal nimiety: Ivy grew in profusion over the front of the

house. We had never seen such a profusion of bric-…-brac as they

had collected.

progenitor

n. 1 progenitrix, ancestor, forefather, forebear: They

regarded the snake god as the progenitor of the human race. 2

predecessor, forerunner, precursor, antecedent, foregoer,

source, originator; origin, original, prototype, archetype,

pattern, guide: The ancient philosophers were progenitors of

many modern ideas. Some regard da Vinci's designs as the

progenitors of some of today's machines.

progeny n. offspring, children, descendants, issue, young, posterity,

heirs, scions, successors, sons and daughters, Colloq kids,

spawn, fry, US sprouts: He dreamed that his progeny might have

a freer, healthier life than his.

prognosis n. forecast, forecasting, prediction, prophecy,

prognostication, projection: The doctor has recorded his

prognosis for the course of the disease.

prognosticate

v. 1 predict, foretell, prophesy, forecast, presage, divine,

forebode: Those prophets of doom are always prognosticating

disaster. 2 betoken, augur, herald, foreshadow, foretoken,

announce, harbinger, signal, portend: The freshening breeze

from the east prognosticates some rainy periods ahead.

programme n. 1 schedule, plan, scheme, agenda, order of the day, routine,

protocol, slate, list, listing, description, outline, abstract,

pr‚cis, calendar, menu, bill of fare, curriculum, syllabus,

synopsis, summary, prospectus: The programme shows the sequence

of events. You cannot tell what is being offered without a

programme. 2 performance, production, show, presentation, (radio

or television) play, telecast, broadcast, recital, concert:

Television programmes seem to cater to lower levels of taste and

intelligence every year. 3 proceedings, events, affairs,

activities: The programme includes an hour of exercise before

breakfast every day.

--v. 4 organize, arrange, prearrange, plan, lay out, map (out),

design, formulate, set (up), schedule, book, US slate: The solo

pianist is programmed to follow the chamber orchestra.

progress n. 1 (forward) movement, going forward, progression, advance,

headway, advancement: Progress through the dense underbrush was

very slow. 2 advancement, advance, promotion, improvement,

betterment, elevation, rise, development, furtherance: Her

progress in the company might have been impeded by the fact that

she was a woman. 3 advancement, course, development, growth,

expansion, increase, evolution, maturation, ripening, burgeoning

or bourgeoning, amplification, enlargement, spread, extension,

broadening, promotion, furtherance, advance, encouragement: Our

publishing credo is that every book must contribute to the

progress of culture or knowledge. 4 in progress. under way,

ongoing, going on, happening, occurring, taking place, at work,

in operation, being done, proceeding, Colloq in the works: Some

of the plans for reorganization are already in progress.

--v. 5 advance, move or go (forwards or onwards), proceed,

continue, go or forge ahead, go or move along, make (one's) way,

make headway, travel, go or push or press on: Throughout the

19th century wagon trains of pioneers progressed across the

prairies to settle the American West. I haven't progressed far

enough in my reading to say whether I like the book or not. 6

advance, improve, get well, get better, develop, grow, expand,

increase, evolve, mature, ripen, burgeon or bourgeon, amplify,

enlarge, spread, extend, broaden, rise, move up, upgrade:

Sarah's condition progressed to the point where she could get

out of bed. Christmas sales of the new toy are progressing

nicely. In only ten years, Michael progressed to a directorship

in the company.

progression

n. 1 movement forward or forward movement, advance,

advancement, (making or gaining) headway, progress, ascension,

rise, elevation: This mode of progression requires enormous

effort. It was interesting to watch her progression through the

corridors of power. 2 progress, development, advance,

advancement, spread, spreading, extension, extending,

broadening, enlargement, headway, intensification, rise: It

seemed impossible to halt the progression of the disease. 3

order, sequence, succession, train, chain, concatenation,

course, flow: The report traces the progression of events

leading up to the war.

progressive

adj. 1 advancing, continuing, developing, increasing, growing,

ongoing, continuous, step by step, gradual: The doctors noted

the progressive deterioration in his condition. With the onset

of spring, we shall see progressive improvement in the weather.

2 reformist, revisionist, liberal, radical, revolutionary,

avant-garde, advanced, dynamic: Carrie was soon regarded as one

of the more progressive thinkers of her day.

--n. 3 reformist, reformer, revisionist, liberal, leftist,

left-winger: Once a conservative, he did a complete volte-face

after the war and became a progressive.

prohibit v. 1 bar, ban, forbid, disallow, interdict, outlaw, taboo,

debar, proscribe: Fishing without a permit is prohibited. 2

prevent, stop, preclude, rule out, obstruct, block, impede,

hinder, hamper, inhibit, frustrate, foil, thwart, restrain,

check: A turnstile prohibits entry through the exit doors.

prohibition

n. 1 forbiddance, barring, bar, banning, ban, disallowance,

disallowing, interdiction, interdicting, outlawing, outlawry,

taboo, debarment, debarring, proscription, proscribing: Did the

members vote for the prohibition of smoking on club premises? 2

bar, interdict, injunction, debarment, embargo, proscription,

ban: Imposition of an excessively high tariff on imported

computer components has amounted to the prohibition of their use

in this country.

prohibitive

adj. 1 discouraging, suppressive, repressive, restrictive,

prohibitory, inhibitory, restraining: Prohibitive legislation

has forced capital out of some profitable areas and into others

less productive. 2 excessive, exorbitant, outrageous, dear,

high, outlandish, abusive, extortionate, insupportable,

criminal: The prices of new designer dresses are prohibitive.

project n. 1 proposal, plan, scheme, design, layout: The project for

housing low-income families had to be modified to allow for car

parking. 2 activity, enterprise, programme, undertaking,

venture, assignment, commitment, obligation, contract,

engagement; occupation, job, work: What project will you move

on to when you complete this one?

--v. 3 plan, scheme, prepare, devise, conjure up, concoct,

think up, contemplate, contrive, invent, work up or out,

propose, present, outline, design, draft, draw up, delineate,

describe, put forth or forward, Colloq cook up: In his theory,

he projects a quite different causal relationship. 4 cast,

hurl, fling, throw, toss, launch, propel, discharge; shoot,

transmit; Colloq chuck, lob: A body projected into space will

keep on travelling unless it strikes something. This device

projects stereoscopic pictures on a screen. 5 jut out, stick

out, protrude, stand out, bulge (out), extend (out), poke out,

beetle (out), overhang: The cornice projects a full six feet

over the street. 6 estimate, reckon, calculate, predict,

forecast: The economists projected a decline in inflation over

the coming months.

projectile

n. missile, shell, bullet, rocket: Projectiles rained down on

the enemy gun emplacement.

projection

n. 1 protrusion, protuberance, bulge, extension, overhang,

ledge, flange; ridge, eminence, prominence, spur, crag,

outcropping: The safety line caught on a projection of the

building, and the man was saved. That projection off to the

north is covered with ice all year long. 2 proposal, outlining,

mapping, mapping out, presenting, presentation: The projection

of the plan for the new development must be effective for the

council to accept it. 3 plan, scheme, blueprint, programme,

design, proposal, outline, diagram, map, representation,

planning: The council has approved the projection for the

development of the waterfront. 4 estimate, prognostication,

forecast, prediction, calculation, reckoning: These sales

projections for next year are quite optimistic.

proliferate

v. grow, increase, burgeon or bourgeon, multiply, mushroom,

snowball; breed, reproduce: Fast-food restaurants are

proliferating everywhere. Failure to disinfect the wound allows

germs to proliferate.

proliferation

n. growth, increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning, expansion,

spread, escalation, build-up, rise: Some attribute the increase

in violent crime to the proliferation of hand-guns.

prolific adj. 1 fertile, fecund, productive, fruitful, abundant,

copious, bountiful, bounteous, profuse, plentiful, plenteous,

lush, rich, rife: The more perilous its natural survival, the

more prolific a species is likely to be. 2 productive, creative,

fertile: He is a prolific author, and has more than 200 novels

to his credit.

prolong v. extend, lengthen, elongate, stretch (out), draw or drag out,

drag (on), keep up, string out, protract: Not wishing to

prolong the agony, we left after the first act. Aunt Caroline

prolonged her visit by yet another week.

promenade n. 1 walk, parade, esplanade, boulevard: We strolled along the

promenade as far as the pier. 2 walk, stroll, saunter, ramble,

turn, constitutional, airing, turn: After a brief promenade

round the garden, she returned to the house.

--v. 3 walk, stroll, saunter, amble, ramble, parade,

perambulate, take a walk or stroll: Every Sunday, regardless of

the weather, he promenades for an hour in the park. 4 flaunt,

show (off), display, parade, strut: Why he promenaded that

awful person before all his friends is beyond me!

prominence

n. 1 celebrity, eminence, fame, distinction, notability,

reputation, pre-eminence, standing, position, rank, prestige,

renown, repute, importance, weight, influence, account, name,

consequence: They are a family of considerable prominence in

the county. She rose to prominence as an actress just last year.

2 hill, hillock, rise, hummock, outcrop, outcropping, spur, tor,

crag, arˆte, spine, ridge, peak, mount, pinnacle; headland,

point, promontory: We planted our flag on the prominence and

constructed a small cairn. 3 protuberance, projection,

protrusion, growth, excrescence, swelling, tumefaction,

tumescence, extrusion, outshoot, outgrowth, spur, bulge: If

that prominence on your elbow doesn't disappear in a day or so,

I should see a doctor.

prominent adj. 1 conspicuous, obvious, evident, recognizable, pronounced,

discernible, distinguishable, identifiable, noticeable,

remarkable, noteworthy, eye-catching, striking, outstanding,

chief, main, principal, significant, important; apparent,

unmistakable or unmistakeable, patent, glaring, salient,

flagrant, egregious: The most prominent peak in the region is

Annapurna. Some of the prominent shortcomings of the plan can be

rectified easily. 2 eminent, pre-eminent, distinguished,

notable, noteworthy, noted, leading, foremost, first,

outstanding, eminent, well-known, famed, illustrious, famous,

celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, honoured, honourable,

respected, well-thought-of, prestigious, reputable, creditable:

A prominent politician is to be invited to cut the ribbon

opening the new bridge. 3 protuberant, protruding, protrusive,

projecting, jutting (out); excrescent, bulging, raised,

elevated: She has a rather prominent chin. There is one

prominent spot on the tabletop that needs more sanding.

promiscuous

adj. 1 indiscriminate, undiscriminating, unselective,

non-selective, non-discriminatory, unconscientious, heedless,

haphazard, indifferent, uncaring, uncritical, unfussy,

unfastidious, disregardful, neglectful, negligent, slipshod,

slovenly, irresponsible, careless, cursory, perfunctory,

unthinking, thoughtless, unconsidered: The promiscuous massacre

of civilians caused an international outcry. 2 lax, loose,

unchaste, wanton, wild, uninhibited, unrestrained, ungoverned,

uncontrolled, unbridled, uncurbed, immoderate, abandoned,

amoral, immoral, indecent, libertine, licentious, dissipated,

dissolute, depraved, profligate, debauched, fast; unfaithful,

faithless, dishonourable: Nothing you say could persuade me to

condone your promiscuous behaviour. 3 mixed, miscellaneous,

heterogeneous, random, intermixed, jumbled, disorderly,

disordered, confused, chaotic, motley, intermixed, intermingled,

scrambled, unorganized, disorganized, unsystematic,

unsystematized, helter-skelter, higgledy-piggledy, hotchpotch or

US also hodgepodge: There is a somewhat promiscuous collection

of books in his library that well reflects the eclecticism of

his tastes.

promise n. 1 assurance, (solemn) word (of honour), pledge, vow, oath,

undertaking, engagement, bond, commitment, guaranty, guarantee,

warranty; agreement, contract, covenant, compact: You have my

promise that the book will be completed by the deadline. She

broke her promise to marry him. Unlike a contract, a promise

does not imply a mutual commitment. 2 expectation, potential,

capability; likelihood, probability: This first novel shows a

lot of promise. There is little promise that compensation will

be paid to the victims by the government.

--v. 3 assure, give one's word (of honour), pledge, swear, vow,

take an oath, undertake, engage, commit oneself, guarantee or

guaranty, warrant, cross one's heart (and hope to die): Harold

promised to do what cannot be done. We were promised a free ride

on the roundabout. She promises she will repay the loan

promptly. Make him pay for the damage as he promised. 4 give

indication of, hint at, suggest, foretell, augur, indicate, show

signs of, be in store for, look like, seem or appear likely or

probable, Brit be on the cards, US be in the cards, Literary bid

fair, betoken, bespeak: Though the economic situation promised

to improve, many were disappointed that it took so long.

promising adj. hopeful, encouraging, favourable, auspicious, positive,

rosy, optimistic, propitious, cheering, full of promise,

reassuring, heartening: I see a promising future for you as a

dancer.

promote v. 1 help, further, encourage, assist, advance, support,

forward, back, sanction, abet, aid, boost, foster, patronize,

nurture, develop, inspirit, strengthen, stimulate, inspire:

Their continual bickering did little to promote domestic

harmony. The sale of portable appliances has done much to

promote the battery business. 2 advance, move up, raise,

upgrade, elevate, exalt, Colloq kick upstairs: He is to be

promoted to floor manager next month. 3 recommend, endorse,

sponsor, support, espouse, commend, advocate, advance, champion,

talk up, speak for, side with, present, call attention to: She

is promoting the cause of ecology in her campaign. 4 advertise,

publicize, push, sell, Colloq beat the drum for, plug, Slang

hype, Chiefly US ballyhoo: They are promoting the new

chewing-gum by giving out free samples in Trafalgar Square.

promotion n. 1 furtherance, advancement, advance, encouragement, support,

backing, sanction, sanctioning, abetting, aiding, helping,

assisting, boosting, fostering, nurturing, cultivation,

development, developing, improvement, improving, inspiration,

inspiriting, strengthening, stimulation, stimulating: The

Society exists for the promotion of learning in a number of

subjects. 2 advancement, advance, upgrading, upgrade, rise,

elevation, preferment, exaltation: He was envied for his

promotion to the highest ranking post in the department. 3

promoting, recommendation, presentation, espousal, commendation,

advocacy, championing: I am grateful for your promotion of my

name for the job. 4 advertising, publicity, public relations,

propaganda, selling, hard or soft sell, fanfare, plugging,

Colloq puffery, Slang (media) hype, Chiefly US ballyhoo,

hoop-la: The manufacturer spent millions on the promotion of

the new cola. 5 advertisement, advertising, circular, brochure,

handbill, bill, hand-out, leaflet, poster, affiche, placard,

publicity, space, (publicity) release, hoarding, US and Canadian

flier or flyer, billboard, broadside, Colloq US puff piece, poop

sheet: The promotions for the new detergent use the celebrity

endorsement technique.

prompt adj. 1 quick, ready, immediate, instantaneous, unhesitating,

rapid, fast, swift, speedy, punctual, timely, on time, instant,

summary, brisk, alacritous: No matter what the question, Gemma

gave a prompt response. 2 alert, eager, ready, quick,

expeditious, ready and willing, disposed, predisposed,

unhesitating, keen, avid: Slow to praise, Alan was always

prompt to criticize.

--v. 3 urge, egg (on), prod, nudge, spur, exhort, incite,

induce, impel, provoke, rouse, arouse, encourage, work or stir

or fire up, move, motivate, cause, influence, put (someone) up

to (something), coax, persuade, cajole, prevail upon or on, talk

(someone) into (something): If he hadn't prompted her, she

never would have apologized. 4 cue, remind, feed lines (to),

help: She never could remember her lines and needed to be

prompted. 5 bring about, inspire, occasion, give rise to,

elicit, evoke, provoke, call forth, stimulate, awaken: The

mention of hostages prompted a question about what was being

done to gain their release.

--n. 6 reminder, cue, hint, stimulus: He always needs a prompt

to remind him to send his mother flowers on her birthday.

promptly adv. quickly, at once, straightaway or straight away, directly,

right away, immediately, without delay or hesitation,

unhesitatingly, swiftly, speedily, readily, instantly,

instantaneously, punctually, expeditiously, with celerity, with

alacrity, Colloq US and Canadian momentarily: If this bill is

not paid promptly, we shall have to discontinue your credit

arrangements.

prone adj. 1 face down or downwards or chiefly US downward,

prostrate, lying down, reclining, recumbent, horizontal,

procumbent, Formal or technical decumbent, accumbent: She was

lying prone, resting between push-ups. 2 inclined, apt, likely,

liable, disposed, predisposed, of a mind, subject, given,

tending, leaning: They are prone to petty squabbles.

pronounce v. 1 declare, utter, say, voice, express, articulate,

enunciate, vocalize, put into words: He pronounced a curse on

the family. Try to pronounce it one syllable at a time. 2

declare, affirm, proclaim, announce, decree, judge, aver, state,

asseverate, assert, say to be: I now pronounce you man and

wife. The doctor pronounced mother to be out of danger. 3

announce, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, deliver,

broadcast, make known, let (something) be known, put out or

forth, set forth; pass: The judge will pronounce sentence

tomorrow.

pronounced

adj. 1 definite, clear, plain, well-defined, decided,

conspicuous, noticeable, recognizable, identifiable, obvious,

striking, prominent, notable, distinct, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, marked, strong: There was a pronounced odour of

bitter almonds in the room. Sophie spoke with a pronounced lisp.

2 definite, distinct, unequivocal, unambiguous, specific,

unqualified, undisguised, downright, outright, out-and-out,

decided, complete, total, unmitigated, strong, utter, unalloyed,

unmixed, clear, clear-cut, unmistakable or unmistakeable: A

pronounced prejudice against fuzzy thinking emerges from his

writings.

pronouncement

n. 1 statement, assertion, observation, comment, opinion,

announcement, proclamation, pronunciamento, manifesto,

declaration, avowal, affirmation, asseveration, averment,

promulgation: Occasionally he would issue a pronouncement on

the sad state of English usage. 2 judgement, decree, edict,

proclamation, dictum, command, ukase, (papal) bull, imperative,

order, ordinance: The authorities made several official

pronouncements regarding travel restrictions.

pronunciation

n. enunciation, articulation, elocution, diction, speech,

speech pattern, manner of speaking, delivery, accent,

accentuation, intonation, inflection, modulation: Standard

pronunciations of English are so diverse that it is sometimes

difficult for one native speaker to understand another. Rock

singers seem always to imitate a Texan pronunciation.

proof n. 1 evidence, verification, corroboration, confirmation,

validation, authentication, ratification, substantiation;

documentation, document, facts, data, certification, testimony,

Colloq ammunition: Is there any proof that she was with you?

The prosecution claims to have enough proof of his guilt to

convict him of embezzlement. 2 test, trial, measure, standard,

touchstone, criterion: Do you intend to put his loyalty to the

proof? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

--adj. 3 impervious, impenetrable, able to withstand or resist,

protective, strong, tough, impregnable, resistant, tempered:

They maintain that this armour is proof against a nine-inch

shell.

prop v. 1 Often, prop up. support, brace, hold (up), buttress, stay,

bolster, uphold, bear, sustain, shore up, keep up: A longer

post is needed to prop up this end of the roof. 2 lean, stand,

rest: Do you mind if I prop my crutches against the desk while

I sit down?

--n. 3 support, brace, truss, stay, buttress, mainstay,

upright, vertical, shore: Can you use this broomstick as a prop

to support the shelf temporarily?

propaganda

n. 1 agitprop, disinformation, Newspeak, rumours, lies: The

state-controlled media spread propaganda about minorities to

foster nationalism. 2 advertising, promotion, publicity, public

relations, puff, fanfare, Colloq puffery, ballyhoo, Slang hype,

US hoop-la, whoop-de-do or whoop-de-doo: All that propaganda

was merely to launch a new washing-powder!

propagate v. 1 breed, generate, reproduce, multiply, proliferate,

deliver, bring forth, bear, procreate: Biologists are studying

ways of making the species propagate at a faster rate. 2

multiply, increase, spread, grow, develop: These plants

propagate very rapidly. 3 publicize, promote, disseminate,

dispense, distribute, spread, publish, broadcast, circulate,

make known, transmit, disperse, propagandize, proclaim,

promulgate, bruit about, noise abroad, herald: The purpose of

the organization is to propagate information about the state of

the environment.

propel v. drive, impel, move, actuate, set in motion, get moving,

move, push, thrust, force, send, launch, start: Each galley was

propelled by huge oars. The capsule is propelled by a rocket.

Job opportunities propelled her to move to Bristol.

proper adj. 1 right, appropriate, apropos, apt, suitable, fit,

fitting, befitting, becoming, suited, apposite, de rigueur,

comme il faut, adapted, Literary meet: Is this the proper time

to ask for a salary increase? 2 correct, accurate, exact,

right, precise, orthodox, formal, expected, normal, usual,

accepted, established, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo: Some

insist that the only proper way to pronounce 'controversy' is

with the stress on the first syllable. 3 decorous, dignified,

genteel, fitting, right, de rigueur, appropriate, becoming,

suitable, decent, seemly, due, correct, apt, comme il faut,

conformist; gentlemanly, ladylike, polite, refined, punctilious,

respectable: Jeans are not proper attire for dinner at La

Hacienda. Do you call that proper behaviour for the president of

a learned society? 4 fitting, suitable, correct, right,

satisfactory, good, sensible: The kitchen is a proper place for

the dishwasher, not the garage. Proper nutrition is very

important. 5 complete, perfect, utter, thorough, thoroughgoing,

out-and-out, unmitigated: He felt a proper fool for having

locked his keys inside his car. 6 own, individual, separate,

distinct, correct, specific, special, particular, respective;

characteristic, distinctive, peculiar, singular, unique: When

you have finished, return each book to its proper place.

--quasi-adv. 7 strictly speaking or so-called, in the

strict(est) or narrow(est) sense, only, solely, alone, on (its

or someone's) own: Does the deed refer only to the house proper

or are the outbuildings also included?

properly adv. 1 appropriately, fittingly, correctly, well, becomingly,

suitably, politely, decently, decorously, nicely: If you cannot

behave properly I shall have to ask you to leave. 2 duly,

appropriately, well, suitably, rightly, correctly, aptly: Are

they properly equipped for the rescue mission?

property n. 1 possessions, belongings, effects, gear, paraphernalia,

chattels: All his worldly property fitted into the small

Gladstone bag he carried everywhere. 2 assets, means, resources,

holdings, capital (goods), fortune, riches, estate, worth: We

look on all our shares, personal belongings, and real estate as

part of our property. 3 land, acreage, realty, real estate or

property: That property on the high street was recently sold to

developers. 4 characteristic, attribute, quality, feature,

trait, mark, hallmark, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, oddity, quirk,

Formal haecceity, quiddity: A property of iodine is that it

changes directly from a solid to a vapour - and vice versa -

without first liquefying.

prophecy n. 1 forecasting, foretelling, prediction, fortune-telling,

divination, soothsaying, augury, prognostication,

crystal-gazing, Formal vaticination: The prophecy of future

events lies outside the realm of science. 2 prediction,

forecast, prognosis, revelation: Her prophecy warned of ice

storms that would ravage the earth.

prophesy v. 1 predict, foretell, forecast, forewarn, prognosticate,

vaticinate: His father prophesied that he would come to no good

if he quit college. 2 augur, foretell (of), presage, foreshadow,

portend, bode, harbinger, herald, promise, vaticinate: The

early disappearance of the swallows prophesies a long, cold

winter.

prophet n. prophetess, oracle, forecaster, seer, soothsayer,

clairvoyant, prognosticator, fortune-teller, augur, diviner,

witch, warlock, sibyl, haruspex, vaticinator; (of doom)

Cassandra: Statistically, the weather prophets have a fair

record of accuracy.

prophetic adj. predictive, prognostic, divinatory, oracular, inspired,

prescient, sibylline, Literary fatidic, vatic: His warnings of

a drought proved to be prophetic.

propitiatory

adj. 1 conciliatory, pacifying, appeasing, expiatory,

placative, propitiative, pacificatory, placatory: He said that

he was truly sorry and held out a propitiatory hand. 2

deferential, ingratiating, obliging, obeisant, acquiescent,

compliant, tractable: He was most propitiatory in his treatment

of his stepchildren.

propitious

adj. advantageous, timely, well-timed, opportune, lucky,

fortunate, happy, providential, favourable, bright, encouraging,

auspicious, promising, rosy: It was not a propitious moment to

ask her to marry him,.

proponent n. proposer, promoter, supporter, upholder, backer, subscriber,

patron, espouser, adherent, enthusiast, champion, friend,

partisan, defender, advocate, exponent, pleader, apologist,

spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson: Ashley is a staunch

proponent of the literacy movement.

proportion

n. 1 ratio, (comparative) relation, relationship, comparison:

The proportion of men to women on the course is three to one.

The demand is out of all proportion to the supply. 2 balance,

agreement, concord, harmony, suitableness, symmetry, congruity,

correspondence, correlation, arrangement, distribution: The

beauty of the building is at once apparent in the elegant

proportion of its parts. 3 portion, division, share, part,

percentage, quota, allotment, ration, Colloq cut: Water covers

a large proportion of the surface. 4 proportions. size,

magnitude, dimensions, measurements, extent; volume, capacity,

mass, bulk, area, expanse, scope, range, degree: The dragon

suddenly assumed gigantic proportions.

--v. 5 adjust, modify, change, modulate, poise, balance, shape,

fit, match, conform, equate: The punishment should be

proportioned to the crime.

proportional

adj. proportionate, proportioned, comparable, analogous,

analogical, relative, related, correlated, balanced,

symmetrical, corresponding, compatible, harmonious, consistent,

commensurate, in accordance with: The zeal with which their

ideals are defended is directly proportional to the fierceness

with which they are attacked.

proposal n. 1 offer, presentation, bid, tender, proposition,

recommendation, suggestion, Literary proffer: Her proposal was

to provide the funding if we would do the work. 2 plan, scheme,

outline, draft, design, layout; programme, proposition, project:

The proposal for the new civic centre was rejected as too

expensive.

propose v. 1 offer, tender, proffer; present, introduce, submit,

advance, set forth, put forward, propound, bid, recommend,

suggest, come up with, call attention to, broach, Brit table:

Management proposed a wage increase of five per cent. The

architect proposed that we consider an addition to the north

wing. 2 offer, mean, intend, plan, expect, aim: We propose to

make a start on the decorating once we have had our lunch. 3

nominate, name, put forward or forth, suggest, introduce,

submit, put up: His boss proposed him for membership of the

golf club.

proposition

n. 1 See proposal, 1, above. 2 See proposal, 2, above.

--v. 3 accost, solicit, make an indecent or sexual advance or

proposal or overture, Colloq make a pass at: She said she had

been propositioned by him, but we never learnt if she accepted

or not.

propound v. put or set forth or forward, propose, offer, proffer,

suggest, postulate: It was she who first propounded the idea of

a unified country.

proprietor

n. 1 proprietress, owner, landowner, landlady, landlord,

landholder, title-holder, deed-holder, property owner: He is

the proprietor of a large house in Chiswick. 2 owner, partner,

landlord, restaurateur, innkeeper, hotel-keeper, hotelier,

licensee, manager, Brit publican: The proprietor greeted us

warmly and showed us to our rooms.

propriety n. 1 correctness, properness, conformity, suitableness,

appropriateness, suitability, aptness, fitness, seemliness,

decorum; advisability, wisdom: I questioned the propriety of

concealing this information from shareholders. 2 protocol, good

or proper form, punctilio, etiquette, politeness, courtesy,

politesse, refinement, sedateness, dignity, modesty, decorum,

decency, breeding, respectability, gentility, grace,

mannerliness: He always behaved with the utmost propriety in

the presence of his aunt. 3 the proprieties. the social graces,

the amenities, the civilities, formality or the formalities,

social convention or the social conventions, social procedure or

codes, accepted practice, tradition, ceremony, ritual: He only

observes the proprieties when he wants to make a good

impression.

propulsion

n. drive, impulse, impetus, thrust, power, driving or

propelling or propulsive force, pressure, momentum, push:

Enormous propulsion is required to lift the space shuttle into

orbit.

prosaic adj. dull, banal, overdone, tedious, clich‚d, commonplace,

stereotyped, pedestrian, flat, stereotypical, hackneyed, stock,

routine, everyday, ordinary, common, workaday, mediocre,

undistinguished, bland, characterless, homely, plain, trite,

stale, threadbare, tired, lifeless, dead, dry, jejune, boring,

tiresome, unimaginative, unpoetic, unromantic, uninspiring,

uninspired, insipid, uninteresting, humdrum, monotonous,

Literary ennuyant, Colloq ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, mouldy: She

found the law too prosaic and trained to become a jockey.

prose n. (expository) writing, text, language: It came as a great

revelation to learn that he had been speaking prose all his

life.

prosecute v. 1 arraign, indict, charge, put on or bring to trial, try,

take to court, sue, bring suit or action against, accuse, Brit

put in the dock: She threatened to prosecute him for slander.

2 pursue, follow up or through, see or carry through, persist,

go on with: Will the same policy will be prosecuted in other

countries? 3 carry on or out, perform, do, exercise, conduct,

follow, engage in, practise, continue: The government needs

popular support if it is to continue to prosecute the war

successfully.

prospect n. 1 view, scene, panorama, landscape, seascape, outlook,

vista, sight, spectacle, perspective, aspect: The sitting-room

window offered a splendid prospect of the sea and cliffs below.

2 anticipation, contemplation, outlook, promise, plan, design,

intention, expectancy, expectation, thought, likelihood: The

prospect of spending the Christmas holidays with your family is

quite daunting. 3 Often, prospects. future, outlook, chance(s),

hope(s), possibility or possibilities, likelihood, opportunity

or opportunities: The prospects for her advancement are

excellent. 4 in prospect. in sight or view, in the offing, on

the horizon, in store, in the wind, projected, in store, likely,

probable, possible, Brit on the cards, on the table, US in the

cards: As a doctor, he has a number of opportunities in

prospect.

--v. 5 Often, prospect for. explore, search (for), look (for):

In 1896, his grandfather went to the Klondike to prospect for

gold.

prospective

adj. anticipated, expected, awaited, looked-for, future,

forthcoming, coming, approaching, imminent, nearing, pending,

impending, destined, potential, incipient: Jane's prospective

wedding had excited the entire family.

prospectus

n. announcement, plan, scheme, programme, outline, conspectus,

description: According to the prospectus for the fund, the

minimum investment is œ1000.

prosper v. flourish, thrive, succeed, fare well, progress, get ahead,

grow, develop; profit, gain, become wealthy, grow rich, make

one's fortune, make good, Colloq make it, make one's pile: With

hard work, thrift, and perseverance, MacIntosh prospered and was

soon able to buy the house he wanted.

prosperity

n. success, (good) fortune, wealth, riches, affluence, money,

luxury, plenty, prosperousness, opulence, bounty, Colloq life of

Riley: The basis of the family's prosperity was huge land

holdings in Australia.

prosperous

adj. 1 rich, wealthy, moneyed or monied, affluent, well-to-do,

well off, Colloq well-heeled, loaded, flush, in the money,

rolling in it or wealth or money, in clover, on Easy Street,

Slang stinking rich: Anyone who owns six houses and four yachts

must be prosperous. 2 successful, thriving, flourishing,

booming, prospering: Frank owns a prosperous chain of video

shops.

prostitute

n. 1 whore, call-girl, streetwalker, strumpet, trollop, harlot,

lady of the night or US also evening, fallen or loose woman,

demi-mondaine, cocotte, fille de joie, painted woman, woman of

ill repute, camp-follower, Archaic catamite, Literary hetaera or

hetaira, courtesan or courtezan, Brit rent-boy, toy boy, US boy

toy, Archaic bawd, quean, trull, cotquean, Colloq tart, hustler,

Slang pro, moll, Brit brass, hooker, US bimbo, working girl,

chippy or chippie, roundheels: There was a terrible scandal

when the MP was found to have consorted with prostitutes.

--v. 2 Often, prostitute oneself. degrade, demean, lower,

cheapen, debase, profane, defile, desecrate, pervert, abuse,

misuse, devalue, Colloq sell out: To ward off starvation, he

prostituted his talent by drawing comic strips.

prostitution

n. 1 whoredom, harlotry, the oldest profession, Mrs Warren's

profession, streetwalking, vice: They argued strongly against

the legalization of prostitution, saying that it would lead to a

decline in public morals. 2 degradation, debasement,

profanation, defilement, desecration, misuse, abuse,

devaluation, lowering, perversion, corruption: Don't you regard

pornography as a prostitution of the principle of freedom of

expression?

prostrate v. 1 Usually, prostrate oneself. lie down, kowtow, bow (down),

bow and scrape, grovel, kneel, fall to or on one's knees,

truckle, crawl, cringe, submit, abase oneself: The captives

were forced to prostrate themselves before the emperor. 2

overwhelm, overcome, overpower, crush, lay or bring low,

paralyse, fell, bowl over, floor, bring down, humble, make

helpless, ruin; exhaust, fatigue, weary, wear down or out, tire

(out): They were prostrated by grief at the loss of their son.

Having been prostrated for months by glandular fever, she

finally recovered and returned to work.

--adj. 3 prone, horizontal, lying down, laid low, stretched

out, procumbent, recumbent, Formal or technical accumbent,

decumbent: The prostrate bodies of the worshippers in their

multicoloured garb resembled a huge patchwork quilt. 4

overwhelmed, overcome, overpowered, crushed, brought or laid

low, paralysed, felled, bowled over, brought down, humbled,

helpless, ruined, brought to one's knees, powerless, impotent,

defenceless, disarmed, Colloq floored: She was prostrate at the

news of the car crash. After the long war, the countries were

struggling to revitalize their prostrate economies. 5 exhausted,

drained, fatigued, spent, worn out, wearied, weary, tired (out),

dead tired, dog-tired, played out, Colloq fagged out, knocked

out, all in, beat, bushed, US wiped out, Slang shagged out, US

and Canadian pooped (out): We were prostrate after the long

climb.

prostration

n. 1 genuflection or Brit also genuflexion, kowtowing, kowtow,

kneeling, bowing, bow, salaaming, salaam, submission:

Prostration before a superior was a mark of honour. 2

servility, veneration, worship, humiliation, respect, adulation,

deference, obeisance, homage: Their silence betokened the

profound prostration they felt before her superior intellect. 3

despair, misery, desolation, desperation, dejection, depression,

despondency, wretchedness, unhappiness, grief, woe, woefulness:

Years of poverty created in him a spiritual prostration from

which he never recovered. 4 weariness, exhaustion, weakness,

debility, feebleness, enervation, lassitude, paralysis,

collapse, breakdown: The diagnosis was nervous prostration and

the treatment was bed rest for a week or more.

protagonist

n. 1 hero, heroine, anti-hero, anti-heroine, principal, leading

character; lead, leading role, title role: Mother was always

the protagonist in our little domestic dramas. 2 leader,

supporter, advocate, backer, prime mover, moving spirit,

champion, mainstay, standard-bearer, exponent: He is considered

the chief protagonist of reformist policies in the party.

protean adj. variable, ever-changing, multiform, variable, mutable,

changeable, labile, polymorphous or polymorphic, kaleidoscopic:

The magic ring gave him protean powers to appear now as an

eagle, now as a serpent.

protect v. 1 defend, guard, safeguard, keep safe, shield, cover,

screen: Company rules require the wearing of safety goggles to

protect the eyes when operating any machine. 2 care for,

preserve, keep, shelter, watch over, safeguard, take care of,

conserve, take under one's wing, foster, nurture, tend, mind:

The best way of protecting wildlife is to conserve natural

habitats.

protection

n. 1 defence, screen, shield, barrier, guard, safeguard,

immunity, bulwark, buffer, shelter, refuge, haven, sanctuary,

security, safe keeping, safety, preservation: They have not yet

developed any protection from the common cold. How can we offer

these fledglings protection against predators? 2 care,

guardianship, aegis, custody, charge, safe keeping, patronage,

sponsorship, keeping: Even under the protection of the

government, elephants continue to be slaughtered. 3 extortion,

blackmail, protection money: If we refuse to pay protection,

they say that they will bomb the restaurant.

protective

adj. defensive, jealous, vigilant, watchful, heedful, careful,

possessive; preservative, shielding, sheltering, safeguarding:

She is fiercely protective of her independence and will not

accept help. Many animals rely on protective colouring as a

defence against predators.

protector n. protectress, defender, benefactor, benefactress, patron,

patroness, guardian (angel), champion, knight in shining armour,

paladin, bodyguard, Slang Brit minder: She came to regard him

as her friend and protector.

prot‚g‚ n. prot‚g‚e, ward, charge, dependant; discovery, student,

pupil: He became her prot‚g‚ and she has taught him everything

he knows.

protest n. 1 objection, opposition, complaint, grumble, grievance,

dissent, disapproval, protestation, exception, disagreement,

demur or demurral, demurrer, disclaimer, denial, scruple,

compunction, qualm, Colloq gripe, grouse, squawk, US kick, Slang

beef, bitch: The Home Office has received many protests about

the treatment of prisoners. 2 under protest. unwillingly,

reluctantly, involuntarily: I paid the fine under protest.

--v. 3 object, oppose, complain, grumble, dissent, disapprove,

take exception, take issue with, disagree, demur, disclaim,

deny, scruple, Colloq gripe, grouse, squawk, Brit kick

(against), US kick, Slang beef, bitch: Bank employees protested

at being expected to work on Saturday mornings. 4 assert,

confirm, declare, aver, asseverate, affirm, announce, profess,

insist on, avow, avouch: The convicted man went to the gallows

protesting his innocence.

protocol n. 1 rule(s) or code(s) or standard(s) of behaviour or conduct,

convention(s), custom(s), diplomacy, formality, formalities,

form, etiquette, politesse, manners, practice, usage, authority:

According to protocol, the lady stands at the right of the

gentleman. Which protocol are you following, the British or the

French? 2 treaty, pact, compact, covenant, agreement, concordat;

memorandum, minute, note, draft, outline: The original protocol

must be checked before the ministers attach their signatures.

prototype n. 1 model, archetype, first, original, pattern, exemplar,

precedent, mould: Many improvements were made as a result of

tests on the original prototype. 2 example, instance,

illustration, sample, norm, paragon, epitome, model, standard,

analogue, referent, metaphor: Mrs Grundy is a common prototype

for narrow-mindedness and prudishness.

protracted

adj. long, long-drawn-out, interminable, prolonged, over-long,

never-ending, extended, stretched out, marathon, endless,

everlasting, long-winded: The protracted union negotiations

delayed the start of the work by six months.

protrude v. stick out, jut (out), project, extend, poke out, stand out,

thrust out or forward, start (from), exsert, Rare extrude;

bulge, balloon, bag (out), belly (out); (of the eyes) pop,

goggle, Colloq US bug (out): Only the very tops of the plants

protruded from the snow.

protrusion

n. projection, protuberance, prominence, swelling, excrescence,

tumescence, bump, lump, knob, bulge; (condition of the eyes)

Technical exophthalmic goitre: I can feel the slight protrusion

of the nail-heads above the smooth surface.

protuberant

adj. protrusive, protruding, bulging, gibbous, jutting,

bulbous, swelling, swollen, turgid, tumescent, distended, tumid,

extrusive, excrescent, extruding, projecting, beetling,

overhanging, prominent: She has large brown eyes that are a

little protuberant.

proud adj. 1 Often, proud of. pleased (with), satisfied (with),

contented (with), glad (about), happy (with or about), delighted

(with or about), elated (with or about); honoured, gratified:

He is very proud of his children and what they have achieved. I

am proud to be your friend. 2 conceited, boastful,

self-satisfied, narcissistic, self-important, egotistical, vain,

vainglorious, prideful, self-centred, complacent, snobbish,

haughty, supercilious, smug, arrogant, cocky, cocksure,

boastful, braggart, Colloq high and mighty, snooty, stuck-up,

Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed: She's far too proud to have

anything to do with the likes of us. 3 lofty, dignified,

lordly, noble, great, respected, honoured, honourable,

important, glorious, august, illustrious, estimable, creditable,

eminent, prominent, distinguished, reputable, worthy, notable,

noted, noteworthy: His will always be a proud name in British

military history. 4 stately, majestic, magnificent, splendid,

grand: Proud Edinburgh earned the sobriquet, 'Athens of the

north'.

prove v. 1 verify, authenticate, confirm, make good, corroborate,

demonstrate, show, validate, establish, substantiate, certify,

affirm; support, sustain, back (up), uphold: Prove that he lied

under oath, and we shall have him for perjury. If you cannot

prove her guilt, she must be presumed innocent. 2 try, test,

examine, check, analyse, assay: Division can easily be proved

by multiplication, and vice versa. The proving ground for

military vehicles is off limits to the public. Come live with

me and be my love, And we shall all the pleasures prove. 3 turn

out, be found, be shown, be established, end up; develop,

result: The child proved to be his long-lost grandson. 4 show,

evince, demonstrate: He proved his love many times over during

their fifty years of marriage.

provender n. 1 provisions, food, supplies, victuals, rations, foodstuffs,

groceries, eatables, edibles, comestibles, aliment, nourishment,

sustenance, Colloq grub, eats: The armies relied for their

provender on farms they passed on the march. 2 fodder, forage,

feed, hay, silage, corn, grain: Provender for the livestock was

running low because of the long winter.

proverb n. saying, maxim, aphorism, saw, adage, apophthegm or apothegm,

axiom, moral, moralism, homily, dictum, gnome, epigram,

commonplace, platitude, truism, clich‚, bromide: According to

the old proverb, 'A fool and his money are soon parted'.

proverbial

adj. 1 axiomatic, aphoristic, epigrammatic, apophthegmatic or

apothegmatic, homiletic, moralistic; acknowledged, well-known,

accepted, time-honoured, traditional: The language is full of

proverbial sayings reflecting popular wisdom. 2 typical,

archetypal, exemplary: The humanitarianism of Albert Schweitzer

is proverbial.

provide v. 1 supply, furnish, equip, outfit, fix up (with) provision,

contribute, accommodate, purvey, cater, stock (up), victual,

provender: After providing us with a map and a compass, they

sent us off across the moor. 2 produce, yield, afford, lend,

give, present, offer, accord: The fertile land provided food in

plentiful abundance. During those bleak years, the radio

provided us not only with news but also entertainment. 3

stipulate, lay down, require, demand, specify, state: The lease

provided that the rent be reviewed every five years. 4 provide

for. look after, care for, support, take care of, take under

one's wing, minister to, attend (to): The bequest ensured that

his widow would be amply provided for. 5 provide for or

against. arrange for, prepare for, anticipate, forearm, make or

get ready for, plan for, take precautions, take measures: It

would seem that you have provided for any eventuality.

providence

n. 1 foresight, forethought, preparation, anticipation,

readiness, far-sightedness, caution, precaution, discretion,

prudence, care; thrift, frugality, husbandry, thriftiness,

conservation, economy: Because of the providence of our

founders, we were able to weather severe financial set backs. 2

Usually, (divine) Providence. protection, care, concern,

beneficence, direction, control, divine intervention, guidance;

destiny, fate, lot, fortune, karma, kismet: Providence is

always on the side of those who help themselves.

provident adj. 1 cautious, wary, discreet, canny, prudent, careful,

vigilant, prepared, far-sighted, thoughtful, wise, shrewd,

sagacious, sage, judicious: In the fable, the grasshopper

learns from the ant what it means to be provident. 2 frugal,

economic(al), thrifty, prudent: Because he is not a provident

man, he will always be poor.

providential

adj. fortunate, lucky, blessed, felicitous, happy, opportune,

timely: It is providential that we left the house just before

the earthquake.

providing conj. Sometimes, providing that. provided (that), on (the)

condition (that), if (only), only if, as long as, in the event

(that), with the proviso (that), in case, with the understanding

(that): Simon is always ready to go out to dinner, providing

someone else pays for it.

province n. 1 territory, state, zone, region, quarter, area, district,

domain, dependency or US also dependancy, division, section,

district: Quebec is one of the administrative provinces of

Canada. 2 country, territory, region, dominion, realm, strand,

tract: During the war, those who escaped fled to distant

provinces. 3 sphere or area (of responsibility),

responsibility, bailiwick, concern, function, charge, business,

field; Colloq thing, headache, worry: The payroll falls within

the province of my department. 4 provinces. outlying districts,

countryside, hinterland(s), Chiefly US exurbia, Slang US and

Canadian boondocks, boonies, hicksville: Once a year, people

flock into London from the provinces to do their Christmas

shopping.

provincial

adj. 1 local, regional: Provincial administration is the

responsibility of the sheriff. 2 uncultured, uncultivated,

unsophisticated, limited, uninformed, na‹ve, innocent,

ingenuous, unpolished, unrefined, homespun, rustic, rude,

country, parochial, insular, narrow-minded, boorish, loutish,

cloddish, awkward, ungraceful, oafish, backwood(s), Brit parish

pump, US small-town, Colloq US and Canadian hick, hick-town:

These paintings are unlikely to appeal to provincial tastes.

--n. 3 rustic, country cousin, (country) bumpkin, yokel, US and

Canadian out-of-towner, hick, hayseed: One could tell they were

provincials by the cut of their clothes.

provincialism

n. 1 dialectalism, localism, regionalism; idiom, patois,

dialect: His northern speech is peppered with provincialisms

unfamiliar to those who live in the south. 2 narrow-mindedness,

insularity, parochialism, narrowness, benightedness;

unsophisticatedness, simplicity, lack of awareness, na‹vety,

ingenuousness, innocence, inexperience: Their provincialism

made them suspicious of city people. There was something

charming about the provincialism of this rough man from the

outback.

provision n. 1 providing, supplying, furnishing; catering, victualling,

provisioning, purveyance, purveying, furnishing, equipping,

fitting out, outfitting, accoutrement, equipment: The school is

responsible for the provision of textbooks. The provision of a

cruise ship of that size requires days. 2 stipulation, proviso,

condition, restriction, qualification, clause, term, exception,

demand, requirement, prerequisite, Colloq catch, string, US

hooker: This provision of the contract calls for a penalty for

each day's delay beyond the guaranteed completion date. 3

preparation, prearrangement, arrangement, measures, steps: They

had failed to make provision for so many customers and soon ran

out of food. 4 Usually, provisions. supplies, stores, stockpile,

stock(s), quantity; food, foodstuffs, eatables, edibles,

drinkables, potables, victuals, viands, comestibles, rations,

groceries, provender, staples: We had enough provisions to last

a year.

--v. 5 stockpile, stock, supply, victual, cater, purvey: They

provisioned the expedition for a three-month period.

provisional

adj. 1 temporary, interim, provisionary, transitional, stopgap,

Colloq pro tem: The provisional government was expected to be

in place for less than a month. 2 conditional, contingent,

provisory, qualified, stipulatory, provisionary, probationary:

The appointment is provisional and will be reviewed in six

months.

proviso n. See provision, 2. above.

provocation

n. 1 grounds, reason, cause, justification, instigation,

initiation, incitement, stimulus, incentive, motivation, motive,

inducement: What was the provocation for that unpleasant

outburst? 2 insult, offence, taunt, irritation: After a series

of provocations, the final straw was his remark about my mother.

provocative

adj. 1 inviting, alluring, tempting, charming, tantalizing,

teasing, intriguing, fascinating, seductive, stimulating,

voluptuous, sensual, sensuous, suggestive, erotic, arousing,

exciting, entrancing, irresistible, bewitching, Colloq sexy:

The council found the film too provocative to be shown to

schoolchildren. 2 irritating, annoying, galling, irksome,

nettlesome, harassing, plaguing, exasperating, infuriating,

angering, incensing, maddening, enraging, vexing, vexatious,

disquieting, challenging, upsetting, distressing, disturbing,

outrageous, wounding, stinging, offensive, humiliating,

mortifying: She is given to making provocative remarks that

drive him to distraction.

provoke v. 1 stir (up), stimulate, move, motivate, push, impel, drive,

get, spur (on), egg on, goad, force, compel, prompt, rouse,

arouse, waken, awaken, enliven, animate, activate, induce,

encourage: She did her best to provoke him to start his new

novel. 2 start, incite, instigate, produce, promote, foment,

kindle, work up: Are you trying to provoke an argument? 3

irritate, annoy, irk, pester, vex, pique, anger, enrage, madden,

incense, infuriate, gall, rile, nettle, harass, hector, plague,

badger, exasperate, get on one's nerves, try one's patience,

frustrate, upset, disturb, perturb, distress, outrage, offend,

insult, affront: If he continues to provoke me I shall punch

him.

prowess n. 1 ability, skill, skilfulness, aptitude, adroitness,

dexterity, dexterousness, adeptness, facility, finesse,

expertise, mastery, genius, talent, know-how, ingenuity,

capability, proficiency: Her prowess as a sculptor is

unquestioned. 2 bravery, valour, courage, boldness, daring,

intrepidity, dauntlessness, mettle, stout-heartedness, valiance,

lion-heartedness, fearlessness, gallantry, doughtiness,

fortitude: He was famed for his prowess in single combat.

prowl v. 1 lurk, sneak, skulk, steal, slink: I thought I saw someone

prowling about in your back garden. 2 scour, scavenge, range

over, rove, roam, patrol, cruise, cover: The police continued

to prowl the waterfront looking for smugglers.

--n. 3 on the prowl. lurking or sneaking or skulking or

stealing or slinking about or around, searching, seeking,

hunting, tracking, stalking: The lioness was on the prowl for

wildebeest. After a few drinks, the boys went on the prowl for

some female companionship.

proximity n. nearness, closeness, adjacency, neighbourhood, vicinity,

vicinage, contiguity, contiguousness, propinquity: The

proximity of the airport kept housing prices relatively low.

proxy n. substitute, agent, delegate, surrogate, representative,

factor: As I was unable to attend the owners' meeting, I sent

Jane as my proxy.

prude n. prig, puritan, Mrs Grundy, Colloq goody-goody, US bluenose:

He was a bit of a prude and disapproved of anything even

slightly suggestive.

prudence n. 1 discretion, wisdom, sagacity, judgement, discrimination,

common sense, canniness, presence of mind, awareness, wariness,

care, tact, carefulness, caution, cautiousness, circumspection,

watchfulness, vigilance, heedfulness: You should proceed with

prudence in this hazardous business. 2 planning, preparation,

preparedness, foresightedness, forethought, foresight,

providence, precaution, far-sightedness; economy, husbandry,

thrift, (good or careful) management: Owing to the prudence of

her investments, Clara had accumulated a substantial nest egg.

prudent adj. 1 careful, cautious, discreet, discerning, wise, sage,

sagacious, politic, judicious, discriminating, sensible,

reasonable, canny, shrewd, cautious, circumspect, watchful,

vigilant, heedful, wary, attentive, alert, guarded: James had

always found it prudent to listen to others before speaking his

mind. 2 provident, thrifty, economic(al), frugal, prudential:

Father favours prudent, conservative management of the family

business.

prudery n. prudishness, priggishness, puritanicalness, puritanism,

squeamishness, Grundyism, primness, stuffiness, old-maidishness,

precisianism: She said that censorship was the result of

prudery rather than concern for moral welfare.

prudish adj. priggish, puritanical, old-maidish, prissy, prim, fussy,

squeamish, strait-laced, stiff, rigid, over-nice, over-modest,

over-coy, proper, demure, decorous, formal: Victorian society

was both prudish and prurient.

prune v. clip, cut back, lop, dock, pare (down), trim: If you prune

fruit trees, they bear more abundantly. We have to prune the

entertainment budget.

prurient adj. 1 libidinous, lecherous, lascivious, lewd, lubricious or

lubricous, salacious, lustful, concupiscent, licentious, carnal,

debauched, rakehell, sensual, randy, voluptuous, loose, goatish,

ruttish, Literary Cyprian, Paphian, Archaic lickerish or

liquorish, Slang horny, hot: The press takes a prurient

interest in the private lives of famous people. 2 dirty, lewd,

filthy, pornographic, smutty, obscene, foul, scurrilous, vile,

indecent, gross, lurid, blue, bawdy, ribald, titillating,

suggestive, coarse, vulgar, low, crude, Literary Fescennine:

The police raid uncovered a store of prurient literature, films,

and videos.

pry v. 1 investigate, ferret about, examine, peer, peek, be

inquisitive, inquire or enquire: They pried into her past but

found nothing revealing. 2 intrude, meddle, interfere, Colloq

poke or stick one's nose in or into, snoop, be nosy, nose about

or around, poke about or around: They have no right to pry into

my private affairs.

16.8 pseudonym...

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pseudonym n. nom de plume, nom de guerre, alias, pen-name, stage name,

incognito: 'George Eliot' was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans.

psyche n. soul, spirit, mind, ‚lan vital, divine spark, life-force,

anima, self, subconscious, unconscious, personality, (essential)

nature, inner man or woman or person, Philosophy pneuma: To

Homer, the psyche was more like an alter ego, or conscience.

psychic adj. 1 psychical, mental, spiritual, psychologic(al),

subjective, psychogenic, cognitive, metaphysic(al),

intellectual, cerebral; philosophic(al): The psychic effect of

losing a loved one can have physical repercussions. 2

psychical, extrasensory, supernatural, occult, magical,

telepathic, telekinetic, preternatural, spiritualistic,

unearthly, extramundane, supermundane: Many psychic phenomena

have never been satisfactorily explained.

--n. 3 medium, spiritualist, clairvoyant, mind-reader,

telepathist, seer, seeress, crystal-gazer, soothsayer,

astrologer, fortune-teller, prophet, prophetess, sibyl: We were

disturbed to learn that our political leaders consulted

psychics.

psychological

adj. mental, intellectual, cerebral, cognitive, psychic(al),

spiritual, subjective, subconscious, unconscious, subliminal,

psychogenic; philosophic(al): He has plenty of money, so there

must be psychological reasons for his stealing.

psychology

n. (mental) make-up, constitution, attitude, behaviour, thought

processes, thinking, psyche, nature, feeling(s), emotion(s),

rationale, reasoning: I cannot understand the psychology of

fascism.

psychotic adj. 1 mad, insane, psychopathic, deranged, demented, lunatic,

paranoiac or paranoid, abnormal, unbalanced, (mentally) ill or

esp. US sick, disturbed, non compos mentis, of unsound mind,

exceptional, certifiable, daft, unhinged, raving, Slang crazy,

nuts, nutty, loony or looney or luny, off one's rocker or

trolley or chump or head, cracked, crack-brained, mental, out to

lunch, batty, bats, having bats in one's belfry, having a screw

loose, not all there, touched (in the head), bonkers: The

doctors diagnosed him as psychotic and insisted he be

hospitalized.

--n. 2 madman, madwoman, maniac, psychopath, lunatic, paranoid

or paranoiac, schizophrenic, bedlamite, Slang nut, nutter,

screwball, crackpot, crazy, loony or looney or luny, schizo, US

kook: How many psychotics do you think are wandering about

loose?

16.9 pub...

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pub n. public house, alehouse, tavern, inn, bar, cocktail lounge,

saloon, taproom, hostelry, Brit saloon or lounge bar, US

bar-room, Colloq Brit local, Slang boozer, watering-hole, joint,

dive, Chiefly Brit gin-palace, US barrelhouse, gin-mill,

honky-tonk: We went down to the pub for a pint and a game of

darts.

puberty n. pubescence, sexual maturity, adolescence, juvenescence,

teens; nubility: The anxiety of parents for the health of an

infant is as nothing compared with their concerns when their

child reaches puberty.

public adj. 1 communal, community, common, general, collective,

universal, catholic, popular, worldwide: One need only compare

early and new films to see how public taste has changed. 2

civil, civic, social, societal, community, communal: Although

they may seem restrictive, these laws are for the public good. 3

accessible, open, free, unrestricted, non-exclusive, communal,

community, available: He does much of his research in the

public library. 4 open, manifest, exposed, overt, projected,

plain, obvious, apparent, patent, clear, clear-cut,

acknowledged, known, admitted, visible, viewable, conspicuous:

Her public image is quite different from her private persona. 5

visible, viewable, conspicuous, unconcealed, unshrouded,

flagrant, blatant: Has Alfie made a public spectacle of himself

again? 6 well-known, prominent, eminent, celebrated, famous,

renowned, noted, notable, influential, illustrious; notorious,

disreputable, infamous: Invite a well-known public figure to

open the exhibition if you can. 7 make public. See publish.

--n. 8 community, people (at large or in general), citizenry,

citizens, nation, populace, population, society, masses,

multitude, hoi polloi, bourgeoisie, plebeians, proletariat, rank

and file, middle class, third estate, commonalty, voters, man or

woman in the street, Brit admass, US John Q. Public, Mr or Mrs

Average, Colloq (any or every) Tom, Dick, and Harry: The public

has responded generously to the charity appeal. 9 clientele or

Brit also clientage, customers, custom, patrons, followers,

supporters, buyers, consumers, purchasers, following, business,

trade: How can you expect to attract the public without

advertising? 10 sector, segment, special-interest group,

portion: The commuting public will no longer tolerate these

excessive train delays. 11 in public. publicly, openly, in the

open, Colloq out of the closet: Jarvis has finally confessed in

public what we long suspected privately.

publication

n. 1 dissemination, promulgation, publicizing, publishing,

proclamation, issuance, reporting, announcement, advertisement,

advertising, pronouncement, airing, putting out, revelation,

declaration, appearance: The publication of the news about the

sale of the company was no surprise to us. 2 book, booklet,

pamphlet, brochure, leaflet, broadside or broadsheet, flier or

flyer, handbill, hand-out; periodical, magazine, journal,

newsletter, newspaper, paper, broadsheet, tabloid; annual,

semi-annual, quarterly, bimonthly, monthly, semi-monthly,

fortnightly, biweekly, weekly, hebdomadal or hebdomedary,

semi-weekly, daily: He buys every publication he can find

dealing with model railways.

publicize v. promote, advertise, give publicity to, Colloq beat the drum

for, plug, puff, US push, Slang hype: They once hired an

elephant to publicize a huge department-store sale.

publish v. make public, put out, broadcast, spread (about or around),

advertise, make known, let (something) be known, announce,

publicize, report, proclaim, promulgate, bruit about, reveal,

divulge, disclose, break the news (about), Colloq leak: The

minister resigned the day the news of the scandal was published.

pucker v. 1 gather, draw together, compress, purse, crinkle, ruck,

shirr, ruffle, corrugate, furrow, wrinkle, crease, screw up,

tighten, contract, squeeze: Pucker up your mouth and give me a

kiss. The shirring is done by puckering up the fabric and

stitching it through with decorative thread.

--n. 2 gather, tuck, pleat, pleating, shirr, shirring, ruffle,

ruck, ruche, ruckle, wrinkle, wrinkling, fold, crinkle,

crinkling: The curtains have some puckers that need ironing.

puerile adj. childish, immature, babyish, infantile, juvenile, silly,

asinine, foolish, trivial, ridiculous, irresponsible, shallow,

inconsequential, insignificant, US sophomoric: Stop that

puerile horseplay and settle down.

puff n. 1 blow, breath, wind, whiff, draught, gust, blast, huff: A

slight puff through the open window stirred the curtains. 2

draught, draw, pull, Colloq drag: She took a puff from her

cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. 3 advertisement,

praise, mention, word, item, review, notice, publicity, puffery,

Colloq plug, blurb, Slang hype: The late editions of the papers

carry puffs for your new restaurant.

--v. 4 blow, breathe, huff, pant, gasp, wheeze: Victor came

huffing and puffing up to the finishing line. 5 draw, pull (at

or on), inhale, suck, smoke, Colloq drag: Holmes was puffing

silently on his pipe. 6 Usually, puff up or out. inflate,

distend, bloat, swell (up or out), stretch, balloon, expand,

pump up, enlarge: Calvin swaggered in, all puffed up with pride

about his new job. 7 publicize, advertise, promote, push,

trumpet, ballyhoo, extol, commend, praise, Colloq plug, beat the

drum (for): He has been shamelessly puffing his book on every

radio and TV show.

pugilism n. boxing, prizefighting; the manly art of self-defence,

fisticuffs; Colloq the boxing or fight game: His career in

pugilism came to an abrupt end in the second minute of the third

round.

pugilist n. boxer, prizefighter, fighter, contender, contestant,

battler, combatant, Colloq bruiser, scrapper, champ, Slang

slugger, pug: The pugilists came out of their corners and at

once started jabbing away at each other.

pugnacious

adj. aggressive, belligerent, combative, quarrelsome,

bellicose, antagonistic, argumentative, hostile, litigious,

contentious, disputatious, disagreeable, fractious, petulant,

testy, irascible, hot-tempered, choleric, unfriendly,

curmudgeonly, irritable, short-tempered: The Gothic tribes were

very pugnacious, always ready to fight with little or no

provocation.

pukka adj. 1 pukkah or pucka, well done or made, properly or

perfectly done, first class: That was a pukka meal. 2 pukkah

or pucka, genuine, good, authentic, reliable, honourable, fair,

right, proper, thorough, out-and-out: They always referred to

him as 'pukka sahib'.

puling adj. whining, wailing, querulous, whimpering, snivelling,

weeping, caterwauling: The third-class carriage was filled with

chickens, pigs, and puling infants.

pull v. 1 draw, haul, drag, lug, tow, trail: Do you think the car

is strong enough to pull that load? 2 tug, jerk, yank, wrench,

pluck: He suddenly pulled on the door and it opened. 3

Sometimes, pull out or up. pluck (out), withdraw, extract,

uproot, pick (up or out), snatch out or up, tear or rip out or

up, cull, select, draw out, take out, remove: We pulled out all

the weeds and threw them on the compost heap. He has a

collection of jokes pulled from his speeches. 4 Often, pull

apart. tear or rip (up or apart), rend, pull asunder, wrench

(apart), stretch, strain: This fabric is so weak it pulled

apart as soon as I touched it. I think I pulled a muscle in my

calf. 5 Often, pull in. attract, draw, lure, entice, allure,

catch, captivate, fascinate, capture: We need something besides

the 'Sale' sign to pull the customers into the shop. 6 pull

apart. pull to pieces or shreds, criticize, attack, pick or take

apart or to pieces, flay, run down, Colloq put down, pan, knock,

devastate, destroy, slate, Slang slam: The critics really

pulled apart her new play. 7 pull away. withdraw, draw or drive

or go or move away; outrun, outpace, draw ahead of: She pulled

away abruptly when he touched her hand. The green car is pulling

away from the others. 8 pull back. a withdraw, draw back, back

off or away, recoil, shrink (away or back) from, shy, flinch

(from), jump, start: The burglar pulled back when he saw the

ferocious dog. b withdraw, (beat a) retreat, take flight, flee,

turn tail, drop or fall back, back out: We cheered when we saw

the enemy troops pulling back. 9 pull down. a demolish, raze,

level, destroy, wreck: It takes only hours to pull down a house

that it has taken generations to build. b draw, receive, get, be

paid, earn: He pulls down much more at his new job. c lower,

debase, diminish, reduce, degrade, dishonour, disgrace,

discredit, humiliate: When his fortunes declined, he pulled

down all his friends with him. 10 pull for. hope or pray for, be

enthusiastic for, be supportive of, support, campaign for, cheer

for, encourage, boost, US root for: We are all pulling for you

to win. 11 pull in. a drive up, arrive, come, draw up or in,

reach: The train finally pulled in at midnight. We need petrol,

so pull in at the next filling station. b arrest, apprehend,

take into custody, Colloq pinch, nab, collar, nail, Brit nick,

Slang bust: The cops pulled him in for possession of narcotics.

12 pull off. a detach, rip or tear off, separate, wrench off or

away: When he was cashiered from the army, they pulled off all

his insignia and medals. b accomplish, do, complete, succeed,

carry out, bring off, manage, perform: Three men pulled off the

robbery in broad daylight. 13 pull oneself together. recover,

get a grip on oneself, get over it, recuperate, Colloq snap out

of it, buck up: Try to pull yourself together and stop crying.

14 pull out. a uproot, extract, withdraw: In the ensuing

scrap, someone tried to pull out his hair. Two survivors were

pulled out of the rubble. b withdraw, retreat, beat a retreat,

recede, draw back, leave, depart, go or run away or off,

evacuate, Colloq beat it, do a bunk, Brit do a moonlight flit:

The artillery unit pulled out yesterday. c leave, go, depart,

take off: When that train pulls out, I want you on it! d

withdraw, quit, abandon, resign (from), give up, relinquish:

You can still pull out of the deal if you want to. 15 pull

someone's leg. tease, chaff, rib, have on, rag, twit, poke fun

at, make fun of, hoodwink, ridicule: He said that I'd just

eaten a fly, but he was pulling my leg. 16 pull strings. use

influence or connections, US use pull, pull wires: His uncle

pulled strings to get him the job. 17 pull through. survive,

recover, improve, get better, get over (it or some affliction),

rally; live: Murphy was at death's door, but luckily he pulled

through. 18 pull up. a stop, halt, come to a standstill: We

pulled up in a lay-by for a few minutes' rest. b uproot, root

out, dig out, deracinate, eradicate: Your dog has pulled up all

the flowers in my garden. c draw even or level with, come up

to, reach: On the fifth lap, Manson pulled up to, then passed

Sabbatini.

--n. 19 draw, tug; yank, jerk: Give the bell-rope a strong,

steady pull, and try not to yank it suddenly. 20 attraction,

draw, magnetism, appeal, drawing or pulling power,

seductiveness, seduction, lure: The pull that golf has on

certain people is hard to explain. 21 influence, authority,

connections, prestige, weight, leverage, Colloq clout, muscle:

You'd better treat her nicely, for she has a lot of pull with

the boss. 22 puff, draw, inhalation, Colloq drag: He took a

long, meditative pull on his cigarette and blew some smoke

rings.

pulley n. sheave, block: The rope is run through a system of pulleys,

called a tackle, for lifting weights.

pulp n. 1 marrow, pith, heart, soft part, flesh: After removing the

seeds, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and mix into the pulp. 2

mush, paste, mash, pap, pomace, mass, Technical triturate:

Water is added to the waste paper, which the machines then

reduce to a pulp.

--v. 3 mash, squash, pulverize, Technical levigate, triturate:

The entire print run of the book was pulped after she threatened

to sue the publishers.

--adj. 4 lurid, sensational, trashy, cheap: What he considers

great literature you would call pulp fiction.

pulsate v. beat, pulse, throb, pound, thrum, drum, thump, thud,

reverberate, hammer, palpitate, vibrate; oscillate, quiver:

Throughout the voyage, I could feel the ship's engines

pulsating.

pulse n. 1 beat, beating, throb, throbbing, pulsing, pulsating,

pulsation, pounding, thrumming, drumming, thumping, thudding,

reverberation, reverberating, hammering, palpitation,

palpitating, vibration, vibrating: The pulse of the jungle

drums became louder and faster.

--v. 2 See pulsate, above.

pulverize v. 1 powder, comminute, grind, crush, mill, granulate, crumble,

break up, bray, pound, Technical triturate, levigate: This

machine pulverizes the rock, after which the binding agents are

added. 2 devastate, destroy, demolish, crush, smash, shatter,

ruin, wreck, annihilate: The four battalions were pulverized in

the attack.

pump v. 1 send, force, deliver, push: The heart pumps blood around

the body. 2 interrogate, question, examine, cross-examine,

quiz, probe, Colloq grill, give (someone) the third degree:

They pumped her for hours, but she told them nothing about my

whereabouts. 3 pump out. pump dry or empty, empty, drain, bail

out, draw or drive or force out, siphon (out): After the flood

it took two days to pump out my basement. 4 pump up. a

inflate, blow up; dilate, swell, bloat, expand, puff out or up:

If you don't repair the tyre, pumping it up will accomplish

nothing. b excite, inspire, stimulate, animate, inspirit,

electrify, galvanize, energize, motivate, Colloq enthuse: The

coach is talking to the team, trying to pump them up before the

big game. c intensify, concentrate, emphasize, stress, increase:

We ought to pump up our promotion campaign just before

Christmas.

pun n. play on words, quip, (bon) mot, witticism, double entendre,

Literary equivoque, Technical paronomasia: Dennis made some

awful pun on 'nose' and 'knows' that nobody got.

punch° v. 1 hit, clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, pummel,

strike, cuff, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop, thump, lambaste,

slam, Slang sock, biff, plug, belt, lace (into), US paste:

Anyone says anything about my girl, I'll punch him in the jaw!

--n. 2 clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, cuff,

upper-cut, left or right, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop,

thump, slam, Slang sock, belt, biff, haymaker, plug, paste: The

punch knocked him down. 3 effect, impact, effectiveness, force,

forcefulness, power, vitality, gusto, vigour, life, vim, zest,

ginger, Colloq it, oomph, what it takes, Slang zing, zip: These

advertisements are pretty, but they are lacking in punch.

punchý n. 1 awl, auger, bodkin, perforator; drill, brace and bit: Use

the punch to make another hole in your belt.

--v. 2 pierce, stab, puncture, perforate; bore, drill: She

uses a needle to punch a tiny hole in each end of the egg.

punctual adj. on time, timely, prompt, Colloq on the dot: Please be

punctual, as I don't fancy waiting about in the street.

punctuate v. 1 interrupt, break, intersperse; pepper, sprinkle: The

speeches were punctuated by frequent shouts from the audience.

2 accent, accentuate, underline, underscore, emphasize, stress,

mark: He punctuated each element of his argument with a sharp

rap of his pencil on the lectern.

puncture n. 1 hole, perforation, opening, leak; flat (tyre): I haven't

the tools needed to patch the puncture in the tyre. 2

perforation, perforating, holing, puncturing, piercing,

stabbing, punching: The puncture of the balloon means that we

shall have to postpone our trip.

--v. 3 perforate, hole, pierce, stab, penetrate, go through,

prick, nick, rupture: An arrow punctured the side of the tent.

4 deflate, disillusion, bring up short, discourage, humble,

dash, destroy, ruin: Any hopes I had of winning the marathon

were punctured when I tripped and fell, spraining my ankle.

pungent adj. 1 spicy, hot, sharp, strong, penetrating, aromatic,

seasoned, peppery, piquant, tangy, flavourful, tasty, sapid:

The pungent odours of devilled kidneys dominated the

dining-room. 2 sharp, biting, stinging, caustic, severe,

astringent, stern, acrid, harsh, sour, acid, tart, acrimonious,

bitter, cutting, keen, barbed, trenchant, scathing, incisive,

mordant, sarcastic: This week's Review carries a pungent

criticism of his new novel. 3 distressing, upsetting, poignant,

painful, hurtful, penetrating, piercing, stabbing, intense,

severe, acute, agonizing, oppressive, excruciating, racking,

consuming: Only when surgery eased the pressure was he relieved

of the pungent pain.

punish v. 1 penalize, chastise, castigate, discipline, chasten, scold,

rebuke, take to task, reprove, dress down, admonish, correct,

teach someone a lesson, give a lesson to, throw the book at, rap

(someone's) knuckles, slap (someone's) wrist, have or US call on

the carpet, Colloq take it out on (someone): A child's first

taste of injustice is being punished for something she did not

do. 2 imprison, jail or Brit also gaol, incarcerate, lock up;

fine, mulct, amerce; lash, flog, beat, scourge, spank, whip,

cane, birch, put across or US also turn over (one's) knee, US

paddle; pillory, crucify; tar and feather, exile, banish,

excommunicate, cashier, drum out of the corps; hang, execute,

electrocute, draw and quarter, send to the gas chamber, Colloq

put away, Slang Brit send down, US send up: They were punished

for their crimes. 3 hurt, harm, injure, damage, abuse,

maltreat, rough up, knock about or around, maul, thrash, beat,

trounce, manhandle, batter, Slang beat up: The challenger

punished the champion so badly that he could not come out for

the tenth round.

punishing adj. gruelling, hard, arduous, strenuous, laborious,

exhausting, tiring, wearying, fatiguing, wearing, taxing,

demanding, burdensome, back-breaking, torturous: Laying railway

track was the most punishing job I ever had. This punishing

schedule is beginning to tell on me.

punishment

n. 1 chastisement, chastising, castigation, castigating,

discipline, disciplining, chastening, scolding, rebuke, reproof,

dressing-down, admonishment, admonition, correction, punitive

measures: Every society must continually revise its approach to

the punishment of criminals. 2 penance, penalty, sentence,

sentencing, just deserts; imprisonment, incarceration, jailing

or Brit also gaoling; lashing, flogging, beating, whipping,

scourging, spanking, caning, birching, US paddling; exile,

banishment, excommunication, cashiering; hanging, execution,

electrocution, drawing and quartering: Her punishment is to

perform 20 hours a week of public service for a year. Stop

whimpering and take your punishment like a man. 3 injury, harm,

damage, abuse, maltreatment, mauling, beating, thrashing,

trouncing, manhandling, battering, torture: How are

professional wrestlers able to withstand so much punishment?

punitive adj. chastening, castigatory, disciplinary, retributive,

punitory, retaliatory, correctional: A punitive expedition was

sent there to quell the colonists' uprising.

punk n. 1 ruffian, hoodlum, hooligan, delinquent, tough, thug,

vandal, yahoo, barbarian, Colloq goon, mug: A couple of young

punks were standing at the bar, trying to look important.

--adj. 2 inferior, rotten, unimportant, worthless, bad, poor,

awful, Colloq lousy: I thought that the lead in the play was a

punk actor.

punt v. 1 bet, wager, stake, gamble, speculate, lay a bet or stake

or wager: Herbert spends all the grocery money punting at the

races.

--n. 2 bet, wager, stake, gamble: In roulette, Janet always

placed her punt on number 14.

punter n. 1 Brit better or US also bettor, gambler, gamester, player,

speculator, backer, wagerer, Brit punt, Colloq crap-shooter:

The punters are putting all their money on United to win the

cup. 2 fellow, chap, person, individual, man or woman in the

street; customer, client, buyer, Colloq guy, Brit bloke, geezer:

The average punter likes a beer now and then.

puny adj. 1 small, little, insignificant, petty, unimportant,

inconsequential, paltry, trivial, trifling, minor, negligible,

nugatory, of little or no account, inferior, worthless, useless,

Colloq piddling, Slang Brit not much cop: Farr's contribution

to the success of the business was really quite puny. 2 small,

little, diminutive, tiny, minute: Mattson looks so puny

alongside that sumo wrestler. 3 weak, feeble, frail, sickly,

weakly, underfed, undernourished, undersized, underdeveloped,

stunted, dwarf, midget, pygmy: You cannot expect such a puny

chap to lift such a great weight.

pup n. puppy, whelp, upstart, whippersnapper, popinjay, cub,

jackanapes, show-off, braggart: That young pup had the gall to

tell me I was too old to be running the company.

pupil n. student, learner, scholar, schoolchild, schoolgirl,

schoolboy, disciple, apprentice; beginner, novice, neophyte,

tiro or tyro, Chiefly ecclesiastical catechumen: A number of

Geoffrey's former pupils have organized a dinner to honour him.

puppet n. 1 hand puppet, finger-puppet, glove puppet, doll;

marionette, string puppet: The children built a little theatre

and put on a puppet show. 2 figurehead, cat's-paw, pawn, dupe,

tool, hireling, yes-man Colloq front (man), Slang stooge,

sucker, patsy: He is without authority and is merely a puppet

of the drug dealers. The army of occupation set up a puppet

government to rule the country.

purchase v. 1 buy, acquire, procure, obtain, get, secure, pay for: He

recently purchased a new personal computer and cannot get it to

work. Not long ago, a shilling purchased a loaf of bread. 2 win,

gain, achieve, realize, attain, obtain: His liberty was

purchased by the betrayal of his colleagues.

--n. 3 acquisition, acquiring, buying, purchasing, obtaining,

securing, procurement: The purchase of books for the university

library is the responsibility of Monica Turnbull. 4 buy,

acquisition: Tom returned from the shop carrying his purchases.

5 grip, hold, support, toe-hold, foothold, grasp; leverage,

position, advantage, edge: The climber was having trouble

getting a good purchase on the icy ledge.

pure adj. 1 unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed, simon-pure; 24-carat

or US also 24-karat, sterling, solid; real, genuine, authentic,

flawless, faultless, perfect, natural, true, simple: We have

made every effort to keep the blood-line of these horses

completely pure. Pure gold is not used for coins or jewellery

because it is too soft. She wore a dress of the purest white. 2

uncontaminated, clear, clean, wholesome, sanitary, uninfected,

disinfected, pasteurized, sterilized, sterile, antiseptic,

unpolluted, spotless, immaculate, unsullied, unbesmirched,

unblemished, unmarred, unstained, untainted: It was refreshing

to breathe pure air again. Stringent tests ensure that the

substances are pure before they go on the market. 3 chaste,

virginal, virgin, intact, maidenly, vestal, undefiled, innocent,

guileless, virtuous, modest, moral, correct, proper, decent,

decorous, uncorrupted, blameless, sinless, impeccable: As far

as we can tell, she led a totally pure life. 4 theoretical,

hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, abstract, conceptual,

notional, philosophical, academic(al): His field is pure

science, and he cares little how the results of his work might

be applied to everyday life. 5 unalloyed, simple, unmitigated,

sheer, utter, absolute, unqualified, complete, total, perfect,

thorough, outright, downright, out-and-out, mere: Many regarded

the notion that man could ever fly as pure nonsense. Any

resemblance to a living person is pure coincidence. 6

honourable, (highly) principled, righteous, upright, honest,

straightforward, high-minded, pious, worthy, good, ethical,

virtuous, sincere, above suspicion, above reproach, like

Caesar's wife: Can anyone doubt that their motives in striving

for international peace are pure?

pure-bred adj. full-blooded, thoroughbred, pedigreed: We raise only

pure-bred Angus cattle.

purgative n. 1 laxative, cathartic, aperient, purge, physic, depurative:

The doctor prescribed a mild purgative, and she felt much better

next day.

--adj. 2 laxative, cathartic, aperient, evacuant, diuretic,

depurative; abstergent: We were totally unprepared for the

purgative effects of the spicy food.

purge v. 1 cleanse, purify, clean (out), clear, scour (out),

depurate, deterge, wash (out): The tanks must be purged before

filling them with the new fuel. 2 eject, eradicate, expel,

eliminate, get rid of, dismiss, clear out or away, sweep away or

out, oust, remove, rout out, weed out, root out; do away with,

exterminate, liquidate, kill, destroy: After the coup, the old

guard was purged from all the governmental agencies. The rebels

purged the entire council of elders. 3 clear, exonerate,

absolve, forgive, purify, pardon, exculpate: He was given every

opportunity to purge himself of the charge of contempt of court.

--n. 4 ejection, eradication, expulsion, elimination,

dismissal, clearing out or away, ousting, ouster, removal,

routing out, weeding out, rooting out, unseating;

defenestration; extermination, liquidation, killing, murder,

slaughter: The bloody purge of dissidents was carried out by

the secret police. 5 See purgative, 1, above.

purify v. 1 cleanse, clean, clarify, wash, sanitize, depurate,

decontaminate, freshen, disinfect; fumigate: The water is then

purified by passing it through sand. 2 exonerate, exculpate,

absolve, clear, redeem, shrive, lustrate, acquit, pardon,

forgive, excuse: Before the aspirants can be admitted to the

church they must be purified.

purist n. pedant, precisian, formalist, stickler, blue-stocking,

dogmatist, Pharisee, fanatic, Colloq die-hard, stuffed shirt:

Language purists are often unaware of their own grammatical and

semantic blunders.

puritan n. 1 moralist, pietist, religionist, fanatic, zealot, purist:

It seems to me that all religions have their puritans.

--adj. 2 prudish, puritanical, prim, proper, strait-laced,

ascetic, austere, moralistic, pietistic, intolerant,

disapproving, bigoted, narrow-minded, stuffy, stiff-necked,

rigid, uncompromising, hard-line, stern, severe, strict, Colloq

uptight, hard-nosed: Puritan notions about women's clothing

have often put propriety before practicality.

purity n. 1 pureness, faultlessness, correctness, flawlessness,

perfection, spotlessness, cleanness, cleanliness, clarity;

healthfulness, wholesomeness, salubrity; innocuousness,

harmlessness: The purity of the drinking-water has been

affected by the nearby chemical plant. 2 chastity, chasteness,

virginity, virtuousness, virtue, morality, propriety, honesty,

integrity, rectitude, properness, innocence, guilelessness,

decency, decorousness, modesty, blamelessness, sinlessness: We

never had any reason to doubt the purity of their character.

purpose n. 1 object, intention, intent, end, goal, ambition, objective,

target, aim, principle, point, rationale, reason; scheme, plan,

design, motive, motivation, view: What purpose was served by

her confession? If your purpose in inviting me was to insult me,

I shall leave now. I fail to understand Laura's purpose in

warning me against David. 2 resolution, firmness, determination,

persistence, drive, single-mindedness, deliberation,

deliberateness, purposefulness, steadfastness, tenacity,

doggedness, will, resolve, resoluteness, perseverance,

stubbornness: She admired the strong purpose behind his refusal

to compromise with quality. 3 use, practicality, avail, effect,

utility, usefulness, outcome, result; advantage, profit, gain,

good, benefit: To what purpose are you planning to put this

knowledge? I cannot see the purpose in pursuing this line of

questioning. 4 on purpose. a purposely, intentionally,

deliberately, wilfully, by design, consciously, knowingly,

designedly, wittingly: That was no accident: you kicked me on

purpose! b especially, specially, expressly, exactly,

precisely, specifically, in particular: He kicked me on

purpose, Mum, just to make me cry!

--v. 5 plan, intend, design, resolve, mean, aim, have in mind

or view, have a mind, propose, consider, contemplate, aspire,

long, yearn: They purpose to open an office of their own.

purposeful

adj. intentional, intended, planned, deliberate, resolved,

settled, determined, resolute, decided, confirmed, affirmed,

sure, certain, positive, definite, staunch, steadfast,

persistent, strong-willed, dogged, tenacious, pertinacious,

unfailing, unfaltering, firm, fixed: Her purposeful manner

inclines other people to defer to her.

purposeless

adj. pointless, bootless, meaningless, empty, vacuous,

senseless, aimless, rambling, discursive, wandering,

disorganized, unorganized: He made what we thought was a

purposeless trip to the branch office, but it ultimately proved

invaluable.

purse n. 1 pouch, (money-)bag, wallet, pocket, Dialect poke, Highland

dress sporran, US and Canadian (woman's) handbag, pocketbook,

bag: The money goes out so fast I think there is a hole in my

purse. 2 money, wealth, resources, funds, finances, exchequer,

treasury, capital, revenue, income, means, cash, riches; pounds,

shillings, and pence, L.S.D., dollars, shekels, Derogatory

Mammon, pelf, (filthy) lucre, US almighty dollar, Slang Brit

ready or readies, lolly, dosh, loot, dough, US and Canadian

bucks, scratch: The spread of capitalism shows that the power

of a man's purse can transcend his political idealism. 3 prize,

reward, award, present, gift: The purse for the next race will

be 5,000 guineas.

--v. 4 pucker (up), contract, wrinkle, compress, press

together: Robert pursed his lips thoughtfully.

pursue v. 1 follow, chase, go or run after, hunt (after or down or for

or up), trace, trail, track, run down, take off after, dog,

stalk, shadow, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy, Colloq tail: The

police pursued the escaped convicts across the moor. 2 follow

(up or on with), trace, carry on with, continue, conduct, devote

or dedicate oneself to, cultivate, undertake, practise, persist

or persevere in, maintain, exercise, proceed with, adhere to,

stay with, apply oneself to, Colloq stick with: If you pursue

such a course, you are certain to land in jail. 3 aspire to,

aim for, work for or toward(s), try or strive for, purpose,

seek, search for, go in search of, quest after or for, be intent

on, be bent upon or on: Jonathan is pursuing a doctorate in

history at Oxford. 4 woo, (pay) court (to), seek the hand of,

set (one's) cap for, Formal press (one's) suit with, pay suit or

court or (one's) addresses to, Colloq set one's cap for, Slang

chase (after): Jack is pursuing Jacquelyn with matrimony in

mind.

pursuit n. 1 pursuing, chasing, following, hunting, hunt, going or

running after, tracing, trailing, tracking, running down,

dogging, stalking, shadowing, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy,

Colloq tailing: We all joined in the pursuit of the animal. The

police set off in hot pursuit of the thieves. 2 pursuance,

striving after, seeking, searching, search, looking for: Many

think that the pursuit of wealth is the only worthwhile thing in

life. 3 work, line (of work), employment, field, area,

speciality or US and Canadian only specialty, specialization,

business, profession, trade, vocation, calling, career,

life-work, activity; hobby, pastime, avocation, interest; Slang

racket: What pursuits are open to Jack Ketch now that hanging

has been abolished?

push v. 1 thrust, shove, drive, move, set in motion, get moving,

propel; press: Push the boat away from the pier. He pushed the

door shut. 2 press, depress: Push the button if you want

anything. 3 shove, thrust, elbow, shoulder, force, jostle,

nudge: We pushed our way through the crowd. 4 urge, encourage,

press, induce, ask, persuade, get, egg on, press, prod, spur,

goad, rouse, prompt, incite, move, motivate, stimulate,

influence, impel, make, compel, force, dragoon, coerce,

constrain; badger, hound, pester, harass, plague, nag, browbeat;

beg, importune, entreat: His family is pushing him to find

work. I'll soon have the work done, but stop pushing me. 5

force, strain, overstrain, tax, overtax, burden, overburden:

You might have got away with it this time, but don't push your

luck. 6 promote, publicize, advertise, boost, propagandize,

puff, Colloq plug, Slang ballyhoo, hype: Because we have too

much stock, we are pushing suntan oil this week. 7 push about or

around. intimidate, bully, cow, domineer, tyrannize, bullyrag,

torment, force, coerce: Don't push people about if you want

them to do what you want. 8 push away. reject, deny, brush off

or aside, give (someone) the cold shoulder, rebuff, distance

oneself from: She pushes everyone away and then wonders why she

has no friends. 9 push off. a shove off, sail away or off: We

stepped into the dinghy and pushed off. b leave, depart, go

away, Colloq light out, take off, hit the road, skedaddle,

scram, make oneself scarce, Slang beat it: I have to push off

now if I'm to make that train. 10 push on or forward or along.

move onwards or onward or ahead or forward, continue, proceed,

advance, press on or onwards or onward: If we stay the night

here, we shall have to push on first thing in the morning. 11

push through. force, press, Colloq railroad: The bill was

pushed through committee without delay. 12 push (up) daisies.

be dead (and buried), be six feet under: Her husband's pushing

up daisies.

--n. 13 shove, thrust, nudge: My car needs a push to get it

started. 14 effort, energy, dynamism, drive, force, enterprise,

ambition, vigour, determination, initiative, eagerness, spirit,

enthusiasm, zeal, verve, Colloq get-up-and-go, zing, zip,

gumption, go: If he had a bit more push, he might succeed. 15

campaign, attack, assault, advance, offensive, charge,

onslaught, foray, sortie, invasion, incursion, raid, sally,

blitzkrieg, blitz, strike: The troops were massed along the

coast, ready for the big push inland. 16 the push. dismissal,

notice, Colloq marching orders, Chiefly Brit the sack, the boot,

Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, a pink slip: He'd been

with the company for twenty years, but they still gave him the

push when sales fell.

pushover n. 1 sure thing, Colloq piece of cake, child's play, snap,

cinch, picnic, walk-over, US breeze, Slang cinch, Brit doddle,

US lead-pipe cinch: The Latin exam was a pushover. 2 Colloq

walk-over, chump, soft touch, soft or easy mark, easy prey or

game, Slang patsy, sucker, stooge, sap, Brit mug, US and

Canadian milquetoast: I spotted him at once as a pushover for

the find-the-lady con.

pushy adj. forward, (self-)assertive, forceful, aggressive,

obnoxious, arrogant, bumptious, brassy, brazen, impertinent,

insolent, pushing, presumptuous, officious, loud, showy, cocky,

brash, offensive, bold, Colloq cheeky: I hate pushy salesmen

who won't take 'No' for an answer.

pussyfoot v. 1 sneak, creep, slink, prowl, steal, tiptoe: I wish she'd

stop pussyfooting about the house. 2 beat about the bush, hem

or hum and haw, equivocate, hesitate, be evasive, evade the

issue, prevaricate, tergiversate, be noncommittal, be or sit on

the fence, blow hot and cold: Don't pussyfoot with me - just

come out and say what you really think.

put v. 1 place, position, situate, set, lay, station, stand,

deposit, rest, settle; locate: Please put all books where they

belong. 2 assign, commit, cause, set, consign, subject: I

joined the army to fight for my country, and they put me to work

peeling potatoes. 3 subject, cause to experience or undergo or

suffer, consign, send: He was put to death for his beliefs, not

his actions. 4 express, word, phrase; say, utter, write: How

did they put it? - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal...' To put it to you straight,

shape up or ship out! Can you put that into French? 5 offer,

advance, bring forward, present, propose, submit, tender, set

before: I put it to you that you have been lying to the court

and that you did leave your house that night. 6 bet, gamble,

wager, stake, play, chance, risk, hazard: I put two pounds on

the horse to win. 7 throw, heave, toss, fling, cast, pitch,

bowl, lob, send, shy, shoot, snap, catapult: How far did you

say you can put a 10-pound shot? 8 place, assign, attribute,

lay, pin, attach, fix: They try to put the blame on me for

everything that goes wrong around here. 9 put about. broadcast,

publish, make known, publicize, announce, spread about or

around: They have been putting about some story linking the two

of us romantically. 10 put across or over. make clear, get

across, make (something or oneself) understood or

understandable, explain, spell out, convey, communicate: She is

quite adept at putting across her ideas. 11 put aside. set or

lay aside, ignore, disregard, pay no heed to, push aside, shrug

off: They put aside their differences and discovered they had

much in common. Isn't it time you put aside childish things? 12

put aside or by or away. lay aside or by, set aside; save,

store, stow or store or salt or squirrel away, lay away, cache,

bank: You ought to put a little money aside for a rainy day.

13 put away. a See 12, above. b jail or Brit also gaol,

imprison, incarcerate, Colloq send, jug, confine, commit,

institutionalize, remand, Brit send down, US send up: She wants

rapists and child molesters put away for a long, long time. c

See 16 (d), below. d consume, gorge, gormandize or US also

gourmandize: It is unbelievable how much that man can put away

at one sitting. 14 put back. return, replace, restore: He

insists that he put back all the money he took. Put the pictures

back where they belong. 15 put by. See 12, above. 16 put down.

a record, register, write down, set down, enter, list; log, note

(down), jot down, make a note or notation of: You may put me

down for a contribution of œ5. Please put down your name and

address in the box provided. b depose, put an end to, topple,

crush, overthrow, subdue, suppress, check, quash, quell: The

loyalists put down the rebellion in short order. c ascribe,

assign, attribute: The doctor put my feelings of fatigue and

listlessness down to anaemia. d kill, exterminate, destroy, put

to death, put to sleep, put away, do away with: We had to have

our cat put down, which was very upsetting for us all. e abash,

humiliate, crush, silence, mortify, lower, take down (a peg or a

notch), shame, snub, deflate, slight, reject, dismiss: Waiters

have a way of putting people down if they behave presumptuously.

f take for, reckon, account, count, categorize, regard: Don't

put Martin down as a dunce just because he acts the fool now and

then. g belittle, diminish, disparage, deprecate, depreciate,

criticize, disdain, look down on, despise, contemn: They deny

being prejudiced, but they put down everyone who isn't exactly

like them. 17 put forth. a propose, offer, set forth, advance:

Several theories have been put forth on the function of

mitochondrial DNA. b grow, produce, send out or forth, bud,

flower: When the plant puts forth suckers, they must be pinched

back. c begin, set out, set forth, start: We put forth on our

voyage with great enthusiasm. d promulgate, issue, publish,

make known, make public: The committee have not put forth any

suggestions for improving traffic flow. 18 put forward. a

propose, present, tender, nominate, name; recommend: Your name

has been put forward as chair for next year's committee. b

suggest, offer, propose, set forth, put forth, present, submit,

tender, proffer, introduce, advance, propound, air, make known,

announce: No new solutions to the problem were put forward. 19

put in. a insert, introduce: Why did you put in a reference to

your mother? b spend, devote: During the holiday season I plan

to put in a lot of time to reading. c make: So, you finally

decided to put in an appearance. 20 put in for. a apply for,

request, ask for, petition for: He has put in for a transfer

twice and has been refused both times. b seek, apply for,

pursue, file: Do you really think that Jamieson will put in for

re-election? 21 put off. a postpone, delay, defer, put back,

stay, hold off, shelve, put or set aside, Chiefly US put over,

table: Consideration of your request has been put off till

tomorrow. b dismiss, get rid of, send away, turn away;

discourage, Colloq give (someone) the brush-off, US brush off:

The manager put me off when I went in to ask about a salary

increase. c dismay, disconcert, upset, confuse, disturb,

perturb, abash, distress, Colloq throw, rattle: Curiously,

Michael didn't seem a bit put off to learn about the murder. d

repel, disgust, sicken, revolt, nauseate: That television

programme on open-heart surgery really put me off. e leave,

depart, go (off), set off: We put off tomorrow morning for

Rockall. 22 put on. a don, clothe or attire or dress (oneself)

in, get dressed in, change or slip into: We put on our best

clothes to come to your party. b assume, take on, pretend,

affect, feign, bluff, make a show of: She puts on an air of

indifference, but she really does care. c add, gain: Bill put

on quite a bit of weight when he stopped smoking. d stage,

mount, produce, present, perform: Our local repertory group is

putting on Hedda Gabler this weekend. e tease, mock, Colloq

kid, pull (someone's) leg, rib, rag, Brit have on: When he told

you that all holidays had been cancelled he was only putting you

on. 23 put out. a inconvenience, discommode, disturb,

embarrass, trouble, bother, impose upon or on, Colloq put on the

spot: Her arriving an hour early didn't put me out one bit. b

annoy, vex, irritate, anger, exasperate, irk, perturb, provoke,

Slang bug: Donald was very much put out to discover that the

appointment had gone to someone else. c snuff out, extinguish,

blow out, douse, quench, smother: We put out the fire on the

stove before it could spread. d exert, put forth, expend, use,

exercise: We put out considerable effort moving the furniture

before she decided she liked it the way it had been. e publish,

issue, broadcast, make public, circulate, spread, make known,

release: The information office put out the news that the

summit meeting had been a great success. 24 put out of (one's)

misery. release, relieve, free, deliver, rescue, save, spare:

Just tell him what they said and put him out of his misery. 25

put over. a put or get across, convey, communicate, set or put

forth, relate: I am trying to put the point over to you that I

cannot leave now. b See 21 (a), above. 26 put (one or

something) over on (someone). fool (someone), pull (someone's)

leg, deceive (someone), mislead (someone), pull the wool over

(someone's) eyes, trick (someone), hoodwink (someone): She

really put one over on me when she said she loved me. I think

that Manfred is trying to put something over on you. 27 put

through. a carry out or through, execute, (put into) effect,

bring off, accomplish, complete, finish, conclude, Colloq pull

off: If they succeed in putting through their plan, the company

will be bankrupt. b process, handle, organize, see to, follow up

on: I will personally see that your application is put through

the proper channels. c connect, hook up: I asked the operator

to put me through to the chairman himself. 28 put up. a erect,

build, construct, raise, set up, put together, fabricate: They

demolished a row of Georgian houses and put up some ugly County

offices in their place. b accommodate, lodge, board, house, take

in, quarter, Chiefly military billet: As our house is small, we

were able to put up only three people. c preserve, can; cure,

pickle: There are many foods that can be put up for later

consumption. d contribute, pledge, offer (as collateral),

stake, mortgage, post: We put up the house as security for the

loan. e contribute, give, supply, donate, ante (up), advance,

pay, invest: We put up all our savings to secure our retirement

pension. f increase, raise, boost, elevate: As soon as there

is a hint of an oil shortage, they put up the price of petrol. g

See 18 (a), above. h offer, tender, put or place on the market:

They put their house up for sale and are planning to move to the

Riviera. 29 put up to. incite, urge, goad, spur, egg on,

encourage, prompt, instigate: Was it you who put Reggie up to

playing that prank on the teacher? 30 put up with. tolerate,

abide, take, brook, stand (for), stomach, accept, resign oneself

to, bear, endure, swallow: Why do you put up with his

outrageous behaviour?

put-down n. dig, sneer, snub, disparaging or denigrating remark, slight,

offence, insult: The worst put-down was to tell her she looks

like her sister, whom she hates.

put-on n. 1 deception, hoax, trick, leg-pull, jest, (practical) joke,

prank, pretence, Colloq spoof: He was completely taken in by my

put-on about being from the Nobel prize committee. 2 take-off,

parody, satire, burlesque, caricature, act, Brit send-up, Colloq

spoof: You shouldn't be offended, it was only a put-on.

putrefy v. rot, decompose, decay, moulder, go bad, spoil, deteriorate,

go off: The battlefield was strewn with putrefying bodies.

putrid adj. rotten, rotting, decomposed, decomposing, decayed,

decaying, mouldy, mouldering, spoilt or spoiled, putrefied,

putrescent, putrefying, foul, fetid, rank, tainted, corrupt:

Only the vultures continued to hover about the putrid carcass.

put-up adj. (secretly) preconceived, prearranged, plotted,

preconcerted: If the butler had a hand in it, you know it was a

put-up job.

put-upon adj. imposed upon, inconvenienced, put out, taken advantage of,

exploited, abused: I shall be happy to help, and I don't feel

put-upon at all.

puzzle v. 1 baffle, bewilder, confuse, confound, mystify, flummox,

perplex, nonplus, stymie, stump: I am completely puzzled by

what you wrote in your last letter. 2 Usually, puzzle over.

study, ponder (over), mull over, contemplate, meditate on or

upon or over, consider, muse over or on, reflect on or over,

think about or over or on: If you puzzle over it long enough,

the problem may vanish of its own accord. 3 puzzle out. solve,

decipher, crack (the code), unravel, work out, figure out, think

through, sort out, unlock: I finally puzzled out the

inscription on this old coin. It might take a while, but I can

puzzle out the solution to this crossword.

--n. 4 enigma, problem, question, paradox, poser, mystery,

riddle, conundrum, Colloq brain-teaser: The puzzle is how the

murder was committed when the door was locked from the inside.

puzzling adj. mystifying, enigmatic(al), bewildering, baffling,

confounding, perplexing, confusing, ambiguous, contradictory,

abstruse: It is a bit puzzling to see Catherine so often in the

company of the husband she recently divorced.

17.0 Q

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17.1 quack...

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quack n. 1 charlatan, impostor, pretender, fake(r), fraud, Colloq

phoney or US also phony: The quack diagnosed Franny as having

appendicitis, but it turned out that she was pregnant.

--adj. 2 fake, fraudulent, sham, counterfeit, Colloq phoney or

US also phony: Are you still going to see that quack doctor -

the one who told you to take aspirin to relieve the pain from

your ulcer?

quaint adj. 1 curious, odd, strange, bizarre, peculiar, unusual,

queer, uncommon, singular, unorthodox, eccentric, whimsical,

offbeat, fanciful, outlandish, unconventional, fantastic: Her

sitting-room was furnished in a quaint mixture of Gothic and

Victorian styles. 2 old-fashioned, archaic, antiquated,

out-dated, picturesque, antique: A rotund little figure

appeared, dressed in the quaint clothing of another era.

quake v. 1 tremble, shake, quiver, shudder; vibrate, stagger: The

children were quaking with fear that their teacher would come

back and catch them red-handed. 2 earthquake, tremor, temblor or

trembler or tremblor, seismic(al) activity, Rare seism: In a

few moments the quake levelled three cities that had stood for

thousands of years.

qualification

n. 1 Often, qualifications. fitness, ability, aptitude,

capability, competence or competency, capacity, suitableness,

suitability, eligibility, proficiency, skill, knowledge, Colloq

know-how: You cannot persuade me that Powell has the

qualifications needed to do the job. 2 limitation, restriction,

modification, reservation, caveat, condition, stipulation,

proviso, prerequisite, requirement: The only qualification for

use of the club's facilities is that one must be a member. My

support for the proposal is without qualification.

qualified adj. 1 able, suitable, capable, competent, fit, fitted,

equipped, prepared, ready, trained, proficient, accomplished,

expert, talented, adept, skilful, skilled, experienced,

practised, knowledgeable, well-informed: Is Kimble qualified to

become foreman? 2 contingent, conditional, restricted,

modified, limited, provisional: The chairman has given his

qualified approval to the scheme.

qualify v. 1 equip, fit (out), ready, prepare, condition, make

eligible; certify: His training in the air force qualified him

to be a pilot. 2 be eligible, meet the requirements, be fit or

suitable or equipped or ready or prepared, make the grade: Sue

will qualify as a doctor if she passes just one more exam. 3

temper, mitigate, modify, moderate, modulate, restrict, limit:

In light of their later behaviour, I shall have to qualify my

recommendation that you accept them as students.

quality n. 1 property, attribute, characteristic, mark, distinction, je

ne sais quoi, trait: Can you describe the qualities needed to

be a good musician? 2 grade, calibre, rank, status, importance,

value, worth: In the curiosity shop items of high and low

quality are mixed together haphazardly. 3 Old-fashioned

eminence, prominence, importance, excellence, superiority,

distinction, standing, supremacy, dignity, grandeur, nobility,

blue blood: Despite her shabby appearance, from her bearing and

speech the woman was clearly a person of quality.

qualm n. second thought, doubt, uncertainty, misgiving, hesitation,

scruple, uneasiness, compunction, reluctance, disinclination,

queasiness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, twinge, pang, worry,

concern, Colloq funny feeling, sinking feeling: He had some

qualms about leaving the town where he had lived for over thirty

years.

quandary n. dilemma, predicament, difficulty, plight, cleft stick,

uncertainty: The management is in a quandary: should it risk

overstretching the company by making further capital investment,

or should it risk being left behind by its competitors by

playing safe?

quantity n. amount, extent, volume; sum, number, total; weight, measure:

There seemed to be no limit to the quantity of gold in the mine.

The person who most accurately guesses the quantity of beans in

the jar wins a prize. What quantity of flour should I buy to

make enough cakes for fifty people?

quarrel n. 1 dispute, argument, disagreement, debate, controversy,

discord, difference (of opinion), contention, misunderstanding;

wrangle, tiff, row, squabble, altercation, set-to, scuffle,

feud, fight, fray, fracas, brawl, Donnybrook, mˆl‚e or melee,

riot, battle (royal), Colloq dust-up, barney, scrap, US spat: I

have no quarrel with my accountant - it's the tax man that's the

problem. A quarrel broke out over whose turn it was to wash the

dishes.

--v. 2 argue, disagree, dispute, altercate, have an

altercation, differ, wrangle, be at odds or loggerheads, clash,

squabble, feud, fight, brawl, battle, Colloq fall out, scrap:

When we were children, my sister and I quarrelled all the time,

but we still loved each other.

quarrelsome

adj. testy, petulant, irascible, irritable, disagreeable,

fractious, querulous, peevish, cross, choleric, curmudgeonly,

contrary, dyspeptic, cranky, grouchy, argumentative, combative,

squabbling, disputatious, hostile, antagonistic, dissentious,

dissentient, dissident, pugnacious, bellicose, belligerent,

contentious: I have to listen to the continual bickering of my

quarrelsome neighbours.

quarry° n. prey, game, prize, object: The hunter's dogs had run their

quarry to ground. Wealthy widows were regarded as fair quarry by

the swindlers.

quarryý n. 1 mine, pit, excavation: Only one quarry yielded the

statuary marble needed by those sculptors.

--v. 2 mine, extract, obtain, get: Gault's ideas were all

quarried from the jottings of obscure writers.

quarter n. 1 fourth: Statistics showed that a quarter of the

population attended church regularly. 2 three-month period,

three months, ninety days, thirteen weeks; fifteen minutes;

phase (of the moon), quadrature: The first quarter's rent is

now due. We waited a quarter of an hour. The moon is in its

third quarter. 3 area, region, part, section, district, zone,

division, territory, place, neighbourhood, locality, locale,

location, point, spot; direction: The army was called in to

patrol the quarter of the city where looting had occurred. It

was difficult to tell from which quarter the wind was blowing. 4

mercy, compassion, mercifulness, clemency, leniency,

forgiveness, favour, humanity, pity: The hostages expected no

quarter from their captors. 5 quarters. living quarters,

lodging(s), dwelling-place, dwelling, accommodation(s), rooms,

chambers, residence, shelter, habitation, domicile, home, house,

abode; Military billet, barracks, cantonment, casern or caserne:

We found comfortable quarters in which we remained during our

stay in the area.

--v. 6 lodge, accommodate, house, board, shelter, put up;

Military billet, post, station: The tour guide stayed at the

best hotel, while we were quartered in a youth hostel.

quarterly adj. 1 trimonthly, three-monthly: She is editor of a quarterly

medical journal.

--adv. 2 every three months, every ninety days, every thirteen

weeks, four times a year: The landlady insisted on being paid

quarterly, in advance.

quash v. 1 annul, nullify, void, declare or render null and void,

invalidate, revoke, vacate, set aside, rescind, cancel, reject,

throw out, reverse, overthrow, discharge, overrule: When the

real culprit confessed, my conviction was quashed and I was set

free. 2 suppress, subdue, quell, put down, squelch, repress,

overthrow, crush, overwhelm: The rebellion was quashed by the

secret police.

quasi- adv. 1 Sometimes, quasi. as if, as it were, seemingly,

apparently, partly, to some extent, to all intents and purposes,

more or less, virtually, almost: Her apology seemed only

quasi-sincere to me. His function in the proceedings was

quasi-judicial.

--adj. 2 Often, quasi. so to speak, kind of, sort of;

pretended, fake, pseudo, so-called, supposed, artificial, mock,

sham, Colloq phoney or US also phony: His quasi excuse does not

diminish the horror of what he did.

quaver v. 1 tremble, quiver, shake, shiver, vibrate, waver, shudder,

fluctuate, oscillate, flutter: His voice quavered with emotion

as he described his rescue.

--n. 2 trembling, tremble, quiver, quivering, tremor, shaking,

vibration, wavering, break, fluctuation, oscillation: Only a

slight quaver in her voice betrayed her feeling of panic.

queasy adj. 1 uncomfortable, uneasy, nervous, apprehensive, ill at

ease, troubled, worried, discomfited; doubtful, hesitant: I had

a queasy feeling that I was being watched. The manager was a bit

queasy about giving Denis so much responsibility. 2 sick,

nauseous, nauseated, ill, bilious, queer, Colloq green around or

about the gills, groggy, woozy: Catherine felt very queasy

after the ride on the roller coaster.

queen n. 1 sovereign, monarch, ruler; empress; queen consort; queen

mother; queen dowager: She was absolutely thrilled when she was

invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace and met the

Queen. 2 beauty queen, movie queen, star, prima donna, diva;

epitome, model, idol, leading light, cynosure, leader: At the

height of her career, she was known as 'the Queen of the Silver

Screen'. 'Queen of the Antilles' was once a nickname of Cuba.

queer adj. 1 odd, strange, different, peculiar, funny, curious,

uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, atypical, singular,

exceptional, anomalous, extraordinary, unusual, weird, bizarre,

uncanny, unnatural, freakish, remarkable, offbeat, irregular,

unparalleled, incongruous, outlandish, outr‚, exotic, eccentric,

fey, quaint, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, unexampled: How do

you explain Basil's queer behaviour at the office party? Her

attire could only be described as queer, given her age and

status. 2 questionable, dubious, suspicious, suspect, doubtful,

puzzling, mysterious, Colloq fishy, shady: We had a feeling

that something queer was going on when the clocks started

running backwards. 3 (slightly) ill, queasy, sick, unwell,

poorly, faint, uneasy, dizzy, giddy, vertiginous, light-headed:

It's not surprising that you feel queer after drinking all that

wine. 4 mad, unbalanced, unhinged, demented, deranged, insane,

daft, touched, Colloq dotty, potty, nutty, nuts, loony, batty,

cracked: Francis seems to have gone a bit queer - fancies

himself a reincarnation of Cicero.

--v. 5 ruin, spoil, bungle, botch, muddle, muff, mar, wreck,

destroy, Colloq make a hash or mess of, gum up (the works),

Slang muck up, screw up, louse up, US ball up, Taboo slang Brit

balls up: Grimstone queered the deal by telling the buyer the

company was worth half what we were asking.

quell v. 1 suppress, put down, repress, subdue, quash, overcome,

crush, squelch: The army arrived to quell the uprising at the

prison. 2 moderate, mollify, soothe, assuage, alleviate,

mitigate, allay, quiet, calm; pacify, tranquillize, compose:

Any feelings of bitterness were quelled by her comforting words.

quench v. 1 satisfy, slake, sate, surfeit, satiate, allay, appease:

My thirst isn't quenched by those sweet fizzy drinks. 2 put

out, extinguish, douse, smother, snuff out, stifle, kill,

destroy, suppress, squelch, repress, overcome, subdue: Even the

most totalitarian regime cannot entirely quench the fire of

freedom in the hearts of the oppressed.

querulous adj. complaining, carping, critical, criticizing,

hypercritical, fault-finding, finicky, finical, fussy,

over-particular, censorious, petulant, whining, murmuring,

grumbling, peevish, testy, touchy, irritable, irritated,

annoyed, piqued, in a pique, irascible, fractious, perverse,

quarrelsome, ill-natured, ill-humoured, cantankerous,

curmudgeonly, crusty, crotchety, fretful, bad-tempered,

ill-tempered, waspish, crabby, cross, splenetic, choleric, sour,

dyspeptic, grumpy, Colloq grousing, pernickety or US also

persnickety, Slang bitching: He objected to almost all the

television programmes and sent querulous letters to the

broadcasters telling them so.

query n. 1 question, inquiry or enquiry: The information office will

answer any query you may have about social security benefits. 2

doubt, uncertainty, scepticism, reservation, problem: She wants

to see the manager about some query concerning her bank balance.

--v. 3 ask (about), inquire or enquire (about), question;

challenge, doubt, dispute: I am writing to query the third item

on your latest bill.

quest n. 1 search, pursuit, exploration, expedition, voyage (of

discovery), pilgrimage, mission, crusade; chase, hunt: When a

child, he was inspired by the legend of Sir Launcelot's quest

for the Holy Grail.

--v. 2 Usually, quest after or for. seek (after or for), search

after or for, hunt (for), track down, pursue, stalk: In 1928,

joined by his father, he quested for gold along the Orinoco

river.

question n. 1 query, inquiry or enquiry: I asked you a simple question,

'Where were you last night?', and I expect a civil answer. 2

problem, difficulty, confusion, doubt, dubiousness, uncertainty,

query, mystery, puzzle: Is there some question about the

qualifications of the new employee? 3 matter, issue, point,

subject, topic, theme, proposition: Whether you stay is not the

question. The question remains, How are you going to earn a

living? 4 beyond (all or any) question. beyond (the shadow of) a

doubt, without question, without a doubt, indubitably,

undoubtedly, doubtlessly, definitely, certainly, assuredly: He

is guilty beyond all question. 5 call in or into question.

question, doubt, query, challenge, dispute, harbour or entertain

or have doubts or suspicions about, suspect, cast doubt or

suspicion on: I cannot see why he has called her loyalty into

question. 6 in question. a under discussion or consideration:

The person in question never worked for this company. b

questionable, debatable, at issue, in doubt, doubtful, open to

debate: Her honesty was never in question. 7 out of the

question. unthinkable, impossible, absurd, ridiculous,

preposterous, inconceivable, beyond consideration,

insupportable: An increase in salary at this time is out of the

question. 8 without question. See 4, above.

--v. 9 ask, examine, interrogate, query, interview, sound out,

quiz, Colloq pump, grill, Slang give (someone) the third degree:

He was questioned for six hours as to his whereabouts. 10 call

in or into question, doubt, query, mistrust, distrust, cast

doubt upon, dispute, suspect: Investigators have long

questioned the relationship between the banks and the drug

barons.

questionable

adj. doubtful, dubious, debatable, moot, disputable,

borderline, suspect, suspicious, shady; open to question, in

question, in dispute, problematic(al), uncertain, arguable,

unsure, unreliable, ambiguous: The evidence shows that the

defendant engaged in questionable banking practices while a

director of Offshore Ltd. The advantages of quick divorce are

questionable.

queue n. 1 line, row, file, column, string, train, cortege or

cortŠge, retinue, procession, succession, chain, concatenation,

series, order, cordon, Brit tailback, Colloq Brit crocodile,

Military picket: There were dozens of people in the queue in

front of me. 2 pigtail, braid, plait; tail, pony-tail: Not

long ago, Chinese men wore their hair in a queue.

--v. 3 Often, queue up. line up, get in or into or form a line

or queue or file, get into or in line, Military fall in: All he

remembers about the war is that everyone had to queue up for

everything and wait.

quibble v. 1 equivocate, split hairs, evade, be evasive, palter, chop

logic, bandy words, cavil, pettifog, Colloq nit-pick: While

people continued to be kept in slavery, the politicians quibbled

over the difference between 'liberty' and 'freedom'.

--n. 2 quibbling, equivocation, hair-splitting, splitting

hairs, evasion, paltering, sophistry, Colloq nit-picking:

Lawyers often become involved in a quibble over the mot juste

and forget their clients. 3 cavil, sophism, subtlety, nicety:

It's a quibble whether you say 'either' and 'neither' to rhyme

with 'peek' or 'pike'.

quick adj. 1 rapid, fast, speedy, swift, fleet; expeditious, express:

We made a quick descent to reach the camp before dark. The hand

is quicker than the eye. Can you arrange the quick delivery of

this parcel to Aylesbury? 2 sudden, precipitate, hasty, brisk,

short, abrupt, hurried, perfunctory, summary; immediate, prompt,

timely, instantaneous: There is no quick answer to your

question about the causes of World War II. Don't be so quick to

criticize others. I had a quick response to my letter

complaining about service. 3 agile, lively, nimble, energetic,

vigorous, alert, animated, keen, sharp, acute, spry, spirited,

vivacious, rapid, swift: In three quick steps she was at my

side. Antonia is known for her quick mind. 4 intelligent,

bright, brilliant, facile, adept, adroit, dexterous, apt, able,

expert, skilful, deft, astute, clever, shrewd, smart, ingenious,

perceptive, perspicacious, discerning, far-sighted, responsive;

nimble-witted, quick-witted: You can rely on Rob's quick

thinking to come up with a solution to the problem. 5 excitable,

touchy, testy, petulant, irascible, irritable, impatient: She

said that I have a quick temper because of my red hair.

quicken v. 1 accelerate, hasten, speed up: As we neared the house, our

pace quickened. 2 expedite, hurry, accelerate, hasten, speed

(up): We did everything we could to quicken her departure. 3

stimulate, arouse, kindle, spark, invigorate, excite, animate,

vitalize, vivify, galvanize, enliven, awaken, energize, revive,

resuscitate, reinvigorate: Olivia's inspiring lectures

quickened the imagination of everyone who heard them.

quickly adv. 1 rapidly, swiftly, speedily, fast: Although share prices

dropped in the morning, they recovered quickly during afternoon

trading. 2 rapidly, swiftly, speedily, fast, with dispatch or

despatch, apace, post-haste, at or on the double, with all

speed, quick, Colloq US and Canadian lickety-split: Run

quickly, and you'll get there before the shop closes. 3

instantly, promptly, hastily, at once, immediately, straight

away, right away, shortly, without delay, (very) soon,

hurriedly, quick, Colloq pronto: You'll have to leave quickly

to catch your train.

quick-tempered

adj. excitable, impulsive, temperamental, hot-tempered,

waspish, choleric, splenetic, impatient, short-tempered, touchy,

irascible, irritable, snappish, abrupt, short, short-spoken,

quarrelsome, testy, volatile, hot-blooded, bad-tempered,

ill-tempered, churlish, highly-strung, US high-keyed: Len is

very quick-tempered these days and flies into a rage at the

slightest provocation.

quick-witted

adj. acute, sharp, clever, smart, nimble-witted, alert, keen,

astute, perceptive, perspicacious: Hallam is known for his

quick-witted responses to hecklers in the audience.

quiet adj. 1 silent, soundless, noiseless, hushed, still: We have to

be very quiet so as not to wake the children. 2 still, serene,

silent, peaceful, unperturbed, calm, tranquil, placid, pacific,

smooth, mild, restful, unagitated: The sea was very quiet as we

rowed towards the beach. 3 dormant, quiescent, inactive,

retired, withdrawn, unobtrusive: His last days were spent

living a quiet life in the Outer Hebrides. 4 still, motionless,

unmoving, fixed, stationary, at rest, inactive, composed,

temperate, unexcited, calm: There was a knock at the door and

everyone suddenly became quiet.

--n. 5 silence, stillness, soundlessness, noiselessness, hush,

quietness, quietude, ease, rest, calmness, serenity,

tranquillity, peace, peace of mind, repose: In the quiet of the

cave I could hear my heart beating.

--v. 6 See quieten, below.

quieten v. Often, quieten down. quiet (down), still, silence, hush,

calm, tranquillize, lull: He gradually quietened down the

audience, and the curtain rose.

quietly adv. 1 silently, soundlessly, noiselessly, inaudibly, in

silence, softly: She tiptoed quietly out of the room. 2 in

hushed tones, in whispers: In a corner of the room a young

couple were quietly conversing. 3 peacefully, calmly, serenely,

peaceably, meekly, mildly: When the police explained they only

wanted him to help in their inquiries, he went with them

quietly. 4 modestly, humbly, demurely, unpretentiously,

unostentatiously, unobtrusively, unassumingly, sedately: The

applicants sat quietly, waiting to be called in for the

interview.

quintessence

n. essence, heart, core, quiddity, essentialness, essentiality,

pith, marrow, sum and substance, epitome, nonpareil, embodiment,

personification, model, prototype, exemplar, ideal, beau id‚al,

paragon: Hernandez considered the ancient Greek temple the

quintessence of classic design.

quip n. 1 (bon) mot, witticism, sally, jest, ad lib, joke, gibe,

barb, aphorism, epigram, apophthegm or apothegm, pun, double

entendre, equivoque or equivoke, Colloq gag, one-liner, crack,

wisecrack, wheeze, chestnut: In his worst quip he attributed

the breakdown of his computer to a slipped diskette.

--v. 2 joke, jest, gibe, Colloq wisecrack, US crack wise: As

Mae West quipped, 'It's not the men in my life that count; it's

the life in my men'.

quirk n. peculiarity, caprice, vagary, eccentricity, fancy, twist,

warp, aberration, idiosyncrasy, oddity, kink, characteristic,

crotchet, whim, trick: By some strange quirk of fate, after

weeks in an open boat I was cast ashore at Cap d'Antibes.

quit v. 1 leave, depart from, go (away) from, get away from, decamp,

exit, desert, flee, forsake, abandon, Colloq take off, beat it,

skip: They think that he will try to quit the country if he is

released on bail. 2 resign, give up, relinquish, leave,

renounce, retire from, withdraw from: Would you really quit

your job to sail around the world? 3 cease, stop, discontinue,

leave off, desist from: They would always quit laughing when I

walked into the room.

--adj. 4 free, clear, discharged, rid of, released (from),

exempt (from): When my ex-wife remarried I was quit of the

burden of paying alimony.

quite adv. 1 completely, very, totally, utterly, entirely, from head

to toe, from A to Z, fully, wholly, thoroughly, unequivocally,

absolutely, perfectly, altogether, unreservedly: Her trouble is

that she is quite certain of many things that are simply not the

case. The last time I saw him, he was quite drunk. 2 rather,

fairly, moderately, somewhat, relatively, to some or a certain

extent or degree, noticeably: I thought that the paintings were

quite well done. 3 rather: We had quite a good dinner last

night. 4 very much, totally, entirely, wholly, altogether;

really, actually, truly, definitely, positively, undoubtedly,

indubitably, absolutely, unequivocally, certainly, surely,

unreservedly, honestly: What you are talking about is quite

another matter. Your home-made chutney is quite the best I have

ever tasted.

quiver v. 1 shake, tremble, vibrate, shiver, quaver; shudder, tremor,

oscillate, fluctuate, wobble: He felt his lips quivering as he

told her that he was dying. The outcome of the contest quivered

in the balance.

--n. 2 tremble, quaver, shudder, spasm, shake, tremor, shiver:

Pierced by the dart, the tiny bird fell to the earth, gave a

little quiver, and lay still.

quixotic adj. idealistic, impractical, impracticable, unrealistic,

unrealizable, visionary, romantic, fantastic, chimerical,

fanciful, dreamlike, dreamy, nephelococcygeal, starry-eyed,

optimistic, rash, absurd, mad, foolhardy, reckless, wild,

preposterous, ridiculous: When he was young, he had a quixotic

notion that he could improve the world.

quiz n. 1 examination, test, Colloq exam: We have a ten-minute quiz

every week on our reading assignment.

--v. 2 question, interrogate, ask, examine, Colloq grill, pump:

The police have quizzed everyone in the neighbourhood about what

they might have seen.

quizzical adj. curious, queer, odd, inquiring or enquiring, questioning,

puzzled: The interviewer had a quizzical expression, as if he

didn't quite understand his own questions.

quota n. apportionment, portion, allotment, allocation, allowance,

ration, share, part, proportion, percentage, equity, interest,

Colloq cut: Each shareholder is allowed a quota of the new

shares based on the number now held.

quotation n. 1 quote, passage, citation, reference, allusion, extract,

excerpt, selection: For many years Frances collected quotations

from the speeches of politicians. 2 quote, (bid or asking or

offer or market) price, charge, fixed price, rate, cost; value:

The quotation for Universal General International stood at 486

pence at the close of the market on Friday.

quote v. 1 cite, mention, recite, repeat, retell, reproduce,

duplicate, call up, bring up, bring in, instance, exemplify,

refer to, reference, extract, excerpt: Let me quote to you the

relevant passage from Paradise Lost .

--n. 2 See quotation, above.

18.0 R

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18.1 rabble...

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rabble n. 1 mob, crowd, horde, throng, swarm, gang: We narrowly

escaped the wrath of the rabble fighting the police in the

square. 2 the rabble. Derogatory masses, proletariat, hoi

polloi, commoners, peasantry, ragtag and bobtail, vermin,

outcasts, riff-raff, scum, dregs (of society), lower classes,

canaille, commonalty, Colloq trash, the great unwashed: He

always refers to blue-collar workers as 'the rabble'.

rabble-rouser

n. agitator, demagogue, instigator, inciter, firebrand,

incendiary, radical, troublemaker, agent provocateur,

revolutionary, insurrectionist, Colloq hell-raiser: The crowd

was whipped into a frenzy by a rabble-rouser who was not

identified.

rabid adj. 1 unreasonable, unreasoning, extreme, fanatical; raging,

furious, violent, crazed, frenzied, maniacal, wild, mad,

infuriated, frenetic, berserk: Please don't mention politics to

Nigel - he gets rabid on the subject. 2 hydrophobic, mad:

Animals from abroad are kept in quarantine to make sure they are

not rabid.

race° n. 1 foot-race, horse-race, marathon, rally or rallye;

competition, contest, rivalry, contention: How many will be

running in Saturday's race? Several countries had joined the

race to complete a workable anti-gravity device. 2 sluice,

flume, chute, watercourse, course, channel, bed, mill-race,

raceway, spillway; track: The water in the race enabled us to

wash the sand in order to extract the gold. The ball-bearings

don't fall out because they are retained in the race. 3 the

races. horse-races, dog-races, the dogs, the track, the turf,

Brit racecourse, race meeting, US racetrack: We're off to the

races at Newmarket.

--v. 4 speed, hurry, hasten, dash, sprint, fly, rush, scramble,

step lively, Colloq tear, rip, zip, step on the gas, step on it,

hop to it, get a move on, Brit hare, US get a wiggle on: You're

going to have to race to catch the last bus. 5 compete (with):

I'll race you to the gate and back.

raceý n. 1 stock, line, lineage, type, tribe, nation, people, folk,

clan, family: The citizens constitute a mix of all imaginable

races. 2 blood, descent, breed, kin, family, stock, line,

lineage: You say you are liberal, but how would you feel about

your daughter's marrying someone of a different race?

racial adj. ethnic, genetic, genealogical, ethnological, folk; tribal;

national: Bigots emphasize racial differences rather than

racial similarities.

rack n. 1 framework, frame, trestle, holder, support; stand,

scaffold, scaffolding, structure, hat-rack, hatstand, coat-rack,

Technical stretcher, tenter, US hat-tree: The fish are hung out

on long racks in the sun to dry. Please take your luggage off

the seat and put it on the overhead rack. 2 suffering, torment,

torture, agony, anguish, pain, misery, distress, affliction,

scourge, adversity: Only those who have experienced it can know

the severe rack of gout.

--v. 3 distress, torment, torture, agonize, oppress, pain,

persecute, anguish, beleaguer, plague, harass, harrow, hurt:

Gruber was racked by the feeling that he had been responsible

for the road accident. Quentin has been racked by the pain of

arthritis for ten years. 4 beat, strain, wrench, tear at, lash

(at), batter, shake, damage: Winds of hurricane force racked

villages along the coast last night.

racket n. 1 noise, din, uproar, disturbance, clamour, hubbub, row,

rumpus, hullabaloo, fuss, ado, commotion, to-do, hue and cry,

outcry, brouhaha, tumult, babel, pandemonium, Elizabethan

theatre alarums and excursions, Colloq ballyhoo: How can you

sleep through the racket from your neighbour's all-night

parties? 2 (organized) crime, criminal or illegal activity or

enterprise, trickery, trick, dodge, scheme, swindle, stratagem,

artifice, game, ruse, Slang caper, scam, gyp: Their racket is

selling 'protection' to shop-owners. 3 business, line,

profession, occupation, trade, vocation, calling, job,

employment, livelihood: I'm in commodities; what's your racket?

racketeer n. mobster, gangster, Mafioso: The Chicago racketeers of the

1930s seem tame compared with today's terrorists.

raconteur n. storyteller, anecdotalist or anecdotist, narrator, relater

or relator, Colloq spinner of yarns: The after-dinner speaker

was a marvellous raconteur with a wealth of stories about the

theatre.

racy adj. 1 fresh, lively, animated, spirited, sprightly, buoyant,

vivacious, energetic, vigorous, dynamic, zestful, stimulating,

mettlesome or mettled, Colloq full of vim and vigour, peppy,

full of pep, full of beans: Tabloid journalists are told that

their writing must be racy - straightforward reporting is out of

fashion. 2 risqu‚, ribald, bawdy, naughty, lusty, earthy, gross,

off colour, salty, suggestive, sexual, immodest, indelicate,

indecent, blue, smutty, lewd, salacious, vulgar, dirty, filthy,

pornographic, obscene, sex-oriented, adult, rude, crude, coarse,

Colloq raunchy, sexy, spicy, hot: By mistake my name got on the

mailing list of some company selling racy videos. 3 spicy,

piquant, tasty, flavourful, pungent, strong, savoury, sharp,

zesty, tangy, tart, hot: That curry you served last night had

quite a racy flavour.

radiance n. 1 radiancy, splendour, brightness, brilliance, resplendence,

luminosity, luminousness, dazzle, sparkle, coruscation,

scintillation, twinkle, effulgence, refulgence, incandescence,

glow, phosphorescence, gleam, lustre, shimmer, shine: As

Aladdin rubbed the ring, it began to glow with an inner radiance

and then - suddenly - a genie appeared. 2 warmth, gladness, joy,

pleasure, happiness, cheeriness, delight: It was good to see

again the radiance of the family at Christmas dinner.

radiant adj. 1 shining, bright, beaming, burning, ablaze, blazing,

brilliant, luminous, resplendent, splendid, splendorous,

lustrous, gleaming, glowing, phosphorescent, shimmering, shiny,

glossy, glistening, incandescent, alight, effulgent, refulgent,

sparkling, dazzling, glittering, coruscating, scintillating,

twinkling; aglow: In her hair she wore a diamond tiara, a

radiant crown whose glory was diminished only by her beauty. The

room was radiant with sunshine. 2 happy, overjoyed, ecstatic,

rapturous, delighted, joyful, blithe, blithesome, blissful,

beatific, glad, gleeful, joyous, gay, bubbling, bubbly,

jubilant, elated, rhapsodic, exultant, exhilarated, in seventh

heaven, in heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:

Carrie was absolutely radiant when she learned she was pregnant.

radiate v. 1 shine, beam, burn, blaze, gleam, glow, shimmer, glisten,

sparkle, dazzle, glitter, coruscate, scintillate, twinkle: The

jewel seemed to radiate with an inner light. 2 emanate,

disseminate, disperse, spread, diffuse, shed, send out, emit,

give off or out, Rare irradiate: He radiated goodwill the way a

fire radiates heat and light.

radiation n. emission, emanation, diffusion, dispersal, shedding:

Because the night was cloudless, unhindered radiation of the

earth's heat rapidly cooled the air.

radical adj. 1 basic, fundamental, elementary, inherent,

constitutional, elemental, essential, cardinal, principal,

primary, deep, deep-seated, profound, underlying, organic,

natural, rudimentary: There is a radical error in your approach

to the problem. There are radical differences in the ways we

regard the English language. 2 thorough, thoroughgoing,

complete, entire, total, exhaustive, sweeping, (all-)inclusive,

comprehensive, all-embracing, out-and-out, drastic, severe,

extreme, extremist, revolutionary: We have made radical changes

in the way we live. Every political party that is not in power

promises radical reform. 3 extremist, revolutionary,

fanatic(al), militant, anarchist(ic), immoderate: A staunch

conservative, Vincent regarded as radical anyone who disagreed

with him.

--n. 4 extremist, revolutionary, fanatic, zealot, immoderate,

anarchist, militant: The radicals favour reform, the

conservatives the status quo - but there is nothing new in that.

5 communist, leftist, left-winger, red, Bolshevik, Bolshevist,

pink, Slang US pinko: Carlo, recently arrested as a spy, had

been a radical since his days at university.

radio n. 1 receiver, portable (radio), Old-fashioned crystal set,

Brit and US old-fashioned wireless, Colloq transistor, Slang

ghetto-blaster, Brit tranny or trannie, US boom box: He listens

to BBC World Service on his short-wave radio.

--v. 2 transmit, broadcast, air, disseminate, announce,

present: Weather reports are radioed continuously to ships at

sea and aircraft.

raffle n. lottery, draw, sweepstake or US sweepstakes, sweep or US

sweeps: The church is holding a raffle for a new car next week.

rag° n. 1 tatter, piece, shred, scrap, fragment, bit, Dialect clout:

Take a clean rag and dust the bookshelves when you get the

chance. 2 newspaper, periodical, magazine, publication,

journal: You can't believe anything you read in that rag. 3

rags. Facetious clothes, clothing, attire, dress, garments,

Old-fashioned duds: I bought some new rags at the

post-Christmas sales. 4 rag trade. garment-industry, clothing

business, fashion industry: Peggy has been a model in the rag

trade for years. 5 chew the rag. a converse, talk, gossip,

chat: We bought a bottle of wine and just sat about chewing the

rag all evening. b Brit argue, wrangle: They are constantly

chewing the rag over trivial nonsense.

ragý v. tease, taunt, belittle, twit, ridicule, mock, make fun of,

pull (someone's) leg, Brit rally, Colloq kid: The boys at

school were always ragging him about his lisp.

ragamuffin

n. (street) urchin, (street) Arab, waif, mudlark, gamin, little

lost lamb, babe in the wood, stray, guttersnipe, scarecrow: We

took in a poor little ragamuffin who was shaking from the cold.

rage n. 1 anger, fury, wrath, ire, high dudgeon, exasperation,

vehemence, passion: Imagine her rage when Simon phoned to say

that he couldn't make it home for dinner! 2 fury, passion,

frenzy, hysterics, tantrum, fit, temper, Brit paddy or

paddywhack or paddywack, Colloq Brit wax: He flies into a rage

if Grace is as little as five minutes late for an appointment. 3

fashion, craze, vogue, the (latest or newest) thing, last word,

dernier cri, mode, Colloq fad: Miniskirts were all the rage in

the 1960s.

--v. 4 rant, rave, storm, go mad or crazy or bonkers or wild or

out of one's mind, go berserk, run amok or amuck, behave or act

or be like one possessed, fret, be beside oneself (with anger or

fury), lose one's temper, go berserk, have a tantrum, fulminate,

explode; fume, foam at the mouth, stew, smoulder, boil, seethe,

simmer, Colloq have kittens, lose one's cool, fly off the

handle, go off the deep end, Slang get into or work oneself up

into a lather or stew or sweat, get all worked up, blow one's

top, blow a gasket, blow up, flip one's top or lid, hit the

ceiling or roof, freak out, be fit to be tied, be ready for a

strait-jacket, Brit throw a wobbly, US and Canadian blow one's

stack, flip one's wig, blow a fuse, have a haemorrhage, go ape,

do a slow burn, have a conniption fit: Father raged for hours

when he found that Donald had borrowed the car without

permission.

ragged adj. 1 rough, shaggy, shabby, seedy, tattered, unkempt,

scraggy, torn, rent, ripped, frayed, worn (out), threadbare,

patched, patchy, ravelled, Chiefly Brit tatty, Brit down at

heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq US frazzled, beat-up: On

weekends, Charles put on his most ragged clothes to work in the

garden. 2 rough, uneven, irregular, nicked, jagged; serrated,

sawtooth(ed), zigzag, notched, toothed, denticulate(d), ridged:

Every morning on his way to work, his first sight of the factory

was the ragged edge of its roof. 3 worn out, tired, exhausted,

on one's last legs, the worse for wear, dead tired, overtired,

fatigued, weary, fagged out, spent, Colloq all in, dog-tired,

Slang dead (on one's feet), (dead) beat, Brit knackered, US and

Canadian pooped (out): The emergency crew was run ragged by

thirty hours on duty without rest. 4 bad, rough, patchy,

imperfect, shabby, messy, disordered, disorderly, run-down,

battered, broken-down, neglected, deteriorated, dilapidated,

Colloq beat-up: From its ragged condition, it's clear that the

building isn't properly maintained. 5 rough, harsh, discordant,

grating, rasping, hoarse, scratchy, croaking: His voice, once a

beautiful lyric tenor, was ragged after years of alcoholism. 6

uneven, bad, poor, shabby, patchy: The guests gave a ragged

rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as their host entered the room.

ragman n. rag-dealer, rag-picker, scrap dealer, Brit rag-and-bone man,

knacker, US junk dealer, junkman: When the ragman comes round,

give him those old curtains.

raid n. 1 (surprise) attack, incursion, invasion, onset, onslaught,

blitz, sortie, sally, expedition, Slang (police) bust: The

partisans made a raid on the arsenal last night and got away

with guns and ammunition.

--v. 2 attack, invade, assault, storm, set upon, descend upon,

swoop down on or upon, pounce upon, Military forage; sack,

plunder, pillage, loot, ransack, rifle, strip, maraud,

depredate, Slang bust: The commandos raided the enemy

stronghold and destroyed it.

rail° n. 1 bar, rod, handrail, foot-rail , towel-rail; railing,

banisters, balustrade, baluster, fence: Don't lean on the rail

or it will break. 2 by or via rail. by train, by railway or US

also railroad: We travelled by rail from Paris to Geneva.

railý v. Usually, rail at or against. vituperate, vociferate,

fulminate, be or become abusive, revile, attack, berate, scold,

upbraid, criticize, censure, decry, condemn, denounce: She

continues to rage and rail against those who would deny equal

rights to women.

raillery n. banter, badinage, persiflage, repartee, frivolity, joking,

jesting, chaffing, teasing, ridicule, Colloq kidding: You

shouldn't get upset over what was nothing more than some

good-natured raillery.

railroad n. 1 See railway, below.

--v. 2 force, compel, expedite, coerce, intimidate, push

(through), Brit pressurize, US pressure, bully, hector,

tyrannize, dragoon, browbeat, bullyrag, Colloq bulldoze,

squeeze, lean on: Clayton was railroaded into appointing

Pinbury to head the committee to investigate corruption.

railway n. train, rail, rolling-stock, Archaic iron horse, US railroad:

Railway service could be improved on some suburban lines.

Diamond Jim Brady, the American millionaire, made his money from

the railway.

rain n. 1 precipitation, drizzle, sprinkle, downpour, shower,

thunder-shower, cloudburst, rainstorm, squall, deluge, US

sunshower: After the rain the sun came out. 2 rainfall,

precipitation: The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. 3

flood, torrent, shower, volley, stream, outpouring: Arriving

home, she could barely shield herself from the rain of

children's kisses.

--v. 4 come down, pour, teem, sprinkle, drizzle, spit, Brit

dialect mizzle, Colloq come down in buckets, rain cats and dogs:

The weatherman said it would rain today, so take an umbrella. 5

trickle, pour, run, fall: Tears rained down her sallow cheeks.

6 descend, shower: Blows rained on him from the tiny fists of

the furious child. 7 bestow, lavish, shower: He rained kisses

on her upturned face.

raise v. 1 lift (up), elevate; hoist, pull up, haul up, run up,

Literary upraise: She raised the glass to her lips. We raised

the mainsail and sailed out of the harbour. 2 erect, put up,

construct, build, produce, create, put together, assemble,

frame: With the help of some neighbours, the barn was raised in

less than a day. 3 farm, grow, cultivate, plant, bring up,

nurture, harvest, propagate: During that year's mild winter, we

were able to raise three crops. 4 bring up, nurture, rear;

mother, father, parent: His grandmother raised ten children,

six girls and four boys. 5 assemble, gather, bring or gather or

get together, muster, mobilize, round up, rally, collect,

convene, recruit, Colloq pull together: Do you think you could

raise an army quickly enough to defend us against attack? 6

increase, boost, advance, put up, jack up, run up, inflate,

escalate: Why are consumer petrol prices always raised at the

vaguest hint of an increase in oil prices? 7 cultivate, foster,

nurture, heighten, stimulate, buoy, lift, uplift, boost, arouse,

quicken, encourage, develop: The news about the new company

raised our hopes of finding jobs. 8 open, introduce, initiate,

broach, bring up, bring or put forward, present, suggest,

mention, moot: It is regrettable that you saw fit to raise such

a delicate issue. 9 remove, relieve, lift, abandon, eliminate,

discontinue, (bring to an) end, terminate: Restrictions on

travel to south-east Asia were about to be raised. 10 cause,

provoke, evoke, occasion, put or set in motion, institute,

prompt, engender, stir up, instigate, inspire, give rise to,

bring about, arouse, originate: Objections to the relaxation of

safety regulations were raised by relatives of the victims of

the earlier disaster. 11 utter, express, bring up, put forward,

shout, call: Was it you who raised the alarm at the first sign

of smoke? 12 assemble, obtain, get, collect, amass, solicit:

We raised twice as much for charity as last year. 13

invigorate, animate, vitalize, vivify, buoy, lift, uplift, cheer

(up), exhilarate, elate: Our spirits were raised considerably

by the news from head office.

rake° v. 1 Often, rake up. scrape together, gather (together or up),

collect, draw together: You really must rake up the leaves from

the lawn and burn them. 2 scrape, comb, scratch, grate, graze:

Don't you just hate the sound of a fingernail being raked across

a blackboard? 3 rake in. collect, gather (up or in), pull in,

make: Pamela is raking in the royalties from her latest

thriller. 4 rake it in. coin money, make money

(hand-over-fist), Brit coin it in: The new record shop in the

mall is really raking it in. 5 rake out. sift (out), screen,

remove, clear, eliminate: Please rake out the cinders from the

grate. 6 rake over or through. search, probe, ransack, scour,

comb, rummage through, pick through or over, go through or over

(with a fine-tooth(ed) comb), rifle (through): The police raked

through her entire flat but found nothing incriminating. 7 rake

up. a See 1, above. b revive, resuscitate, resurrect, raise,

bring up, recall: Must you persist in raking up those bad

memories? 8 rake up or together. gather, scrape up or together,

collect, drag together, pick up, dig up, dredge up, find,

unearth: Were you able to rake up the others for a game of

poker tonight?

rakeý n. libertine, womanizer, lecher, rou‚, playboy, ladies' man,

Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, debauchee, voluptuary, profligate,

prodigal; scoundrel, rascal, cad, Archaic rakehell, masher;

Colloq lady-killer, Colloq old-fashioned wolf, Brit bounder:

Lady Anne was led stray by some young rake, a friend of the

Prince Regent's.

rake-off n. kickback, commission; discount, mark-down, rebate, Colloq

cut, piece: Does Mac get a rake-off for every buyer he sends to

the shop?

rakish adj. dashing, jaunty, dapper, spruce, debonair, raffish, smart,

breezy, flashy, chic, fashionable, elegant; dandy, foppish:

Adjusting his trilby to a rakish angle, Peter strode along the

boulevard.

rally n. 1 gathering, (mass) meeting, meet, convocation, convention,

assemblage, assembly, muster: There is to be a political rally

tonight in the town square. Are you taking your Daimler to the

vintage car rally? 2 recovery, improvement, revival, turn for

the better, recuperation, renewal: His doctors said that the

rally might be only temporary.

--v. 3 Often, rally round. bring or call or get together, round

up, assemble, convene, group, congregate, organize, come

together, troop; marshal, mobilize, summon, gather, muster: All

Sally's friends rallied round her when her father died. He

rallied every last ounce of strength in the dash for the

finishing line. 4 revive, rouse, recover, improve, get better,

take a turn for the better, recuperate, perk up, pick up, Colloq

snap out of it, make a comeback: According to the nurse, he

rallied during the night and asked for something to eat.

ram v. 1 jam, force, drive, cram, crowd, pack, compress, stuff,

squeeze, thrust, tamp, pound, hammer: We rammed as much filler

as we could into the crevices. 2 butt, bump, strike, hit,

collide with, dash, crash, slam: Their car rammed into mine in

the garage.

ramble v. 1 amble, wander (off), stroll, saunter, walk, perambulate,

go (off or away), travel, drift, range, rove, go or move about,

hike, trek, Colloq mosey: Don't ramble too far as dinner will

be ready soon. We used to ramble over those hills, but the area

is now an industrial site. 2 meander, wander, digress, maunder:

Fiona tends to ramble off the main topic of conversation. 3

Sometimes, ramble on. babble, chatter, gibber, rave, go on (and

on), rattle on, Colloq Brit witter on, rabbit on or away: If

you didn't stop him, Hugh would ramble on for ever about his

grandchildren.

--n. 4 stroll, amble, saunter, walk, promenade, constitutional,

walkabout, tour, tramp, hike, trek: We went on a short ramble

through the park.

rambling adj. 1 discursive, roundabout, circuitous, tortuous,

incoherent, diffuse, unsettled, disconnected, disjointed,

disorganized, unorganized, illogical, maundering, aimless,

confused, muddled, jumbled, scrambled, unintelligible,

inarticulate, periphrastic, circumlocutory, circumlocutional,

circumlocutionary, ambagious, wordy, verbose, prolix, endless,

interminable: We couldn't make heads or tails of the

professor's rambling lecture. 2 unplanned, straggling,

irregular, sprawling, spread out, spreading, straggly: The

Wilsons live in that big old rambling Victorian house down the

road. 3 roving, wandering, travelling, peripatetic, itinerant,

wayfaring, migratory, nomadic: For five years he led a rambling

life as a folk-singing banjo player.

ramification

n. 1 consequence, result, effect, upshot, implication,

subtlety; complication, difficulty: Have you considered the

ramifications of your decision to retire? 2 branch, extension,

outgrowth, subdivision, offshoot: Courier services may be

considered a ramification of services that were once performed

by the post office.

ramp n. slope, grade, gradient, incline; rise, ascent, acclivity;

descent, dip, declivity: There is a special ramp in the theatre

for wheelchair access.

rampage n. 1 excitement, agitation, recklessness, riot, tumult, uproar,

frenzy, fury, rage, furore or US furor, turmoil: His latest

rampage was prompted by their serving him a cup of cold coffee.

2 Brit on the rampage, US on a rampage. berserk, mad, crazy,

amok or amuck, wild, out of control: Pete regularly drank too

much whisky and then went on the rampage.

--v. 3 storm, rage, rant, rave, go berserk, run amok or amuck:

He rampaged like a man possessed when he got his second parking

ticket of the day.

rampant adj. 1 unchecked, uninhibited, unrestrained, wild,

uncontrolled, out of control, out of hand, frenzied, unbridled,

uncontrollable, violent: He was a victim of rampant jealousy.

Jennie could hardly be described as a rampant feminist. 2

profuse, unbounded, abounding, flourishing, rife, widespread,

everywhere, epidemic, pandemic, prevalent, unrestrained,

unchecked, running wild, uninhibited, indiscriminate, wild,

uncontrolled; in control, holding sway, in full sway, dominant,

predominant; exuberant, rank, luxuriant: Before Masterson

became sheriff, vice and crime were rampant in the town.

rampart n. defence, bastion, guard, fortification, security,

stronghold, bulwark, barricade, wall; earthwork, breastwork,

parados, gabion: The old town is surrounded by seven rows of

ramparts leading up to the cathedral at the summit. They regard

religion as an impenetrable rampart against immorality.

ramshackle

adj. dilapidated, tumbledown, crumbling, broken-down, rickety,

unsteady, jerry-built, decrepit, flimsy, shaky, unstable,

tottering, unsubstantial or insubstantial, ruined, in disrepair,

beyond repair, run-down, neglected, derelict: He lives in a

ramshackle hut on the outskirts of town.

rancid adj. stinking or reeking (to high heaven), foul-smelling,

ill-smelling, evil-smelling, noisome, mephitic, miasmic or

miasmal or miasmatic(al), smelly, rank, malodorous, fusty;

nasty, disagreeable, odious, fetid or foetid, rotten, decayed,

spoilt or spoiled, turned, bad, awful, sour, tainted, high,

gamy, ripe, putrid, corrupt, stale: To rid your fridge of that

rancid smell, wash it out with a solution of baking soda.

rancorous adj. hateful, spiteful, resentful, hostile, malign, malignant,

bitter, malevolent, malicious, venomous, vindictive, vengeful,

splenetic, acrimonious: Olivia felt rancorous towards her

brother-in-law when he refused to lend her money.

rancour n. hatred, hate, antipathy, spite, resentment, resentfulness,

antagonism, hostility, malignity, bitterness, malevolence,

malice, venomousness, venom, vindictiveness, vengefulness,

spleen, acrimony, animus, animosity, enmity, bad feeling, bad

blood: Owing to the rancour between them, the brothers had not

exchanged a word in forty years.

random adj. 1 haphazard, chance, fortuitous, serendipitous, aleatory,

arbitrary, casual, stray, occasional, indefinite,

indiscriminate, non-specific, unspecific, unspecified,

unordered, unorganized, undirected, unpremeditated, unplanned,

accidental, uncalculated, unsystematic, adventitious,

incidental, hit-or-miss: He used a computer program to generate

random numbers. A random selection of slips was drawn from the

drum and Madelaine's name was on one of them. 2 at random.

randomly, haphazardly, fortuitously, by chance, serendipitously,

arbitrarily, casually, occasionally, (every) now and then,

(every) once in a while, irregularly, indefinitely, erratically,

indiscriminately, unsystematically, adventitiously,

incidentally, unpremeditatedly: They picked names from a hat at

random. They drove up and down the road, firing at random.

randy adj. aroused, lustful, lecherous, Brit on heat or US in heat,

Brit in oestrus or US in estrus, Slang hot, horny, in rut,

rutting, at stud: Seeing Betty always made Len feel terribly

randy.

range n. 1 scope, sweep, reach, limit, extent, span, area, radius,

distance, compass, latitude, stretch, sphere, orbit: The gun

has a range of about 200 yards. This radio transmitter is

effective only within a thirty-mile range. The minister is

trying to broaden the range of his influence. 2 assortment,

series, collection, lot, spread, selection, choice, number,

variety, kind, sort, scale, gamut, register: The courses

offered cater to a wide range of interests. 3 rank, row, tier,

line, file, series, string, chain: From my window I could see

the range of hills stretching away into the distance. 4 kitchen

range, (cooking-) stove, Chiefly Brit cooker, Brit trade mark

Aga, US cook-stove: In every French farmhouse there was always

a pot of soup on the range.

--v. 5 line up, rank, order, align, order, array: The teacher

ranged the children according to their height. 6 vary,

fluctuate, spread, run the gamut, extend, stretch, run, go: The

students range in age from eight to eighty. 7 organize,

categorize, catalogue, arrange, classify, sort, class, group,

rank, bracket, pigeon-hole, file, index, break down, grade,

distribute: The books are ranged according to their

subject-matter. 8 cover, traverse, roam, rove, travel over or

across, go or pass over, drift, migrate, wander, move, extend:

The wildebeest ranges far and wide over vast tracts of grazing

land in Africa.

rank° n. 1 status, standing, position, place, level, stratum, class,

caste, circumstances, echelon, grade: It is virtually

impossible to determine rank simply by looking at a person. 2

weight, authority, power, superiority, seniority, ascendancy,

priority, influence, eminence: Caldwell uses the privilege of

rank to cover up some of his more questionable transactions. 3

nobility, title, high birth, aristocracy, dignity, prestige,

(blue) blood; peerage: Gentlemen of rank should behave with

honour, my boy. 4 line, row, column, queue, series, formation;

sequence: We gazed on the serried ranks of warriors, golden

shields glistening in the sun. 5 ranks. soldiers, workers,

staff, employees: Smithers rose from the ranks to become chief

executive officer.

--v. 6 grade, rate, classify, class, categorize; dispose,

organize, order, sort, assort, arrange, array, align, range,

graduate: He was ranked among the best in the school. The

applicants are ranked according to their test scores. 7 rate,

count, stand, have standing or value or prestige, be important

or distinguished: To Janet, character ranks far above wealth.

Phil is so mean that Scrooge would rank high on a list of

charitable men in comparison with him.

ranký adj. 1 lush, luxuriant, abundant, flourishing, profuse,

prolific, dense, superabundant, exuberant, fertile, productive,

fructuous: The expedition could hardly make its way through the

rank undergrowth of th jungle. 2 corrupt, foul, low, base,

gross; downright, utter, sheer, absolute, complete, out-and-out,

blatant, flagrant, unalloyed, unmitigated, undiluted: I cannot

understand the rank treachery of the man after all that we have

done for him. I ventured my opinion, even though a rank

outsider. 3 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross, foul,

corrupt, indecent, shocking, immodest, indecorous, shameless,

risqu‚, lurid, off colour, outrageous, blue, nasty, vulgar,

vile, dirty, filthy, smutty, scatological, pornographic,

obscene: Those bigots always resort to the rank vocabulary of

malice and hate. In a secret cupboard was a collection of the

rankest literature. 4 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross,

foul, foul-smelling, smelly, rancid, noisome, stinking, reeky,

reeking, mephitic, miasmic or miasmal or miasmatic(al), fetid or

foetid, noxious, rotten, putrid, musty, stale, disagreeable,

strong, pungent: The rank stench from the open sewers pervades

the air in those pockets of poverty.

rank and file

n. (general) membership, members, majority: The union's rank

and file must now vote on whether to accept management's pay

offer.

rankle v. gall, fester, irk, vex, plague, chafe, grate, nettle,

torment, pain, hurt, provoke, anger, exasperate, get (to),

upset: Although she had forgiven him, the insult still rankled.

ransack v. 1 search, examine, go through or over (with a fine-tooth(ed)

comb), comb, rake or rummage through, scour, explore,

scrutinize, turn inside out: I ransacked the second-hand

bookshops for a copy but had no success. 2 rob, plunder,

pillage, sack, despoil, loot, strip; burgle, US and Canadian

burglarize: The thieves who ransacked the shop apparently

missed the most valuable jewel.

ransom n. 1 redemption, rescue, deliverance; release, liberation: The

envoy was held to ransom by a fanatical band of zealots. 2

payment, payout, pay-off, price: The police refuse to reveal

the amount of the ransom given to the kidnappers.

--v. 3 redeem, rescue, release, deliver: The boy was ransomed

for œ10,000.

rant v. 1 declaim, hold forth, expound, expatiate, orate, perorate,

pontificate, trumpet, preach, harangue, lecture, deliver

(oneself of) a tirade or diatribe or speech, speak: The

minister ranted pompously about his accomplishments. 2

vociferate, bluster, rave, rant and rave, bellow, rage: The

master kept ranting on about his newspaper having been creased.

--n. 3 tirade, philippic, bluster, flatulence, rhetoric,

bombast, pomposity, turgidity, gasconade, rodomontade,

theatrics, histrionics, act: As he carried on his rant, the

theatre gradually emptied till he was alone.

rap v. 1 knock, strike, tap, hit: The policeman rapped smartly at

the door with his truncheon. 2 criticize, rebuke, scold,

reprimand, rap over the knuckles, Colloq knock, Brit tick off:

We were severely rapped for dropping litter on the pavement. 3

converse, talk, chat, gossip, Colloq gab, Slang chew the fat or

the rag: That guy was so fascinating - we could rap with him

for hours.

--n. 4 knock, tap, hit, blow, crack, stroke, cuff, whack,

thwack, punch, Colloq belt, clout, Slang sock, slug, biff: The

punishment for failing to complete the assignment was a severe

rap on the knuckles. 5 conversation, discussion, chat,

confabulation, talk, dialogue, discourse, colloquy, Colloq

confab, Slang chiefly US and Canadian bull session, rap session:

We used to get together for a nice long rap now and then. 6

responsibility, blame; punishment, sentence; charge, accusation,

indictment: Why should he have to take the rap for something

you did? The witness failed to show up, so Baxter beat the rap.

rapacious adj. greedy, covetous, grasping, avaricious, mercenary,

usurious, acquisitive, predatory, predacious, ravenous,

ravening, voracious, insatiable, insatiate, wolfish, wolflike,

lupine, vulturine, raptorial: That rapacious swindler took

everything they had in the world.

rapacity n. greed, greediness, cupidity, covetousness, avarice,

acquisitiveness, predaciousness, ravenousness, voracity,

voraciousness, insatiability, insatiableness, rapaciousness:

The rapacity of the invading hordes of Mongols knew no bounds.

rape n. 1 ravishment, defloration, deflowering, violation, sexual

assault, defilement: The police are investigating reports of

rape by a masked man. 2 rapine, despoliation, spoliation,

despoilment, pillage, depredation, ravagement, ravaging,

plunder, plundering, sack, sacking, looting, ransacking: He

travelled in disguise to document the rape of the war-torn

areas. 3 abduction, carrying-off, kidnapping, seizure, capture,

snatching: History debates whether the ancient Romans were

truly responsible for the rape of the Sabine women.

--v. 4 violate, ravish, assault sexually, deflower, defile,

force to submit to sexual intercourse, have one's way with, take

advantage of: The defendant raped three women before he was

caught. 5 despoil, spoliate, pillage, depredate, ravage,

plunder, sack, loot: Throughout history the city has been raped

by marauding tribes.

rapid adj. quick, fast, swift, speedy, high-speed, brisk,

expeditious, prompt, express, fleet, lightning(-fast),

alacritous; hurried, hasty, precipitate, impetuous, immediate,

instantaneous, instant, sudden: The company we use offers rapid

delivery service. What do you suppose occasioned Flannery's

rapid departure?

rapidity n. quickness, swiftness, speed, speediness, briskness,

expeditiousness, promptness, promptitude, alacrity, celerity,

immediateness, dispatch or despatch, instantaneousness: The

rapidity with which they responded to our request is truly

commendable.

rapidly adv. 1 quickly, fast, swiftly, speedily, briskly,

expeditiously, like a shot, at the speed of light, double-quick,

at full speed, like one possessed, at a gallop, tantivy, Colloq

like blazes, like (greased) lightning, US lickety-split, Slang

like a bat out of hell, like mad: He cycled down the High

Street as rapidly as he could go. 2 promptly, instantly,

instantaneously, instanter, without delay, at once, straight

away, right away, in a moment, in a trice, like a shot, in a

wink, in (less than) no time, double-quick, in a flash, at the

speed of light, before you (can) turn around, Colloq in a jiffy,

in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), like (greased) lightning,

before you can say 'Jack Robinson', US and Canadian (right) off

the bat, lickety-split, Slang like a bat out of hell: When I

mentioned that you were coming, she left rapidly.

rapport n. empathy, relationship, sympathy, harmony, affinity, accord,

bond, relationship, (mutual) understanding, camaraderie: The

minute we met we established a rapport.

rapprochement

n. reconciliation, understanding, settlement: The party needs

to bring about a rapprochement between the radicals and the

reactionaries.

rapt adj. 1 entranced, fascinated, spellbound, mesmerized,

hypnotized, engrossed, enthralled, bewitched, absorbed,

transported, captivated, delighted: She gave her last

performance of 'Giselle' before a rapt audience. 2 enraptured,

rapturous, delighted, elated, happy, ecstatic, blissful,

overjoyed, joyous, joyful, beatific: You should have seen the

rapt expression on the child's face when Santa Claus appeared.

rapture n. ecstasy, delight, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, pleasure,

exaltation, elation, thrill, enchantment, euphoria, beatitude,

transport, enchantment: Nothing could compare with the rapture

he felt at seeing his daughter win the Nobel prize.

rapturous adj. ecstatic, delighted, joyful, joyous, elated, thrilled,

enchanted, euphoric, in seventh heaven, overjoyed, rhapsodic,

Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: He was rapturous over

qualifying for the Olympics.

rare° adj. 1 uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual, exceptional, out of the

ordinary, extraordinary, atypical; scarce, unparalleled, choice,

recherch‚, phenomenal, infrequent, few and far between, sparse,

scanty, limited, seldom encountered or met with or seen; unique,

singular, one of a kind; Chiefly Brit thin on the ground: It

was rare to see Liz in such good humour. Specimens in such

perfect condition are rare. A copy of the first edition in this

condition is rare. 2 fine, good, admirable, excellent, choice,

select, special, first-rate, first-class, exquisite, superior,

superlative, peerless, unequalled, matchless, incomparable, in a

class by itself or herself or himself or themselves, sui

generis, outstanding; collectible or collectable: O, rare Ben

Jonson! On exhibit was a black pearl of rare beauty and

remarkable size. Consideration for others seems a rare quality

these days.

rareý adj. underdone, undercooked, bleu(e), saignant(e): Do you want

your steak rare, medium, or well-done?

rarefied adj. 1 thin, lean, attenuated, diluted, sparse, scant, scanty:

As we climbed higher, the rarefied atmosphere made breathing

more difficult. 2 exalted, lofty, elevated, high, sublime,

noble, high: I feel out of place in the rarefied atmosphere of

academia. 3 cliquish, clannish, exclusive, private, select,

esoteric: Clarence copes well in the rarefied atmosphere of

Whitehall's corridors of power.

rarely adv. seldom, infrequently, on rare occasions, hardly (ever),

scarcely (ever), almost never, Colloq once in a blue moon: He

rarely attends formal dinners at his club.

rarity n. 1 curiosity, oddity, curio, collector's item, find,

treasure, conversation piece, Brit one-off, Colloq Brit oner:

Among the rarities in his collection is a stuffed dodo. 2

unusualness, uncommonness, rareness, uniqueness, scarcity: The

rarity of the first edition makes this book all the more

valuable.

rascal n. imp, devil, scamp, mischief-maker; rapscallion, rogue,

scoundrel, cad, villain, blackguard, knave, good-for-nothing,

ne'er-do-well, wastrel, scapegrace, dastard, wretch, Colloq

scallywag or scalawag, Brit rotter, blighter, bounder: That

little rascal has eaten all the cherry tarts. They've caught the

rascals who were vandalizing parked cars.

rash° adj. impetuous, impulsive, unthinking, thoughtless, foolhardy,

unconsidered, ill-considered, ill-advised, injudicious,

imprudent, indiscreet, precipitate, hasty, careless, heedless,

reckless, headlong, wild, madcap, hare-brained, hotheaded,

adventurous, quixotic, venturesome, audacious, bold, dashing,

brash, devil-may-care: It was rash of him to try to sail round

the world single-handed, but he did it.

rashý n. 1 eruption, eczema, redness, efflorescence, dermatitis: One

of the symptoms of measles is a skin rash. 2 number(s),

quantity, lot(s), multitude, profusion, outbreak, series,

succession, spate, wave, flood, deluge, plague, epidemic:

There's been a rash of burglaries in the neighbourhood.

rasp n. 1 grating, scrape, scraping, scratch, scratching, grinding,

stridulation: One could hear the rasp of the file as they tried

to cut through the door. 2 file, grater: The coarser rasp is

for use on wood.

--v. 3 scrape, abrade, grate, file: First, rasp the

horseradish, then combine the gratings with a little vinegar. 4

irritate, jar (upon), grate upon or against, rub (someone) (up)

the wrong way, nettle, irk, annoy, vex, wear on, get, Literary

gride: She has a rasping metallic voice that gets on my nerves.

5 croak, squawk, screech: The sergeant rasped out another

command and the company marched forward.

rate° n. 1 measure, pace, gait, speed, velocity, Colloq clip: We

moved along at a pretty fast rate. Rates of production must

increase. 2 charge, price, fee, tariff, figure, amount; toll:

The rate for a hotel room has increased enormously in the past

few years. 3 percentage, scale, proportion: What is the current

rate of interest on government savings bonds? 4 Usually, -rate.

rank, grade, place, standing, status, position, class,

classification, kind, sort, type, rating, status, worth, value,

valuation, evaluation: After a few years, he had improved from

a second-rate typist to a first-rate secretary. 5 at any rate.

in any case, in any event, anyway, at all events, anyhow, under

any circumstances, regardless, notwithstanding: At any rate,

with their last child out of university, they have no more

worries about paying education costs.

--v. 6 rank, grade, class, classify, evaluate, estimate,

calculate, compute, count, reckon, judge, gauge, assess,

appraise, measure: How do you rate your chances of beating the

champion? 7 merit, be entitled to, deserve, be worthy of, have

a claim to: The play doesn't rate all the attention it's been

getting in the press. 8 count, place, measure: She rates very

high among her friends.

rateý v. scold, berate, reprimand, rebuke, reproach, reprove, take to

task, upbraid, censure, Colloq bawl out, dress down, US and

Canadian chew out: I was rated severely for staying out after

midnight.

rather adv. 1 quite, very, somewhat, fairly, moderately, to a certain

extent or degree or measure, to some extent or degree or

measure, more or less, pretty, slightly, Colloq sort of, kind

of: I suppose she was rather good-looking, but at that age I

didn't pay much attention to girls. This coffee tastes rather

strange. 2 preferably, sooner, instead, more readily or

willingly: Given an option, I choose to live alone rather than

marry. 3 would or Colloq US had rather. prefer, choose: Given

a choice, I would rather live alone.

ratify v. approve, sanction, endorse, support, corroborate, uphold,

back (up), sustain, establish, validate, substantiate, verify,

authenticate, guarantee, warrant, certify, affirm, ensure,

clinch, settle: The pact was ratified by all members.

ratio n. proportion, relationship, correlation, correspondence: What

is the ratio of male to female students at Oxford University?

In that area, the ratio of tenants to home-owners is about two

to one.

ration n. 1 share, quota, allotment, portion, helping, part,

provision, measure, dole, percentage, amount: Each person is

permitted a weekly fixed ration of butter, sugar, coffee, meat,

etc. We shall have to go on short rations till we are rescued. 2

rations. supplies, provisions, food, provender, victuals,

viands, eatables, edibles, comestibles, Brit commons: It was

not till the third week with our rations running low that we

really began to worry.

--v. 3 Often, ration out. allot, apportion, dole (out), give

out, distribute, deal out, mete out, parcel out, measure out,

hand out: As water was in short supply, we had to ration it.

One cup was rationed out to each of us every morning. 4 budget,

schedule, restrict, control, limit: Water had to be rationed to

one cup a day for each of us.

rational adj. 1 well-balanced, sane, sound, normal, reasonable,

reasoning, logical, ratiocinative, clear-headed, clear-eyed,

sober; of sound mind, Colloq all there: Desmond is a rational

human being who would be able to advise you about your problem.

2 discriminating, intelligent, thinking, enlightened, prudent,

wise, knowledgeable, informed: We could not have elected a more

rational representative for our cause than Robert Brown. 3

sensible, common-sense, commonsensical, practical, pragmatic,

down-to-earth, everyday, acceptable, reasonable, logical:

Philippa thinks she has a rational explanation for the strange

light we saw in the sky last night.

rationale n. reason, explanation, logical basis, grounds, logic,

reasoning, philosophy, principle, theory: Do you understand the

rationale of a policy for curbing inflation that sets interest

rates at a level where business, initiative, and productivity

are stifled?

rationalize

v. 1 make plausible or believable or understandable or

acceptable or reasonable, make allowance(s) or excuses for,

vindicate, account for, justify, excuse, reason away, explain

away: How can you rationalize taking my car without my

permission? 2 think through, reason out; apply logic to,

ratiocinate: He warps the statistics to rationalize his

argument. The fundamentalists make no attempt to rationalize

their literal interpretation of the Scripture.

rattle v. 1 clatter: An acorn dropped from an overhanging tree and

rattled down the tin roof. 2 shake, vibrate, jar, joggle,

jiggle: The wind was strong enough to rattle the windows in

their frames. 3 unnerve, disconcert, discomfit, disturb,

perturb, shake, discountenance, upset, agitate, put off, Chiefly

US and Canadian faze: They are only trying to rattle us by

saying that we might lose our jobs if we strike. 4 jounce,

bounce, bump, jolt, speed, hurtle: The stagecoach came rattling

down the road, swaying wildly. 5 rattle off. recite, list,

utter, reel off, run through, enumerate, call off: The

announcer rattled off a long list of trains cancelled because of

the storm. 6 rattle on. chatter, babble, jabber, gibber, prate,

prattle, blabber, cackle, blather, ramble, Chiefly Brit witter,

natter, Slang US run off at the mouth: The speaker kept

rattling on and on about the delights of collecting beer cans.

--n. 7 clatter, racket, noise; rale or rƒle, crackle,

crackling; death-rattle: I heard the rattle of the beans and

knew you were about to grind the coffee. The doctor said he

didn't like the rattle in my chest. 8 clapper, sistrum, US

noise-maker: Rattles have been used as musical instruments for

thousands of years.

rattletrap

n. flivver, rattler, Colloq jalopy, tin Lizzie, US Model T:

This old rattletrap won't get us all the way to Hawkhurst.

ratty adj. 1 irritable, cross, testy, touchy, annoyed, crabbed,

irritated, angry, short-tempered, impatient, disagreeable: He's

always ratty in the mornings when he has a hangover. 2 dirty,

greasy, straggly, unkempt, matted: His hair was all ratty and

he hadn't bathed in a month.

raucous adj. harsh, rasping, rough, husky, hoarse, grating, scratching,

scratchy, discordant, dissonant, jarring; strident, shrill,

noisy, loud, ear-splitting, piercing: You could hear Ramsay's

raucous voice above the others. A raucous scream came from the

parrot's cage.

ravage v. 1 lay waste, devastate, ruin, destroy, demolish, raze,

wreck, wreak havoc (up)on, damage: The hurricane ravaged

outlying areas but did little damage in the city. 2 pillage,

plunder, despoil, ransack, sack, loot: The police tried to

prevent hooligans from ravaging the shops in the town centre.

--n. 3 Usually, ravages. destruction, damage, depredation(s),

devastation, wrecking, ruin, demolition: All about us we saw

the ravages of war.

rave v. 1 rant, rage, storm, fulminate, roar, thunder, howl, yell,

caterwaul, yowl, bellow, shout, scream, fly off the handle,

Colloq flip one's top or lid, Slang raise hell: He kept raving

on about his coffee mug having been pinched. 2 rave about.

praise, laud, rhapsodize over, applaud, gush over: Bernard

can't stop raving about that new Thai restaurant.

--n. 3 praise, acclaim, favour, enthusiastic reception,

tribute, testimonial, encomium, bouquet, plaudits, accolade,

admiration, US hosanna: The play got raves in all the

newspapers when it opened. 4 rage, fashion, vogue, trend,

thing, last word, dernier cri, craze, mania, Colloq fad: The

rave that year was for stiletto heels. 5 party, fˆte, soir‚e,

Colloq do, Slang bash, blow-out, Brit rave-up , US wingding,

blast: Monica threw quite a rave to celebrate her new job.

ravenous adj. 1 hungry, famished, starving, starved: We were ravenous

after the long hike. 2 voracious, gluttonous, greedy,

insatiable, ravening, swinish, piggish, hoggish, edacious,

wolfish: With my family's ravenous appetites, there are rarely

any leftovers.

ravine n. gorge, canyon or ca¤on, pass, cleft, defile, gully or

gulley, valley, Brit dialect clough, Scots linn, US gap, gulch,

arroyo: At the spring thaw, torrents filled the ravines.

raving adj. 1 mad, insane, berserk, raging, crazy, crazed, irrational,

manic, maniacal, frantic, frenzied, delirious, hysterical; out

of one's mind or head: He stood there shouting and screaming,

like a raving lunatic. 2 extraordinary, outstanding, unusual,

rare, uncommon, phenomenal, great, striking, ravishing, Colloq

stunning: Diana had been a raving beauty in her time.

--n. 3 Often, ravings. rant, ranting, bombast, pomposity,

grandiloquence, magniloquence, rodomontade, rhetoric, bluster,

blustering, claptrap, balderdash, puffery, bunkum, flatulence,

hyperbole, vapouring, fustian, Colloq hot air, bunk: Why must

we be subjected to the ravings of this politician? 4 gabble,

babble, babbling, gibberish, Colloq gab: This is nothing more

than the raving of a maniac.

ravish v. 1 enrapture, delight, captivate, enthral, fascinate, charm,

entrance, spellbind, bewitch, transport: I was ravished at the

prospect of seeing you again. 2 rape, violate, have one's way

with, deflower, defile: The soldiers attacked the village and

ravished the women.

ravishing adj. dazzling, beautiful, gorgeous, striking, radiant,

charming, alluring, attractive, entrancing, captivating,

enthralling, bewitching, spellbinding, Colloq stunning: Daphne

was even more ravishing than her sister Diana.

raw adj. 1 uncooked, unprepared, fresh: Many vegetables can be

eaten raw. 2 unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, unfinished,

natural, crude: The raw sugar is shipped to the plant where it

is refined. The raw statistics revealed that many women had

refused to respond to the questionnaire. 3 new, inexperienced,

unseasoned, immature, green, untried, fresh, untrained,

unskilled, untested: They sent us raw recruits who had never

seen battle. 4 exposed, unprotected, uncovered, open; sore,

tender, inflamed, painful, sensitive: When he mentioned her

name, it was as if he had touched a raw nerve. 5 chill, chilly,

chilling, cold, damp, frigid, freezing, biting, stinging, nippy,

nipping, sharp, keen, piercing, penetrating: You should wrap up

warmly if you're going out in that raw wind. 6 brutal, frank,

candid, blunt, direct, unvarnished, unmollified, unembellished,

realistic, honest, plain, unreserved, unrestrained, uninhibited,

bluff, straightforward: The producer felt that no domestic

audience could stomach a raw depiction of the horrors of war.

--n. 7 in the raw. naked, stark naked, undressed, unclothed,

nude, in the nude, Brit starkers, Colloq in the buff, in the

altogether, in one's birthday suit: For punishment, they made

us stand outside, in the freezing cold, in the raw.

raw-boned adj. gaunt, lean, gangling, thin, skinny, spare, meagre,

scrawny, underfed, bony, emaciated, half-starved, wasted,

hollow-cheeked, cadaverous: They'll take that raw-boned

youngster into the army and put some meat on him.

ray n. 1 beam, shaft, bar, streak, pencil, gleam, flash: A single

ray from the setting sun illuminated the head of the statue. 2

glimmer, trace, spark, scintilla, flicker: As he had not ben

rejected outright, there was still a ray of hope that he might

be accepted.

raze v. tear or pull or bring or knock or throw down, demolish,

destroy, level, flatten, bulldoze: As usual, beautiful old

buildings were razed to make way for a new shopping centre.

18.2 reach...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

reach v. 1 Often, reach out. hold out, extend, stretch (out), stick

out, thrust out, outstretch, outreach: He reached out his hand

and graped mine warmly. 2 arrive at, get to, come to, go to,

end up at or in; land at or in, Colloq make (it to): I won't

reach the office till noon today. Have we reached the point of

no return? 3 get, get in touch with, communicate with, establish

or make contact with, get through to, get (a) hold of: I tried

to reach her at home, but she was out. 4 attain, achieve,

accomplish, make, get or go to, get or go as far as: Do you

think that McClintock will reach the semi-finals? 5 come or go

or get up to, amount to, attain, climb to, rise to, run to,

equal, match: It looks as though the trade deficit might reach

last year's figure. 6 get through or across to, register with,

communicate with, reach into the mind of, impress, influence,

sway, move, stir, carry weight with: It is very difficult for

teachers to reach teenagers, who have a natural suspicion of

adults.

--n. 7 range, ambit, scope, orbit, compass, sphere, territory:

Those outlying areas are beyond our reach. Padua is within easy

reach of Venice. 8 capability, capacity: Tragedy often occurs

when one's ambition exceeds one's reach.

react v. 1 act, behave, conduct oneself, proceed; retaliate,

reciprocate, get even: I wonder how you would have reacted if

someone had insulted you! 2 respond, answer, reply, retort:

The crowd reacted to the police presence by becoming very nasty.

She reacted with surprise on learning of his arrest.

reaction n. 1 response, reply, answer, effect, feedback: Did you get

any reaction when you told her I had been arrested? Her

reaction was to turn over and go back to sleep. 2 repulsion,

resistance, counteraction, counterbalance, compensation: A

rocket derives forward thrust by reaction against its own

exhaust, hence can operate in a vacuum. 3 retaliation,

reciprocation, reprisal, revenge: He shot her in reaction to

her announcement that she was leaving him.

reactionary

adj. 1 (ultra-)conservative, right, rightist, right-wing,

blimpish; traditionalist; South African verkrampte: Reactionary

governments tend to reduce social services.

--n. 2 (ultra-)conservative, rightist, right-winger, Colonel

Blimp; traditionalist; South African verkrampte: As a

reactionary, he feels that the status quo is fine and change

unnecessary.

read v. 1 peruse, scan, skim, review, study, look over, pore over:

I have read the article twice but still cannot understand it. 2

understand, know, be familiar with, comprehend, interpret,

decipher: Can you read Greek? Madame Sonja reads tea leaves. 3

announce, present, deliver: Anna reads the news on TV at six

o'clock every evening. 4 read into. assign to, impute (to),

infer (from), assume (from), presume (from), conclude (from):

You might be reading too much into that letter of commendation.

readable adj. 1 intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, easy to

understand, easily understood, plain: Surprisingly, the

instructions for operating the computer are fairly readable. 2

entertaining, easy to read, enjoyable, pleasurable, absorbing,

interesting, engaging, stimulating, worthwhile: Her latest

thriller is so readable that I stayed up all night to finish it.

3 legible, decipherable, distinct: The print on that microfiche

is too small to be readable.

readily adv. 1 cheerfully, willingly, eagerly, ungrudgingly,

unhesitatingly, freely, gladly, happily, agreeably, graciously,

charitably: He always gave readily of his time to anyone who

sought his help, and we shall miss him sorely. 2 effortlessly,

easily, smoothly, without difficulty: I was able to get the

wheel off readily enough, getting it back on was the problem. 3

promptly, quickly, speedily, swiftly, apace, at once, without

delay, in no time, immediately, instantly, instantaneously,

instanter, straight away, right away, at or on short notice,

Colloq pronto: The police came readily but were unable to catch

the thieves, who had already escaped.

readiness n. 1 willingness, cheerfulness, good will, eagerness,

agreeableness, graciousness: Her readiness to help marked her

as truly charitable. 2 promptness, quickness; facility, ease,

skill, adroitness, expertness, proficiency: The readiness with

which he gave expert advice on gardening made him very popular

with his neighbours. 3 in readiness. See ready, 1, below.

ready adj. 1 prepared, (all) set, in readiness, in (proper) shape;

up, primed, ripe, fit, in condition; Colloq psyched (up): The

charge is ready for detonation. I'm ready for a good run in the

park. Are these apples ready for eating? Are you ready to meet

the girl of your dreams? 2 agreeable, consenting, acquiescent,

willing, content, eager, keen, happy, cheerful, genial,

gracious, cordial, friendly, well-disposed, enthusiastic, Colloq

game: Tim was always a ready accomplice to any mischief devised

by his brother. 3 apt, likely, inclined, disposed, given, prone:

She was all too ready to believe anything she was told. 4

about, liable, likely, apt; on the verge of, subject to, in

danger of, on the brink of, on the point of, close to: The

volcano seemed ready to erupt at any moment. 5 prompt, rapid,

quick, immediate, speedy, swift, punctual, timely: Alistair

seems to have a ready answer for everything. 6 clever, keen,

sharp, agile, deft, skilful, adroit, alert, bright, intelligent,

perceptive, quick: It was Carlotta's ready wit that first

attracted me. 7 on or at or to hand, handy, available,

accessible, at (one's) fingertips, at the ready, close at hand,

convenient: I don't have the ready cash for a new car at the

moment.

--n. 8 readies. money, cash, wherewithal: If you have the

readies, please pay me what you owe me. 9 at the ready. a

waiting, on tap, expectant, in position, poised: Keep your

pistol at the ready in case there's trouble. b See 8, above.

--v. 10 prepare, make or get ready, set, fit out, equip,

organize, psych up: He readied himself as best he could for the

ordeal.

ready-made

adj. 1 ready-to-wear, finished, prefabricated, Brit off the

peg: Ready-made clothes fit me better than custom-made. 2

convenient, expedient, serviceable, usable, handy, useful,

suitable, adaptable; plausible, credible, believable: The storm

provided a ready-made excuse for cancelling the appointment. 3

stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, time-worn, trite,

stale, conventional, unoriginal, stock, pedestrian, routine,

run-of-the-mill: His speeches are always full of ready-made

clich‚s.

real adj. 1 genuine, true, actual, authentic, verified, verifiable,

legitimate, right, bona fide, official; legal, legitimate,

licit, natural, valid, veritable: He says that his name is

Smith, but what is his real name? Her diamonds are not real. It

has been proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is the real

father. 2 genuine, actual, true, existent, authentic, natural;

material, physical, tangible, palpable, corporeal: How can one

distinguish between the real object and what one sees, which is

merely its image? 3 genuine, sincere, heartfelt, true, actual,

unfeigned, unaffected, earnest, honest, truthful, legitimate,

valid: Deirdre's face is so impassive that it is impossible to

tell what her real feelings are. What's the real reason that

you're here? 4 genuine, actual, true, loyal, trustworthy,

trusted, honest: You are a real friend, and I know I can count

on you. 5 intrinsic, actual, true, genuine, proper, essential:

The œ150 million sale of the company fell significantly below

its real value.

--adv. 6 See really, below.

realistic adj. 1 practical, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, pragmatic,

common-sense, sensible, reasonable, level-headed, rational,

sane, hard-headed, business-like, no-nonsense, unromantic,

unsentimental, tough, tough-minded, Colloq hard-nosed,

hard-boiled: Kevin's realistic grasp of the problems may make

the company profitable at last. 2 natural, lifelike, true to

life, naturalistic, vivid, genuine, real, graphic: This

painting is so realistic that it looks like a photograph.

Harriet's description was so realistic that I felt I had

actually been to Benidorm.

reality n. 1 actuality, fact, truth, genuineness, authenticity,

Aristotelianism entelechy: It is important to deal with the

reality not the potentiality of the situation. 2 in reality. See

really, below.

realization

n. 1 conception, understanding, comprehension, apprehension,

awareness, appreciation, perception, recognition, cognizance:

Full realization of what he had done finally dawned on him. 2

actualization, consummation, accomplishment, achievement,

establishment, fulfilment, materialization, effectuation: The

realization of the dream of a united Europe seems possible in

the last decade of the 20th century.

realize v. 1 make real, effect, bring about, make happen, make a

reality, actualize, accomplish, produce, achieve, fulfil,

materialize, effectuate: Many of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions

were not realized in his lifetime. 2 understand, appreciate,

comprehend, be aware of, conceive of, grasp, perceive, discern,

be or become conscious or aware or appreciative of, recognize,

see, Colloq catch on (to), cotton (on) to, Brit twig: Did Clare

fully realize the consequences of her actions? 3 return, gain,

clear, profit, make, earn, bring or take in, net, produce, get:

We have realized a substantial profit on the sale of the shares

bought when the company was privatized.

really adv. 1 genuinely, actually, truly, honestly, in reality, in

actuality, in (point of) fact, as a matter of fact, surely,

indeed, absolutely, definitely: Is he really going to do the

high-wire act without a net? 2 indeed, actually, absolutely,

unqualifiedly, positively, categorically, unquestionably,

definitely, undeniably: She is really the musical one in the

family. 3 in effect, in reality, actually, in fact, de facto,

in the end, at bottom, in the final analysis, at the end of the

day, Colloq deep down: Despite the sergeant's protests to the

contrary, it was really Andrews who saved the platoon. 4 very,

extremely, quite, exceptionally, remarkably, unusually,

uncommonly, extraordinarily, exceedingly, Non-Standard real: I

saw a really good film last night.

realm n. 1 domain, kingdom, empire, monarchy, principality,

palatinate, duchy or dukedom: They searched the realm for a

girl whose foot would fit into the glass slipper. 2 territory,

area, bailiwick, department, responsibility, jurisdiction:

Collecting taxes is not within the realm of our office. 3 area,

confines, sphere, limits: Cooperation with foreign companies is

certainly well within the realms of possibility.

ream v. drill (out), bore (out), open up, tap: The carpenter reamed

three holes in the beam.

reap v. 1 harvest, garner, glean, gather (in), mow, take in or up:

The land was fertile, and a bountiful crop was reaped. As ye

sow, so shall ye reap. 2 profit, bring in, gain, procure,

acquire, get, obtain, take in: It is impossible to reap much

when there is so small a margin between cost and selling price.

rear° n. 1 back (part), end, hind part, Nautical stern, Colloq tail

(end), fag-end, US and Canadian tag end: The rear of the column

was attacked as it marched through the defile. We took seats at

the rear of the auditorium. 2 hindquarters, posterior, rump,

buttocks, Colloq bottom, behind, backside, rear end, Slang Brit

arse, bum, US and Canadian ass, tokus, tochis; Babytalk US and

Canadian tushie or tushy or tush, hinie: As he left, he felt

someone give him a pat on the rear.

--adj. 3 back, last, end, rearmost, Nautical aft, after, stern:

The rear window is all misted over. The troop was bringing up

the rear echelon.

rearý v. 1 raise, bring up, care for, nurture, nurse; cultivate,

educate, train; breed, produce: They reared six children in

that tiny house. Is this where they rear Aberdeen Angus cattle?

2 erect, raise, build, put up, construct, fabricate, create:

The family reared an elaborate mausoleum in memory of Lord

Percy. 3 raise, lift, put up, upraise, uplift, hold up: He

said that ‚litism was rearing its ugly head again, and that

equality of opportunity was proving a myth.

reason n. 1 justification, argument, case, explanation, rationale,

ground(s), pretext, vindication, defence, why (and wherefore),

Literary apologia, apology: What reason did they give for

confiscating our luggage? 2 judgement, common sense,

intelligence, sanity, sense(s), saneness, insight, perspicacity,

percipience, understanding, rationality, reasoning, mind,

intellect: He must have lost his reason to accuse you of

embezzlement. 3 purpose, aim, intention, object, objective,

goal, motive, end, point: His reason for leaving now is to be

on time for the curtain. 4 excuse, rationalization: Ignorance

of the law is not an accepted reason for breaking it. 5 by

reason of. because of, on account of, owing to, by virtue of, as

a result of; due to: He was declared unfit to stand trial by

reason of insanity. 6 within or in reason. reasonable,

sensible, justifiable, rational, fitting, proper, acceptable:

We will consider any offer for the house that is within reason.

--v. 7 think, conclude, calculate, reckon, estimate, figure

(out), work out, deduce, act or think rationally or logically,

ratiocinate, use (one's) judgement or common sense, use (one's)

head, put two and two together: I reasoned that she would be

arriving at the station at that very moment. Roy certainly

hasn't lost his powers of reasoning. 8 reason with. argue with,

remonstrate with, debate with, discuss with, talk over with,

plead with, convince; persuade, dissuade, urge, prevail upon:

George is very stubborn and can't be reasoned with.

reasonable

adj. 1 sensible, rational, sane, logical, sober, sound,

judicious, wise, intelligent, thinking: I had always thought

Philip a reasonable man. 2 credible, believable, plausible,

tenable, reasoned, arguable, well-thought-out, well-grounded:

Her story about having found the child wandering in the street

doesn't sound very reasonable to me. 3 moderate, tolerable,

acceptable, within reason, equitable, fair; inexpensive,

unexcessive, unextravagant, economical, conservative:

Considering inflation, we thought the price increases were

reasonable. 4 appropriate, suitable, proper, sensible, right:

The car was travelling at a reasonable speed, considering

conditions.

reasoning n. 1 thinking, logic, analysis, rationalization: The entire

argument falls to pieces because of faulty reasoning. 2

reasons, arguments, premises, rationale, postulate, hypothesis,

theory, explanation, explication: His reasoning had no effect

on her - she simply refused to listen.

reassure v. comfort, encourage, hearten, buoy (up), bolster, cheer,

uplift, inspirit, brace, support, restore confidence to, set or

put (someone's) mind at rest, set or put (someone) at ease,

settle (someone's) doubts: The minister reassured the public

regarding the safety of public transport.

rebate n. 1 discount, reduction, deduction, allowance, mark-down,

cut-back, refund, repayment, Colloq US rake-off: This coupon

entitles you to a rebate of ten per cent on the purchase of four

new tyres. 2 kickback, percentage, rake-off, commission, cut,

bribe, graft, Colloq chiefly US payola, US plugola: He gets a

rebate of five per cent on every client he refers to the

solicitor.

--v. 3 discount, reduce, deduct, mark down, refund, repay; kick

back: Periodicals rebate fifteen per cent of their gross

advertising revenue to the agencies that place ads.

rebel v. 1 revolt, mutiny, rise up: The people will rebel if

subjected to more oppression. 2 Often, rebel against. defy,

flout, dare, challenge; disobey, dissent: It is in the nature

of young people to rebel against authority and the status quo.

--n. 3 revolutionary, revolutionist, insurgent,

insurrrectionist, mutineer, resister, resistance fighter,

freedom fighter: We call ourselves fighters for justice, but

the unjust call us rebels and traitors. 4 heretic,

nonconformist, apostate, dissenter, recusant, schismatic:

James's problem was that he was a rebel without a cause.

rebellion n. 1 uprising, revolution, mutiny, insurrection, revolt,

insurgence or insurgency: Rebellion is the last recourse

against tyranny. 2 insubordination, disobedience, defiance,

resistance, rebelliousness, contumacy: Her rebellion against

parental authority led her to leave home at sixteen.

rebellious

adj. 1 insubordinate, defiant, mutinous, revolutionary,

contumacious, insurgent, insurrectionary, seditious: The more

rebellious students organized mass meetings against the

university authorities. 2 unmanageable, disobedient,

incorrigible, ungovernable, unruly, difficult, refractory,

stubborn, obstinate, recalcitrant: They resented being treated

as rebellious children.

rebirth n. renaissance or renascence, revival, renewal, reawakening,

resurgence, revitalization, resurrection, regeneration,

rejuvenation, restoration, new beginning, reincarnation;

metempsychosis, palingenesis: The 15th century marked the

rebirth of learning in Europe after the so-called Dark Ages.

rebound v. 1 spring back, bounce, recoil, ricochet, resile: The ball

rebounded from the goalpost.

--n. 2 bounce, recoil, ricochet, return, comeback,

repercussion, backlash, reflex: Carter caught the ball on the

rebound.

rebuff n. 1 rejection, snub, check, denial, repulse, refusal,

dismissal, defeat, repudiation, slight, discouragement, Colloq

cold shoulder, cut, put-down, brush-off, Slang US brush:

Ellie's friendly approach was met with an abrupt rebuff.

--v. 2 reject, snub, check, deny, repel, drive away, spurn,

repulse, refuse, dismiss, defeat, repudiate, slight, ignore,

send (someone) to Coventry, Colloq give (someone) the cold

shoulder, cut, put (someone) down, brush (someone) off, give

(someone) the brush-off, tell (someone) where to go or get off,

tell (someone) where to get lost, Slang give (someone) his or

her walking papers, freeze (someone) out , US give (someone) the

brush, show (someone) the door: She rebuffed everyone who

proposed marriage to her, preferring to remain a spinster.

rebuke v. 1 scold, reproach, admonish, reprove, reprimand, lecture,

censure, chide, reprehend, berate, castigate, criticize, take to

task, upbraid, revile, Colloq dress down, bawl out, give

(someone) a piece of one's mind, haul (someone) over the coals,

let (someone) have it, give (someone) hell or what for, tell

(someone) off, tell (someone) where to get off, Brit carpet,

tear (someone) off a strip, tick (someone) off, wig, blow

(someone) up, give (someone) a wigging, US and Canadian rake

(someone) over the coals, give (someone) the business, chew out:

The headmaster severely rebuked those boys who had violated the

school curfew.

--n. 2 scolding, reproach, admonition, reproof, reprimand,

lecture, censure, chiding, reprehension, berating, castigation,

criticism, upbraiding, revilement, tongue-lashing, Colloq

dressing-down, what for, Brit wigging, blow-up or blowing up,

Slang hell: Rawlings was let off with nothing more than a

rebuke.

rebut v. refute, deny, disprove, confute, invalidate, negate,

discredit, belie, contradict, controvert, puncture, expose,

destroy, ruin, devastate, Colloq shoot full of holes, knock the

bottom out of, shoot down, blow sky-high: We have all the

evidence needed to rebut the contention that our client was

anywhere near the scene of the crime.

rebuttal n. answer, reply, retort, response, rejoinder,

counter-argument, riposte, retaliation, denial, refutation,

contradiction, confutation, Colloq comeback: In rebuttal, the

defence tried to prove that the witness for the prosecution had

been bribed.

recalcitrant

adj. stubborn, obstinate, wilful, defiant, refractory,

headstrong, perverse, contrary, contumacious, mutinous,

rebellious, fractious, unruly, unmanageable, ungovernable,

uncontrollable, wayward, insubordinate, intractable,

unsubmissive, unyielding, unbending, adamant, immovable,

inflexible, stiff, firm: Recalcitrant students who refuse to

obey the rules risk expulsion.

recall v. 1 remember, recollect, think back to, reminisce over or

about, call to mind: I like to recall the happy days we had at

Biarritz. 2 withdraw, retract, call back, summon: The legions

guarding the frontier provinces were recalled to Rome. 3

rescind, cancel, annul, nullify, retract, withdraw, revoke,

recant, take back, call back; disavow, disown, deny: Despite

the fact that you might have been hasty, you cannot recall your

promise.

--n. 4 memory, recollection, remembering, remembrance: He had

a loving and near-photographic recall of their holiday in the

Alps. 5 withdrawal, recantation, cancellation, revocation,

annulment, nullification, recision, rescission, retraction,

repeal, disavowal, denial: The decision was made without any

possibility of recall. 6 withdrawal, retraction, return: The

manufacturer's recall of the shipment of defective toasters was

voluntary.

recant v. recall, forswear, deny, rescind, repudiate, disavow,

disclaim, withdraw, revoke, retract, forsake, abandon,

apostasize, renounce, abjure, take back: He was given three

days to recant: otherwise, he would be executed for heresy.

recapitulate

v. summarize, sum up; repeat, go over (again), reiterate,

restate, review; recount, enumerate, recite, relate, list,

Colloq recap: I shall begin by recapitulating some of the

issues which I covered in my last lecture.

recede v. 1 ebb, subside, fall or go or move back, abate, return,

withdraw, retreat, back up: As the flood waters receded, people

began to go back to their homes. 2 diminish, lessen, decline,

dwindle, shrink, wane, fade, become more distant or less likely:

The likelihood of our being rescued receded with each passing

day.

receipt n. 1 sales receipt, register receipt, sales slip, ticket, stub,

counterfoil, proof of purchase, voucher: Any request for a

return or exchange must be accompanied by a receipt. 2 delivery,

acceptance, reception, arrival: He has acknowledged receipt of

the merchandise. 3 receipts. income, proceeds, gate, takings,

gains, return, Colloq take: The receipts from ticket sales were

below expectations.

receive v. 1 get, obtain, come by, collect, take (into one's

possession), accept, be given, acquire, come into, inherit,

gain, profit, make: She received a large sum of money from the

sale of the house. What will he receive when his aunt dies? 2

earn, be paid, make, draw, gross, net, clear, pocket, Colloq

take home, walk off or away with, US pull down: He receives a

bigger weekly salary than I make in a year. 3 greet, meet,

welcome; show in, give entr‚e, let in, admit: We received our

guests in the foyer. 4 experience, undergo, endure, suffer,

bear, sustain, be subjected to, meet with: In return for

helping him all I received was a punch in the nose. 5 gather,

hear, learn, ascertain, be told, be informed or notified of,

find out, pick up: We only received the information yesterday

that you were coming to stay for a month.

recent adj. late, latest, new, just out, brand-new, fresh; current,

modern, up to date, late-model: This feature is now supplied as

standard on all our more recent models. Recent arrivals will be

interviewed by the committee.

receptacle

n. container, holder, repository; box, tin, can, case, casket,

chest, reliquary, vessel, bag, basket: Please put the rubbish

into the receptacle. She kept the diamond in a velvet-lined

receptacle which she always carried with her.

reception n. 1 welcome, greeting, treatment, reaction, response: My

suggestion that we open a bottle of champagne met with a warm

reception. 2 party, levee, social, soir‚e, function; opening,

preview, vernissage, Colloq do: Would you like to go to a

reception at the new art gallery next week?

receptive adj. 1 open, hospitable, amenable, pervious, persuasible,

tractable, flexible, pliant, interested, willing, responsive: I

have always found Peggy receptive to suggestions on improving

productivity and efficiency. 2 quick, alert, perceptive, astute,

intelligent, keen, sharp, bright, sensitive: Julia has a

receptive mind.

recess n. 1 alcove, niche, nook, cranny, bay, hollow: The statuette

fits perfectly in that recess outside the library. 2 respite,

rest, interlude, time off, break, intermission, breather,

breathing-spell, pause; holiday, vacation: A brief recess has

been scheduled to allow us to relax before continuing. 3

recesses. innermost reaches, corners, secret places, depths,

penetralia: I searched for her name in the recesses of my mind.

recession n. set-back, (economic) downturn, slump, decline, dip,

depression: The slowing of the economy led to a recession which

soon deepened into a depression.

recipe n. 1 formula, prescription: Elizabeth gave me a marvellous

recipe for chocolate cake. 2 plan, procedure, method, approach,

technique, way, means, system, programme, modus operandi, Colloq

US MO: The minister insists that his recipe for conquering

inflation will work.

recipient n. receiver, beneficiary, heir or heiress, legatee: Who is the

current recipient of her favours?

reciprocal

adj. mutual, exchanged, returned, complementary, correlative,

common, shared, joint, requited: The reciprocal courtesies

enjoyed among our neighbours benefit us all.

reciprocate

v. repay, recompense, requite, exchange, return, trade, match,

equal, correspond: You have always been very kind to me and I

want to reciprocate in any way I can.

recital n. 1 (solo) concert, performance, musicale, presentation, show,

entertainment: We have tickets to a recital for that night. 2

report, narration, account, recitation, description, relation,

telling, recounting, narrative, rendition, interpretation,

version, recapitulation, rehearsal, repetition, Colloq recap: A

reporter who was on the flight provided us with a recital of the

events leading up to the crash.

recitation

n. 1 reciting, performance, reading, monologue: At the age of

four Simon delighted his parents with his recitation of 'The

Charge of the Light Brigade'. 2 See recital, 2, above.

recite v. 1 quote, repeat, present: In the old days, children were

often called upon to recite poems they had learned by heart. 2

report, narrate, recount, relate, tell, describe, detail,

chronicle, list, share, recapitulate, repeat, Colloq recap:

Again I recited every particular of the hold-up that I could

recall.

reckless adj. careless, rash, thoughtless, incautious, heedless,

foolhardy, imprudent, unwise, injudicious, impulsive,

irresponsible, negligent, unmindful, foolish, devil-may-care,

daredevil, wild, breakneck, dangerous, madcap, mad,

hare-brained: I won't go with Oliver because he's a reckless

driver.

reckon v. 1 Often, reckon up. calculate, compute, add (up), figure

(up), tally (up), sum up, total (up), work out or up: If you

reckon up the bill, I'll pay it at once. 2 include, count,

number, enumerate, list, name, consider, account, judge, deem,

look upon, regard, view, think of, hold, gauge, estimate,

appraise, value, rank, rate, class: I have always reckoned

Arthur as being among my closest friends. 3 suppose, think,

assume, presume, dare say, venture, imagine, fancy, consider,

conclude, be of the opinion, US or colloq guess: She reckoned

that no one could accuse her of idle chatter. 4 reckon on or

upon. count on, rely on, depend on, lean on, trust in, take for

granted, Colloq bank on: I was reckoning on your help, and I

hope you won't disappoint me. 5 reckon with. a settle

(accounts) with, take care of, look after, see or attend to,

deal with, handle, pay attention to, think about: I have to go

now, but I'll reckon with you later. b take into account or

consideration, consider, contemplate, account for, remember,

bear in mind: He thought he had got away with it, but he failed

to reckon with Inspector Harris of the CID.

reckoning n. 1 counting, calculating, calculation, computation,

enumeration, addition: The reckoning of Old Style dates used

the Julian calendar. 2 bill, account, invoice, US check, Colloq

chiefly US and Canadian tab: If you let me have the reckoning,

I'll pay it with my credit card. 3 (last) judgement,

retribution, final account(ing) or settlement, doom: On the day

of reckoning we must all face the music.

reclaim v. restore, recover, rescue, redeem, salvage, save, regain,

retrieve, regenerate, rejuvenate: Much of the farmland was

reclaimed from the sea.

recline v. lie (down), lie back, lean back, lounge, rest, repose,

sprawl, loll, stretch out: Just recline on the sofa and make

yourself comfortable.

recluse n. hermit, anchorite or anchoress, monk or nun, eremite: For

the past ten years, he has been living the life of a recluse.

reclusive adj. solitary, lone, secluded, isolated, eremitic(al),

hermitic, anchoritic, monastic, cloistered, sequestered,

retiring, shut off: She insists that she enjoys her reclusive

existence.

recognition

n. 1 identification, detection: Her recognition of the man on

TV led to his arrest. 2 acknowledgement, notice, attention,

cognizance, acceptance, awareness, perception, admission;

honour, appreciation: The award was a recognition of his

contributions to scientific knowledge.

recognize v. 1 identify, detect, place, recall, remember, recollect, know

(again): I recognized him from seeing his picture in the

newspaper. 2 acknowledge, perceive, understand, realize, see,

admit, accept, own, concede, allow, grant, appreciate, respect,

be aware of: He refuses to recognize that he is responsible for

his own actions. 3 approve, sanction, endorse, accept,

validate, ratify: A totalitarian government refuses to

recognize the rights of the individual. 4 honour, give

recognition to, salute, show gratitude or appreciation, reward,

distinguish, pay respect, do homage: The society recognizes Dr

Jackson for his many contributions to science.

recoil v. 1 jerk or jump or spring back, start, flinch, wince, shrink,

blench, balk or baulk, shy (away) (from): He recoiled when

confronted with the evidence of the gruesome experiments with

live animals. 2 rebound, bounce back, resile, kick back: When

fired, the gun recoiled, bruising his shoulder.

--n. 3 kick, rebound, repercussion, backlash: He was

unprepared for the violent recoil of the old gun.

recollect v. recall, remember, call to mind: Now that you mention it, I

do recollect your asking me to buy some milk when I went out.

recollection

n. memory, recall, remembrance, impression, reminiscence: My

brother's recollection of our grandparents is quite different

from mine.

recommend v. 1 counsel, advise, guide, urge, exhort, suggest, advocate,

propose, (put) forward, propound, persuade: He recommended that

the entire system should be changed. 2 endorse, praise,

commend, mention favourably, vouch for, second, subscribe to,

back, push, favour, approve, underwrite, stand up for, support,

promote, Colloq tout, plug: I wish Charles would stop

recommending his brother-in-law for a job with us. 3 make

attractive or advisable or interesting or acceptable: Wendover

has little to recommend it as a tourist spot.

recommendation

n. 1 counsel, advice, guidance, urging, exhortation, direction,

encouragement, suggestion, prompting, advocacy, proposal: It

was on your recommendation that we tried that restaurant. 2

endorsement, praise, commendation, favourable mention, backing,

blessing, approval, approbation, support, promotion, good word,

testimonial, say-so: The chairman of the board gave Caswell's

brother-in-law his personal recommendation.

reconcile v. 1 get or bring (back) together, unite, reunite, settle or

resolve differences between, restore harmony between, make peace

between, placate, make compatible: Do you think that a marriage

counsellor could help reconcile John and Martha? 2 resign,

submit, accommodate, adjust: Lady Mary Wortley Montague wrote

that she was reconciled to being a woman when she reflected that

she was thus in no danger of ever marrying one.

reconciliation

n. 1 conciliation, appeasement, propitiation, pacification,

placation, rapprochement, reconcilement, understanding, d‚tente,

reunion, harmony, concord, accord, amity, rapport: It was with

great effort that the reconciliation between the two families

was finally arranged. 2 compromise, settlement, agreement,

arbitration, conformity, compatibility, adjustment:

Reconciliation of their differences seems difficult but not

impossible.

recondite adj. abstruse, arcane, obscure, esoteric, deep, profound,

incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, undecipherable,

opaque, dark, occult, cabbalistic or cabalistic or kabbalistic,

inexplicable, enigmatic: I have difficulty following the more

recondite aspects of information theory.

reconnaissance

n. survey, examination, scouting, exploration, reconnoitring,

investigation, inspection, scrutiny, Slang Brit recce: Their

reconnaissance showed that the enemy forces had withdrawn.

reconnoitre

v. survey, examine, scout (out), scan, explore, investigate,

inspect, scrutinize, check out, check up (on), Slang Brit recce:

We reconnoitred the territory and reported the enemy troop

movements.

record v. 1 write (down), transcribe, document, register, note, make a

notation (of), take down, put or set down, log, chronicle,

report, itemize, list, enumerate: I recorded the events of the

day in my diary. 2 tell of, relate, recount, narrate, recite:

The chronicle records an eyewitness account of the battle.

--n. 3 recording, report, document, log, journal, memorandum,

note, notation, minute(s), transactions, archive(s), annal(s),

chronicle, diary, account, dossier, register, list, catalogue:

Patricia has kept a careful record of all the men whose books

she has ever read. 4 documentation, data, information, evidence;

memorial, memento, souvenir: There is no record of your birth

in the church archive. I took away a piece of the Berlin Wall as

a record of my visit. 5 (best) performance, track record,

accomplishment; time; distance; height: Her records for the

110-metre hurdles and the high jump still stand. 6

accomplishment(s), deed(s), history, reputation, curriculum

vitae, CV, Colloq track record: He has a record of being late

everywhere. His criminal record is none too savoury. 7 disc,

recording, album, release, LP (= 'long playing'), 78, 331/3, 45,

EP (= 'extended play'), maxisingle, compact disc, CD, Brit

gramophone record, US phonograph record, Colloq single, Slang US

platter: We put a jazz combo together and cut a few records

last year. 8 off the record. confidential(ly), private(ly), not

for publication, secret(ly), in confidence, unofficial(ly), sub

rosa: We cannot publish his statement, which was off the

record. Off the record, I'll tell you where Hazel is staying.

--adj. 9 record-breaking, extreme: Last week we had a record

snowfall.

recount v. 1 relate, narrate, tell, recite, report, communicate,

impart, unfold: The old man recounted for us the legend of the

two-headed lamb. 2 particularize, review, detail, describe,

enumerate, specify: Must I recount every particular all over

again?

recoup v. regain, make good, make up, recompense, repay, recover;

refund, redeem, reimburse, remunerate: From his profits on the

Culpepper deal, he recouped all the losses he had sustained when

Cranston Ltd failed.

recourse n. 1 resort, access, entr‚e, admittance, availability: They

are completely isolated and without recourse to help from the

outside world. 2 resource, backup, reserve, refuge, place to

turn, alternative, remedy: The company has no recourse against

the authorities.

recover v. 1 regain, get or take or win or make back (again), recoup,

repossess, retake, recapture, restore, retrieve, reclaim,

redeem: It was impossible to recover the time lost. After a

fierce battle, the territory was recovered. 2 get well or

better, recuperate, convalesce, mend, return to health, regain

one's strength or health, be on the mend, heal, improve, revive,

rally, take a turn for the better, get back on one's feet, pull

through: It took me a week to recover from the operation. Lucy

had a virus, but she's recovering now. 3 save, salvage, deliver,

rescue, return, bring back, reclaim, retrieve: They never did

recover the gold from the sunken ship.

recovery n. 1 recuperation, convalescence, restoration, improvement,

healing, rally, turn for the better; rise, revival, increase,

amelioration, bettering, betterment, advance, gain, advance,

advancement, Colloq pick-up, comeback: After so serious an

illness, Bentley has made a remarkable recovery. Share prices

staged a recovery after the reduction in interest rates. 2

retrieval, recouping, repossession, retaking, restoration,

reclamation; recapture, redemption: The recovery of the stolen

gems was credited to excellent detective work. Hard fighting

resulted in the recovery of the land west of the river. 3

salvage, delivery, deliverance, rescue, return, saving,

reclamation, retrieval: Recovery of the climbers' bodies from

the ravine was very hazardous.

recreation

n. entertainment, amusement, enjoyment, diversion, distraction,

fun and games, leisure (activity), pastime, relaxation, sport,

play: What do you like to do for recreation? His favourite

recreation is building model aeroplanes.

recrimination

n. counter-accusation, countercharge, retaliation,

counter-attack, blaming, aspersion, reprisal: Recriminations

for real and imagined ills were continually exchanged throughout

their marriage.

recruit v. 1 draft, induct, enlist, enrol, muster, raise, call up,

conscript, mobilize, impress, levy: Owing to the nefarious

enemy attack, there was little time to recruit men for a strong

fighting force.

--n. 2 conscript, trainee, beginner, apprentice, initiate,

novice, neophyte, tiro or tyro, US draftee, enlistee, Colloq

greenhorn, rookie: The new recruits have to be issued with

their uniforms and other gear.

rectify v. correct, revise, redress, put or set right, cure, repair,

remedy, improve, emend, fix, adjust, square, ameliorate: What

do you intend to do to rectify the damage you have done?

rectitude n. propriety, correctness, morality, uprightness, probity,

virtue, decency, goodness, honesty, integrity, incorruptibility,

righteousness, principle, good character, respectability,

unimpeachability: Fred's unquestioned moral rectitude makes him

an outstanding candidate for membership.

recumbent adj. reclining, lying down, flat on one's back, horizontal,

lying, reposing, accumbent, decumbent, supine, stretched out;

leaning (back): Oscar resumed his recumbent posture, sprawled

out on the cushions.

recuperate

v. improve, recover, convalesce, get better, rally, revive,

mend, heal, get back on one's feet, regain one's health, pull

through, survive, take a turn for the better: Paul went to

Ibiza to recuperate from his illness.

recur v. return, happen or occur again, reoccur, repeat, come (back)

again, reappear: The condition recurred after a year, and he

was obliged to have another operation.

recurrent adj. repeated, recurring, returning, reoccurring, reappearing,

frequent, periodic, cyclical, regular, repetitive, repetitious,

persistent, incessant, continual, intermittent, habitual,

iterative: She told the psychiatrist about her recurrent dream

of flying.

redeem v. 1 reclaim, recover, regain, repossess, retrieve, get back,

buy back, repurchase; pay off, Brit clear: He went into the

pawn shop to redeem the gold watch. 2 rescue, ransom, deliver,

free, save, liberate, set free, emancipate, release: He was

able to redeem the boy only after paying the kidnappers. 3

exchange, cash (in), collect on, trade in: These coupons must

be redeemed before the end of the month. 4 rehabilitate, save,

reform, convert, absolve, restore to favour, reinstate: She can

be redeemed only by atoning for her sins. 5 make amends for,

make up for, atone for, redress, compensate for, offset, make

restitution for: Do you think that 200 hours of community

service was enough to redeem his crime of snatching handbags in

the shopping centre? 6 perform, fulfil, keep, make good (on),

discharge, satisfy, abide by, keep faith with, be faithful to,

hold to, carry out, see through: Helen is here to redeem her

promise to help at the charity bazaar.

red-handed

adj. in the (very) act, (in) flagrante delicto, Colloq with

one's hand in the till, US with one's hand in the cookie-jar:

There's no doubt that Rick did it - he was caught red-handed.

redolent adj. 1 fragrant, sweet-smelling, aromatic, perfumed, odorous,

scented, savoury: The entire house was redolent with the odour

of pine needles. 2 redolent with or of. reminiscent of,

suggestive of, evocative of, remindful of, characteristic of,

having the earmarks or hallmark of: The style of the film is

redolent of 1930s Hollywood.

reduce v. 1 cut (back), cut down (on), decrease, diminish, moderate,

abate, lessen, shorten, truncate, abbreviate, abridge, curtail,

crop, trim, compress, restrict, limit, stunt: We must reduce

expenses this year. 2 ease (up on), let up (on), decrease,

mitigate, tone down, slacken up (on): It will reduce the burden

of your costs if you share with me. 3 lose weight, slim (down),

diet, trim down, Chiefly US slenderize: You'll have to reduce

to fit into that dress, Betty. 4 change, modify, adjust, turn,

convert; break down or up, grind, rub, triturate, pulp, powder:

Payment of the debt reduced me to poverty. The first step is to

reduce the liquid to a thick extract. 5 cut, decrease, trim,

bring down, lower, drop, mark down, slash, Colloq knock down:

The prices on these shoes have been reduced for a quick sale. 6

demote, degrade, lower, downgrade, break; humble; Military US

and Canadian bust: He was reduced in rank from sergeant to

private. 7 diminish, lessen, bring down, depreciate, subdue,

belittle, minimize: He was reduced in her estimation when she

saw the deprecating way his friends treated him. 8 Medicine set,

adjust, reset: The doctor caused little pain when he reduced

her dislocated finger.

redundant adj. 1 superfluous, unnecessary, surplus, inessential or

unessential, non-essential, unneeded, unwanted, de trop, in

excess, excessive: He was made redundant at the age of

forty-five and was unable to find another job. 2 wordy, verbose,

prolix, over-long, long-winded, repetitious, tautologic(al) or

tautologous, circumlocutory, roundabout: The book would be

improved if certain redundant passages were improved.

reek v. 1 stink or smell (to high heaven), Slang Brit pong, hum:

Allie reeks from cleaning out the stable. 2 smoke, steam: It

is because it used to reek so badly that Edinburgh acquired its

nickname, 'Auld Reekie'.

--n. 3 stink, stench, fetor or foetor, miasma, mephitis, odour,

smell, Slang Brit hum, pong: The reek of rotting vegetation

permeated the atmosphere. 4 fumes, smoke, steam, vapour,

exhalation, cloud, mist: He delighted in the redolent reek that

arose from the haggis.

reel v. 1 stagger, totter, waver, stumble, lurch, falter, roll,

rock, sway, flounder, pitch: Chris came reeling down the lane,

dead drunk. 2 reel off. list, recite, rattle off, enumerate,

review, itemize, name, read off, call off, run through, run

over: Under questioning, the suspect began to reel off the

names of his accomplices.

refer v. 1 Often, refer to. allude to, make reference to, mention,

make mention of, touch on, bring up, advert to, speak of, turn

or call or direct attention to, direct to, point to, indicate,

specify, name, concern, quote, cite, make a note of, take note

of, note: A footnote refers to the author's article on

netsukes. 2 assign, hand over, pass on or over, send, direct,

commit: I was referred to your office for information about

rates. The question will be referred to committee. 3 Usually,

refer to. look at, use, study, check, consult, resort to, have

recourse to, turn to, appeal to, confer with; talk to, ask,

inquire or enquire of, apply to: For information about words,

you should refer to a dictionary. Refer to the departmental

office for Professor Clarke's address. 4 Usually, refer to.

mean, signify, denote, say: What are you referring to?

reference n. 1 allusion, mention, remark, referral, direction,

indication, specification, naming, quotation, citation, note,

notation, notification, hint, intimation, innuendo, insinuation:

I can't find a reference in any footnote. Few readers make use

of the bibliographical references in scholarly articles. Her

persistent references to my baldness embarrass me. 2 regard,

concern, connection, respect, relation, relevance, pertinence:

People are selected without reference to race, creed, colour,

sex, or age. 3 endorsement, recommendation, testimonial,

certification; credentials: I relied on my former employer to

give me a good reference. We shall not be needing to take up

your references.

refine v. 1 purify, cleanse, clear, clarify, decontaminate: They

continued to refine the liquid till all the impurities were

gone. 2 cultivate, civilize, polish, improve, elevate, perfect:

He is trying to refine his speech by getting rid of his country

accent. 3 hone, sharpen, concentrate, focus, subtilize: We

ought to refine our argument for higher wages before approaching

the management.

refined adj. 1 cultivated, cultured, civilized, polished,

sophisticated, urbane, elegant, well-bred, genteel, courtly,

ladylike, gentlemanly, polite, courteous, mannerly,

well-mannered, gracious, gentle, noble, aristocratic, dignified,

elevated, Colloq posh: It is seldom that I find myself in such

refined company. 2 subtle, discriminating, discerning,

sensitive, fastidious, nice, precise, exacting, cultured,

educated, cultivated, knowledgeable, advanced, sophisticated:

Her taste in the visual arts is fairly refined, but she knows

little about music. 3 exact, precise, fine, subtle, sensitive,

nice, sophisticated: In his poetry one encounters an extremely

refined use of metaphor. These new devices are far more refined

than any previously available. 4 purified, clarified, cleansed,

pure, clean; distilled: Only refined chemicals may be used in

pharmaceuticals.

refinement

n. 1 culture, polish, elegance, sophistication, urbanity,

urbaneness, breeding, cultivation, gentility, propriety,

courtliness, civility, politeness, politesse, delicacy, tact,

diplomacy, finesse, suavity, suaveness, taste, tastefulness,

discrimination, discernment, sensitivity: He drank thirstily,

with no pretence at refinement. 2 subtlety, nicety, nuance,

distinction, detail, fine point, delicacy, minutia;

fastidiousness, finickiness: The latest version contains

refinements that are beyond the appreciation of all but a few. 3

refining, purification, purifying, clarification, clarifying,

cleaning, cleansing; filtration, distillation: The sugar must

undergo refinement before being sold commercially. 4

improvement, betterment, bettering, enhancement, development,

perfection: She is working on the refinement of her technique

before performing in public.

reflect v. 1 mirror, send or throw back, reproduce, return; echo: The

smooth surface of the lake reflected the sunlight. The radio

waves are reflected and focused by this parabolic dish. 2 show,

demonstrate, exhibit, illustrate, exemplify, reveal, lay bare,

expose, display, disclose, bring to light, uncover, point to,

indicate, suggest, evidence: They say that your true emotions

are reflected in your dreams. His crime reflects the depths of

depravity to which a person can sink. 3 Often, reflect about or

on. think (about or over or on), contemplate, muse (about or

on), consider, ponder (about or over or on), deliberate (on or

over), ruminate or meditate (about or on or over), cogitate

(about or on or over); mull over, weigh, evaluate, examine: I

was just sitting here reflecting. I was reflecting on what you

said about wanting to quit your job. 4 reflect on or upon.

result in, end in, bring, attract, cast, throw: The success of

the team reflects credit on the coach.

reflection

n. 1 image, echo, Brit reflexion: Sonar works by detecting the

reflection of generated sound waves. 2 thought, thinking,

meditation, meditating, consideration, cogitation, rumination,

deliberation, deliberating, pondering, study, cerebration:

After a moment's reflection, I arrived at the same conclusion as

you had. 3 aspersion, imputation; effect: Any reflection on his

reputation might harm his career. 4 result, sign, token,

symbol, mark; evidence, testimony, testament, proof,

substantiation, corroboration: Her tears are a reflection of

how she feels about having betrayed me.

reflective

adj. reflecting, thoughtful, pensive, contemplative,

meditating, musing, meditative, cogitating, cogitative,

ruminating, deliberative, deliberating, pondering: I found Alan

in a reflective mood, staring out of the window.

reform v. 1 improve, better, ameliorate, meliorate, emend, rectify,

correct, mend, repair, fix, remedy, redo, revise, revolutionize,

rehabilitate, remodel, refashion, renovate, reorganize, rebuild,

recover: The first thing to be done was to reform the political

system. 2 mend one's ways, turn over a new leaf, Colloq go

straight: After three convictions in as many years, there

seemed little chance that he would reform.

--n. 3 improvement, betterment, amelioration, melioration,

emendation, rectification, correction, rehabilitation, change,

modification, perestroika, reorganization, renovation, recovery:

Many believe that prison reform would reduce crime by second

offenders. The many reforms introduced by the president were

condemned by hard-line party members.

reform school

n. Brit youth custody centre, CHE (= 'community home (with

education on the premises')), Formerly Borstal, approved school,

US reformatory: He was sent to a reform school because of his

persistent misbehaviour.

refrain° v. 1 Usually, refrain from. keep (from), forbear, abstain

(from), eschew, avoid: Whatever you do, refrain from whistling

on board his boat. 2 stop, cease, give up, discontinue, desist,

quit, leave off, renounce: You must refrain from calling the

headmaster, 'Pops', even if he is your father.

refrainý n. melody, song, tune, chorus, burden, reprise: It was one of

those long boring folk songs with a refrain that we were all

supposed to join in.

refresh v. 1 enliven, renew, revive, freshen (up), resuscitate, bring

back to life, breathe new life into, invigorate, vitalize,

energize, brace, fortify, exhilarate, revitalize, reinvigorate,

reanimate: I felt fully refreshed after a short nap. 2 arouse,

rouse, awaken, waken, reawaken, stimulate, jog, prod, activate:

Would you mind refreshing my memory as to when and where we last

met? 3 fix up, repair, redo, revamp, overhaul, spruce up,

recondition, renovate, refurbish, refurnish; renew, restock,

restore: All the rooms in the hotel have been recently

refreshed. We took the opportunity of the ship's arrival to

refresh our supplies.

refreshing

adj. invigorating, stimulating, bracing, exhilarating, fresh,

inspiriting, fortifying, tonic, like a breath of fresh air,

rejuvenating, enlivening, vitalizing, revitalizing; cooling,

thirst-quenching, slaking: It's refreshing to be around young

people. I would love a cool refreshing glass of beer right now.

refreshment

n. 1 Usually, refreshments. nourishment, nutriment, sustenance,

restorative, food, drink(s), edibles, eatables, bite, snack(s),

titbit(s), Slang grub, eats, chow, nosh: Will they be serving

refreshments after the meeting? 2 stimulation, invigoration,

exhilaration, tonic, rejuvenation, enlivenment, revival,

restoration, renewal, resuscitation, fortification,

reinforcement: The library provides an oasis of mental

refreshment.

refrigerate

v. cool, chill, keep cool or cold or chilled, ice, freeze: The

souffl‚ must be refrigerated for three hours to allow it to set.

refuge n. 1 sanctuary, shelter, haven, asylum, protection, cover,

retreat, harbour, security, safe house, stronghold, citadel,

bolt-hole, hideaway, hide-out, Colloq hidy-hole or hidey-hole:

The abandoned mine served as a refuge from the storm. 2 excuse,

pretext, resort, recourse, ruse, trick, stratagem, subterfuge,

dodge, evasion, expedient: Patriotism is often the last refuge

of a scoundrel.

refugee n. fugitive, runaway, escapee, displaced person, DP, exile,

‚migr‚: The problem of the refugees was most acute after the

war.

refurbish v. restore, refurnish, redecorate, clean (up), polish, renew,

renovate, spruce up, remodel, refit, overhaul, repair,

recondition, revamp, rebuild, Colloq do up, US fix up: The

person who bought the house refurbished it completely, at

enormous expense.

refusal n. 1 denial, rejection, disapproval, turn-down: She pleaded

against the grand vizier's refusal to grant amnesty to her

brother. 2 option, choice, privilege, disposal: We were

promised first refusal on the house should it come on the

market.

refuse° v. 1 decline, reject, spurn, repudiate, turn down, rebuff, give

(something) the thumbs down, US turn thumbs down on, Colloq pass

by or up: They refused our application to build a hotel here.

Did he actually refuse a knighthood? 2 deny, deprive (of),

withhold, disallow, not allow or permit: They refused me my

right to vote.

refuseý n. rubbish, sweepings, waste, litter, dust, dirt, dregs, dross,

garbage, debris, detritus, cast-offs, junk, Chiefly US trash:

Refuse collection is scheduled for once a week.

regal adj. 1 royal, kingly, queenly, princely, fit for or befitting a

king or queen, noble, lordly, sovereign, majestic, imperial,

stately, splendid, magnificent, grand, resplendent, palatial,

exalted: The regal throne was decorated with gold and precious

stones. 2 disdainful, haughty, proud, scornful, contumelious,

contemptuous, derisory, derisive, pompous, lordly: She was

dismissed with a regal wave of the hand.

regale v. entertain, amuse, delight, divert, indulge, please, gratify,

captivate, fascinate, entrance, enchant, spellbind, bewitch,

charm, enrapture: She regaled them with entertaining tales of

her travels.

regalia n. finery, decorations, insignia, emblems, accoutrements,

furnishings, apparatus, gear, paraphernalia, trappings, tackle,

appurtenances, equipment, equipage: The Bishop was dressed in

full regalia with mitre and crook.

regard v. 1 view, look at or upon or on, observe, note, notice, watch,

eye, keep an eye on, gaze at or upon, stare at: The children

regarded the magician's performance with great interest. 2

contemplate, consider, perceive, view, look upon or on, treat:

The lion looked at me as if he regarded me as his dinner. Smith

appears to regard his appointment as treasurer as a licence to

steal. 3 respect, esteem, value: Gwen's friends regard her very

highly indeed. 4 consider, view, look upon or on, think (of),

judge, deem, rate, believe (to be), gauge, see, pay heed or

attention to, esteem, account, take into account, imagine,

reckon, evaluate: I don't regard her as a likely suspect. He

regards his professor as his mentor. 5 concern, relate to, be

relevant to, pertain to, apply to, refer to, affect, have (a)

bearing on, bear on or upon, involve, have to do with, go for:

Our discussion regarded the disappearance of œ10 from petty

cash.

--n. 6 reference, relation, relevance, relevancy, association,

pertinence, application, bearing, connection, link, tie-in: We

would like to talk to you with regard to your application for

the post of assistant editor. 7 respect, consideration,

attention, reverence, veneration, awe, deference, honour,

favour, esteem, high opinion, approval, approbation,

appreciation, admiration, affection, fondness: They have no

regard for the law. 8 point, particular, respect, aspect,

detail, matter: In this regard, I must take your past record

into consideration. 9 care, concern, thought, consideration,

respect, sympathy, feeling, sentiment; heed, attention, notice,

mind: The police behave as if they have no regard for the

safety of the hostages. This work reflects the artisan's regard

for detail. 10 regards. best wishes, good wishes, compliments,

greetings, respects, salutations, Archaic devoirs: Please give

my regards to your father.

regarding adj. concerning, about, respecting, with regard to, with

respect to, with reference to, on or in the matter of,

pertaining to, on the subject of, apropos, re, Law in re,

Archaic or Scots anent, Dialect anenst: We have received your

letter regarding poor service. Regarding your claim, the

processing of it has been delayed because you failed to sign the

form.

regardless

adj. 1 Sometimes, regardless of. despite, notwithstanding; in

spite of, heedless of, Non-Standard irregardless: Regardless of

her father's protestations, she continued to go out with

William.

--adv. 2 notwithstanding, nevertheless, no matter what, in any

event, in any case, at all events, anyway, anyhow, Non-Standard

irregardless: She heard his threats but is going out with

William regardless.

regime n. r‚gime, regimen, reign, government, rule, regulation,

administration, direction, order, leadership, management,

system, discipline: Persistent offenders were given harsh

penalties under the new regime.

regiment v. discipline, order, organize, systematize, whip into shape,

standardize, regulate, control: I dislike the way management

regiments people in this establishment, as if they were

schoolchildren.

region n. 1 district, area, zone, territory, division, locality,

sector, section, tract, part, dominion, precinct, province,

quarter, department: Each region is under the suzerainty of a

powerful dictator. 2 sphere, territory, domain, province,

field, ambit, pale, jurisdiction, bailiwick: She is an expert

in the region of climatology.

register n. 1 record, roll, roster, rota, catalogue, annal(s),

archive(s), journal, daybook, diary, appointment book, calendar,

chronicle, schedule, programme, directory, ledger, file, index,

inventory, list, listing, poll, tally,: The council holds a

register of all houses sold since 1900 with the names of both

sellers and buyers. 2 cash register, till, money box, cash-box:

The money in the register does not agree with the figures for

receipts.

--v. 3 record, write or jot or take or put or set down, list,

enrol, sign in or on or up, enter, catalogue, log, index,

chronicle, note, make or take note (of): All transactions must

be registered. 4 show, display, express, indicate, manifest,

reveal, betray, divulge, record, reflect: James pretended to

like my book, but his contempt for it was registered on his

face. 5 make known, inform of, advise, transmit, communicate,

record, note, make note of, report, write down, minute: I wish

to register my disapproval of the way prisoners are treated

here. 6 check in, sign in or on, log in: In the US, all aliens

are required to register each year in January. We registered in

the hotel as man and wife. 7 Sometimes, register with or on.

sink in, impress, become apparent (to), make an impression (on),

come home (to), get through (to); dawn on or upon, occur to: I

heard what you said, but it just didn't register. The name

didn't register with me at first, but I now know who you are. 8

indicate, read, mark, represent, measure, point to, specify,

exhibit, show, manifest: The earthquake registered 7 on the

Richter scale.

regret v. 1 rue, mourn, lament, bemoan, bewail, repent, be or feel

sorry for, feel remorse for, feel or be remorseful over, be or

feel upset, never forgive oneself, deplore, deprecate, weep or

cry over: You will regret speaking to me that way! The

management regrets any inconvenience caused by the redecoration

of the restaurant.

--n. 2 Sometimes, regrets. repentance, guilt, sorrow,

disappointment, contrition, remorse, regretfulness, (pang or

pangs of) conscience, self-reproach, self-condemnation, qualm,

second thoughts, rue, ruefulness, grief, woe, sadness,

mournfulness, Literary dolour: He felt no regret for his evil

deeds. Do you ever have any regrets over the way you treated

him? 3 regrets. refusal, non-acceptance, non-consent, US

turn-down: Thank you for the invitation, but I must tender my

regrets.

regretful adj. rueful, mournful, sad, repentant, guilty, sorry,

sorrowful, disappointed, contrite, remorseful, apologetic,

penitent: He was most regretful for the way he had behaved.

regrettable

adj. lamentable, deplorable, woeful, sad, distressing,

upsetting, unhappy, unfortunate, unlucky, too bad, awful,

terrible, execrable, reprehensible, wrong, shameful, shaming,

Colloq tough, rough: It is regrettable that he had the car

crash, but he had been warned about drinking and driving.

regular adj. 1 routine, ordinary, common, everyday, customary,

accustomed, wonted, commonplace, normal, usual, traditional,

time-honoured, conventional, typical, habitual, natural,

familiar, standard, predictable, scheduled, fixed, unvarying,

invariable, methodical: The attack occurred while Eric was

taking his regular evening stroll. 2 scheduled, routine,

systematic, ordered, steady, consistent, rhythmic(al),

automatic, uniform, periodic, cyclic(al); hourly, daily, weekly,

hebdomadal, semi-weekly, biweekly, fortnightly, semi-monthly,

monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, quarterly, semi-annual, annual:

The patrol made their regular rounds, as usual. The printers'

strike might delay regular publication of the magazine. 3

symmetrical, uniform, even, even-sided, equal-sided,

equilateral, equal-angled, equiangular; harmonious: Any

six-sided plane figure is a hexagon, but if it has six equal

angles and six sides equal in length, it is a regular hexagon. 4

undistorted, even, well-proportioned, proportional, symmetrical,

classic: He was classically good-looking, with regular

features. 5 even, smooth, level, straight, uniform,

uninterrupted, unvarying, continuous, flat, plane, plumb: The

surface of the wing is regular except for the spoilers. 6

dependable, methodical, (well-)regulated, (well-)ordered,

orderly; proper, correct, legal, official, bona fide,

legitimate, established, recognized, orthodox, approved, Colloq

kosher, OK or okay: Everything about the council election was

entirely regular. 7 usual, expected, normal, habitual,

accustomed, familiar: Our regular doctor was on holiday, and we

had to see a locum. 8 acceptable, accepted, estimable, fine,

good, likeable, popular, pleasant: We all consider Bob to be a

regular fellow and a friend. 9 complete, utter, thoroughgoing,

unmitigated, unalloyed, unqualified, consummate, perfect,

thorough, absolute, well-known, acknowledged: The man is a

regular dunce when it comes to repairing cars. 10 permanent,

career: She's in the regular navy. 11 conventional, usual,

common, conformable, ordinary, systematic, Colloq US ruly:

Regular English verbs form their past by the addition of -d or

-ed to the infinitive.

--n. 12 fixture, habitu‚, (steady) customer, patron, client,

frequenter: Jan has been a regular at the Star and Garter pub

for years.

regularity

n. 1 consistency, constancy, uniformity, evenness, sameness,

symmetry, balance, harmony, harmoniousness, orderliness, order,

stability, predictability: To the casual observer, nothing

interferes with the regularity of planetary movement. 2 routine,

reliability, dependability, steadiness, invariability; pace,

rhythm, cadence: Mr Warbridge listens to the six o'clock

evening news with unfailing regularity. Our business depends on

the regularity of the postal service. The regularity of the

ticking of the clock is driving me mad.

regulate v. 1 adjust, modify, modulate, control, balance, set, fix,

order, govern, organize, maintain, manage: The mixture of air

and fuel in modern cars is regulated by an injection system. The

responsibility of this department is to regulate prices. 2

control, monitor, govern, run, operate, administer, handle,

guide, steer, conduct, direct, supervise, superintend, oversee,

manage: The foreman's job is to regulate the work on the

assembly line.

regulation

n. 1 adjustment, modification, modulation, control, balance,

balancing, setting, fixing, organization, maintenance: The

regulation of the temperature is accomplished by the thermostat.

2 rule, ruling, law, code, by-law or bye-law, edict, order,

ordinance, statute, decree, directive, dictate: There are

strict regulations governing the sale, disposal, and movement of

radioactive materials. 3 edict, ukase, pronouncement, fiat,

(papal) bull, proclamation: A regulation was issued against

meetings of more than five people.

--adj. 4 standard, accepted, official, required, prescribed,

mandatory: The soldier was not wearing a regulation uniform. 5

usual, normal, ordinary, customary, typical: If you use

anything but regulation accessories, the guarantee will be null

and void.

regurgitate

v. vomit, disgorge, return one's dinner, spew up, (of birds of

prey) cast; retch, gag; Colloq throw up, upchuck, Slang puke, US

spiff one's biscuits, barf: The child regurgitated its dinner

all over the inside of the car.

rehabilitate

v. 1 restore, save, reclaim, rescue, redeem, re-establish,

reinstate, re-educate, reorient, reform, US straighten out,

Colloq US rehab: They have had marked success at rehabilitating

criminals. 2 renew, redecorate, renovate, refurbish, restore,

fix (up), repair, reconstruct, rebuild, change, transform: Sam

has plans to rehabilitate vintage cars for a living.

rehash v. 1 rework, go over again, restate, redo, rearrange,

reshuffle, reuse: Heverton has nothing new to offer - he just

keeps on rehashing the same old material.

--n. 2 reworking, restatement, redoing, rearrangement,

reshuffle, reshuffling, reuse, rewording: Her speech was a mere

rehash of what she's said scores of times already.

rehearsal n. 1 practice, exercise, dry run, drill, run-through,

read-through, dress rehearsal, Technical undress rehearsal: Is

there a rehearsal of the school play scheduled for tonight? 2

narration, recounting, relation, recital, telling, description,

enumeration, account, repetition, repeat: Do we have to listen

to yet another rehearsal of your great-uncle's exploits in the

war?

rehearse v. 1 practise, exercise, run through, read through, study,

repeat: Sorry, Annie, but we are going to have to rehearse the

scene till you get it right. 2 repeat, relate, recite, tell,

describe, recount, review, go through or over, review, report,

recapitulate, Colloq recap: I shall go mad if I hear him again

rehearse the events leading up to the final acceptance of his

novel.

reign n. 1 rule, sovereignty, ascendancy, power, hegemony, influence,

command, suzerainty, administration, jurisdiction, leadership,

government, direction, control, domination, mastery; kingdom,

monarchy, empire: During her reign, the kingdom saw its

greatest prosperity.

--v. 2 rule, control, command, govern, lead, direct, dominate,

supervise, manage, hold sway, wear the crown, wield the sceptre,

occupy the throne, Colloq run the show, rule the roost, Slang

call the shots: During the sixth Egyptian dynasty, Pepi II

Nefektare reigned for 94 years, the longest in recorded history.

3 prevail, be or become prevalent, predominate, hold sway,

obtain, be or become rampant, be or become universal: An

argument broke out, which developed into a fist fight, and soon

pandemonium reigned.

reimburse v. repay, recompense, refund, pay back, compensate, remunerate,

indemnify: Don't worry - we'll reimburse you for any money you

spent.

rein n. 1 check, curb, control, restraint, constraint, limitation,

harness, bridle, brake: You are going to have to put a rein on

your expenses. 2 reins. control, command, control,

administration, running, leadership, power, rule, tiller, helm:

He should hand over the reins to a younger person.

--v. 3 rein in. check, curb, control, restrain, limit, harness,

bridle, restrict, pull back on: You will have to rein in your

passions: it is not becoming to behave in this way at your age.

reinforce v. strengthen, buttress, bolster, support, fortify, prop (up),

shore up, augment, brace, stay, steel: The bookshelf needs to

be reinforced with another bracket, or it'll fall down.

reinforcement

n. 1 buttress, support, prop, brace, stay, bolster: This iron

reinforcement ought to be strong enough to secure the wall. 2

strengthening, buttressing, bolstering, shoring (up),

augmentation, bracing: This shelf is wobbly and in need of

reinforcement. 3 reinforcements. reserves, auxiliaries, men,

soldiers, forces, personnel: We cannot hold out till

reinforcements arrive.

reiterate v. repeat, restate, iterate, labour, harp on, dwell on, rehash,

recapitulate, Colloq recap: I must reiterate my warning to you

to be careful.

reject v. 1 decline, refuse, disallow, spurn, veto, turn down, give

(something) the thumbs down, set aside, US turn thumbs down

(on); deny, repudiate, renounce, rebuff, shun, brush aside, turn

a deaf ear to, will not hear of: Jim has rejected my plan for a

holiday in Torremolinos. She rejects any suggestion that she

might be wrong. 2 refuse, repel, repulse, spurn, rebuff, say no

to, turn down, decline, brush aside; jilt, drop, dismiss, throw

over, give (someone) the cold shoulder, show (someone) the door,

send (someone) away or on his or her or their way, turn one's

back on, Slang give (someone) the brush-off or US also the

brush, give (someone) his or her walking papers, Brit give

(someone) the boot: Ted proposed, but Alice rejected him. 3

throw away or out, discard, disown, jettison, eliminate, scrap,

Colloq junk, scratch: The inspector rejects all defective

merchandise.

--n. 4 second, irregular, discard, cast-off: The rejects are

sold at reduced prices in the factory shop.

rejection n. refusal, denial, repudiation, rebuff, dismissal, spurning,

renunciation, turn-down; cold shoulder, Slang brush-off or US

also brush, the (old) heave-ho: The union voted for the

rejection of management's offer of a 9.2 per cent increase. Her

advances were met with rejection.

rejoice v. delight, exult, glory, celebrate, revel, be happy or

delighted or pleased or overjoyed or elated or glad, Colloq be

tickled (pink): We all rejoiced to be home once again after the

ordeal.

rejuvenate

v. restore, refresh, reinvigorate, revitalize, revivify, renew,

reanimate, regenerate, recharge, breathe new life into: I think

a week in Barbados would rejuvenate me.

relapse v. 1 get back, backslide, fall back, lapse, slip back, regress,

retrogress, recidivate; go back, return, retreat, revert:

Lottie has relapsed into her bad habits. 2 decline,

deteriorate, weaken, degenerate, fail, fade, sink, sicken,

worsen, get or become worse: Just when we thought he was

improving, he relapsed into a coma and died.

--n. 3 backsliding, falling or going back, lapse, lapsing,

return, returning, reversion, reverting, regression, regressing,

retrogression, retrogressing, recidivism, apostasy: The

church's main concern was a relapse into idolatry. 4 decline,

deterioration, weakening, degeneration, failing, failure,

fading, sinking, worsening: Barry was getting better but has

now suffered a relapse.

relate v. 1 associate, connect, couple, link, tie, ally, correlate,

coordinate: Volta first enabled us to relate the forces of

chemistry and electricity. 2 recount, narrate, tell, report,

present, describe, recite, detail, set forth, communicate,

divulge, impart, reveal, delineate, make known, give an account

of, rehearse: It was not till years later that Olivia related

to me the strange events of that night. 3 apply to, coordinate

with, respect, regard, bear upon or on, have a bearing on, have

reference to, have to do with, pertain to, refer to, appertain

to, belong with or to: Does your comment really relate to the

matter in hand? 4 Often, relate to. be in or en rapport with,

understand, empathize, sympathize, communicate with, identify

with, grasp, comprehend, be in tune with, deal with, handle,

cope with, Colloq dig, tune in to, be hip to, be turned on to,

be or get into: I have been having trouble relating to my new

psychiatrist. Your favourite music is reggae? - Man, I can

relate to that.

related adj. 1 associate(d), affiliate(d), connected, coupled, linked,

tied up, allied, correlated, coordinate(d), interconnected,

interrelated, interdependent, mutual, reciprocal, common, joint,

cognate: She and her husband work for related companies. 2

kin, kindred, consanguineous, cognate, agnate; akin: Just how

are you two related? Are you cousins?

relation n. 1 relationship, connection, affiliation, association,

bearing, link, tie, tie-in, reference, pertinence,

interconnection, interdependence, correspondence, kinship: The

relation between time and money is rarely disputed these days.

2 kinship, relationship: Just what is your relation to this

lady? 3 relative, kinsman or kinswoman, blood relative, in-law,

family member: Is she a relation of yours? 4 narration,

narrative, telling, recounting, description, report, recital,

recitation, delineation, portrayal, story, recapitulation: She

amused them all with her relation of what had happened to her

that night. 5 in relation to. concerning, about, regarding,

respecting, pertaining to, with regard to, with respect to,

referring to, with reference to, on or in the matter or subject

of, apropos, re, Archaic or Scots anent, Dialect anenst: I

should like to talk to you in relation to the matter of company

expenses. 6 relations. a sexual intercourse, coitus, sex,

criminal conversation; carnal knowledge: It is well known that

he had relations with his secretary. b dealings, intercourse,

link(s), association(s), liaison, relationship, Colloq doings,

truck: We have no relations with that company.

relationship

n. See relation, 1, 2, above.

relative adj. 1 related, connected, associated, allied, affiliated,

interconnected, interrelated, pertinent, relevant, germane,

applicable; apropos: Your comments are not relative to the

matter at hand. 2 Sometimes, relative to. comparative,

comparable, proportionate, proportional, commensurate; analogous

to, contingent on, dependent on, reliant on, conditioned by,

subject to, attendant on, correspondent or corresponding to,

provisional on, appurtenant to; subordinate to, ancillary to:

Well, as they say, everything is relative. Relative humidity

depends on the temperature of the air. The yield is relative to

the effort.

--n. 3 See relation, 3, above.

relatively

adv. more or less, somewhat, comparatively, rather, to some

degree or extent: Business has been relatively quiet lately.

relax v. 1 loosen, let go, release, let up (on), relieve, ease,

reduce, moderate, slacken, remit, Colloq ease up on, slacken up

on: He relaxed his grip on the rope and fell to his death on

the rocks below. 2 diminish, decrease, lessen, reduce, abate,

weaken, mitigate, modify, tone down, moderate, modulate, lighten

(up on), check, temper, curb: We must not relax our vigilance.

I hope that they don't relax the regulations concerning smoking

in the office. 3 ease up, slow down, loosen up, put one's feet

up, rest, unbend, Colloq take it easy, unwind: Why not come for

a weekend and relax a bit? 4 calm down, cool down, quiet down,

stay calm, cool and collected, Colloq take it easy, Slang cool

it: You ought to relax and not get so excited.

relaxation

n. 1 ease, repose, rest, leisure, recreation, amusement,

entertainment, fun, pleasure, diversion, Colloq R and R ('rest

and relaxation'): For relaxation we usually charter a boat and

go sailing. 2 easing (up or off), relief, alleviation,

abatement, diminution, lessening, mitigation, moderation,

slackening, remission, weakening, letting up, Colloq let-up:

What do you think about the proposed relaxation of the laws

against pornography?

relaxed adj. nonchalant, easygoing, calm, peaceful, tranquil, serene,

pacific, carefree, insouciant, blas‚, languorous, languid,

devil-may-care, free and easy, happy-go-lucky, mellow, at ease,

composed, cool: Richard takes a relaxed view of life.

release v. 1 let go, (set) free, liberate, (set or let or turn) loose,

unloose, untie, unchain, unfetter, unshackle, deliver, let out,

disenthral, discharge, let off, emancipate, manumit, rescue,

save: They kept up a strenuous campaign until all the political

prisoners were released. 2 issue, publish, make available, put

out, pass out, hand out, come out with, circulate, distribute,

disseminate; launch, unveil, present: The government refuses to

release information that is considered harmful to its interests.

The band's new album will be released tomorrow.

--n. 3 freeing, releasing, liberating, loosing, unloosing,

delivering, emancipating, manumitting, rescuing, saving,

freedom, liberation, deliverance, discharge, emancipation,

manumission, rescue, remission, salvation: The release of the

prisoner is scheduled for noon. It would be a great release to

be rid of housework. 4 press or publicity release, announcement,

publicity, notice, story, report: The press office sent out a

release to the media about Randolph's appointment.

relegate v. 1 consign, banish, exile, transfer, dispatch or despatch:

Owing to his disagreement with the Foreign Office, Kendall was

relegated to some outpost in the Indian Ocean. 2 downgrade,

demote: I fear that Corporal Jones has been relegated to

private. 3 assign, commit, hand over, refer, transfer, pass on:

She relegates most of her everyday correspondence to her

secretary for reply.

relent v. relax, soften, yield, give, give way or ground, bend,

comply, acquiesce, compromise, capitulate, come round, be

merciful, show pity or compassion, melt, show mercy, succumb:

They finally relented and allowed me to have visitors.

relentless

adj. 1 unyielding, inexorable, unstoppable, unrelenting,

dogged, implacable, inflexible, unbending, unmoving, unmoved,

unrelieved, stiff, hard, stiff-necked, rigid, obstinate,

adamant, obdurate, intransigent, determined, unswerving,

undeviating, intractable, persevering, steely, tough,

intransigent, unsparing, uncompromising, pitiless, unforgiving,

ruthless, merciless, cruel, unmerciful, remorseless: The novel

is about the relentless horde of Mongols that swept across

Europe in the 13th century. 2 non-stop, persistent, incessant,

unrelenting, unremitting, unstoppable, perpetual, unfaltering,

unfailing, unflagging, unrelieved, unabated, unrelieved,

unbroken, continual, continuous, ceaseless, constant, unceasing,

steady, habitual, regular: Won't you ever stop your relentless

nagging?

relevance n. relevancy, appropriateness, aptness, pertinence, bearing,

connection, affinity, tie-in, relation, significance,

suitability, suitableness, applicability, application,

applicableness: What you just said has no relevance whatsoever

to the issue under discussion.

relevant adj. pertinent, appropriate, apt, related, relative,

significant, suited, applicable, fitting, proper, germane, akin,

allied, associated, apposite, to the point: Alan's suggestion

is not strictly relevant to our plans.

reliable adj. dependable, trustworthy, honest, trusty, trusted,

principled, conscientious, punctilious, honourable, credible,

believable, safe, sure, certain, secure, sound, responsible,

predictable, stable, unfailing, infallible, reputable: Would a

reliable employee like Susan abscond with the money?

reliance n. confidence, trust, faith, dependence: You may be placing

too much reliance on the smoke alarm.

relic n. 1 memento, keepsake, memorial, remembrance, souvenir,

heirloom, token, artefact or artifact: It has been argued again

and again that the Turin shroud, though old, is not a genuine

relic of Christ. 2 remains; fragment, trace, scrap, shard or

sherd, remnant: Deep in the jungle, archaeologists unearthed

relics of a previously unknown civilization.

relief n. 1 ease, easing, abatement, easement, deliverance, remedy,

redress, alleviation, release, remission, assuagement,

liberation, recess: We would all welcome relief from this

blistering heat. Contributions for the relief of famine in

Africa would be most welcome. 2 aid, help, support, assistance,

succour; comfort: How many troops can we send for the relief of

the besieged garrison? 3 elevation, projection, contrast,

prominence; bas-relief or basso-rilievo ('low relief'),

mezzo-rilievo ('medium relief'), alto-rilievo ('high relief'):

The Greek reliefs brought to England by Lord Elgin are on

display at the British Museum. 4 substitute, surrogate,

replacement, alternate, locum (tenens), stand-in; understudy,

double: I wish that my relief would arrive so I could go home.

relieve v. 1 ease, lessen, reduce, diminish, abate, lift, raise,

alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soften, soothe: Business will

suffer if nothing is done to relieve the burden of high interest

rates. The doctor gave me something to relieve the pain. 2

disburden, free, rid, liberate, disencumber, unburden, rescue,

save, release: Winning the lottery relieved me of any immediate

worries of poverty. 3 help, aid, assist, support, succour,

rescue, save, deliver: Will the cavalry arrive in time to

relieve the fort, which is under attack? 4 stand in (for),

replace, substitute for, take over for or from, US spell, Colloq

sub for: I thought you were coming to relieve me at noon.

religion n. creed, belief, faith; doctrine, dogma: People must be

treated equally, regardless of their religion.

religious adj. 1 devout, churchgoing, pious, God-fearing, holy,

spiritual-minded: You never struck me as a particularly

religious person. 2 scrupulous, exact, precise, conscientious,

rigorous, strict, fastidious, meticulous, faithful, punctilious,

unerring, unswerving, undeviating: Edmund's work is

characterized by religious devotion to detail.

relinquish

v. 1 yield, give up, cede, waive, leave, quit, abandon, drop,

forsake, forswear, desert, abdicate, resign, renounce, let go,

surrender, vacate, retire from: Richard was forced to

relinquish the throne. 2 let go, give up, release, unloose,

loose, free: He refused to relinquish his grasp on her arm.

relish n. 1 enjoyment, pleasure, delight, gusto, eagerness, avidity,

anticipation, taste, appetite, zest, liking, appreciation,

fondness, fancy, partiality, preference: The children attacked

the birthday cake with great relish.

--v. 2 enjoy, delight in, take pleasure in, fancy, be partial

to, appreciate, savour, look forward to, anticipate: After all

that dining out, I'd really relish a home-cooked meal. I don't

relish having to tell her she is being made redundant.

reluctance

n. unwillingness, disinclination, aversion, dislike, disrelish,

hesitancy: Cooper's reluctance to leave before the end of the

play was understandable.

reluctant adj. unwilling, disinclined, averse, hesitant, loath,

unenthusiastic, indisposed, opposed, antagonistic; cautious,

chary, wary, leery, circumspect, careful: I remember how

reluctant you were to try raw oysters, and then you couldn't get

enough of them.

rely v. rely on or upon. depend on or upon, lean on or upon, count

on or upon, bank on or upon, have confidence in, bet on, trust

in, swear by, be sure or certain of: You can rely on Philippa

to come through when you need a friend. I am relying on the

fact that interest rates are likely to stay at their present

levels.

remain v. 1 stay (behind), be left, tarry, linger, wait, Colloq stay

put: I remained to help with the washing-up. 2 be left, be

there: How many days remain before your trip? 3 stay,

continue, carry on, abide; endure, persist, last, persevere:

She refuses to remain with him another minute. His last book

will remain a monument to his scholarship.

--n. 4 remains. a leavings, remnants, crumbs, debris,

detritus, remainder, balance, residue, leftovers, scraps,

vestiges, traces, fragments, oddments, odds and ends: The

remains of a half-eaten meal were on the table. b body,

cadaver, corpse; carcass: The remains of the impala were being

picked over by vultures.

remainder n. 1 rest, balance, remains, residue: He spent the remainder

of his life in penury. 2 excess, overage, surplus, residue,

residuum, leftovers: I have used all I needed and don't know

what to do with the remainder.

remaining adj. 1 left (over), extant, outstanding: I did as much as I

could in the time remaining. 2 leftover, surviving, residual;

unused, uneaten, unconsumed: The remaining books will be sold

at auction.

remark n. 1 note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, look at, take

notice or note of: His friends remarked his tired and

overworked appearance and suggested that he should take a

holiday. 2 comment (on or upon), say, observe, reflect, mention,

declare, state, assert: Carrie remarked that she had seen Ted

the night before.

remarkable

adj. 1 extraordinary, unusual, singular, exceptional,

noteworthy, notable, uncommon, incredible, unbelievable,

impressive, phenomenal, astonishing, astounding, surprising:

With remarkable swiftness the falcon dropped on its prey. 2

striking, distinguished, signal, special, wonderful, marvellous,

out of the ordinary, special, unique, significant, outstanding,

rare, memorable, unforgettable, never-to-be-forgotten: This

novel is truly a remarkable achievement. 3 strange, different,

odd, peculiar, curious: Contortionists can do truly remarkable

things with their bodies.

remedy n. 1 cure, treatment, therapy, antidote, counteractant,

countermeasure, medication, medicament, medicine, prescription,

drug, pharmaceutical, cure-all, panacea, nostrum, restorative,

specific: What remedy did the doctor recommend? 2 cure,

antidote, cure-all, panacea, nostrum, countermeasure, relief,

redress, answer, solution: Knowledge is the only remedy for

superstition.

--v. 3 cure, treat, heal, mend, restore, relieve, soothe,

control, ease, mitigate, alleviate: The ointment will remedy

the itching but not the infection causing it. 4 correct,

rectify, reform, improve, ameliorate, redress, repair, put or

set right, straighten out: How can I remedy a situation that

has already gone too far?

remember v. 1 call to mind, bear in mind; recall, recollect: Can you

remember her funny little laugh? Yes, I remember. 2 muse (on or

about), reminisce over or about, think back on or about,

memorialize, commemorate, recognize: He will be remembered for

his many achievements. 3 retain, keep in mind, recall: He was

unable to remember his own name or where he lived. 4 tip,

reward: The Elliotts always remembered the servants at

Christmas.

remembrance

n. 1 memory, recollection; reminiscence: My remembrance of her

is quite different from yours. 2 memento, reminder, souvenir,

keepsake, memorial: I keep this piece of shrapnel as a

remembrance of being wounded in the war.

remind v. prompt, cue, cause to remember, jog the memory, put in mind

of: Remind me to set the clock back an hour tonight.

reminder n. mnemonic, refresher; cue, prompt: I tied this string round

my finger as a reminder, but I don't know of what.

reminisce v. Sometimes, reminisce about. remember, recollect, think back,

look back, turn one's mind or thoughts back; call to mind, hark

back, return: Most of the time we just sit about and reminisce.

The other day we were reminiscing about the time Alex was

arrested for shoplifting.

reminiscence

n. Usually, reminiscences. anecdote(s), memory or memories,

reflection(s), memoir(s): The Sunday Clarion has paid a

six-figure sum to Charlotte for her reminiscences as a cleaner

at Whitehall.

reminiscent

adj. Usually, reminiscent of. recalling, redolent of, evocative

of, indicative of, suggestive of, similar to, comparable with or

to: The odour of burning cabbage is reminiscent of my husband's

cooking.

remiss adj. slack, careless, negligent, neglectful, heedless,

unheeding, inattentive, unmindful, thoughtless, forgetful,

unthinking, slow, indolent, lazy, dilatory, delinquent: You

were remiss in failing to turn off the bath water.

remission n. 1 forgiveness, pardon, deliverance, amnesty, reprieve,

exoneration, release, absolution, exculpation, indulgence,

excuse, exemption, acquittal: As we were granted remission of

our crimes, we were freed. 2 diminution, abatement, decrease,

lessening, subsidence, alleviation, mitigation, assuagement,

ebbing, relaxation, easing: Remission of the disease may occur,

but most sufferers deteriorate rapidly.

remit v. 1 send, transmit, forward, dispatch or despatch; pay,

compensate, settle, liquidate: We have remitted in full the

amount requested. 2 abate, diminish, slacken, decrease, lessen,

subside, alleviate, mitigate, assuage, ebb, dwindle, reduce,

relax, ease (up or off), fall off: The fever ought to remit on

the sixth day.

remittance

n. payment, settlement: allowance, consideration: Remittance

was made regularly on the tenth of the month. He lives on

remittances he receives from home.

remnant n. 1 scrap, shred, fragment, end, bit, piece, trace, vestige,

relic: A silver button was the only remnant of the splendid

uniform. 2 leftover, remainder, residue, rest, remains, part:

The surviving remnant of the battalion made its way across the

desert to Djibouti.

remorse n. regret, repentance, ruefulness, sorrow, woe, anxiety, guilty

or bad conscience, pangs of conscience, humiliation,

embarrassment, guilt, self-reproach, mortification, shame,

contrition, contriteness, penitence, compunction, bitterness:

It is impossible to describe the remorse he felt at having run

over the little girl's puppy.

remorseful

adj. regretful, repentant, rueful, sorry, apologetic,

sorrowful, woeful, anxious, guilty, bad, conscience-stricken,

guilt-ridden, humiliated, humbled, embarrassed, mortified,

shamefaced, shameful, ashamed, shamed, contrite, penitent,

bitter: Harold made a remorseful confession of all his sins.

remorseless

adj. 1 cruel, heartless, callous, harsh, hard-hearted,

stony-hearted, savage, merciless, unmerciful, pitiless,

ruthless: The heavyweight champion administered a remorseless

beating to the challenger. 2 relentless, unrelenting,

unremitting, unstoppable, inexorable, implacable: The

remorseless storm thrashed at our tiny vessel, tearing away

every last shred of rigging.

remote adj. 1 distant, far-away, far-off, removed, outlying,

inaccessible: The more remote the transmitter, the weaker the

signal. 2 lonely, isolated, God-forsaken, secluded,

out-of-the-way, sequestered, tramontane, ultramontane: They

spent their holiday on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. 3

unfamiliar, obscure, arcane, recondite, subtle, alien,

far-fetched, unusual, unlikely: Her writing is scattered with

references remote to the average reader's experience. 4

unrelated, irrelevant, inappropriate, unconnected, outside: Her

conclusions were not remote from what we now know to be the

truth. 5 slight, faint, foggy: I haven't the remotest idea what

you're talking about. 6 slight, faint, slender, insignificant,

slim, small, meagre, outside, poor, inconsiderable, negligible,

improbable, unlikely, implausible: There is only a remote

chance that the experiment will succeed. 7 aloof, detached,

withdrawn, reserved, indifferent, standoffish, abstracted: He

keeps himself quite remote from the hurly-burly of everyday

life. 8 early, ancient, far-removed, distant: The archaeopteryx

is a remote ancestor of modern birds.

removal n. 1 elimination, removing, eradication, taking away: The

removal of the wallpaper revealed that the plaster underneath

was in very poor condition. 2 extermination, murder,

elimination, killing, slaying, assassination, execution,

liquidation, eradication, massacre, slaughter, purge, doing away

with, Slang bumping off, rubbing out, doing in, US rub-out,

wasting: The removal of the finance minister was accomplished

by the secret police. 3 dismissal, transfer, transference,

transferral, shifting, discharge, throwing over, throwing out,

deposition, unseating, dethroning, dethronement, displacement,

expulsion, ouster, ousting, riddance, purge, Colloq firing,

sacking: The company functions better since the removal of the

former chairman. 4 move, transfer, departure, moving: Her

removal to a branch office was requested by top management. 5

moving, house-moving: We hired a removal van when we moved to

Shropshire.

remove v. 1 take off, doff, shed, cast off: Gentlemen are requested

to remove their hats in her presence. 2 take away, get rid of,

carry away or off, shift; transfer: When I arrived this

morning, my desk had been removed. The threat of war has been

removed. Kindly remove your elbows from the table. 3 obliterate,

delete, erase, expunge, eradicate, efface, eliminate, take off,

wipe or rub out, wipe or rub off, get rid of: Use chemicals to

remove the graffiti from the wall. 4 murder, assassinate, kill,

slay, execute, exterminate, eliminate, liquidate, eradicate,

massacre, slaughter, do away with, dispose of, get rid of,

purge, Slang rub or wipe out, do in, bump off, US waste: We

brought in some of the boys to remove the competition. 5

discharge, dismiss, depose, unseat, displace, expel, oust, turn

out, get rid of, purge, Colloq fire, sack, kick out: Andrews

must be removed from his job before he does any more harm. 6

relocate, move, transfer, shift: I removed to a quieter place

where I could write in peace. 7 take out, unfasten, detach,

disconnect, separate, undo: They have to remove the

transmission to overhaul it.

--n. 8 distance, space, interval, separation: They tried to

keep the girls and the boys at some remove from one another.

remuneration

n. 1 payment, compensation, salary, wages, earnings, emolument,

income, pay, stipend, consideration, reward: What remuneration

will she expect to receive if appointed? 2 recompense,

repayment, reimbursement, restitution, reparation(s), damages,

indemnity, indemnification, redress: Have they received any

remuneration for their loss of property during the earthquake?

renaissance

n. renascence, rebirth, revival, reawakening, restoration,

resumption, renewal, resurgence, return, regeneration,

rejuvenation, new dawn, new birth: The Renaissance is so called

because of the return to classical tradition. Hugh seems to have

undergone a renaissance since taking that rest cure.

rend v. 1 rip or tear or pull (to pieces or apart or asunder),

wrench, mangle, shred: The bully threatened to rend me limb

from limb. 2 split, tear, rip, rupture, cleave, split, rive,

separate, slice, lacerate: When the balloon was rent from top

to bottom, the basket fell to the ground. 3 pain, distress,

pierce, stab, smite, wound, afflict, torment, wring, hurt: My

heart was rent by conflicting emotions.

render v. 1 depict, picture, represent, reproduce, portray, create,

produce, do, execute, make, accomplish, achieve: The artist

rendered this portrait of the family from a photograph. 2 make,

cause to be or become: The news of winning the lottery rendered

me speechless. 3 give (up), yield (up), surrender, relinquish,

resign, cede, deliver, hand over, tender, offer, proffer,

present, furnish, provide: The inscription on the tomb has

still not rendered up its secret. To Caesar will I render my

legions and my horse. 4 play, perform: She rendered a fugue

most beautifully on a harpsichord. 5 deliver, return: The jury

rendered a verdict of Guilty. 6 translate, decode, decipher,

transcribe, convert, explain, interpret, put, restate, reword,

rephrase: She rendered the passage into idiomatic English. 7

deliver, hand in, present, offer, proffer, furnish, provide,

tender: They rendered their invoice for the work already done.

8 Usually, Brit render down. melt, clarify, extract: The fat

must be rendered down before it can be used for making soap.

rendering n. depiction, showing, presentation, interpretation,

conception, version, rendition, representation, delineation,

portrayal, picture: This is the architect's rendering of what

the building will look like when completed.

rendition n. 1 performance, interpretation, execution, conception,

concept, understanding, construction, reading, rendering: I

have never before heard such an exquisite rendition of a Bach

cantata. 2 See rendering, above.

renegade n. 1 deserter, turncoat, heretic, defector, traitor, apostate,

Archaic renegado: The renegade has organized a conspiracy

against us.

--adj. 2 traitorous, treacherous, perfidious, treasonous,

apostate, heretical, disloyal: A renegade band of deserters has

turned against the army leaders.

renege v. 1 Cards revoke: When you renege you fail to follow suit. 2

go back on, back out, default, repudiate, go back on or break

(one's) promise or word, recant, abrogate, abjure, Slang welsh

(on): You swore you would keep your word, and now you're

reneging.

renew v. 1 restore, refresh, rejuvenate, revitalize, reinvigorate,

resuscitate, revamp, redo, rehabilitate, transform, regenerate,

refurbish, refurnish, renovate, refit, overhaul, recondition,

modernize, redecorate, do over: The entire interior of the

hotel has been renewed at considerable expense. 2 resume,

resurrect, restart, pick or take up again, recommence, return

to, reopen: They renewed their argument in favour of the

teaching of Latin. 3 restore, replace, restock, replenish: We

must renew our supply of claret. 4 repeat, reiterate, reaffirm,

confirm, reconfirm, restate, reassert: Each autumn she renews

her promise to return in the spring.

renounce v. give up, forswear, surrender, abandon, desert, abjure,

reject, repudiate, spurn, swear off, abstain from, deny, forgo,

forsake, eschew, disown, throw off or out, shun, avoid: He

renounced his claim to the throne and retired to a monastery.

renovate v. redecorate, modernize, do over, refurbish, refurnish, refit,

remodel; recondition, rehabilitate, restore, repair, revamp,

overhaul, patch up, Colloq do up, US fix up: We are having the

entire house renovated by an interior decorator. It was quite

costly to have those paintings renovated.

renown n. fame, celebrity, glory, distinction, esteem, acclaim,

reputation, prominence, eminence, note, mark, honour, prestige,

repute, ‚clat, lustre, illustriousness, stardom: She enjoys

great renown as a rock star.

renowned adj. famous, famed, celebrated, distinguished, acclaimed,

prominent, eminent, well-known, noted, notable, honoured,

illustrious: He was one of the most renowned authors of the

19th century.

rent° v. 1 let (out), lease, hire (out), charter (out), farm out:

Eric owns a three-bedroom house that he rents out. I should like

to rent a yacht for a cruise this summer.

--n. 2 rental, hire, lease, fee: The rent comes to about a

quarter of my salary.

rentý n. tear, rip, split, gash, slash, hole, slit: The skirt has a

six-inch rent in it.

repair v. 1 mend, patch (up); renew, put or set right, restore, fix

(up), service, put (back) in or into working order, vamp,

revamp, adjust: Can you repair the tear in my trousers? I must

remember to ask the garage to repair the brakes on my car.

--n. 2 mend, patch; restoration, fixing (up), servicing,

improvement, adjustment, renovation, revamping, renewal: The

cost of the repairs to our roof after the storm was covered by

our insurance. 3 form, condition, fettle, state, working order,

Colloq shape, Brit nick: The engine, I'm afraid, has not been

kept in good repair.

repartee n. banter, badinage, persiflage, patter, (witty) conversation,

wordplay, raillery, give and take, Literary deipnosophism:

Simon's witty repartee makes him a most welcome dinner guest.

repay v. pay back, recompense, compensate, requite, reciprocate,

return the favour or compliment, reward, square with, settle

(up) with; refund, give back, return, reimburse, restore: How

can I ever repay you for what you have done? Alan repaid the

money he borrowed from me.

repeal v. 1 revoke, recall, rescind, reverse, cancel, annul, nullify,

invalidate, void, set aside, abolish, abrogate, Law vacate:

They have repealed the rule forbidding guests to wear shorts in

the restaurant.

--n. 2 revocation, recall, rescission, rescindment, reversal,

cancellation, annulment, nullification, invalidation, voiding,

abolition, abrogation: Alcoholic beverages were forbidden in

the US until the repeal of Prohibition.

repeat v. 1 reiterate, restate, echo, retell, recite, quote, rehearse,

recount, recapitulate, Colloq recap: Would you please repeat to

Anne what you told me? 2 duplicate, reproduce, replicate:

History repeated itself on the playing field here today, when

Queens Park Rangers defeated Manchester United, 2-0.

--n. 3 repetition, duplicate, copy, duplication, replication,

reproduction, replica, rerun, rebroadcast, replay, encore,

reprise: This is a repeat of a show we saw last year.

repeatedly

adv. again and again, over again, over and over, frequently,

often, time and (time) again, time after time, recurrently,

repetitively, repetitiously: The needle stuck, and the record

player kept playing the same thing repeatedly.

repel v. 1 repulse, drive back or away or off, reject, fend off,

parry, ward off, hold off, rebuff, resist, withstand, keep at

bay or arm's length: They were completely defenceless and

unable to repel attackers. 2 revolt, offend, disgust, sicken,

nauseate, turn one's stomach, make one's skin crawl, Colloq give

one the creeps, turn one off: The idea of eating sheep's eyes

repels me.

repellent adj. repulsive, repelling, revolting, disgusting, nauseating,

nauseous, stomach-turning, sickening, offensive, loathsome,

repugnant, distasteful, vomit-provoking, sick-making,

disagreeable, obnoxious, off-putting: He described some of the

more repellent examples of vivisection he had encountered.

repent v. regret, feel contrition, lament, bemoan, bewail, be sorry,

rue, feel remorse, feel remorseful or penitent, show penitence:

She repented having reported him to the police. Now that the

evil deed is done he can but repent.

repentant adj. regretful, contrite, rueful, remorseful, apologetic,

sorry, ashamed, embarrassed, penitent: It was terrible that she

wasn't the least bit repentant for what she had done.

repercussion

n. Often, repercussions. reaction, response, effect, outcome,

consequence, reverberation, result, aftermath, after-effect,

upshot, fallout, backlash, echo: We were dealing with the

repercussions of that decision long afterwards.

repertory n. repertoire, store, reservoir, collection, hoard, cache,

repository, stock, supply, inventory, stockpile: Cosgrove felt

compelled to run through his entire repertory of jokes at

dinner.

repetition

n. 1 Often, repetitions. reiteration(s), duplication(s),

redundancy or redundancies, repeats, tautology or tautologies:

The book is full of boring repetitions. 2 reiteration, repeat,

echo, echoing, repeating, duplication, duplicating, rehearsal,

recapitulation, restatement, replication, rereading, retelling,

relisting, recital, reprise, rerun, rerunning: We sat through a

repetition of every name for the benefit of any who might have

missed it the first time.

repetitious

adj. tiresome, tedious, boring, redundant, prolix, windy,

long-winded, wordy, tautological, pleonastic: Streatham's

lectures are very repetitious - he makes the same point over and

over again.

repetitive

adj. iterative, repetitious, incessant, monotonous, repeated,

redundant, humdrum, unceasing, ceaseless, relentless,

unremitting, persistent, recurrent, non-stop, uninterrupted,

continual, constant, continuous: The repetitive beat of that

rock music is driving me mad.

replace v. 1 change, put in place of, substitute, supplant, renew: If

the toy won't work, try replacing the batteries. 2 succeed,

supersede, substitute for, take over from, supplant: Tim will

be replacing David as department head. 3 restore, return, put

back, make good (on), repay, refund, make restitution for: Are

you going to replace the money you took?

replenish v. refill, restock, restore, renew, replace, fill, top up;

furnish, provide: They stopped off in Bordeaux to replenish

their supplies.

replete adj. 1 Often, replete with. full (of), filled up (with),

overflowing (with), well supplied or well provided or well

stocked (with), chock-full (of), crammed or jammed or jam-packed

(with), brim-full (with), chock-a-block, bursting, teeming,

loaded, overloaded (with), gorged (with), stuffed (with), Colloq

up to the eyes or ears (in), up to here or there (in), US up to

the old wazoo (in), Slang lousy (with), Taboo slang up to the

Brit arse (in) or US ass (in): His speech was replete with

names, dates, and precise quotations, all delivered without a

note of any kind. 2 satisfied, sated, satiated: After a meal

like that, anybody would feel replete.

replica n. copy, duplicate, facsimile, reproduction, likeness,

imitation, carbon copy, photocopy, duplication, Colloq dupe, US

knock-off: The hall was dominated by a replica of

Michelangelo's David.

reply v. 1 answer, respond, rejoin, retort, return, come back,

acknowledge: When I asked where he had been, he refused to

reply and walked out of the room.

--n. 2 answer, response, rejoinder, retort, comeback, riposte,

reaction, US rise: I have written to the prime minister but as

yet have had no reply.

report n. 1 account, description, story, article, write-up, piece,

statement, dispatch or despatch, communication, communiqu‚,

announcement, narrative, record; news, information: Stanley

hasn't yet sent in the full report of his meeting with John. Is

there any report from the front? 2 explosion, bang, boom, shot,

gunshot, gunfire, backfire, discharge, crack, blast, detonation:

In the distance we heard the report of a gun, and later a

muffled explosion.

--v. 3 relate, recount, describe, narrate, tell of, detail,

give an account of, write up, document: Our man in Kuala Lumpur

reported a disturbance in a remote village. 4 publish,

promulgate, publicize, put out, announce, set forth, reveal,

disclose, divulge, announce, circulate, make public, broadcast:

Two newspapers and a television station reported the arrest of

the suspect. 5 arrive, appear, surface, check in, sign in, clock

in or on, turn up, come in, US report in: We were asked to

report for duty at 0800 on Friday. 6 report on. investigate,

cover, examine, explore, look into, inquire into, check into or

on, check (up) on, research, study, probe, scrutinize, Slang

check out, Brit suss out: The new journalist was assigned to

report on allegations of bribery in the council.

reporter n. journalist, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newsman,

newswoman, correspondent, columnist, newswriter, gentleman or

lady of the press, gentleman or lady of the fourth estate, Brit

pressman, presswoman; newscaster, news-presenter, commentator,

broadcaster, anchorman, anchorwoman; photojournalist, cameraman,

camerawoman, Colloq news-hound, news-hawk, news-hen, stringer:

Reporters swarmed around the footballers who had returned home

with the World Cup.

repose n. 1 rest, inactivity, calm, respite, tranquillity, quiet,

restfulness, peace, relaxation: A half hour's repose would be

welcome after a long day coping with lively toddlers. 2 sleep,

nap, doze, catnap, siesta, slumber, Colloq forty winks, snooze,

Slang zizz, shut-eye: The short repose refreshed, and she felt

ready to tackle anything. 3 composure, calmness, calm,

serenity, equanimity, poise, self-possession: He became angry

in a flash, his face changing from quiet repose to livid

distortion.

--v. 4 lie, abide, be, lodge, rest: The power to make the

modifications reposes with you.

represent v. 1 substitute for, stand (in) for, replace, act for: I have

appointed her to represent me in all legal matters. 2 Often,

represent oneself as. present (oneself), depict (oneself), put

or set (oneself) forth, masquerade as, take (on) or assume the

guise or role or part of, characterize as, impersonate, pretend

to be, pose as, imitate, mimic: He represents himself as a

plumber in order to get into houses to rob them. His wife was

represented to me as a social worker. 3 describe, delineate,

reproduce, report, assert, state, put or set forth, show,

reflect, mirror, characterize, define, note, outline, sketch,

depict, picture, portray, draw, paint; pretend: What took place

that fateful day is not as represented in Inspector Taylor's

testimony. 4 symbolize, stand for, typify, exemplify, embody,

epitomize; illustrate: He represents all that is good in the

world today.

representation

n. 1 reproduction, image, likeness, portrait, picture,

depiction, portrayal, semblance, model, manifestation: This is

an accurate representation of the town's appearance in the 18th

century. 2 agency: The sales representation for this area is

under Wright's direction. 3 statement, account, exposition,

declaration, deposition, assertion, presentation, undertaking:

Certain representations have been made concerning harassment by

the police. 4 replica, reproduction, figure, figurine, statue,

statuette, bust, head, model, effigy: This representation of

the goddess Athena was found in Kios.

representative

adj. 1 symbolic, typical, characteristic, emblematic,

archetypal, evocative, illustrative: Is this a representative

sample? These poems are not representative of your best work. 2

elected, chosen, democratic: They are struggling to establish a

representative form of government.

--n. 3 agent, deputy, legate, ambassador, (papal) nuncio,

spokesman, spokeswoman, proxy, delegate, envoy, emissary,

missionary, commissioner; Member of Parliament, MP, Councillor,

Congressman, Assemblyman, Assemblywoman: We like to think that

our representatives are acting on our behalf. 4 agent,

(travelling) salesman or saleswoman, Colloq rep: We have hired

a new representative to sell refrigerators in the north of the

country.

repress v. suppress, put down, (keep in) check, curb, quash, stifle,

overcome, squelch, (keep under) control, contain, restrain,

constrain, limit, keep back, quell, hold back or in, subdue,

inhibit, hamper, hinder, deter, frustrate, discourage, disallow:

The government tried to repress freedom of expression.

repression

n. 1 restraint, suppression, subjugation: Increasing

repression of their liberties finally led the people to revolt.

2 check, squelching, control, inhibition, hampering, hindering,

hindrance, stifling, deterring, frustration, frustrating: The

repression of the revolt was unsuccessful.

repressive

adj. tyrannical, oppressive, dictatorial, despotic, brutal,

suppressive, authoritarian, totalitarian; Fascist(ic): In some

countries, the people were unable to rebel against the

repressive regime.

reprieve v. 1 respite, rescue, save; let off, spare: The Home Secretary

reprieved the prisoner from execution pending further

investigation.

--n. 2 delay, postponement, suspension, remission, respite,

stay, amnesty: The governor granted the condemned man a

reprieve at the eleventh hour.

reprimand n. 1 scolding, reproof, rebuke, admonition, upbraiding,

castigation, reproach, lecture, censure, criticism, disapproval,

remonstrance, remonstration, reprehension, tongue-lashing,

Colloq dressing-down, talking-to, telling-off, ticking-off, rap

over or on the knuckles, slap on the wrist, Brit slating, US and

Canadian chewing-out, Slang Brit wigging: Brown received a

severe reprimand for violating the curfew.

--v. 2 scold, chide, reprove, rebuke, admonish, upbraid,

castigate, reproach, berate, lecture, censure, criticize, find

fault with, attack, flay (alive), reprehend, read (someone) the

riot act, slap on the wrist, rap over the knuckles, take to

task, Colloq bawl out, dress down, give a dressing-down, tell

off, tick off, haul over the coals, give (someone) a piece of

(one's) mind, Brit slate, give (someone) a row, send (someone)

away or off with a flea in his or her ear, tell (someone) a

thing or two, carpet, wig, skin (alive), US and Canadian chew

out, rake over the coals, call on the carpet, pin (someone's)

ears back: Nigel deserves to be reprimanded for what he did.

reprisal n. retaliation, revenge, retribution, redress, requital,

vengeance, repayment, recompense, vindication, getting even,

indemnity: She refused to be named because she feared

reprisals. How many hostages did they shoot in reprisal?

reproachful

adj. fault-finding, critical, censorious, disapproving,

disparaging, upbraiding, reproving, scolding, admonitory,

condemnatory, hypercritical: She was quite reproachful after

seeing what I had written about her in my book.

reprobate adj. 1 unprincipled, immoral, amoral, abandoned, depraved,

despicable, dissolute, low, low-life, base, mean, debased,

damned, accursed, cursed, degenerate, profligate, shameful,

shameless, vile, evil, wicked, villainous, sinful, irredeemable,

foul, iniquitous, reprehensible: Such reprobate behaviour soon

brought him to the attention of the church fathers.

--n. 2 scoundrel, blackguard, miscreant, rake, profligate,

rou‚, villain, wastrel, wretch, degenerate, unprincipled person,

villain, evil-doer, debauchee, libertine, good-for-nothing,

ne'er-do-well, cur, rapscallion, scamp, knave, rascal, US

low-life, Colloq scallywag or scalawag: I can't understand what

she sees in that old reprobate.

reproduce v. 1 duplicate, copy, replicate, match, recreate, repeat,

imitate, simulate: The printer thinks he can reproduce

successfully the colours of the original picture in a print. 2

breed, multiply, propagate, procreate, spawn, produce or bring

forth or beget young; regenerate: These animals normally

reproduce twice a year.

reproduction

n. 1 duplication, copying, printing: Unlicensed reproduction

of this film is against the law. 2 duplicate, copy, print,

clone, carbon (copy), facsimile, replica, look-alike, double,

twin, imitation: The reproductions look better than the

original. 3 propagation, breeding, spawning, proliferation,

production: Today's lecture concerns reproduction and breeding

habits of large sea-mammals.

reproof n. See reprimand, 1, above.

reprove v. See reprimand, 2, above.

repudiate v. reject, scorn, turn down, renounce, retract, rescind,

reverse, abandon, abrogate, forswear, forgo, deny, disown,

discard: The government has repudiated its earlier policy of

refusing to negotiate with the strikers.

repugnant adj. repulsive, abhorrent, disgusting, off-putting, offensive,

repellent, revolting, vile, abominable, loathsome, foul,

distasteful, unpalatable, unsavoury, execrable, intolerable,

obnoxious, noisome, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, unpleasant,

objectionable: I find the very thought of seeing them again

repugnant.

repulse v. 1 repel, rebuff, drive back, ward off, fight or beat off,

check: With a mighty effort, they were able to repulse the

attacking forces. 2 refuse, spurn, snub, reject, rebuff, fend

off, resist, turn down, give the cold shoulder to: She repulsed

his offer of marriage, and he left, never to see her again.

--n. 3 rejection, rebuff, refusal, denial, snub, cold shoulder,

spurning: Alistair told himself he could not accept another

repulse.

repulsive adj. disgusting, revolting, abhorrent, loathsome, repugnant,

repellent, offensive, obnoxious, objectionable, gross,

unsavoury, distasteful, nasty, unpleasant, displeasing,

disagreeable, ugly, off-putting, sickening, nauseating,

nauseous, beastly, vile, dreadful, awful, rotten, feculent,

foul, odious, horrible, horrid, abominable, execrable, fulsome:

I have seldom had so repulsive an experience as the tour of that

abattoir. The repulsive sights and smells were more than I could

bear.

reputable adj. respectable, honourable, well-thought-of, estimable,

respected, trustworthy, trusted, honest, reliable, dependable,

principled, virtuous, good, worthy: Alan is one of Aylesbury's

most reputable businessmen.

reputation

n. 1 repute, name, standing, stature, position, status: Jean

is a woman of excellent reputation in the community. 2 have a

reputation for. be known or noted or notorious or famous for:

The company has a reputation for dismissing employees without

notice.

reputed adj. alleged, purported, supposed, assumed, presumed; rumoured,

said, deemed, held, regarded, viewed, looked on or upon, judged,

considered, thought, believed: The police arrested three

reputed gang members. They are reputed to be international drug

dealers.

request v. 1 ask for, seek, plead for, apply for, put in for,

requisition, call for, demand, insist on, solicit, beg, entreat,

beseech, importune: They request my cooperation. I requested to

be excused. He requested her to open the door for him.

--n. 2 plea, petition, application, requisition, call, demand,

solicitation, entreaty: We receive many requests for

information.

require v. 1 order, command, ask (for), call (for), press (for),

instruct, coerce, force; insist, demand; make: I am required to

appear in court on Monday. The teacher required that I bring my

mother to school. 2 need, want, lack, be lacking, be missing, be

short (of); desire: We require one more trainee in order to

fill our quota.

requirement

n. 1 requisite, prerequisite, demand, precondition, condition,

qualification, stipulation, sine qua non, provision, proviso,

demand, necessity, essential, desideratum, must: It is a

requirement of the loan agreement that you maintain an account

with this bank. 2 need, want, demand: We hope the new design

will meet all your requirements.

requisition

n. 1 request, order, demand, call, authorization, mandate,

voucher: A requisition was issued by headquarters for the

delivery of 200 desks and chairs.

--v. 2 request, order, demand, call, authorize, mandate: Have

you requisitioned the office furniture we need? 3 seize,

appropriate, commandeer, confiscate, take possession of, take

(over), occupy; expropriate: The army of occupation has

requisitioned all available sleeping accommodation in the town.

requital n. 1 repayment, return, recompense, redress, restitution,

reparation, remuneration, quittance, amends, satisfaction,

compensation, payment: I look forward to an opportunity to make

requital for all the favours you have done for me. 2 revenge,

retaliation, retribution, reprisal, vengeance; quid pro quo,

Roland for an Oliver: In requital for his shameful treachery,

MacFallon was sent into exile.

requite v. 1 repay, reward, reciprocate, recompense, compensate for,

respond to: Her years of tender care were requited with abuse

and scorn. 2 retaliate for, revenge, avenge, make restitution

for, redress, pay back for, give tit for tat for, make amends

for: Who can requite the wrongs inflicted on these poor people?

rescue v. 1 save, deliver, (set) free, liberate, let go (free),

release, (let) loose: We rescued all the men who were being

held prisoner. Jane was rescued by a very handsome lifeguard.

--n. 2 deliverance, saving; freeing, liberating, release: The

seaman's rescue was conducted by a navy helicopter team. Because

of the heavy guard, the prisoners' rescue is out of the

question.

research n. 1 investigation, investigating, exploration, delving,

digging, enquiry or inquiry, fact-finding, scrutinization,

scrutiny, examination, inspection, probing, analysis,

experimentation: Her research into the causes of the disease

have yielded good results. The government no longer supports

much research.

--v. 2 investigate, explore, delve into, dig into, enquire or

inquire into, scrutinize, examine, study, analyse, inspect,

check in or into or (up) on, probe, experiment with, Colloq

check out: We are researching ways in which the virus attacks

the blood cells.

resemblance

n. likeness, similarity; correspondence, congruity,

coincidence, conformity, accord, agreement, equivalence,

comparableness, comparability, comparison: There is a striking

resemblance between your wife and mine. Any resemblance is

purely a matter of chance.

resemble v. look or sound or taste or seem or be like or similar to,

bear (a) resemblance to, approximate, smack of, correspond to,

have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, take after, Colloq

favour: You are right, the taste does resemble that of

liquorice. Does she resemble her mother?

resent v. feel embittered or bitter about, feel envious or jealous of,

begrudge, have hard feelings about, be displeased or disgruntled

at, be angry about: I resent having to go to work while you sit

about the house all day.

resentful adj. embittered, bitter, acrimonious, spiteful, envious,

jealous, begrudging, vindictive, indignant, displeased,

disgruntled, dissatisfied, unsatisfied, unhappy, peeved,

irritated, irked, annoyed, provoked, riled, angry, piqued,

irate, furious, incensed, agitated, upset, worked up,

antagonistic, hostile: Ronald is resentful because you got the

promotion that he considered rightfully his.

resentment

n. bitterness, acrimony, rancour, envy, jealousy, grudge,

indignation, displeasure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness,

irritation, annoyance, provocation, pique, anger, ire, fury,

agitation, upset, anxiety, ill will, malice, antagonism,

hostility, animosity, enmity, antipathy, hate: Some believe

that inequality among people provokes resentment.

reservation

n. 1 keeping or holding back, withholding, reticence,

reluctance, hesitation, hesitancy, hedging: It was not without

some reservation that I gave the book my endorsement. 2 qualm,

scruple, qualification, hesitancy, limitation, exception,

objection, demur or demurral or demurrer, condition, proviso,

provision: He has no reservations about revealing the most

intimate details in his autobiography. 3 booking, appointment,

arrangement: I'll make a reservation for dinner for the two of

us. 4 preserve, sanctuary, reserve, area, tract, territory,

region, section, plot: In North America, many Indians still

live on reservations.

reserve v. 1 keep or hold (back), withhold, save, set or put aside,

conserve, preserve, retain, keep (to or for oneself), hold over,

postpone, delay, put off, defer: Reserve judgement till you

have heard all the facts. I shall reserve my answer to that

question for another day. 2 hold, keep, book, register, save,

put or set aside, charter, engage, secure, contract for: I have

reserved two seats for the matinee.

--n. 3 Often, reserves. store, stock, stockpile, inventory,

supply, nest egg, reservoir, fund, hoard, cache: We prayed for

rain, as our water reserves were getting low. 4 reticence,

(self-)restraint, (self-)control, taciturnity, aplomb,

formality, coolness, aloofness, guardedness, standoffishness,

remoteness, detachment: I had to admire Paul's reserve in the

face of such insults. 5 Often, reserves. auxiliary, alternate,

substitute, reinforcements, backup, spare: If battle goes

badly, we shall have to call out the reserves. 6 See

reservation, 4, above. 7 reservation, restriction, restraint,

hesitancy, hesitation, limit, limitation, hedging, avoidance,

evasion, dodging, fudging: The lawyer acknowledged without

reserve that the case was weak. 8 in reserve. ready, in

readiness, on hand, available, on call, accessible, as backup,

in store, on tap, at (one's) fingertips: We have huge resources

in reserve should we require them.

reserved adj. reticent, restrained, unresponsive, controlled, silent,

taciturn, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, close-mouthed,

unresponsive, undemonstrative, unemotional, poker-faced, cool,

formal, aloof, guarded, standoffish, unsocial, antisocial,

distant, remote, detached, retiring, withdrawn, sedate, demure,

dignified, guarded, prim, rigid, strait-laced, icy, frigid,

ice-cold: She was always very reserved, not showing any

emotion.

residence n. 1 abode, home, domicile, dwelling, dwelling-place, place,

house, habitation, (living) quarters: A crowd was waiting to

greet them outside their residence. 2 residency, stay, sojourn,

visit, tenancy: During his residence in Cape Province, he

became bilingual in Xhosa. 3 mansion, villa, manor (house),

stately home, estate, chƒteau, castle, palace, Brit hall: The

ambassadorial residence was a very imposing structure.

resident adj. 1 in residence, residing, living, staying, abiding,

dwelling, remaining: Is he resident in this country? 2 local,

neighbourhood, district, regional, neighbouring: Our resident

astronomer mentioned there would be an eclipse of the moon

tonight.

--n. 3 denizen, dweller, inhabitant, citizen, householder,

home-owner, tenant, local: Parking permits are available only

to residents.

residual adj. remaining, leftover, surplus, spare, extra, residuary:

Residual units of the army are still bivouacked in the field.

How would we survive nuclear fall-out and the subsequent

residual contamination?

residue n. remainder, leftover, surplus, remains, rest, excess, dregs,

residuum: The residue of the tatterdemalion force escaped into

the forest.

resign v. 1 quit, leave, go, abdicate, give notice; retire (from),

abandon, give up, forsake, hand over, yield up, renounce,

relinquish, let go, release, vacate, surrender, deliver up, turn

over: Amanda resigned because she was offered a better job

elsewhere. Anthony refused to resign the last of his

responsibilities till he was ninety. 2 resign (oneself) (to).

reconcile (oneself) (to), be or become resigned or reconciled

(to), accommodate (oneself) (to), adjust (oneself) (to), adapt

(oneself) (to), acclimatize or acclimate (oneself) (to), submit

(oneself) (to): Knowing that no one had ever escaped from the

prison, he resigned himself to his fate.

resignation

n. 1 notice; abandonment, abdication, resigning, renunciation,

forgoing, relinquishment: After the incident in the boardroom,

Kim was asked for her resignation. Stuart's resignation of his

responsibilities led to a severe reprimand. 2 reconciliation,

reconcilement, adjustment, adaptation, acclimatization or

acclimation, submission, acceptance, compliance, capitulation,

abandonment, acquiescence, passivity: His resignation to his

fate won admiration from those around him.

resilience

n. rebound, recoil, bounce, elasticity, springiness, spring,

buoyancy, flexibility, suppleness, ability to recover: The

resilience of youth is astonishing, and William was soon on his

feet again.

resist v. 1 stop, hinder, prevent, hold out (against), be proof

(against), keep or hold at bay, hold the line (against), thwart,

impede, block, obstruct, inhibit, restrain, preclude, check,

control, curb, stem, bridle, hold back, withstand, weather, last

(against), endure, outlast, stand up (to or against); combat,

fight (against), battle, countervail (against), counteract,

oppose, rebuff, defy: He was jailed for attempting to resist

arrest. It is pointless to resist. 2 refuse, deny, turn down,

forgo: I cannot resist a rich sweet for dessert.

resistance

n. 1 opposition, defiance, refusal, denial, obstruction,

intransigence, rebelliousness, recalcitrance, stubbornness: The

child puts up considerable resistance to any form of discipline.

2 defences: My resistance is low, I can deny you nothing. 3

Resistance. underground, partisans, freedom fighters, guerrilla

or guerilla movement, guerrillas or guerillas, irregulars,

Maquis, US resisters: During the war, he was a member of the

Resistance and engaged in sabotage against the invaders.

resistant adj. 1 opposed, against, defiant, averse, unsubmissive;

impervious, unaffected: The organisms are resistant to any

change. 2 recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, intransigent,

rebellious, immovable, intractable, refractory, wilful,

ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, uncompliant, uncooperative:

We have run up against a highly resistant group of activists. 3

Often, resistant to. impervious (to), impenetrable (to),

repellent (to); proof (against); shedding: You need a more

resistant material. This fabric is resistant to rain and snow.

resolute adj. resolved, determined, purposeful, steadfast, firm,

stubborn, adamant, set, decided, staunch, bold, dogged,

undaunted, dauntless, persevering, persisting, persistent,

perseverant, pertinacious, tenacious, single-minded, dedicated,

devoted, bulldog, purposive, deliberate, inflexible, unwavering,

unshakeable or unshakable, unshaken, unflagging, untiring,

indefatigable, tireless, unfaltering, unhesitating, unhesitant,

unswerving, irreversible, undeviating, unchanging, changeless,

unchangeable, immutable, unalterable: We remain resolute in our

determination to end injustice.

resolution

n. 1 resolve, resoluteness, determination, purpose,

purposefulness, steadfastness, firmness, decidedness, decision,

staunchness, boldness, doggedness, dauntlessness, stubbornness,

obstinacy, perseverance, persistence, relentlessness,

pertinacity, tenacity, single-mindedness, dedication, devotion,

constancy, devotedness, deliberation, deliberateness,

inflexibility, inflexibleness, unshakeability or unshakability,

fixedness, indefatigability, indefatigableness, irreversibility,

changelessness, unchangeability, immutability, immutableness,

unalterability, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness: The boys showed

extraordinary resolution in deciding to continue despite the

hardships. 2 promise, commitment, pledge, word (of honour),

oath, vow, undertaking, obligation; intention: I find that my

New Year's resolutions last till about January 5th. 3 motion,

resolve, proposal, proposition, plan, suggestion, idea, notion;

determination, verdict, decision, judgement: The committee

votes today on the resolution to increase membership fees. 4

answer, answering, solution, solving, unravelling,

disentanglement, sorting out, explication; outcome, issue,

result, end (result): The resolution of a family problem is

seldom easy. Can there be a final resolution of the question of

a free market economy? 5 acutance, sharpness, precision,

accuracy, exactness, exactitude, fineness, discrimination,

detailing, distinguishability: The new optical system provides

for a much better resolution.

resolve v. 1 determine, decide, make up one's mind, agree, undertake,

settle, fix, conclude: When did you resolve to move to

Australia? Let us resolve never to let this happen again. 2 work

out, figure out, solve, clear up, answer: How have you resolved

the problem of looking after the cats while you are away? 3

adopt, pass, approve, decide: It was resolved that membership

fees should be raised. 4 resolve into. change into, convert

into, alter into, transform into, transmute into, metamorphose

into, be convert(ed) into, become, dissolve into, break down

into, liquefy into, disintegrate into, reduce to or into: O,

that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve

itself into a dew!

--n. 5 See resolution, 1, above. 6 See resolution, 2, above:

She kept her resolve never to marry again.

resonant adj. vibrating, vibrant, resounding, (re-)echoing,

reverberating, reverberant, pulsating, ringing, booming,

thundering, thunderous, loud: The resonant pealing of the bells

almost drove me mad.

resort n. 1 spa, retreat, Chiefly Brit watering-place: We go to a

lovely resort in the Alps every summer. 2 resource, backup,

reserve, refuge, place to turn, alternative, remedy: He will

see a doctor only as a last resort.

--v. 3 resort to. have recourse to, turn to, look to, fall back

on, repair to, take to, frequent, patronize, attend; visit,

haunt, hang out in: I have to resort to father for a small

loan. She was said to be resorting to the lowest dens in the

Casbah.

resound v. boom, resonate, ring (out), boom (out), (re-)echo,

reverberate, pulsate, thunder: The laughter resounded around

the entire office.

resource n. 1 Often, resources. initiative, ingenuity, talent,

inventiveness, imagination, imaginativeness, cleverness,

quick-wittedness, capability, resourcefulness, aptitude,

qualifications, strength, quality, forte, Colloq Brit gumption,

Slang guts: Has he the inner resources for the job that lies

ahead? 2 Often, resources. capital, assets, money, possessions,

wealth, property, cash, funds: She has sufficient resources to

retire at fifty if she wants to.

resourceful

adj. ingenious, inventive, imaginative, clever, Daedalian,

creative, skilful, smart, slick: Sylvia is resourceful enough

to get out of any situation.

respect n. 1 regard, consideration, admiration, esteem, (high) opinion,

appreciation: We have great respect for Samuel Simpson, our

president. 2 regard, consideration, courtesy, politeness,

civility, attentiveness, thoughtfulness, etiquette, deference,

reverence, veneration: Few treat Alastair with the respect he

deserves. 3 reference, relation, connection, comparison,

regard, bearing: What are they planning to do with respect to

the flooding? 4 detail, point, element, aspect, characteristic,

feature, quality, trait, particular, matter, attribute,

property: Describe the respects in which the War of American

Independence and the French Revolution were similar. 5 respects.

regards, good or best wishes, greetings, compliments, Formal

salutations, Formal or archaic devoirs: I went to pay my

respects to my aunt on her 90th birthday.

--v. 6 consider, admire, esteem, honour, appreciate, value,

defer to, pay homage to, think highly or well of, look up to,

revere, reverence, venerate: I am not sure that I like Mrs

Horne, but I certainly respect her for what she has done for the

poor. 7 heed, obey, show consideration or regard for, pay

attention to, attend to, be considerate or polite or courteous

to, defer to: Children are no longer taught to respect their

elders.

respectable

adj. 1 proper, demure, decorous, seemly, estimable, worthy,

dignified, decent, upright, honest, respected, genteel, refined,

reputable, above-board, unimpeachable, law-abiding: Patricia

Smythe is a very respectable member of the community. I'll have

you know that I run a respectable boarding house! 2 moderate,

appreciable, goodly, reasonable, fair, not inconsiderable,

considerable, tolerable, satisfactory, sizeable, good-sized,

substantial, not insignificant, significant, Colloq tidy: She

earns a respectable living. A respectable number of people

showed up. Climbing Annapurna, though it is not Everest, is a

respectable feat. 3 presentable, moral, decent, proper, modest,

chaste, innocent, pure, clean: The board decided that the film

is not respectable enough to be shown to schoolchildren.

respectful

adj. courteous, polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, mannerly,

civil, cordial, gentlemanly, ladylike, gracious, obliging,

accommodating, considerate, thoughtful: On entering, Captain

Gregory made a respectful bow to the ladies.

respective

adj. separate, individual, particular, pertinent, specific,

special, personal, own, relevant, corresponding, several: Each

retired to his respective room for the night. All of you know

your respective duties.

respectively

adv. separately, individually, singly, severally, mutatis

mutandis, each to each: Ron and Daniel are, respectively,

president and secretary of the association.

respite n. 1 interval, intermission, break, interruption, recess,

breather, rest; holiday, Chiefly US and Canadian vacation: I

haven't had a moment's respite since six o'clock this morning.

We are planning a brief respite from work in August. 2 pause,

delay, hiatus, stay, extension, reprieve, postponement: After a

ten-minute respite, the infernal noise began again.

respond v. 1 answer, reply, come back, return, react, reciprocate,

counter; rejoin, retort: When Sean insulted her, Una responded

with a slap to his face. I said, 'Good morning!' and Adrian

responded, 'What's good about it?' 2 Often, respond to. be

responsive (to), react (to), empathize (with), sympathize

(with), commiserate (with), feel for, pity, be affected or moved

or touched (by): Many respond to those charity appeals for the

crippled and disabled.

response n. answer, reply, retort, rejoinder; reaction, effect,

feedback, return, Colloq comeback: Whatever you say to Ronnie

Farrago, he always has a snappy response. The response to our

advertising has been quite good.

responsibility

n. 1 accountability, liability, chargeability, answerability,

obligation: Responsibility is one of the burdens a parent must

undertake. 2 charge, duty, onus, burden, trust, job, role,

task: Has Ted taken on more responsibilities than he can

handle? It is your responsibility to see that the children are

awakened in time for school. 3 blame, guilt, fault, culpability:

Professor Davies assumed full responsibility for the failure of

the experiment. 4 dependability, reliability, trustworthiness,

stability, accountability, creditability: Before accommodating

you with a loan, Mr Stokes, we must confirm your financial

responsibility.

responsible

adj. 1 accountable, answerable, liable, chargeable: The court

determined that she was not responsible for her actions. 2

reliable, trustworthy, dependable, stable, creditable,

accountable, ethical, honest: If teenagers can show that they

are sufficiently responsible, the bank will lend them money for

their enterprise. 3 executive, leading, authoritative,

administrative, important, decision-making, managerial,

directorial, principal, chief, top, US front-office: Oliver

played a responsible role in the running of the company. 4

guilty, to blame, at fault, culpable: We never found out who

was responsible for putting the frog in the teacher's desk.

responsive

adj. alert, alive, (wide-)awake, reactive, communicative,

sharp, keen, receptive, sensitive, open, sympathetic: I was

delighted to find students who were so responsive to the ideas

put forth in my lectures.

rest° n. 1 repose, sleep, nap, doze, siesta, slumber, Chiefly Brit

lie-down, Colloq forty winks, zizz, snooze; shut-eye: I think

I'll have a bit of a rest before dinner. 2 relaxation,

intermission, interval, interlude, entr'acte, rest period,

cessation, (tea or coffee) break, recess, breather,

breathing-spell, respite, time off, holiday, Chiefly US and

Canadian vacation: Why don't you take a rest for a while? 3

ease, relaxation, leisure, indolence, idleness, inactivity,

loafing, dozing: His well-deserved rest was disturbed by an

urgent request from Interpol to investigate a smuggling

operation. 4 prop, support, holder, brace, trestle, shelf,

bracket: Those old guns were too heavy to hold and fire without

using a rest. 5 come to rest. stop, end up, turn up, arrive:

The ball rolled down the slope and came to rest in a puddle.

--v. 6 (go to) sleep, doze, relax, take a rest, (take one's)

repose, lie down, recline, go or take to one's bed, take one's

ease, unwind, loll, languish, laze about, be idle, idle about,

lounge, (take a) nap, put one's feet up, Colloq take it easy,

snooze, count sheep, have a zizz, catch or grab some shut-eye,

get or take forty winks, US catch or log a few zees (Z's), Slang

Brit kip, doss down, hit the sack, hit the hay, US sack out:

Rest now - you'll feel better tomorrow. 7 reside, be situated,

be lodged, lie, be placed, hinge, be found, remain, stay: The

responsibility for passenger safety rests with the captain and

the crew. The blame for this fiasco rests on you. 8 place,

position, put, lay, set, lean, prop: Rest your head on my

shoulder. 9 lie, remain, stay: Can't you let the matter rest?

10 allay, calm, quiet, still, stay: Rest your fears - I shall

let nothing happen to you.

restý n. 1 remainder, balance; remains, remnants, leftovers, residue,

residuum, excess, surplus, overage: If you carry these bags,

I'll take the rest. Martin bought up all the best books and left

the rest for us.

--v. 2 (continue to) be, remain, keep on being: Rest assured,

the situation is bound to get easier as we go along.

restful adj. 1 relaxing, soothing, comforting, tranquillizing,

sedative, calming, sleep-inducing, hypnotic, soporific,

somnolent: Don't you find the sound of the waves restful? 2

tranquil, calm, peaceful, quiet, still, serene, pacific,

comfortable, relaxed, reposeful: After a hectic day in the

city, I was happy to return to the restful atmosphere of the

country.

restitution

n. 1 amends, compensation, redress, recompense, remuneration,

reparation, requital, indemnification, indemnity: It was agreed

that victims of the raids were entitled to restitution for what

had been taken from them. 2 restoration, return,

re-establishment, reinstatement, recovery: A commission is to

investigate the restitution of plundered property.

restive adj. See restless, below.

restless adj. restive, uneasy, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety,

nervous, skittish, excitable, highly-strung, high-strung, worked

up, agitated, fretful, jumpy, apprehensive, itchy, Colloq

jittery, Slang uptight, US antsy, hyper: The crowd in the

square were becoming restless as they waited for the speeches to

start.

restoration

n. 1 See restitution, 2, above. 2 renovation, refurbishment,

rehabilitation, renewal, repair, rejuvenation, reconstruction,

resurrection, reconversion, revival: The programme for the

restoration of ancient buildings suffers from lack of funding.

restore v. 1 give or hand back, return, make restitution, bring back:

We must restore to the people the land that is rightfully

theirs. 2 revive, rejuvenate, re-establish, renew, bring back,

give (someone) back, resuscitate, resurrect, rekindle,

reinvigorate, refresh, stimulate, revitalize, strengthen: Your

kindness has restored my faith in mankind. 3 renovate,

refurbish, renew, repair, rejuvenate, resurrect, revive,

reconstruct, rehabilitate, rebuild; mend, fix, retouch, touch

up; Colloq US fix up: They live in a 17th-century cottage that

has been lovingly restored. Antiques often lose their value

entirely if they are restored. 4 replace, reinstate, put back;

return, bring back: They said that they would not rest until

they had restored the rightful king on the throne. The doctor

said she would soon be restored to good health. 5 replace,

reimburse, repay, return, pay or put or give back: Even though

he has restored all the money he took, she refuses to forgive

him.

restrain v. 1 (keep under or in) control, (keep or hold in) check, hold

(back or in), curb, govern: A poor rider, he was unable to

restrain his horse. Something must be done to restrain the

general's power. 2 limit, restrict, inhibit, regulate, suppress,

repress, bar, debar, curtail, stifle, hinder, interfere with,

hamper, handicap: Trade between the two countries was

restrained because of tariff disputes. 3 (place under) arrest,

confine, imprison, incarcerate, detain, hold, lock up, jail or

Brit also gaol, shut in or up: For his most recent offence, he

was restrained for two months.

restraint n. 1 control, check, curb, rein, bridle, restriction,

constraint, limit, limitation, curtailment, taboo, ban,

interdict or interdiction, proscription, delimitation, bound(s),

embargo: The law places restraints on executives' buying and

selling shares in their own companies. In 1863, a bill for the

restraint of the press was brought before the House of Commons.

2 control, restriction, constraint, confinement; bondage, bonds,

fetters, shackles, handcuffs, gyves, bilboes, pinions, manacles,

ball and chain, strait-jacket, Colloq cuffs, bracelets: Despite

the restraints to his liberty, he felt a free man. He became

violent and had to be put under restraint. 3 control, reserve,

self-control, self-possession, poise, equanimity,

self-discipline, self-restraint: Heather Gorse exhibited

admirable restraint in remaining silent when teased her about

her name.

restrict v. limit, confine, bound, circumscribe, delimit, mark off,

demarcate, regulate; qualify, restrain, impede: Smoking is

allowed only in restricted areas. The opposition party said that

they would restrict the movement of heavy goods by road.

restriction

n. 1 condition, provision, proviso, qualification, stipulation:

One restriction is that purchasers of shares in the utility must

be resident in the UK. 2 See restraint, 1, above.

result n. 1 outcome, consequence, effect, end (result), fruit;

conclusion, upshot, issue, development, sequel, follow-up,

consequence, denouement or d‚nouement: It will take years to

evaluate the results of the new educational curriculum. As a

result of his speeding ticket, his driving licence was

suspended.

--v. 2 Often, result from. develop, emerge, follow, happen,

occur, come (about), come to pass, arise, evolve, be produced:

Severe burns can result from allowing children to play with

matches. The mixture that results may be highly volatile. 3

result in. end, conclude, culminate, terminate: The explosion

resulted in a heavy loss of life. The experience gained often

results in better safety devices.

resume v. continue, carry on, take up again, pick up (where one left

off): After prison, it is not easy to resume one's life where

it left off. When the audience quieted, the speaker resumed.

r‚sum‚ n. 1 summary, digest, abstract, synopsis, pr‚cis, outline,

review, recapitulation, epitome, Colloq run-down, recap: Give

me a r‚sum‚ of what went on at the board meeting. 2 curriculum

vitae, CV, summary, biography, work or job history, career

description, Formal prosopography, Colloq bio, US vita:

Suitably qualified candidates are invited to send their r‚sum‚s

to the address below.

resurgence

n. renaissance, renascence, rebirth, revival, reawakening,

restoration, renewal, resumption, return, resurrection,

regeneration, rejuvenation, new dawn, new birth: Simone is

banking her entire future on a resurgence of interest in

seventies' fashion.

resurrect v. revive, bring back, return, reawaken, restore (to life),

reintroduce, renew, regenerate, rejuvenate, raise (from the

dead), resuscitate, breathe new life into, reanimate,

reincarnate: Some antiquated law was resurrected in order to

prevent their using the land for grazing.

retain v. 1 keep (possession of), hold (on to), save, preserve, Colloq

hang on to: Retain the receipt in case you wish to exchange the

merchandise. 2 engage, hire, employ, commission, take on: We

have retained a caretaker to look after the estate. 3 hold,

absorb, contain, soak up, preserve: This type of soil retains

little water. 4 remember, keep or bear or have in mind, recall,

remain aware of, memorize, impress on the memory, recollect: As

he aged, he found it increasingly difficult to retain even the

simplest information such as names and dates.

retaliate v. repay, pay back (in kind), counter, strike back (at), take

revenge (on), wreak vengeance (on), revenge oneself (on),

avenge, reciprocate, settle a score (with); give a Roland for an

Oliver, give tit for tat, take an eye for an eye (and a tooth

for a tooth), give as good as one gets, give (someone) a taste

of his or her or their own medicine, pay (someone) back in his

or her own coin; Colloq get even (with), get back (at): After

government forces bombed their mountain headquarters, the

guerrillas retaliated by destroying bridges and railway lines.

retard v. 1 slow (down or up), hold up or back, set back, hinder,

impede, delay, keep back, stall, thwart, balk, block, restrict,

hold in check, frustrate, interfere with: Growth of the economy

was severely retarded by the war.

--n. 2 Offensive and derogatory idiot, moron, fool, imbecile,

dunce, Slang chiefly US and Canadian jerk: Why she invites that

retard to her parties I can't imagine.

reticent adj. quiet, shy, timid, retiring, reserved; taciturn, silent,

unresponsive, tight-lipped, unforthcoming: If you are proud of

your accomplishments, why be reticent about saying so? Colin is

reticent about how he acquired his gold earring.

retinue n. entourage, escort, convoy, cortŠge, company, train, suite,

followers, attendants, following, hangers-on, Colloq groupies:

The rock band arrived at the airport accompanied by a retinue of

flunkeys.

retire v. 1 withdraw, rusticate, go off or away, take off, retreat;

hibernate, aestivate or US estivate, seclude or sequester or

cloister oneself: I think I'll retire to some mountain-top to

finish my book. 2 stop or give up work(ing), be pensioned off,

(be) put out to grass or pasture, take the golden handshake, be

given the gold watch, go on social security, go on a pension, be

superannuated, go out of circulation: Gemma Frobisher has

retired from her job in the bakery, and is now living with her

daughter in Norfolk. 3 go or take to (one's) bed or bedroom, (go

to) sleep, lie down, (take one's) repose, (take a) nap, put

one's feet up, Colloq take it easy, snooze, count sheep, have a

zizz, catch or grab some shut-eye, get or take forty winks, US

catch or log a few zees (Z's), Slang hit the sack, sack out, hit

the hay, Brit kip, doss down: I usually retire around midnight.

retiring adj. shy, bashful, coy, demure, modest, diffident, timid,

unpretentious, unassuming, humble, self-effacing, timorous,

meek, reticent, reserved, unsocial, unsociable, aloof, removed,

standoffish, distant, reclusive, eremitic(al): Howard is of a

retiring disposition, preferring to keep to himself.

retort n. 1 response, reply, rejoinder, answer, riposte, rebuttal,

Colloq comeback: Faced with criticism of the novel, the

author's retort was a four-letter word.

--v. 2 fling or hurl back, rejoin, answer back, riposte, rebut,

counter, come back with, return, respond, answer, reply,

retaliate: 'And don't expect a Christmas present from me,

either!', she retorted vehemently.

retouch v. touch up, correct, restore, repair, recondition, refresh,

brush up, adjust, improve, finish, put the finishing touches on:

Only an expert restorer could have retouched the damaged

painting so skilfully.

retract v. 1 withdraw, pull or draw back: The instant he felt the

heat, he retracted his hand. 2 take back, withdraw, rescind,

revoke, repeal, deny, disavow, recant, renounce, abjure, cancel,

forswear, repudiate, disclaim, disown, reverse: If they refuse

to retract their statement, I shall sue them for libel.

retreat n. 1 retirement, withdrawal, pulling or falling or drawing

back, giving ground, evacuation, flight: The regiment's retreat

in the face of overwhelming odds is complete. 2 retirement,

seclusion, withdrawal, isolation, solitude, rustication: Since

her retreat from public life, she has devoted herself to

painting. 3 sanctuary, sanctum (sanctorum), refuge, shelter,

den, haven, asylum, resort, hideaway, hide-out: Antonia

insisted on having her own retreat where she could occasionally

escape from the children.

--v. 4 withdraw, decamp, run (away), turn tail, depart, give or

lose ground, pull or fall or draw back, retire, evacuate, flee,

take flight: We must retreat to the shelter of the hills, where

we can regroup. 5 ebb, draw or move back, recede: The waves,

constantly advancing and retreating across the pebbly strand,

lulled me to sleep.

retribution

n. vengeance, revenge, reprisal, retaliation, requital,

redress, quid pro quo, satisfaction, punishment, justice, just

deserts, recompense, compensation: It is a moral question

whether society's treatment of malefactors should be an act of

retribution or the setting of an example to others.

retrieve v. 1 bring or get (back), fetch, come back with: Simon trained

his dog to retrieve his slippers. 2 recover, save, rescue, take

back, recoup, regain, reclaim: I tried using a fishing line to

retrieve my hat from the lake. 3 make up, make amends for,

recover, cover, redeem, repay, pay for, return, get back,

regain, be repaid or reimbursed for: Will we be able to

retrieve our losses when we sell the business?

retrospect

n. hindsight, reconsideration, review, remembering,

afterthought, recollection, looking back: In retrospect, I am

not sure we did the right thing.

return v. 1 come or go back, revert, turn back: She is returning to

her old habits. I shall return to this subject later if I have

time. 2 come back, reappear, resurface, crop up again, turn or

show up again, put in an appearance again; recur, reoccur,

Colloq pop up again: Will he return before March? The symptoms

returned. 3 replace, put back, restore, give back, bring or

carry back: The missing books have mysteriously been returned.

4 exchange, bring back or carry back: You may return any

merchandise, for any reason, for refund or exchange, within ten

days of its purchase. 5 yield, earn, gain, profit, benefit:

Where else can you find a secure investment that returns more

than 15 per cent? 6 deliver, render, give, offer, turn in,

proffer, report: The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

--n. 7 recurrence, reappearance, repetition, renewal,

recrudescence, resurfacing, re-emergence: There was a return of

the symptoms when I stopped taking the medicine. 8 replacement,

replacing, restoration, restoring, restitution: We shall see to

the return of the stolen items to their rightful places. 9

Sometimes, returns. yield, earnings, profit, gain, benefit,

income, revenue, proceeds, interest, takings, results: The

return on my investment was almost 100 per cent! 10 arrival,

advent, coming, home-coming: A small crowd had gathered to

await his return. 11 reciprocity, reciprocation, repayment,

recompense, reimbursement, compensation, payment, reparation,

indemnity, indemnification, consideration, amends, redress,

requital: If I give you my bike, what will I get in return?

revamp v. overhaul, redo, recondition, renovate, repair, fix, do up,

refit, refurbish, restore, rehabilitate, US fix up: To bring it

into line with the 21st century, the constitution may need to be

revamped completely.

reveal v. expose, display, divulge, disclose, show; make known, let

on, let out, let it be known, let slip, communicate, give vent

to, air, ventilate, leak (out): The increasing light of dawn

revealed a no-man's-land of utter devastation. The book is said

to reveal everything you would prefer not to know about

factory-farming.

revel v. 1 Usually, revel in. (take) delight (in), take pleasure

(in), rejoice (in), luxuriate (in), bask (in), wallow(in), lap

up, crow (about or over), glory (in), savour, relish: Gavin

revelled in the news that his ex-wife was remarrying and he

would no longer have to pay her alimony. 2 make merry, carouse,

celebrate, cut loose, go on a spree, Colloq live it up, whoop it

up, make whoopee, whoop it up, paint the town red, party, Brit

push the boat out, Slang Brit have a rave or rave-up: The night

after exams finish, the students traditionally revel till dawn.

--n. 3 spree, party, merrymaking, debauch, carouse, festival,

fˆte, carousal, celebration, gala, ball, romp, fling, carnival,

jamboree, bacchanal, saturnalia: Everyone joined in the revels

on New Year's Eve, and had a good time.

revelation

n. news, information, proclamation, publication, bulletin,

communiqu‚, announcement, pronouncement, declaration, statement,

leak; admission, confession; discovery, unveiling, uncovering,

exposure, disclosure, expos‚: We were shocked at the revelation

that they had been married all these years. Scientists'

revelations about the depletion of the ozone layer are causing

widespread concern.

revelry n. merrymaking, fun, revelling, carousal, carousing, gaiety,

festivity, jollity, mirth, celebration, ball, high jinks or

hijinks, spree, Colloq partying, Slang Brit rave or rave-up:

The revelry went on into the wee hours of the morning.

revenge n. 1 vengeance, retaliation, reprisal, retribution,

vindictiveness, spitefulness, repayment, satisfaction: They

think he set fire to the place in revenge for having been

dismissed.

--v. 2 avenge, get even for, take revenge for, make reprisal

for, exact retribution or payment or repayment for: She was

seeking ways to revenge the murder of her brother. 3 revenge

oneself (on). settle a score or an old score (with), pay

(someone) back in his or her own coin, give a Roland for an

Oliver, give tit for tat, take an eye for an eye (and a tooth

for a tooth), punish, Colloq get, get even (with), give

(someone) his or her or their comeuppance, give (someone) a

taste of his or her or their own medicine: He found ways to

revenge himself on them for all that they had done to him.

revenue n. (gross) income, proceeds, receipts, return(s), yield,

interest, takings, net (income), gate; profits, gain, Colloq

chiefly US take: The revenue from the drugs operation must run

into billions.

revere v. adore, adulate, reverence, venerate, worship, idolize,

enshrine, sanctify, beatify, glorify, esteem, admire, respect,

honour: He was revered as the founding father of British

psychology.

reverence n. 1 honour, respect, esteem, admiration, glorification,

beatification, sanctification, idolization, worship, veneration,

adulation, adoration, homage, fealty, obeisance, deference, awe:

Their totalitarian discipline was able to succeed because of the

people's reverence for authority.

--v. 2 See revere, above.

reverie n. day-dream, fantasy, brown study, wool-gathering,

absent-mindedness; meditation, thought: I shouldn't disturb

Kevin - he's deep in a reverie.

reversal n. 1 reverse, turn-about, turn-round, U-turn, change,

volte-face, (complete) switch, Brit about-turn, US about-face:

This represents a reversal of former policy, doesn't it? 2 See

reverse, 8, below. 3 annulment, nullification, nulling,

cancellation, revocation, repeal, rescission: The present case

is an appeal against the reversal of an earlier judgement.

reverse adj. 1 opposite, contrary, inverse, converse; inverted, upside

down, mirror, reversed, backward: Now try turning the wheel in

the reverse direction. What appears on the retina is a reverse

image, which the brain inverts.

--v. 2 invert, overturn, turn upside down, turn topsy-turvy,

turn over, up-end; exchange, change, interchange, transpose:

Using your finger to keep the mercury from running out, reverse

the tube in the dish of mercury. Perhaps the car will start if

you reverse the leads to the battery. 3 overturn, overthrow,

upset, set aside, quash, override, annul, nullify, vacate,

abandon, revoke, negate, veto, declare null and void, disaffirm,

invalidate, cancel, repeal, rescind, overrule, countermand,

undo: The superior tribunal reversed the decision of the

lower-court judge. 4 alter, change, modify; renounce, recant,

take back: Reverse the polarity of the wiring. I reversed my

opinion after hearing her sing. 5 back up, move or go backwards

or US also backward, backtrack, Nautical make sternway: You

will be in the right spot if you reverse a yard or two.

--n. 6 opposite, contrary, converse, antithesis: Whatever she

tells you, I suggest you do the reverse. 7 back, rear, wrong

side, verso, underside; flip side, B-side; tail side: Read what

it says on the reverse. 8 set-back, disappointment, misfortune,

reversal, mishap, misadventure, trouble, problem, difficulty,

vicissitude, adversity, defeat; disaster, catastrophe, d‚bacle,

rout, Colloq washout: We suffered a temporary reverse or two in

business, but we're all right now. United suffered a humiliating

reverse against Wanderers in the cup last week.

revert v. return, come or go back, take or pick up again, lapse,

backslide, regress, relapse, retreat: He reverted to his old

beliefs about male superiority.

review v. 1 survey, examine, regard, look at, study, con, consider,

weigh, inspect, look over, scrutinize: Would you be good enough

to review the work of the new employees? She is coming to

review the troops this weekend. 2 re-examine, reconsider, go

over again, look at or over again, reassess: Billings reviewed

once more all the bad things he had done in his lifetime. 3

criticize, critique, assess, judge, evaluate, give one's opinion

of, comment on or upon, discuss: Who reviewed your latest book?

--n. 4 criticism, critique, review article, assessment,

judgement, evaluation, commentary, study, comment, notice: The

play received rave reviews from almost all the critics. 5

survey, examination, study, consideration, inspection, scrutiny,

analysis; reviewing, reading: After a detailed review of the

circumstances, we have decided to let you off easy this time,

Finnegan. 6 re-examination, reconsideration, rehashing or

rehash, post-mortem, reassessment, rethinking, rethink: Why do

you always insist on a review of all the bidding on every hand,

whenever we play bridge? 7 periodical, journal, magazine: Have

you read Stonehouse's article in the latest Birmingham Review?

8 parade, procession, array, cavalcade, march past, fly-past or

chiefly US flyover: A great naval review was held at Spithead.

revise v. 1 edit, emend, improve, correct, rectify, modify, revamp,

redact, rework, overhaul, update; rewrite: A revised edition of

the dictionary has been published every ten years. 2 alter,

change, amend: Since hearing him sing, I have been forced to

revise my taste in music.

revision n. editing, revising, emendation, improvement, correction,

rectification, modification, revamping, reappraisal,

re-examination, reinterpretation, reassessment, redaction,

reworking, overhaul, overhauling, updating, update; rewrite,

edition, version, rendition: Her revision of the text is based

on a newly discovered manuscript. The fourth revision will be

available next April.

revival n. 1 resurrection, resuscitation, renewal, restoration,

revitalization, resurfacing, return, returning: How much more

often we see the revival of out-moded fashions than the

introduction of new ideas! 2 rebirth, renaissance or renascence,

resurgence, awakening, quickening, reanimation: Do you regard

the current trend towards fundamentalism as a genuine revival of

religion? 3 recovery, improvement, increase, upsurge, upturn,

boost, upswing, advance, advancement, progress, rise,

escalation, Colloq pick-up, comeback: This week saw a revival

in the metals market.

revive v. 1 (re)awaken, wake (up), come or bring (a)round, waken,

resuscitate; recover, (re)gain consciousness: Dashing cold

water in his face revived him at once. I revived to find her

leaning over me. 2 reawaken, stir up again, renew, resume,

reopen, refresh: You can blame Andy for reviving the feud

between our families. 3 bring back, reactivate, renew,

resurrect, re-establish, resume, reopen, revitalize, breathe

life into, reinvigorate, rejuvenate: Perhaps we ought to revive

the practice of putting hooligans, vandals, and delinquents into

stocks in the market square.

revoke v. cancel, deny, invalidate, annul, declare null and void,

void, nullify, negate, repudiate, renounce, rescind, repeal,

recall, recant, quash, veto, set aside, abrogate, abolish,

withdraw, take back, retract: He warned that if they refused to

comply with local authority rulings he had the power to revoke

their licence.

revolt n. 1 rebellion, revolution, uprising, mutiny, insurrection,

coup d'‚tat, putsch, take-over: The council ordered the secret

police to suppress the revolt.

--v. 2 rebel, rise up, mutiny; protest, dissent: After years

of oppression, the people revolted and deposed their leaders. 3

repel, offend, disgust, shock, horrify, repulse, nauseate,

sicken: I was revolted by the poverty and sickness I saw in

that country.

revolting adj. disgusting, sickening, nauseating, nauseous,

stomach-turning, stomach-churning, vomit-provoking, sick-making,

foul, loathsome, abhorrent, horrid, horrible, nasty, vile,

obnoxious, repulsive, appalling, abominable, repellent,

offensive, objectionable, off-putting, beastly, gross, rotten,

rancid, inedible, disagreeable, unpleasant, Slang icky, yucky:

Rick served up some revolting mess for dinner and then took

offence when we didn't eat it.

revolution

n. 1 mutiny, revolt, rebellion, coup (d'‚tat), uprising,

insurgency, insurrection, putsch, take-over, overthrow: If the

government fails to ensure that the people have food, there will

be a revolution. 2 upheaval, cataclysm, transformation, (drastic

or radical or major) change, sea change, metamorphosis: Recent

successes of capitalism have sparked a revolution in the

political philosophies of communist nations. 3 rotation, turn,

orbit, circuit, spin, lap, round, cycle, circle, gyration;

wheel, whirl, pirouette: At each revolution of the gear (A ) ,

the ratchet (B ) moves one notch. The rapid revolutions of the

ice-skater dissolved her into a blur of colour.

revolutionary

adj. 1 mutinous, rebellious, insurgent, insurrectionist,

insurrectionary, radical, rebel, seditious, subversive: They

had dreamed for years of the revolutionary overthrow of the

government. 2 novel, innovative, creative, new, different,

original, avant-garde: The firm hopes that its revolutionary

new product will make a clean sweep in the market-place.

--n. 3 rebel, mutineer, insurgent, insurrectionist,

insurrectionary, revolutionist, sansculotte or sansculottist,

anarchist, radical, extremist, terrorist: In his younger days

at university, Charles fancied himself a revolutionary, without

quite knowing what he might rebel against.

revolve v. 1 spin, turn, pivot, rotate, gyrate, whirl, twirl, reel,

wheel, go (a)round, circle, cycle, orbit; swivel: As the earth

revolves on its axis, the moon revolves round the earth. 2 turn,

depend, pivot, rely: His decision to buy a new car revolves on

his finances. 3 turn over (in one's mind), ponder, weigh,

consider, meditate upon or on, think about, reflect upon or on,

ruminate over or on, chew over, contemplate: I have been

revolving in my mind your most attractive proposal, but I regret

I must turn it down.

revolver n. pistol, gun, side-arm, firearm, Chiefly US and Canadian

handgun, Colloq US six-gun, six-shooter, Slang US rod, gat,

roscoe, piece, Saturday-night special, shooting-iron: How do

you explain the fact that your fingerprints were found on the

revolver with which she was shot?

revulsion n. loathing, detestation, disgust, repugnance, abomination,

abhorrence, aversion, hatred, antipathy, odium, execration: I

cannot describe the revulsion I felt at seeing those elephants

slaughtered for their ivory.

reward n. 1 award, favour, recompense, compensation, return, payment,

pay, requital: For your good deeds you will have to seek your

reward in heaven; dishonesty is recompensed here on earth. 2

prize, award, tribute, honour, Literary guerdon: The Victoria

Cross was instituted as a reward for military valour in 1856. 3

retribution, punishment, just deserts, Colloq comeuppance:

Hanging was the reward of treason.

--v. 4 recompense, compensate, pay, repay, remunerate, redress,

requite, make (something or it) worth someone's while: Only if

they reward him will Fuller give information leading to the

capture of the thief.

rewarding adj. satisfying, gratifying, worthwhile, enriching, enriched,

fruitful, worthwhile; profitable, advantageous, productive,

gainful: Laurence says that his most rewarding experience has

been seeing his children again.

reword v. paraphrase, rephrase, put into different words, put another

way, express differently, revise, recast, rewrite: Perhaps if

you reworded your request in politer terms it might get more

sympathetic consideration.

18.3 rhapsodic...

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rhapsodic adj. rhapsodical, ecstatic, enthusiastic, elated, overjoyed,

effusive, rapturous, thrilled, blissful, transported, orgasmic,

intoxicated, euphoric, walking on air, delighted, intoxicated,

happy as a sandboy, happy as a pig in clover, (sitting) on top

of the world, Brit in the seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven,

happy as a cow in clover, Taboo slang US happy as a pig in shit:

What kind of society have we that is scornful of intellect and

rhapsodic about celebrities?

rhetoric n. 1 eloquence, expressiveness, elocution, way with words,

Colloq gift of the gab: His rhetoric, though it defied

analysis, exactly reflected the emotions of the Labour movement.

2 bombast, bluster, fustian, rodomontade, grandiloquence,

magniloquence, oratory, windiness, high-flown poppycock,

wordiness, sesquipedality, verbosity, prolixity,

long-windedness, turgidity, flatulence, gasconade, Colloq hot

air, puffery: Her threats are mere rhetoric and I refuse to

take notice of them.

rhetorical

adj. 1 stylistic, linguistic, poetic, expressive, oratorical:

Zeugma, hysteron proteron, and anacoluthon are all terms for

rhetorical devices. 2 artificial, contrived, for effect,

unanswerable, not literal: The question, 'Why don't you drop

dead', was purely rhetorical. 3 pretentious, bombastic,

flamboyant, extravagant, florid, fustian, high-flown, inflated,

grandiose, euphuistic, turgid, grandiloquent, magniloquent,

long-winded, windy, orotund, wordy, prolix, sesquipedalian,

Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin: The rhetorical style of

Crampton's parliamentary speeches appear to be doing the party

more harm than good.

rhyme n. 1 rime, poem, poetry, verse, versification, metrical

composition, song: The art of rhyme may well be coincident with

the earliest stages of language. 2 rhyme or reason. (common)

sense, logic, intelligence, meaning, wisdom, rationality,

rationale, soundness, organization, structure: There appears to

be no rhyme or reason behind the bombing of the library.

rhythm n. tempo, beat, cadence or cadency, throb, throbbing, accent,

accentuation, time, timing, stress or rhythmic(al) pattern,

measure, metre, pulse, lilt, Music downbeat, thesis, upbeat,

arsis: The song is in samba rhythm.

rhythmic adj. rhythmical, measured, cadenced, throbbing, pulsing,

pulsating, regular, steady, beating: The rhythmic sound of the

waves soon sent me to sleep.

18.4 ribaldry...

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ribaldry n. vulgarity, immodesty, indelicacy, indecency, coarseness,

bawdiness, earthiness, wantonness, raciness, naughtiness,

shamelessness, lustfulness, rakishness, rascality,

dissoluteness, lubricity, lasciviousness, looseness, scurrility

or scurrilousness, lewdness, salaciousness, licentiousness,

grossness, offensiveness, rankness, rudeness, smuttiness, smut,

dirt, filth, foulness, obscenity: The ribaldry of some of

Chaucer's tales makes them not altogether suitable for

schoolchildren.

rich adj. 1 wealthy, affluent, prosperous, well-to-do, well off,

well provided for, opulent, moneyed, in clover, on velvet,

Colloq flush, loaded, on Easy Street, rolling in it or money or

wealth, in the chips or the dough or the money, well-heeled, US

well-fixed: A year ago Montmorency was a rich man, but that was

before Blue Thursday on the Stock Exchange. 2 Sometimes, rich

in. abundant (in), overflowing (with), fertile (in), fecund

(in), productive (of), copious (in), abounding in, well supplied

(with), well stocked (with), rife (with), replete (with),

profuse (in or with): The rich prairie land was soon yielding

abundant harvests. The surrounding mountains were rich in

minerals of all kinds. 3 valuable, precious, invaluable,

priceless: For centuries the islanders have enjoyed the rich

bounty of the seas. The thieves who broke into the vaults got a

rich haul. 4 costly, expensive, dear, valuable, invaluable,

precious, priceless, lavish, sumptuous, lush, luxurious,

palatial, elaborate, splendid, exquisite, superb, elegant: The

caravans returned laden with rich treasures of the Orient -

silks, jewels, spices, rare woods, and other luxuries. 5

intense, dark, deep, warm, vibrant, strong, lustrous: At the

rajah's court the rich colours of the carpets and hangings

dazzle the eye. 6 fat, fattening, heavy, creamy, succulent,

savoury, mouth-watering, luscious, sapid, delicious: When Vicky

complained that her sweet was too rich, Arthur ate hers, too. 7

mellow, mellifluous, resonant, sonorous, full: Edgar's rich

basso filled the cavernous amphitheatre. 8 aromatic, ambrosial,

savoury, fragrant, redolent, pungent, strong: The house was

filled with the rich odour of freshly made coffee. 9

productive, plentiful, abundant, ample, bountiful, prolific,

fruitful, fertile, fecund, copious, profitable, potent: The

letters proved a rich source of intimate details about their

private life. 10 laughable, funny, hilarious, comic(al),

humorous, amusing, Colloq side-splitting: He had many rich

anecdotes to relate about the practical jokes they used to play

on one another. 11 ridiculous, preposterous, outlandish,

ludicrous, absurd, nonsensical: One particularly rich episode

involved a chimpanzee.

riches n.pl. wealth, affluence, opulence, plenty, prosperity,

abundance, fortune, means, resources; lucre, pelf: It was

rumoured that the family had acquired its apparently endless

riches in the slave trade, in the 18th century.

richly adv. 1 sumptuously, lavishly, luxuriously, splendidly,

elaborately, exquisitely, elegantly, superbly: The flat was

richly appointed with Chinese antiques, thick oriental carpets,

and silk hangings. 2 well, thoroughly, amply, fully,

appropriately, fittingly, condignly: Shirley's work was at last

given the recognition it so richly deserved.

rickety adj. wobbly, unsteady, broken-down, decrepit, shaky, tottering,

teetering, ramshackle, flimsy, frail, precarious, dilapidated,

in disrepair, tumbledown, unsecure: Don't put such a heavy lamp

on that rickety table!

rid v. 1 rid of. deliver from, relieve of, free from or of, rescue,

save: What can we do to rid ourselves of that appalling smell?

--adj. 2 be or get rid of. banish, exile, eject, expel, dispose

of, throw out or away, eliminate, dispense with; refuse, reject,

dismiss, shrug off: If she had wanted to be rid of him, she

would have divorced him long ago. I am having a spot of bother

trying to get rid of my old car: nobody wants to buy it.

-ridden adj. afflicted or harassed or affected or dominated by,

infected or infested with: They were shocked when they first

came to this drought-ridden province of Northern Ethiopia. Only

foreign aid can salvage the debt-ridden economy of this state.

riddle° n. conundrum, puzzle, enigma, poser, question, mystery,

problem, brain-teaser or Brit brain-twister: The cracker

contained a whistle, paper hat, and the inevitable riddle.

riddleý v. 1 perforate, pepper, puncture, pierce, honeycomb: The back

of the bookcase was riddled with tiny worm-holes. 2 penetrate,

infest, infect, pervade, permeate, fill, spread: An

investigation revealed that the entire department was riddled

with corruption.

--n. 3 sieve, colander or cullender, strainer, grating, screen,

sifter, filter: He shovelled the dirt through the riddle to

sift out the larger stones.

ride v. 1 sit on or in, travel or journey or go or proceed on or in,

be borne or carried or conveyed (on or in), take; propel or

control or drive (a horse or a bicycle or a motor cycle): They

ride the bus to work each day. The film began with a witch

riding a broomstick. Do you know how to ride a motor bike? 2

float, lie: The yacht is riding at anchor off Portsmouth. 3

tyrannize, terrorize, intimidate, dominate, oppress; bully, rag,

harry, harass, hector, nag, provoke, heckle, badger, plague,

pester, annoy, irritate, Colloq hassle: He has been ridden by

obsessive ambition all his life.

--n. 4 drive, journey, trip, excursion, tour, jaunt, outing,

expedition, Colloq spin: Let's go for a ride in the country! 5

take for a ride. a delude, swindle, trick, deceive, defraud,

humbug, defraud, gull, take in, cheat, bamboozle: Those

tricksters with the loaded dice certainly took Charlie for a

ride last night! b (kidnap and) murder or kill or execute or do

in, Slang bump off, US (snatch and) rub out or waste: They said

that if he identified them, they would take him for a ride.

ridge n. crest, line, strip, top edge, arˆte: The mountain ridge was

partly obscured by clouds.

ridicule n. 1 derision, deriding, jeer, jeering, taunt, taunting,

mockery, mocking, gibe or jibe, gibing or jibing, raillery,

Colloq ribbing, US and Canadian razzing, joshing: Nick was

often subjected to ridicule because of his outlandish clothes.

--v. 2 deride, jeer at, taunt, tease, mock, gibe or jibe, guy,

chaff, laugh at, caricature, poke fun at, make fun or sport of,

lampoon, burlesque, travesty, parody, make a laughing-stock

(of), Colloq rib, roast, Brit send up, take the mickey out of,

US and Canadian razz, josh: In a democracy, it is an

inalienable right of the people to ridicule their leaders and

government.

ridiculous

adj. absurd, laughable, preposterous, weird, comical, funny,

humorous, ludicrous, farcical, droll, amusing, mirthful,

hilarious, side-splitting, risible; silly, inane, nonsensical,

foolish, stupid, outlandish, bizarre, grotesque, queer, crazy,

insane, zany, wild, Slang far-out: You look absolutely

ridiculous in that outfit! Where did she ever get the ridiculous

notion that she would marry a prince?

riff-raff n. rabble, hoi polloi, ragtag and bobtail, scum, canaille,

masses, dregs (of society), Colloq great unwashed: I am shocked

that you continue your membership in a club to which riff-raff

like Trevor Barnes belong.

rifle v. 1 rob, loot, ransack, plunder, despoil, burgle, pillage, US

burglarize: We caught the man who had rifled the till. 2

search, ransack, go through, rummage through: She rifled

through the files till the will was found.

rift n. 1 separation, break, split, schism, cleft, gulf, gap;

disagreement, conflict, disruption, difference, breach,

break-up, division, distance, alienation: The continued

bitterness served only to intensify the rift between them. 2

tear, rent, opening, hole, crack, chink, crevice, cleavage,

fracture, flaw, fault: Water was pouring through an

ever-widening rift in the dam.

rig v. 1 Often, rig out or up. fit (out or up), equip, set up,

outfit, supply, provision, accoutre or US also accouter,

caparison, set up, Chiefly Brit kit out: Good Sports was the

shop that rigged us out completely for our Himalayan climbing

expedition. 2 falsify, manipulate, doctor, juggle, fix, tamper

with, fake, Colloq fiddle (with), cook: The accountants rigged

the books to make the company appear profitable enough to merit

a bank loan.

--n. 3 equipment, equipage, gear, tackle, apparatus, outfit,

kit, accoutrements or US also accouterments, paraphernalia,

appurtenances, Colloq things, stuff: It cost a fortune to

transport his diving rig by plane.

right adj. 1 just, moral, good, proper, correct, legal, lawful,

licit, honest, upright, righteous, virtuous, ethical, fair,

true, honourable, right-minded, principled, open, above-board:

There is no doubt in my mind that Simon can be relied on to do

the right thing. 2 correct, fitting, suitable, proper, accurate,

exact, precise, perfect; factual, truthful, veracious, valid,

sound, Colloq Brit bang on, spot on: Have you bought the right

kind of nail to go into plaster? Jennie had nine right answers

out of ten. How many of yours are right? 3 propitious,

convenient, strategic, advantageous, beneficial, favourable,

auspicious, preferred, preferable, promising: It is critical

for the mixture to reach the boiling point at exactly the right

time. 4 sound, sane, normal, rational, lucid, healthy: Is she

right in the head, letting him drive in his condition? 5

right-hand, dextral, dexter, Nautical starboard: In the United

Kingdom, drivers sit on the right side. 6 rightist, right-wing,

conservative, reactionary, Tory: The right wing of the liberal

party is not so very different from the left wing of the

conservatives. 7 face, upper, principal, front: Have you laid

the tablecloth right side up? 8 utter, complete, perfect,

unmitigated, unalloyed, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,

24-carat or esp. US 24-karat, dyed in the wool, pure, absolute,

real, Brit proper: I've been a right idiot not to realize that

he loved only her.

--n. 9 privilege, prerogative, licence, power, claim, title,

freedom, liberty: We must allow nothing to interfere with our

democratic rights, such as our right to vote. 10 justice,

reason, fact, truth, fairness, equity, good, goodness,

integrity, virtue, virtuousness, honesty, honourableness,

morality, propriety, rectitude, right-mindedness,

high-mindedness, nobility, uprightness: He believes that he has

right on his side. 11 right side or hand or fist, Nautical

starboard: She stood on his right. She gave him a quick right

to the jaw. 12 by rights. properly, fairly, justly, to be just,

to be fair, in fairness, honestly, in all honesty, to be honest:

By rights, because I paid for it, the house is mine.

--adv. 13 directly, straight, straightaway, right away or off,

in a beeline, as the crow flies, forthwith; unhesitatingly,

immediately, promptly, at once, instantly, without hesitating or

hesitation, without delay, quickly, swiftly, speedily, Colloq

pronto, straight off: The minute he walked into the room, he

went right to the wall-safe. Please come over right now. 14

exactly, precisely, unerringly, accurately; just: She hung the

paintings right where they belonged. 15 just, only: I stopped

right now - when you walked in. 16 well, satisfactorily,

advantageously, profitably, favourably, opportunely: I hope

that everything turns out right for you. 17 correctly,

accurately, properly, precisely, well, sensibly, fittingly,

suitably, aptly: If you can't do it right, why bother doing it

at all!

--v. 18 straighten (up or out), set upright or aright: I

righted all the chairs the children had knocked over. 19 put or

set or make right, put or set to rights, correct, straighten

out, redress, amend, make up for, rectify, sort out, repair,

fix: She has always felt that her mission in life was to right

wrongs. 20 avenge, retaliate for, vindicate, repay, revenge,

settle, Colloq get even for: Langdon swore that he would right

the injury done to his father's name.

righteous adj. 1 moral, just, virtuous, upstanding, upright, good,

honest, ethical, honourable, fair, reputable, trustworthy: He

insists that his father was a righteous man who had been

unjustly accused. 2 right, correct, justifiable, justified,

appropriate, condign, fitting, apt, self-righteous: Her

righteous indignation at being criticized stems from her

overweening pride.

rightful adj. 1 legal, lawful, legitimate, licit, de jure, correct,

proper, bona fide, valid, true, authorized, right: If the deed

is in his name, then he is the rightful owner. 2 just, fair,

equitable, right: Emily has supported rightful causes all her

life.

rigid adj. 1 stiff, unbending, unbendable, firm, hard, strong: Are

those brackets rigid enough to support such a heavy shelf? 2

inflexible, inelastic, unyielding, undeviating, unalterable,

set, firm, hard, adamant, hard-line, unbending, adamantine,

steely, iron, strong, uncompromising, rigorous, unrelenting,

intransigent, stringent, severe, strict, rigorous, stern, harsh,

austere: Frank is known to favour rigid discipline in the

classroom. 3 rigorous, exact, precise, unwavering, unqualified,

unswerving, undeviating, demanding, strict, hard and fast,

literal, nice, close, thorough, scrupulous, careful,

conscientious, painstaking, meticulous, punctilious, exacting,

strait-laced: Rigid observance of the regulations produced the

desired results. Pinwell's rigid parsimony met little favour

from his family. 4 obstinate, stubborn, pigheaded, inflexible,

immovable, adamant, adamantine, fixed, set, obdurate, wilful,

headstrong, dogged, persevering, determined, resolute,

steadfast, resolved, tenacious, relentless, unrelenting,

uncompromising, unadaptable, mulish, close-minded: Candida

remained rigid in her opposition to birth control.

rigmarole n. rigamarole, motions, complication(s), formalities, red tape,

bureaucracy, punctilio, ceremoniousness, ceremony, ritual,

procedure, mess, mumbo-jumbo, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,

bunkum or buncombe, bother, balderdash, rubbish, nonsense,

foolishness, Colloq hassle, bunk, Slang crap, US meshugaas or

mishegaas: Why must one go through such a rigmarole just to get

a driving licence?

rigour n. 1 Usually, rigours. severity, harshness, hardship,

inhospitableness, bleakness, inclemency or inclementness,

bitterness, cold: I am not sure that my grandmother can endure

the rigours of another Scottish winter. 2 strictness, rigidity,

precision, preciseness, punctilio, literalness, exactness,

meticulousness, stringency, inflexibility, rigorism, harshness,

severity, hardship, asperity, austerity, sternness: If you work

with radioactive materials, safety regulations must be observed

with rigour. The rigour of monastic life has toughened him over

the years.

rim n. edge, brim, lip, border, periphery, perimeter: To make a

margarita, you first coat the rim of a cocktail glass with

coarse salt.

rind n. peel, skin, husk: Cut the thin outer part of the rind of a

lemon into thin strips and soak them in brandy.

ring° n. 1 loop, hoop, band, circle, ringlet, circlet, annulus,

grommet, eyelet, quoit, noose, cincture, belt, girdle, cestus or

cestos, border, halo, aureole, nimbus, corona, cuff, collar,

necklace, neckband, bandeau, fillet, bracelet, armlet, torque or

torc, crown, coronet, tiara, diadem, (laurel-)wreath, garland,

Mechanics gland, bearing, US and Canadian bushing or Brit also

bush, washer, O-ring, Nautical thimble, Architecture and

heraldry annulet, Literary roundlet, Anatomy cingulum: The

rings brought up from the wreck of the ancient Greek trading

vessel are worth a great deal. 2 rink, enclosure, arena, circus,

bullring, Spanish plaza de toros, boxing ring: I would no

sooner get into the ring with him than with a bull! 3 circle,

organization, gang, band, pack, cell, team, crew, confederacy,

confederation, combination, cartel, mob, bloc, coterie, set,

clan, clique, fraternity, brotherhood, sorority, sisterhood,

guild, (secret) society, junta or junto, cabal, faction, group,

league, alliance, federation, coalition, union, affiliation,

camorra, camarilla, Bund: She was running an international ring

of jewel thieves who worked only in the most exclusive resorts.

--v. 4 encircle, surround, bind, gird, girt, circle; loop,

compass, envelop, encompass, embrace: The swimming-pool is

ringed with dense shrubbery. After the vase is fired, I intend

to ring the base with a gold band.

ringý v. 1 peal, chime, toll, knell, tintinnabulate, ding-dong, gong,

sound, resonate, resound, echo, re-echo, reverberate; clang,

jangle; tinkle, clink, jingle, ding-a-ling, ring-a-ding-ding,

Archaic or dialect knoll: The bells rang out their joyous

announcement of peace on earth. 2 telephone, ring up, phone,

call, give (someone) a ring, Colloq (give (someone) a) buzz,

give (someone) a tinkle, get (someone) on the blower or horn, US

(give (someone) a) jingle: I'll ring you when I am next in

town.

--n. 3 ringing, peal, pealing, chime, chiming, toll, tolling,

tintinnabulation, knell, sounding, resonating, echo, echoing,

re-echo, re-echoing, reverberation, reverberating; clang,

clanging, jangle, jangling; tinkle, tinkling, clink, clinking,

jingle, jingling, ding-a-ling, ring-a-ding-ding, Archaic or

dialect knoll: I couldn't hear the ring at the door because the

water was running. 4 (telephone or phone) call, Colloq buzz,

tinkle, US jingle: Don't forget to give your mother a ring on

Sunday.

rinse v. 1 wash (out or off), wash up, clean, cleanse, bathe, drench,

flood, flush, irrigate, Chiefly Brit swill (out), Literary lave:

Use plenty of fresh water to rinse all the soap out of the

clothes. 2 tint, dye, touch up, highlight: The hairdresser

rinsed a little blue into Martine's greying hair.

--n. 3 rinsing, wash, washing, bath, bathing, cleaning,

cleansing, ablution, drenching, flood, flushing, irrigation,

Medicine lavage, Literary laving: The softening agent should be

added in the final rinse. 4 tint, dye: I had no idea that she

used a rinse - I thought her hair was naturally reddish.

riot n. 1 rioting, riotous behaviour, disturbance, uproar, tumult,

turmoil, (civil) disorder, lawlessness, hubbub, rumpus,

turbulence, fracas, fray, affray, mˆl‚e or melee, pandemonium,

Donnybrook, brawl, row, unrest, commotion, bother, imbroglio,

outburst, anarchy, disruption, violence, strife, Colloq ruckus,

ruction, to-do, do, Brit bovver, punch-up: The government is

unable to quell the food riots, which have become more frequent

and more violent. 2 funny person or woman or man, comedian or

comedienne, hilarious event or bit or shtick or thing or piece

of business, Colloq gas, US panic, laugh-riot: Benny's closing

routine with the model is an absolute riot.

--v. 3 mount the barricades, take to the streets, rebel,

revolt, create or cause a disturbance, brawl, fight, (go on the

or US also a) rampage, run riot, storm: The prisoners rioted to

protest against the crowded conditions.

riotous adj. 1 tumultuous, unrestrained, wild, noisy, uncontrolled,

uncontrollable, unmanageable, chaotic, disorderly, disordered,

lawless, turbulent, violent, brawling, obstreperous: The

headmaster warned that he would not tolerate such riotous

behaviour. 2 rowdy, boisterous, unruly, uproarious, rollicking,

roisterous, wild, rumbustious, unrestrained, uninhibited,

Archaic robustious, Colloq rambunctious, no-holds-barred:

Bernard's retirement party was certainly a riotous affair.

rip v. 1 tear (apart or asunder), rend, be torn or rent, split, cut

(apart): I ripped my trousers on that nail. The paper ripped

because you yanked it out of my hand. 2 rip off. a steal,

purloin, rob, snatch, pilfer, filch, take, shoplift, Colloq

pinch, Brit nick, Slang lift, swipe, US boost, promote: They

broke into my car and ripped off my tape deck. b cheat,

swindle, trick, fleece, bilk, dupe, deceive; defraud, embezzle,

Colloq con, bamboozle, Slang skin, gyp, rook: A smooth couple

got œ100 by using the old 'stuffed wallet' trick to rip me off.

--n. 3 tear, rent, split, gash, slash; rift, cleft, rupture:

The vandals tore a foot-long rip in the top of my new

convertible.

ripe adj. 1 mature, matured, seasoned, (fully) grown,

(well-)ripened, developed, mellow, ready, fit, US (fully) aged,

well-aged: The grapes are ripe for picking. 2 prepared, ready,

fit, appropriate, experienced, veteran, seasoned, sage, wise,

sophisticated, mature, informed, qualified, dependable,

reliable: Henry is ripe in judgement and understanding. 3 ripe

for. a timely, opportune, propitious, favourable, auspicious,

ideal, right, suitable, apt, proper, suitably advanced: Is the

time yet ripe for another revival of Heartbreak House ? b

ready, eager, enthusiastic, prepared, fit, ready, in readiness:

The mob is ripe for revolt.

ripen v. develop, mature, age, season, maturate, bring or come to

maturity; perfect: The peaches need another day to ripen.

rip-off n. 1 stealing, purloining, robbing, pilfering, taking,

filching, pilferage, theft, robbery, larceny; shoplifting,

Colloq pinching, Brit nicking, Slang lifting, swiping, US

boosting: The rip-off of books from the library is a disgrace.

2 swindle, confidence trick, swindling, cheating, cheat, fraud,

deception, defrauding, defalcation; embezzlement, Colloq con

(job or trick): A husband-and-wife team are being sought for

executing a rip-off of thousands from the Outland Bank using a

forged letter of credit. 3 overcharging, exploitation, Colloq

highway or chiefly Brit daylight robbery: It's a rip-off to

charge two pounds for something that costs only three pence to

make.

ripping adj. Rather archaic fine, splendid, marvellous, excellent,

exciting, thrilling, stirring, spine-tingling: Buchan and Henty

and Haggard all wrote ripping adventure novels.

ripple n. 1 wavelet, wave, ruffle, ruffling, cat's-paw, purl, purling,

undulation, US riffle, riffling: There wasn't even the

slightest breath of air to cause a ripple on the mirror-like

surface of the lake. 2 (slight) disturbance, upset,

perturbation, agitation, flurry, flutter, suggestion, hint,

soup‡on: The divorce occasioned only a ripple of dissent in the

royal family.

--v. 3 ruffle, purl, undulate, wave; splash, wash, US riffle:

I sat musing, watching the water ripple over the stones in the

brook.

rise v. 1 get up, arise, stand (up), get to one's feet, Brit be

upstanding: All rise when the judge enters the court. 2 get

up, arise, awaken, waken, wake up, start or begin the day,

Nautical or colloq hit the deck, Colloq turn out: We usually

rise at about six o'clock. 3 ascend, be elevated, arise, climb,

lift, go up, mount: The smoke slowly, almost furtively, rose

from the camp-fire into the still night air. The morning star

can be seen tomorrow rising in the sky just before dawn. Some of

those skyscrapers rise to a height of 110 storeys. 4 Often, rise

(up) (against). rebel, revolt, mutiny, kick over the traces,

take up arms, mount the barricades, take to the streets: If the

food shortages persist, the people are sure to rise up and

overthrow the present regime. 5 swell, flood, increase, grow;

wax: Owing to the heavy rains, the river is rising rapidly. 6

slant or incline or slope (upwards), ascend, climb, go uphill:

The path rises steeply just beyond the cwm. 7 fly, take flight,

take wing, take to the air, take off, arise, lift, climb, soar,

mount: At the roar of the gun, tens of thousands of flamingoes

rose from the lakes. 8 advance, improve one's lot or position,

progress, get ahead, go or get somewhere, succeed, make

something of oneself, be promoted, prosper, thrive, make good,

Colloq make it, make the grade, go places: Fielding could well

have risen in the company had his attitude been different. 9

start, begin, originate, arise, occur, happen, take place: I

cannot explain how so much bad feeling rose between us. 10

increase, be elevated or lifted or boosted, grow, go up, move

upwards, climb, escalate, ascend, snowball: When interest rates

rise, they contribute to the inflation that raising them was

supposed to reduce. 11 arise, be nurtured, be produced, be

generated, be created, spring up, be engendered: The feelings

that rose within him were spurred on by sheer hatred of the man.

12 rise to. a arise, come up, meet, be equal to, prove adequate

to: If you need a good man, you can count on Michael to rise to

the occasion. b come to get, take, swallow, react to, respond

to, succumb to, be tempted by: Sue rose to the bait of a

company car and accepted our offer.

--n. 13 ascent, hill, hillock, knoll, eminence, prominence,

elevation, upland, highland, (upward) slope or incline,

acclivity, US upgrade: As we climbed a slight rise, we saw the

mountains gleaming in the distance. 14 increase, increment,

gain, addition: In return for only a slight rise in wages, they

are being asked to take on much more responsibility. 15 ascent,

ascension, elevation, flight, climb, take-off: The balloon's

rise was suddenly halted when the basket caught in a tree. 16

get or Brit also take a rise out of (someone). provoke,

stimulate, incite, instigate, foment, goad, encourage, press,

push, shake up, waken, awaken, move, motivate, activate,

agitate, stir (up), inflame, impassion: We finally got a rise

out of Sidney by threatening to charge him for cleaning his

room. 17 give rise to. start, engender, generate, begin,

commence, produce, bring out, cause, bring about, bring into

being: We never discovered what gave rise to Tom's dislike of

dogs.

risk n. 1 danger, peril, jeopardy, hazard, chance, gamble: I would

take up skydiving, but my mother won't let me because of the

risk.

--v. 2 endanger, imperil, jeopardize, hazard, chance, gamble:

Would you really risk all your money on one roll of the dice?

risky adj. dangerous, perilous, hazardous, chancy, touch-and-go,

precarious, Colloq iffy, dicey, dodgy, touchy: Futures trading

is a very risky business, as many have discovered to their

dismay.

risqu‚ adj. indelicate, unrefined, indecorous, indecent, improper,

broad, naughty, spicy, salty, off colour, racy, bawdy, erotic,

suggestive, wicked, blue, ribald, daring, salacious, gross,

Colloq Brit near the knuckle: Some of those photographs of

beauty contest queens are pretty risqu‚.

rite n. ceremony, ritual, ceremonial, observance, formality, custom,

practice, routine, procedure, solemnity, solemnization, liturgy:

This weekend I have to perform the annual rite of having tea

with great-aunt Elizabeth at the Ritz.

ritual adj. 1 ceremonial, ceremonious, sacramental: The celebrants

undergo ritual washing before preparing the sacrifice. 2

procedural, formal, conventional, customary, habitual, routine,

prescribed, usual, automatic, perfunctory: Each time they meet,

Harold and Bill have to go through a ritual handshaking routine

- a hangover from their school-days, I think.

--n. 3 formality, routine, custom, practice, convention,

protocol: If everyone goes through this tea-drinking ritual

twice a day, how do you get any work done? 4 See rite, above.

rival n. 1 competitor, opponent, contender, challenger, antagonist,

adversary; opposition: This year there are many formidable

rivals for the championship.

--v. 2 compete with or against, contend with or against,

oppose, challenge, contest, struggle with or against, vie with,

combat, compare with, equal, measure up to, (be a) match (for):

Jan's prowess at tossing the caber rivalled that of anyone else

in Craigie.

rivalry n. competition, competitiveness, contention, vying; dispute,

feud, feuding, conflict, struggle, strife, controversy,

dissension, discord, difference(s): Once again the two local

teams meet in a rivalry that has been traditional for over a

century. It appeared unlikely that the rivalry between the

brothers would be settled amicably.

river n. 1 watercourse, branch, tributary, stream, waterway, estuary,

rivulet, creek, brook, streamlet, runnel, rill, Scots and No.

Eng. burn, Brit beck, US kill: We used to sail our toy boats on

the river here when I was a lad. 2 stream, flood, torrent,

quantity, cataract, flow, cascade: Rivers of sweat poured down

me as I toiled in the humid heat of the jungle.

riveting adj. spellbinding, engrossing, hypnotic, hypnotizing,

transfixing, fascinating, enthralling, gripping, captivating,

absorbing: The programme was absolutely riveting - one of the

best I have ever seen.

18.5 road...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

road n. 1 way, means, approach, route, procedure, technique, method,

passage, street, avenue, course, track, entr‚e, access,

direction: Our researchers arrived at the identical results via

a completely different road. 2 thoroughfare, way, byway,

highway, roadway, high road, low road, avenue, boulevard,

street, lane, alley(way), Brit motorway, carriageway, US

turnpike, expressway, freeway, parkway, throughway or thruway,

German Autobahn, Italian autostrada, French autoroute, Colloq US

pike: The roads are jammed with traffic on Sunday evenings

during the summer.

roam v. wander, rove, ramble, range, walk, drift, dally, dawdle,

cruise, stroll, amble, meander, saunter, stray, prowl,

perambulate, travel, voyage, peregrinate, circumambulate,

traipse, gallivant, jaunt, Colloq mosey, swan: They spent a

year roaming about the continent, staying wherever they pleased.

roar v. 1 bellow, thunder; howl, bawl, squall, cry, yell, yowl; bay,

snarl, growl: A train roared by. The crowd roared appreciation.

A lion roared once in the night. 2 laugh, guffaw, howl (with

laughter), hoot: They fell about roaring when he told the joke

about the egg and the taxi.

--n. 3 roaring, bellow, thunder, rumble, boom; howl, bawl,

squall, cry, yell, yowl, clamour, outcry; snarl, snarling,

growl, growling: The roar of the falls could be heard miles

away. There was a roar of indignation at the proposal. The

beast's roar was enough to strike terror into our hearts. 4

guffaw, outburst, howl, hoot: Everything she said was met by a

roar of laughter from the gallery.

rob v. 1 burgle, loot, rifle, ransack, plunder, depredate, raid;

hijack; pillage, sack; US burglarize, Colloq hold up, Slang

stick up, rip off: They robbed a jeweller's shop last week. 2

prey upon or on, Colloq hold up, mug, Slang chiefly US stick up,

rip off, Chiefly US and New Zealand roll: These hooligans rob

old ladies in the street. 3 rob (someone) (of). deprive (of),

cheat or swindle (out of), defraud (of), strip (of), fleece

(of), bilk (of), victimize, mulct (of), US euchre ((out) of),

Colloq rook ((out) of), do or diddle (out of), gyp (out of),

Slang Brit nobble (of): I was robbed of my last penny by those

confidence men. We were robbed by a taxi driver who offered to

change our money. She robbed me of my self-respect.

robber n. thief, pickpocket, shoplifter, burglar, bandit,

housebreaker, sneak-thief, cat burglar, safe-breaker,

highwayman, gentleman of the road, brigand, pirate, freebooter,

buccaneer, privateer, corsair, Colloq mugger, hold-up man, Slang

cracksman, rip-off artist, safe-cracker, safe-blower, Chiefly US

stick-up man, US second-story or second-storey man: The police

were making every effort to catch the robbers.

robbery n. robbing, theft, thievery, thieving, burglary, burgling,

pilfering, pilferage, stealing, plundering, plunder, looting,

sack, sacking, ransacking, depredation, pillage, pillaging,

hijacking, hijack, larceny, breaking and entering, Colloq

pinching, hold-up, holding up, mugging, Slang rip-off,

ripping-off, Chiefly US stick-up, sticking-up, Brit nicking, US

heist: The robbery of the paintings took place in broad

daylight. The robbery of the shop was aided by a former

employee. The robbery of elderly persons is on the increase.

robe n. 1 cloak, dress, garment, vestment, habit, frock, cassock,

caftan, muu-muu, surplice, bathrobe, dressing-gown, lounging

robe, housecoat, kimono, house-dress, peignoir, wrapper, French

robe de chambre, costume: A woman wearing a green robe came to

the door and asked what I wanted. 2 robes. costume, habit,

uniform, garb, attire, vestments, apparel, raiment, livery,

clothing, garments, outfit, accoutrements or US also

accouterments, regalia, finery, trappings, panoply, gear,

paraphernalia, appurtenances, equipage, rig, Archaic vesture:

She looked absolutely splendid decked out in the full robes of

state.

--v. 3 cloak, garb, dress, cover, enrobe, clothe: The dish

consists of ladyfingers topped with fresh strawberries robed in

chocolate, with whipped cream spread over the top.

robot n. 1 automaton, mechanical man or monster, android: In the

future, much of the drudgery will be taken over by electronic

robots. 2 drudge, clod, tool, puppet, cat's-paw, myrmidon,

mechanical man, automaton: The company has a number of robots

on its payroll who carry out orders without question.

robust adj. 1 healthy, fit, sound, hale (and hearty), sturdy, hardy,

hearty, strong, stout, tough, able-bodied, strapping, brawny,

sinewy, rugged, muscular, powerful, well-knit, athletic,

staunch, vigorous; in fine or good fettle, Colloq husky: Kelly

was such a robust chap one might have thought he'd live forever.

2 pungent, strong, flavourful, sapid, rich, full-bodied, nutty,

fruity: He gave me a glass of an excellent robust tawny port.

rock° n. 1 stone; boulder: In the avalanche, the rocks thoroughly

destroyed the ski lodge. 2 crag, tor, escarpment, scarp, Brit

outcrop, US outcropping: We used to go rock climbing when I had

the strength. 3 on the rocks. a on ice: I'd like a whisky on

the rocks, thanks. b in (a) shambles, destroyed, in ruins,

ruined, finished, broken-down, beyond repair: He lost his job

and his marriage went on the rocks. c destitute,

poverty-stricken, indigent, penniless, bankrupt: Unable to find

another job, he's been on the rocks for a year, now.

rocký v. 1 sway, swing, lull: Her father used to rock her to sleep

in his arms. 2 roll, reel, lurch, toss, swing, sway, wobble:

The building rocked so during the earthquake that I thought it

was going to fall down. 3 astound, astonish, shock, surprise,

jar, stagger, amaze, stun, dumbfound or dumfound, daze, stupefy,

overwhelm, disconcert, unnerve, Colloq set (someone) back on his

or her or their heels, throw, rattle, shake up: I was really

rocked by the news that Sue was marrying Craig.

rocket v. zoom, take off, sky-rocket, shoot up, climb, rise rapidly,

soar, spiral upwards, Colloq go through the roof: The day

controls were lifted, prices rocketed, almost doubling

overnight.

rocky° adj. 1 stony, pebbly, shingly, boulder-strewn, craggy; bumpy,

difficult, hard, uncomfortable, arduous: The beach at Nice

might be romantic, but it's very rocky to lie on. The road to

love can be very rocky indeed. 2 stony, adamant, adamantine,

firm, unyielding, rocklike, tough, unbending, flinty, firm,

solid, steadfast, steady, unfaltering, staunch, unflinching,

determined, resolute, unwavering, unchanging, unvarying,

invariant, invariable, reliable, dependable, sure, certain: I

knew we could depend on Charles's rocky determination to see the

project through. 3 stony, flinty, unfeeling, unsympathetic,

unemotional, emotionless, impassive, cold, cool, apathetic,

indifferent, uncaring, detached, d‚gag‚, callous, thick-skinned,

tough, hard: Beneath that rocky exterior beats a tender heart.

rockyý adj. unstable, tottering, teetering, unsteady, shaky, rickety,

unsure, uncertain, unreliable, weak, flimsy, wobbly, wobbling,

vacillating, dubious, doubtful, questionable, Colloq iffy: The

project will be very rocky till we are assured proper funding.

rod n. 1 bar, pole, baton, wand, staff, stick, dowel, cane, shaft:

Steel rods are used to reinforce the concrete in modern

buildings. 2 cane, birch, switch, scourge, lash; punishment,

chastisement, castigation, discipline, chastening, correction:

As they say, spare the rod and spoil the child.

rogue n. 1 trickster, swindler, cheat, cad, ne'er-do-well, wastrel,

good-for-nothing, miscreant, Rather old-fashioned scamp,

scoundrel, blackguard, knave, rascal, rapscallion, scapegrace,

dastard, cur, churl, wretch, villain, charlatan, mountebank,

Brit bounder; Colloq louse, stinker, rat, creep, Brit rotter,

blighter, Chiefly US and Canadian son of a gun, Slang bastard,

Chiefly US and Canadian son of a bitch, SOB or s.o.b., bum: She

met some clever rogue in Capri who conned her out of fifteen

thousand lire.

--adj. 2 independent, undisciplined, uncontrollable,

ungovernable, unmanageable, unpredictable, disobedient,

incorrigible, fractious, self-willed, unruly, intractable,

unrestrained, wild, lawless, strong-willed, headstrong,

refractory, contumacious, recalcitrant, cross-grained,

rampageous: Part of the village was destroyed when a rogue

elephant ran amok. Perkins quit the company to start up his own

rogue concern.

role n. 1 r“le, part, character, impersonation; lines: She had the

role of Maria in a recent production of Twelfth Night . 2

function, position, situation, place, post, capacity, job, duty,

task, responsibility: Hermione's role in the company is that of

managing director.

roll v. 1 rotate, cycle, turn (over (and over)), wheel, trundle;

revolve, go (a)round, orbit, tumble, somersault or somerset or

summersault or summerset: Th landlord rolled another barrel

beer into the pub. The children loved rolling about in the ride

at the fun fair. 2 pass, go, flow, slip, flit, glide, slide,

move (on); expire, elapse, disappear, vanish, evaporate: The

time certainly rolls by quickly when you're having fun. 3 move,

drive, bowl, be carried or conveyed, cruise, sail, coast, ride,

float, fly: We rolled down the road, singing and laughing. 4

undulate, billow, rise and fall: The countryside rolled away

before us as far as the eye could see. 5 roar, echo, re-echo,

rumble, reverberate, resound, sound, boom, peal, resonate,

thunder: The roar of the explosion rolled over us as we ran for

cover. 6 rob, steal from: They got their money by rolling

drunks. 7 Often, roll out. flatten, level (off or out), smooth

(out), even (out), grade: After cutting, the lawn ought to be

rolled. 8 Usually, roll over. turn (over), rotate, spin: Roll

onto your stomach so I can examine your back. 9 Usually, roll

up. furl, coil, curl, wind (up), wrap (up); enwrap, swathe,

enfold, envelop, shroud, enshroud: Every night he takes down

the banner and carefully rolls it. Cleopatra was rolled up in a

rug to be smuggled past the guards. 10 roll in. a arrive, come

in, pour in, flow in, turn up, show up: The contributions

really started to roll in after the appeal. b luxuriate in,

revel in, wallow in, savour, bask in, delight in, take pleasure

in, indulge in, rejoice in, relish: Basil has been rolling in

unaccustomed wealth since his aunt died. 11 roll out. unroll,

unfurl, spread (out), unfold, uncoil, uncurl, unwind, open

(out): Roll out the bolt of cloth so that we can measure it.

--n. 12 reel, spool, cylinder, scroll; tube: The message was

written on a long roll of paper. 13 list, rota, register,

record, directory, listing, roster, slate, docket, catalogue,

inventory, muster, index, census, annal(s), schedule,

chronicle(s), Sports line-up: With great ceremony, the clerk

read the roll. 14 rolling, billowing, waving, wave action,

wave, billow, swell, undulation, pitching, rocking, tossing:

With each roll of the boat, I felt more seasick. 15 peal,

rumble, reverberation, boom, echo, thunder, roar: A roll of

thunder drowned out her shouts. 16 rotation, spin, toss, whirl,

twirl: I decided to bet everything on one last roll of the

dice. 17 bun; scone, croissant; Brit bread-roll, bap, split:

Waiter, would you please bring some more rolls? 18 bankroll,

money, wad, bundle: He took out a roll of notes and peeled off

five twenties.

roller n. 1 drum, cylinder, barrel, calender; tube; windlass;

rolling-pin; mangle, wringer: Make certain that the roller is

clean. 2 billow, wave, comber, breaker, swell: After the

storm, the heavy rollers continued to pound the sea wall.

romance n. 1 (love) affair, amour, affair of the heart, affaire (de

coeur or d'amour), liaison, relationship, dalliance, intrigue:

Wasn't Rick the one from Canada with whom Diana had a romance?

2 (true) love: You are lucky if you find romance even once in

your lifetime. 3 novel, narrative, fiction, story, mystery,

thriller, horror story, ghost story, science fiction, fantasy,

Western, melodrama, gothic or Gothic or Gothick novel or tale,

(fairy) tale, love story, idyll, epic, legend: It is probably

accurate to say that the romance is the most popular form of

fiction. 4 sentiment, nostalgia, mystery, intrigue, fantasy,

imagination, imaginativeness, adventure, excitement,

fascination, exoticism, glamour, colour, colourfulness: It was

the romance of Morocco that entranced me. 5 tall tale or story,

fantasy, fabrication, fairy tale, exaggeration, prevarication,

concoction, flight of fancy, fib, (white) lie, prevarication,

balderdash, fiction, nonsense, imagination: That episode with

the girl on the train that David told you about was all romance.

--v. 6 make love to; woo, court: Steve has been romancing

Maria ever since they met. 7 pander to, flatter, curry favour

with, toady (up) to, Colloq butter up, soft-soap, Taboo slang

brown-nose: The new restaurant is romancing neighbourhood

office executives, and luring them in for business lunches.

romantic adj. 1 imaginary, imagined, fictitious, fictional, ideal,

idealized, fancied, fabulous, made-up, dreamed-up, dreamt-up,

fantasized, fanciful, fairy-tale, mythical, idyllic, Utopian,

illusory: Vivian isn't a real person - she's just Howard's

romantic notion of the girl he wants to marry. 2 impractical,

visionary, fictitious, unpractical, unrealistic, ideal,

abstract, quixotic, chimerical, absurd, extravagant, wild,

crackpot, mad: She had romantic notions of how she would be

running her own international business by the time she was

thirty. 3 nostalgic, sentimental, emotional, sweet, tender,

picturesque, exotic, glamorous; mawkish, maudlin, saccharine,

Colloq soppy, sugary, mushy, sloppy: I can think of a lot more

romantic places than a hamburger bar to eat on our anniversary.

Fred hates it when I get too romantic. 4 amorous, affectionate,

aroused, impassioned, passionate, libidinous, lustful,

over-friendly, Colloq lovey-dovey; fresh: After a drink or two

Mike starts getting romantic - if you know what I mean.

--n. 5 romanticist, dreamer, Don Quixote, visionary, idealist,

sentimentalist: I've never lost my taste for soft lights and

sweet music - I suppose I'm just a romantic at heart.

room n. 1 space, area, scope, extent, allowance, latitude,

elbow-room, range, leeway, margin: There is room for one more

inside. 2 chamber, apartment, compartment, office, cell,

cubicle: For years Pablo occupied a small room on the top

floor. 3 rooms. quarters, lodgings, accommodation, flat,

dwelling: We had rooms in an old house downtown.

--v. 4 live, lodge, dwell, abide, reside, stay: Did you really

room with the daughter of a prime minister?

roomy adj. spacious, capacious, commodious, large, sizeable, big,

ample: For what appears to be a small car, it has a

surprisingly roomy interior.

root° n. 1 base, basis, foundation, source, seat, cause,

fountain-head, origin, fount, well-spring: Love of money is the

root of all evil. 2 rootstock, rootstalk, tap root, rootlet;

tuber; Technical radix, radicle, radicel, rhizome, rhizomorph:

When transplanting seedlings, special care should be taken not

to damage the roots. 3 root and branch. radically, completely,

utterly, entirely, wholly, totally: The Romans sought to

destroy Carthage root and branch. 4 roots. origins, heritage,

family, lineage, house, antecedents, forefathers, foremothers,

descent, genealogy, family tree, forebears, ancestors,

predecessors, stock, pedigree; birthplace, motherland,

fatherland, native land or country or soil, cradle: Carlotta

spent years tracing her roots to ancient Rome. The roots of

civilization first appeared in Mesopotamia. 5 take root. become

set or established or settled, germinate, sprout, grow, develop,

thrive, burgeon, flourish, spread: Good work habits should take

root at an early age; then they will last a lifetime.

--v. 6 plant, set, establish, found, fix, settle, embed or

imbed; entrench, anchor: The cuttings failed to grow because

they were not properly rooted. Hilary's fear of heights is

rooted in a childhood fall from a tree. 7 root out. a

Sometimes, root up. uproot, eradicate, eliminate, destroy,

extirpate, exterminate: Any subversives in the organization

must be rooted out. b find, uncover, discover, dig up or out,

unearth, turn up, bring to light: The survey of accounts is

aimed at rooting out customers who are slow in paying.

rootý v. rootle, forage, dig, pry, nose, poke, ferret, burrow,

rummage, delve, search, ransack: Harvey has been rooting about

in the garage looking for his tennis racket.

root° v. Usually, root for. cheer (for), applaud (for); boost,

support, encourage, urge on: I'm rooting for our side to win.

rooted adj. firm, established, set, fixed, fast, settled, deep-rooted,

deep-seated, entrenched, ingrained or engrained, (firmly)

embedded or imbedded, implanted, instilled; chronic, inbred,

inherent, intrinsic, essential, fundamental, basic, radical:

Have you any rooted objections to the principle of living with

someone of the opposite sex without being married?

rope n. 1 line, cord, cable, hawser; strand, string: This rope is

too light for mooring the boat. She wore a rope of baroque

pearls. 2 the ropes. the routine, the procedure, one's way

around, the ins and outs; the truth, the (real) situation;

Colloq what's what, the score, Brit the gen: It didn't take her

long to learn the ropes.

--v. 3 tie, bind, lash, hitch, fasten, secure; tether, attach:

Rope these two crates together. The horses were roped to the

post. 4 rope in. attract, draw (in), tempt, entice, lure,

persuade: They are going to use a lottery to rope the customers

in to supporting our cause.

ropy adj. 1 ropey, viscous, stringy, viscid, glutinous,

mucilaginous, gluey, gummy, thready, fibrous, filamentous: The

plastic resin emerging from the vat looks somewhat ropy, like

mozzarella cheese. 2 questionable, inadequate, inferior,

deficient, indifferent, mediocre, substandard, unsatisfactory,

poor, sketchy: Greenwood's plan for increasing profit margins

looks pretty ropy to me. 3 sickly, ill, unwell, hung-over, below

par, out of sorts, Colloq under the weather, poorly, rough, not

up to snuff, off one's feed: I was feeling pretty ropy on

Saturday morning after that do at your place on Friday.

rostrum n. platform, stage, dais, podium, stand; pulpit; lectern,

reading-stand: As the crowd hooted and booed, the speaker

descended from the rostrum.

rosy adj. 1 pink, rose-coloured, red, roseate, reddish, pinkish,

cherry, cerise, ruddy, flushed, glowing, blushing, ruby,

rubicund, florid; rose-red: During the skiing holiday, they all

developed healthy rosy complexions. 2 optimistic, promising,

favourable, auspicious, hopeful, encouraging, sunny, bright:

Caldwell has a rosy future ahead of him.

rot v. 1 decay, decompose, fester, spoil, go bad or off, be

tainted, be ruined, mould, moulder, putrefy; corrode, rust,

disintegrate, deteriorate, crumble or go or fall to pieces:

When the power went off, all the food in the freezer rotted. The

piers holding up the far end of the bridge have all rotted away.

2 waste away, wither away, languish, die, moulder, decline,

deteriorate, degenerate, decay, atrophy: Despite repeated

appeals for clemency, he's been rotting away in jail all these

years.

--n. 3 decay, decomposition, mould, putrefaction, putrescence,

blight, corrosion, corruption, disintegration, deterioration:

Once the rot has set in, the job of revitalization can be

overwhelming. 4 (stuff and) nonsense, balderdash, rubbish,

bunkum, tommy-rot, twaddle, drivel, hogwash, eyewash, trash,

Colloq claptrap, bunk, boloney or boloney, bosh, malarkey,

moonshine, poppycock, tosh, Slang crap, bull, codswallop, Brit

(a load of (old)) cobblers, Taboo balls, bullshit: He knows

nothing whatsoever about linguistics and is just talking a lot

of rot.

rotate v. 1 turn, revolve, go round, spin, gyrate, pirouette, whirl,

twirl, wheel, pivot, reel: As the gear rotates, its teeth mesh

with those of the other gear, causing it to turn in the opposite

direction. 2 change, exchange, alternate, interchange, switch,

trade places; take turns, Colloq swap or swop: Rotate the

positions of the tyres for more even wear. We rotate the chores

in our family.

rote n. 1 routine, ritual: He acquired a rote knowledge of the

words, without knowing what they mean. 2 by rote. a by heart,

from memory: He can recite the entire Prologue of Canterbury

Tales by rote. b unthinkingly, automatically, mechanically:

She learned the French dialogue by rote but doesn't understand a

word of it.

rotten adj. 1 rotted, decayed, decomposed, decomposing, putrid,

putrescent, putrescing, mouldy, mouldering, spoilt or spoiled,

mildewed, rancid, fetid or foetid, stale, rank, foul, feculent,

tainted, contaminated, festered, festering, corrupt, bad, off,

turned, overripe, soured, sour: One rotten apple in the barrel

can spoil the rest. The stench of rotten meat filled the room. 2

rotted, rusted, corroded, deteriorating, disintegrating,

crumbling, crumbly, falling to pieces, friable: He stepped on a

spot where the wood was rotten and his foot went right through

the stair. 3 immoral, corrupt, dishonest, deceitful, venal,

shameless, degenerate, villainous, iniquitous, evil, wicked,

vile, debased, base, perverted, depraved, unscrupulous,

unprincipled, amoral, warped, Slang bent: These drug dealers

are rotten at the core. 4 heinous, evil, vile, base, miserable,

despicable, wretched, awful, terrible, horrible, horrific,

nasty, contemptible, filthy, mean, low, Colloq lousy, stinking,

low-down, dirty-rotten: Pairing me off with Vera at the dance

was a rotten trick. 5 ill, unwell, sick, nauseated, awful;

hung-over, Colloq lousy, ropy or ropey, rough: I feel really

rotten - maybe it was those mushrooms I ate last night.

rotund adj. 1 round(ed), circular, orbicular, globular, spherical:

His rotund, cherubic little face simply invited a pinch of the

cheek. 2 full, full-toned, deep, resonant, reverberant,

reverberating, sonorous, rich, round, mellow; pear-shaped: They

thrilled to hear the rotund notes issuing from Caruso's lips as

he sang 'Vesti la Giubba'. 3 chubby, podgy or chiefly US pudgy,

(pleasingly) plump, portly, tubby, heavy, fleshy, corpulent,

stout, fat, obese, overweight, Colloq roly-poly: Jack's rotund

figure was easily recognizable waddling up the street.

rou‚ n. playboy, womanizer, ladies' man, rake, lecher, Lothario, Don

Juan, Romeo, Casanova, charmer, flirt, libertine, debauchee,

Old-fashioned masher, gay dog, Colloq wolf, lady-killer, dirty

old man, Taboo slang gash-hound: Alistair was quite a rou‚ in

his youth but has settled down since turning 50.

rough adj. 1 uneven, irregular, coarse, jagged, rugged, bumpy, lumpy,

broken: The next mile or so we slogged over some very rough

terrain. 2 agitated, turbulent, choppy, stormy, storm-tossed,

tempestuous, roiled: We negotiated a very rough patch of water

before sailing into the calm, sheltered bay. 3 brusque, bluff,

curt, short, abrupt, unpleasant, churlish, discourteous,

impolite, rough-spoken, ungracious, surly, disrespectful, rude,

uncouth, loutish, unrefined, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultured,

vulgar, unladylike, ungentlemanly, coarse, ill-mannered,

ill-bred, inconsiderate: Ian can be a bit rough, I know, but

underneath he is a true and loyal friend. 4 tough,

rough-and-tumble, roughneck, rowdy: There are some very rough

characters frequenting that pub. 5 harsh, violent, unfeeling,

unjust, severe, cruel, tough, hard, brutal, extreme; ungentle:

They were subjected to very rough treatment when being

questioned by the police. 6 dirty, obscene, smutty,

pornographic, vulgar, crude, raw, rude: After midnight they

watch the rough shows beamed by satellite from Italy. 7 hard,

tough, Spartan, difficult, arduous, laborious, rugged,

unpleasant: It was pretty rough going with almost no money and

all those expenses. 8 harsh, grating, cacophonous, discordant,

jarring, strident, raucous, rasping, unmusical, inharmonious,

gruff, husky: In acknowledgement he made a rough, growling

noise. 9 unfinished, incomplete, uncompleted, imperfect,

rudimentary, crude, rude, formless, unformed, raw,

rough-and-ready, rough-hewn, roughcast, undeveloped, unshaped,

unworked, unwrought, unprocessed, unrefined; uncut, unpolished;

shapeless, unshaped, undressed: I only saw the sculpture in its

rough state and cannot say how it looked when finished. The

stones are rough, as they were when taken from the ground. 10

general, approximate, inexact, cursory, quick, hasty, sketchy,

vague, hazy; foggy, Colloq ballpark: Can't you give me even a

rough idea of how much you want for the house? 11 unfair,

unjust, bad, tough; unlucky, unfortunate: We went through a

spell of rough luck last year. This is a rough time for

everyone. 12 See rotten, 5, above.

--n. 13 rowdy, tough, hooligan, ruffian, thug, brawler, yahoo,

Slang roughneck, Australian larrikin, US mug: Phil will get

into trouble if he continues to associate with those roughs at

the Lantern. 14 sketch, (rough) draft, mock-up, outline: Let me

see roughs of the presentation before the meeting with the

client.

--v. 15 rough out or in. sketch, draft, mock-up, outline, mark

out, trace, block out: Our escape plan was roughed out by

Captain Gallagher. 16 rough up. beat (up), thrash, attack,

batter, assault, pummel or pommel, lay on, knock about,

belabour, lambaste, Colloq wallop: Some of the boys roughed him

up a bit when they learned that he was an informer.

--adv. 17 violently, savagely, brutally, brutishly: You'd best

not mention Cassie or Henry might cut up rough.

rough-house

n. 1 boisterousness, rowdiness, rowdyism, violence, brawling,

disorderliness, disorderly conduct, ruffianism: The police were

called in to quell the rough-house that broke out at the dance.

--v. 2 brawl: If you want to rough-house, do it outside!

roughly adv. 1 approximately, around; about, nearly: The British

Museum is roughly in the same direction as Euston. It cost

roughly two weeks' wages. Roughly two years later I saw her

again. 2 harshly, unkindly, severely, sternly,

unsympathetically, brutally, violently, savagely, inhumanly,

mercilessly, unmercifully, ruthlessly, pitilessly, cruelly,

heartlessly: The police were accused of dealing too roughly

with those suspected of harming a fellow officer. 3 clumsily,

rudely, crudely, awkwardly, primitively, inexpertly,

amateurishly, maladroitly, heavy-handedly, ineptly,

inefficiently, unskilfully, inartistically: This roughly hewn

block of local granite is what the council paid a fortune for as

'sculpture'.

round adj. 1 circular; disc-shaped, discoid, disc-like: I prefer a

round table to a square one. She made a round motion to

demonstrate the shape. 2 ring-shaped, annular, hoop-shaped,

hoop-like: The track is oval, not round. 3 spherical,

ball-shaped, ball-like, globular, spheroid, spheroidal,

globe-shaped, globelike, globate, orb-shaped, orb-like,

orbicular: You will never convince me that the earth is round -

I know what I see. 4 curved, curvilinear, rounded, arched: The

round chisel is used to cut these grooves. 5 exact, precise,

complete, entire, full: That makes a round hundred times you

have asked me the same question. 6 approximate, rough, rounded

(off or up or down), whole: In round numbers, that makes 40 per

cent For and 60 per cent Against. 7 rounded, mellow, full,

vibrant, reverberant, reverberating, sonorous, rich,

mellifluous, orotund, pear-shaped: Couldn't you listen forever

to those beautiful round tones sung by Fischer-Dieskau? 8 plain,

honest, straightforward, direct, unvarnished, unembellished,

unelaborated, outspoken, candid, truthful, frank, open, blunt,

Colloq upfront: They delivered what they had to say in round,

assertive statements. 9 Chiefly Brit return: We made the round

trip to Bristol in less than three hours.

--n. 10 circle, disc; ring, hoop, annulus; ball, sphere, globe,

orb, bead: The moulding has a repeated pattern of a round

alternating with three vertical grooves. 11 cycle, series,

sequence, succession, bout, spell: The current round of talks

on the economy is expected to last for three days. There was the

usual round of parties on New Year's Eve. 12 Often, rounds.

beat, route, routine, circuit, course, tour, turn, ambit: The

milkman still makes his daily rounds in England. 13 heat,

stage, level, turn: After each round in the tournament, the

losers are eliminated, reducing the competitors by half. 14

spell, period, run, spate, bout, outburst, burst, volley: Each

new acrobat who added to the human pyramid got a round of

applause. 15 bullet, cartridge, charge, shell, (single) shot:

Each man was given only ten rounds of ammunition.

--v. 16 turn, go (a)round: The car rounded the corner on two

wheels. 17 orbit, circumnavigate, go (a)round, circle,

encircle: He rounded the earth in the fastest recorded time.

18 round off or out. complete, close, end, bring to an end or

completion or a close, finish: Tim suggested we round off the

evening with a rubber of bridge. 19 round up. gather, assemble,

muster, draw or pull or get together, collect, herd, marshal, US

and Canadian (of cattle or horses) corral, wrangle: The police

are rounding up witnesses who might have seen the shooting.

More than 10,000 head of cattle have been rounded up for the

drive.

--prep. 20 about, around, encircling, enclosing; orbiting: The

fence round the site ought to keep out the curious. The new

bypass round town ought to reduce local traffic. 21 here and

there in, about, around, throughout, all over, everywhere in:

Dad used to smoke and kept dozens of ash trays round the house.

22 about, around, nearby, in the neighbourhood or vicinity or

(general) area of: Whenever I want to see you alone, there are

always people round you. Just look round you if you don't

believe me.

--adv. 23 around, about, in a circle or ring, on all sides:

Gather round and I'll tell you a story. Pass the hat round for

Harry's farewell party. 24 from beginning to end, from start to

finish, through: He now lives in France the year round. 25 in

perimeter or periphery, around: The indoor track is exactly one

fifth of a mile round. 26 about, around, in the neighbourhood

or vicinity or (general) area: There isn't a soul for miles

round. 27 around, in a circle or circuit, in or by a circular

or circuitous route or path, circuitously: This road goes round

to the other side of the lake.

roundabout

adj. 1 circuitous, circular, indirect, long: We had plenty of

time so we came the more scenic, roundabout way. 2 devious,

circuitous, evasive, indirect, oblique: If you wanted to borrow

some money, asking me for tax advice was quite a roundabout way

of asking.

--n. 3 merry-go-round, carousel or carrousel, Old-fashioned or

dialect whirligig: The children weren't the only ones who

enjoyed themselves on the roundabout. 4 Brit mini-roundabout, US

and Canadian rotary, traffic circle: When you come to the

roundabout, turn right and keep going till you come to a traffic

light.

round-up n. 1 gathering, assembly, rally, collection, herding, US and

Canadian (of cattle or horses) corralling, wrangling: The

round-up of suspects by the police was focused on the

Bournemouth area. 2 summary, synopsis, digest, outline,

recapitulation, review, survey, Colloq recap: And now, with a

round-up of the news, here is Moira Lawley.

rouse v. 1 arouse, call, waken, awaken, wake (up), get up, arise: I

was roused from a deep slumber by a dog's barking. 2 stir (up),

arouse, bestir, stimulate, inspirit, animate, invigorate,

electrify, excite, provoke, prompt, goad, prod, galvanize,

incite, whet, move, work up, fire up: Bruce's unquenchable

enthusiasm roused many to become involved in the campaign.

rousing adj. stimulating, inspiriting, animating, enlivening,

energizing, inspiring, invigorating, vitalizing, electrifying;

fervent, vigorous, energetic, enthusiastic, spirited, brisk,

lively, animated, Colloq peppy: The huge crowd gave the team a

rousing cheer as they jogged out onto the field.

rout n. 1 defeat, trouncing, ruin, overthrow, subjugation,

vanquishment, d‚bƒcle, conquest, thrashing, drubbing, beating;

dispersal, retreat, collapse; Colloq licking, hiding, US and

Canadian shellacking: Owing to the government's overwhelming

forces, there was a complete rout of the rebels.

--v. 2 defeat, win (out) over, trounce, ruin, overthrow, bring

down, subjugate, subdue, suppress, vanquish, conquer, overwhelm,

overpower, put to rout or flight, worst, best, trample, overrun,

thrash, trim, whip, drub, beat, crush, batter, smash, shatter,

cut to pieces or ribbons or shreds, destroy, devastate, wipe

out, eliminate, put down, seal the doom or the fate of,

eradicate, obliterate, Colloq lick, wipe the floor with, polish

off, knock off, Hyperbolic sports jargon pulverize, make

mincemeat of, ride roughshod over, demolish, mangle, ravage,

mutilate, flatten, squash, topple, lay waste, wreak havoc

(up)on, ravage, massacre, murder, exterminate, annihilate,

liquidate, smother, stifle, do away with, Slang clobber, do in,

US skunk, Chiefly US and Canadian cream: Queens Park Rangers

routed Manchester United 6-0.

route n. 1 way, itinerary, course, direction, path, road, avenue: If

you have the time, take the scenic route. John's route to the

chairmanship is strewn with his colleagues' corpses.

--v. 2 direct, convey, carry: Goods destined for Cleveland

will be routed through Northampton.

routine n. 1 custom, habit, procedure, practice, method, schedule,

plan, programme, formula, pattern, way, usage, wont, Colloq

chiefly Brit drill: Chalmers has always been a stickler for

routine. What's the routine here when you want to order a new

chair? 2 act, piece, bit, performance, number, part, Colloq

thing, shtick: The fat lady doesn't sing till after Joe Miller

finishes his routine.

--adj. 3 customary, habitual, usual, rote, accustomed,familiar,

conventional, regular, ordinary, everyday; programmed, assigned,

designated, scheduled: Her routine responsibilities include

proofreading. 4 boring, tedious, tiresome, unimaginative,

uninteresting; hackneyed, trite, stereotypic(al), clich‚d,

run-of-the-mill, ordinary; unvaried, unvarying, unchanging,

monotonous, uneventful, rote, automatic, mechanical,

perfunctory: He has a routine job on the assembly line.

rover n. wanderer, bird of passage, itinerant, traveller, rolling

stone, nomad, gypsy, wayfarer, gadabout, sojourner, tourist;

drifter, tramp, vagabond, vagrant, US hobo, bum: He's a born

rover and will never settle down.

row° n. line, rank, tier, bank, string, series, file: A row of

trees serves as a wind-break along one side of the farm.

rowý n. 1 altercation, argument, dispute, quarrel, disagreement,

squabble, spat, tiff, conflict, fracas, Colloq shouting match,

scrap, falling-out, Brit slanging-match: We had a silly row

about where we should spend the Christmas holidays. 2

commotion, disturbance, clamour, hubbub, racket, din, rumpus,

tumult, uproar, brouhaha, fuss, stir, turmoil, hullabaloo;

bedlam, pandemonium, chaos; US foofaraw, Colloq ruckus: There

was a tremendous row over the increase in membership fees.

--v. 3 dispute, quarrel, argue, disagree, wrangle, cross

swords, have words, bicker, tiff, Colloq scrap, fall out: They

are constantly rowing over something, usually some insignificant

detail.

rowdy adj. 1 boisterous, uproarious, disorderly, noisy, loud,

obstreperous, unruly: It only takes a couple of rowdy youths to

start trouble at a match.

--n. 2 ruffian, tough, hooligan, yahoo, brawler, lout, Brit

lager lout, skinhead, Chiefly US and Canadian hoodlum, hood,

Slang Brit bovver boy: The police arrested three of the rowdies

involved in last night's fight.

rowdyism n. rowdiness, ruffianism, hooliganism, rough-house, barbarism,

troublemaking, brawling, unruliness, boisterousness, Slang Brit

bovver: Have you any suggestions about what to do to curb

rowdyism at football matches?

royal adj. 1 queenly, kingly, queenlike, kinglike, regal, imperial,

sovereign, princely, majestic: The Royal Family usually spend

their summer holidays at Balmoral. The establishment proudly

boasts royal patronage. 2 grand, splendid, stately, impressive,

august, imposing, superior, superb, magnificent, majestic: She

arrived at the ball in a royal coach drawn by six white horses.

--n. 3 king, queen, prince, princess, duke, earl, duchess,

viscount, viscountess, baron, baroness, noble, nobleman,

noblewoman, peer: Her greatest ambition is to meet a royal in

the flesh. 4 royals. royalty, nobility, nobles, peerage: He

writes the daily column reporting on the activities of the

royals.

royalty n. 1 queenship, kingship, royal house or line or family,

sovereignty: Royalty does have its privileges, doesn't it? 2

percentage, commission, share, payment, compensation: He

receives a royalty every time his song is played or sung

commercially, anywhere in the world. 3 nobility, nobles,

peerage, Colloq Brit royals: It is ironic that Americans are

more impressed than the British with royalty.

18.6 rub...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

rub v. 1 massage, knead, stroke; scour, scrub, scrape, abrade,

chafe, clean; wipe, smooth, polish, shine, buff, burnish: Rub

my back, would you? - Not there, a little lower down. You are

not supposed to rub those plastic baths with abrasive cleansers.

Before the guests arrived, we rubbed the silver till you could

see yourself in it. 2 rub in or on. apply, smooth, smear,

spread, put: The ache may be relieved a bit if you rub on some

liniment. 3 rub (it or something) in. emphasize, stress, make

an issue of, harp on, reiterate, dwell on, hammer away,

dramatize: It's bad enough that Caroline did better than I did

- you don't have to keep rubbing it in. 4 rub off or out.

expunge, erase, remove, delete, cancel, eliminate, eradicate:

It's a pity, Peter, that you rubbed out the right reply and

wrote in the wrong one. The boys were released on the condition

that they would rub the graffiti off the wall. 5 rub off (on).

affect, be transferred (to), be communicated or transmitted

(to), be passed on or along (to), be imparted to: Your mother

and I had hoped that some of our love of music might have rubbed

off on you. 6 rub out. murder, kill, execute, slay: The

Godfather ordered all witnesses to be rubbed out. 7 rub

shoulders with. rub elbows with, associate with, socialize with,

mix with, fraternize with, keep company with, consort with,

Colloq US run or pal or chum around with: Since getting his

knighthood Charles no longer rubs shoulders with the likes of

us. 8 rub (someone) (up) the wrong way. annoy, irritate, irk,

anger, provoke, go against the grain, Colloq bug, get under

one's or someone's skin, peeve: I don't know what it is about

Underbridge, but every time we meet he manages to rub me up the

wrong way.

--n. 9 wipe, stroke, rubbing: You will have to give that stain

a good rub to make it come out. 10 massage, rub-down: After

exercising, Jane always has an alcohol rub. 11 the rub. the or

a catch or hitch or snag or hindrance or set-back, the or an

obstacle or impediment, the or a difficulty or problem or

trouble: The only rub I can see is that Warren may not agree to

resign.

rubberneck

v. 1 gape, stare, goggle, gawk: They spent a weekend in New

York, rubbernecking at the skyscrapers.

--n. 2 tourist, sightseer, rubbernecker, US out-of-towner:

Buses for the rubbernecks leave Trafalgar Square every hour or

so.

rubbish n. 1 refuse, waste, debris, rubble, detritus, litter, garbage,

sweepings, dross, dregs, residue, leftovers, remnants, lees,

scraps, fragments, leavings, residuum, junk, rejects, Chiefly US

trash Slang chiefly US dreck: Private companies are now

contracted to remove household rubbish weekly. 2 (stuff and)

nonsense, balderdash, moonshine, gibberish, gobbledegook or

gobbledygook, tommy-rot, bunkum, trash, garbage, twaddle, Colloq

rot, flapdoodle, crap, hokum, codswallop, bosh, piffle, hooey,

bunk, malarkey, poppycock, boloney or baloney, eyewash, hogwash,

bilge-water, bull, Scots havers, Brit tosh, gammon, US a crock,

horse feathers, gurry, Slang rot, Brit (a load of (old))

cobblers, Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit, US a crock of shit:

What she told you about how I treated her is absolute rubbish.

--v. 3 criticize, attack, destroy, Colloq clobber, pan, Chiefly

US trash, Slang jump on, Chiefly US and Canadian bad-mouth, jump

all over: In his latest book he rubbishes the newspaper that

had given his previous book a bad review.

rude adj. 1 impolite, discourteous, disrespectful, ungracious,

ungallant, unmannerly, ill-mannered, uncivil, bad-mannered,

ungentlemanly, unladylike, ill-bred, unrefined, unpolished,

uncouth, boorish, churlish, oafish, loutish, coarse,

uncivilized, uncultured, unceremonious: It was rude of him not

to get up when she came in, but he doesn't know any better. 2

impertinent, impudent, discourteous, insulting, insolent,

offensive, saucy, bold, disrespectful, uncivil, flippant,

brusque, curt, gruff, tactless, outrageous, Colloq fresh: I

simply asked the chambermaid to make up my room early and she

responded with a rude remark. 3 naughty, unrefined, ribald,

bawdy, indecent, indelicate, vulgar, obscene, dirty, filthy,

lubricious or lubricous, lewd, gross, smutty, taboo,

pornographic: Chris has an extensive collection of rude

photographs. 4 crude, rough, clumsy, awkward, unskilful,

unskilled, artless, inartistic, imperfect, unpolished,

inaccurate, gauche, bumbling, raw, inelegant, makeshift,

homespun, primitive, misshapen, ill-formed, unfinished,

rough-hewn, simple, basic, bare: The replica on view in the

local museum is only a rude approximation of the original.

rudimentary

adj. 1 basic, essential, elementary, fundamental, rudimental,

primary, introductory, abecedarian, formative, first, initial,

elemental, primal, seminal: The purpose of the course is

provide students with a rudimentary knowledge of computer

programming. 2 crude, coarse, unshaped, unfinished, imperfect,

primitive, undeveloped, vestigial, embryonic, primordial,

immature: These fish, which spend their lives in darkness, have

only a rudimentary organ for an eye.

rudiments n.pl. basics, elements, essentials, fundamentals, first

principles: She learnt the rudiments of musical composition

from the maestro himself.

ruffle n. 1 trimming, flounce, frill, ruff, peplum, flare, smocking,

ruche, ruching, gather, gathering: Doesn't that ruffle at the

back of the skirt make it look a bit old-fashioned? 2 ripple,

wavelet, disturbance, flurry, bustle, stir, perturbation,

wrinkle: The news of the divorce caused a slight ruffle at

court.

--v. 3 agitate, disconcert, confuse, discompose, discomfit,

upset, disturb, stir up, perturb, unsettle, disorient, unnerve,

fluster, affect, bother, intimidate, unstring, put out, vex,

trouble, worry, Colloq rattle, throw, shake up, Chiefly US and

Canadian discombobulate, voodoo, hex, psych out, Slang chiefly

US and Canadian get (someone) all shook up, spook: She was

ruffled by questions concerning her relationship with the

deceased. 4 disarrange, dishevel, disorder, rumple, mix up,

tousle, tangle, disorder, Colloq mess or muss (up): His

unpleasant attitude ruffled quite a few feathers in the

department.

rugged adj. 1 rough, uneven, broken, stony, rocky, irregular, bumpy,

pitted, jagged, ragged: The horses picked their way slowly

across the rugged terrain. 2 tough, rough, severe, hard, harsh,

difficult, arduous, Spartan, rigorous, onerous, stern,

demanding, burdensome: It is amazing how that small band of

pioneers withstood the rugged life in the untamed West. 3 hardy,

durable, strong, sturdy, hale, robust, tough, vigorous, hard,

rough-and-ready, stalwart; independent, individualistic,

self-reliant, self-confident, self-sufficient, bold: WANTED:

Five rugged pioneering types to join an expedition to the source

of the Amazon river. 4 rude, uncouth, uncultured, uncivilized,

unrefined, unpolished, crude, ungraceful, churlish: I admit

that Charlie's manners are a bit rugged, but he's one of the

best men we have.

ruin n. 1 downfall, destruction, devastation, havoc, breakdown,

breakup, d‚bƒcle, collapse, fall, disintegration, ruination,

dissolution, wiping out, failure, decay, undoing, end; conquest,

defeat, overthrow; bankruptcy, liquidation, failure: Alexander

was responsible for the ruin of the Persian empire.

Overwhelming debts spelt Theo's financial ruin. 2 degradation,

dishonour, debasement, defilement, corruption, vitiation,

seduction, degrading, dishonouring, debasing, defiling,

corrupting, vitiating, seducing; deflowering, defloration: Who

was the libertine who brought about the ruin of Lord Harecombe's

daughter? 3 nemesis, curse, end, bane, curse: That boy will be

my ruin! 4 gin, mother's ruin, blue ruin, Slang rot-gut: After

eating, we sat down and polished off a bottle of mother's ruin.

5 hag, witch, crone, beldam; dotard, (old) fogy or fogey,

fossil, fuddy-duddy, antique, Brit OAP (= 'old-age pensioner'),

Chiefly US retiree, Colloq (old) geezer, wreck, Slang dodo:

It's hard to understand what those two old ruins see in each

other. 6 ruins. debris, wreckage, fragments, rubble, remains:

He stood among the ruins of the burnt-out house wondering what

to do next. She was trying to piece together the ruins of her

disastrous marriage.

--v. 7 destroy, devastate, demolish, annihilate, dissolve, wipe

out, undo, overthrow, lay waste, raze, shatter, wreck, crush,

flatten, wreak havoc (up)on, reduce to nothing or naught,

pulverize, smash, bring to ruin: The bomb ruined the entire

centre of the city. 8 spoil, disfigure, damage, botch, mess up,

make a mess of, mar, uglify: The county office building

completely ruins the Aylesbury skyline. 9 spoil, destroy,

wreck, nullify, damage, harm, hurt, impair, poison, Slang louse

up, screw up, put the kibosh on, US bollix up, Taboo slang

chiefly Brit make a balls-up of: I think that your behaviour at

the office party may just have ruined your prospects for

promotion. 10 bankrupt, pauperize, impoverish, reduce to penury

or poverty or destitution or indigence: Paying off the loan

virtually ruined me. 11 violate, deflower, ravish, seduce, lead

astray, dishonour, defile, corrupt, debase, defile: She claimed

that it was the local squire who ruined her, despite evidence to

the contrary.

ruinous adj. disastrous, destructive, catastrophic, calamitous,

deleterious, pernicious, crippling, cataclysmic, baleful, fatal,

toxic, poisonous, noxious, harmful, injurious, nasty, Archaic

baneful: Smoking can be ruinous to your health. Who was behind

the ruinous decision to move the factory to the north-east?

rule n. 1 regulation, order, law, ordinance, ruling, decree, ukase,

statute, principle, direction, guide, guideline, precept: We go

by the Golden Rule here, Jim, 'Do unto others before they do

unto you'. 2 dominion, authority, control, sovereignty, sway,

command, ascendancy, direction, oversight, supervision, mastery:

How could such a despised monarch maintain rule over a people

for so long? 3 fact, standard, customs, practice, form, routine,

convention, policy, way things are: Honesty and integrity among

our students are the rule rather than the exception. 4 as a

rule. generally, usually, normally, customarily, for the most

part, mostly, ordinarily, mainly, in the main, chiefly, on the

whole, commonly, more often than not: As a rule, we require

payment in advance.

--v. 5 Sometimes, rule over. reign (over), govern, be in

control or charge or command (of or over), be in power (over),

hold sway (over), wield the sceptre, wear the crown, run;

prevail, hold sway, dominate, predominate, control: The hand

that rocks the cradle rules the world. Supposedly, the majority

rules in a democracy. 6 direct, guide, manage, control, lead,

head (up), preside (over), superintend, oversee, supervise,

regulate, govern, run: The company is ruled by a committee made

up of employees and directors. 7 decide, judge, hand down a

judgement or decision, decree, deem, resolve, settle, determine,

find, declare, pronounce: The referee ruled that Jones had

committed a foul. 8 rule out. ban, bar, prohibit, exclude,

eliminate, forbid, preclude, proscribe, negate, dismiss,

disregard, bypass, ignore, overlook: The programme committee

ruled out Birmingham as the site of next year's conference.

rummage v. 1 search, hunt, comb, scour, scrabble, look through, sift

through, turn inside out or upside down, examine, Colloq

scrounge: We rummaged about in four dustbins before finding the

discarded receipt.

--n. 2 jumble, miscellanea, knick-knacks, odds and ends,

hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge: May we borrow your car to

collect items for the church rummage sale?

rumour n. 1 rumour, news, gossip, hearsay, information, scoop,

tidings, chat, chit-chat, tittle-tattle, on dit; grapevine,

jungle telegraph, Colloq low-down, info, US and Canadian poop,

Slang chiefly US nautical scuttlebutt: The rumour is that they

are moving from Reading to Exeter. Rumour has it that you are

not going with them.

--v. 2 bruit about, noise abroad, circulate, pass around,

intimate, breathe, suggest, whisper, leak, reveal, make known,

put about, say, report, tell: It has been rumoured that she is

going to have his baby.

rumple v. Sometimes, rumple up. wrinkle, crumple, crush, crease, fold,

crinkle, dishevel, ruffle, tousle, scrunch (up), pucker, muss

(up), mess (up): When she stood up, the back of her dress was

all rumpled.

rumpus n. commotion, disturbance, fuss, confusion, uproar, tumult,

to-do, ado, mayhem, bedlam, brouhaha, stir, pother, affray,

fracas, row, mˆl‚e or melee, rough-house, brawl: You have no

idea what a rumpus he created just because my dog went in his

garden.

run v. 1 sprint, race, scamper, scurry, scud, dart, bolt, dash,

flit, tear (along), scoot, scuttle, zip, whiz or whizz, gallop,

jog, trot, lope; rush, hurry (up), hasten, scramble, hustle,

step lively, hop (to) it, step on it, put on some speed, Archaic

hie, Colloq get a move on, hoof it, leg it, hotfoot (it), stir

one's stumps, Brit hare, US step on the gas, hump (it), Slang

get cracking, US get the lead out (of one's pants or taboo ass),

Chiefly US get a wiggle on: If you run, you might catch her

before she gets on the train. 2 run away or off, flee, escape,

take flight, take to one's heels, bolt, decamp, make off, clear

out, show a clean pair of heels, abscond, cut and run, (beat a

(hasty)) retreat, retire, make a getaway, (make a) run for it,

Colloq beat it, scram, skedaddle, take off, skip (out), take

French leave, fly the coop, Slang head for the hills, Brit

scarper, do a bunk, US and Canadian take a (run-out) powder, lam

out of (somewhere), take it or go on the lam, US vamoose: The

minute the enemy appeared, the entire troop ran. Cavendish ran,

hoping the police wouldn't catch him. 3 go, cover, pass over,

sprint, race: He ran the mile in just under four minutes. 4

wander, rove, roam, meander, drift: Some farmers allow their

animals to run free, rather than penning them up. 5 Often, run

for. compete (for), be a candidate (for), vie, struggle,

contend, fight (for), stand (for): As she has already said she

would not stand again, I doubt that she will run for re-election

in the council elections. 6 pass, flow, pour, stream, flood,

gush, spill, dribble, spurt, issue, move, trickle, seep,

discharge, cascade, spout: You can see where the rainwater has

run down this crack in the roof and into the room below. 7 flow,

diffuse: The colour ran when he washed his red underwear with

some white shirts in very hot water. 8 melt, liquefy, dissolve,

fuse: It was so hot that the icing on top of the cake began to

melt and run down the sides. 9 keep, maintain, support, sustain,

manage: It is very expensive to run a large house. 10 operate,

manage, direct, supervise, oversee, conduct, superintend,

control, handle, manipulate, head, carry on, lead, regulate,

take care of, look after, administer, be in charge of,

coordinate: She must be a terrifically high achiever to run a

huge international conglomerate like that! 11 operate, perform,

function, work, tick, go: Even after all that abuse, the watch

kept running and kept good time. 12 extend, stretch, reach;

amount, add up, total up, come (up): The balance of payments

deficit is running to twice last year's figure. His bill at the

restaurant last night ran to more than œ200. 13 convey,

transport, give (someone) a lift, drive, take, bring: Tom said

he would run me home in his new car. 14 bootleg, smuggle, deal

or traffic in, Chiefly US and Canadian rustle: During

Prohibition, his father ran whisky from Canada to the US. 15 be

in effect or force, be effective, have force or effect: This

lease has another year to run. 16 incur, invite, encourage,

attract, be subjected to: Aren't you running a risk asking

Sheila to handle your money? 17 propel, drive; steer, guide,

navigate: If you are inept enough to run a boat aground, at

least have the sense to do it at low tide. 18 unravel, come

undone, Chiefly Brit ladder: My stocking ran just before I had

to leave for the dance! 19 Sometimes, run off. print, offset,

lithograph, reproduce, publish, display; imprint, position,

place, locate, lay out: They are going to run his story in the

next issue of The Londoner! We'll run the photographs of the

fire alongside the article on page one. 20 run across. meet (up

with), run into, come across, find, stumble on or upon, hit or

chance or happen upon, Colloq bump into: Guess whom I ran

across at Harrods yesterday. 21 run after. chase, pursue, go

after, court, woo, Colloq set one's cap for: The City is filled

with young men and women running after big money. Mick is

running after this girl half his age, and he hasn't a clue that

she's leading him on. 22 run along. go away, leave, Slang get

lost: Sue wanted to get rid of Wayne and told him to run along.

23 run around. philander, be unfaithful, gallivant, Colloq sleep

around, play the field: How does she cope with his constant

running around? 24 run around with. associate with, spend time

with, dally with, consort with: Cynthia is running around with

a bad crowd these days. 25 run away. See 2, above. 26 run

down. a trace, track, hunt, stalk, follow, pursue, dog, shadow;

find, locate, track down, discover: We ran down the suspect in

an abandoned barn in Little Fakenham. b criticize, decry,

defame, vilify, disparage, deprecate, depreciate, denigrate,

Colloq knock, pan: If you keep running him down like that he'll

develop an inferiority complex before he's seven. c weaken,

tire, expire, play (itself) out, burn out, run out, fail, Colloq

peter out: Once the batteries have run down, we will no longer

be able to transmit a distress-signal. d strike, hit, smash or

crash or slam into, run over, knock over or down, collide with:

On the way home, he almost ran down a boy on a bicycle. 27 run

in. arrest, take into custody, jail, apprehend, take or bring

in, Colloq pinch, nab, pull in, bust, collar, Brit nick: This

is the third time this week that Minette has been run in for

soliciting. 28 run into. See 20, above. 29 run off. a See 2,

above. b duplicate, print, copy, turn out, produce, make,

manufacture, generate, Colloq do, churn out: How quickly can

you run off 1000 copies of this brochure? 30 run out. a be

exhausted, expire, terminate, (come or draw to a) close, end,

cease: The time for renewing your subscription has run out. b

finish, go, be exhausted, be used up, Colloq peter out: The

food had run out and we had no water when we were rescued. 31

run out of. use up, consume, eat up, exhaust, be out of: We've

run out of milk - can you nip down to the shop and get some? 32

run out on. desert, abandon, leave high and dry, forsake, leave

in the lurch, leave holding the baby: Despite all his promises,

Edgar ran out on her when she became pregnant. 33 run over. a

See 26 (d), above. b scan, run through, go over, look over,

flip or leaf or thumb through, look at, skim (through), browse

through, dip into, review: I promised Casey I would run over

his article if I had the time. c overflow, spill (over), brim

over, slosh over, pour over; extend, reach, spread over, stretch

over; exceed, go beyond, overreach, overshoot, surpass,

transcend: She accidentally let the bath run over, ruining the

ceiling below. This article will run over onto the next page.

McClelland always runs over the time allotted to his part of the

proceedings. d rehearse, run through, repeat, practise, review,

go over, study, learn, memorize: You'd best run over your

speech again before the banquet. 34 run through. a pierce,

stab, transfix, stick, spit: In the last scene, the hero runs

the villain through with his sword before succumbing to his own

wounds. b squander, consume, use up, waste, fritter away,

exhaust, deplete, spend, dissipate, throw away, Slang blow: It

didn't take Hugh more than a year to run through his

inheritance. c See 33 (b), above.

--n. 35 sprint, dash, race, jog, trot: They go for a two-mile

run every morning before breakfast. 36 trip, journey, visit,

drive, expedition, trek, outing, excursion, jaunt, junket,

sojourn, Colloq spin, joyride: He has to make a run over to

Paris for the weekend, supposedly on business. 37 route,

routine, circuit, passage, trip, cycle, round; beat: I was on

the Murmansk run during the war. 38 period, spate, interval,

time, spell, stretch, course; engagement, booking, Colloq patch:

Roger has had a run of bad luck and could use some help. The

show had a long run on Broadway. 39 access, freedom, liberty:

The children had the run of the house for a week while their

parents were away. 40 return, satisfaction, reward, recompense,

compensation, requital, expiation, atonement, repayment,

remuneration: Although the odds are never in your favour, you

get a good run for your money at Diamond Lil's Gambling

Emporium. 41 series, sequence, stream, spate, string,

succession, progression: Will attributed his poor showing at

the tournament to a bad run of cards. 42 stream, brook, runnel,

creek, rill, rivulet, Brit beck, Scots burn, US branch, kill:

There is a small run at the bottom of the hill. 43 demand,

call, request: Bouillon cubes seem to have enjoyed quite a run

lately. 44 type, category, class, kind, sort: Mark seems to be

a bit more refined than the usual run of guest at Lisa's

parties. 45 trail, track, piste, path, slope; way, runway: She

skied down the north run in record time. 46 enclosure, yard,

pen, compound, runway; paddock; pound: There is a good-sized

run at the kennel where we board the dogs when we go on holiday.

47 Music roulade, cadenza, arpeggio, riff: The soprano treated

us to a marvellous run in which each note was distinct and pure.

48 in the long run. eventually, finally, after all, ultimately,

in (due) time, in due course, in fine, in the end, at the end of

the day, in the final analysis, all things considered, when all

is said and done: Regardless of early troubles, things always

seem to turn out all right in the long run in his plays. 49 on

the run. a hastily, in haste, hurriedly, while under way, in a

hurry, at speed, in a rush: It isn't supposed to be good for

you to eat breakfast on the run every day. b on the loose,

fleeing, escaping, running, in flight, running (away), Slang US

on the lam: He was on the run from the police and desperate to

find Duncan. c running, retreating, on the move or the go:

They kept the enemy on the run for a week. 50 the runs.

diarrhoea, dysentery, upset stomach, Jocular tummy rot, Delhi

belly, Aztec hop, turista or tourista, Mexican foxtrot or

two-step or toothache, Montezuma's revenge, curse of Montezuma,

Rangoon runs, Tokyo trots, Lambeth run(s): I came down with the

runs when we got to Ankara.

run-around

n. evasive treatment; slip: Every time he applied for help he

was given the run-around.

runaway n. 1 fugitive, escapee, refugee, deserter, truant, absconder:

The lad is a notorious runaway who has escaped four times

before.

--adj. 2 wild, uncontrolled, unchecked, rampant, renegade,

unsuppressed; driverless, riderless, loose; escaped: Runaway

inflation is ruining the economy of the country. The runaway

horses were finally brought back. 3 easy, effortless,

overwhelming, uncontested: The incumbent enjoyed a runaway

victory in yesterday's election.

run-down adj. 1 wearied, exhausted, debilitated, weakened, worn out,

peaked, fatigued, enervated, tired, drained, spent, out of shape

or condition, below par, in bad shape; unhealthy, sickly, ill:

He was found in a badly run-down condition, but was soon back on

his feet. 2 ramshackle, dilapidated, tumbledown, decrepit,

rickety, broken-down: The family lives in a run-down cottage on

the edge of the moor.

--n. 3 run-through, synopsis, summary, survey, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚,

(thumbnail) sketch, outline, rough idea, review, recapitulation,

briefing; highlights, high points: Give me a quick run-down of

what happened while I was gone.

run-in n. disagreement, argument, dispute, altercation, quarrel,

confrontation, contretemps: We had a run-in with our neighbour

about playing his hi-fi too loud.

runner n. 1 sprinter, racer, jogger, hurdler, miler: Gordon is one of

our best runners and ought to make the Olympic team. 2

messenger, courier, errand-boy, errand-girl, messenger-boy,

messenger-girl, page, dispatch-bearer or despatch-bearer,

dispatch-rider or despatch-rider, Colloq US gofer: The runner

said that the package fell off his motor cycle and he lost it. 3

sucker, tendril, creeper, shoot, branch, stem: Tie these

runners to the frame in order to train the vine. 4 blade: The

runners on your skates need sharpening.

running n. 1 operation, management, direction: Who attends to the

everyday running of the business while you are away? 2

competition, contest, meet, tournament, race, match; event,

game: If he is found to take steroids, he'll be out of the

running.

--adj. 3 continuous, on-going, continual, perpetual, sustained,

constant, uninterrupted, ceaseless, unceasing: Where do they

get the energy to keep up a running argument on the same silly

subject?

runt n. dwarf, pygmy, midget: Save the runt of the litter for me.

run-through

n. 1 rehearsal, practice, trial, test: Let's have one more

run-through before tomorrow's dress rehearsal. 2 See run-down,

above.

rupture n. 1 break, rift, split, fissure, fracture, cleavage, bursting;

breaking, splitting, break-up, breach, schism, disunity,

breaking up, severance, division, separation: The rupture was

caused by the expansion of the water on freezing. There was no

rupture in friendly relations between the families. 2 hernia:

He is to undergo surgery for a rupture.

--v. 3 break (up or apart), split, fracture, cleave, divide,

breach, separate; disrupt, part, sunder: The fabric of the

balloon ruptured, the gas escaped, and the basket plummeted

earthward.

rural adj. 1 country, pastoral, sylvan, bucolic, rustic, Arcadian,

exurban; agricultural, agrarian, Literary georgic: They always

preferred rural life to life in the city. Constable painted

mainly rural scenes. He sells farm equipment, strictly a rural

business. 2 See rustic, 2, below.

ruse n. trick, device, deception, manoeuvre or chiefly US maneuver,

dodge, pretence, pretext, subterfuge, stratagem, ploy, hoax,

wile, artifice, imposture: His feigned friendship was only a

ruse to get them to reveal their next move.

rush v. 1 hurry (up), hasten, run, race, hustle, bustle, make haste,

dash, speed, scurry, scramble, scoot, jump, sprint, scamper,

scuttle, Colloq move (it), hotfoot (it), skedaddle, step on it,

make it snappy, US hightail (it), step on the gas , Slang get

moving, get cracking, get a wiggle on, go like a bat out of

hell, shake a leg: If you want the job, you'll have to rush to

send in your application. Don't rush - there's plenty for

everyone. 2 attack, assault, charge, storm, blitz: If we rush

them, we might take them by surprise.

--n. 3 hurry, haste, hustle, bustle, dash, speed, turmoil,

turbulence, flurry, commotion, ferment, pother, ado, to-do,

excitement, pell-mell, harum-scarum: What's the rush? 4 surge,

sensation, thrill, charge: I felt a rush of pleasure when I saw

her coming down the street.

--adj. 5 urgent, hurry-up, exigent, high-priority,

top-priority, emergency: This is a rush job that must be

completed today.

rustic adj. 1 See rural, 1, above. 2 peasant, plain, simple,

uncomplicated, unsophisticated, na‹ve, ingenuous, guileless,

artless, unrefined, unpolished, countrified, uncultivated,

uncultured, boorish, crude, rough, unmannerly, hill-billy,

backwoods, awkward, ungainly, cloddish, plodding, oafish, gawky,

lumpen, loutish: Who could dream that such a rustic homebody

would some day be famous for the most fashionable literary salon

in London?

--n. 3 peasant, bumpkin, boor, yokel, hill-billy, countryman,

countrywoman, country boy or girl, oaf, country cousin, Colloq

clodhopper, Derogatory and offensive bog-trotter, US and

Canadian hayseed, hick: In those days, few rustics ever even

visited a city.

rustle v. 1 whisper, swish, sibilate, susurrate: Outside my window,

the leaves rustled in the evening breeze.

--n. 2 whisper, whispering, rustling, swish, swishing,

sibilation, sibilance, susurration, susurrus: I heard the faint

rustle of satin and knew she was listening at the door.

rut n. 1 groove, furrow, wheel-mark, track, trough: In the winter

the ruts in the lane fill with water and freeze, making driving

difficult. 2 pattern, habit, routine, groove, grind, treadmill,

dead end, Colloq rat race: After 27 years as a horse groom, I'm

beginning to feel I'm stuck in a rut.

ruthless adj. pitiless, unpitying, cruel, unsympathetic, merciless,

unmerciful, harsh, fierce, remorseless, uncompassionate,

vicious, savage, ferocious, hard-hearted, callous, unfeeling,

tough, severe, heartless, inhuman, brutal, brutish, unrelenting,

relentless, Chiefly US and Canadian mean: The jail houses some

of the country's most ruthless criminals. In all of history

there was no more ruthless a tyrant.

19.0 S

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19.1 sabotage...

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sabotage n. 1 destruction, damage, wrecking, impairment: Enemy

infiltrators were responsible for the sabotage of our radar. 2

subversion, treachery, treason: When the radar was found

damaged, sabotage was suspected.

--v. 3 undermine, subvert, disrupt, spoil, ruin, cripple;

damage, incapacitate, disable, destroy, wreck, Colloq Brit throw

a spanner in(to) the works, US throw a monkey wrench into the

machinery, Slang Brit queer (someone's pitch): Only someone who

had something to lose would have sabotaged our plan for

reorganization. The engine had been sabotaged by pouring sand

into the fuel tank.

sack n. 1 pouch, bag, Scots and US dialect poke; Technical sac: She

bought a 10-pound sack of potatoes. 2 hit the sack. retire,

turn in, go to bed or to sleep, Slang hit the hay, Brit kip

(down), US sack out: I need my beauty sleep so I'm going to hit

the sack. 3 the sack. dismissal, discharge, firing, Colloq

heave-ho, the axe, marching orders, US pink slip, bounce,

Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Slang Brit the boot, the

chop, the push: Ten of us got the sack when the new management

took over.

--v. 4 dismiss, discharge, fire, let go, lay off, Brit make or

declare redundant, Colloq give (someone) the axe or the (old)

heave-ho, give (someone) his or her marching orders, Brit give

(someone) the sack, US bounce, Slang Brit give (someone) the

boot or the chop or the push: Now that he's been sacked, Norman

will be able to spend more time with the children.

sacred adj. 1 consecrated, dedicated, hallowed, holy, blessed, blest,

sanctified, revered, divine, awe-inspiring, venerable,

venerated, sainted, heaven-sent: This is a most sacred Islamic

site. 2 inviolable, inviolate, untouchable, protected,

sacrosanct: They held nothing sacred as they ransacked the

temple. 3 religious, spiritual, ceremonial, church(ly),

ecclesiastical, priestly, hieratic, ritual, solemn, sacramental,

liturgical: He continued to carry out his sacred duties despite

the war.

sacrifice n. 1 immolation, surrender, forfeiture, forgoing, giving up,

yielding up, offering (up), offer, Christian religion oblation:

The Aztec religion demanded the sacrifice of human beings. 2

forfeiture, forgoing, giving up, relinquishment, loss: Mrs

Clinton continues her charitable work at the sacrifice of much

of her time.

--v. 3 immolate, offer (up), yield (up), give up: In their

religion, they were required to sacrifice small animals to

propitiate the gods. 4 give up, forgo, forfeit, relinquish,

surrender, let go, lose, yield, renounce, forswear; forbear,

desist, cease, stop, refrain from: She was quite ready to

sacrifice her inheritance to see justice done. If you sacrificed

smoking you could give the money you save to charity.

sacrificial

adj. 1 sacrificed, immolated, surrendered, given up, yielded:

They led the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter. 2 atoning,

expiatory, propitiatory, conciliatory: The solemn sacrificial

ceremonies were carried out by the high priestess.

sacrilege n. 1 desecration, profanation, debasement, violation,

prostitution, dishonouring, vitiation, defilement, befouling,

fouling, contamination, befoulment, misuse, abuse, perversion,

maltreatment: The horrendous Buckinghamshire county office

building is an example of architectural sacrilege. 2 impiety,

heresy, profanation, outrage, violation, profanity, blasphemy,

impiousness, irreverence, disrespect, secularization: It was an

unscrupulous sacrilege to appropriate to his own use the

offerings to the gods.

sacrilegious

adj. profane, impious, heretical, blasphemous, irreverent,

disrespectful: The inscription contains a curse on any who

perpetrate any sacrilegious act against the remains of the

pharaoh.

sad adj. 1 unhappy, melancholy, downcast, dejected, depressed, low,

sorrowful, gloomy, morose, glum, lugubrious, mournful,

heartsick, crestfallen, chap-fallen, disheartened, downhearted,

blue, despondent, broken-hearted, heartbroken, woebegone,

miserable, wretched: Danny was so sad when his dog died that he

wept for a week. 2 depressing, gloomy, disheartening, dreary,

dismal, funereal, sombre, lugubrious, saddening, heartbreaking,

bleak, distressing, dispiriting, calamitous: It was a sad day

for all of us here when the England team lost the semifinal. 3

unfortunate, unsatisfactory, awful, bad, shabby, dirty,

lamentable, miserable, sorry, wretched, pathetic, pitiful,

pitiable, deplorable, terrible, Colloq lousy, rotten: After two

weeks under water, the sofa was in pretty sad shape.

sadden v. depress, deject, sorrow, dishearten, distress, dispirit,

discourage, grieve, aggrieve: It saddens me to think of all the

starving people.

sadistic adj. cruel, monstrous, brutal, brutish, beastly, ruthless,

perverse, Technical algolagnic: She derives sadistic pleasure

from reminding me of all my failures. The scars and bruises

confirmed the sadistic treatment he had undergone.

sadly adv. 1 unfortunately, alas, unhappily, unluckily, lamentably,

regrettably, deplorably, sad to relate: Sadly, all our oldest

oaks were uprooted in the hurricane. 2 unhappily, gloomily,

morosely, mournfully, despondently, miserably, wretchedly,

dejectedly, dismally, sombrely, lugubriously: He told me sadly

that he did not expect to return to England again.

sadness n. unhappiness, dolour, misery, sorrow, dispiritedness, grief,

depression, dejection, dejectedness, sorrowfulness, despondency,

melancholy, gloom, gloominess: It is hard to describe the

sadness we all felt when she left.

safe adj. 1 unharmed, whole, uninjured, unhurt, (safe and) sound,

secure, protected, shielded, sheltered, out of harm's way, all

right, Colloq OK or okay: You'll be safe here with me. 2

harmless, non-toxic, non-poisonous, innocuous; unpolluted: This

medication is safe if you do not exceed the recommended dosage.

Is the water safe to drink? 3 sure, secure, sound, protected,

risk-free, riskless, safe as the Bank of England, reliable,

dependable, solid, bona fide, conservative, tried and true, Brit

safe as houses: It was previously thought that an investment in

Alfordyce Ltd was safe. 4 all right, allowable, permissible,

acceptable, satisfactory, appropriate, suitable, timely, right,

correct, proper, justifiable, justified, Colloq OK or okay: Is

it safe to come out now? 5 secured, protected: The children

are safe in bed. Your secret is safe with me.

--adv. 6 safely, securely: I won't breathe easy till he's safe

behind bars.

--n. 7 vault, crypt, strongbox, safe-deposit or safety-deposit

box, coffer, chest, repository: The necklace is kept in the

safe and I never get a chance to wear it.

safeguard n. 1 protection, defence, security: Such a flimsy fence to is

hardly a sufficient safeguard.

--v. 2 protect, defend, shield, shelter, keep safe, guard;

conserve, save, keep, care for, look after: What is being done

to safeguard the passengers from attacks by bandits?

safe keeping

n. charge, protection, keeping, custody, care, guardianship:

The deed to the house is in the safe keeping of Mr Williams, my

solicitor.

safety n. safeness, protection, aegis, cover, shelter, security,

refuge; sanctuary, safe keeping: There's safety in numbers, so

the more the merrier. We retreated to the safety of the castle

dungeon.

sag v. 1 droop, sink, slump, bend, dip; swag, bag: The board

sagged precariously under his weight. Without a breath stirring,

the banners sagged in the humid air. 2 drop, decrease, decline,

go or come down, fall, slide, slip, weaken, slump, descend,

diminish, lessen, droop, subside, flag, falter, wilt: The value

of the dollar sagged in world markets today.

--n. 3 sagging, drop, droop, sinking, sinkage, subsidence, dip;

reduction, decrease, decline, fall, slide, weakening, slump,

lessening, flagging, faltering: If you stand over here you can

see a definite sag in the roof. The sag in profits was

attributed to a poor response to the new model.

saga n. (heroic) legend, narrative, epic, Edda, chronicle, romance,

roman-fleuve, story, tale, adventure: Are you really interested

in the continuing saga of the inhabitants of Coronation Street?

sage adj. 1 wise, sagacious, prudent, sensible, perspicacious,

profound, intelligent, discerning, reasonable, logical,

judicious, common-sense, commonsensical: The old woman gave her

some sage advice about men, which she promptly forgot.

--n. 2 wise man, savant, expert, elder, doyen or doyenne, guru,

Nestor, pundit, Solomon, philosopher, oracle, authority: The

sage whose counsel you seek lives deep in the forest.

sail v. 1 navigate, pilot, steer: Sail as close to the shore as

possible to avoid the whirlpool. 2 go sailing or boating or

yachting, cruise, set sail, put (out) to sea: Would you like to

sail to the Isle of Wight for the weekend? 3 drift, move

lightly, breeze, flow, waft, sweep, coast, float, scud, glide,

slide, slip, plane, skim, fly, flit: It was delightful to watch

the tiny boats sailing, tacking, beating, and running in the

brisk wind.

--n. 4 canvas: The schooner was carrying all the sail she

could.

sailor n. seaman, seafarer, seafaring man or woman, seagoing man or

woman, mariner, (old) salt, sea dog, bluejacket, shellback,

yachtsman, yachtswoman, boatman, boatwoman, deck-hand, captain,

skipper, Literary Jack Tar, Colloq tar, Naval US swab, swabbie,

gob: When she said she had married a sailor I didn't know she

meant that he had a 100-foot yacht.

saintly adj. holy, blessed, blest, beatific, godly, sainted, angelic,

seraphic, pure, righteous, virtuous, blameless: Donald was such

a saintly man, it was impossible to think ill of him.

sake n. 1 benefit, welfare, well-being, good, advantage, behalf,

profit, gain, account: Joe and I stayed together for the sake

of the children. She felt pleased, for his sake, that he had

managed to get away. 2 purpose(s), reason(s), objective(s):

Just for the sake of comparison, let us now look at the

situation in Taiwan.

salary n. income, pay, earnings, compensation, remuneration,

emolument; wage(s): I can't afford a new car on my present

salary.

sale n. 1 selling, traffic, vending, marketing, trafficking,

trading; trade, exchange, transaction: The sale of alcoholic

beverages on Sundays is prohibited. Provide a receipt for each

sale. 2 trade, purchase; trading, buying, purchasing: We must

do something to boost sales. The house is very reasonably priced

for a quick sale. 3 sales event, mark-down, white sale, jumble

sale, Brit car-boot sale, US rummage sale, garage sale, tag

sale, yard sale, Colloq sellathon, sales marathon: We are

having a sale to clear out things we no longer want or need. 4

transaction: She hasn't made a sale in a week. 5 on sale. US

marked down, cut-price, bargain-priced; reduced (in price):

Bacon is on sale this week at half price. 6 (up) for sale. on

the market, available, in stock, Chiefly Brit on sale, on offer,

US on the block: Their house is for sale to the highest bidder.

salesperson

n. salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, salesgirl, sales-clerk,

clerk, Chiefly Brit shop-girl, Brit shop assistant,

Old-fashioned counter-jumper: The shop is noted for its wide

range of merchandise and the efficiency and courtesy of its

salespeople.

salient adj. conspicuous, outstanding, pronounced, noticeable,

prominent, significant, important, marked, impressive, striking,

remarkable, distinguishing, distinctive, unique, eminent,

noteworthy, notable, principal, chief, primary: A salient

feature of this policy is that it can be converted at any time

from a straight life to an endowment policy.

salt n. 1 common or table salt, sodium chloride, sea salt,

rock-salt: A little salt will bring out the flavour. 2 spice,

spiciness, zest, zestiness, pungency, vigour, vitality,

liveliness, pep, pepper, poignancy, piquancy, relish, bite,

savour, seasoning, taste, Colloq zip, zing, punch: Yes, do

invite Randolph, for he can be relied on to add a little salt to

the dinner conversation. 3 (Attic) wit, Attic salt, dry humour,

sarcasm: Her conversation is sprinkled with the salt of clever

aphorisms. 4 See sailor, above. 5 with a grain or pinch of

salt. cum grano salis, warily, cautiously, qualifiedly,

qualifyingly, doubtfully, sceptically, suspiciously, reservedly,

with reservation(s) or qualification(s): You have to take what

he says with a grain of salt.

--v. 6 season, spice, flavour, pepper: The pirate's speech was

salted with expressions like 'Shiver me timbers!', 'Avast

there!', and 'Blow me down!' 7 pickle, cure, preserve, corn,

marinate, souse: The book gives several recipes for curing ham

and salting beef. 8 salt away. save (up), hoard, put or lay or

set by or aside, squirrel away, store up, stockpile, amass,

accumulate, pile up, Colloq stash away, US and Canadian sock

away: They were always terribly stingy, claiming they were

salting something away for their old age.

--adj. 9 salty, saline, brackish, briny: The water had a salt

taste. 10 pickled, kippered, marinated, soused; corned; cured:

Do you like salt herring?

salute v. 1 greet, hail, address, accost: The moment I stepped in at

the door I was saluted with the peremptory question, 'Where have

you been?' 2 pay respects or homage or tribute to, honour,

recognize, acknowledge: Wherever she went she was saluted as a

heroine.

--n. 3 greeting, address, salutation: He returned my salute

with a nod.

salvage v. 1 save, recover, rescue, redeem, deliver, retrieve, reclaim:

Were you able to salvage anything of value after the fire?

--n. 2 recovery, rescue, retrieval, redemption, deliverance,

reclamation, salvation: The salvage of a vessel or cargo at sea

invests the salvager with legal rights under certain conditions.

salve n. 1 balm, ointment, unguent, dressing, cream, lotion,

demulcent, embrocation, liniment: The doctor applied a salve to

the wound and bandaged it. 2 emollient, balm, palliative,

tranquillizer, opiate, anodyne, narcotic, relief, assuagement:

The money was more a salve to his conscience than a token of his

charity.

--v. 3 mitigate, relieve, ease, alleviate, assuage, palliate,

soothe, mollify, comfort, appease: There must be something you

can do to allow them to save face and to salve their wounded

pride.

same adj. 1 identical, exact (same), selfsame; very: When I said

they were wearing the same dress I meant that they were wearing

identical dresses. That's the same tie you wore when we first

met. 2 unchanged, unchanging, changeless, unmodified, unaltered,

constant, uniform, unvaried, unvarying; word-for-word, verbatim:

As you can see, it's the same old Charley you used to know and

love. Professor Spicer is still giving the same lecture that he

has given all these years. 3 all the same. at the same time,

nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, yet, but, anyway, anyhow, in

any case, in any event, at any rate, regardless, still (and

all), in spite of or despite the fact, notwithstanding, for all

that, that (having been) said, having said that, after all is

said and done, just the same: Of course you have a right to go;

all the same, I wish you had let me know.

sample n. 1 specimen, example, representative, representation,

illustration, sampling, sampler, cross-section; swatch; bite,

nibble, taste: I should like to see a sample before deciding

whether to place an order with you.

--v. 2 test, try, taste, experience: Anyone is welcome to

sample the merchandise on request.

--adj. 3 representative, specimen, illustrative,

representational, trial, test: A sample copy of the book is

available for examination.

sanatorium

n. rest-home, convalescent home, nursing home, clinic, health

farm, US also sanitarium: After spending a month recuperating

in a Swiss sanatorium, Gladys was as good as new.

sanctify v. 1 consecrate, hallow, make sacred or holy, glorify, exalt,

canonize, enshrine; Rom Cath Ch beatify: The site was

sanctified and is visited by pilgrims throughout the year. 2

purify, cleanse: According to Scripture, some are sanctified

before birth. 3 confirm, sanction, ratify, justify, legitimate,

legitimatize or legitimize, legalize, license: Her family

insisted that the marriage be sanctified at the church in

Suffolk, where they live.

sanctimonious

adj. hypocritical, self-righteous, canting, mealy-mouthed,

holier-than-thou, Pharisaical, pietistic, unctuous, Tartuffian,

Colloq goody-goody, Chiefly Brit smarmy Slang Brit pi: I

wondered what happened to all that sanctimonious talk about

putting his family first?

sanction n. 1 confirmation, ratification, secondment, authorization,

legalization, legitimatization or legitimization, validation,

licence, certification, approval, permission, imprimatur, seal

or stamp (of approval), signet: If you get the sanction of the

rest of the members, then I shall agree. 2 help, aid,

encouragement, support, advocacy, backing, sponsorship, favour,

countenance: You will need the sanction of the entire committee

in order to win a vote of confidence. 3 agreement, concurrence,

acceptance, affirmation, assent, acquiescence, compliance,

approval, OK or okay: He would never have proceeded with the

invasion without the sanction of his generals. 4 ban, penalty,

punishment, retribution, discipline, retaliation, redress: The

government decided to introduce sanctions against the regime on

account of their atrocious record on human rights.

--v. 5 confirm, ratify, second, authorize, legalize,

legitimatize or legitimize, validate, license, certify, approve,

permit, allow, notarize, vouchsafe, subscribe to, commission,

consent to: If the board sanctions the purchase of the company,

it is then up to the shareholders to vote. 6 support, encourage,

advocate, back, sponsor, favour, countenance, help: You know I

cannot be seen to sanction your plan in preference to others.

sanctity n. piety, holiness, saintliness, divinity, grace, sacredness,

godliness, devotion, dedication: The arguments of the

anti-abortionists were based on a belief in the sanctity of all

human life.

sanctuary n. 1 sanctum, shrine, chapel, temple, church, house of worship,

house of God; synagogue, mosque, pagoda: All of us retire at

this time to the sanctuary for evening prayer. 2 asylum,

refuge, retreat, protection, shelter, safety: Formerly,

criminals could seek sanctuary in churches. 3 (nature or

wildlife) reserve or preserve, reservation, conservation area,

national park: If housing is built here, it will destroy the

bird sanctuary.

sanctum n. 1 sanctuary, holy of holies, shrine: No one is allowed into

the sanctum except the high priestess. 2 sanctum sanctorum,

den, study, retreat; hiding-place, hide-out, hideaway,

cubby-hole: After dinner Roger goes to his sanctum to write.

sane adj. normal, of sound mind, rational, compos mentis,

well-balanced, right-minded, level-headed, rational, reasonable,

sensible, judicious, Colloq right in the head, all there: They

decided that the killer was sane and fit to stand trial.

sang-froid

n. cold-bloodedness, coolness, cool-headedness, indifference,

composure, phlegm, self-possession, self-control, poise,

imperturbability, equanimity, Colloq unflappability, cool,

coolth: What amazed us was the remarkable sang-froid displayed

by even the smallest children in the face of bullying.

sanguinary

adj. 1 bloodthirsty, cruel, brutal, brutish, gory, merciless,

remorseless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless, savage, barbarous,

slaughterous, grim, fell, murderous, homicidal: The axe murder

was the most sanguinary crime that the division had ever been

required to investigate. 2 bloody, sanguineous, sanguinolent: I

am unsure how I survived such a sanguinary battle.

sanguine adj. optimistic, rosy, confident, hopeful, forward-looking,

anticipatory, expectant, enthusiastic, fervid, zealous: Some

experts took a more sanguine view, saying that they expected to

see the start of an economic upturn in the next few months.

sanitary adj. clean, sterile, hygienic, antiseptic, disinfected,

aseptic, germ-free, bacteria-free; healthy, unpolluted,

salubrious, healthful, salutary, wholesome: With such shortages

of personnel and equipment, it was impossible to maintain a

sanitary hospital environment.

sanity n. saneness, reason, mental health or soundness, normality,

rationality, reason, reasonableness, stability, balance: Have

you any reason for suspecting her sanity?

sap° n. 1 (vital) juice or fluid, bodily or US also body fluid,

lifeblood, essence, Literary ichor: He apostrophized about how

the sap of youth had shrunk from his veins. 2 fool, idiot,

nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, simpleton, ignoramus, nitwit,

dim-wit, dunce, ass; dupe, gull, US thimble-wit; Colloq chump,

drip, Brit (right) charlie, noddy, noodle, wet, Chiefly Brit

twit, Slang patsy, sucker, (easy) mark, pushover, sap-head, Brit

muggins, US schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel, fall

guy: You certainly were a sap to fall for that old line!

--v. 3 bleed, drain, draw, tap, rob, milk: I could feel the

strength being sapped from my body.

sapý v. undermine, sabotage, weaken, cripple, wreck, devitalize,

deplete, drain, erode, enervate, debilitate: They did

everything they could to sap my self-confidence.

sarcasm n. scorn, contumely, derision, ridicule, bitterness, acrimony,

acrimoniousness, acerbity, harshness, acridity, acridness,

asperity, venom, poison, venomousness, poisonousness, virulence,

spite, spitefulness, malice, maliciousness, malevolence, satire,

irony, cynicism, disdain: Kathy was too thick-skinned to

appreciate the sarcasm of Tom's cutting commentary on her

acting.

sarcastic adj. scornful, contumelious, derisive, derisory, ridiculing,

bitter, biting, cutting, trenchant, incisive, acrimonious,

acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, harsh, acrid, aspersive,

venomous, poisonous, virulent, spiteful, malicious, malefic,

malevolent, satiric(al), ironic(al), cynical, disdainful,

mocking, contemptuous, critical, censorious, captious, carping,

cavilling, sardonic, scathing, caustic, nasty: I don't think he

knows how hurtful his sarcastic remarks can be.

sardonic adj. ironic(al), derisive, derisory, mocking, cynical,

sarcastic: She said that she was leaving him, but his only

response was a sardonic smile.

satanic adj. 1 diabolic(al), fiendish, devilish, Mephistophelian,

demonic, demoniac(al), infernal, cacodemonic, ghoulish, hellish,

infernal, evil, wicked, iniquitous, corrupt, depraved,

perverted, perverse, godless, ungodly, impious, unholy,

sinister, dark, black, immoral, amoral: They practise

witchcraft and other satanic inventions. 2 dire, monstrous,

heinous, atrocious, hideous, horrible, horrendous, horrid,

horrifying, loathsome, vile, abhorrent, unspeakable,

unutterable, damnable, despicable, abominable: The miners

worked under positively satanic conditions.

satellite n. 1 moon, spacecraft, Old-fashioned sputnik: The sky is

crowded with artificial satellites orbiting the earth. 2

follower, attendant, retainer, disciple, acolyte, aide,

aide-de-camp, minion, lieutenant, assistant, helper, hanger-on,

dependant, shadow, right-hand man, vassal, parasite, sycophant,

Colloq sidekick: Boswell became the obsequious satellite of

Samuel Johnson.

satiate v. 1 stuff, glut, gorge, cloy, surfeit, overfill, overstuff,

glut, pall, overindulge, saturate, choke, deluge, flood, choke,

suffocate, weary, exhaust, bore, tire, jade: The travellers

were so satiated with food and drink that nothing could wake

them. 2 slake, satisfy, quench, content, gratify, sate: I felt

the it would take at least a gallon of water to satiate my

thirst.

satiety n. surfeit, glut, superabundance, overindulgence, saturation,

nimiety, excess, superfluity: The painting exudes a mood of

sexual languor and satiety.

satire n. 1 ridicule, irony, sarcasm, mockery, spoofing, exaggeration,

caricature: Often, the best way to comment on a distasteful

political situation is through satire. 2 burlesque, lampoon,

parody, travesty, pasquinade, spoof, cartoon, caricature, Colloq

take-off, Chiefly Brit send-up: For several years he wrote

mainly satires of life among the wealthy.

satirical adj. satiric, ironic, sarcastic, mocking, spoofing, irreverent,

exaggerating, Hudibrastic, derisive, disparaging, abusive,

scornful, flippant, ridiculing, chaffing: After a number of

satirical plays, he returned to writing novels, which, he felt,

reached a wider audience.

satirize v. lampoon, burlesque, parody, caricature, travesty, poke fun

at, (hold up to) ridicule, make fun or sport of, pillory,

deride, mock; mimic, imitate; Colloq take off, put down, Brit

send up: Since ancient times writers have satirized the follies

of their age.

satisfaction

n. 1 gratification, comfort, fulfilment, contentment, delight,

joy, enjoyment, pleasure, happiness: They get a great deal of

satisfaction out of seeing their children happily married. 2

payment, requital, repayment, compensation, recompense,

remuneration, reparation, indemnity, indemnification,

restitution, vindication, damages, amends, redress, atonement,

expiation: The purpose of the lawsuit is to demand satisfaction

for the wrongs done to our family.

satisfactory

adj. adequate, sufficient, acceptable, passable, all right, not

bad, good enough, fair, Colloq OK or okay: I'd say that the

food at Michelle's is satisfactory but not outstanding.

satisfy v. 1 gratify, fulfil, comfort, please, content, placate,

appease, pacify: It takes a lot to satisfy him: he is one of

the fussiest men I have ever worked with. 2 fill, meet, fulfil,

provide for, look after or to, serve, answer, comply with,

resolve, solve, gratify, indulge; slake, quench, sate, satiate:

Your desire for better working conditions can probably only be

satisfied by a change of job. What will it take to satisfy your

thirst for adventure? 3 convince, persuade, reassure, assure,

put (someone's) mind at rest, content: He was satisfied that

emigration to Australia was the only option open to him. 4 pay,

repay, redress, make good, indemnify, write off, liquidate: I

shall see to it that the debt is satisfied at once.

satisfying

adj. gratifying, satisfactory, fulfilling, filling, satiating;

comforting, pleasing, pacifying, pleasurable: That was a very

satisfying meal. It is a satisfying feeling to know that you are

happy.

saturate v. soak, wet, drench, steep, fill, imbue, souse, suffuse,

impregnate, permeate; waterlog; Technical ret: I got caught in

the rain and came home saturated. Make sure that you saturate

the earth round the tree once you have finished planting.

sauce n. 1 gravy, condiment: That sauce on the meat was truly

delicious. 2 impertinence, sauciness, impudence, audacity,

insolence, brazenness, pertness, disrespect, disrespectfulness,

Colloq cheek, cheekiness, lip, back talk, backchat, brass,

nerve, gall, Slang crust, US and Canadian sass, sassiness: She

had the sauce to tell me to pay at once or get out.

saunter v. walk, stroll, amble, meander, ramble, wander, Colloq mosey,

traipse: An oddly dressed man sauntered over and asked if I had

ever bet on a horse before.

savage adj. 1 wild, untamed, undomesticated, feral, unbroken: These

savage beasts had never seen a man before. 2 vicious,

ferocious, fierce, beastly, bestial, brutish, bloodthirsty,

brutal, cruel, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, harsh, bloody,

unmerciful, fell, barbarous, barbaric, murderous, demonic,

demoniac, sadistic: The boy was subjected to a savage attack by

the defendant's dog. The king's guards were selected for their

savage nature. 3 wild, uncivilized, uncultivated, primitive,

inhuman, bestial, barbaric, barbarous, untamed, rude: The

savage behaviour of some New Guinea tribes included cannibalism.

--n. 4 wild man or woman, brute, barbarian; Caliban: When the

explorers landed on the island, they were welcomed by the

savages who lived there.

save v. 1 (come to someone's) rescue, deliver; (set) free, liberate,

release, redeem, bail (someone) out; recover, salvage, retrieve:

What can be done to save me from the drudgery of doing the

laundry? She saved only one thing of value from the fire. 2

keep, preserve, guard, safeguard, protect, conserve, secure,

shelter, shield: One way to save dried flowers is to press them

between the leaves of a book. 3 lay or put aside, lay or put by,

lay or put away, keep, retain, set apart, hold, reserve,

preserve, conserve; economize, scrimp, scrape: Soon he had

saved enough money to buy a new car. If you keep on saving, you

may soon have enough for a new suit. 4 obviate, preclude, spare,

prevent: A little extra care taken now will save a lot of

trouble later on.

saving adj. 1 redeeming, redemptory or redemptive or redemptional,

compensating, compensatory, qualifying, extenuating,

extenuatory: His one saving grace is that he has a lot of

money. 2 parsimonious, economical, thrifty, provident, frugal,

sparing, prudent: It was only because of Alison's saving nature

that we had enough to live on during the strike.

--n. 3 economizing, economization, economy, thrift, providence,

frugality, prudence, scrimping, scraping, sparingness: It was

only by her saving that we survived. 4 savings. resources,

reserve, cache, hoard, nest egg: Our savings are to pay for

your education, not for having a good time.

saviour n. 1 rescuer, salvation, friend in need, Good Samaritan,

liberator, redeemer, deliverer, emancipator, champion, knight

errant, knight in shining armour: Because he gave her a job

when she most needed it, she regarded him as her saviour. 2 the

or our Saviour. Christian religion Christ (the Redeemer),

Jesus, the Messiah, Lamb of God, Our Lord, Son of God, King of

Kings, Prince of Peace, Islam Mahdi.

savoir faire

n. tact, tactfulness, sophistication, finesse, urbanity,

discretion, knowledgeability, diplomacy, urbanity, smoothness,

polish, suavity or suaveness, poise, grace, style, skill,

adroitness, knowledge, comprehension, Slang savvy: She felt a

vague sense of social inferiority, an uneasy lack of savoir

faire.

savoir vivre

n. breeding, upbringing, comity, knowledge, sophistication,

polish: He has at least enough savoir vivre to know that one

doesn't drink red wine with oysters.

savour n. 1 taste, flavour, zest, tang, smack, piquancy: These

poached peaches have a savour of brandy about them. 2 hint,

suggestion, odour, scent, fragrance, smell, perfume, redolence,

bouquet, breath, trace, quality, soup‡on, dash: He preferred

talking about the savour rather than the odour of sanctity, for

alliteration's sake.

--v. 3 taste, sample, perceive, detect, sense, discern, mark,

descry, observe, notice, note, identify; enjoy, luxuriate in,

relish, indulge in, bask in, appreciate, revel in, delight in,

value, cherish, Colloq lick or smack one's lips or chops over:

One could savour a trace of honey in the wine. For a week we

savoured the delights of the Costa Brava.

savoury adj. 1 palatable, delicious, delectable, tasty, toothsome,

appetizing, flavourful, flavorous, flavoursome, ambrosial,

luscious: Pettigrew bit greedily into the savoury flesh of the

ripe melon. 2 tasteful, honest, proper, decent, reputable,

respectable, honourable, creditable, upright, decorous, seemly,

wholesome, innocent: I am not sure that Victoria is travelling

in particularly savoury society.

--n. 3 appetizer, hors-d'oeuvre; dessert, sweet; morsel,

dainty, titbit or US tidbit, Chiefly Brit starter, Archaic

warner: I think I'd like the Welsh rabbit as a savoury.

saw n. proverb, maxim, (old) saying, aphorism, apophthegm or

apothegm, axiom, adage, epigram, gnome; slogan, motto,

catchword, catch-phrase, byword; dictum, platitude, truism,

clich‚, commonplace: She always quoted to him the old saw, 'A

fool and his mother are soon parted'.

say v. 1 state, affirm, declare, maintain, hold, aver, remark,

assert, claim, asseverate, announce: She said that I had to go

at once, and I said, 'I shall never leave you!' 2 assert,

allege, report, mention, rumour, reveal, bruit about, disclose,

divulge, bring to light, put about, noise abroad, suggest, hint,

whisper: It was said that spies had already infiltrated the

party. 3 pronounce, articulate, utter; phrase, rephrase,

translate: How do you say gem•tlich? How do you say it in

English? 4 tell, put, express, verbalize, communicate, explain,

reveal, bring up, break, impart: I don't quite know how to say

this, Harry, but you have bad breath. 5 reply, respond, answer:

What have you to say to her allegation that it is all your

fault? 6 guess, estimate, conjecture, venture, judge, imagine,

believe, think: I'd say you look about 60 years old. 7 mean or

intend or try to say, think, contemplate, imply, suggest: Are

you saying that you would steal if you had the opportunity? 8

predict, prognosticate, foretell: The newspaper says that

shares will go down. 9 signify, denote, symbolize, communicate,

indicate, convey, suggest, imply, mean: What does a red light

say to you? 10 order, require, demand, bid, stipulate, command,

give the word: If I say that you are to go, then you go - and

quickly. 11 deliver, utter, speak: Say your lines and exit

stage left without waiting for a reply.

--n. 12 voice, authority, influence, power, weight, sway,

clout: Does she have that much say about how the money should

be spent? 13 turn, chance, opportunity, vote: You've had your

say, now let's hear from Ackroyd.

--adv. 14 approximately, about, roughly, circa, nearly: The

snake was, say, twenty feet long. 15 for example, for instance,

as or for an illustration, eg or US e.g.: Take any novel, say,

Wuthering Heights, and analyse the characters.

say-so n. authority, word, say, order, dictum; authorization: I

shouldn't do it just on his say-so if I were you.

19.2 scale...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

scale° n. Often, scales. balance: We need new bathroom scales: the

old one gives too high a reading.

scaleý n. 1 flake, imbrication; scurf, dandruff; Technical squama,

plate, scute or scutum, lamina, lamella: Scrape the scales off

the fish with a sharp knife before gutting it. 2 coating,

encrustation or incrustation, crust, overlay, layer, cake,

caking, tartar, plaque: The hardness of the water causes the

scale inside the kettle.

scale° n. 1 range, compass, rank, ranking, gradation, graduation,

register, spectrum, calibration, progression, hierarchy, scope,

gamut: As we ascend in the scale of life we rise in the scale

of longevity. 2 proportion, ratio: The scale of these drawings

is One Foot = One Centimetre.

--v. 3 climb, ascend, mount, clamber up, surmount, go up,

escalade: Using grappling hooks and ropes, we scaled the wall

in minutes. 4 regulate, adjust, proportion, Chiefly US and

Canadian prorate: The size of the cable is scaled to the weight

it must carry. 5 scale up or down. increase, enlarge, raise;

decrease, reduce, diminish, lower: Depending on the expanse of

the fa‡ade, the windows ought to be scaled up or down

accordingly.

scaly adj. 1 rough, imbricated, shingly, Technical lamellar, laminar,

lamellate, scutate: The scaly covering of reptiles and fishes

is related to the feathers of birds. 2 scabby, scabrous,

squamous, squamulose, squamosal, squamose, scurfy, furfuraceous,

scruffy: The medication causes the skin to dry and become

temporarily scaly.

scan v. 1 glance at or through, look over, skim, read over, flip or

thumb or leaf through: I didn't have time to read it

thoroughly, but I did scan it. 2 study, pore over, examine,

investigate, scrutinize, inspect, delve into, research, explore

(in depth), sweep, Archaic con: Scan the horizon for hostile

planes.

--n. 3 look, survey, inspection, examination, overview: A

microscopic scan revealed no trace of blood.

scandal n. 1 shame, disgrace, embarrassment, sin, outrage: It is a

scandal how much of the money raised for charity goes into the

pockets of the fund-raisers. 2 discredit, damage, calumny,

ignominy, obloquy, dishonour, degradation, disrepute, infamy:

The scandal resulting from their being found together could

never be lived down. The breath of scandal never touched her. 3

slander, libel, aspersion, innuendo, insinuation, abuse, dirt,

defilement, defamation, slur, smear, taint, blemish, spot,

stigma, smirch, black mark or spot, blot (on the escutcheon),

(badge of) infamy, skeleton in the cupboard, Brit blot on one's

copybook: His cowardice brought scandal to the name that could

never be lived down.

scandalize

v. appal, shock, outrage, affront, offend, horrify, upset,

disturb; rankle, stick in (someone's) craw or throat, gall:

They were scandalized to learn the truth about Cooksley's

father.

scandalous

adj. 1 shocking, disgraceful, ignominious, improper,

indecorous, unseemly, infamous, outrageous, shameful, immodest,

dishonourable, disreputable, sordid, despicable, flagitious,

wicked, sinful, evil, iniquitous, profligate, immoral, indecent,

lewd, lascivious, lustful, licentious, lecherous, atrocious,

heinous, disgusting, fulsome, taboo, unmentionable, unspeakable:

The scandalous goings-on at the Hellfire Club are well

documented. 2 defamatory, libellous, slanderous, calumnious,

calumniatory, aspersive, abusive, scurrilous, injurious,

defamatory: The newspaper published a scandalous article about

him which they refused to retract.

scanty adj. 1 scant, sparse, scarce, little, meagre, minimal; barely

adequate or sufficient, limited, restricted, Colloq measly: The

news from the front was scanty. We received only scanty support

from the Arts Council. 2 skimpy, short, small, sparse, minimal,

meagre, in short supply, Colloq chiefly Brit thin on the ground:

Investor interest in the new share offering seemed to be scanty.

scapegoat n. victim, front, dupe, gull, cat's-paw, whipping-boy, Brit man

of straw, Aunt Sally, US straw man, Colloq fall guy, Slang

sucker: We have to find a scapegoat to take the punishment for

us.

scar n. 1 blemish, mark, damage, disfigurement, wound, injury,

scratch, mar, cut, burn, brand, cicatrix: Fortunately, the cut

is shallow and shouldn't leave a scar.

--v. 2 blemish, mark, damage, disfigure, wound, injure,

scratch, mar, cut, burn, brand; dent: The blow scarred him for

life.

scarce adj. scanty, scant, insufficient, inadequate, deficient,

wanting, lacking, rare, unusual, at a premium, in short supply,

meagre, few and far between, seldom met with, hard to come by,

Chiefly Brit thin on the ground: Good editors are very scarce.

scarcely adv. 1 hardly, barely, (only) just, not quite: He had scarcely

uttered the magic words when the rock split open. 2 (probably

or certainly or surely or definitely) not, in no way, not at

all, not in the least, by no means, on no account, under no

circumstances, nowise, Colloq US noway: I scarcely need remind

you that you are getting married tomorrow.

scarcity n. lack, want, need, paucity, dearth, insufficiency, shortage,

inadequacy, inadequateness: The teaching of foreign languages

is not improved by the scarcity of qualified teachers.

scare v. 1 frighten, alarm, startle, shock, dismay, daunt, appal,

give (someone) a shock or a fright, terrify, terrorize,

threaten, menace, cow, intimidate, horrify, US and Canadian

spook, Colloq scare the pants off, scare the life or the living

daylights or the hell out of, scare out of one's wits, make

one's hair stand on end, make one's flesh creep or crawl, give

one goose bumps or goose-pimples, US scare the bejesus out of,

Taboo slang scare or frighten the shit out of, scare shitless,

US scare shitty: A sudden noise scared me, and I ran out of the

cave as fast as I could. 2 scare up. scrape together or up,

find, gather, collect, raise, dig up, get, come by, scrounge

(up): I can't scare up that much money in one day!

--n. 3 fright, shock, surprise, start: I had a terrible scare

when I saw what I thought was blood.

scared adj. frightened, alarmed, afraid, appalled, shocked, terrified,

horrified, startled: Don't be scared, I won't hurt you.

scary adj. frightening, eerie, terrifying, frightful, hair-raising,

unnerving, blood-curdling, horrifying, spine-chilling,

intimidating, daunting; horrendous, horrid, horrible, creepy,

crawly, Colloq spooky: Aren't you afraid to watch scary movies

on TV when you're home alone?

scathing adj. searing, withering, damaging, harmful, severe, harsh,

stern, nasty, biting, acrid, acrimonious, mordant, incisive,

cutting, sharp, keen, virulent, vitriolic, acid, scorching,

burning, fierce, savage, ferocious: She was totally unprepared

for the critics' scathing attack on her book.

scatter v. 1 spread, diffuse, shower, litter, sprinkle, strew,

circulate, distribute, disseminate, sow, broadcast: As the

seeds of dissent were scattered far and wide, we became aware of

a ground swell of hatred for the regime. 2 disperse, separate,

dissipate, dispel, disband, break up, go off: My notes were

scattered all over the floor. Immediately after dividing up the

loot, the gang scattered to the four winds.

scatterbrained

n. hare-brained, rattle-headed, rattle-brained, frivolous,

flibbertigibbet, giddy, dazed, flighty, wool-gathering, Colloq

dippy, dizzy, dopey or dopy, slap-happy: It irritates me to

think that our lives might depend on such a scatterbrained fool.

scattering

n. smattering, sprinkling, trifle, bit, suggestion, soup‡on,

hint: It is true, there was a scattering of rebellious

sentiment in the town.

scenario n. 1 (master or ground or floor) plan, (grand) scheme, plot,

schema, design, outline, layout, framework, structure; sequence

of events, routine: According to this scenario, the bank will

provide the financing and we shall organize the take-over. 2

(plot) summary, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, synopsis; (working or shooting)

script, screenplay: The scenario for the film was a joint

venture between the director and the author of the book on which

it was based.

scene n. 1 location, site, place, area, locale, spot, locality,

whereabouts, sphere, milieu, backdrop, background: The scenes

of my youth are always in my mind. 2 action, episode, part,

chapter, section, segment; (stage) setting, mise en scŠne;

scenery: The next scene takes place in Venice. Is the Venice

scene ready? 3 commotion, upset, exhibition, display, row,

brouhaha, disturbance, furore or US furor, tantrum, argument,

altercation, uncomfortable or disagreeable situation, episode,

incident: She made an unpleasant scene in the restaurant when

he refused to sit next to her. 4 view, scenery, sight,

landscape, seascape, panorama, vista, picture, view, prospect:

The scene from the terrace was completely tranquil. 5 behind

the scenes. secretly, privately, clandestinely, confidentially,

surreptitiously, on the q.t. or Q.T.: Sigrid operated behind

the scenes and her identity was never revealed to MI5. 6 make or

do the scene. socialize, appear, get around or about, go out,

participate: We used to make the scene in the Village back in

the forties, but no more.

scenic adj. picturesque, panoramic, pretty, beautiful, grand, awesome,

awe-inspiring, impressive, striking, spectacular, breathtaking:

The train passes through some incredibly scenic routes in

Switzerland.

scent n. 1 fragrance, aroma, perfume, redolence, smell, odour,

bouquet, whiff, trace: The room was filled with the scent of

wild flowers. 2 trail, spoor, track: In drag hunting, the

scent is laid down by a sack dragged along the ground.

--v. 3 perceive, detect, find out, determine, discern,

distinguish, recognize, sense, smell, sniff (out), get wind of,

learn or hear about: Scenting possible trouble, he decided he

had better take along my revolver. 4 perfume: She had left

behind her handkerchief, scented with Chanel No. 19.

sceptic n. doubter, questioner, doubting Thomas, disbeliever,

nullifidian, agnostic, scoffer, cynic: You'll always find some

sceptics who don't believe that a woman could be a good prime

minister.

sceptical adj. doubting, dubious, doubtful, questioning, disbelieving,

incredulous, agnostic, scoffing, cynical, mistrustful,

distrustful: We were sceptical at first whether anything would

come of it, but then things began to happen.

scepticism

n. doubt, dubiety, dubiousness, doubtfulness, disbelief,

incredulity, incredulousness, agnosticism, cynicism, mistrust,

distrust, mistrustfulness, distrustfulness: At first, the

entire matter was greeted with some scepticism; but then the

Berlin Wall came tumbling down.

schedule n. 1 programme, timetable, plan, calendar, agenda, outline,

list, listing, record, register: I'd like a complete schedule

of your work for the next month on my desk tomorrow.

--v. 2 programme, organize, plan, outline, list, record,

register, arrange, book, time, slate, appoint, assign, allot,

dedicate, earmark: Schedule the next meeting for the 15th of

the month. Alistair is scheduled to speak tomorrow.

schematic adj. 1 diagrammatic(al), representational, graphic, charted:

We have the schematic drawings showing the placement of the

equipment.

--n. 2 diagram, blueprint, layout, (floor or game) plan,

scheme, design, representation, graph, (flow or PERT) chart:

Give copies of the schematics to the electricians so that they

can plan where to put the wiring.

scheme n. 1 plan, plot, design, programme, system, course (of action),

schema, outline, exposition, projection, draft, method,

technique, approach, game plan, scenario: In my scheme,

compensation would be dependent on productivity, merit, and

length of service. 2 pattern, arrangement, layout, design,

diagram, blueprint, chart, map, drawing, schematic, disposition,

order, organization, schema: This alternative scheme shows the

executive offices on the second floor. 3 plot, plan, ploy,

manoeuvre, strategy, stratagem, tactic, machination, subterfuge,

trick, device, dodge, wile, ruse, intrigue, Colloq racket, game,

move: Ashton's scheme was to lure the security guards into the

outer room, then lock them in.

--v. 4 plan, plot, devise, contrive, intrigue, organize,

formulate, hatch, conspire, machinate, manoeuvre, connive,

concoct, Colloq cook up: Clifton had been scheming to get his

revenge on them ever since the Manchester episode.

scheming adj. conniving, plotting, nefarious, treacherous, crafty,

cunning, artful, sly, wily, devious, Machiavellian, intriguing,

slick, calculating, tricky, foxy, slippery, underhanded,

duplicitous, deceitful: Wait till I lay my hands on the

scheming little thief!

schism n. split, rift, break, breach, division, rupture, separation,

disunion: The schism was caused by a group of left-wing

idealists.

schismatic

adj. schismatical, separatist, breakaway, divisive, dissident,

heretical: The schismatic movement in art was marked by one

faction's abandonment of realism.

scholar n. 1 academic, professor, teacher, pedagogue, authority,

expert, pundit, savant, bookman, book-woman, man or woman of

letters, intellectual, highbrow, bookworm, Colloq egghead,

brain, US longhair: Professor Read is one of the most respected

linguistics scholars in the world. 2 student, pupil, schoolboy,

schoolgirl, undergraduate: Cosgrove was a failure as a scholar,

preferring football to physics.

scholarly adj. learned, erudite, lettered, scholastic, profound, deep,

intellectual, academic, highbrow(ed), ivory-tower(ed), Colloq

egghead, brainy, US longhair, long-haired: Her scholarly

achievements are not limited to scholarly articles for learned

journals.

scholarship

n. 1 learning, erudition, knowledge, lore, education,

schooling, training, preparation, Colloq know-how: Elsa Cairn

brings to her appointment as headmistress considerable

scholarship and experience. 2 grant, endowment, award,

fellowship, Brit exhibition, Chiefly Scots and New Zealand

bursarship, bursary: Without the scholarship, I should never

have been able to continue my education.

school n. 1 (educational) institution, kindergarten, nursery school,

primary or grammar or secondary or high school, institute,

college, university, seminary; Alma Mater; boarding-school,

day-school; public school, private school, Brit State school;

lyc‚e; Lyceum, Brit first or middle school, US junior high

school: His mother was very upset when he hinted that he might

quit school. 2 set, coterie, circle, clique, group,

denomination, faction, sect, followers, devotees, adherents,

votaries, disciples; style, kind, form, manner, fashion:

Burne-Jones belonged to the Pre-Raphaelite School of painters.

3 philosophy, principles, creed, set of beliefs, way of life,

persuasion, credo, dogma, teaching, view, opinion, faction,

approach: Regarding the creation of the universe, do you

support the big-bang school or the steady-state school?

--v. 4 teach, educate, drill, inculcate, instil, indoctrinate,

instruct, tutor, train, discipline, coach, prepare, prime,

equip, ready; mould, shape, form; school in, imbue with, infuse

with: Young ladies were schooled in all the social graces.

school-book

n. text(book), primer, grammar (-book), reader, manual,

handbook, exercise book, notebook, copybook, Rare enchiridion,

Old-fashioned hornbook, abecedarium: All I did was ask if I

could carry her school-books!

schooling n. education, teaching, instruction, tutelage, tuition,

guidance, training, preparation, indoctrination, edification,

enlightenment; learning, study, research: How many years of

schooling are needed to become a doctor?

schoolteacher

n. teacher, professor, instructor, tutor, pedagogue,

schoolmaster, schoolmistress, Scots dominie, Colloq school-ma'm:

It is not often realized what a profound influence

schoolteachers have on one's entire life.

science n. 1 (body of) knowledge or information, (body of) laws or

principles, discipline, study, branch, field, area, subject,

realm, sphere: Many new sciences have sprung up even in the

past fifty years. DNA research falls properly into the science

of microbiologic genetics. 2 skill, art, technique, expertise,

proficiency, method, system: He made a science of brewing tea.

scientific

adj. (well-)organized, (well-)regulated, (well-)controlled,

(well-)ordered, orderly, systematic, methodical, precise,

meticulous, thorough, painstaking, detailed: A scientific

approach to the problem would start with a complete analysis of

present conditions.

scintillating

adj. 1 sparkling, coruscating, flashing, dazzling, gleaming,

glittering, twinkling, shimmering, glistening, shining,

lustrous, radiant, effulgent, brilliant, Literary nitid: Madame

Irena appeared wearing a scintillating silver lam‚ gown. 2

exciting, engaging, lively, effervescent, fascinating,

entrancing, stimulating, invigorating, dynamic, vivacious: I

cannot remember when I last found myself in such scintillating

company.

scoff° v. Often, scoff at. deride, belittle, dismiss, disparage, mock,

make light of, sneer (at), poke fun (at), ridicule, spoof,

lampoon, jeer (at), chaff, tease, twit, rib, kid, Brit rag:

It's easy for you to scoff at Clare's tantrums - you don't have

to live with her. Don't scoff: your turn might come next.

scoffý v. 1 devour, put away, gorge oneself on, wolf (down), bolt,

stuff (oneself with), gobble (up or down), guzzle, gulp (down),

Brit gollop: The two of them scoffed every crumb they could

find.

--n. 2 food, victuals, rations, edibles, provisions, Colloq

grub, eats, chow, Slang Brit prog: In no time at all, they had

cleared out every last bit of scoff in the larder.

scold v. 1 reprimand, chide, reprove, upbraid, criticize, censure,

find fault (with), rebuke, reproach, lecture, berate, rate,

castigate, take (someone) to task, find fault with, rap

(someone's) knuckles, slap (someone's) wrist, Colloq bawl out,

dress down, give (someone) hell, give (someone) what for, jump

on (someone), jump down (someone's) throat, call (someone) to

account, bring (someone) to book, let (someone) have it with

both barrels, give (someone) a piece of (one's) mind, give

(someone) a tongue-lashing or a talking-to, give (someone) a

hard time, rake or haul (someone) over the coals, tell (someone)

off, tick (someone) off, skin (someone) alive, call or have

(someone) on the carpet, light or rip or tear or lace or sail

into (someone), US chew out, jump all over (someone), Brit

carpet: When their mother scolded them, they began to cry.

--n. 2 nag, shrew, termagant, virago, fishwife, beldam,

harridan, hell-cat, fury, amazon, tigress, Xanthippe, Colloq

battleaxe: In the old days, they used to take scolds, tie them

in a chair at the end of a pole, and dunk them in a pond till

they cooled off.

scoop n. 1 ladle, dipper, bailer, spoon: Use the scoop to skim the

fat off the soup. 2 exclusive: Fergus's story on the

minister's illegal business dealings was a real scoop for the

paper. 3 (latest) news, (inside) story, revelation, truth,

Colloq latest, low-down, info, dope, Brit gen, US poop: What's

the scoop on that man seen coming out of her bedroom?

--v. 4 Often, scoop up. bail, dip, ladle, spoon: They scooped

up some sand and spread it on the ice for traction. 5 scoop

out. gouge out, excavate, spoon out, hollow out, dig, cut:

Scoop out some melon balls for the fruit salad. 6 scoop up.

pick up, gather (up), sweep up or together, take up or in: He

scooped up the money and ran out of the bank.

scope n. 1 range, reach, field, area, extent, compass, expanse,

breadth, sphere, orbit, span: The scope of her interests

includes both the sciences and the arts. 2 leeway, space, room,

elbow-room, freedom, opportunity, capacity, stretch, latitude,

spread: Have you allowed enough scope for growth?

scorch v. sear, blacken, burn, roast, singe, char: Though scorched in

the fire, the papers were saved intact.

scorching adj. 1 hot, torrid, searing, parching, shrivelling, tropical,

hellish, sizzling, broiling, boiling, sweltering: Scorching

heat waves are dangerous for the very young and the elderly. 2

critical, caustic, scathing, mordant, vituperative, excoriating,

harsh, acrimonious, bitter: The shadow minister for finance

issued a scorching condemnation of the government's tax

policies.

score n. 1 record, account, reckoning, register, tally, amount,

number, count, sum, total; mark, grade: What was your best golf

score? Chester got a score of 80 in the French test. 2 nick,

groove, scratch, line, mark, stroke, notch, cut, Archery nock:

Every time he won, he made a score on his walking-stick. 3

twenty: And the days of our lives shall be three score years

and ten. 4 Often, scores. dozens, hundreds, (tens or hundreds

of) thousands, millions, number(s), drove(s), horde(s), host(s),

multitude(s), herd(s), legion(s), lot(s), mass(es), myriad(s),

shoal(s), pack(s), covey(s), bevy or bevies, swarm(s), flock(s),

army or armies, crowd(s), throng(s): Passengers by the score

angrily protested against the airline's policy of overbooking

flights. Scores of animals were fleeing before the forest fire.

5 music, accompaniment, Technical full or short or vocal score:

Boito might have written the libretto, but the score was by

Verdi. 6 situation, story, news, status (quo), condition, word,

Colloq latest, scoop, US poop: What's the score on your

applications to medical school? 7 dupe, gull, victim,

greenhorn, Colloq fall guy, chump, goat, sitting duck, Slang

sucker, patsy, mark, Brit mug: That fellow in the Hawaiian

shirt looks a likely score for our little scam. 8 ground(s),

basis, account, reason, rationale, provocation, cause: On what

score can you justify eliminating him from the competition? 9

settle or pay off or even a score or the score or old scores.

get revenge, retaliate, get even, avenge, repay, get an eye for

an eye, give tit for tat, give measure for measure, pay

(someone) back in his or her own coin, give (someone) a taste or

a dose of his or her or their own medicine, Colloq get one's own

back: He tried to find out where MacTavish moved had moved to

as he had an old score to settle with him.

--v. 10 mark, line, incise, scratch, nick, notch, cut, groove,

graduate; scrape, deface, mar, gouge, slash: The dipstick is

scored at intervals to indicate how much oil is in the

crankcase. 11 gain or make a point or points, record, tally,

account for: George scored a hat trick in the game against

Hotspurs. 12 count (for), reckon for or as: The ace scores

either 1 or 11 in vingt-et-un. 13 succeed, be successful,

triumph, win, make an impression, have an impact, Colloq make a

hit: Your plan really scored with the boss. 14 succeed in

seducing, Slang make out, get laid: Did you score with Ava last

night?

scorn n. 1 contumely, contempt, contemptuousness, disdain,

deprecation; rejection, dismissal: He treated their demands

with the utmost scorn. 2 mockery, derision, derisiveness,

sneering, ridicule, scoffing, jeering, taunting: The crowd's

scorn was directed at the politicians who failed to deliver what

they had promised.

--v. 3 reject, rebuff, disown, disavow, disregard, ignore,

shun, snub, flout, contemn, treat with or hold in contempt, have

no use for, disdain, spurn, despise, turn up one's nose at, curl

one's lip at, look down on or upon, look down one's nose at,

thumb one's nose at, Colloq pooh-pooh, put down, Brit cock a

snook at: His parents offered to finance his education, but he

scorned their help. 4 mock (at), deride, sneer at, ridicule,

scoff at, jeer at, taunt, poke fun at, make fun of, laugh at:

People scorned him because he said the earth was round.

scornful adj. contumelious, contemptuous, disdainful, deprecative,

disparaging, derisory, derisive, snide, supercilious, mocking,

sneering, scoffing, haughty, overweening, high-handed, superior,

Colloq snooty, Slang snotty: The people were scornful of his

attempt to reassure them, and continued to demand action.

scoundrel n. villain, rogue, wretch, good-for-nothing, scapegrace,

blackguard, rascal, scamp, cur, Old-fashioned bounder, cad,

knave, Colloq heel, Slang louse, Brit rotter: Politicians tend

to treat their opponents as liars and scoundrels.

scour v. 1 scrub, clean, cleanse, wash, rub, abrade, polish, burnish,

buff, shine: The pots were scoured until they shone. 2 scrape

(about or around), rake, comb, turn upside down, search,

ransack: I scoured the shops looking in vain for the coffee

filters you wanted.

scourge n. 1 curse, misfortune, bane, evil, affliction, plague,

adversity, torment, misery, woe: He questions whether AIDS

should be considered the scourge of the 20th century. Was it

Attila who proved himself the scourge of Rome? 2 whip, lash,

cat-o'-nine-tails, knout, quirt, horsewhip, bull-whip: They saw

fit to punish themselves with scourges.

--v. 3 whip, flog, beat, lash, horsewhip, whale, belt,

flagellate: Some medieval sects scourged themselves as they

went in procession through the cities. 4 punish, castigate,

chastise, discipline, afflict, torment: In the old days,

students were scourged if they made a mistake.

scout v. 1 Often, scout about or around. reconnoitre, investigate,

study, research, examine, explore, spy, search or look (about or

around) (for), hunt (about or around) (for), cast around or

about (for), Colloq check (about or around): I am going to

scout about to find a key that fits. 2 scout up or out.

discover, find, locate, uncover, Colloq dig up: I was finally

able to scout up a key that fits.

scowl v. 1 glower, frown, grimace, glare, look daggers, lower or

lour: It's hard to tell if he's ever pleased because he's

always scowling.

--n. 2 frown, grimace, glare, dirty look: I do wish she would

wipe that scowl off her face and try to look more pleasant.

scramble v. 1 climb, clamber, crawl, scrabble, struggle: We scrambled

up the rocky hillside with the big cat in pursuit. 2 rush,

hurry, scamper, run, hasten, race, scurry, scoot, scuttle, dash,

hotfoot (it), hustle, Chiefly US and Canadian, hightail (it),

Colloq skedaddle: When the siren sounded, we scrambled down to

the air raid shelter. 3 Often, scramble up. mix up, confuse,

jumble, intermingle, mingle, commingle: Contestants,

spectators, and officials were all scrambled together.

--n. 4 scrimmage, struggle, tussle, contention, clash,

competition, contest, race, rush, clash, conflict, disorder,

commotion, riot, mˆl‚e or melee, pandemonium, Colloq

free-for-all, hassle, Brit scrum or scrummage: Thousands were

involved in the scramble for tickets to the rock concert. In the

scramble for a directorship Jeremy lost. 5 struggle, climb: She

twisted her ankle in the scramble over the rocks.

scrap° n. 1 mite, bit, shred, bite, morsel, piece, fragment, shard or

sherd, particle, sliver, snippet, snip, crumb, whit, iota, jot

or tittle, snatch, drop, drip, grain, speck, molecule, atom,

dab, trace, scintilla, hint, suggestion: There wasn't a scrap

of evidence to link him with the crime. 2 scraps. remnants,

remains, leftovers, leavings, residue, vestiges, traces,

scrapings, discards, rejections, rejects: In the alley, two

cats were fighting over some scraps of garbage. 3 waste,

debris, rubbish, Colloq junk: Any computer more than five years

old isn't even worth its weight as scrap.

--v. 4 discard, throw away, reject, abandon, give up, consign

to the scrap heap, forsake, forget, get rid of, dispose of,

dispense with, Colloq junk, US trash: If I were you, I would

buy a new car and scrap this one.

scrapý n. 1 fight, brawl, fracas, fray, affray, rumpus, scuffle,

Donnybrook, battle (royal); row, dispute, argument, quarrel,

disagreement, wrangle, squabble, tiff, spat, Colloq ruckus,

set-to, dust-up: A terrible scrap broke out in the pub last and

the police were called in. Our neighbours were having a scrap

about who should take the dog for a walk.

--v. 2 fight, brawl, spar, scuffle, battle, row, wrangle,

argue, disagree, squabble, bicker: Let's not scrap over trifles

- only important things.

scrapbook n. album, portfolio, collection: She keeps a scrapbook of

reviews of her stage triumphs.

scrape v. 1 abrade, graze, scratch, bark, scuff, skin, bruise, damage,

injure: I scraped my knee on the pavement when I fell. 2

Often, scrape off or away or out. remove, rub off or away, scour

or scrub or clean (off or away), scratch off or away, claw (at

or away or out), gouge out, scrabble (at), dig out or away at:

As I scraped away the grime, a beautiful mosaic was revealed.

Each sled dog scraped out a hole in the snow and snuggled into

it. 3 skimp, scrimp (and scrape), save, stint, be frugal or

stingy or parsimonious or thrifty, pinch and save or scrape,

economize; struggle, US scrabble: Only by scraping were we able

to pay the increased taxes. 4 bow and scrape. make obeisance,

kowtow, salaam, genuflect, kiss the feet or hem or ring, grovel,

demean or lower oneself, prostrate oneself, toady, Colloq

boot-lick: He can bow and scrape all he likes, but Jones will

get nowhere with the foreman. 5 scrape by or through. get by,

cope, (barely) manage, survive, scrape or get along, Colloq

squeak by, barely make it: We are just about able to scrape by

on the little that Nigel is making. 6 scrape together or up.

glean, garner, scratch or get or rake together or up, dredge up,

scrabble for, gather, save (up), get hold of, marshal, amass,

muster, accumulate, aggregate, compile, pile up, stack up,

assemble, Colloq scrounge (up): By the time we finally managed

to scrape up enough for a down payment on a house, the prices

had gone up.

--n. 7 abrasion, bruise, scratch, graze, scuff, damage, injury:

He was very annoyed when he found a scrape on his brand-new car.

8 predicament, difficulty, quandary, dilemma, plight, (fine)

kettle of fish, muddle, stew, situation, position, pinch, Colloq

pickle, fix, mess, the crunch, (tight or tough) spot: I got

into a terrible scrape by forgetting our wedding anniversary.

Can you lend me some money to help me out of a scrape?

scratch v. 1 mar, mark, gouge (out), gash, abrade, graze, scuff, grate

against, bruise, damage, injure; claw: If you glue some felt to

the bottom, the lamp won't scratch the table. 2 chafe, rub: If

you scratch those mosquito bites you might get an infection. 3

Often, scratch out or off. erase, obliterate, rub out or off,

cross out, delete, strike out or off, expunge; exclude,

eliminate, US x out: You can scratch my name from the list of

candidates. She scratched out what she had written and started

again.

--n. 4 mark, gouge, gash, abrasion, scrape, graze, scuff,

bruise, damage, injury; line: Where did you get that scratch on

your face? 'It's only a scratch', Sandy protested as they tried

to remove the spear from his shoulder. 5 up to scratch. up to

standard or par, adequate, sufficient, good enough, competent,

satisfactory, competitive, Colloq up to snuff: Cynthia's

performance is not yet up to scratch, so she might not make the

team.

--adj. 6 hasty, hurried, impromptu, unplanned, haphazard,

rough, casual, informal, unprepared, unpremeditated, makeshift,

extempore, Colloq off the cuff, US pick-up: We didn't have time

to practise, so we are racing with a scratch crew.

scratchy adj. 1 itchy, irritating, prickly: The pullover was as

scratchy as a hair shirt. 2 rough, hoarse, raw, grating, sore,

raspy, dry: My throat feels a bit scratchy and I need something

to drink.

scrawl n. 1 scribble, Colloq squiggle, US hen-scratch,

chicken-scratch: I can't read that scrawl of his.

--v. 2 scribble, scratch, doodle: How do pharmacists read the

prescriptions that doctors scrawl?

scrawny adj. bony, skinny, spare, drawn, reedy, haggard, lean, lank(y),

scraggy, gaunt, raw-boned, angular, emaciated, cadaverous;

anorectic or anorexic: She certainly has changed from that

scrawny kid I used to know.

scream v. 1 shriek, screech, squeal, yowl, wail, caterwaul, howl, cry:

She screamed when I applied iodine to the cut. 2 laugh, roar,

hoot, howl, guffaw: The women screamed hysterically as the male

stripper got down to the bare essentials.

--n. 3 shriek, screech, squeal, yowl, wail, caterwaul, howl,

cry: When she saw what had happened, she let out a

blood-curdling scream. 4 Colloq card, panic, riot,

thigh-slapper: Phyllis is such a scream when she talks about

the silly things that happen to her.

screen n. 1 partition, (room) divider, paravent, wall: In their

one-room flat a bookcase serves as a screen to separate the

living area from the sleeping area. 2 shelter, protection,

shield, cover: A row of poplars acts as a screen against the

wind. 3 curtain, blind, shroud, cloak, cover; concealment,

camouflage: The gauze fabric was too transparent to act as a

screen. 4 sieve, mesh, strainer, filter, colander, riddle: The

sand has to be shovelled through a screen to get rid of the

stones. 5 motion pictures, movies, silver screen; television,

small screen, home screen, Colloq box, telly, US boob tube: She

is a star of both the big and small screens.

--v. 6 partition (off), separate, divide, wall off: Why not

use a beaded curtain to screen the kitchen area from the

dining-room? 7 shelter, protect, shield, cover, guard, conceal,

camouflage, mask, veil, hide: A decorative pierced wall screens

the ladies of the harem from the prying eyes of visitors. 8

sift, separate (out), sort (out), filter, select, cull, process,

interview, evaluate, grade, gauge, qualify, examine, scan,

Chiefly Brit vet: The agency screens all candidates before

sending them to see a client.

screw n. 1 bolt, screw-bolt, machine screw, lag-bolt, lag-screw:

This screw is too small to hold that door hinge. 2 helix,

spiral, corkscrew: The screw of a spiral staircase should not

be too small for safety. 3 sexual intercourse; sexual partner,

Slang lay, Taboo slang fuck: When arrested for kerb-crawling,

he said that he was just looking for a screw. 4 put the screws

on (someone). pressure, influence, force, constrain, press,

oblige, require, demand, coerce, compel, apply pressure, bring

pressure to bear (on); insist; Chiefly Brit pressurize, Colloq

twist (someone's) arm, put the squeeze on (someone): I believe

that someone put the screws on him to leave town.

--v. 5 twist, turn, rotate: Screw the bolt in clockwise. 6

Often, screw out of. defraud, cheat, swindle, gull, bilk, do out

of, Slang take, clip, fleece: They screwed him by convincing

him that the bonds were real. He was screwed out of all his

savings. 7 screw up. a raise, increase, stretch, strain;

summon, call up, call upon, tap, draw on or upon: I screwed up

my courage to ask for a salary increase. b ruin, destroy, make

a mess of, botch, bungle, muddle, mismanage, mishandle, Colloq

make a hash of, Slang louse up, Brit make a muck-up of, US

bollix up, Taboo slang fuck up, Brit bugger up, ballocks or

bollocks up, make a balls-up of: It is hard to see how they

could have screwed up such a simple operation. c contort, twist,

deform, warp: At the suggestion of cauliflower, Ambrose screwed

up his face in displeasure.

scribe n. 1 copyist, copier, transcriber, Archaic scrivener;

amanuensis, clerk, secretary: Before the invention of movable

type printing, copies of books and documents were prepared by

scribes. 2 writer, author, penman, scrivener, wordsmith,

scribbler, hack, penny-a-liner; dramatist, dramaturge,

playwright, poet, novelist, essayist, columnist, technical

writer; journalist, gentleman or lady of the press,

newspaperman, newspaperwoman, reporter, rewrite man or woman or

person, editor, reviewer, commentator, newswriter, sob sister,

agony aunt or uncle, Miss Lonelyhearts, gossip columnist, member

of the fourth estate, Brit paragraphist, leader-writer, US Grub

Streeter, Colloq Brit journo: In a general way, he refers to

all writers as 'scribes', but particularly those he considers a

bit old-fashioned.

--v. 3 inscribe, incise, etch, engrave, mark, scratch, score,

grave, scrimshaw, carve, chase or enchase: The shotgun was

scribed with the most beautiful designs, some inlaid in gold.

scrimmage n. skirmish, scuffle, fray, affray, disturbance, brouhaha,

mˆl‚e or melee, riot, row, brawl, struggle, scramble, tussle,

fracas, rumpus, Donnybrook, battle, fight, Colloq ruckus,

set-to, dust-up, free-for-all, scrap, Brit scrum or scrummage,

Slang Brit (bit of) bovver: The police were called when what

started as a minor scrimmage began to develop into a riot.

script n. 1 handwriting, hand, (cursive) writing, penmanship;

calligraphy: These love-letters are written in an unusually

beautiful script. 2 manuscript, scenario, book, play,

screenplay, teleplay, libretto, continuity: Stick to the script

- I don't want you ad libbing!

--v. 3 write, pen, prepare, create: The new series was

scripted by the same writer who wrote 'Out in the Outback'. 4

plan, organize, design, arrange, lay out, order, configure,

pattern: The take-over of the company had not been scripted in

their business forecasts.

Scripture n. Scriptures, sacred writings, Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ or

Scripture(s), Word of God, Gospel(s); Book of Mormon; Koran;

Upanishad(s), Bhagavad-Gita: Throughout his life, he did only

those things approved in Scripture.

scrounge v. 1 ferret out, seek out, nose or smell out, come up with,

scrape together or up, scratch up; importune, cadge, beg (,

borrow, or steal), Colloq US freeload, bum: Did Hedley try to

scrounge some money from you, too?

--n. 2 scrounger, cadger, parasite, Colloq sponger, US

freeloader: Hedley, that scrounge, has just asked me for a

cigarette.

scrub v. 1 See scour, 1, above. 2 cancel, call off, abort, scratch,

drop, terminate, give up, end, abandon, stop, cease,

discontinue, do away with: Something went wrong with the fuel

computer, so they scrubbed today's satellite launch.

scruple n. 1 compunction, qualm, reluctance, misgiving, second

thoughts, doubt, (twinge of) conscience, hesitation, uneasiness,

discomfort, squeamishness: Peter hadn't the slightest scruple

about taking the money from his aunt.

--v. 2 pause, falter, hesitate, vacillate, have doubts or

compunction (about), demur, waver, shrink from or at, have

misgivings or qualms (about or over), be loath or loth (to),

think twice (about), stick at, be reluctant, balk (at), have

scruples (about): Susan didn't scruple for a moment about

keeping the money she found in the street.

scrupulous

adj. 1 careful, cautious, meticulous, exacting, precise,

over-nice, strict, rigid, rigorous, severe, critical,

fastidious, neat, conscientious, finicky or finical, fussy,

painstaking, punctilious: Andrew has always been scrupulous

about his toys, his books, his clothes, etc. 2 ethical,

honourable, upstanding, moral, righteous, principled,

high-minded, just: Meg was always scrupulous in her business

dealings.

scrutinize

v. examine, analyse, dissect, investigate, probe, study,

inspect, sift, go over or through, check: I have scrutinized

the results of the blood tests and can find nothing abnormal.

scrutiny n. examination, analysis, investigation, probe, probing, study,

inspection, sifting, inquiry or enquiry, exploration, check:

The tax inspectors have subjected the company books to close

scrutiny but have found nothing amiss.

scud v. fly, skim, race, scoot, speed, shoot: We scudded along in

the catamaran at a good 30 knots.

sculpture n. 1 figure, figurine, statue, statuette, group, head, bust,

relief; bronze, marble: His favourite sculpture is Rodin's

Burghers of Calais .

--v. 2 sculpt or sculp, model, model, chisel, carve, cast,

form, fashion: The students are learning how to sculpture in

clay.

scurrilous

adj. foul-mouthed, thersitical, gross, indecent, profane,

Fescennine, vulgar, obscene, licentious, Sotadean or Sotadic,

foul, vituperative, low, coarse, scabrous, vile, nasty,

defamatory, derogatory, disparaging, vilifying, calumnious or

calumniatory, malign, aspersive, opprobrious, offensive,

abusive, insulting: Clifford was an inveterate collector of

scurrilous limericks.

scurry v. dash, scramble, scamper, scoot, dart, fly, race, sprint,

scuttle, hurry, hasten, speed, hustle, rush, tear, zoom, zip,

bolt, rip, scud: A rat scurried across the floor. We went

scurrying round the shops on Christmas Eve.

scurvy adj. low, miserable, contemptible, vile, base, despicable,

rotten, sorry, bad, ignoble, dishonourable, mean, worthless,

shabby: Robbing poor old ladies is a pretty scurvy activity.

19.3 sea...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

sea n. 1 ocean, deep blue sea, high seas, Literary (briny) deep,

(bounding) main, Neptune's or Poseidon's kingdom or domain,

Nautical blue water, Davy Jones's locker, Colloq briny, drink,

pond (= 'Atlantic Ocean'): For years he sailed the seas in

search of adventure. 2 swell, breaker, wave: As the wind

increased, huge seas began to wash over the boat. 3 plethora,

quantity, abundance, surfeit, profusion, flood, multitude,

spate, legion, mass, Colloq lot(s), heap(s), pile(s), ton(s),

mountain(s), load(s), oodles, gobs, scads: Hamlet's sea of

troubles was nothing compared to mine if this book isn't

completed soon! 4 (all) at sea. confused, disoriented, at sixes

and sevens, bewildered, perplexed, baffled, mystified, lost,

adrift: They were clearly not expecting her and were completely

at sea as to what to do.

sea-coast n. seashore, shore, coast, seaside, seaboard, shoreline,

coastline, littoral, sand(s), beach, strand: The people in the

villages along the sea-coast depend mainly on fishing for their

livelihood.

seafaring adj. maritime, nautical, naval, marine: Britain was at one

time the largest seafaring nation in the world.

seal n. 1 symbol, token, mark, insigne (pl. insignia), sign, signet,

crest, bearing, coat of arms, escutcheon, emblem, badge,

monogram, identification, cartouche, design, imprint, stamp:

The seal on his ring showed a crouching lion. 2 authentication,

confirmation, verification, validation, affirmation,

attestation, ratification, corroboration, assurance, guarantee

or guaranty, endorsement, substantiation, evidence, notice,

notification: Management set their seal of approval on the

plans.

--v. 3 Sometimes, seal off or up. close (off or up), shut

(off), zip up, plug (up), stop (up), lock, bolt, secure, batten

down, make airtight or waterproof; cork: All exits had been

sealed off. They sealed up the windows so that no air could get

in. 4 authenticate, confirm, verify, validate, affirm, attest,

ratify, clinch, corroborate, assure, ensure, guarantee, endorse:

The peace treaty was sealed by the marriage of the king to the

emperor's daughter.

seam n. 1 junction, juncture, joint, suture, Technical commissure;

scar, ridge, line, cicatrix: It is easy enough to see the seam

where the parts meet. 2 lode, vein, stratum, bed, layer,

thickness: The miners have been working on a new seam

discovered at the end of Tunnel 4.

seamy adj. sordid, nasty, dark, disreputable, shameful, unwholesome,

unpalatable, unsavoury, distasteful, unseemly, squalid, low,

depraved, degenerate, degraded, foul, vile, odious, abhorrent,

contemptible, scurvy, rotten, unattractive, ugly, repulsive,

repellent: In his later work, he painted the seamy side of life

in the slums.

search v. 1 Often, search through. examine, scrutinize, check, comb

(through), explore, go through, investigate, scout out, inspect,

look at or into, probe, scour, sift through, pry into, hunt or

rummage through; inquire or enquire of, Colloq plough through:

She searched through several encyclopedias but could not find

the information she was looking for. Search your conscience to

determine the best course. 2 Often, search for. look (about or

around), cast about, seek, leave no stone unturned: I searched

high and low but couldn't find my key.

--n. 3 hunt, pursuit, quest: The search for the killer went on

for years. 4 researching, analysis; exploration, examination,

scrutiny, probe, study, perusal, sifting, inspection, scouring,

inquiry or enquiry: A thorough search of the documents failed

to turn up anything useful. The police made a house-to-house

search of the neighbourhood.

searchingly

adv. penetratingly, piercingly, intently, deeply, fixedly,

concentratedly, eagerly: She looked searchingly into my eyes

for some glimmer of hope.

season n. 1 time, period, occasion, opportunity: This is the season

when the birds migrate north. Is the silly season upon us again

so soon? 2 in season. ripe, ready, edible, seasoned, seasonable,

available: Fresh strawberries will be in season soon.

--v. 3 spice, salt, flavour, pep up, enliven: One of the great

things about chicken is that you can season it in many different

ways. 4 ripen, mature, age, condition, mellow: The wood should

be well seasoned before being made into furniture.

seasonable

adj. appropriate, opportune, suitable, apt, timely, fitting,

providential, well-timed, proper, fit, propitious, welcome,

well-suited, happy, lucky, fortunate, convenient, auspicious,

favourable, advantageous, expedient: The success of the book

was owing largely to its seasonable publication, just at the end

of the cold war.

seasoned adj. experienced, trained, long-standing, long-serving,

practised, well-versed, habituated, acclimatized or acclimated,

accustomed, familiarized, prepared, established, veteran,

tempered, hardened, toughened, inured: It was a pleasure to be

working with so seasoned a performer as Margie.

seasoning n. spice, zest, flavour, relish, sauce: The fact that a former

film star was running for office lent just the right seasoning

to the campaign.

seat n. 1 place, chair, bench, sofa, settee, settle, stool, throne:

He found a seat and waited to be called. 2 focus, base, centre,

heart, hub, site, capital, cradle, headquarters, fountain-head:

In those days, Paris was the main seat of learning in western

Europe. Istanbul was established as the seat of the Turkish

empire. 3 membership, position, incumbency: His grandfather

held a seat in the House of Commons. 4 bottom, buttocks,

posterior(s), rump, hindquarters, fundament, derriŠre, Colloq

behind, butt, backside, rear (end), Brit bum, US fanny, tushie,

tush, tokus, hinie, Slang tail, Brit arse, US ass: He needs a

swift kick in the seat to get him to move. 5 abode, residence,

home, domicile, estate, mansion: The duchess used to spend the

summer at her country seat in Norfolk.

--v. 6 hold, accommodate, have room or space or capacity for,

contain, sit: The new auditorium will seat more than four

thousand. 7 install or instal, enthrone, ensconce, instate,

invest, establish, place, swear in: Once Lord Carter has been

seated, it will be difficult to get rid of him.

seating n. accommodation, capacity, space, room: At present, the

auditorium has seating for only 500.

secede v. withdraw or resign or retire (from), abandon, forsake,

apostasize, break with or away (from), drop or pull out (of),

turn one's back to or on, quit, separate from, leave, wash one's

hands of, have nothing further to do with: The City of New York

occasionally threatens to secede from the United States.

secession n. withdrawal, seceding, defection, break, breaking,

disaffiliation, retirement, separation, splitting off or away,

apostasy: The secession of the splinter group was welcomed by

virtually all the other members.

secluded adj. 1 private, separate, isolated, lonely, cloistered,

sequestered, detached, solitary, retired, eremitic, monastic:

He lives a very secluded life on an island in the Outer

Hebrides. 2 off the beaten track, out-of-the-way, remote,

far-away, far-off, separate, segregated, private: He chose a

secluded island in the Outer Hebrides for his vacation.

seclusion n. privacy, private, separation, isolation, loneliness: He

prefers to live in complete seclusion.

second° adj. 1 subsequent, following, next: He let the first target go

by and aimed for the second one. 2 subordinate, next: If the

colonel isn't here, who is the second officer? 3 alternative,

second-best: She refuses to settle for second choice. 4

alternate, other: The laundry is picked up and delivered every

second Tuesday. His second language is Italian. 5 other, later,

younger, newer, more recent: After his first wife died, he took

her nurse as his second wife. 6 another, duplicate: The boy is

a second Einstein.

--n. 7 defective or imperfect or damaged or faulty or deficient

or flawed or impaired or marred or blemished or bruised or

inferior merchandise: The prices of these shirts have been

reduced because they are seconds. 8 subordinate, assistant,

number two, lieutenant, aide-de-camp, man Friday, girl Friday,

right hand; understudy, stand-in, substitute, surrogate, double,

alternate, backer, supporter; Colloq US gal Friday: Not being

ambitious, Helen would prefer to be a second to the person who

runs the business.

--v. 9 support, back, aid, help, assist, approve (of), advance,

promote, subscribe to, espouse, sponsor, patronize, favour,

encourage, go along with: Madam Chairwoman, I would like to

second this proposal. 10 transfer, move, assign, shift,

relocate: After the Falklands War, he was seconded to fleet

headquarters for a year.

--adv. 11 secondly, in the second place, secondarily, (number)

two, b or B: I want to go: first, because it'll be interesting,

and second, because Jake'll be there.

secondý n. moment, instant, flash, minute, twinkling or wink or bat (of

an eye), split second, Colloq sec, jiffy, two shakes (of a

lamb's tail), Brit tick, half a mo: I'll be with you in a

second, as soon as I finish writing this letter.

secondary adj. 1 less important, unimportant, inessential or unessential,

non-essential, non-critical, subsidiary, ancillary, minor,

inferior, subordinate: These secondary matters can be dealt

with after the important ones. 2 derivative, derived, indirect,

second-hand, unoriginal, not original; copied, imitated: His

biography of Queen Victoria was based entirely on secondary

sources. 3 auxiliary, second-line, backup, extra, reserve,

spare, provisional, supporting, supportive, alternate,

alternative: We were forced to rely on our secondary defences

after the enemy cavalry broke through.

second-hand

adj. used, old, worn, Colloq hand-me-down: When we were

children our parents could only afford to dress us in

second-hand clothes. His much-vaunted novels are for the most

part based on second-hand ideas.

secrecy n. 1 mystery, concealment, confidentiality, stealth,

secretiveness, surreptitiousness, privacy, furtiveness,

covertness, clandestineness: Why was there so much secrecy

surrounding the publication date of Jennie's book? 2 in secrecy.

secretly, mysteriously, confidentially, stealthily, secretively,

surreptitiously, privately, furtively, covertly, clandestinely,

sneakily: They carry on much of their business in secrecy.

secret adj. 1 concealed, hidden, private, covert, shrouded,

clandestine; confidential, covert, quiet, under cover,

secretive, unpublishable, unpublished, Colloq hush-hush: There

is a secret passageway leading from the cave to the cove. Keep

secret what I shall tell you. She revealed to me her most secret

desires. 2 cryptic, private, arcane, mysterious,

incomprehensible, esoteric, recondite, abstruse; cryptographic,

encrypted, encoded: We used to communicate by secret code. Did

you receive my secret message?

--n. 3 private or confidential matter or affair, mystery: If I

tell you my secret will you tell me yours? 4 in secret.

privately, confidentially, secretly, on the q.t. or Q.T.;

surreptitiously, under cover, by stealth, stealthily, furtively,

quietly, on the sly, clandestinely: The office manager told me

in secret that John was going to resign. They see one another

in secret.

secrete° v. hide, conceal, cache, bury, cloak, shroud, enshroud,

camouflage, mask, disguise, Slang stash away: They secreted the

haul from the robbery in the cellar of a house in Balham.

secreteý v. yield, excrete, pass, generate, release, ooze, seep, exude,

discharge, leak, drip, drop, dribble, trickle, run, drain, emit,

give off, emanate, transude, Technical extravasate: The ants

herd aphids for the substance they secrete. The wound will

secrete pus for a while.

secretion n. secreting, release, escape, oozing, seeping, seepage,

discharge, discharging, leak, leaking, leakage, drip, dripping,

drop, dropping, dribbling, trickling, trickle, running, drain,

draining, emission, emitting, giving off, exudation,

transudation, excretion, excreting, emanation, emanating,

generation, Technical extravasation; transudate, excreta,

Technical extravasate: The secretion of perspiration may be

profuse under such circumstances. The secretion is highly acid

in content.

secretive adj. reticent, silent, close-mouthed, taciturn,

uncommunicative, reserved, tight-lipped, close, Colloq mum:

Robert is very secretive about where he goes every day at

lunch-time.

secretly adv. surreptitiously, quietly, privately, covertly, on the q.t.

or Q.T., furtively, stealthily, mysteriously, clandestinely, in

secret, confidentially, on the sly, slyly, sub rosa, sub

sigillo: I can tell you secretly that she is wanted by the

police. Henry secretly rents videotape cartoons to watch at

weekends.

sect n. 1 religious order or group or denomination or body or cult

or persuasion or subdivision: At times it seems as if there are

as many sects as worshippers. 2 school (of thought), faction,

ism, set, clique, cabal: He belonged to a small sect that

promulgated the Ptolemaic cosmogony.

sectarian adj. 1 cultist, cultish, clannish, cliquish, partisan, partial,

dogmatic, doctrinaire, factional: They seldom mingle with

others, maintaining their sectarian existence. 2 parochial,

narrow, narrow-minded, limited, insular, provincial, rigid,

fanatic(al), prejudicial, prejudiced, bigoted: Because they

refused to consider ideas other than their own, they gradually

became more and more sectarian in their views.

--n. 3 adherent, member, sectary, votary, cultist, partisan:

They tried to banish Anabaptists, Lutherans, Calvinists, and

other sectarians. 4 (true) believer, dogmatist, fanatic, bigot,

zealot, extremist, Slang nut, bug, fiend: Some of the

sectarians engage in the ritualistic handling of live

rattlesnakes.

section n. 1 part, division, department, branch, sector, group,

detachment, segment, portion, subdivision, component, element:

Sadler has been assigned to work in the research section. I

never read the the sports section in the Sunday papers. Which

sections of the country will vote for you? The string section

needs practice before tonight's concert. 2 sample, slice,

cross-section, fraction: It can be faulty to assume that the

characteristics of the whole are necessarily represented in a

small section of it. I examined a section of tissue under the

microscope. 3 part, stage, segment, portion, leg: The first

section of the journey was more comfortable than the last.

--v. 4 cut (up), divide (up), segment, split, cleave, measure

out, apportion, allot, allocate: The land was sectioned into

four-acre parcels.

secular adj. worldly, terrestrial, mundane, temporal, material, lay,

laic or laical, non-clerical, non-ecclesiastic(al),

non-spiritual, non-religious, civil, state: Once he had taken

his vows, he put aside secular matters.

secure adj. 1 safe, shielded, sheltered, protected, immune,

unthreatened, unexposed, unimperilled, snug, cosy: Fiona feels

quite secure in her new house. Considering the success of the

company, Bill's job looks secure. 2 firm, steady, stable, fixed,

fast, moored, anchored, immovable, closed, shut, fastened,

locked (up), tight, sound, solid, sturdy, strong: That button

on your jacket doesn't look very secure. Make sure that the

house is secure before you go to sleep. 3 reliable, safe, good,

profitable, healthy, solid: Telephone shares looked like a

secure investment at the time. 4 sure, certain, assured,

ensured, definite, inevitable, assumed, evident, obvious,

unquestionable, established, probable, easy: With only two

minutes left to play, victory seemed secure for Rangers.

--v. 5 obtain, get (hold of), come by, acquire, procure, win;

gain, get or take possession of, arrogate: Tim has secured a

responsible position at the bank. She always manages to secure

the sympathy of older men. 6 guarantee, underwrite, hypothecate,

collateralize: We used our house to secure the loan. 7

protect, shelter, shield, defend, guard, safeguard, preserve:

It seems impossible to secure young children from bullying at

school. 8 fasten, make fast, fix, affix, attach, anchor: Secure

the cases to the roof-rack with strong rope.

security n. 1 safety, shelter, protection, fastness, refuge, safe

keeping, sanctuary, asylum: During the air raids, we retired to

the security of the basement. 2 confidence, certainty, surety,

assurance, conviction: He has the security of knowing that he

is right in this instance. 3 guarantee or guaranty, collateral,

deposit, gage, pledge, insurance: What are you going to offer

as security for the loan? 4 surveillance, safeguarding,

guarding, safe keeping, protection, custody, custodianship,

care: What plans does the company have for the security of the

office building?

sedate adj. 1 composed, serene, peaceful, calm, tranquil, cool,

collected, even-tempered, detached, imperturbable, unruffled,

undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled, placid, grave, serious,

sober, solemn, Colloq unflappable: Despite all the turmoil

round her, Sarah remained quite sedate. 2 dignified, decorous,

refined, formal, stiff, staid, proper, strait-laced, prudish,

fussy, prim, conventional, old-fashioned: Donald prefers a

sedate waltz to boogying and jiving.

sedative n. 1 narcotic, tranquillizer, opiate, sleeping-pill, soporific,

calmative, anodyne, depressant, hypnotic, barbiturate, lenitive,

Colloq downer, knock-out drop, Slang Mickey (Finn): The doctor

has given him a sedative and he should sleep now.

--adj. 2 narcotic, tranquillizing, relaxing, soothing, calming,

allaying, opiate, soporific, sleep-inducing, calmative, anodyne,

lenitive, depressing, hypnotic: I found that listening to a

recording of surf splashing on a beach has a sedative effect.

sedentary adj. seated, sitting, stationary, fixed, immobile, unmoving,

housebound, desk-bound: You should find a more sedentary

occupation to follow while you recover. As a writer, I lead a

sedentary existence and get little exercise.

sediment n. lees, dregs, deposit, grounds, precipitate, remains,

residue, settlings, residuum, detritus: Periodically, the

sediment must be cleaned out of the filters.

sedition n. agitation, incitement (to riot), rabble-rousing,

fomentation, instigation, firing-up, stirring up, whipping up;

mutiny, insurrection, insurgency or insurgence, rebellion;

treason, treachery: Because he had organized the strike in the

munitions plant during wartime, he was accused of sedition.

seditious adj. rebellious, mutinous, revolutionary, insurgent,

inflammatory, rabble-rousing, insurrectionist, insurrectionary,

refractory, subversive, treacherous, dissident, disloyal,

turncoat, unfaithful: One seditious action on the part of the

colonists was to dump tea into the harbour at Boston,

Massachusetts.

seduce v. 1 lure, entice, attract, allure, tempt, mislead, beguile,

deceive, decoy, draw on, charm, captivate, vamp, entrap,

ensnare, trap, Colloq sweet-talk: He was seduced into giving

her his life's savings. 2 dishonour, ruin, corrupt, lead

astray, defile, debauch, deflower, violate, ravish: How many

girls have been seduced in the name of undying love?

seducer n. See also seductress, below. rake, libertine, rou‚, playboy,

lady-killer, lecher, debauchee, debaucher, lover, cicisbeo, Don

Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Colloq wolf: She can't really be

going out with that wretched seducer!

seductive adj. alluring, attractive, tempting, tantalizing, enticing,

inviting, seducing, enchanting, entrancing, bewitching,

fascinating, flirtatious, coquettish, captivating, beguiling,

provocative, siren, irresistible, winning, appealing,

prepossessing, Colloq sexy: He was lured into the whirl of the

financial world by the seductive five-letter word - money. Never

had Helena looked more seductive than on that night in Rio.

seductress

n. See also seducer, above. temptress, siren, femme fatale,

enchantress, Circe, Lorelei, Jezebel, vamp: That clever

seductress will soon have him eating out of her hand.

see v. 1 perceive, note, notice, mark, spot, watch, witness,

recognize, behold, discern, distinguish, observe, look at,

regard, sight, catch sight of, descry, espy, spy, make out, look

upon, view, glimpse, catch a glimpse of, Slang get a load of, US

glom: I saw him buy a bottle of whisky. We saw two

yellow-bellied sapsuckers in one day! Can you see the sea from

your suite? Did you see the Houses of Parliament when you were

in London? 2 understand, comprehend, apprehend, perceive,

appreciate, fathom, grasp, take in, realize, know, be aware or

conscious of, get the idea or meaning of, Colloq dig, get, get

the drift or the hang of: I see what you are saying, but I

don't agree. After her speech, I saw Gladys in a new light. 3

foresee, foretell, imagine, envisage, envision, visualize,

picture, divine, conceive (of), dream of, conjure up, accept: I

can see a day when warming from the greenhouse effect will make

the sea level rise. Ted said he can't see you as a married man.

4 determine, ascertain, find out, investigate, discover, learn:

See if the bakery has any macaroons. I'll see what she thinks.

5 Often, see to it. ensure, assure, make sure or certain, mind,

be vigilant: It's cold outside, so see that you dress warmly.

6 accompany, escort, show, lead, conduct, usher, take, convoy,

bring, walk, drive: I was seeing Nellie home from a soir‚e at

Aunt Dinah's. 7 go out with, socialize with, keep company with,

consort with, associate with; court, woo; Colloq go steady with,

Chiefly US date: Are you still seeing that boy you met at the

school dance? 8 make up one's mind, think over, mull over,

consider, ponder (on or over), contemplate, decide, reflect

(on), meditate (on or over or about), ruminate (on or over),

brood over: Mother said she'd see whether I could go. Then I

asked father, and he said he'd see. 9 receive, meet (with), talk

or speak with, confer with, consult (with), have a word with,

sit down with, visit with, interview; welcome, greet: The

ambassador will see you now. 10 undergo, experience, go

through, endure, survive: He saw service overseas during the

war. 11 help, aid, assist, support, finance, pay the way for;

guide, shepherd: She saw three children through university

without anyone's help. 12 see about. a see to, attend to, look

after, take care or charge of, look to, organize, manage, do,

undertake, sort out; think about, consider, give some thought

to, pay attention or heed to: Could you please see about

feeding the horses while I am away? I asked Martin and he said

he'd see about it. b investigate, study, probe, look into, make

enquiries or inquiries, enquire or inquire about: The teacher

said she would see about letting us out early before the

holiday. 13 see off. bid adieu or bon voyage: We went to the

airport to see them off. 14 see through. a penetrate, detect,

perceive, Slang be wise to: She saw through your subterfuge at

once. b see (something) through. persevere, persist, manage,

survive, last, ride out, Colloq stick out: Once you start on

something, I wish you'd see it through. c see (someone)

through. provide with help or aid or assistance, help, aid,

assist, last: We'll give you enough money to see you through.

15 see to. See 12(a), above.

seed n. 1 grain, spore, kernel, pit, tuber, bulb, corm, Technical

ovum, ovule, embryo, egg, germ: Add water and the seeds will

soon germinate. 2 origin, source, cause, root, provocation,

reason, basis, grounds; motive, motivation, motivating factor:

The seeds of suspicion were sown by the continuous police

presence in the neighbourhood. 3 offspring, children, progeny,

young, issue, descendants, heirs, successors: Yea, and verily I

say unto you that his seed shall populate the earth. 4 go or run

to seed. run down, become dilapidated or worn out or shabby,

decay, go downhill, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, go to rack

and ruin, Colloq go to pot: If he doesn't start to look after

it, the entire place will go to seed.

--v. 5 scatter, sow, distribute: Don't walk on the freshly

seeded lawn.

seedy adj. 1 shabby, dilapidated, worn (out), decayed, deteriorated,

run-down, broken-down, mangy, grubby, decaying, tatty, scruffy,

squalid, sleazy, Colloq ratty: They live in a seedy little

shack on the other side of town. 2 tired, weary, wearied,

run-down, worn out, unwell, out of sorts, ailing, ill, sickly,

Colloq poorly, under the weather, off one's feed: I begged off

at dinner time because I was feeling a bit seedy.

seeing conjunction. in view of (the fact that), whereas, in (the)

light of, inasmuch as, since, considering: Seeing that you are

here, you might as well tell her yourself.

seek v. 1 look (for), search (for), hunt (for), go or be after,

quest after, pursue: They are seeking a really good site for a

grand luxury hotel. Seek and ye shall find. 2 hope, aim,

aspire, try, essay, endeavour, undertake: They are seeking to

recruit members for the new party. 3 ask for, request, beg,

solicit, invite; demand: He sought her help and she refused

him.

seem v. appear, look (as if or non-standard in US like), sound,

feel, have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, give every

indication or appearance of: He seems all right to me. She

seems to have forgotten her key again. It seems as if I've never

been away at all. He seemed frightened.

seeming adj. apparent, evident, ostensible, outward, superficial,

surface, assumed, feigned, pretended, false, so-called, alleged,

specious, purported, professed: She was shocked by his seeming

indifference to her problems.

seemingly adv. apparently, evidently, ostensibly, outwardly,

superficially, falsely, allegedly, speciously, purportedly,

professedly, on the face of it, possibly, feasibly, conceivably,

plausibly, believably: The purpose of this seemingly honest

confession was to throw the detectives off the scent.

seemly adj. 1 proper, fitting, appropriate, becoming, suited,

suitable, fit, befitting, apt, comme il faut, right, apropos,

apposite, characteristic, meet, reasonable, sensible: You can

count on Felix to do the seemly thing in such cases. 2 decent,

decorous, proper, dignified, genteel, gentlemanly, ladylike,

diplomatic, discreet, prudent, politic: She behaved in a seemly

manner, in keeping with what was expected of a princess.

seer n. soothsayer, fortune-teller, sibyl, oracle, prophet,

prophetess, augur, vaticinator, prophesier, clairvoyant,

psychic, crystal-gazer, star-gazer: The seer foretold a grave

famine and much suffering in the land.

see-saw n. 1 teeter: The children were playing on the see-saw.

--v. 2 teeter, totter, waver, vary, vacillate, oscillate,

alternate, fluctuate, swing, switch: He couldn't make up his

mind and kept see-sawing between staying and going.

seethe v. 1 boil, stew, simmer, foam: In the kitchen, a large pot of

stew seethed on the stove. 2 stew, simmer, foam (at the mouth),

fume, smoulder, burn, rage, rant, rave, become livid or

feverish, be in ferment, be furious or incensed, Colloq blow

one's stack or top, carry on, take on, get hot under the collar,

get red in the face, get all steamed up: The ball sailed

through Mr Griffiths' new greenhouse and he came out seething

with rage.

see-through

adj. sheer, diaphanous, gauzy, transparent, translucent,

gossamer, filmy, peekaboo: She was wearing a see-through

neglig‚e when she appeared at the door.

segment n. 1 section, part, division, portion, component, element;

piece, fraction, fragment, length, joint, slice, wedge: Only a

narrow segment of the population supports the new measures. She

divided the orange into three equal segments.

--v. 2 divide, partition, section, separate, part, cleave,

split, subdivide, fragment: The department was then further

segmented into smaller units, each with its own manager.

segregate v. separate, segment, partition, isolate, seclude, sequester,

set apart, compartmentalize, exclude, ostracize, discriminate

against: In the sorting process, each size must be segregated

into its own compartment. Their policy was to segregate the

Blacks from the rest of the population.

segregation

n. separation, segmentation, partition, isolation, seclusion,

sequestration, setting apart, compartmentalization, exclusion,

ostracism, discrimination, apartheid, US Jim Crowism: No modern

culture can long survive a segregation of the races.

seize v. 1 Sometimes, seize on. grab, grasp, clutch, take (hold of),

grip, snatch: Robin felt that he had to seize every opportunity

that presented itself. The dog seized the robber by the seat of

the pants. 2 capture, catch, arrest, take into custody, take

prisoner, apprehend, round up, Colloq pinch, nab, collar, pick

up, Brit nick, Slang bust: The police seized him as he was

trying to leave the country. 3 catch, transfix, stop, hold,

possess, take possession of, afflict, beset, visit, subject: I

was seized by a sudden desire to kiss those quivering, pouting

lips. 4 take advantage of, make good use of: When their

attention was diverted, I seized the opportunity to escape. 5

confiscate, take (away), commandeer, appropriate, capture, take

possession of, impound: Ten tons of cannabis was seized in the

raid. 6 seize up, bind, jam, stop, lock (up), stick, freeze

(up): Because of the excessive heat, the gears seized and the

engine stalled.

seizure n. 1 seizing, confiscating, confiscation, appropriation,

impounding, commandeering, capture, taking, possession,

annexation, sequestration, usurpation: Police today announced

the seizure of a shipment of 2000 pounds of cocaine. 2 spasm,

attack, fit, paroxysm, convulsion, Technical ictus: He has had

another seizure and is not expected to live.

seldom adv. rarely, infrequently, not often, hardly ever, very

occasionally: Since they moved away, we seldom see the

Pattersons.

select v. 1 choose, pick, show (a) preference for, prefer, opt for,

single out, hand-pick, distinguish: Select any two books from

this pile. Anne was delighted to be selected from hundreds of

candidates.

--adj. 2 selected, chosen, hand-picked, choice, special,

preferred, preferable, favoured, favourite, exceptional,

excellent, first-rate, first-class, superior, supreme, prime,

better, best, finest, tiptop: We have set aside some of our

select jewels for you to consider, Your Ladyship. 3 limited,

restricted, restrictive, exclusive, privileged, ‚lite, closed:

He belongs to one of those select clubs that accept you only if

your family can be traced back five hundred years.

selection n. 1 choice, pick, preference, option: Please make your

selection from the merchandise in this display. 2 assortment,

variety, collection, range, batch, number, set, series, group:

Tonight I shall play for you a selection of jazz recordings made

at the Savoy. 3 selecting, choosing, picking, singling out,

electing, settling on, voting for, opting for, choice, pick,

election: Selection has been delayed till tomorrow. 4 extract,

quotation, excerpt, abstract, passage, piece, quote: I shall

read you a selection from Blake's Songs of Innocence and

Experience .

selective adj. particular, discerning, discriminative, discriminating,

discriminatory, eclectic, exacting, demanding, choosy, Colloq

picky: Thea has been very selective in her choice of partners.

self-abuse

n. masturbation, onanism, self-gratification, auto-eroticism or

autoerotism, self-stimulation, self-manipulation,

self-pollution, self-defilement, self-contamination, Technical

manustupration: Victorian schoolboys were punished if suspected

of self-abuse.

self-confidence

n. confidence, self-assurance, self-respect, self-esteem,

assurance, poise, aplomb, self-reliance, self-sufficiency:

Harrigan has demonstrated that he has the self-confidence to run

the department.

self-confident

adj. confident, self-assured, assured, poised, self-reliant,

secure, sure of oneself, positive, definite, assertive,

independent: She seems much more self-confident, relaxed, and

contented these days.

self-conscious

adj. embarrassed, coy, diffident, shy, modest, self-effacing,

sheepish, shrinking, retiring, unsure, apprehensive, reserved,

insecure, affected, awkward, nervous, uncomfortable, hesitant,

timid, timorous: Phil felt a bit self-conscious about asking

Maria to the dance.

self-contained

adj. 1 self-possessed, unemotional, self-controlled, in

control, composed, serene, peaceful, calm, tranquil, cool,

collected, even-tempered, detached, imperturbable, unruffled,

undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled, placid, grave, serious,

sober, solemn, Colloq unflappable: Sometimes I think Frank is a

little too self-contained. 2 reserved, controlled, distant,

aloof, formal, withdrawn, reticent, standoffish: Gregory is so

self-contained that he did not tell anyone that he was ill, not

even his wife. 3 whole, entire, complete, stand-alone, unitary:

The house has been divided into five self-contained apartments.

self-control

n. 1 self-discipline, self-restraint, restraint, self-denial,

control, will-power, strength (of character or of mind or of

will), mettle, fortitude, moral fibre, determination,

self-possession, resoluteness, resolve, will, constancy,

steadfastness, perseverance, doggedness, obduracy, persistence,

Facetious US won't-power: Can I exercise the self-control

needed to stop smoking? 2 calmness, tranquillity, serenity,

placidity, imperturbability, cool-headedness, coolness, poise,

level-headedness, patience, aplomb, dignity, equanimity,

forbearance, control, restraint, self-restraint, even temper:

You exhibited marvellous self-control by not losing your temper

when you were insulted.

self-denial

n. 1 self-sacrifice,self-abnegation, renunciation,

selflessness, altruism, unselfishness, magnanimity: His

contributions must have been made at the cost of some

self-denial. 2 hardship, suffering, self-mortification,

asceticism, privation, renunciation, renouncing, abstemiousness,

abstinence, abstention, self-deprivation, keeping away from,

refusal, refusing, giving up, desisting, Colloq swearing off:

As far as certain foods are concerned, a little self-denial is

good for one's health. 3 See self-control, 1, above.

self-esteem

n. 1 conceit, vanity, egoism, narcissism, self-centredness,

egotism, amour propre, self-approbation, self-satisfaction,

self-admiration, self-love, self-adulation, self-idolatry,

smugness, self-importance, self-regard: The arrogant,

overweening self-esteem of some of the club members is

unbearable. 2 See self-confidence, above.

self-evident

adj. evident, obvious, patent, clear, incontrovertible,

definite, express, distinct, clear-cut, apparent, unmistakable

or unmistakeable, undeniable, inescapable, incontestable, plain,

axiomatic, proverbial, manifest, true, palpable, tangible: Her

guilt seemed self-evident at first. The gradual destruction of

the beaches is self-evident.

self-government

n. 1 self-rule, independence, self-determination, home rule,

autonomy, freedom: The satellite countries, one by one, voted

for self-government. 2 See self-control, 1 above.

self-important

adj. conceited, self-centred, self-seeking, self-absorbed,

vain, egotistic(al), self-satisfied, smug, pompous,

swollen-headed, swell-headed, arrogant, overweening,

overbearing, vainglorious, self-glorifying, self-engrossed,

presumptuous, snobbish, haughty, Colloq snooty, Slang snotty,

stuck-up: That self-important little cockalorum ought to be

taken down a few pegs.

self-indulgent

adj. self-gratifying, selfish, self-gratifying, extravagant,

sensual, intemperate, overindulgent, greedy, immoderate,

hedonistic, sybaritic, epicurean, gluttonous, gormandizing,

pleasure-bound, pleasure-seeking, dissolute, dissipating,

licentious, profligate, debauching: David's self-indulgent

habits take no account of his wife and children.

selfish adj. 1 greedy, covetous, grasping, avaricious, self-indulgent,

self-aggrandizing, acquisitive, self-seeking, self-loving,

self-centred, self-absorbed, self-interested, self-serving,

egotistic(al), egoistic(al): They pursue success for their own

selfish ends. 2 stingy, mean, mercenary, tight, tight-fisted,

narrow, penurious, parsimonious, miserly, niggardly,

penny-pinching, cheese-paring, ungenerous, illiberal, grudging,

uncharitable, possessive, inconsiderate, thoughtless: He is so

selfish that he won't even give you the right time.

selfless adj. open, charitable, unselfish, self-denying, generous,

altruistic, ungrudging, magnanimous, considerate, thoughtful;

self-sacrificing: Always ready to help anyone with a need,

Archer is the most selfless man I know.

self-made adj. independent, self-reliant, entrepreneurial,

self-sufficient: She is a self-made woman and has accomplished

it all without anyone else's help.

self-possessed

adj. composed, cool, serene, placid, collected, self-assured,

peaceful, calm, tranquil, even-tempered, detached,

imperturbable, unruffled, undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled,

dignified, refined, Colloq unflappable: Considering what she

has been through, Tanya is quite self-possessed for a teenager.

self-respect

n. honour, dignity, integrity, self-regard, self-esteem, pride,

amour propre, morale: He managed to maintain a semblance of his

self-respect despite the accusations hurled at him.

self-righteous

adj. Pharisaic(al), sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, pietistic,

mealy-mouthed, hypocritical, complacent, smug, self-satisfied,

priggish, superior, tartuffian, canting, Colloq goody-goody,

Slang Brit pi: Butter would not melt in the mouth of that

self-righteous hypocrite!

self-styled

adj. would-be, self-called, soi-disant, professed,

self-appointed, self-christened, so-called, quasi-: The

building has been designed by a firm of self-styled

'neo-traditionalist' architects.

self-sufficient

adj. independent, self-reliant, self-supporting,

self-sustaining: Agriculture will soon reach the point where

the country is self-sufficient for food.

self-willed

adj. headstrong, determined, forceful, refractory, stubborn,

obstinate, pigheaded, wilful, ungovernable, uncontrollable,

unruly, unmanageable, intractable, contrary, perverse,

uncooperative, contumacious, recalcitrant, stiff-necked,

vexatious, difficult, incorrigible, disobedient: That

self-willed, overindulged little brat needs a good spanking.

sell v. 1 vend, transfer, convey (title), trade, barter, exchange,

dispose of: Sorry, but I sold that car last week. 2 market,

deal in, merchandise, trade in, traffic in, peddle, vend, hawk,

handle, retail, carry, stock, furnish, supply, offer, Colloq

push, Slang Brit flog: We no longer sell that model. She has a

shop selling second-hand clothes. 3 Often, sell out. betray,

inform against, deliver up, give away, Slang rat on, grass on,

tell on, tattle on, sell down the river, blow the whistle on,

double-cross, Brit shop: He swore he'd get the man who sold

him. 4 promote, push, put across or over: He couldn't sell

sand to a beach flea. 5 be sold on. persuaded,convinced, won

over: After seeing that film, I was sold on a holiday in

Mexico.

seller n. dealer, vendor, merchant, retailer, shopkeeper, salesperson,

salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, sales agent, representative,

traveller, travelling salesman, peddler, hawker, colporteur,

sutler, chandler, Old-fashioned counter-jumper, Brit shop

assistant, -monger (as in costermonger, ironmonger, fishmonger,

etc.), US and Canadian sales-clerk, clerk, shop-girl, Colloq

rep, US drummer: Time ran out on his job as a seller of

water-clocks and hourglasses.

semblance n. 1 appearance, image, likeness, resemblance, form, figure,

bearing, aspect, air, look, mien, exterior, mask, fa‡ade, front,

face, show, veneer: Beneath that semblance of tranquillity lies

a turbulent, tortured mind. 2 guise, face, front, fa‡ade, air,

show, veneer, look, pretence, show, cloak, simulation,

impression, affectation, Rare superficies: You might try to

give the sculpture at least a semblance of reality.

seminal adj. 1 original, basic, creative, primary, prime, formative,

innovative, imaginative, new, unprecedented, precedent-setting,

landmark, benchmark, important, influential, telling:

Michaelson's paper is considered the seminal work on the

subject. It sets forth many seminal ideas. 2 embryonic,

germinal, potential, undeveloped, incipient: Each seed contains

a seminal plant.

seminary n. academy, school, institute, institution, college,

university, training ground: His three daughters had all

attended an exclusive seminary on the East Coast.

send v. 1 Sometimes, send off. dispatch or despatch, commission,

charge, depute, delegate, assign: The pope sent an emissary to

London. 2 communicate, transmit, convey, deliver, consign,

address to, mail, post, fax, remit, ship, forward; broadcast,

telecast, televise, radio, telegraph: The message is being sent

to all concerned. 3 release, discharge, shoot, propel, fire,

fling, project, hurl; cast, throw, toss, let fly: With a great

burst of flame the satellite was sent into orbit. 4 delight,

please, charm, enrapture, stir, thrill, move, electrify, Slang

turn (someone) on: That saxophone solo really sends me. 5 send

down. imprison, incarcerate, send away, jail or Brit also gaol

Slang US send up (the river): If she doesn't mend her ways,

she'll be sent down. 6 send for. call for, summon, order,

request, ask for: I have sent for a taxi which should be here

shortly. 7 send forth or out. emit, radiate, discharge, give

off, exude, grow: The object sent forth a strange

phosphorescent glow. In the spring, the vine sends forth

tendrils. 8 send off. send (someone) away, send (someone) away

or off with a flea in his or her ear, dismiss, discharge, send

(someone) packing, send (someone) about his or her business,

Colloq give (someone) his or her walking papers, Slang give

(someone) the brushoff, US give (someone) the brush: I went to

the office as you instructed, but they just sent me off with no

explanation. 9 send up. a lampoon, satirize, burlesque, parody,

make fun of, Colloq take off, spoof, Brit take the mickey out

of: In Britain one of the enduring forms of humour is in

sending up the government. b imprison, incarcerate, send away,

jail or Brit also gaol, Slang US send up the river: He was sent

up for insider trading.

senile adj. (of a woman) anile; senescent, decrepit, declining,

failing, in one's dotage, doting, doddering, in one's second

childhood, dotty, simple, feeble-minded; forgetful, Colloq past

it: He's senile and needs constant care.

senility n. (of a woman) anility; senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease,

senescence, decrepitude, decline, dotage, second childhood, loss

of one's faculties: An increased life-span has created

increased cases of senility.

senior adj. elder, older, Brit (postpositive) major; (higher-)

ranking, superior, chief: The senior members of the club are

impossibly stuffy. You must not address your senior officer in

such a manner.

senior citizen

n. elderly person, retired person, pensioner, Brit OAP

(='old-age pensioner'), grey panther, Chiefly US retiree,

golden-ager: Special tax provisions have been made for senior

citizens.

sensation n. 1 feeling, sense, impression, perception, foreboding,

presentiment, prescience, awareness, suspicion, Colloq sneaking

suspicion, funny feeling, hunch: I had the distinct sensation

of having been there before. 2 commotion, stir, thrill, furore

or US furor; excitement: The news of the wedding caused a

sensation. 3 hit, coup de th‚ƒtre, success, Colloq

show-stopper, crowd-puller, crowd-pleaser: Edith Piaf was a

sensation at Le Th‚ƒtre de la Verdure in Nice.

sensational

adj. 1 exciting, stimulating, electrifying, galvanizing,

shocking, hair-raising, spine-tingling, thrilling, stirring,

breathtaking, amazing, astonishing, astounding, staggering,

mind-boggling, unbelievable, incredible, spectacular, Slang

mind-blowing: They certainly put on a sensational show - the

best I have ever seen. 2 lurid, vivid, overdone, overdrawn,

extreme, melodramatic, exaggerated, dramatic, extravagant: The

weekly I worked for insisted that each issue's first page carry

a sensational story - whether it was true or not. 3 (very) good,

great, marvellous, wonderful, superior, superb, matchless,

peerless, unequalled, nonpareil, extraordinary, terrific,

phenomenal, splendid, fabulous, fantastic, stupendous, Colloq

super, smashing, Slang far-out: Suzanne Peters's performance

was sensational in Carmen .

sense n. 1 faculty: It's not always easy to tell if Brown's senses

are all functioning. 2 common sense, intelligence, perception,

quick-wittedness, quickness, (mother) wit, judgement, reason,

wisdom, sagacity, discrimination, discernment; sanity, Colloq

brains, Slang Brit nous: Fancy doing something like that! - she

hasn't the sense she was born with! 3 See sensation, 1, above.

4 meaning, intelligibility, coherence, head or tail, drift,

gist, import, purport, nuance, significance, message, substance:

I was unable to get any sense out of what she was saying. Yes, I

wasn't able to make sense out of it either. 5 sentiment,

atmosphere, impression, intuition, sensation: I had a sense of

being de trop - that I was not wanted.

--v. 6 feel, perceive, detect, divine, intuit, have a hunch or

feeling, have or get or be under the impression that, suspect,

Colloq have a funny feeling that, feel (something) in one's

bones, pick up: I sensed a certain antagonism in that last

remark. I sensed that he was getting bored with me.

senseless adj. 1 insensible, unconscious, (knocked) out (cold), stunned,

insensate, comatose: Agatha's head hit the fire-grate and she

was borne senseless to her room. 2 numb(ed), insensate,

unfeeling, benumbed, unfeeling, insensible, anaesthetized, dead,

deadened, insentient: My feet are senseless from the cold. 3

pointless, purposeless, ridiculous, ludicrous, unintelligent,

illogical, irrational, incongruous, meaningless, absurd, wild,

mad, crazy, demented, insane, asinine, nonsensical, imbecilic or

imbecile, idiotic, moronic, simple-minded, fatuous, stupid,

foolish, silly, dizzy, halfwitted, mindless, brainless, witless,

empty-headed, thimble-witted, pea-brained, bird-brained,

hare-brained, feather-headed, rattle-brained, addle-pated,

muddle-headed, Colloq daft, US daffy, nutty, batty, Slang wacky,

dippy: Many of the government's objections to the plan are just

senseless posturing. He is promoting some senseless plan for

double-decker motorways.

sensibility

n. 1 See sensitivity, 3, below. 2 Often, sensibilities.

feelings, responsiveness, responsivity, emotions, sentiments:

Personal events are more likely to affect our sensibilities than

major disasters in which we are not involved.

sensible adj. 1 reasonable, realistic, logical, common-sense,

commonsensical, rational, reasoned, sound, practical, prudent,

judicious, discreet, intelligent, sage, wise, sane;

down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, well-thought-out: Do you really

think it sensible to go out in this storm? Andrew has a very

sensible way of dealing with junk mail - he returns it to

sender. 2 perceivable, perceptible, detectable, evident,

discernible, recognizable, ascertainable, apprehensible,

cognizable, manifest, palpable, physical, tangible, corporeal,

substantive, material, visible, observable, seeable: Some

maintain that in addition to the sensible world there is another

world, an anti-world, that we do not normally encounter. 3

sentient, feeling, sensitive, live, conscious, aware: Who among

us ever regards microbes as sensible creatures? 4 Usually,

sensible of or to. conscious (of), aware (of), acquainted

(with), cognizant (of), sensitive (to), alive to, mindful (of),

understanding (of), in touch (with), observant (of), awake (to),

alert (to), Slang wise (to), hip or old-fashioned hep (to): The

people of the village are ever sensible to the needs of their

neighbours. There are some things to which we are not at all

sensible. 5 appreciable, significant, considerable, substantial,

substantive, noticeable: The theory is that an increased

interest rate will have a sensible effect on the rate of

inflation.

sensitive adj. 1 delicate, tender, sore, susceptible: My arm is still

sensitive where I got the injection. 2 touchy, susceptible,

susceptive, reactive, responsive, attuned, impressionable,

emotional, thin-skinned, vulnerable, supersensitive,

hypersensitive, testy, irascible, quarrelsome, irritable,

volatile, excitable, temperamental, petulant, hot-tempered,

quick-tempered: Liz is very sensitive on the subject of being

unmarried, and I shouldn't bring it up. 3 finely tuned,

delicate, responsive, subtle, acute, reactive, receptive: We

need a more sensitive test to detect neutrinos. This radio is

not sensitive enough to receive distant stations.

sensitivity

n. 1 sensitiveness, delicacy, touchiness, over-sensitivity,

hypersensitivity, supersensitivity; soreness, irritability: The

sensitivity of teenagers to criticism is well known to teachers

and parents. She complained of sensitivity and pain in the

pelvic region. 2 compassion, concern, sympathy, tenderness,

tender-heartedness, kind-heartedness, kindliness, warmth,

feeling: The nurses exhibit a genuine sensitivity for the

problems of the handicapped. 3 awareness, consciousness,

acuteness, perception, understanding, intuition, feeling, sense,

sensitivity, sensitiveness, receptivity or receptiveness,

receptibility, appreciation, appreciativeness, susceptibility,

susceptivity or susceptiveness: Harvey has a keen sensitivity

for the feelings of others. Sometimes I think the duke lacks the

sensitivity needed to sympathize with the needy.

sensual adj. physical, appetitive, voluptuous, carnal, bodily, fleshly,

erotic, sexual, lustful, unchaste, abandoned, dissolute,

profligate, dissipated, licentious, lewd, lascivious, lubricious

or lubricous, goatish, hircine, lecherous, libidinous,

salacious, prurient, rakish, wanton, debauched, Cyprian, loose,

dirty, Slang randy: Cranston pursued his sensual pleasures with

no regard for morality.

sensualist

n. lecher, profligate, wanton, debauchee, rou‚, rake, Romeo,

Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, libertine; voluptuary, hedonist,

sybarite, bon viveur, bon vivant, epicure, epicurean, gourmet,

gourmand, gastronome, pleasure-seeker: The main character in

the film is a self-seeking sensualist who betrays every woman in

his life.

sensuous adj. sensory, sybaritic, epicurean, hedonist(ic), sumptuous,

luxurious, rich: She felt sensuous delight in the scents and

sounds of the island.

sentence n. judgement, decision, ruling, verdict, decree, determination;

punishment, Slang rap: It is up to the judge to announce the

sentence of the court. Asked by his teacher for an example of a

short sentence, Johnny replied, 'Thirty days'.

sentiment n. 1 attitude, feeling, sensibility, emotion, susceptibility,

tenderness, tender-heartedness, sentimentality, sentimentalism:

He wanted to preserve the old village square more out of

sentiment than because it was historically important. 2 Often,

sentiments. view, outlook, opinion, position, attitude,

judgement, thought, belief, feeling, emotion: His sentiments

regarding apartheid are better left unexpressed.

sentimental

adj. 1 emotional, sympathetic, compassionate, tender,

warm-hearted, tender-hearted: Has he returned for sentimental

reasons or for practical and mercenary ones? 2 romantic,

nostalgic, emotional, maudlin, mawkish, over-emotional, tender,

tearful, weepy, sickening, nauseating, simpering, sweet,

saccharine, Colloq sloppy, gooey, sticky, tacky, mushy, slushy,

gushy, soppy, drippy, tear-jerking, ill-making, sick-making,

Slang corny, schmaltzy, icky, yucky or yukky: His last tune is

always some sentimental ballad like 'Good Night, Sweetheart'.

sentimentality

n. romanticism, nostalgia, pathos, emotionalism, maudlinism,

bathos, mawkishness, over-emotionalism, tenderness, tearfulness,

weepiness, sweetness, Colloq sloppiness, gooeyness, mushiness,

slushiness, gushiness, soppiness, drippiness, US stickiness,

tackiness, Slang corn, corniness, schmaltz, schmaltziness,

ickiness, yuckiness or yukkiness: The role of the bereaved

mother was overplayed with enough gushing sentimentality to make

one sick.

sentinel n. sentry, guard, watchman, watch, picket, lookout, patrol:

The sentinels measured out the ramparts of the fortress with

their regular paces.

separable adj. distinguishable, segregable, detachable, divisible,

severable, removable, fissile, scissile: Unfortunately, as

history demonstrates, morality and religion are separable.

separate v. 1 disjoin, pull or take or break apart, come or fall apart,

fall or take or break to pieces, split or divide or break (up),

split or break (off or away), disconnect, disengage, part,

partition, sort (out), uncouple, disarticulate, disassemble,

unhook, detach, disunite, unyoke, disentangle, unravel: In

order to clean it, I first have to separate all the individual

elements of the motor. The glue didn't hold, and the vase

separated into a dozen fragments. Separate this yarn into

different piles. 2 distinguish, discriminate, analyse, sort,

break down, classify, segregate, single out, sequester, type,

codify, organize, split up; group, collate: What criteria are

used to separate the men from the boys, the sheep from the

goats, or the wheat from the chaff? 3 split or break up, part

(company), divide (up), disband, divorce: After ten years we

separated, and each went our own way. 4 fork, split (up or

off), bifurcate, diverge, branch: Beyond the river, the road to

Norton separates from the main road.

--adj. 5 divided, separated, disjoined, disconnected, detached,

isolated, discrete, distinct, individual, independent, solitary,

different: Sort these books by subject into separate piles. 6

different, independent, unrelated, other: How you behave when

you are not at home is a separate matter. 7 withdrawn,

solitary, alone, shut or closed off or away, apart, detached,

removed, cloistered, secluded, sequestered, isolated, separated:

He prefers a separate existence, far away from the rest of the

world.

separately

adv. individually, independently, singly, one by one, one at a

time, personally, alone, severally: Each child approached

separately to wish her Bon Voyage.

separation

n. 1 rift, break, split, split-up, divorce, break-up, disunion,

estrangement: Their separation, after forty years, was a

surprise. 2 partition, division, split, schism, dividing line,

dissociation, disassociation, severance: The United States

constitution provides for the separation of church and state. 3

disintegration, shattering, break-up, fragmentation,

dismemberment, taking or keeping apart, segregation, division,

disjoining, disjunction, fission, scission, rupture, schism,

splitting, split, fracturing, fracture, break: After a crash,

investigators supervise the separation of the aeroplane into its

tens of thousands of component parts.

sepulchre n. tomb, mausoleum, burial-vault, grave, crypt, pyramid,

burial-place: Beneath the floor of the church are the

sepulchres of important people.

sequel n. follow-up, upshot, issue, result, consequence, development,

supplement: The ruling went against him, but there was a

curious sequel when he was suddenly offered an out-of-court

settlement. They are showing the film Jean de Florette ,

together with its sequel Manon des Sources .

sequence n. succession, progression, order, series, chain, string,

course, cycle, arrangement, organization, train, line, set, run,

concatenation, system: His description conflicts with the

sequence of events as recorded by the video camera. Some of

these dates are out of sequence.

sequential

adj. successive, ordered, orderly, serial, progressive,

organized, systematic, cyclic, continuous: Would you please put

these periodicals into sequential order?

seraphic adj. angelic, celestial, divine, heavenly, blissful, sublime,

empyrean, Elysian, ethereal, holy, saintly, godly: In her later

years, Anna's beauty took on a detached, seraphic quality.

serene adj. 1 peaceful, tranquil, calm, pacific, peaceable, restful,

halcyon, idyllic, bucolic, pastoral, undisturbed, unruffled,

imperturbable, unperturbed, untroubled, quiet, still: With the

turmoil of the love affair behind her, Sharon looked ahead to a

more serene life. 2 calm, cool, collected, placid, composed,

self-possessed, poised, unexcitable, even-tempered, temperate,

nonchalant, easygoing, cool-headed, easy, Colloq unflappable:

Beneath William's serene exterior lay a seething, churning

miasma of violent lust.

serenity n. 1 peacefulness, peace, tranquillity, calm, calmness,

restfulness, quiet, stillness: The serenity of the warm

summer's evening was shattered by an enormous explosion. 2

tranquillity, peacefulness, peaceableness, unexcitability,

calmness, calm, composure, self-possession, poise, aplomb,

even-temperedness, temperance, nonchalance, cool-headedness,

placidity, Colloq unflappability: The serenity of her nature

was like a safe harbour to the friends who sought comfort from

the turbulence of their lives.

serious adj. 1 grave, solemn, earnest, unsmiling, poker-faced,

straight-faced, sedate, sober, pensive, thoughtful; humourless,

sombre, grim, dour, severe: One should be wary of the person

who is always serious, who cannot see the ludicrous side of

life. 2 grave, important, vital, dangerous, weighty,

significant, momentous, crucial, consequential, life-and-death

or life-or-death, urgent, pressing; no laughing matter, of

consequence or moment or importance: Things like the greenhouse

effect and the hole in the ozone layer are serious concerns for

all mankind. 3 sincere, straightforward, not joking or fooling,

genuine, honest: Is he serious about wanting me to fetch him a

left-handed wrench? 4 acute, critical, life-threatening, bad,

dangerous, nasty, perilous, alarming, grave, severe, precarious:

His condition is serious and we might have to operate tonight.

She had no idea that measles could be such a serious illness.

seriously adv. 1 gravely, badly, severely, critically: Two men were

seriously injured in the explosion. 2 really, honestly, Scout's

honour, sincerely, truly, candidly, openly, Colloq joking or

kidding aside, no joking or kidding or fooling, cross one's

heart (and hope to die): Seriously, kids, I meant what I said

about going to bed on time, or no treats tomorrow at the beach.

3 soberly, earnestly, unquestioningly, without a doubt, at face

value: What teacher takes seriously that old story about a

grandmother's illness as an excuse for absence?

sermon n. 1 lecture, lesson, preaching, reprimand, reproach, reproof,

remonstration, remonstrance, scolding, harangue, Colloq

talking-to, dressing-down: Mother gave me a long sermon last

night about getting home late. 2 homily, address, exhortation,

lesson, lecture, speech, talk, discourse: We thought that

Father Keiller's sermon on vanity was especially appropriate.

serpentine

adj. 1 evil, bad, diabolical, satanic, Mephistophelian,

reptilian, devilish, wily, cunning, conniving, sneaky, shrewd,

artful, crafty, slick, sly, insidious, shifty, tricky, scheming,

plotting, Machiavellian: With serpentine deceit she swore that

she had returned the ring. 2 twisting, winding, tortuous,

snaking, snakelike, sinuous, anfractuous, roundabout,

meandering, ambagious, indirect, devious, crooked, labyrinthine,

vermicular, vermiculate, complex, complicated, Byzantine: The

amulet was traced through a serpentine trail of ownership back

to Xerxes.

serrated adj. sawlike, saw-shaped, sawtoothed, toothed, notched, zigzag,

jagged, serrate, serriform, serratiform, serrulate(d),

crenellated, crenulate, crenate, denticulate: A knife with a

serrated edge would cut the meat more easily.

serried adj. ranked, tiered, row on row, ranged, assembled, packed,

close, compacted, compact: The serried army of brightly clad

warriors stretched as far as the eye could see.

servant n. 1 domestic (servant), help, retainer; maid, maidservant,

parlour-maid, upstairs maid, lady's maid, cleaner, cleaning man,

cleaning woman, amah; housekeeper, chatelaine, major-domo,

factotum, steward, seneschal, butler, houseman, houseboy, boy,

page; valet, man, gentleman's gentleman, manservant,

serving-man, footman, foot-boy, chauffeur, driver, attendant,

groom; governess, au pair (girl), nurse, nursemaid, ayah; cook,

chef, waiter, waitress, stewardess, wine steward, sommelier (des

vins); menial, lackey, dogsbody, Archaic servitor, Historical

coachman, postilion, serving-woman, serving-girl, servant-girl,

serving-wench, scullery-maid, scullion, Literary cup-boy,

Ganymede, Chiefly Brit nanny, Brit boots, charwoman, charlady,

daily, tweeny, US scrubwoman: Who can afford to keep domestic

servants these days? 2 civil servant. civil-service employee or

worker, public servant, (government or State) official,

office-holder, government worker: In his capacity as a civil

servant, Richard has worked for several different governments.

serve v. 1 attend (to), wait on or upon, minister to, look after (the

needs of), be at (someone's) beck and call, assist, help, be of

assistance or help, be in the service of, oblige, accommodate,

gratify: After a patron is seated and settled, approach him and

ask, 'May I serve you, Sir (or Madam, as the case may be ) ?' We

serve all customers with equal consideration. 2 fulfil or carry

out or perform or discharge (a function or a duty or one's

duty), work (for), do (duty) (as or for), do one's part,

suffice, be used or of use or useful (to or for), function (as

or to), act (as or to), fill the bill, be serviceable (as or

for), be available (for), answer (for), be sufficient or

adequate or suitable, suit, be advantageous or of advantage

(to); fight (for), be obedient (to), take one's part: This

catch will serve to keep the door closed. I had no screw driver,

but a coin served just as well. They also serve who only stand

and wait. 3 distribute, deal out, dole out, give out, present,

set out, provide, supply, offer, pass out or about or around,

make available, come (a)round with, dish up or out: They will

serve hors-d'oeuvres at seven-thirty. Dinner is served, Madam. 4

be convenient or opportune or favourable (to): If the

opportunity serves me, I shall repay you many times over. 5 not

fail, not play tricks (on), work or function (for), be accurate

or correct: If memory serves, he was last here about ten years

ago. 6 go through, complete, spend, last, endure, survive:

Henryson served ten years in Dartmoor for that crime.

service n. 1 help, assistance, aid, use, usefulness, utility, benefit,

advantage: May I be of service to you? You could do me a great

service by not saying anything of this to my mother. 2

maintenance, overhaul, servicing, checking, repair, mending:

Must we send the copier out for service or can they do it in the

office? 3 serving, accommodation, amenities, waiting, care: The

food is good but the service leaves much to be desired. 4

employment, employ: How long have you been in my service,

Jones? 5 use, utilization, usage, handling: This old teapot

has seen much service. 6 assignment, post, appointment,

Military Brit secondment: Oscar was on service in the Far East

during the war. 7 rite, ceremony, ritual, worship: I shall be

attending a memorial service for Grimes on Saturday. 8 Often,

services. army, navy, air force, marines; armed forces or

services, military: He was a pianist before joining the

service. 9 Often, services. talents, help, professional care,

work, advice: You will need the services of a good accountant.

10 serve, serving; putting into play: Clarke's tennis service

is faster and more accurate than before.

serviceable

adj. 1 workable, working, functional, functioning, usable,

useful, operative, operating: It seems unlikely that the old

tractor will still be serviceable. 2 hard-wearing,

long-wearing, durable, utilitarian, long-lasting, tough,

wear-resistant: I need to buy a serviceable pair of hiking

boots.

servile adj. submissive, subservient, menial, craven, acquiescent,

abject, cringing, slavish, mean, fawning, deferential,

mean-spirited, vile, low, base, ingratiating, grovelling,

obsequious, toadying, toadyish, sycophantish, sycophantic,

truckling, wheedling, unctuous, slimy, flattering, time-serving,

boot-licking, Colloq chiefly Brit smarmy, US and Canadian

apple-polishing, Slang Brit arse-kissing, US ass-kissing, Taboo

slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-licking, US ass-licking: Victor

is constantly trying to gain favour with the directors in the

most servile way.

servility n. submissiveness, submission, subservience, servileness,

acquiescence, abjectness, abjection, cringing, slavishness,

meanness, fawning, mean-spiritedness, vileness, baseness,

grovelling, obsequiousness, obsequence, toadying, toadyism,

sycophancy, sycophantism, truckling, wheedling, unctuousness,

sliminess, flattery, boot-licking, Colloq chiefly Brit

smarminess, US and Canadian apple-polishing, Slang Brit

arse-kissing, US ass-kissing, Taboo slang brown-nosing, Brit

arse-licking, US ass-licking: We are sick of the servility with

which Victor treats the directors.

servitude n. bondage, slavery, thraldom, serfdom, subjugation,

enslavement, subjection, vassalage: They were sentenced to ten

years' penal servitude.

session n. 1 sitting, seating, assembly, conference, meeting, hearing:

Parliament is in session at this very moment. 2 term, period:

The bill will be introduced again at the next session of

Parliament.

set v. 1 set down, place, put, situate, locate, site, plant,

position, station, stand, lay, install or instal, lodge, mount,

park, deposit, plump, drop, plunk or plonk (down): Please set

that blue box over here. 2 go down, sink, decline, subside:

The sun is setting. 3 jell or gel, congeal, freeze, solidify,

stiffen, harden, clot, coagulate, thicken, cake: The concrete

takes a long time to set in this weather. 4 establish, fix,

fasten on, appoint: The date of the wedding has been set for

May 23rd. 5 focus on, home or zero in on, pinpoint, pin down:

When Ivor sets his mind on doing something, it usually gets

done. 6 adjust, regulate, turn, synchronize, fix, calibrate,

coordinate: Set your watches to Greenwich Mean Time. Set the

counter back to zero. 7 present, introduce, establish,

determine, stipulate, lay down, define, indicate, designate,

specify; set or mark off, delineate: Who set the pattern for

such behaviour? You'll have to set the rules. 8 prepare, set up,

concoct, lay, arrange, fix: I think we ought to set a trap for

the burglar. 9 set forth, propound, present, devise, work out

or up, make up, select, choose, decide, settle, establish: Who

is going to set the questions for the examination? 10 arrange,

lay, spread: If you set the table, I'll serve dinner. 11

adjust, move, tilt, fix, place, position, lodge: He set his hat

at a jaunty angle and strode out of the restaurant. 12 set

about. a get or make ready, start, begin, get to work, set in

motion, get under way, start the ball rolling, break the ice,

undertake, launch, tackle, address oneself to, enter upon,

Colloq get cracking: It's time you set about deciding what you

want to do for a living. b attack, assail, assault, beat up:

The gang set about him with clubs. 13 set against. a compare,

evaluate, rate, balance, weigh, juxtapose, contrast: If you set

his assets against his liabilities, he comes off pretty well. b

antagonize, set at odds, alienate, divide, disunite: They

succeeded in setting brother against brother. 14 set apart. a

distinguish, separate, differentiate: His talent for language

sets him apart from the others. b reserve, put or set aside,

store, earmark, put away, lay away, set by, save, keep back: I

set apart this piece of chocolate just for you. 15 set aside.

a See 14 (b), above. b annul, cancel, nullify, declare or

render null and void, reverse, repudiate, abrogate, quash,

overturn, overrule, discard: The judge set aside the ruling of

the lower court. 16 set back. put back, hinder, slow, hold up,

retard, delay, impede, obstruct, stay, thwart, frustrate,

inhibit: Completion has been set back because the materials

failed to arrive. 17 set down. a write (down), put in writing,

put down, record, register, mark or jot down, list: The

secretary laboriously set down every word the official said. b

ascribe, assign, attribute, impute, charge: She set down her

failure to win promotion to prejudice on the part of management.

c put down, land: See if you can set the plane down in that

field over there. 18 set forth. a express, voice, propose,

propound, state, offer, submit, suggest, broach, make a motion,

move: Hugo set forth various proposals for the expansion of the

company. b set out or off, put forth or out, begin, start

(out), get under way, go, embark, sally forth, push off, depart,

leave: After much hemming and hawing, Clive finally set forth

on his big adventure. c set out, present, declare, describe,

propose, state, articulate, enunciate: Hermione's theory is set

forth in a lengthy report. 19 set in. begin, become

established, arrive, come: Winter has set in quite early this

year. 20 set off. a ignite, kindle, detonate, light, touch

off, trigger, trip: That little spark set off an explosion that

destroyed the entire plant. b dramatize, enhance, highlight,

throw into relief, show (off), display: The engraving is

beautifully set off by the new mat and frame. c See 18 (b),

above. 21 set on. set upon, attack, assault, pounce on or upon,

fall on or upon, fly at: You were set on by a pack of dogs in

the park? 22 set out. a See 17 (b) and (c), above. b put out,

lay out, arrange, dispose, display: The stallholders are all

setting out their wares for the jewellery fair this morning. 23

set up. a build, put up, erect, assemble, construct, raise,

elevate, put together, arrange, prepare: They are setting up

the Christmas displays over the weekend. b start, begin,

initiate, organize, establish, found; finance, fund, invest in,

back, subsidize: The Crockers are setting up their third shop

in Halsted. His father set him up in business. 24 set upon.

attack, assault, ambush, beat up, fall upon, set about Colloq

mug: The gang set upon him as he was getting home from work.

--n. 25 collection, group, combination, number, grouping,

assortment, selection, arrangement, series: Brackenhall bought

a set of Hogarth etchings from the gallery. 26 clique, coterie,

group, company, circle, ring, crowd, faction, sect, gang: The

set she associates with think nothing of flying to Rio for the

weekend. 27 kit, outfit, rig; equipment, apparatus: When I was

ten, my father bought me a chemistry set. 28 setting, stage set

or setting, scene, mise en scŠne, mounting, scenery: Hunter's

set for Waiting for Godot won a prize.

--adj. 29 fixed, established, determined, predetermined,

arranged, prearranged, decided, customary, usual, normal,

regular, agreed, conventional, habitual, definite, defined,

firm, unvarying, unvaried, unchanging, wonted, rigid, strict,

settled, scheduled: There is a set order in which these things

are done. 30 stereotyped, trite, hackneyed, routine, standard,

traditional, unchanged, unvaried, invariable: He made his set

welcoming speech, as usual dripping with condescension, to the

incoming classes. 31 prepared, ready, fit, primed: Are you all

set to go?

set-back n. hindrance, hitch, check, reverse, reversal, impediment,

block, obstruction, defeat, hold-up, delay, check, rebuff,

upset; relapse; Colloq hiccup: The reduction in arts funding

has resulted in some severe set-backs in certain programmes.

Derek has suffered a set-back and will remain in hospital for a

while.

setting n. mounting, scenery, background, backdrop, locale, location,

surroundings, habitat, home, environs, environment, milieu,

frame, context, site, placement; stage set or setting, mise en

scŠne, scene: It is quite interesting to see how the animals

live in their natural setting. The setting of Hardy's novels is

in the West Country.

settle v. 1 arrange, order, dispose, organize, straighten out, put in

or into order, compose, sort out, classify, coordinate, resolve,

set to rights, reconcile: Ben settled his affairs before

undergoing surgery. 2 Often, settle on or upon. fix (on),

decide (on), establish, appoint, set, confirm, affirm, conclude,

make sure or certain (of), determine, agree (upon or on), pick,

choose, select: Have you been able to settle on a suitable time

to visit Max and Maddy? 3 decide, reconcile, resolve, put an end

to, conclude, clear up, patch up, adjust, negotiate, mediate:

We have settled our differences. 4 Often, settle down. take up

residence, go or come or move to, dwell, reside, make one's

home, abide, remain, stay, live, set up home or house,put down

roots, locate, inhabit, US set up housekeeping, locate: They

have decided to settle in Australia after George retires. 5

Sometimes, settle down. light, alight, land, come down, put

down, set down, (come to) rest or (roost), descend, perch: The

butterfly settled on the tip of Alice's nose. 6 populate,

people, colonize, pioneer: That part of the country wasn't

settled till late in the 19th century. 7 Usually, settle down.

calm down, subside, quiet down, be or become tranquil, Chiefly

Brit quieten (down): The class settled down and we began the

lesson. I must settle down and get back to work. 8 calm, quiet,

soothe, tranquillize, relax, Chiefly Brit quieten: He drank

some camomile tea to settle his nerves. 9 subside, sink,

decline, fall: A great crack appeared in the wall when the

house settled a bit. 10 Often, settle up. pay, square, dispose

of, clear, balance, liquidate, discharge: If you settle the

bill, we can leave. 11 Often, settle out. gravitate, sink,

fall, precipitate (out): Stop shaking the container and let the

sand settle to the bottom. 12 clarify, clear: After about an

hour, the particles will start to settle.

settlement

n. 1 colony, outpost, post, camp, community, encampment,

village, hamlet: The first colonists established a small

settlement on the bank of the river. 2 colonization, settling,

populating, settling: The settlement of the valley was mainly

by Scandinavians. 3 agreement, rapprochement, resolution,

adjustment, elimination, reconciliation, working-out,

accommodation, arbitration, arrangement: Settlement of the

dispute was supervised by a union representative. 4 payment,

defrayal, discharge, liquidation, satisfaction, settling,

quittance, clearing, clearance: The settlement of our debts is

of paramount importance. 5 deciding, settling, setting,

decision, conclusion, confirmation, affirmation, establishment,

stabilization, determination, agreement, choice, selection: The

only thing on his mind was the settlement of their holiday

destination - should it be France or Thailand?

settler n. colonist, frontiersman, frontierswoman, pioneer, immigrant:

The early settlers cleared the land for farming.

set-up n. 1 arrangement, system, organization, layout, regime,

structure, make-up, composition, framework, frame, construction;

conditions, circumstances: This set-up of interlocking

directorships makes it difficult to see who answers to whom and

who owns what. What, exactly, is the set-up between you and

Eustace? 2 prearrangement, trap, Slang put-up job: As soon as I

saw the police car, I knew we had walked into a set-up.

sever v. 1 cut off or apart or in two, lop or chop or hew or hack

off, slice or shear off, cleave, dock, bob, dissever, split,

separate, divide, disjoin, detach, disconnect: The animal's

foot was severed by the trap. 2 separate, disunite, dissolve,

break off or up, terminate, end, cease, stop, discontinue,

suspend, abandon, put an end to: The final divorce decree

severed us from one another once and for all.

several adj. 1 some, a few, not too or very many, a handful or a

sprinkling or a number of: Several people asked for you at the

party last night. 2 various, sundry, a variety of, diverse,

divers, different, respective, individual, distinct, disparate,

particular, certain, specific, discrete, dissimilar: There are

several stages one must go through before reaching the end.

severe adj. 1 strict, harsh, rigorous, austere, hard, stony,

stony-hearted, hard-hearted, flinty, inexorable, iron-handed,

oppressive, unbending, rigid, uncompromising, relentless,

unyielding, obdurate, pitiless, punitive, merciless,

unsympathetic, unfeeling, cruel, brutal, mean, savage, inhuman,

beastly, ruthless, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical,

autocratic, demanding, exacting, painstaking, fastidious,

exigent, taxing: Nicholas Nickleby was subjected to extremely

severe treatment at Dotheboys Hall. Mr Bradshaw was a severe

taskmaster. 2 stern, forbidding, dour, glowering, grave, grim,

stiff, strait-laced, serious, unsmiling, sober, cold, frigid,

aloof, austere: If he so much as dropped a spoon the master

would give Nicholas a severe look. 3 dangerous, critical,

dreadful, awful, life-threatening, acute, dire; mortal, fatal,

terminal: She has had a severe attack of the flu. 4 stringent,

punitive, harsh, punishing, burdensome, tough, onerous,

grievous, painful, Draconian or Draconic: There are severe

penalties for breaking the parking laws in this city. 5 harsh,

bitter, cold, inclement, keen, violent, stormy, intense,

turbulent, fierce, wicked: Granny couldn't live through another

severe winter at Fort William. 6 stark, bare, plain, austere,

Spartan, ascetic, primitive, simple, sparse, spare, monastic,

modest, unadorned, unembellished, crude, undecorated,

unembroidered: The severe d‚cor in the servants' quarters gave

the appearance of a prison.

severely adv. 1 acutely, seriously, badly, dangerously, dreadfully;

permanently, fully, entirely: The accident left him severely

handicapped. 2 strictly, harshly, rigorously, austerely,

oppressively, relentlessly, mercilessly, cruelly, brutally,

savagely, inhumanly, tyrannically: The boys were severely

maltreated at the school. 3 sternly, forbiddingly, dourly,

gloweringly, gravely, seriously, grimly, unsmilingly, soberly,

coldly, coolly, austerely: Mrs Gladwin regarded me severely

over the top of her pince-nez. 4 stringently, punitively,

harshly, onerously, grievously, painfully: One is punished

severely for the slightest infraction of the law. 5

dangerously, acutely, critically, dreadfully, awfully; mortally,

fatally, terminally: I am afraid to say that your mother is

severely ill. 6 starkly, plainly, barely, modestly, austerely,

ascetically, monastically, primitively, simply, crudely,

sparsely, sparely: The room is furnished a bit severely for my

taste.

severity n. 1 strictness, harshness, rigour, rigorousness, austerity,

hardness, flintiness, inexorability, inexorableness, stringency,

oppression, oppressiveness, rigidity, inflexibility,

relentlessness, obduracy, obdurateness, pitilessness,

mercilessness, cold-bloodedness, abusiveness, cruelty,

brutality, meanness, savagery, inhumanity, beastliness,

ruthlessness, despotism, tyranny, fastidiousness, exigency: The

severity of the discipline was almost unbearable. 2 coldness,

aloofness, sternness, gravity, grimness, frigidity, austerity,

solemnity: The severity of his look froze me to the spot. 3

dangerousness, acuteness, seriousness, gravity, ferocity,

fierceness, virulence, violence, intensity: The severity of the

fits has diminished since we put the patient on new medication.

4 stringency, punitiveness, punishment, harshness, onerousness,

grievousness, painfulness, burdensomeness, oppressiveness: The

severity of the sentence is not inappropriate to the heinousness

of the crime. 5 harshness, inclemency, violence, storminess,

intensity, ferocity, fierceness, fury, furiousness,

tempestuousness: The severity of the weather has interfered

with our maintenance of the electrical power lines. 6 plainness,

starkness, austerity, asceticism, bareness, modesty, simplicity,

primitiveness, spareness, sparseness, monasticism, crudeness:

The severity of the cells at the monastery was equalled by the

austerity of the regimen.

sew v. sew up, stitch, darn, mend, repair; sew on, attach, fasten;

tack, baste, hem: Would you sew up a hole in my sweater for me

and, while you're at it, would you mind sewing a button on my

shirt?

sex n. 1 gender: It is difficult to determine the sex of some of

the lower animals. 2 sexual intercourse or relations, coitus,

coition, mating, copulation, (sexual) congress or union,

intimacy, lovemaking, making love, coupling, Colloq making out,

going to bed, shacking up, Slang having it away, Taboo slang

screwing, shafting, shagging, fucking, Chiefly Brit bonking:

They feel that there is too much sex and violence on television

these days.

sexual adj. 1 sex, reproductive, genital, procreative or procreant,

sex, progenitive, propagative: Their current project is an

investigation of sexual behaviour in young adults. 2 sensual,

sensuous, erotic, carnal, fleshly, voluptuous, libidinous,

earthy, bodily, physical, lustful, animal, Colloq sexy: They

have a deep sexual attraction to one another.

sexy adj. 1 erotic, arousing, exciting, sensual, sensuous,

seductive, suggestive, provocative, inviting, alluring, bedroom,

flirtatious, appealing, fascinating, striking, tempting,

captivating, enchanting, stunning, Colloq come-hither: She

thought he had a sexy smile. 2 sex, dirty, pornographic,

obscene, filthy, smutty, lewd, foul, lascivious, indecent,

explicit, gross, X-rated, vulgar, rude, coarse, off colour,

risqu‚, titillating, bawdy, ribald, lusty, immodest, rough,

indelicate, suggestive, unseemly, improper, indecorous, naughty,

shameless, Slang raunchy: They sat there leering over a sexy

magazine.

19.4 shabby...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

shabby adj. 1 worn, dingy, faded, worn out, threadbare, tatty,

tattered, frayed, raggedy, ragged, scruffy, dilapidated, ratty,

dirty, bedraggled, mangy, run-down, seedy, (much) the worse for

wear, Brit down at heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq grubby,

scrubby, gungy, tacky, US grungy: He was wearing a shabby suit

and down-at-heel shoes. 2 poor, peremptory, unpleasant, nasty,

disagreeable, mean, contemptuous, demeaning, grudging,

ungenerous, impolite, rude, unfriendly, unhelpful, shoddy,

ungentlemanly, unladylike, dishonourable, unworthy, scurvy,

Colloq rotten: We were subjected to very shabby treatment at

the office where we applied for work. 3 dilapidated, tumbledown,

broken-down, shattered, battered, run-down, ramshackle, seedy,

neglected, dirty, squalid, slum-like, slummy, Colloq beat-up,

crummy: Sam lives in a shabby little house near the canal. 4

mean, stingy, ungenerous, niggardly, contemptible, low, lowly,

base, mean-spirited, despicable, vile, uncouth, discreditable,

inferior, disreputable, infamous, abominable, dishonourable,

ignoble, atrocious, ignominious, odious, detestable,

opprobrious: The shabby apology for their behaviour fell on

deaf ears.

shack n. hut, hovel, shanty, cabin, lean-to, Colloq dump: The shack

was built out of scrap lumber and cardboard boxes.

shackle n. 1 Often, shackles. fetter(s), leg-iron(s), chains, iron(s),

bilboes, gyve(s), ball and chain, manacle(s), handcuff(s),

restraint(s), bond(s), trammel(s), Colloq cuff(s), Slang

bracelet(s), Brit darbies: When those shackles went round his

ankles, he thought he'd never see them taken off. 2 Usually,

shackles. restriction, restraint, deterrent, impediment, check,

obstacle, obstruction, barrier, hindrance, bar, encumbrance:

When shall we throw off the shackles of ignorant prejudice and

see a truly free world?

--v. 3 chain, fetter, manacle, handcuff, bind, restrain, tie,

secure, truss, pinion, tether: He was shackled to the mast and

whipped for disobedience. In this glorious spring weather I

resent being shackled to a desk. 4 restrain, hold back, check,

deter, hinder, discourage, hobble, handicap, restrict, curb,

rein, bridle, control, fetter, inhibit, limit: Freedom of

expression has been shackled during all those years of

oppression.

shade n. 1 shadow, shadiness, dimness, duskiness, semi-darkness,

gloominess, murkiness, dusk, gloom, murk, darkness, obscurity,

Literary shades: We rested in the shade of an old oak to get

out of the hot sun. 2 tint, tinge, tone, colour, hue,

intensity: The curtains should be of a lighter shade to match

the wallpaper. 3 hint, intimation, tinge, suggestion, modicum,

sprinkling, soup‡on, trace, suspicion, undertone, overtone,

touch, speck, dash, nuance, atom, grain, scintilla, iota, jot or

tittle: Did I detect a shade of sarcasm in your voice,

Aloysius? 4 ghost, spectre, apparition, phantom, phantasm,

spirit, wraith, vision, banshee, Colloq spook: As night came

on, horrifying shades took shape amongst the leafless trees. 5

blind, window-blind, curtain, venetian blind; lampshade; screen,

cover, covering, protection, veil, awning, canopy, shield,

shelter, umbrella, parasol: We need shades to reduce the glare

of the light. We had only a light tent as a shade against the

broiling sun. 6 fraction, hair's breadth, bit, hair, Colloq

smidgen or smidgin: Try moving the picture a shade to the left.

7 variation, variety, nuance, degree: Do you really think his

approval would make a shade of difference to me? 8 put (someone)

in or into the shade. overshadow, exceed, surpass, outstrip,

outclass, eclipse, outshine, best, better, beat, put to shame,

outplay, outperform, outdo, Colloq run rings or circles around,

show up: Your record time in the 1000-metre put other

contenders in the shade. 9 shades. sun-glasses: Take off those

shades so I can see what you are thinking.

--v. 10 screen, protect, shield, shelter, cover: You should

shade your eyes from the direct sunlight. 11 darken, opaque,

black out, blacken: She shaded in parts of the diagram to give

a better effect. 12 dim, shadow, veil, blot out, cloud,

conceal, hide, obscure, shroud, screen, mask, camouflage,

disguise: The house is shaded from view by trees on the south

side.

shadow n. 1 darkness, gloom, dimness, dusk, obscurity: In the shadow

I could make out the dim outline of a figure. 2 cover, screen,

covering, shield, veil, curtain, protection, concealment: He

stole past the sentry under the shadow of darkness. 3 hint,

intimation, suggestion, suspicion, trace, vestige; remnant: I

do not have the slightest shadow of doubt that she is telling

the truth. Martin is merely a shadow of his former robust self.

4 cloud, blight, curse: A terrible shadow has fallen upon the

family name. 5 See shade, 4, above. 6 companion, alter ego,

comrade, Colloq sidekick, crony, chum, (bosom) pal, US (bosom)

buddy: Boswell was Johnson's shadow for almost twenty years.

--v. 7 follow, trail, track, dog, stalk, pursue, trace, Colloq

tail, US and Canadian bird-dog: For a month detectives shadowed

the suspect.

shadowy adj. 1 dark, shady, bowery, leafy, shaded, gloomy, dusky, dim,

Literary bosky: The hotel bar was a shadowy place with pink

lights on the tables. 2 vague, dim, dark, obscure, faint,

indistinct, indefinite, hazy, ill-defined, unclear,

indeterminate: The photograph was too shadowy for us to

identify anyone in it. The years before he came to London are

part of his shadowy past. 3 spectral, ghostly, phantom,

phantasmal, wraithlike, phantasmagoric(al), illusory, dreamlike,

imaginary, visionary, chimerical, hallucinatory, unreal,

unsubstantial, fleeting, impalpable, transitory, ethereal,

immaterial: He saw shadowy figures lurking near the tomb. The

plaintiff's case is shadowy, to say the least. 4 See shady, 2,

below.

shady adj. 1 See shadowy, 1, above. 2 indistinct, indefinite,

questionable, doubtful, uncertain, unreliable, suspicious,

suspect, dubious, shifty, disreputable; devious, tricky,

slippery, underhand(ed), unethical, unscrupulous, dishonourable,

dishonest, Colloq fishy, crooked, bent, not (strictly) kosher:

The minister's shady past will be revealed in the next issue of

Tribune . She got involved with some shady character who had

just come out of prison.

shaft n. 1 pole, rod, staff, stick, stem, shank, handle, helve;

pillar, column, post, stanchion, upright: The shaft of the

harpoon splintered as the whale suddenly plunged downwards.

These shafts help support the upper storey. 2 beam, ray, gleam,

streak, pencil: At exactly noon on the winter solstice a shaft

of light struck the altar at the centre of the stone circle. 3

thrust, barb, sting, dart, gibe or jibe, barb, Colloq slap (in

the face), knock, put-down: After the episode in the

restaurant, Barbara had to suffer the shafts of her colleagues

and their teasing. 4 mine-shaft, tunnel, adit, well, pit;

air-shaft, duct, flue: How many men went down the shaft in the

first shift? The screen over the ventilating shaft must be kept

clean.

shaggy adj. hairy, woolly, unkempt, unshorn, uncut, hirsute,

dishevelled, matted, untidy: They had a large black dog with

shaggy hair and a great bushy tail.

shake v. 1 quiver, quake, shudder, waver, wobble, tremble, shiver:

The poor child is shaking from the cold. 2 wiggle, wriggle,

squirm, shimmy, twitch, joggle, jiggle, waggle, sway, swing,

roll, bump, grind, vibrate, oscillate, pulsate, gyrate: When

Lola shakes her hips the strongest men have been known to

weaken. 3 weaken, undermined, impair, harm, damage, discourage;

disenchant, disappoint, disaffect: The incident shook my faith

in the political party I had supported all my voting life. 4

wave, brandish, flourish, display, show off, parade, exhibit,

vaunt, waggle, flap, flutter: It was thrilling to see the

once-banned flag being shaken under the noses of the deposed

leaders. 5 Often, shake up. agitate, stir (up), mix (up); upset,

distress, frighten, scare, shock, disturb, unnerve, unsettle,

disconcert, discomfit, worry, fluster, disquiet, confound,

confuse, perplex, puzzle, Colloq rattle, get to, US throw (for a

loop): Shake the medicine before taking it. I was really shaken

by the news that Sheila had quit. 6 shake down. a break in,

condition, test, prove, Colloq debug: We shook down the

submarine on a 30-day cruise. b blackmail, extort or extract or

squeeze or wrest money from, hold up, squeeze, threaten: The

shopkeepers were so frightened that the gang easily shook them

down. 7 shake off. get rid of, discard, dislodge, drop, brush

off, elude, evade, lose, throw off, rid oneself of, give the

slip to: We finally shook off our pursuers: at last we felt

safe.

--n. 8 shaking, quivering, quaking, shuddering, wavering,

wobbling, trembling, shivering, quiver, quake, shudder, waver,

wobble, tremble, shiver, wiggle, wriggle, twitch, joggle,

jiggle, sway, swing, roll, gyration: The dog gave a shake of

its tail and bounded towards them. 9 agitating, agitation,

shaking, stirring (up), jolt, jar, jarring, jounce, jolting,

jouncing: Give him a good shake and he'll wake up. 10 the

shakes. trembling, tremors, delirium tremens, Colloq D.T.'s:

She's had so much to drink that she's got the shakes.

shake-up n. reorganization, rearrangement, overhaul, revamp,

restructuring, rehabilitation, make-over, realignment: With new

owners you can expect a complete shake-up of top management.

shaky adj. 1 uncertain, wobbly, unstable, precarious, unsound,

flimsy, weak, unsteady, unsupported, unsubstantiated,

undependable, unreliable, tenuous, untrustworthy, dubious,

questionable, doubtful, Colloq iffy: The evidence against him

is very shaky indeed. 2 wobbly, wobbling, unstable, precarious,

dilapidated, ramshackle, on its last legs, decrepit, falling

down or apart, rickety, flimsy, unsteady, insecure, unsound,

unsubstantial, insubstantial, feeble: Surely, you can't expect

that shaky old chair to support your weight!

shallow adj. 1 surface, skin-deep, superficial, thin, empty, flimsy,

trivial, unimportant, slight, frivolous, idle, foolish: If you

read only comic books, your thoughts are bound to be shallow. 2

Often, shallows. shoal(s), sand bar, sandbank, bank, shelf:

This boat draws too much water to go fishing in the shallows.

sham n. 1 fake, fraud, counterfeit, imitation, hoax, humbug,

pretence, forgery, copy, imposture, Colloq phoney or US also

phony: Their call for reform is a sham, as they have no

intention of disturbing the status quo.

--adj. 2 fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, imitation, paste,

simulated, false, make-believe, fictitious, made-up, bogus,

spurious, mock, ersatz, artificial, synthetic, Colloq phoney or

US also phony, pseudo: He sat there feigning interest, a sham

smile on his face.

shambles n. chaos, devastation, mess, disaster, Augean stables, pigsty,

muddle, pigpen: I can't find anything in this shambles. The

campaign degenerated into a complete shambles.

shambling adj. shuffling, lumbering, dragging, scuttling, awkward,

clumsy, lurching, unsteady, faltering: The old beggar hobbled

off with a shambling gait.

shame n. 1 embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, chagrin,

ignominy, shamefacedness, loss of face, abashment: Watts felt

abysmal shame at being discovered stealing from petty cash. 2

disgrace, ignominy, dishonour, disrepute, degradation,

opprobrium, vilification, calumniation, infamy, obloquy, odium,

contempt, scandal, denigration, loss of face, defamation,

discredit, disesteem, disfavour, derogation, disparagement: To

think that one knight's single act of cowardice in 1249 could

have brought such shame to all his descendants. 3 pity,

calamity, disaster, catastrophe; outrage: What a shame that

Gerry failed the exam! 4 humility, modesty, (sense of) decency

or decorum or propriety, respectability, decorousness,

diffidence, shyness, coyness, prudishness, timidity,

shamefacedness: The people who wear bathing suits like that

obviously have no shame at all. 5 put to shame. a surpass,

eclipse, outclass, overshadow, cast into the shade, outdo,

outstrip, outshine, show up: Cochrane put his opponents to

shame when they failed to score a single point against him. b

See 8, below.

--v. 6 embarrass, humiliate, mortify, humble, chagrin,

disconcert, discountenance, put down, bring down, abash,

chasten, Colloq bring (someone) down a peg, suppress, subdue:

He hated the teacher because she had shamed him in front of his

friends. 7 coerce, force, drive, bully, push; embarrass,

humiliate, mortify, humble: The other boys shamed him into

admitting that he had done it. 8 disgrace, embarrass,

dishonour, scandalize, calumniate, degrade, debase, defame,

discredit, stigmatize; smear, blacken, stain, taint, besmirch,

tarnish: I am sure, son, that nothing you ever do would shame

the family or me.

shamefaced

adj. 1 bashful, shy, modest, self-effacing, diffident, timid,

meek, coy, sheepish, timorous: He felt shamefaced as a

schoolboy when they awarded him a medal for bravery. 2 ashamed,

shamed, abashed, embarrassed, humiliated, dishonoured,

mortified, humbled, chastened, chagrined, uncomfortable,

discomfited, remorseful, red-faced: Shamefaced, she finally

admitted the truth about where she had been.

shameful adj. disgraceful, dishonourable, base, low, mean, vile,

degrading, indecent, inglorious, deplorable, discreditable,

corrupt, disreputable, infamous, ignominious, humiliating,

embarrassing, mortifying, humbling, chastening, discomfiting,

shaming, blameworthy, scandalous, outrageous, unprincipled:

Quentin was known for his shameful behaviour both at school and

in the army.

shameless adj. wild, flagrant, unreserved, uncontrolled, immodest,

wanton, indecorous, indecent, rude, improper, forward, bold,

unembarrassed, unblushing, audacious, brazen, brash, unabashed,

unashamed, impudent, shocking, outrageous: He was roundly

condemned for his shameless neglect of his responsibilities.

Her behaviour was shameless, even wanton.

shape n. 1 form, figure, build, body, physique; lines, profile,

silhouette, contours: I've never heard anyone complain about

Marilyn Monroe's shape. 2 form, pattern, configuration,

structure, aspect: The discussion is on the shape of things to

come in the double-glazing trade. The new swimming-pool will be

in the shape of a figure of eight. 3 form: Gradually, the

shopping mall began to take shape. 4 state, condition, fettle,

status, (state of) health, order, trim: When I saw Wayne

yesterday, he seemed in very good shape indeed. 5 guise,

disguise, form, appearance, likeness, image: Zeus visited Dan„e

in the shape of a golden shower, and fathered Perseus on her.

--v. 6 form, fashion, mould, cast, make, model, sculpture,

sculpt; cut, carve, hew, hack, trim: Using primitive tools,

they were able to shape the clay into bowls. The topiary shrubs

were shaped into the forms of birds. 7 determine, give form to,

control, govern, regulate, affect, condition, influence, decree,

frame, define,: There are many factors that shape our future.

8 word, express, embody in words, put, formulate, form: Perhaps

you could shape your question differently. 9 change, modify,

remodel, accommodate, fit, adapt, adjust: The box was shaped

especially for this bottle. 10 shape up. a take form, take

shape, develop, evolve, proceed: The plan is shaping up very

nicely. b conform, improve, progress, go or move or come along,

show improvement, come up to snuff; behave better: Those who

cannot shape up will have to ship out.

shapeless adj. 1 amorphous, formless, nebulous, unformed, indefinite,

unstructured, vague: Sculptors start with a shapeless mass of

clay. 2 unshapely, deformed, misshapen, distorted, twisted,

bent, battered: The wreckage was a shapeless tangle of steel

and mortar.

shapely adj. curvaceous, comely, well-proportioned, graceful, neat,

well turned out, good-looking, pleasing; voluptuous, Colloq

sexy: That slinky black dress certainly sets off her shapely

figure to advantage.

share n. 1 portion, allotment, division, apportionment, allocation,

ration, appropriation, dispensation, allowance, part, due,

percentage, interest, dividend, quota, portion, helping,

serving, Colloq cut: Each of us is entitled to a share in the

profits. We made sure that all participants got their shares. 2

interest, piece, part, stake, equity, slice: Do you own any

shares in the stock market? My share in United Telephone is

worth twice what I paid for it.

--v. 3 share out, divide up, allot, apportion, allocate,

ration, appropriate, share in, split, partition, parcel or deal

or dole out, pay out: Ownership in the company is shared

equally among the employees. Let's just take one car, and share

the expenses.

sharp adj. 1 acute, keen; razor-sharp, knife-like, knife-edged,

sharpened; pointed, needle-sharp: How do you keep the telescope

in sharp focus? You need an extremely sharp knife for boning

fish. This pencil isn't sharp enough. 2 abrupt, sudden,

precipitous, sheer, vertical, marked: Just round the corner is

a sharp dip in the road. There was a sharp rise in prices on the

London Stock Exchange today. 3 keen, keen-witted, keen-minded,

sharp-witted, shrewd, intelligent, smart, alert, bright, quick,

agile, astute, clever, on the qui vive, penetrating, observant:

Penny has a very sharp mind and a good eye for detail. 4

caustic, bitter, biting, acrid, hot, spicy, pungent, piquant,

tangy, harsh, sour, acid, acidulous, tart: That lemon sorbet is

a little too sharp for my taste. 5 acid, acidulous, acerbic,

vitriolic, acrimonious, cutting, piquant, biting, bitter,

unkind, strict, hurtful, spiteful, virulent, sarcastic,

sardonic, trenchant, severe, scathing, malicious, nasty,

malignant, venomous, poisonous: How does one escape the sharp

comments of the critics? She was unprepared for the sharp

exchange between the guests on her chat show. 6 clever, shrewd,

artful, crafty, sly, cunning, foxy, calculating, unscrupulous,

dishonest, Colloq sneaky, fly: There is evidence that the stock

manipulators were engaged in very sharp practice. 7

high-pitched, shrill, penetrating, piercing, strident, harsh,

ear-splitting, loud: Jane gave a sharp cry when she felt the

ice break under her feet. 8 poignant, severe, cutting, intense,

sudden, piercing, extreme, acute, fierce: Complaining of a

sharp pain in his chest, he fell down. 9 chic, dapper, spruce,

stylish, smart, fashionable, dressy, Colloq snappy, natty,

classy, nifty, swell, swanky: If you want to see the latest

collection of sharp clothes, go to the disco.

--adv. 10 sharply, precisely, exactly, punctually, on the dot,

Colloq on the button, US on the nose: Our appointment was for

seven o'clock sharp. 11 sharply, suddenly, abruptly: I was

pulled up sharp by her mention of the Black Rose. 12 sharply,

alertly, attentively, vigilantly, watchfully, carefully: Listen

sharp to what I tell you.

sharpen v. hone, grind, strop, whet: Of what use is a knife if you

don't sharpen it periodically?

sharp-eyed

adj. sharp-sighted, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, lynx-eyed,

gimlet-eyed, keen-sighted, wide awake, wakeful, watchful,

observant, (on the) alert, on the qui vive, wary, circumspect,

Argus-eyed, cautious, careful: It takes quite a sharp-eyed

person to check the accuracy of these circuits.

sharply adv. 1 severely, sternly, harshly, cuttingly, acerbically,

peremptorily, angrily, strictly, firmly: Her teacher sharply

rebuked Hilary for smiling. 2 suddenly, quickly, abruptly,

precipitously, precipitately: Prices increased sharply for the

third day in succession. 3 acutely, distinctly, definitely,

definitively: These new cameras automatically remain sharply

focused on the object.

shatter v. 1 disintegrate, burst, pulverize, shiver, smash, demolish,

break (to smithereens), splinter, fragment, fracture, dash to

pieces: If you hadn't caught the vase, it would have shattered

into a million pieces. 2 destroy, ruin, devastate, wreck, dash,

crush, demolish, torpedo, undermine, blast: Any dreams he might

have had of being published were shattered by the rejection

letter. 3 upset, disturb, perturb, trouble, unnerve, overcome,

overwhelm, crush, devastate, depress, deject, rattle, shake

(up), unsettle, agitate, confound, confuse, stupefy, daze, stun,

paralyse, Colloq throw: He was shattered by the news of Mill's

death.

shave v. 1 shear (off), cut (off), trim, clip, crop, snip off,

remove: He made a mistake in shaving off his beard, as it hid

his weak chin. 2 pare, scrape, plane, whittle: If you shave

just a hair off this side, it will fit into the hole.

--n. 3 close shave. narrow escape, Colloq narrow or near

squeak, US squeaker: That was a close shave! - You almost fell

out the window!

shed° n. lean-to, shelter, structure, addition, penthouse, hut,

shack, stall, booth, pen, cote, hutch: The tools are in the

shed alongside the barn.

shedý v. 1 spill: Much blood has been shed in the name of freedom.

2 shine, spread, scatter, throw, cast, let fall, impart,

release, focus, pour forth, let fall, radiate: Can you shed a

little light on a matter that has puzzled me for years? 3 pour

or stream or flow or surge or spill (out or forth), discharge,

emanate, emit, drop; exude, ooze, weep: The clouds shed their

snow and the world below turned white. Don't shed any tears over

me. 4 cast off, doff, drop, abandon; moult, defoliate,

desquamate, peel (off), flake (off): The trees shed their

leaves. She rushed into the bathroom, shedding her clothes as

she went.

sheen n. shine, gleam, polish, lustre, shininess, burnish,

brightness, gloss, glow, glimmer, shimmer, radiance, glint,

dazzle: The sheen of the horse's coat glistened in the

sunlight.

sheepish adj. 1 timid, withdrawn, passive, docile, obedient, compliant,

sheeplike, manipulable, tractable, pliable, meek, amenable:

Dashworth might seem sheepish but he doesn't like to be bullied.

2 See shamefaced, above.

sheer adj. 1 steep, precipitous, abrupt, perpendicular, bluff,

vertical: There is a sheer drop of 2000 feet to the valley

below. 2 absolute, unmitigated, unqualified, downright,

out-and-out, unalloyed, unadulterated, pure, unmixed, plain,

simple, rank, total, complete, arrant, thorough, thoroughgoing,

utter: Johnson said that he had got his definition of 'pastern'

wrong out of 'sheer ignorance'. 3 transparent, see-through,

thin, diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gossamer, translucent, peekaboo:

Kathryn was wearing the sheer nightgown he had given her for her

birthday.

sheet n. 1 bed-sheet, crib-sheet, fitted sheet, flat sheet, US

contour sheet: How often do you change the sheets on your bed?

2 leaf, folio, page: He tore a sheet of paper from the

notebook. 3 pane, panel, plate, slab: The desk has a sheet of

glass on top for protection. 4 lamina, lamination, layer,

stratum, veneer, membrane: Plywood is made up of a number of

thin sheets of pressed wood bonded together for strength. 5

area, expanse, stretch, layer, film, coat, coating, covering,

blanket, cover, surface, skin, veneer: The sheet of ice on the

road made driving hazardous. 6 newspaper, journal, paper,

tabloid, gazette, daily, weekly, monthly, Colloq rag: Have you

got a copy of the sheet that published the article about you?

shell n. 1 cartridge, projectile, shot: We huddled in the foxhole as

the shells whistled overhead. 2 exterior, outside, fa‡ade,

framework, frame, chassis, externals, skeleton, hull: After the

earthquake, only the shell of the building was left standing.

--v. 3 shuck, husk, peel, hull, excorticate, decorticate:

Would you mind shelling the peas while I peel the potatoes? 4

fire on or upon, bombard, barrage, attack, bomb, blitz,

cannonade, Slang Brit prang: The enemy shelled our position

relentlessly. 5 shell out. pay out, give out, disburse, spend,

expend, hand over, hand out, Colloq lay out, fork out, dish out,

Chiefly US ante up: I had to shell out a month's salary for

that suit.

shelter n. 1 protection, cover, refuge, asylum, sanctuary, haven,

safety, security: During the hailstorm, we sought shelter in a

cave. 2 cover, covering, concealment, screen, umbrella: Under

the shelter of a moonless night, they stole quietly past the

guards. 3 dwelling-place, habitation, home, dwelling, housing,

accommodation: He feels that everyone is entitled to food,

clothing, and shelter.

--v. 4 protect, screen, shield, safeguard, guard, keep, secure,

harbour: The parapet sheltered the guards from the icy wind. 5

seek or take refuge or shelter, hole up, Colloq lie or lay low:

Mike sheltered in a mountain hut until the hue and cry died

down.

shelve v. postpone, defer, put off or aside or on ice or on the shelf,

pigeon-hole, lay aside, hold in abeyance, US table: We will

have to shelve this matter until we have more information.

shepherd v. lead, convoy, escort, conduct, guide, usher, take, pursue:

I want you, personally, to shepherd Miss Jones through the

plant. As this project requires special care, I shall shepherd

it through personally.

shibboleth

n. password, catchword, catch-phrase, buzz-word, byword,

watchword, jargon: As Simon knew none of the shibboleths of

teenagers' slang, he remained an outsider to his classmates.

shield n. 1 protection, guard, safeguard, defence, screen, bulwark,

shelter: Education is a poor shield against poverty.

--v. 2 protect, guard, safeguard, keep, defend, screen,

shelter: The mother bear will shield the cubs from harm or die

in the attempt.

shift v. 1 move, change position; edge, budge, relocate, rearrange,

transpose, switch: Shift the picture slightly to the left.

Marla shifted over closer to me on the bench. I almost broke my

leg because you shifted the chair as I was about to sit on it. 2

Usually, shift for (oneself). manage, succeed, make do, look

after, take care of, get or scrape by or along, fend for

(oneself), make it, paddle one's own canoe: Cyril prefers to

live alone and shift for himself. 3 sell, market, move: The

object of advertising is to shift merchandise.

--n. 4 hours, stint, schedule; workforce, relay, crew, cadre,

staff, workers, squad, team, corps, group, party, gang: I

prefer to work the morning shift. The night shift comes on at

1600. 5 change, movement, switch, transfer, swerve, deflection,

veer: Owing to a wind shift, it became impossible to manoeuvre

among the rocks. 6 smock, chemise, muu-muu; caftan or kaftan: A

light cotton shift is the most comfortable thing to wear in such

scorching weather.

shiftless adj. unambitious, lazy, indolent, uninspired, unmotivated,

idle, lackadaisical, irresponsible, uncaring, unenterprising,

aimless, slothful, otiose, ineffective, ne'er-do-well,

good-for-nothing, fain‚ant, pococurante: He calls Geoff a

shiftless vagabond, virtually a tautology.

shifty adj. tricky, artful, shrewd, canny, cunning, foxy, wily, sharp,

devious, slick, evasive, smooth, slippery, scheming, designing,

conniving, calculating, underhand(ed), conspiratorial,

treacherous, traitorous, deceitful, deceiving, duplicitous,

two-faced, Janus-faced, dishonest, crooked, untrustworthy,

Colloq bent: The shifty scoundrel gave me a bad cheque and did

a moonlight flit.

shilly-shally

v. hem and haw, dilly-dally, teeter-totter, see-saw, yo-yo,

vacillate, waver, alternate, fluctuate, dither, falter,

tergiversate, Brit haver, hum and haw, Scots swither; delay,

hesitate, dawdle: Stop shilly-shallying and decide whether you

want chocolate or strawberry!

shimmer v. 1 shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, glisten, ripple,

flicker: The desert shimmered like a lake under the relentless

sun.

--n. 2 shimmering, shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, gloss,

flicker, light: As Julia slunk up to the microphone, the

spotlight picked up the shimmer from her black satin gown.

shin v. Usually, shin up. climb, clamber up, scramble up, scale, US

shinny up: The lad shinned up the flag-pole carrying the

banner.

shine v. 1 gleam, glow, shimmer, radiate, beam, glare, flare,

glisten, glitter, coruscate, twinkle, sparkle, scintillate,

glint, flash, flicker: The light of a candle shone from her

window. The stars are shining brightly. I want that brass

polished till it shines. 2 polish, burnish, rub (up or down),

buff, brush, brighten: You'd best shine your shoes before going

for the job interview. 3 excel, surpass, stand out, outshine,

be outstanding or pre-eminent or excellent or prominent or

conspicuous: She had shone at tennis from a very early age, and

first entered Wimbledon when she was twelve.

--n. 4 gleam, glow, shimmer, sparkle, brightness, radiance,

gloss, lustre, sheen, glaze, patina: That shine was achieved

with a little wax and elbow-grease. 5 take a shine to. like, be

attracted to, take a fancy to, fancy: Her Great Dane has taken

a shine to me and likes to sit on my lap.

shiny adj. gleaming, glowing, shimmering, glossy, shimmery, lustrous,

glassy, radiant, bright, beaming, glistening, polished,

burnished, glittering, dazzling, coruscating, twinkling,

sparkling, scintillating, glinting, flashing, flashy,

flickering, lambent, fulgent: She loves riding about in her

shiny new car.

ship n. 1 vessel, (ocean or passenger) liner, steamer, wind-jammer,

cutter: The statue is dedicated to the men who go down to the

sea in ships.

--v. 2 send, move, ferry, transport, deliver, carry, dispatch

or despatch, freight, haul, truck, cart: You need a specialized

company that ships computers and other delicate equipment. 3

ship out. leave, depart, embark, set sail, take off, get out,

quit, Slang scram: You'll ship out if you know what's good for

you.

shipshape adj. neat, trim, spotless, orderly, Bristol fashion, spick and

span, tidy: Pick up your clothes and make this room shipshape

at once!

shirk v. avoid, evade, shun, dodge, get out of, shrink from, Colloq

duck (out of), Brit skive, Military Brit scrimshank, US gold

brick: Stop shirking your responsibilities and get to work! Is

Callum shirking again?

shiver° v. 1 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver: We sat in our wet

clothes, shivering in the cold. The old shack shivered in the

wind. 2 vibrate, luff, flap, flutter, chatter, rattle, shake,

wallop: The sails shivered violently in the stiff breeze.

--n. 3 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver, thrill, frisson,

trembling, tremor, flutter: She gave a little shiver and then

snuggled into my arms. 4 the shivers. trembling, shivering,

goose-pimples or goose bumps, Colloq the shakes, US the chills:

He's had malaria and occasionally gets the shivers. Those horror

films give me the shivers.

shiverý v. shatter, fragment, splinter, disintegrate, rupture, explode,

implode, smash (to smithereens), crash: The light-bulb fell and

shivered into a million fragments.

shock v. 1 startle, surprise, stagger, jar, jolt, shake (up), stun,

numb, paralyse, daze, stupefy, dumbfound or dumfound, bowl over,

appal, astonish, astound, frighten, scare, petrify, traumatize,

horrify, outrage, disgust, nauseate, repel, revolt, sicken,

upset, disquiet, disturb, perturb, discompose, unsettle, Colloq

throw, US throw for a loop, flabbergast, give (someone) a turn:

He shocked us when he announced his resignation. We were shocked

to learn of the train wreck.

--n. 2 trauma, stupor, paralysis, prostration, breakdown,

collapse, nervous exhaustion: He is in a state of shock after

the accident. 3 surprise, thunderbolt, bolt from the blue,

bombshell, revelation, shocker, eye-opener, jolt: It came as a

shock to learn whom I had been talking to so casually. The

death of her husband was a terrible shock. 4 tingle, jolt,

impact: You'll get a nasty shock if you touch those wires.

shocking adj. 1 surprising, astounding, astonishing, amazing, striking,

stupefying, numbing, sudden, unexpected, electrifying,

startling, Colloq mind-boggling, mind-blowing: It was shocking

to see the way the neighbourhood had deteriorated. 2

disgusting, revolting, nauseating, nauseous, sickening,

repulsive, abominable, hideous, horrible, horrifying, horrific,

horrid, foul, loathsome, abhorrent, ghastly, hideous,

unspeakable, dreadful, distressing, outrageous, appalling,

monstrous, scandalous: The conditions in the concentration

camps were shocking.

shoddy adj. shabby, tatty, inferior, poor, rubbishy, cheap, pinchbeck,

meretricious, tawdry, gaudy, Brummagem, plastic, artificial,

tinsel, tinselly, second-rate, trashy, junky, Colloq crappy,

cheapjack, tacky, US chintzy: They can't get away for long with

selling such shoddy merchandise.

shoo interjection. 1 Scat!, Go away!, Away with you!, Be off!, Get

out!, Begone!, Colloq Get lost!, Beat it!, Scram!: I shouted

'Shoo!' and the chickens scattered.

--v. 2 Often, shoo away or off. scare off, frighten away, drive

away, force to leave: She shoos away anyone who disturbs her

while she is painting.

shoot v. 1 scoot, dart, whisk, speed, bolt, run, race, rush, flash,

fly, dash, hurtle, streak, scuttle, bound, leap, spring, Colloq

zip, whiz: The instant the baby cried out, its mother shot over

to protect it. 2 discharge, fire, open fire; let fly, launch,

propel, project, fling, hurl, throw, toss: Don't shoot till you

see the whites of their eyes! With all his strength he shot the

arrow into the beast's neck. 3 wound, hurt, harm, injure; kill,

slay, assassinate, execute, Slang fill or pump full of lead,

plug, blast, zap, knock off, snuff (out): He insulted her, so

she shot him. He's to be shot at sunrise. 4 sprout, germinate,

burgeon, flourish, grow, spring up, mushroom, develop: Owing to

the perfect weather, the corn shot up very quickly.

--n. 5 sprout, stem, bud, branch, offshoot, slip, scion,

sucker: If you want fruit, the new shoots have to be pinched

back.

shop n. 1 store, boutique, department store: Would you stop at the

shop and buy some lettuce? 2 workshop, machine shop: Henry

gained experience in operating a lathe at my father's shop.

--v. 3 betray, inform on or against, Slang peach on, rat on,

snitch on, blow the whistle on: The police persuaded Luke to

shop his accomplices in exchange for a lighter sentence. 4 shop

for. buy, purchase, seek, look for, research: I've been

shopping for a new dishwasher.

short adj. 1 small, little, slight, petite, diminutive, wee, tiny,

elfin, minuscule; midget, dwarfish, squat, dumpy, runty, stubby,

stunted, Colloq pint-sized, knee-high to a grasshopper,

sawn-off: Did you know that Queen Victoria was quite short? 2

shortened, brief, concise, compressed, compendious, compact,

pocket, US vest-pocket; abbreviated, abridged, cut: A short

version of the book was published in paperback. 3 laconic,

terse, succinct, pithy, sententious, epigrammatic: He made a

few short remarks that were very much to the point. 4 abrupt,

curt, terse, sharp, blunt, bluff, brusque, sharp, offhand,

gruff, testy, snappish, discourteous, uncivil, impolite: It is

unnecessary to be so short with the staff. 5 direct, straight,

straightforward, short and sweet: In reply to your request for

permission to leave early, the short answer is 'No'. 6 Usually,

short of. deficient (in), lacking (in), needful (of), wanting,

inadequate, shy (of), low (on): The hotel is short of clean

linen because the laundry failed to deliver. 7 brief, limited;

transitory, temporary, short-lived, momentary, quick, transient:

HQ had a short life but a happy one. I'll just make a short stop

in here and will join you in a moment. 8 impecunious,

straitened, pinched, underfunded, poor, penniless, deficient:

I'm a bit short today and wonder if you could lend me some

money? 9 in short supply. rare, scarce, scanty, unplentiful,

meagre, sparse, Colloq chiefly Brit thin on the ground: Good

editors are in short supply these days. 10 short of. before,

failing, excluding, exclusive of, barring, eliminating,

precluding, excepting, except for, leaving out, apart from,

setting aside: Short of killing him, I am not sure what she

could have done in the circumstances.

--adv. 11 abruptly, suddenly, peremptorily, without warning,

instantly, unexpectedly, hurriedly, hastily, out of the blue:

She stopped short in the middle of the road and made me get out.

12 cut short. a trim, curtail, shorten, abbreviate, cut: I

must cut my visit short because I have a train to catch. b

stop, cut off, terminate, cut in on, break in on, interrupt;

butt in: I am sorry to cut you short, but it is getting on for

midnight. 13 fall or come short. fail, be or prove inadequate

or insufficient: These grades fall short of our expectations,

Bobby.

--n. 14 in short. briefly, in a word, all in all, to make a

long story short, in a nutshell: He told me, in short, that

there was no job and there never had been one. 15 shorts.

Bermuda shorts, knee-breeches, knee-pants, hot pants: I usually

wear shorts to play tennis.

shortage n. deficit, deficiency, shortfall, dearth, scarcity, lack,

want, paucity: They are predicting a shortage of water again

this summer.

shortcoming

n. failure, defect, deficiency, weakness, frailty, drawback,

liability, imperfection, weak point, flaw: One might

justifiably regard colour-blindness as a shortcoming in an

interior decorator.

shorten v. 1 cut, curtail, cut off or down or short, reduce, diminish,

trim; lop off, dock, prune; hem: Please shorten the time you

spend in the bathroom in the mornings. This skirt has already

been shortened. 2 condense, abridge, abbreviate, digest,

compress: Can one shorten the book without losing too much of

the characterization?

short-lived

adj. ephemeral, evanescent, temporary, fleeting, transitory,

transient, passing, fugacious, volatile: He enjoyed a

short-lived reputation that died with him.

shortly adv. 1 soon, presently, anon, before long, in a (little) while,

by and by, Archaic ere long: I'll see you shortly. 2 just,

immediately, soon, right: We had dinner with him shortly before

he went abroad. 3 abruptly, briefly, peremptorily, curtly,

brusquely, sharply, tersely, testily, gruffly, rudely, tartly:

'Leave me alone', said Bill shortly.

short-sighted

adj. 1 near-sighted, myopic, dim-sighted: He wears thick

spectacles because he's so short-sighted. 2 unimaginative,

unprogressive, improvident, imprudent, injudicious, rash, brash,

impulsive, reckless, impolitic, limited, unwary, incautious,

careless, thoughtless, unmindful: Lewis's short-sighted view

makes no provision for the future.

short-staffed

adj. undermanned, short-handed, understaffed: We are usually

short-staffed during the summer because of the holiday

schedules.

short-tempered

adj. testy, irascible, short, curt, abrupt, gruff, peremptory,

bluff, rude, tart, acid, acidulous, terse, brusque, crabbed,

crabby, irritable, touchy, petulant, peevish, bearish, snappish,

waspish, shrewish, curmudgeonly, crusty, surly, discourteous,

grouchy, disagreeable, caustic, acrimonious, acerbic: Henry is

often short-tempered if he has slept badly.

short-winded

adj. short of or out of breath, winded, breathless, panting,

huffing (and puffing), gasping (for air or for breath),

Technical dyspnoeal: He is very short-winded because he smokes

too much.

shot n. 1 discharge, shooting: The town was captured without a shot

being fired. 2 bullet, ball, slug, cannon-ball, buckshot,

pellet, projectile, missile: A dumdum bullet is a piece of soft

shot with a hollowed-out nose. 3 attempt, try, opportunity,

chance, go, essay, endeavour, guess, conjecture, Colloq stab,

crack, whack: You are allowed three shots at the answer. 4

marksman, markswoman, sharpshooter, sniper, rifleman: Geraghty

is an excellent shot and favourite for an Olympic gold. 5

photograph, snapshot, picture, Colloq snap, photo: Miller took

some excellent action shots using stroboscopic lighting. 6

injection, inoculation, vaccination: The doctor gave me a flu

shot this morning. 7 drink, jigger, tot, dram, nip, spot,

swallow, Colloq finger, swig, slug, snort: Will you have a shot

of whisky with me, Muldoon? 8 (space) launch or launching: The

moon shot scheduled for today has been postponed owing to

technical difficulties. 9 call the shots. run or direct or

manage or administer or control things or affairs or matters,

run the show, rule the roost, be in command or the driver's

seat: Ravelli calls the shots around here, and don't you forget

it. 10 like a shot. quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily,

hurriedly, hastily, at once, like a flash, immediately,

instantly, instantaneously, Colloq in two shakes of a lamb's

tail, like greased lightning, before you can say 'Jack

Robinson': All I had to do was mention ice-cream, and the

children were in here like a shot. 11 (not) by a long shot. no

way, under no circumstances, by no means, on no account, by no

chance, never: You ask if he can get elected and my response

is, 'Not by a long shot'. 12 shot in the arm. boost, stimulus,

encouragement, incentive, inducement, provocation, motivation:

The team needs a shot in the arm to improve morale.

shoulder n. 1 side, edge, verge, margin; breakdown lane: If you have a

flat tyre, drive onto the hard shoulder and phone for help. 2

give (someone) the cold shoulder. rebuff, snub, ostracize, send

(someone) to Coventry, cold-shoulder, put (someone) down,

reject, exclude, freeze (someone) out, shun, avoid, Colloq cut

(dead): After his court case, they gave Nicholas the cold

shoulder at his club. 3 put (one's or the) shoulder to the

wheel. make every effort, make an effort, strive, work hard,

pitch in, apply oneself, roll up one's sleeves, set or get to

work, Colloq knuckle down, buckle down: If we put our shoulders

to the wheel, we ought to be able to get our candidate elected.

4 rub shoulders (with). associate (with), hobnob (with),

socialize (with), consort (with), mix (with), fraternize (with),

keep company (with): Once in a while, she condescends to come

down and rub shoulders with the common people. 5 shoulder to

shoulder. side by side, united, as one, cooperatively, jointly,

arm in arm, hand in hand, in partnership: If we fight shoulder

to shoulder, we can defeat this menace and regain our freedom. 6

straight from the shoulder. directly, straightforwardly,

candidly, frankly, honestly, openly, unabashedly, unashamedly,

unambiguously, unequivocally, plainly, bluntly, man to man,

(with) no holds barred, outright, Colloq without beating about

the bush, without pulling (any) punches: I want to tell you,

straight from the shoulder, Willie, you're the best pal in the

world.

--v. 7 push, shove, jostle, hustle, thrust aside, elbow, force:

She shouldered everyone aside roughly to fight her way to the

bargain counter. 8 support, carry, bear, take upon oneself, take

on, accept, assume: Are you ready to shoulder the

responsibilities of caring for a family?

shout v. 1 yell, scream, bellow, bawl, howl, roar, cry (out), call

(out), whoop, Colloq holler: We lined up when the sergeant

shouted out our names.

--n. 2 yell, scream, bellow, howl, yelp, roar, cry, call,

whoop, Colloq holler: Nobody on shore could hear the boys'

shouts when their boat capsized.

show v. 1 display, present, expose, demonstrate, indicate, exhibit,

manifest, (lay) bare, disclose, reveal, betray, make known,

divulge, register, express, make clear or plain or manifest,

elucidate, clarify, explain: Show your identification as you

enter. Your persistent refusal to associate with Dominic shows

how you feel very clearly. They showed me how the new machine

works. 2 escort, accompany, conduct, usher, lead, guide, direct;

steer: Please show Mr Sorenson to his table. 3 prove,

demonstrate, confirm, corroborate, verify, substantiate, bear

out, certify, authenticate: This signature shows that the will

was signed personally by your father. 4 teach, instruct, tell,

inform, let (someone) in on, give (someone) an idea of: Would

you please show me how to use this washing-machine? 5 appear,

become or be visible, peek through, can or may be seen: The

floor was showing through a hole in the carpet. 6 exhibit,

reveal, indicate, display, register: A thermometer shows the

temperature, a barometer the atmospheric pressure. 7 make an

appearance, appear, show up, arrive, come: Do you really think

that the Jack Nicholson will show at the club tonight? 8

represent, symbolize, depict, portray, picture, illustrate:

This drawing shows what happens to children who bite their

fingernails. 9 present, play, put on, stage, screen; be (being)

presented or played or playing or put on or staged or screened:

They are showing The Maltese Falcon at the local cinema. What is

showing there tomorrow? 10 grant, accord, bestow: They finally

showed mercy and let the hostages go. 11 show off. make an

exhibit or a spectacle of, flaunt, advertise, display, parade;

pose, swagger, posture, boast, brag, US and Canadian grandstand:

They invited us to show off their new house. Quilty shows off

too much for my taste. 12 show up. a expose, give away, reveal:

His collection of animal trophies shows him up for what he

really is. b stand out, be conspicuous, be noticeable, contrast:

The white dress shows up nicely against your suntan. c

embarrass, (put to) shame, mortify, upstage, overshadow,

outshine, eclipse: John only runs in the marathon to show me

up.

--n. 13 display, demonstration, exhibition, exposition, fair,

presentation, Colloq expo: There will be a computer show at the

convention centre next week. 14 production, presentation,

drama, musical, entertainment: We flew to New York for a week

to see a few Broadway shows. 15 ostentation, display,

appearance, pretentiousness, pretension, affectation: Those

paintings are there just for show, not because they enjoy art.

showdown n. confrontation, climax, moment of truth, final settlement,

moment of decision, US face-off: It's come to the point where

we must have a showdown about who's boss.

shower n. 1 sprinkle, sprinkling, drizzle: Scattered showers are

predicted for this afternoon. 2 deluge, torrent, flood, stream,

barrage, overflow, abundance, profusion: Showers of confetti

rained on the parade from the offices.

--v. 3 sprinkle, rain, pour, spray, bombard, fall, descend,

drop: Debris and ash from the volcano showered down on the

village. 4 lavish, inundate, overwhelm, heap, load (down): On

return from her triumphant tour, Sylvia was showered with gifts

and praise.

showman n. producer, impresario, director: P. T. Barnum was possibly

the greatest showman in modern history.

show-off n. braggart, exhibitionist, swaggerer, egotist, boaster, Colloq

blowhard, windbag: Sit down and stop being such a show-off,

Tetsworth.

showy adj. flashy, garish, flamboyant, conspicuous, ostentatious,

pretentious, bravura, gaudy, US show-off; elaborate, fancy,

florid, ornate, fussy, intricate, baroque, rococo, Byzantine,

arabesque: Their house is very showy, with gargoyles and lions

and unicorns everywhere you look.

shred n. 1 scrap, fragment, bit, tatter, sliver, snippet, rag,

remnant, chip, piece; atom, trace, whit, grain, jot or tittle,

scintilla, trace, hint, suggestion, iota, speck: We found

shreds from his shirt caught on the thorn-bushes. There isn't a

shred of evidence to suggest that she killed him.

--v. 2 fragment, tear (up), tatter, rip (up); destroy,

demolish; throw away, dispose of, scrap, US trash: At the news

of the break-in, he dashed to his office and shredded the

incriminating evidence.

shrew n. harridan, virago, termagant, vixen, scold, fishwife, nag,

fury, spitfire, maenad, harpy, witch, hag, crone, hell-cat,

beldam, bitch, banshee, Xanthippe, Thyiad or Thyad, Colloq

battleaxe, dragon: His mother is an old shrew who does nothing

but complain all the time.

shrewd adj. clever, smart, astute, cunning, canny, acute, sharp,

keen-minded, keen, quick-witted, crafty, artful, manipulative,

calculating, calculated, foxy, sly, wily, perceptive,

percipient, perspicacious, discerning, wise, sage, sagacious,

long-headed, intelligent, ingenious, Daedalian, inventive,

resourceful: He is a shrewd politician, very good at knowing

exactly what people want to hear him say.

shriek n. 1 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall: The girls

collapsed in shrieks of laughter.

--v. 2 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall: It is

very boring to listen to one's neighbours shrieking at each

other day and night.

shrill adj. high-pitched, ear-splitting, piercing, ear-piercing,

sharp, piping, screeching, screechy, penetrating: She let out a

shrill cry when she saw what had happened.

shrink v. 1 wither, shrivel (up), contract: My woollen pullover

shrank because you washed it in hot water. 2 Often, shrink

from. withdraw (from), draw back, recoil (from), back away

(from), retreat (from), cower, cringe, flinch, shy away (from),

wince, balk (at): Once committed to a responsibility, nothing

could persuade Ella to shrink from it.

shrivel v. Often, shrivel up. shrink, wrinkle, pucker (up), curl (up),

wizen, contract; wither, wilt, dry up, desiccate, dehydrate:

The soil had dried up and all the plants had shrivelled.

shroud v. 1 screen, veil, mask, disguise, camouflage, cover, shield,

blanket, shade, hide, conceal, protect, cloak, swathe, wrap,

envelop: The tanks were shrouded from view in the forest. His

activities are shrouded in mystery.

--n. 2 winding-sheet, cerement, cerecloth, grave-clothes: They

wrapped his body in a shroud and buried him in the churchyard.

3 veil, cover, shield, cloak, blanket, mask, mantle, pall,

screen, covering, cloud: A shroud of secrecy descended over the

Morocco affair.

shrubbery n. shrubs, planting(s), hedge(s), hedging, hedgerow, thicket,

underbrush, brake, bracken, undergrowth, coppice or copse: The

fox lay low in the shrubbery till the dogs flushed him out.

shudder v. 1 quiver, shake, tremble, shiver, jerk, convulse, quaver,

quake; vibrate, rattle: I shudder to think what he might do

next. Olive slammed on the brakes and the ancient car shuddered

to a stop.

--n. 2 quiver, shake, tremble, twitch, shiver, convulsion,

paroxysm, spasm, quaver, quake; vibration, rattle: He gave a

shudder at the prospect of having to clean out the stable.

shuffle v. 1 mix (up), intermix, disarrange, rearrange, interfile,

intersperse, jumble, confuse; shift (about), mess up, turn

topsy-turvy, scatter, disorganize: I shall cut the cards after

you have shuffled them. Osbert shuffled the papers on his desk.

2 scuff or drag (one's feet), scrape along, shamble: The boy

shuffled into the headmaster's office, guilt written all over

his face. 3 equivocate, hem and haw, bumble, shift, cavil,

fence, be evasive or shifty, dodge, niggle, split hairs,

quibble, prevaricate, Brit hum and haw, Colloq waffle: The

suspect shuffled when asked the names of his accomplices.

--n. 4 shamble, shambling, scuffling, scraping: Whenever he

was lying, he did a funny little shuffle with his feet. 5

sidestep, evasion, subterfuge, trick, dodge, shift,

prevarication, quibble, shuffling: Tell me what you've done

with the money - and no shuffle!

shun v. avoid, keep or shy away from, steer clear of, eschew, shrink

from, fight shy of, run or turn (away) from, flee or escape

from; forgo, give up; disdain, spurn, rebuff, reject,

cold-shoulder, give the cold shoulder to: After her experience,

Penelope shunned the company of men for several years.

shut v. 1 close, fasten, secure, shut up; lock, bolt, seal: Come in

and shut the door. 2 shut down. close down, discontinue, cease,

suspend, halt, leave off, shut up; switch or turn or shut off,

stop: We shut down operations at the Enfield factory last week.

Make sure you shut down the machinery before leaving. 3 shut in.

a confine, seclude, keep in, pen, fence in, secure: We shut the

dog in before we went out. b See 6, (a), below. 4 shut off. a

switch or turn off, shut down, Colloq kill, douse, cut (off):

They shut off the lights while I was shaving. b separate,

isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester, bar, shut out, cut off,

send to Coventry: The more violent cases are shut off in

another wing. c close (off), shut (down): To save on heating,

we shut off part of the house in the winter. 5 shut out. a

exclude, eliminate, bar, debar, lock out, ban, keep out or away,

disallow, prohibit: Aliens without work permits are shut out

from employment. We shut out all hooligans and rowdies. b keep

out, screen, exclude, block out, cut out: This window shade

shuts out the direct sunlight. c screen, mask, hide, conceal,

veil, cover: The house is shut out from view by the hedge. 6

shut up. a confine, shut in, coop (up), cage (in), bottle up,

box in; imprison, jail, incarcerate, intern, immure: People

suspected of being subversives were shut up during the war. b

silence, keep quiet, stifle, mute, gag, shush, Chiefly Brit

quieten: As soon as Colin wants to say something, Sidonie shuts

him up. c See 1, above. d See 2, above.

--adj. 7 closed (up), sealed (up), locked (up), bolted,

fastened: There is not much hope of penetrating their shut

minds on this issue.

shuttle v. commute, alternate: He shuttles daily between London and

Paris.

shy adj. 1 diffident, coy, bashful, retiring, withdrawn,

withdrawing, reserved, timid, meek, modest, sheepish,

unconfident, self-conscious, introverted, nervous, apprehensive,

timorous, Rare verecund: Casey is quite shy and you have to

draw him out gently. 2 timorous, cautious, wary, chary, leery,

guarded, afraid, fearful, frightened, anxious, worried,

suspicious, distrustful, cowardly, craven, uncourageous: The

local people are shy of anyone or anything unfamiliar. 3

missing, lacking, deficient in, short of: The shipment is shy a

few dozen shoelaces we ordered.

--adv. 4 fight shy of. avoid, be unwilling or reluctant or

averse or loath or loth or disinclined or not disposed; be wary

or cautious or watchful: The children fight shy of talking to

strangers.

19.5 sick...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

sick adj. 1 Chiefly Brit nauseated, queasy, sick to one's stomach,

squeamish, qualmish; seasick, carsick, airsick, Colloq green

around the gills: Patrick felt a bit sick after the rough ferry

crossing. 2 ill, unwell, unhealthy, sickly, indisposed, infirm,

ailing, diseased, afflicted, Colloq under the weather, on the

sick-list, poorly, laid up, not (feeling) up to snuff: If you

feel sick, you'd best see a doctor. I've been sick for a week. 3

affected, troubled, stricken, heartsick, wretched, miserable,

burdened, weighed down: I was sick with worry to learn of the

problems you have been having with your business. 4 mad, crazy,

insane, deranged, disturbed, neurotic, unbalanced,

psychoneurotic, psychotic, Colloq mental, US off ((one's) rocker

or trolley): Anyone who could have committed such a crime must

be sick. 5 peculiar, unconventional, strange, weird, odd,

bizarre, grotesque, macabre, shocking, ghoulish, morbid,

gruesome, stomach-turning, sadistic, masochistic,

sado-masochistic, Colloq kinky, bent, far-out, US off: In 30

years as a policeman, I've seen some sick things, but this is

the end. 6 sickened, shocked, put out, upset, appalled,

disgusted, revolted, repulsed, offended, repelled, nauseated;

annoyed, chagrined, irritated: She was sick at what she saw in

the army field hospital. The way you do things sometimes makes

me sick. 7 Sometimes, sick of. (sick and) tired, bored, weary,

Colloq fed up with: Don't you get sick of telling them the same

thing so many times?

sicken v. 1 fall ill, take sick, contract, be stricken by, come down

with or catch something or a bug, fail, weaken: After he seemed

to be recovering so well, he suddenly sickened and died. 2 make

ill or sick, afflict, affect, disgust, nauseate, turn one's

stomach, upset, appal, shock, repel, revolt, repulse, offend,

make one's gorge rise; put out: The scene in the abattoir

sickened me.

sickly adj. 1 See sick, 2, above. 2 ailing, feeble, delicate, wan,

weak, pallid, pale, drawn, peaked, peaky, peakish: Jennie looks

sickly and must build up her resistance. 3 mushy, mawkish,

maudlin, cloying, insipid, weak, watery: The sickly

sentimentality of the episode about the boy and his lost puppy

was unbearable.

side n. 1 Sometimes, sides. flank(s), edge(s), verge, margin(s),

rim, brim, brink, border(s); bank; boundary or boundaries,

perimeter, periphery, limit(s): This side of the road is in

West Sussex, the other in East Sussex. The sides of the

swimming-pool are tiled. 2 surface, face, plane; facet: The

smallest possible number of sides of a pyramid is four. 3

faction, interest, party, part, sect, camp, (point of) view,

viewpoint, aspect, opinion, standpoint, stand, cause, angle,

position, attitude, school, philosophy: Which side do you

support in the controversy? 4 team; string, squad; American

football and Association Football or Soccer and Cricket eleven,

Australian Rules football eighteen, Baseball nine, Basketball

five, Gaelic football and Rugby Union fifteen, Rugby League

thirteen: Whichever side Craig is on seems likely to win. The

local side is now coming out onto the field. 5 affectation,

pretension, haughtiness, arrogance, insolence, pretentiousness,

airs: Chauncy puts on a bit too much side for my taste. 6 side

by side. together, jointly, cheek by jowl: These paintings

should not have been hung side by side. 7 take sides. show

preference, be partial, show favouritism: A judge must avoid

taking sides.

--adj. 8 secondary, incidental, subordinate, tangential,

subsidiary, indirect, ancillary, marginal, lesser, minor,

unimportant, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant:

The main point is that he refuses to cooperate, and his reasons

are entirely a side issue. 9 auxiliary, secondary: We live in a

quiet side-road just off the High Street.

--v. 10 side with. take sides with, show preference for, be

partial to, show favouritism to or for, support, favour, prefer,

go in or along with, join ((up) with), ally with, be or become

allied with, Colloq US throw in with, team up with: You can be

sure that Kenneth will always side with the favourite candidate.

sidelong adj. oblique, indirect, sideways, covert, surreptitious: He

marched straight ahead, without so much as a sidelong glance in

her direction.

sidestep v. avoid, dodge, circumvent, skirt, evade, shun, steer clear

of, Colloq duck: The minister neatly sidestepped all questions

about her retirement.

sidetrack v. divert, deflect, draw off or away, distract, turn aside;

shunt: Where was I? I got sidetracked by your comment about

being overweight.

sidewalk n. walk, Chiefly Brit pavement, footpath, footway: You may

play on the sidewalk, but don't you dare step into the street.

sideways adv. obliquely, laterally, edgeways, edge on, sidelong,

crabwise, indirectly, US and Canadian edgewise: The dresser

will go through the door if you turn it sideways.

sidle v. edge: She sidled towards the door, opened it, and was gone.

siege n. 1 blockade, encirclement, beleaguerment, besiegement: The

siege of Troy lasted ten years.

--v. 2 lay siege to, besiege, blockade, beleaguer, cordon off,

encircle, box or pen or shut in, bottle up: They sieged the

city and the inhabitants surrendered when they ran out of food

and water.

sift v. 1 strain, sieve, riddle, filter, screen, bolt; winnow,

separate, weed out, sort out, select, choose, pick: It is not

easy to sift out the promising manuscripts. 2 examine, analyse,

study, probe, screen, scrutinize, investigate: The police are

sifting the evidence of the witnesses.

sigh v. 1 breathe, sough; suspire: Troilus sighed forth his soul to

the tent where sleeping Cressid lay. 2 sigh for. bemoan, lament

or mourn or grieve or weep for, bewail; yearn or pine for: Now

and then, all of us sigh for the good old days.

--n. 3 murmur, exhalation, sound; suspiration: I gave a sigh

of relief as the train left the station.

sight n. 1 eyesight, vision, eyes: His sight was completely restored

by the operation. 2 field of view or of vision, range of

vision, ken, perception, view, eyeshot, gaze: We turned a

corner, and at last the welcoming lights of the pub came into

sight. 3 spectacle, scene, show; rarity, marvel, wonder,

phenomenon; pageant: I shall never forget the sight of Biffy

Harbottle, stark naked, standing on that table in the officers'

club. We went to Rome to see the sights. 4 mess, disaster,

eyesore, monstrosity, Colloq fright, atrocity: The flat looked

a sight after the boys finally moved out. 5 catch sight of.

spot, notice, descry, spy, espy, glance at, (catch a) glimpse

(of), (get a) look or peep or peek at, Colloq take a gander at,

get a look-see at, Slang get a load of, US glom, pipe: We

caught sight of a sinister-looking person slipping behind a

pillar. 6 out of sight. a remote, distant, far-away, unseeable,

imperceptible, invisible: She soon walked out of sight down the

road. The mortar emplacement is out of sight, over the hill. b

unusual, rare, extraordinary, outrageous, imaginative,

awe-inspiring, incredible, shocking, unreal, moving, jolting,

Colloq neat, cool, Brit brilliant, brill: The gig last night

was out of sight, man.

--v. 7 look, view, (take) aim, peer, peek, peep, draw a bead:

Sight along this stick and you'll see a cluster of stars called

the Pleiades. 8 spot, see, catch sight of, mark, observe,

behold, view, distinguish, discern, identify, note, notice,

remark, glimpse, descry, espy, spy: A group of bird-watchers

have sighted a golden eagle recently in the Grampians.

sightseer n. tourist, traveller, globe-trotter, Colloq rubberneck(er),

Brit tripper, day-tripper: As usual, the streets of Oxford were

crowded with sightseers and tourists.

sign n. 1 token, symbol, indication, mark, signal, indicator;

notice: I interpreted the shouts of the crowd as a sign that I

had won the race. 2 movement, gesture, motion, signal, cue,

gesticulation: She made a sign motioning me to come over. 3

trace, indication, evidence, mark, clue, hint, suggestion,

vestige: She waited for an hour but there was no sign of him.

4 device, mark, symbol, representation, emblem, trade mark,

badge, brand, stamp, seal, ideogram, ideograph, lexigram,

phonogram, grapheme, hieroglyph, cartouche, rebus, logo(type),

colophon, ensign, standard, banner, flag; monogram, initials,

cipher or cypher: Sir Roger fought under the sign of a rampant

lion. 5 signboard, advertisement, placard, poster, US

broadside; shingle, notice, announcement: You can't miss the

huge supermarket sign at the corner. 6 omen, augury, warning,

forewarning, foreboding, portent, indication, writing on the

wall, prophecy, prognostication, foreshadowing: We took the

rumbling as a sign of an imminent earthquake.

--v. 7 autograph, put one's signature on or to, inscribe,

countersign, endorse, witness, put or set one's hand to, mark;

sign on the dotted line; Colloq US put one's John Hancock on or

to: I have already signed the petition, have you? The painting

is valueless unless signed by the artist. 8 sign away. forgo,

relinquish, give up, abandon, abandon or quit claim to, waive,

release, surrender, dispose of, sacrifice, get rid of: With one

stroke of the pen, he signed away most of his fortune. 9 sign

off. close down, discontinue (broadcasting, writing a letter,

etc.): It is midnight, time for us to sign off till tomorrow.

10 sign on or up. a enrol, enlist, sign up (for), register,

volunteer, join (up), contract: I signed on to be a bodyguard,

not a nursemaid. b enrol, enlist, hire, employ, put under

contract, retain, engage, take on, Colloq take on board, bring

aboard: We signed up three new engineers this week. 11 sign

over. assign, consign, transfer, make over, deliver, give,

donate, present, dispose of, turn over: Aunt June was persuaded

to sign over the ownership of the business to her nephews.

signal n. 1 See sign, 1, above. 2 incitement, stimulus, spur,

impetus, goad, prick: The waving of the flag will be the signal

to advance.

--adj. 3 remarkable, conspicuous, striking, extraordinary,

unusual, unique, singular, special, noteworthy, notable,

exceptional, significant, important, outstanding, momentous,

consequential, weighty: The British forces won a signal victory

at Khartoum that day. Winning the competition is a signal

accomplishment.

--v. 4 motion, indicate, gesture, gesticulate, communicate,

announce, notify; whistle, wink, blink, nod, beckon, wave, sign:

When your turn comes, a clerk will signal you to approach the

counter. Peter raised his hand as a request to leave the room

and the teacher signalled his assent.

significance

n. 1 meaning, sense, signification, denotation, message, idea,

point, import, purport, implication, portent, content, pith,

essence; gist, drift, vein, impression, connotation: The

significance of words like God and love is different for almost

everyone who uses them. 2 importance, weight, weightiness,

consequence, moment, relevance, value: The significance of the

agreement lay not in its wording but in the fact that it was

drawn up at all.

significant

adj. 1 important, weighty, momentous, consequential, critical,

substantial, substantive, noteworthy, notable, valuable, valued,

meritorious, outstanding, impressive, historic, relevant,

signal: Appleton made significant contributions to knowledge

about the ionosphere. 2 meaningful, eloquent, pithy, expressive,

pregnant, suggestive, informative: It is significant that they

prefer the term Britain to England, Scotland, and Wales .

signify v. 1 sign, signal, indicate, communicate, make known, convey,

symbolize, betoken, represent, express, announce, declare,

denote, say, mean, specify; connote, intimate, suggest, reveal,

disclose, impart: She signified her agreement by a nod. What

does the phrase 'pursuit of happiness' signify to you? 2 matter,

count, be significant or important or consequential, be of

significance or of importance or of consequence, carry weight,

impress, stand out, deserve or merit consideration: It

signifies little that they were found innocent of a crime we all

believe they committed.

silence n. 1 quiet, quietness, stillness, soundlessness, noiselessness,

calm, calmness, hush, quietude, tranquillity, peace,

peacefulness, serenity: The silence was so complete that I

could hear my heart beating. 2 speechlessness, muteness,

dumbness, reticence, taciturnity, uncommunicativeness: Do not

construe his silence as agreement.

--v. 3 quiet, mute, hush, still, shush, calm, tranquillize,

soothe, Chiefly Brit quieten: The audience was silenced by the

start of the overture. 4 mitigate, temper, mollify, take the

sting out of, propitiate, pacify, blunt, suppress, repress,

restrain, subdue, draw the fangs or teeth of, inhibit, put down,

damp, mute, squelch, quash, emasculate, muzzle, muffle, shut

off, gag, stifle, smother, deaden (the effect of): Only a full

account of what lay behind these events will silence criticism

in the media.

silent adj. 1 quiet, still, soundless, noiseless, tranquil, hushed,

shushed, mute; calm, serene, placid, peaceful, pacific,

unagitated, unruffled, untroubled, undisturbed, Literary stilly:

After the children left the house fell silent. Not a mouse

stirred in the silent city. 2 uncommunicative, mute,

close-mouthed, taciturn, reticent, reserved, mum, tight-lipped,

secretive: Millie told me a great deal about her children but

was silent on the subject of her own activities. 3 unspeaking,

unspoken, mute, unexpressed, tacit, understood, implicit,

implied, unstated, unsaid: There is a silent agreement among

the islanders not to reveal where the whisky is hidden. 4

inactive, non-participating, passive, quiescent, Brit sleeping:

Although John runs the company, he has several silent partners.

5 unpronounced, unuttered, not sounded, Technical aphonic: The

g in sign is silent, like the k in know and the l in could .

silently adv. quietly, soundlessly, noiselessly, with catlike tread, as

quietly as a mouse, stealthily; wordlessly, speechlessly,

mutely: They fold their tents like the Arabs, And silently

steal away. He stood by silently, allowing his brother to do

all the talking.

silhouette

n. outline, profile, contour, form, figure, shape, shadow,

configuration, periphery, perimeter: I could see the silhouette

of a person on the window-blind.

silky adj. silken, silklike, delicate, sleek, soft, smooth, satiny,

shiny, glossy, lustrous, Technical sericeous: Her long, silky

black hair hung below her shoulders.

silly adj. 1 senseless, nonsensical, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,

laughable, risible, asinine, inane, preposterous, idiotic,

childish, puerile, foolish, foolhardy, irresponsible,

unreasonable, illogical, irrational, pointless, fatuous, stupid,

unwise, imbecilic, crazy, mad, insane: It would be silly to pay

for it if you can get it for nothing. 2 stunned, stupefied,

daze, giddy, dizzy, muzzy, benumbed: Culley said something rude

and the girl knocked him silly with a karate chop.

--n. 3 fool, nincompoop, idiot, dunce, ninny, halfwit,

simpleton, numskull or numbskull, dim-wit, booby, dolt, jackass,

twit, dolt, blockhead, bonehead, nitwit, ignoramus, clod, US

thimble-wit, Colloq dope, dummy, knuckle-head, goose, drip,

silly billy, Brit clot, Slang US and Canadian jerk, nerd:

Warren is such a silly to spend so much money on a girl who

cares nothing for him.

silt n. 1 deposit, sediment, alluvium, ooze, sludge: The irrigation

pumps get clogged up with silt.

--v. 2 Usually, silt up or over. become clogged or choked or

obstructed or dammed or congested: The channel silts up and has

to be dredged yearly so that the boats can pass through.

silver n. 1 silverware, sterling, (silver) plate; cutlery, US

flatware; hollowware: Guests are coming so I'll have to polish

the silver. 2 white, greyish, whitish-grey, greyish-white,

grey: When your hair has turned to silver, I will love you just

the same.

--adj. 3 silvery, shiny, shining, polished, burnished,

lustrous, pearly, nacreous, bright, gleaming, Literary or

heraldry argent; white: The moon's silver crescent hung low in

the sky. Her hair is more silver than grey. 4 silvery,

silver-toned, silver-tongued, sweet, pretty, euphonious,

melodious, mellifluous, mellifluent, dulcet, musical: The

silver tones of the muezzin echoed in the streets, calling the

faithful to prayer.

similar adj. 1 like, almost identical, comparable, equivalent, nearly

the same; alike: That brooch is similar to the one I bought for

my mother. The two may be similar, but they are not the same. 2

be similar to. resemble, be like, correspond to, compare

favourably with: This letter is very similar to the one I

received yesterday.

simmer v. 1 seethe, stew, cook, boil, bubble: A huge cauldron of soup

simmered on the fire. 2 chafe, seethe, stew, steam, smoulder,

fume, rage, burn, Colloq US do a slow burn: Father is still

simmering because you scratched his car. 3 simmer down. calm or

cool down, cool off, calm oneself, become quiet, control

oneself, get control of or over oneself, Chiefly Brit quieten

down, Slang cool it: Yesterday he was in a towering rage, but

he has simmered down a bit today.

simple adj. 1 uncomplicated, plain, uninvolved, unsophisticated,

understandable, intelligible, (easily) understood,

comprehensible, clear, lucid, straightforward, easy, elementary,

basic: At the age of four, Jan was able to do simple

mathematical calculations. 2 plain, unadorned, undecorated,

unembellished, basic, fundamental, elementary, elemental, mere,

unostentatious, unassuming, unpretentious, modest, classic,

uncluttered, stark, clean, severe, austere, Spartan, homely;

unvarnished, naked, honest: Thea was stunning in a simple black

dress with a colourful scarf and gold jewellery. The simple

truth is that he came home from work to find the house broken

into and his wife gone. 3 sincere, frank, candid, open,

unaffected, uncomplicated, unpretentious, straightforward,

above-board, simple-hearted, uncontrived, direct, upright,

square, forthright, four-square, righteous, honest, na‹ve,

guileless, artless, undesigning, childlike, ingenuous,

unsophisticated, innocent, green: The colonel was a simple man

who was respected because he always said just what he meant. A

simple heart may be its own best guide. 4 unsophisticated,

na‹ve, slow, slow-witted, stupid, thick, thickheaded,

simple-minded, feeble-minded, oafish, bovine, dense, obtuse,

dull, dull-witted, witless, halfwitted, brainless, backward,

imbecilic or chiefly Brit imbecile, cretinous, Colloq dumb,

moronic: That chap Dawson is far too simple to understand what

you are asking him. 5 lowly, humble, inferior, mean, base,

subservient, common, subordinate: The lord of the manor

regarded his tenants as simple folk, a breed apart from himself

and his family.

simplicity

n. 1 uncomplicatedness; understandability, comprehensibility,

lucidity, straightforwardness, clarity, intelligibility,

decipherability: Consider the simplicity of some life forms in

contrast to the complexity of others. The simplicity of the

Bible can be deceptive. 2 plainness, cleanness, clarity,

severity, starkness, austereness, asceticism, restraint,

bareness, purity: She prefers the simplicity of classical or

very modern design to baroque and rococo clutter. 3 sincerity,

openness, artlessness, candour, guilelessness, frankness,

unsophisticatedness, ingenuousness, straightforwardness,

forthrightness, unaffectedness, unpretentiousness, modesty,

na‹vety; plainness, directness, inelegance, rusticity,

pastoralism: Many have been charmed by the simplicity of the

local folk art. 4 stupidity, slow-wittedness, thickheadedness,

simple-mindedness, feeble-mindedness, oafishness, cloddishness,

obtuseness, dullness, dull-wittedness, witlessness,

halfwittedness, imbecility, brainlessness: The simplicity of

some of those yokels is incredible.

simplify v. clarify, clear up, make easy, paraphrase, explain,

explicate, disentangle, untangle, unravel, streamline: Simplify

your request and we shall be able to do what you ask.

simply adv. 1 merely, barely, purely, only, solely, just, entirely,

fully, totally, wholly, altogether, absolutely, really: Is it

true that they met regularly simply to discuss politics? 2

totally, completely, altogether, entirely, just, plainly,

obviously, really, unreservedly, unqualifiedly: If you believe

that, you're simply too stupid for words! 3 na‹vely, artlessly,

guilelessly, openly, innocently, ingenuously, unaffectedly,

unpretentiously, plainly, naturally: He asked her very simply

what she did as a 'working girl'. 4 plainly, modestly, starkly,

severely, sparely, sparsely, austerely, ascetically: His home

is simply furnished, without paintings or any other decoration.

5 distinctly, unambiguously, plainly, obviously, unmistakably or

unmistakeably: The instructions must be written simply so that

they are understandable to anyone.

simultaneous

adj. coincident, coinciding, concurrent, contemporaneous,

synchronous; contemporary: The simultaneous appearance of two

books on such an obscure subject was very unusual.

sin n. 1 trespass, transgression, offence, wrong, impiety, misdeed,

profanation, desecration, iniquity, evil, devilry, sacrilege,

crime, infraction, misdeed, dereliction, infringement,

violation, misdemeanour, fault, foible, peccadillo: How many

sins have been committed in the name of righteousness! It's a

sin to tell a lie. The seven deadly sins are anger,

covetousness, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, and sloth. 2

wickedness, sinfulness, vice, corruption, ungodliness, badness,

evil, wrongfulness, iniquity, iniquitousness, immorality,

depravity, impiety, irreverence, impiousness, sacrilege: His

brother Edmund was conceived in sin, and sin ruled his entire

life.

--v. 3 transgress, offend, fall (from grace), lapse, go wrong,

stray, go astray, err, Biblical or archaic trespass: Strictly

speaking, we can sin only against God.

sincere adj. honest, truthful, true, veracious, genuine, heartfelt,

true-hearted, undissembling, unfeigned, open, (open and)

above-board, straightforward, direct, frank, candid, guileless,

artless, Colloq upfront, on the level, on the up and up: I took

her criticism as a sincere desire to see improvement in my work.

You have always been sincere in your emotional involvements.

sincerely adv. truly, honestly, really, wholeheartedly, candidly,

frankly, unequivocally, seriously, earnestly, genuinely, deeply,

fervently: When they say they love each other, they mean it

sincerely.

sincerity n. honesty, truthfulness, straightforwardness, openness,

forthrightness, frankness, candour, candidness, seriousness,

genuineness, uprightness: Everyone appreciates sincerity in

dealings with others.

sinew n. 1 ligament, tendon; muscle, thew: After the climb, I ached

in every sinew. 2 Usually, sinews. strength, force, power,

energy, brawn, vigour, might, stamina, vitality: The sinews of

his argument were considerably weakened by her disarming

candour.

sinewy adj. strong, powerful, muscular, mighty, stout, wiry, robust,

tough; strapping, brawny, burly: She looked so tiny and fragile

cradled in his huge sinewy arms.

sinful adj. corrupt, evil, wicked, bad, wrong, wrongful, iniquitous,

vile, base, profane, immoral, profligate, depraved, criminal,

sacrilegious, ungodly, unholy, demonic, irreligious, impious,

irreverent: Anything that you like as much as you like

chocolate must be sinful. They would never condone such sinful

behaviour in our church.

sing v. 1 chant, intone, carol, vocalize, trill, croon, pipe, chirp,

warble; chorus; yodel: It was a wonderful spring day and

Barbara felt like singing. Can you sing On the Road to Mandalay

? 2 whistle, pipe, peep: I have just bought a singing kettle.

3 tell, tattle, name names, Slang rat, snitch, squeal, blow the

whistle, peach, spill the beans: They found out that Johnny had

been singing to the cops about the bank job.

singe v. char, blacken, sear, scorch, burn: Unfortunately, I singed

the tail of my shirt while ironing it.

singer n. vocalist, soloist, songster, crooner, chanteuse,

nightingale, minstrel, troubadour, balladeer, caroller,

chorister, choirboy, choir girl, choir member, chorus-boy,

chorus girl, chorus-member, Colloq songbird, canary, thrush:

She used to be a professional singer.

single adj. 1 unmarried, unwed, unattached, free; celibate: She

remained single till she was twenty-two. 2 singular,

individual, distinct, solitary; one, only, sole, lone, unique,

isolated: There wasn't a single person there who could think

for himself. A single shot rang out. 3 separate, distinct,

individual, solitary: Every single hair is rooted in its

follicle.

--v. 4 single out. select, choose, pick, separate, take or put

or set aside or apart, distinguish, cull, segregate, fix or

fasten on: Why was she singled out for special treatment?

single-handed

adj. 1 solo, lone, solitary, independent, unaided, unassisted:

Chichester was the first winner of the single-handed

transatlantic sailing race.

--adv. 2 single-handedly, by oneself, alone, solo, on one's

own, independently: He sailed round the world single-handed.

single-minded

adj. dedicated, devoted, resolute, steadfast, persevering,

firm, determined, dogged, unswerving, unwavering, tireless,

purposeful: Single-minded perseverance saw him through the

completion of the work in eight years.

singly adv. one at a time, separately, individually, one by one,

successively, one after the other, seriatim: Taken singly, the

facts are not hard to assimilate.

singular adj. 1 unusual, different, atypical, eccentric, extraordinary,

remarkable, special, uncommon, strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre,

outlandish, curious, queer, outr‚, offbeat, Slang far-out:

Ideas that yesterday were considered singular have today become

quite commonplace. 2 outstanding, prominent, eminent,

pre-eminent, noteworthy, significant, important, conspicuous,

particular, notable, signal, exceptional, superior: Stempel

made a singular contribution to the development of microscopy.

3 lone, isolated, single, separate, uncommon, rare, unique,

distinct, one of a kind: Some medieval philosophers denied the

existence of general realities, and claimed that all things that

exist were particular and singular.

singularity

n. 1 individuality, distinctiveness, uniqueness, idiosyncrasy:

Personality demonstrates its singularity even in handwriting. 2

eccentricity, peculiarity, strangeness, oddness, queerness,

outlandishness, uncommonness: The singularity of the marriage

ceremony among these tribes was often remarked on by

anthropologists. 3 Technical black hole: The ultimate collapse

of the star results, theoretically, in a singularity.

sinister adj. 1 fateful, inauspicious, unfavourable, foreboding,

threatening, menacing, minacious, minatory or minatorial,

portentous, ominous, unpropitious, disastrous, dark, gloomy:

There was a sinister meaning in the look he gave her. 2 evil,

bad, corrupt, base, malevolent, malignant, malign, harmful,

pernicious, treacherous, nefarious, wicked, diabolic(al),

baleful, villainous, insidious, sneaky, furtive, underhand(ed):

The poor girl fell under the sinister influence of a real-life

Svengali.

sink v. 1 founder, submerge, go down, go under, plunge, descend, be

engulfed: The ship was struck below the water-line and sank in

minutes. 2 subside, cave in, collapse, subside, settle, drop,

fall in, go down, slip away: The earth suddenly sank beneath

our feet. 3 descend, go down, drop, fall, move down or

downward(s), go down to or on: The parachute slowly sank to the

ground. When he saw the statue move, he sank to his knees,

terrified. 4 decline, weaken, worsen, degenerate, subside,

deteriorate, flag, fail, diminish, die, expire; languish; Colloq

go downhill: Grandfather, sinking fast, summoned the family to

his bedside. 5 disappear, vanish, fade away, evaporate; set, go

down, descend, drop: After a meteoric rise, many rock stars

sink into oblivion. As the sun sank slowly in the west, we

returned to our hotel to reminisce about our day at the

pyramids. 6 settle, precipitate, descend, drop: After a few

minutes, the sand sinks to the bottom. 7 bore, put down, drill,

dig, excavate, drive: A special shaft will be sunk just for

ventilating the mine. 8 submerge, immerse, plunge: He sank his

hand deep into the mud and came up with a small box. 9 stoop,

bend, get, go, lower or humble oneself: I never dreamt that he

would sink so low as to beg in the streets. 10 invest, venture,

risk, put: He sank his life's savings into his son's business,

only to see it go bankrupt. 11 sink in. be understood,

penetrate, register, make an impression on, get through to: How

many times do I have to tell you in order for it to sink in?

--n. 12 basin, wash-basin, wash-bowl, lavabo; Church font,

stoup, piscina: The kitchen has a large double sink. 13

cesspool, cesspit, pit, hell-hole, den of iniquity, sink-hole,

Colloq dive: We found him playing piano in some sink frequented

by the worst element of society.

sinking adj. 1 queasy, nervous, uneasy, tense, apprehensive, unquiet,

fretful, shaky, jittery, jumpy, anxious: Just thinking about

the way they treat hostages gave me a sinking feeling in the pit

of my stomach. 2 depressed, dejected, miserable, dolorous,

doleful, mournful, forlorn, woeful, desolate, despairing,

stricken, heavy-laden: I had a sudden sinking feeling when she

announced that she had something important to tell me.

sinner n. transgressor, wrongdoer, miscreant, offender, evil-doer,

malefactor, reprobate, Biblical or archaic trespasser: Few

people nowadays believe that sinners are punished in hell for

all eternity.

sip v. 1 taste, sample, sup: She was sitting on a bar stool,

sipping a cocktail.

--n. 2 taste, sample, soup‡on, drop, bit, swallow, mouthful,

spoonful, thimbleful, nip, dram, Colloq swig: She took a sip,

savoured it, then turned to me with a smile.

siren n. 1 whistle, warble, wailer, horn, foghorn; signal, alarm,

warning, alert, tocsin: The air raid siren sounded and everyone

ran for shelter. 2 temptress, seductress, enchantress, charmer,

sorceress, femme fatale, Circe, Lorelei, Colloq vamp, US

mantrap: Have you seen the latest siren to whom John has fallen

prey?

sissy n. milksop, mama's boy, mummy's boy, namby-pamby, weakling,

baby, cry-baby, mollycoddle, US milquetoast, Colloq softie or

softy, Brit wet: The boy you remember from school as a sissy is

now a football star.

sit v. 1 be seated, settle, sit down, take a seat, rest, Colloq

take the weight or a load off one's feet: Come in and sit with

me for a while. If you sit on that chair it will break. 2 hold a

session, be in session, assemble, meet, convene; gather, get

together: The Supreme Court of the United States will be

sitting next week. 3 Often, sit on. have or hold or occupy a

seat (on), participate (in), be a member (of): Kathy sits on

the board of directors. 4 remain, stay, lie, rest; relax, mark

time, abide, dwell: Let the dough sit a while to rise. Anita

sat in Vienna awaiting her instructions. 5 seat, contain, hold,

accommodate, have seats or seating for, have room or space or

capacity for seating: The auditorium sits only 600. 6 sit in.

a Often, sit in on. play, join (in), participate (in), take part

(in); observe, watch: Mind if I sit in on your poker game? We

invited Mary Lou to sit in during our discussion. b substitute,

fill in, stand in, double, Colloq cover, sub, US pinch-hit:

Mary Lou often sat in for our pianist if he had another gig. 7

sit out. wait out, outwait, outstay, outlast, outlive, last

through, live through: Will sat out endless dances. He sat out

the whole evening merely waiting to walk home with Lily. 8 sit

tight. wait, hang back, hold back, be patient, bide (one's)

time, play a waiting game, take no action, delay, temporize,

Colloq hold (one's) horses: Just sit tight till you hear from

them - don't jump the gun. 9 sit up. awaken, pay attention,

notice, become alert or interested or concerned: Jennie's

performance in the hurdles made many track coaches sit up. 10

sit (with). Often, sit well or right (with). agree with, be

agreeable to; seem, appear, look: The way Ashton handled the

matter did not sit well with the directors.

site n. 1 location, place, plot, plat, spot, locale, area, milieu,

neighbourhood, locality, purlieus, placement, position;

situation, orientation: A site near that of ancient Pergamum

has been acquired for the building. The site alongside the river

has much to recommend it.

--v. 2 locate, position, place, put, situate, install or

instal: The building has been sited to take maximum advantage

of the sun.

situate v. place in a position or situation or location, place,

position, locate, set, spot, put, install or instal: Harwood is

very well situated to learn what the high command is planning.

The greenhouse should be situated on the south side of the

house.

situation n. 1 place, position, location, spot, site, locale, setting:

The situation of the monastery, high on the mountain, makes it

almost inaccessible. 2 state (of affairs), condition,

circumstances, case, status (quo), lay of the land, picture;

plight, predicament; Colloq ball game; kettle of fish: The

present situation calls for careful planning. The chancellor's

policies have done little to improve the economic situation. 3

position, place, job, employment, post, Colloq berth: Jenkins

likes his new situation as Lord Fortescue's valet.

size n. 1 magnitude, largeness, bigness, bulk, extent, scope, range,

dimensions, proportions, measurement(s), expanse, area, square

footage, volume, mass, weight; hugeness, immensity, greatness,

vastness, enormousness: How do astronomers determine the

distance and size of stellar objects? A shape of extraordinary

size suddenly loomed up in the darkness.

--v. 2 dimension, measure: The furnishings are sized in

proportion to these miniature room displays. 3 size up. assess,

judge, evaluate, measure, take the measure of, appraise, assay,

make an estimate of, estimate, value, gauge, rate: She looked

him up and down, sizing him up as a prospective husband.

19.6 sketchily...

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sketchily adv. cursorily, superficially, incompletely, patchily, roughly,

perfunctorily, skimpily, vaguely, imperfectly, crudely, hastily,

hurriedly: His account of the event was sketchily written.

sketchy adj. cursory, superficial, incomplete, patchy, rough,

perfunctory, skimpy, imperfect, crude, hasty, hurried, vague,

ill-defined, fuzzy, indistinct, inexact, imprecise, unrefined,

unpolished, rough-hewn, unfinished: We received only sketchy

reports of what was going on in the capital. This will do as a

sketchy outline, but eventually the details will need to be

filled in.

skilful adj. skilled, accomplished, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert,

proficient, masterly, masterful, gifted, apt, able, clever,

talented, capable, professional, trained, qualified,

experienced, practised: Julio is a skilful enough driver to

race tomorrow. I have to admire the skilful way he handles

people.

skill n. 1 talent, ability, aptitude, expertness, expertise,

facility, skilfulness, art, artistry, cleverness, adeptness,

adroitness, mastery, dexterity, handiness, ingenuity,

experience, proficiency, finesse, knack, quickness, deftness,

technique: It requires great skill to operate this machine. 2

accomplishment, forte, strength, gift, capability, know-how,

faculty: Her skill is in teaching others how to be skilful

sales people.

skim v. 1 Often, skim off. separate, cream, scoop or ladle off, take

off, remove: After the water has come to a boil, skim off the

scum that has collected on top. 2 Often, skim through or over.

scan, flip or thumb or leaf through, skip through, glance at or

through, dip into: I only had time to skim through your report,

but at a glance it looks good. 3 soar, glide, skate, slide,

sail, fly: Along came Calabro on his sailboard, skimming along

the tops of the waves.

skin n. 1 epidermis, derma, integument, hide, pelt, fleece, fell:

Her skin reddens in the sun. How many skins are needed to make a

coat? 2 coat, film, coating, crust, incrustation, husk, peel,

rind, outside, shell, pellicle, veneer, outer layer, lamina,

overlay: The frame is first covered with a tough plastic skin

to make it waterproof.

--v. 3 flay, strip, decorticate, excoriate: I shall skin that

boy alive if I catch him! 4 peel, hull, husk, shell: This

machine skins the fruit automatically. 5 abrade, scrape, graze,

bark: She skinned her knee on the edge of the coffee table.

skin-deep adj. superficial, shallow, surface, slight, external,

unimportant, trivial, unprofound, insubstantial: The impression

he makes on people is only skin-deep.

skinny adj. thin, underweight, gaunt, bony, scraggy, lank, lanky,

gangly, gangling, raw-boned, meagre, spare, emaciated,

half-starved, undernourished, spare, pinched, hollow-cheeked,

wasted, shrunken: Two skinny children were clinging to their

mother's skirts.

skip v. 1 leap, cavort, caper, gambol, frisk, prance, jump, hop,

romp, bound, dance: Eleanor came skipping down the walk to the

house. 2 omit, leave out, pass by, overlook, pass over, avoid,

ignore, disregard, steer clear of, cut: In my haste, I skipped

over your name. Please skip the reading of the roll today.

--n. 3 leap, cavort, caper, gambol, frisk, prance, jump, bound,

dance, hop, romp: He had a curious way of walking, giving a

little skip before each step. 4 lacuna, gap, omission,

avoidance, disregard; miss, Colloq go-by: There was a skip of

32 pages after page 64. If you take my advice, you will give

that restaurant a skip.

skipper n. captain, master, commander; boss, leader, chief: The

skipper gave orders to put him in irons.

skirmish n. 1 fight, encounter, fray, brush, clash, engagement,

confrontation, showdown, combat, battle, conflict, struggle,

set-to, contest, scrimmage, fracas, tussle, mˆl‚e or melee, Law

affray, Colloq scrap, dust-up, Brit scrum: There was a brief

skirmish when the troops met a band of partisans.

--v. 2 fight, clash, struggle, battle, tussle, clash: At the

edge of the convoy a destroyer skirmished with a submarine.

sky n. 1 heaven(s), skies, arch or vault of heaven, firmament,

(wild) blue (yonder), ether, Archaic or literary welkin,

empyrean, azure: The dour, overcast sky gave the bleak moor a

chilling sense of foreboding. 2 to the skies. overly,

excessively, extravagantly, fulsomely, profusely, inordinately,

highly: If I praise him to the skies people will get the idea

that I benefit from his success.

19.7 slab...

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slab n. slice, wedge, piece, hunk, chunk, tranche, Colloq Brit

wodge: The keeper threw a large slab of meat into the lion's

cage.

slack adj. 1 remiss, careless, indolent, negligent, lax, lazy, idle,

neglectful, delinquent, inattentive, otiose, dilatory,

cunctatory, laggard, easygoing, slothful, sluggish, lethargic,

shiftless, do-nothing, fain‚ant, Colloq asleep at the switch or

the wheel, asleep on the job: Production has fallen off because

the workers are getting slack. 2 loose, flabby, flaccid, soft,

limp, baggy, drooping, droopy, bagging, sagging, floppy: The

flag hung down, slack in the still air.

--v. 3 Often, slack or slacken off or up. a let go, let run,

let loose, release, slacken, loose, loosen, relax, ease (out or

off), let up (on): Slack off the stern line a bit. b slow

(down or up), delay, reduce speed, tire, decline, decrease,

diminish, moderate, abate, weaken: Barnes could not keep up his

terrific pace and is beginning to slack off. Business has

slackened off since Christmas. 4 neglect, shirk, Colloq Brit

skive (off), US goof off, Chiefly military gold-brick, Taboo

slang US fuck the dog: Don't let the foreman find you slacking.

--n. 5 lull, pause, inactivity, cut-back, lessening, reduction,

abatement, drop-off, downturn, diminution, decline, fall-off,

decrease, dwindling: How do you compensate for the slack in

sales of ski equipment during the summer? 6 room, looseness,

slackness, play, give: There's too much slack in that mooring

line.

slacker n. shirker, loafer, idler, Slang Brit skiver, Military

scrimshanker, US gold brick, goof-off: We have tight deadlines

to meet, so there is no room for slackers on the team.

slake v. satisfy, quench, gratify, allay, assuage, ease, relieve:

Nothing would slake my thirst better right now than a pint of

ice-cold lager.

slam v. 1 shut, fling closed, bang: Gillian said that she hated

encyclopedias, and slammed the door in the salesman's face. 2

crash, smash, smack, dash, ram, bang, slap: Not looking where

he was going, Newland slammed his car into a street lamp. 3

criticize, attack, vilify, pillory, run down, disparage,

denigrate, denounce, put down, flay, pounce on or upon, Colloq

shoot down, pan, Chiefly Brit slate: The critics slammed his

play because of the way it portrayed women.

slander n. 1 defamation (of character), calumny, obloquy,

misrepresentation, slur, vilification; libel: He spread lies

about me and I am suing him for slander.

--v. 2 defame, calumniate, disparage, slur, traduce, malign,

smear, vilify, decry; libel: He must be stopped from slandering

people and ruining their reputations.

slanderous

adj. defamatory, calumnious, disparaging, smear, deprecatory,

depreciative, discrediting, decrying; libellous: I understand

that she made some slanderous remarks about your relationship

with your ex-wife.

slant n. 1 angle, viewpoint, (point of) view, standpoint, approach,

twist, idea, aspect, attitude: The article reflects a new slant

on why governments are sometimes out of touch with the

electorate. 2 bias, prejudice, partiality, one-sidedness, turn,

bent: Carla's reporting has a feminist slant which occasionally

distorts the facts. 3 slope, incline, tilt, ramp, gradient,

pitch, lean, leaning, deflection, angle, rake, cant, camber: A

window sill normally has an outward slant. The road has a slant

downwards to the right on right-hand curves.

--v. 4 tilt, angle, incline, pitch, cant, slope, bend, lean,

list, tip, bevel, shelve: The land slants downwards near the

lake. Notice how his writing slants upwards at the ends of the

lines. Cut the edges to slant outwards. 5 bend, distort,

deviate, twist, warp, colour, weight, bias: The editor slanted

the story to put the minister in a favourable light.

slap v. 1 smack, cuff, whack, rap; spank; Colloq clout, wallop: He

said something extremely rude so she slapped him. 2 flap, slat,

whip, beat, bat: Can't you stop that blind from slapping in the

wind? 3 fling, toss, splash, hurl, throw, sling: If you slap

some paint on it, no one will know the difference.

--n. 4 smack, blow, cuff, whack, rap, Colloq clout, wallop: He

got a hard slap on the cheek for using foul language. 5 Often,

slap in the face. reprimand, reproof, rebuff, criticism,

censure, rebuke, shot, thrust, attack, put-down, insult,

offence, smack in the eye: The speaker's reference to Anne's

paper as 'trivial' was a severe slap in the face.

--adv. 6 slap on. exactly, directly, precisely, straight,

point-blank, right, squarely, plumb, smack, bang: As usual,

Barry's comments were slap on the mark.

slash v. 1 cut, gash, hack, score, slit, knife, lacerate; wound;

scar: The guide slashed away at the undergrowth with his

machete. 2 lash, whip, scourge, flog, beat, horsewhip, flail,

flagellate, flay, lambaste, thrash, beat: In those days, a

convicted felon was beaten and slashed in front of a crowd in

the market-place. 3 cut, reduce, decrease, drop, mark down,

trim, lower: Prices were slashed to clear out last season's

styles.

--n. 4 cut, gash, incision, slit, slice, gouge, rent, rip,

score, laceration: There is a slash in each sleeve that reveals

the colourful fabric underneath. 5 cut, reduction, decrease,

mark-down: The department stores continued their price slashes

to the end of January.

slattern n. slut, tramp, sloven, trollop, hussy, wanton, whore,

prostitute, harlot, streetwalker, lady of the evening, woman of

ill repute, loose or fallen woman, trottoise, Colloq call-girl,

pro, Slang tart, hooker, hustler, US roundheels, bimbo: His

reputation will not be enhanced if he associates with slatterns.

slaughter n. 1 butchery, butchering, Rare abattage: Most of the cattle

were sent for slaughter. 2 massacre, killing, bloodshed, blood

bath, murder, homicide, manslaughter, carnage, extermination,

execution, liquidation, slaying, blood-letting, butchery,

pogrom, genocide, mass murder or execution or extermination,

sacrifice, hecatomb: 1930 to 1945 saw the slaughter of millions

in Europe and the Far East.

--v. 3 butcher, kill, murder, slay, execute, exterminate,

massacre, put to the sword, put to death, liquidate, destroy:

How many more must be slaughtered before war is made obsolete?

4 defeat, beat, win (out) over, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm,

smash, crush, thrash, destroy, rout, upset, trounce, Colloq

clobber: Our school soccer team slaughtered the visitors 10--0.

slave n. 1 lackey or lacquey, scullion, serf, slave-girl, slaveling,

odalisque or odalisk, bondservant, bondslave, bondsman or

bondman, bondswoman or bondwoman, bondmaid, vassal, Derogatory

chiefly Brit skivvy, Archaic esne, helot, hierodule, Colloq Brit

slavey: In ancient times, captured peoples and those of lower

social status were kept as slaves. 2 drudge, workhorse, hack,

grind, toiler, labourer, Chiefly Brit fag, dogsbody, Colloq US

gofer: Susan was a slave to her job for years, only to be

sacked without a pension by the new owners.

--v. 3 labour, toil, moil, grind, grub, drudge, sweat, burn the

midnight oil, lucubrate, work one's fingers to the bone, work

like a Trojan or a horse, Brit skivvy: He was slaving over an

essay that was due the following morning.

slaver° v. 1 drool, salivate, slobber, drivel, dribble, spit, Dialect

slabber: The wolf opened its slavering jaws.

--n. 2 drool, saliva, drivel, dribble, spit, spittle, Dialect

slabber: The slaver formed on his lips as he raged on. 3

nonsense, drivel, rubbish, twaddle, piffle: The slaver spewed

forth by the critics set her teeth on edge.

slaverý n. 1 slave ship, slave-trader: Conditions were so bad aboard

the slavers that many of the poor souls died before reaching

their destination. 2 blackbirder, slave-trader; White slaver,

pimp, panderer: He was ashamed that his grandfather had been a

South Sea slaver.

slavery n. 1 enslavement, bondage, thraldom, thrall, enthralment,

servitude, serfdom, vassalage, yoke; subjugation, captivity,

Historical US peculiar institution: All of those ancient

cultures that we venerate practised slavery. 2 slave-trade,

blackbirding: No one ever mentions that the family fortune had

been made from slavery. 3 toil, moil, drudgery, travail, grind,

strain, (hard) labour: She remembered the years of slavery she

had spent at the kitchen sink.

sleazy adj. 1 unsubstantial or insubstantial, flimsy, slight, shabby,

poor, gimcrack, jerry-built, tawdry, cheap, tatty, ramshackle,

rickety, slipshod, Colloq US chintzy: Her garish dress was made

from some sleazy synthetic material. 2 disreputable, low-class,

low-grade, squalid, dirty, base, seedy, sordid, contemptible,

trashy, run-down, mean, cheap, Colloq crummy, slummy, Slang

crappy, cheesy: He was lying low in a sleazy hotel while the

police searched for him.

sleek adj. 1 smooth, slick, velvety, lustrous, shiny, shining,

glossy, silky, silken: The seals' sleek fur glistened in the

sunlight. 2 graceful, trim, streamlined: For her birthday

Edmund gave her a sleek convertible. 3 suave, unctuous, slimy,

fawning, oily, specious, hypocritical, Chiefly Brit smarmy: His

explanations sounded plausible enough, but we soon found out

what a sleek rogue he really was.

sleep v. 1 doze, (take a) nap, catnap, rest, repose, slumber, drowse,

drop or nod off, be in the land of Nod, be in the arms of

Morpheus, snore, Colloq snooze, saw wood, catch or log a few

zees (Z's), take or have a zizz, catch forty winks: I was so

tired, I slept for a full ten hours.

--n. 2 nap, doze, slumber, rest, siesta, Colloq forty winks,

snooze, zizz, beauty sleep: As she grew older, she found she

needed less sleep.

sleepless adj. 1 restless, wakeful, insomniac, disturbed: Your mother

and I spent a sleepless night worrying about you. 2 alert,

watchful, vigilant, unsleeping: Mark's wife kept a sleepless

vigil at his bedside.

sleepwalking

n. 1 noctambulism, somnambulism, noctambulation,

somnambulation: Because of his sleepwalking, he had to be

strapped in at night.

--adj. 2 noctambulant, somnambulant: Proper drugs will control

her sleepwalking activities.

sleepy adj. 1 drowsy, somnolent, tired, nodding, dozy, lethargic,

torpid, slumberous, sluggish, oscitant; weary, fatigued,

exhausted, Colloq dead on one's feet, (knocked) out, beat, US

and Canadian pooped: All that exercise has made me sleepy. 2

boring, inactive, dull, quiet, soporific, slow, sluggish: He

grew up in a sleepy little village in the Outer Hebrides.

slender adj. 1 slim, lean, willowy, sylphlike, svelte, lissom or

lissome, lithe, graceful, snake-hipped, thin, spare, slight,

lanky: By exercising regularly, she has retained her slender

figure. 2 slim, narrow, slight, poor, unlikely, small, little,

scanty, remote, meagre, weak, feeble: Prospects for a quick

recovery of the stock market are slender. 3 slim, slight,

little, scanty, inadequate, insufficient, insignificant,

trifling: The evidence against the defendant was too slender

for a conviction.

sleuth n. detective, (private) detective, (private) investigator, US

P.I., Colloq private eye, Sherlock, snoop, Brit tec or 'tec, US

hawkshaw, Slang US dick, shamus, US and Canadian gumshoe:

Dissatisfied with the progress of the police, we hired a private

sleuth to investigate the theft.

slice n. 1 slab, piece, rasher, collop, shaving, layer, Cookery

scallop, escalope, scaloppine (pl. of scaloppina) or scaloppini

(pl.): May I have another slice of ham? 2 portion, piece,

part, wedge, share, sliver, helping: He wants to make certain

he gets his slice of the pie. 3 spatula; slicer: The Cabots

gave us a silver fish slice for a wedding present.

--v. 4 cut, carve, divide: They watched their mother slicing

bread for sandwiches.

slick adj. 1 smooth, sleek, glossy, silky, silken, shiny, shining,

glassy, slippery: His slick hair looked as if it had been

greased. 2 smooth, urbane, suave, smooth-spoken, glib, smug,

plausible; sycophantic, unctuous, Colloq smarmy: Thomas was a

slick operator and managed to worm his way into a position of

power. 3 smooth, clever, skilful, adroit, dexterous,

professional, ingenious, imaginative, inventive, creative,

Colloq neat: The performance was slick and well-rehearsed. 4

superficial, shallow, meretricious, specious, glib: They have

made a lot of money publishing slick magazines for the yuppy

market.

--v. 5 Often, slick down. smooth, plaster down, grease, oil:

He likes his hair slicked down to look like Valentino's.

slicker n. 1 confidence man or woman, cheat, swindler, mountebank,

Colloq con man, city slicker: That slicker she met in Paris

tricked Harriet out of a lot of money before he disappeared. 2

oilskin (raincoat): Best wear your slicker if you're going out

in this storm, James.

slide v. 1 glide, slip; coast, skim, glissade, skate, plane, skid,

toboggan, slither: The drawer slid smoothly out on its runners.

Terry came sliding down the icy hill, arms and legs flailing. 2

creep, steal, slip, slink, move: My contact slid into the seat

beside me and slipped me a note. 3 decline, decrease, drop,

fall: Shares slid to an all-time low on this morning's market.

4 let slide. forget, ignore, neglect, gloss or pass over, pay no

heed or mind (to): When Mr Bartlett borrowed my lawnmower, I

let the matter slide till he began to think of it as his own,

and offered to lend it to me!

--n. 5 landslide, earth-slip, avalanche, mud-slide: A dozen

houses were destroyed in the slides caused by the recent

torrential rains.

slight adj. 1 small, little, minor, negligible, unlikely,

insignificant, inconsequential: There is always a slight chance

that you might be wrong, you know. 2 trifling, tiny, slender,

minute, infinitesimal; trace, perceptible: He didn't attach the

slightest importance to the rumours that were going round. You'd

best wash it again, as there is still a slight odour of garlic.

3 small, short, petite, thin, slim, slender, delicate,

diminutive, tiny, miniature, bantam, wee, pocket, pocket-sized,

US vest-pocket, Colloq pint-sized: Charlotte's slight build

seems totally unaffected by the amount she eats. 4 insubstantial

or unsubstantial, weak, feeble, delicate, dainty, frail,

unstable, fragile, flimsy, lightly made or built, precarious,

inadequate, rickety, insecure: This table is too slight to

support the computer and the printer. His arguments were far

too slight to carry conviction.

--v. 5 disregard, ignore, disdain, scorn, snub, rebuff, cut,

disrespect, cold-shoulder: He thought she had slighted him

deliberately at the dance. 6 insult, offend, affront, mortify,

diminish, minimize, depreciate, disparage: Siobhan felt

slighted by Harry's inattention.

--n. 7 insult, affront, slur, indignity, outrage, offence,

disrespect: It is hard to understand why she tolerates his

persistent slights. 8 inattention, neglect, disregard,

indifference, snub, cold shoulder, coldness, ill-treatment:

Perhaps she misinterprets his obsessive occupation in his work

as a slight to her.

slightly adv. a little, somewhat, to a certain or slight or minor extent

or degree or measure, marginally: Yes, I do feel slightly

better, thank you.

slim adj. 1 See slender, 1, above. 2 See slender, 2, 3, above.

--v. 3 reduce, lose or shed weight, diet, Chiefly US

slenderize: I really must slim if I am to fit into my summer

clothes.

slimy adj. 1 oozy, slippery, mucky, squashy, squishy, viscous,

sticky, gluey, mucilaginous, uliginous, glutinous, mucous,

clammy, mushy, US squushy or squooshy, Colloq gooey, gunky, US

gloppy: He had cleverly buried the bag of diamonds in a mass of

slimy waste where no one would want to look. 2 slippery,

unctuous, obsequious, sycophantic, toadying, servile, creeping,

grovelling, abject, Colloq smarmy: I don't mind his trying to

sell me insurance, but why does he have to be so slimy about it?

sling v. 1 toss, throw, cast, propel, hurl, shy, fling, fire, shoot,

pitch, let fly, launch, heave, lob, Colloq chuck: He slung his

briefcase onto the desk and flopped into a chair.

--n. 2 slingshot, catapult, trebuchet or trebucket: It is said

that David slew Goliath with a stone from his sling. 3 support,

strap, band; belt: The doctor ordered him to keep his sprained

arm in a sling for a few days. The military rifles are supplied

with leather slings.

slink v. sneak, creep, steal, prowl, skulk: The dog slunk out of the

room with its tail between its legs.

slip° v. 1 slide, skid, glide, slither: Waxing the runners helps the

sleigh slip along more easily. 2 stumble, lose one's footing or

balance, miss one's footing, trip; fall, tumble: Mother slipped

on the ice but luckily didn't fall down. 3 Often, slip up. err,

blunder, make a mistake, miscalculate, go wrong, botch (up),

Slang screw up: He slipped up again by failing to give you your

telephone messages. 4 let slip. reveal, divulge, blurt out,

leak, let out, disclose, expose, Colloq come out with, blab: He

accidentally let slip the news that you were back in town. 5

slip away or by. pass, elapse, vanish, go by: The hours just

slipped away when I was with Irena. 6 slip away or off or out.

escape, disappear, leave, vanish, steal, go or run away or off

or out, break away, get away, give (someone) the slip; sneak

away or off or out: After the speech, he slipped away before we

could interview him. 7 slip in. enter, get in, sneak in; put

in: A field mouse slipped in past the wire netting. I managed

to slip in my suggestion before the meeting was adjourned.

--n. 8 blunder, error, mistake, fault, oversight, slip of the

tongue or pen, inadvertence, indiscretion, impropriety,

transgression, peccadillo, faux pas, Colloq slip-up, Chiefly US

blooper, Slang Brit boob, bloomer: She made so many slips in

the letter that she had to retype it.

slipý n. 1 piece, scrap, strip, sliver; paper, note, chit, permit,

permission, pass, document: I'll put my phone number on this

slip of paper. To go on the outing, each child will have to

bring in a slip signed by a parent. 2 shoot, scion, cutting,

sprig, twig, sprout, runner, offshoot: After the slip is

inserted, the branch must be bandaged up firmly.

slippery adj. 1 slick, sleek, slimy, icy, glassy, smooth, greasy, oily,

lubricated, Colloq skiddy: Be careful! Those stairs can be

slippery when they're wet. 2 evasive, devious, shifty,

unreliable, undependable, questionable, untrustworthy,

dishonest, treacherous, disloyal, perfidious, slick, crafty,

sly, foxy, cunning, tricky, sneaky, false, reptilian, faithless,

Colloq shady: I have dealt with some very slippery characters

over the years, but this one is downright evil.

slipshod adj. careless, slovenly, slapdash, haphazard, messy, untidy,

disorganized, lax, unorganized, Colloq sloppy: We refused to

pay the bill because of the slipshod way they did the repairs.

slit v. 1 split, cut, slash, gash, knife, slice: The bark of the

log is first slit OBopen, then carefully peeled back.

--n. 2 split, cut, gash, incision, fissure, groove, slash,

cleft, aperture, opening: Off-stage, the rest of the actors

were watching the audience through a slit in the curtain.

slither v. slide, worm, snake, slip, slink, glide, skitter, creep,

crawl: After regarding me for a moment, the cobra turned and

slithered away.

sliver n. fragment, piece, shard, shred, splinter, slip, shaving,

paring, flake, chip, bit, scrap, snippet, snip: Two weeks

later, we were still finding tiny slivers of glass from the

broken vase.

slob n. oaf, boor, pig, lout, churl, yahoo, Slang Brit yob, yobbo,

Chiefly US galoot or galloot, Slobbovian: He was a complete

slob - he never tidied his room, and hardly ever washed.

slogan n. war cry, battle-cry, rallying cry, catchword, watchword;

motto: The magazine's slogan was 'If you love words, you'll

love Word '.

slope v. 1 incline, decline, ascend, descend, rise, fall, dip, sink,

drop (off), angle, slant, pitch, tilt, tip: The lawn slopes

downwards from the house, then upwards towards that grove of

trees.

--n. 2 incline, decline, ascent, descent, acclivity, declivity,

rise, fall, ramp, dip, sink, drop, angle, slant, pitch, tilt,

rake, tip, camber, cant, grade, bevel, hill, bank, mount,

gradient, US grade, upgrade, downgrade: Sheep can be seen

grazing on the grassy slopes.

sloppy adj. 1 messy, dirty, slovenly, careless, slipshod, untidy,

disordered, disorderly; draggle-tailed, bedraggled, dishevelled,

unkempt, dowdy, frumpish, shabby, scruffy, Colloq US grungy:

She is certainly a sloppy housekeeper. John's teacher complained

about his sloppy work. 2 wet, slushy, watery, soggy, soppy,

sopping, sodden, sloshy, muddy, rainy: The roads were sloppy

after all the rain. You're lucky you don't have to go out in

this sloppy weather. 3 sentimental, gushy, gushing, mawkish,

maudlin, mushy, over-emotional, Colloq slushy, Brit wet, soppy:

She starts to cry whenever she watches a sloppy film on TV.

slot n. 1 groove, fissure, notch, slit, opening, hollow, depression,

channel, sulcus: Each of these pieces fits into its own slot.

Drop a coin in the slot and watch what happens. 2 opening,

position, vacancy, job, place, assignment, niche, space, spot,

pigeon-hole: We filled that slot in the sales department. They

scheduled the new programme into the half-hour slot after the

six o'clock news.

--v. 3 groove, fissure, notch, slit, hollow out: We slotted

the stanchions to accommodate the shelf brackets. 4 assign,

schedule, place, position, pigeon-hole, fit: Can we slot this

interview into the documentary on China?

sloth n. idleness, laziness, indolence, slothfulness, inertia,

apathy, indifference, accidie, torpor, faineance, pococurantism,

torpidity, sluggishness, languor, languidness, lethargy, phlegm,

Rare hebetude: The maharajahs lived a life of sloth and luxury

at the expense of their poverty-stricken subjects.

slothful adj. idle, lazy, indolent, apathetic, indifferent, torpid,

inert, pococurante, slack, lax, shiftless, fain‚ant, inactive,

do-nothing, sluggish, sluggard(ly), slow, laggard, languorous,

languid, lethargic, lackadaisical, phlegmatic, hebetudinous:

One cannot pursue a slothful attitude and expect to get anywhere

in life.

slouch v. 1 droop, sag, stoop, loll, slump, hunch: Sit up straight

and stop slouching.

--n. 2 stoop, sag, droop, slump, hunch: He seems to have

developed a slouch from the burden of his responsibilities. 3

Usually, no slouch. sloven, loafer, sluggard, laggard, loafer,

idler, malingerer, lazybones: Nellie is certainly no slouch

when it comes to exercising to keep fit.

slow adj. 1 lagging, laggard, dawdling, sluggish, sluggard(ly),

slow-moving, leaden, ponderous, unhurried, plodding, snail-like,

tortoise-like, torpid, leaden-footed, creeping, crawling;

deliberate, slow-paced, leisurely, gradual, easy, relaxed, lax,

lackadaisical, lazy, US lallygagging or lollygagging: They

walked at a slow pace back to the house. Philip has become a

little slower in his old age. 2 gradual, progressive, moderate,

perceptible, almost imperceptible, measurable: The church

elders have noted a slow decline in moral standards. 3

unhurried, slow-moving, slow-paced: The slow funeral cortege

crept through the streets. 4 behindhand, unpunctual: I missed

the train because my watch is five minutes slow. 5 late, tardy,

behindhand, dilatory, delayed, unpunctual: You were so slow in

getting here that everyone has gone. 6 slack, inactive, quiet,

sluggish, unproductive: Business is always a bit slow after the

holidays. 7 dense, dull, slow-witted, dull-witted, obtuse,

backward, bovine, dim, dim-witted, stupid, unresponsive,

blockish, cloddish, unintelligent, doltish, simple, stolid,

unimaginative, Boeotian, Colloq slow on the uptake, thick, dumb:

I'm afraid I'm a bit slow when it comes to particle physics. 8

conservative, unprogressive, old-fashioned, out of date,

backward, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, behind the times, Colloq

square, not with it, past it, US out of it: The council has

been rather slow in realizing the needs of the community. 9

boring, dull, tiresome, ennuyant, tedious, dead, sleepy,

somnolent, torpid, soporific, wearisome, dry-as-dust,

uninteresting, monotonous, tame, uneventful, humdrum, Colloq

ho-hum, dead, Brit dead-and-alive: This town becomes really

slow in the autumn, till the tourists reappear in the spring. 10

reluctant, not quick, unwilling, hesitant, disinclined, averse,

loath or loth, indisposed: Even when provoked, Cassie tends to

be slow to anger.

--adv. 11 slowly, unhurriedly, cautiously, carefully,

circumspectly: He failed his test because he drove too slow.

12 behindhand, tardily, late, unpunctually: All the trains seem

to be running a bit slow tonight. 13 slowly, easy, leisurely,

easily: They told him to take things slower or he'd have

another heart attack.

--v. 14 Often, slow down or up. slack or slacken off, reduce

speed, hold back, put on the brakes, take it easy: You'd better

slow down before you come to Deadman's Hill. 15 relax, take it

easy, Colloq ease up: The doctor suggested that at my age I

ought to slow down a little.

sludge n. muck, mire, ooze, mud, slime, dregs, silt, residue,

precipitate, Colloq goo: The mechanic said that there was a lot

of sludge in the engine.

sluggishness

n. sloth, laziness, slothfulness, languor, lassitude, lethargy,

languidness, laggardness, torpor, phlegm, lifelessness,

stagnation, shiftlessness, pococurantism, faineance, accidie,

Rare hebetude: A few days' golfing in Scotland will help to

shake off the sluggishness of your Caribbean holiday.

slum n. Often, slums. ghetto, warren, shanty town, US skid row or

Skid Road: Many very famous men emerged from the slums of the

Lower East Side in New York.

slump n. 1 dip, trough, depreciation, decline, downturn, downslide,

recession, depression, falling-off, fall-off, fall, drop,

plunge, descent, crash, collapse, failure; nosedive, tailspin:

A slump in the housing market was one of the early signs of the

impending recession. The market went into a slump this morning

from which it barely recovered before closing.

--v. 2 decline, slip, recede, fall (off), drop, plunge,

descend, sink, crash, collapse, dive, plummet, take or go into a

nosedive or tailspin: Prices on the stock market slumped

following announcement of a rise in interest rates. 3 See

slouch, 1, above.

slur n. 1 smear, insult, calumny, aspersion, affront, stigma, stain,

blot, spot, (black) mark, discredit, insinuation, innuendo,

imputation, slander, libel, slight, Colloq put-down: She

resents any slur on her husband's character.

--v. 2 mumble, misarticulate, garble, stutter, lisp: Some

people nowadays slur their speech so badly that one can hardly

understand them. 3 slur over. gloss over, pass over, disregard,

give short shrift to, ignore: The eulogies at the memorial

service slurred over his faults and focused on his

accomplishments.

sly adj. 1 cunning, artful, crafty, clever, wily, guileful,

underhand(ed), deceitful, treacherous, foxy, scheming, plotting,

designing, conniving, furtive, shrewd, sneaky, stealthy,

insidious, devious, disingenuous, tricky, shifty, sharp, canny,

Colloq shady: It was devilishly sly of him to manoeuvre you

into paying for his party. 2 impish, elfish, roguish,

mischievous, puckish, devilish, scampish, naughty, arch,

waggish: Even as he was flirting with Allison he was giving

Antonia sly, conspiratorial winks.

--n. 3 on the sly. slyly or slily, quietly, surreptitiously,

covertly, stealthily, furtively, sneakily, underhandedly,

clandestinely, Colloq on the q.t. or Q.T., on the side:

Although her parents had forbidden her to see him again, Antonia

continued to meet Kevin on the sly.

19.8 small...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

small adj. 1 little, tiny, short, diminutive, petite, mignon(ne),

wee, teeny, elfin, Lilliputian, midget, miniature, minute,

minuscule, baby, bantam, pocket(-sized), mini; undersized,

immature, young, under age; Colloq pint-sized, US peewee: She

was once small enough to fit into a size 7. When I was very

small, my father took me to my first cricket match. 2 slight,

secondary, insignificant, trivial, inconsequential, lesser,

puny, negligible, minor, trifling, unimportant, paltry,

nugatory: The opinions of other people were not of the smallest

importance to him. 3 unimaginative, shallow, unoriginal,

mundane, everyday, limited, unprofound, uninspired, commonplace,

matter-of-fact, flat, two-dimensional: With their small minds

they were incapable of fully appreciating the scope of the

project. 4 skimpy, niggardly, stingy, uncharitable, ungenerous,

scanty, meagre, cheap, petty, parsimonious, grudging, stinting,

selfish, miserly, tight, tight-fisted, close-fisted, close;

poor, insignificant, inadequate, insufficient, unsatisfactory,

negligible, trifling, humble, small-scale, modest,

unpretentious, Colloq piddling, measly: With all your money, it

was very small of you not to contribute more to the scholarship

fund. We all thought their cheque was too small. 5

insignificant, limited, negligible, trifling, tiny; little,

minor, diminished, reduced, slight: Only a small number of

people came to the opening night. It was small consolation to be

told that he had come a good second. 6 feel small. feel

embarrassed or ashamed or shamed or humiliated or foolish, feel

discomfited or disconcerted or uncomfortable, feel mortified or

chagrined, Colloq feel put down: Doreen always managed to make

some remark that made Andrew feel small.

small-minded

adj. small, petty, selfish, stingy, grudging, niggardly,

ungenerous, mean, narrow-minded, narrow, close-minded,

uncharitable, hidebound, rigid, intolerant, unimaginative,

short-sighted, near-sighted, myopic: Charging members of staff

for local telephone calls seems rather small-minded.

small-time

adj. small, small-scale, unimportant, petty, piddling, minor,

insignificant, trifling, trivial: In less than ten years he

succeeded in building a small-time used-car business into a

national chain.

smart adj. 1 intelligent, clever, bright, brilliant, quick-witted,

sharp, acute, astute, capable, adept, apt, quick, ingenious:

Emily is one of the smartest children in the class. 2 canny,

perspicacious, perceptive, percipient, discerning,

knowledgeable, au fait, well-educated, well-read, erudite,

learned, well-versed, aware, shrewd, streetwise, Slang hip,

tuned in, US savvy: Brendan is smart enough to avoid trouble.

3 elegant, chic, fashionable, stylish, modish, … la mode,

well-groomed, trim, neat, dapper, spruce, soign‚(e), Colloq

snappy, natty: You must admit that both Della and Paul are

smart dressers. 4 pert, pointed, saucy, witty, nimble-witted,

poignant, trenchant, effective: I wish he would stop making

smart remarks when I am trying to explain something. 5 brisk,

vigorous, animated, active, energetic, spirited, lively; quick,

alert, jaunty, perky, breezy: The enemy launched a smart

counter-attack at dawn. He set off down the road at a smart

pace. 6 quick, swift, stiff, smarting, stinging, sharp, severe:

The mugger gave him a smart blow on the back of the neck.

--v. 7 sting, hurt, pinch, pain, ache, tingle, prickle, burn,

throb, stab, pierce: The antiseptic may smart a bit when it is

put on the cut. The smoky atmosphere made her eyes smart.

--n. 8 injury, harm, pain, pang, twinge, affliction, suffering,

smarting: For years he silently endured the smart of his

colleagues' ridicule.

smear v. 1 daub, rub, anoint, spread, cover, coat, wipe, plaster,

bedaub; besmirch, dirty, smudge, stain, soil, begrime: The baby

smeared ice-cream all over his face. The car windows were

smeared with dirt from the road. 2 blacken, besmirch, soil,

sully, calumniate, slander, discredit, tarnish, defile, vilify,

scandalize, stigmatize, Colloq drag through the mud:

Politicians regularly smear their opponents with all sorts of

accusations.

--n. 3 smudge, daub, stain, splodge or chiefly US splotch,

blot, taint, spot: These outrageous lies constitute a smear on

my good reputation. There was a smear of blood on his collar. 4

slander, scandal, libel, vilification, mud-slinging, defamation,

calumny, aspersion, reflection: The article contains several

smears on the character of an MP.

smell n. 1 odour, scent, aroma, perfume, fragrance, bouquet, breath,

whiff: Don't you love the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the

morning? 2 stink, stench, fetor or foetor, fetidness, mephitis,

effluvium, Colloq Brit pong: The smell from the rotting garbage

was overpowering.

--v. 3 scent, sniff, Colloq get a whiff of: The moment I smelt

that perfume I knew that Nicole had been there. 4 stink, reek,

Colloq Brit pong, hum: The milk had gone off and smelled to

high heaven.

smelly adj. malodorous, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, foul, mephitic,

fetid, putrid, reeky, stinking, noisome, rank, offensive,

miasmic or miasmatic or miasmatical or miasmal, odoriferous,

rancid, high, gamy, Slang Brit whiffy: She hid the diamond in a

washing basket full of smelly clothes.

smile v. 1 grin, beam: He smiled and said he was pleased to meet me.

--n. 2 grin: Georgina bestowed on me a sweet, wistful smile.

smirk n. 1 leer, sneer, grin, grimace, simpering smile: Wipe that

conceited smirk off your face.

--v. 2 sneer, grimace, leer: Instead of saying, 'I told you

so', he just stood there smirking.

smitten adj. 1 affected, afflicted, beset, stricken, troubled,

distressed, burdened, crushed, plagued, haunted, worried,

bothered, vexed: Offers of help for the smitten town came

pouring in. 2 captivated, enthralled, struck, bewitched,

enchanted, beguiled, charmed, enraptured, infatuated, enamoured,

ensorcelled, swept off one's feet, Colloq bowled over, gaga:

Anthea met some rock star and was totally smitten. They were so

smitten by the beauty of the island that they returned every

year.

smooth adj. 1 regular, even, flush, flat, level, plane, unruffled,

unbroken, unwrinkled, undisturbed, tranquil, peaceful, calm,

serene, glassy: A light breeze rose to ripple the smooth

surface of Alan's martini. 2 slick, sleek, shiny, glossy,

glassy, mirror-like, uniform, polished, burnished; silky,

silken, velvety, satiny: Optical mirrors for telescopes must be

as smooth as modern technology can made them. He ran his fingers

over the smooth fabric. 3 unobstructed, easy, effortless, free,

uncluttered, even, orderly, well-ordered, uneventful, flowing,

fluent, unconstrained, uninterrupted: There were no obstacles

in the way of a smooth return to normal operations. The road to

ruin is short and smooth. 4 hairless, bald, bare, naked,

clean-shaven, smooth-shaven, depilated, glabrous: His smooth

pate shone in the moonlight. 5 soothing, mellow, pleasant,

bland, mild, soft: That is a very smooth whisky indeed. 6

suave, slick, slippery, unctuous, silken, silky, glib, urbane,

soign‚(e), agreeable, winning, plausible, facile, nonchalant,

courtly, eloquent, honey-tongued, smooth-spoken, persuasive,

oily, slimy, syrupy, Colloq chiefly Brit smarmy: With his quick

understanding and smooth manner, Edward was a very successful

salesman. 7 sweet, dulcet, pear-shaped, mellow, well-modulated,

silver-tongued: The smooth tones of his serenade wafted through

the evening air. 8 slick, scheming, conniving, crafty, shrewd,

cunning, tricky, shifty, sly, foxy, Machiavellian,

sophistic(al), plausible, credible, believable, Colloq cagey:

Robinson came up with a very smooth plan to bilk wealthy widows

out of their money.

--v. 9 Often, smooth out or away. flatten, even, level, iron,

press, mangle, calender: Please smooth the wrinkles out of this

shirt so that I can wear it tonight. 10 prepare, lay, pave,

ease, ready, clear, open, prime, lubricate, facilitate: What is

your policy for smoothing the way for employees joining the

firm? 11 sand, plane, polish, buff, burnish: The wood is

smoothed to a glassy finish before being used for the cabinets.

12 Often, smooth over. ameliorate, assuage, allay, calm, gloss

over, minimize, mitigate, lessen, soothe, reduce, temper,

mollify, smoothen, soften, palliate, appease: An otherwise

uncomfortable situation was smoothed over by her quiet words.

smother v. 1 suffocate, stifle, choke, asphyxiate; throttle, strangle,

snuff (out), kill: He was accused of trying to smother his wife

with a pillow. 2 be suffocated or stifled or asphyxiated, be

choked or strangled, be killed: The infant apparently smothered

in the blanket. 3 overwhelm, overcome, blanket, inundate,

cover, shower; envelop, wrap, enshroud, surround: The children

crowded round and smothered her with kisses. The banquet table

was smothered in white roses. 4 repress, subdue, suppress,

conceal, hide, keep or hold back, cover up, mask, choke back or

down, check; stifle, muffle, blanket, blank out: He managed to

smother his grief and put on a brave face. Our whispers were

smothered by the noise of the hi-fi. 5 extinguish, put out,

snuff out: The foam from the fire extinguisher smothered the

blaze in a few moments.

smoulder v. burn; seethe, simmer, chafe, rage, fume, foam, boil, stew,

fester, Colloq get hot under the collar, get (all) steamed up,

see red, US do a slow burn, get (all) burnt up: The fire

continued to smoulder, then flared up again a week later. He

has been smouldering ever since his wife confessed she was going

out with another man.

smug adj. self-satisfied, complacent, holier-than-thou,

self-important, overconfident, conceited: She is a bit too smug

about the security of her job and might get a nasty shock some

day soon.

19.9 snack...

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snack n. 1 bite, nibble, morsel, titbit or chiefly US tidbit,

refreshment(s), Brit elevenses, Colloq nosh: Have a little

snack or you'll be hungry later.

--v. 2 bite, nibble, Colloq nosh: He gained all that weight

just from snacking between meals.

snag n. 1 hitch, catch, problem, (stumbling) block, stricture,

bottleneck, complication, obstacle, impediment, obstruction,

hindrance, difficulty, US hang-up: A snag developed that

prevented my keeping my promise to you.

--v. 2 catch, tear, rip: He snagged his new jacket on a nail.

snake n. 1 reptile, serpent, ophidian, viper: A specialist in snakes

is called a herpetologist. 2 snake in the grass, traitor,

turncoat, Judas, quisling, betrayer, double-crosser, informer,

rat, US Benedict Arnold, Slang chiefly US and Canadian fink,

ratfink: Eventually they caught the snake who was giving away

their plans to the enemy.

--v. 3 slither, glide, creep, crawl, worm: To avoid being

seen, he snaked along on his stomach for a few yards. 4 twist,

wind, curve, bend, turn, zigzag, worm, wander, loop, crook,

meander: The road snakes through the jungle for 50 miles or

more.

snap v. 1 break (off), separate, crack; cleave, split, fracture,

give way, part: The wind snapped off tree branches like

matchsticks. The back legs of the chair snapped in two as she

sat on it. 2 click; pop; crack: The door snapped shut. 3

Often, snap at. a bite (at), nip, gnash or snatch at: The

postman ran down the street, the dog snapping at his heels. b

attack, lunge at, lash out (at), snarl at, growl (at), bark

(at), be brusque or short or curt (with), Colloq jump down

(someone's) throat, fly off the handle (at): Robin is in a bad

mood today, snapping at everyone. 4 Usually, snap up or US also

off. grab (up), snatch (up), seize, pluck, pounce on or upon,

make off with, take (away), capture, catch, get, secure: The

people who arrived early at the sale had snapped up all the

bargains. 5 shoot, snapshot, photograph, click, catch: He

always has his camera with him so that he can snap anything

interesting. 6 snap one's fingers at. disdain, scorn, flout,

dismiss, contemn, disregard, ignore, defy, mock, deride, thumb

one's nose at, Brit cock a snook at: He merely snapped his

fingers at the dangers when I mentioned them. 7 snap out of it.

recover, come round or around, revive, awaken, wake up, perk up,

liven up, cheer up; get a grip or (a) hold on or of oneself,

pull oneself together, (re)gain control of oneself: I was

feeling very blue yesterday but managed to snap out of it.

--n. 8 crack, crackle, pop, click: The lid shut with a snap.

9 spell, period, interval, wave: During that cold snap we

thought we were in for a terrible winter. 10 catch, spring

catch, (snap-)fastener, fastening, clasp: Do you want snaps or

buttons sewn on this shirt? 11 energy, vigour, animation,

liveliness, vitality, bounce, alertness, sprightliness, ‚lan,

dash, sparkle, verve, Colloq zip, zing, get-up-and-go, pep,

pizazz: Granny certainly has a lot of snap left in her. 12

easy job, Slang picnic, US and Canadian breeze: There had been

no need for her to worry, for the exam turned out to be a snap.

--adj. 13 abrupt, sudden, precipitate, hurried, hasty,

incautious, rash, unpremeditated, unplanned, not

well-thought-out, quick, instantaneous, instant: This is too

important a matter for a snap decision.

snappish adj. 1 short-tempered, testy, petulant, peevish, irritable,

prickly, touchy, irascible, quick to anger, quick-tempered,

hot-tempered, waspish, Brit snappy, US on a short string or

tether: He fancies that being snappish goes with his 'artistic'

temperament. 2 curt, short, abrupt, brusque, curmudgeonly,

cantankerous, sharp, cross, grouchy, gruff, cranky, crusty,

crabby, crabbed, acid, tart, acerbic, churlish, dyspeptic,

choleric, splenetic, ill-humoured, ill-tempered, temperamental,

moody, Brit snappy: Grandad tended to be snappish when he

became impatient with our lack of experience.

snappy adj. 1 quick, sharp, brisk, smart, crisp, lively, rapid,

speedy: If you want to come with us, you'd better make it

snappy. 2 fashionable, chic, sharp, smart, stylish, dapper,

modish, Colloq natty, Brit trendy: Your new friend is a very

snappy dresser, isn't he?

snare n. 1 trap, net, springe, noose, gin: They had caught only a

pigeon in the snare.

--v. 2 trap, catch, entrap, seize, capture, ensnare: Using a

different bait, William snared some partridges.

snarl° v. 1 growl; snap: I admit I found three snarling Dobermans a

bit off-putting. The clerk snarled at me when I asked for a

form.

--n. 2 growl: With a snarl the dog leapt at his throat.

snarlý v. 1 Often, snarl up. tangle, entangle, complicate, confuse,

scramble, muddle, twist, mix or mess up, Colloq ball up, screw

up: This situation is so snarled up that we'll never straighten

it out. 2 tangle, entangle, knot, twist, ravel, jam, kink: The

rope won't feed through the pulley because it's all snarled.

--n. 3 tangle, entanglement, complexity, snag, problem,

difficulty, complication, muddle, mess, predicament, fix,

quandary, dilemma, Colloq snarl-up, tight spot, pickle: The

situation was full of snarls and problems. 4 jungle, maze,

labyrinth, knot: The drain was clogged by a snarl of hair.

snatch v. 1 grab, grasp, seize, clasp, clutch, pluck, take (hold of),

catch, lay hold of, wrest, latch on to, capture, snap up, win,

get, lay or get one's hands on: The thief snatched her purse

and ran away. One must snatch every available opportunity for

happiness. 2 Chiefly US kidnap, abduct: They snatched the kid

and are holding him for ransom. 3 save, rescue, deliver,

remove: At the very last moment, we were snatched from the jaws

of death.

--n. 4 grab, clutch, grasp: He made a snatch for her necklace,

but she managed to duck out of the way. 5 scrap, bit, fragment,

snippet, segment, morsel, specimen, sample: We were able to

hear only brief snatches of their conversation through the

closed door.

sneak v. 1 lurk, slink, steal, creep, skulk, cower, lurk, pad, prowl,

sidle, Colloq pussyfoot: We caught Francis sneaking about the

house last night.

--n. 2 informer, Colloq tattle-tale, Brit grass, Slang

stool-pigeon, snitch, Brit and Australian nark, US stoolie,

Chiefly US and Canadian fink, ratfink, US shoo-fly: Frank

picked up a little money acting as a sneak for the police.

sneaking adj. 1 persistent, lingering, lurking, nagging, worrying,

worrisome, niggling, intuitive, deep-rooted, deep-seated, Slang

gut: She had a sneaking suspicion that Stephen was a police

informer. 2 innate, intuitive, inherent, private, secret,

suppressed, hidden, unexpressed, undeclared, unvoiced, unavowed,

unconfessed, unrevealed, unadmitted, undivulged, undisclosed,

covert: I have a sneaking sympathy with the underdog.

sneaky adj. underhand(ed), devious, furtive, sly, slippery,

disingenuous, deceitful, dishonest, unscrupulous, shifty: He

took a sneaky look at his friend's homework before starting his

own.

sneer v. 1 smirk, curl one's lip, sniff: Don't sneer - you might be

the next to lose your job. 2 scorn, disdain, despise, contemn,

turn up one's nose (at), sniff (at), jeer (at), laugh (at),

deride, mock, ridicule; underrate; Colloq sneeze at, Slang

knock: They sneered at her ambition to become a serious

athlete.

--n. 3 scorn, jeer, disdain, contempt, derision, mockery,

ridicule; sneering, jeering: Barry endured his classmates'

sneers without a word.

sneeze v. 1 sternutate: I was about to sneeze, so I grabbed a tissue.

2 sneeze at. See sneer, 2, above.

--n. 3 sternutation; sneezing: The sneeze is an involuntary

convulsive action.

snicker v. 1 snigger, chuckle, giggle, titter, laugh up one's sleeve,

mock, scorn, laugh (at), jeer (at): It was embarrassing when

the audience began to snicker at the ineptitude of the juggler.

--n. 2 snigger, chuckle, giggle, titter: The villain gave a

little snicker when he thought he had her in his clutches.

sniff n. 1 whiff, breath, odour, scent: I got a sniff of her perfume

as she walked by. 2 hint, spirit, feeling, suggestion: There

is the sniff of spring in the air.

--v. 3 smell, snuffle, snuff: Why is your dog always sniffing

at my shoes? 4 sniff (at). See sneer, 2, above.

snip v. 1 nip, clip, crop, cut, lop, prune, dock: When the blossoms

begin to fade, snip them off.

--n. 2 cut, slit, gash, slash, incision, nick: We could watch

the audience through a small snip in the curtain. 3 bit, scrap,

shred, snippet, fragment, cutting, clipping, remnant, morsel:

You are welcome to the leftover snips of fabric. 4 snips.

scissors, shears, tinsnips: This duct can be cut with the

snips.

snipe v. Usually, snipe at. shoot at, fire at; attack, criticize,

deride, find fault with, carp at, pick apart: Newby has been

sniping at the organization for years and we simply ignore him.

snivel v. sniffle, snuffle, blubber, whimper, whine, mewl, pule; cry,

Colloq Brit whinge: I'll buy some of your matches, little girl,

but only if you stop snivelling.

snobbery n. snobbism, snobbishness, pretentiousness, pretension,

hauteur, haughtiness, superciliousness, condescension,

loftiness, contemptuousness, presumptuousness, lordliness,

disdainfulness, disdain, pompousness, pomposity, affectation,

inflatedness, self-importance, conceit, vainness, vanity,

narcissism, self-admiration, self-centredness, egotism,

smugness, Colloq uppishness, uppitiness, snootiness, snottiness:

It is commonplace to criticize the nouveau riche for their

snobbery.

snobbish adj. condescending, superior, patronizing, arrogant, haughty,

lordly, lofty, putting on airs, disdainful, supercilious,

contemptuous, pretentious, smug, scornful, self-important,

affected, conceited, egotistic(al), vain, self-satisfied,

complacent, pompous, Colloq snooty, snotty, highfalutin or

hifalutin, on one's high horse, uppity, hoity-toity, high and

mighty, stuck-up, Brit uppish, Chiefly US high-hat, Slang Brit

toffee-nosed: Since he got his knighthood, Cathcart has become

so snobbish he'll have nothing to do with us.

snoop v. 1 pry, spy, interfere, meddle, intrude, butt in(to), Colloq

stick or poke one's nose; be nosy, nose around or about: He

couldn't stop snooping into other people's affairs.

--n. 2 busybody, Paul Pry, meddler, spy, intruder, snooper,

peeper; private detective or investigator; Colloq Nosy Parker,

US buttinsky or buttinski; private eye, US shamus: There was a

snoop here today, asking a lot of personal questions.

snug adj. cosy, comfortable, intimate, relaxing, restful, warm,

sheltered, friendly, easy, homely, casual, Colloq comfy: Curled

up on the sofa, Chris looks as snug as a bug in a rug.

snuggle v. cuddle, snug down, nestle, nuzzle: The puppies snuggled up

close to their mother for warmth and protection.

19.10 soak...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

soak v. 1 drench, saturate, wet, immerse, souse, douse or dowse,

bathe, steep, inundate, ret: You'd better let the tablecloth

soak for a while to get out those wine stains. 2 soak up.

absorb, take in, sponge up; assimilate, learn: The parched

earth soaked up the water like a sponge. Let me just lie here

and soak up some sunshine. She spent years soaking up the

culture of the Cameroons.

--n. 3 alcoholic, drunkard, drunk, dipsomaniac, drinker,

tippler, toper, sot, Slang sponge, souse, boozer, US dip, lush,

juicer: You'll never get a straight answer out of that old

soak.

soaking n. 1 drenching, wetting, dousing or dowsing, immersing,

saturating: We got a thorough soaking when we were caught in

the storm.

--adj. 2 wet, sopping, drenched, dripping, saturated, soaked,

wringing wet, streaming, sodden, waterlogged: Take off your

soaking clothes and sit by the fire in this robe.

soar v. 1 rise, fly, hover, float, hang: The glider soared over the

hills, catching every updraught. 2 rise, increase, escalate,

climb, spiral upwards, shoot up or upwards, rocket, sky-rocket:

To counteract inflation, interest rates began to soar.

sob v. cry, weep, blubber, shed tears, snivel, whimper, sniff,

snuffle, pule, wail, moan, boohoo, mewl, pule, bawl, howl, yowl:

The poor, lonely child sobbed quietly.

sober adj. 1 teetotal, temperate, US dry, Colloq on the (water-)

wagon: Because he was driving, he stayed sober at the party

while everyone else got drunk. 2 serious, solemn, earnest,

dispassionate, unruffled, unflustered, unexcited, unperturbed,

steady, sedate, staid, composed, dignified, cool, calm, serene,

tranquil, collected, cool-headed, level-headed, sane, balanced,

practical, realistic, rational, clear-headed, Slang together:

We invited you because we respect your sober judgement. 3

sedate, sombre, plain, simple, subdued, quiet, repressed,

dreary, dark, drab, colourless, neutral: At the funeral the

widow wore a sober black costume.

--v. 4 sober up. detoxify, recover, Colloq dry out: When she

finally sobered up she awoke to find herself in custody.

sobriety n. 1 teetotalism, abstemiousness, abstention, abstinence,

non-indulgence, temperance: Since taking the pledge, Oscar has

been a model of sobriety. 2 seriousness, soberness, solemnity,

staidness, gravity, temperateness, sedateness, formality,

dignity: They made him promise to do nothing to upset the

sobriety of the memorial service.

so-called adj. 1 styled, self-styled, designated, soi-disant, called,

professed: They found themselves fighting for Kolchak, the

so-called supreme ruler of all the Russias. 2 alleged,

pretended, supposed, ostensible; misnamed, misdesignated;

suspect: She bought it through the so-called Honest Used Car

Dealers Association.

sociable adj. friendly, affable, approachable, social, gregarious,

outgoing, extrovert(ed) or extravert(ed), companionable,

accessible, amiable, amicable, genial, congenial, convivial,

warm, cordial, neighbourly, hail-fellow-well-met, Colloq chummy,

cosy: The people in this area are quite sociable, and we get

together often.

social adj. 1 communal, community, common, collective, group, public,

popular, societal: In many New England towns, the business of

government is a social activity. Crime is a social, not an

individual problem. 2 sexual, sexually transmitted, venereal:

The clinic was established specifically to deal with social

diseases. 3 See sociable, above.

socialize v. mix, get together, fraternize, keep company, go out, get

out; associate: They haven't had much time for socializing

since the birth of their baby.

society n. 1 fellowship, brotherhood, association, intercourse,

companionship, company, camaraderie, friendship: Few people can

be happy for long without the society of others. 2 mankind,

people, the public: I fear that Bob is not yet ready to mingle

with society again. Do you believe that society demands too

much? 3 culture, civilization, community, way of life, world;

organization, system: The hunting society was replaced largely

by the agricultural some 10,000 years ago. 4 high society, haut

monde, beau monde, upper classes, polite society, ‚lite, gentry,

Colloq upper crust: The purpose of the debutante ball is to

introduce young ladies of about 18 to society. 5 organization,

club, association, circle, league, institute, academy, alliance,

guild, group, fraternity, sorority, brotherhood, sisterhood,

fellowship, union, consociation, sodality, Verein, bund or Bund:

The society, founded to advance and support linguistic

scholarship, is now 100 years old.

soft adj. 1 yielding, cushiony, plushy, spongy, squeezable,

compressible, squashy, squashable, flexible, plastic, pliable,

pliant, supple, flexile, flexuous, unstarched: This mattress is

much too soft for my back. 2 easy, comfortable, undemanding,

Colloq cushy: His uncle got him a soft job at the Labour

Ministry. 3 gentle, mild, balmy, pleasant, moderate, warm,

halcyon, springlike, summery, restful, tranquil, relaxing, lazy:

Alexandra was looking forward to a week in the soft Caribbean

climate. 4 subdued, toned or turned down, muted, low, quiet,

melodious, mellifluous or mellifluent, mellow, gentle, faint,

softened, soothing, smooth: Riley thought she might succumb to

the influences of the wine and the soft music and lights. 5

easygoing, tolerant, kind, compassionate, gentle, merciful,

lenient, indulgent, permissive, liberal, lax, easy, docile,

tame, submissive, deferential, benign, tender-hearted,

sympathetic, kind-hearted, kind: Some believe that the jailers

were too soft with the criminals. His parents were far too

soft. 6 Usually, soft in the head. foolish, silly, simple,

Colloq chiefly Brit daft, US off: Kevin must have gone a bit

soft in the head if he thinks that Clara still loves him. 7

depressed, declining, in decline, in recession, slow,

unprofitable, borderline, questionable, weak: Owing to the

stormy, cold summer, the resort business has been soft this

year. 8 downy, silky, silken, satiny, furry, fluffy, feathery,

fleecy, fuzzy, velvety, smooth (as a baby's bottom): The wool

from the lambs is much softer. 9 pastel, pale, delicate, fine,

subdued, light, matte or matt, quiet, diffuse(d), soothing: He

wanted the bedroom painted in soft shades of greenish blue. 10

harmless, non-addictive: Some consider cannabis a soft drug.

11 fuzzy, woolly, blurred, blurry, foggy, diffuse(d): The soft

focus photos of the wedding looked very romantic. 12 weak,

feeble, frail, effete, delicate, non-physical, non-muscular,

puny, flabby, out of training or condition or shape, pampered;

namby-pamby, effeminate, unmanly, unmanful, Colloq sissified,

sissy: He had been out of the marines for so long they thought

he had gone soft. 13 easy, luxurious, pampered, rich, opulent,

plush, posh, Colloq ritzy, swank(y): Since selling his

business, Aubrey Quinton has been living the soft life on the

Costa del Sol.

soften v. 1 Often, soften up. melt, affect, mollify, mellow, palliate,

soothe, relax, appease: Nothing would soften the heart of that

cruel tyrant. 2 mitigate, assuage, diminish, moderate, reduce,

cushion, lessen, weaken, allay, ease, lighten, abate, temper,

relieve: Can't you think of some way to soften the blow of such

bad news? 3 muffle, deaden, damp, soft-pedal, lower, still,

quiet, tone down, lessen, diminish, lighten, turn down, quell,

Chiefly Brit quieten: Try to soften the high notes and bring up

the bass. 4 give in, succumb, surrender, yield, agree, consent,

concur, assent, give way, relax, ease (up), let up: The

committee finally softened and allowed the park to be used for

games.

soft-hearted

adj. tender-hearted, compassionate, tender, warm-hearted,

sentimental, charitable, generous, giving, sympathetic,

indulgent, kind, kind-hearted, responsive: Alison is quite

soft-hearted when it comes to animal causes and contributed

willingly.

soil° v. 1 dirty, stain, begrime, muddy, smear, spot: His shirts

were returned by the laundry still soiled. 2 pollute,

contaminate, sully, defile, foul, befoul, tarnish, besmirch,

disgrace, muddy, smear, blacken; blot: The scandal soiled his

previously spotless reputation.

--n. 3 dirt, filth, muck, mire, mud, sludge, dregs, refuse;

excrement, waste (matter): The soil is carried away by these

pipes into the main sewer.

soilý n. earth, loam, dirt, ground, turf, humus; clay: The men who

dug the swimming-pool took away the soil from the pit.

sojourn n. 1 stay, stop, stopover, visit, rest, holiday, vacation: We

had a very pleasant sojourn in Toronto on our way home.

--v. 2 stay, stop (over), visit, rest, holiday, vacation,

tarry: Next year we plan to sojourn in Bermuda for a while.

solace n. 1 comfort, consolation, condolence, relief, balm, support,

help, succour; reassurance, cheer: The children brought her

solace in her bereavement.

--v. 2 comfort, console, condole, support, help, succour,

soothe, allay, alleviate, ameliorate, mitigate, assuage,

relieve; cheer (up), reassure, hearten: There was little to

solace James's misery.

soldier n. 1 serviceman, servicewoman, recruit, fighter, infantryman,

foot-soldier, trooper, warrior, military man, man-at-arms, Brit

Tommy (Atkins), US enlisted man or woman, Colloq Brit squaddie,

US GI or G.I. (Joe), Old-fashioned (WWI) doughboy: Enemy

soldiers had been reconnoitring our position during the night. 2

fighter, stalwart, supporter, militant: He has been a soldier

in the fight against poverty all his life.

--v. 3 serve (in the army): In his family the men have been

soldiering for generations. 4 soldier on. continue, persist,

persevere, endure, drive, keep going, keep on or at, grind,

drudge: Despite the set-backs, they soldiered on to complete

the project in time.

sole adj. lone, only, singular, unique, solitary; particular,

exclusive, individual, personal: As Susan is the sole surviving

heir, she has the right to sell the house if she wishes.

solecism n. error, slip, impropriety, fault, breach, violation, lapse,

mistake, misusage, incongruity, inconsistency, barbarism,

blunder, gaffe, bungle, fumble, gaucherie, faux pas, botch or

botch-up, Colloq boo-boo, US flub, Slang boner, Brit boob,

bloomer, Chiefly US and Canadian blooper: Solecisms in his

writing include failure of subject and verb to agree.

solemn adj. 1 serious, sober, reserved, grave, earnest, sedate, staid,

taciturn; morose, morbid, mirthless, unsmiling, gloomy, sombre,

grim; glum, long-faced, saturnine: We observed a moment of

solemn silence in memory of our fallen comrades. They knew from

their father's solemn expression that something was wrong. 2

ceremonial, ritualistic, liturgical, religious, ecclesiastical,

holy, divine, sacred, hallowed, sacramental, reverential,

devotional: We attended a solemn service to celebrate the

return of the hostages. 3 ceremonious, ritual, formal,

dignified, stately, grand, august, imposing, impressive,

awe-inspiring, awesome, important, momentous: The Trobriand

islanders regarded the rights of passage as most solemn.

solemnity n. solemnness, gravity, seriousness, soberness, reserve,

sedateness, taciturnity, staidness, earnestness, impressiveness,

grandeur, importance, momentousness, consequence: All who

attended the service were affected by the solemnity of the

lighting of the eternal flame.

solicit v. 1 entreat, beseech, ask (for), implore, petition, importune,

appeal for or to, call on or upon, beg, supplicate, pray, crave:

He has solicited my help on more than one occasion. 2 accost,

approach, entice, lure, pander to, Slang hustle: You can't go

out in that neighbourhood without being solicited.

solicitor n. lawyer, attorney, US counselor-at-law: I have turned the

matter over to my solicitor.

solicitous

adj. 1 concerned, caring, considerate, uneasy, troubled,

anxious, apprehensive, worried: She seemed genuinely solicitous

over the state of my health. 2 eager, earnest, zealous, keen,

anxious, desirous, ardent, avid: She seems sincerely solicitous

to please the firm's customers.

solicitude

n. concern, consideration, regard, disquiet, disquietude,

uneasiness, anxiety, apprehension, worry, nervousness, fear,

fearfulness, alarm: As she had not yet made him her sole heir,

his solicitude over her health was understandable.

solid adj. 1 three-dimensional, cubic: The perspective drawing is a

representation of a solid object. 2 filled (in or up), packed,

jammed, crowded, teeming, congested, crammed, swarming,

compressed, concentrated, Colloq chock-a-block, jam-packed,

chock-full: By the time I arrived, the gallery was solid with

people. 3 compact, firm, hard, stable; unshakeable or

unshakable, unshaky, substantial, concrete, sturdy, sound,

stout, strong: The vessel floated through the air before coming

to rest on solid ground. His theories rest on a solid

foundation. 4 consistent, homogeneous, uniform, unalloyed,

unmixed, pure, continuous, unbroken, real, authentic, true,

genuine, 24-carat, unadulterated, Slang honest-to-God: This

mountain seems to be solid iron all the way through. John gave

me a solid gold necklace for my birthday. 5 law-abiding,

upstanding, upright, decent, stout, substantial, powerful,

reliable, regular, steady, steadfast, stalwart, straight,

estimable, sure, trusty, trustworthy, true-blue, worthy,

dependable, sober: Mr Hart is one of the solid citizens of this

town. He has always been a solid defender of the underdog. 6

steady, stable, stalwart, dependable, sturdy, strong,

substantial, sound, firm, well-built, well-constructed,

well-made, tough, durable, rugged, stout: That chair is not

solid enough for you to stand on. 7 cogent, sound, concrete,

weighty, proved, provable, valid, reasonable, sensible,

rational, sober, well-founded, authoritative, indisputable,

incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, good, powerful,

potent, forceful, convincing, persuasive: He presents a solid

argument for a sales tax. 8 firm, downright, vigorous, telling,

effective, forceful, potent, powerful, mighty, dynamic,

thorough, through-and-through, intensive: Jan struck a solid

blow against the supporters of abortion. 9 See solvent, 1,

below. 10 entire, complete, whole, continuous; uninterrupted,

undivided, unbroken, unrelieved, blank, windowless: I had to

wait at the dentist's for a solid hour. Around the park they

erected a solid wall.

solidarity

n. unity, unanimity, unification, accord, concord, concordance,

harmony, concurrence, like-mindedness, agreement, mutuality,

single-mindedness, singleness (of purpose), community of

interest, esprit de corps, camaraderie, comradeship, sodality,

Solidarnosˆ'cˆ': It was through solidarity, not the pursuit of

individual interest, that freedom was achieved.

solidify v. 1 harden, freeze, set, cake, compact, compress, crystallize;

jell or gel, clot, congeal, coagulate, thicken, Technical

inspissate; sublime: The lava flowed round the bodies of those

who died and solidified, preserving them in their final

attitudes. 2 consolidate, unite, unify, pull or draw together:

Studying the speeches of politicians enables me to solidify my

own views.

solitary adj. 1 lone, single, sole, individual; unattended, solo,

companionless, friendless, lonesome, lonely, unsocial,

cloistered, secluded, reclusive, separate, eremitic(al),

hermitic(al), remote, withdrawn, distant, out-of-the-way,

unfrequented, desolate: There is not a solitary exception to

the rule. Flora's solitary style of living allows her to

concentrate on her writing. There is a solitary little inn where

we go for weekends.

--n. 2 solitary confinement: The prisoner has been in solitary

for striking a guard.

solitude n. 1 solitariness, aloneness, isolation, seclusion, privacy:

Peter enjoys the solitude of living on an island. 2 loneliness,

remoteness; emptiness, wilderness: How long could one person

survive in the solitude of interstellar space?

solo adv. 1 alone, unaccompanied, on one's own: Jack flew solo for

the first time yesterday.

--adj. 2 individual, unaccompanied, solitary: Let Eugene play

the solo trombone part.

solution n. 1 solving, working or figuring out, discovery, finding out,

unravelling, explication, deciphering, decipherment,

elucidation, revelation, clarification, explanation; answer,

key: The solution of the problem should be left up to the

experts. Several solutions have been found through computer

analysis. 2 settlement, settling, resolution, result, denouement

or d‚nouement, outcome, conclusion: It seems unlikely that we

shall be able to bring this matter to a solution in a one-day

meeting. 3 mixture, blend, compound, infusion; liquid, fluid;

Technical emulsion, suspension, colloid or colloidal solution or

colloidal suspension: After mixing the powder with water, use

the solution to bathe the wound. 4 dissolving, dissolution,

mixing, mixture: The solution of these ingredients in alcohol

was first accomplished in ancient times.

solve v. work or figure out, unravel, disentangle, untangle, clarify,

clear up, make plain or clear, interpret, explicate, decipher,

crack, explain, elucidate, reveal, answer, resolve: Oedipus'

problems began in earnest when he solved the Riddle of the

Sphinx.

solvent adj. creditworthy, (financially) sound, solid, reliable;

debt-free; profitable: The auditors rate the business as

solvent.

sombre adj. 1 gloomy, morose, lugubrious, funereal, morbid, louring or

lowering, melancholy, sad, dismal, unhappy, cheerless, joyless,

serious, sober, doleful, dolorous, mournful, depressed,

depressing, grave, grim, grim-faced, grim-visaged, Literary

melancholic, darksome: Despite his sombre appearance, Sid was

one of the funniest men I've ever met. 2 dark, gloomy,

foreboding, bleak, depressing, shadowy, murky, leaden, grey,

black, dismal, dreary, overcast, dusky, dim, dingy, darkling,

dull, subfusc or subfuscous: The sombre sky set the mood for

the proceedings that were to follow. 3 staid, sedate, sober,

solemn, dark, dull, subfusc: A young person like you ought to

dress in less sombre colours.

somebody pron. 1 one, someone, some person: There must be somebody who

will take you to the dance.

--n. 2 personage, celebrity, dignitary, VIP, luminary, notable,

star, superstar, Colloq hotshot, bigwig, big wheel, big gun, big

noise, big White Chief, big Daddy, big Chief, big-timer; hot

stuff; Old-fashioned big cheese; US Mr Big: He must be a

somebody to merit such treatment.

somehow adv. someway, in one way or another, in some way, somehow or

other, by hook or by crook, by fair means or foul, Colloq come

hell or high water: Somehow, we have to get into the vault for

those papers.

sometime adj. 1 former, erstwhile, past, recent, one-time, quondam:

Crawford was a sometime student of the occult.

--adv. 2 at some time or other, someday, one day, any time, on

a future occasion, when or if the opportunity arises, soon, by

and by, one of these days: Come up and see me sometime. 3

sooner or later, in (due) time, in the fullness of time, in the

long run, one fine day, Un bel di, eventually, when all is said

and done, before long, before you know it: You can be sure that

the tax man will find out about it sometime.

sometimes adv. occasionally, on occasion, (every) now and then, now and

again, off and on, at times, from time to time, every so often,

(every) once in a while: Sometimes Ambrose used to visit his

grandchildren twice a week.

somewhat adv. rather, quite, relatively, more or less, moderately,

pretty, fairly, to some or a certain extent or degree or

measure, slightly, a bit, a little, Colloq sort of, kind of:

Ingrid was somewhat put out by my refusal.

song n. 1 tune, air, melody, ditty, number: Together, they wrote

some of the most popular songs of this century. 2 for a song.

cheaply, inexpensively, at a bargain price: That old book you

wanted went for a song at the auction. 3 (old) song and dance.

a fuss, to-do, commotion, bother, ado, Colloq flap, performance,

Brit kerfuffle: I cannot see why they made such a song and

dance of telling us they couldn't come. b evasion, tale,

prevarication, (long) story, (long) explanation: To excuse his

absence he gave me the old song and dance about his grandmother

being ill.

soon adv. 1 before long, presently, ere long; in the near future,

any minute (now), before you know it, in good time, in a little

while, in a minute or a moment, momentarily, shortly, anon, in a

second, Colloq in a jiffy: Soon another year will have passed.

The doctor will be with you soon. 2 quickly, speedily, at once,

promptly, immediately, directly, without delay, straightway,

straight away, right away, forthwith, in short order, on the

double, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), in a wink, tout de

suite, without delay, Colloq pronto, US and Canadian

lickety-split: If he doesn't come soon, dinner will be spoilt.

3 quickly, speedily, promptly, swiftly: I'll be there as soon

as I can. 4 willingly, lief, gladly, happily, readily: I'd

just as soon be left alone, if you don't mind. 5 sooner or

later. at some time or other, some time, one day, in time, in

due course, eventually, ultimately, in the end, when all is said

and done, at the end of the day, in the last or final analysis,

at bottom: Don't worry, she'll come home sooner or later.

Sooner or later they will have to yield.

soothing adj. 1 relaxing, restful, serene, peaceful, pacifying, calm,

calming, quiet, soft, quieting: I put on some soothing music

and offered her a cocktail. 2 mollifying, comforting,

palliative, lenitive, demulcent, balsamic, emollient: The

doctor prescribed a soothing ointment to relieve the pain.

sophistic adj. sophistical, specious, fallacious, deceptive,

hypocritical, false, unsound, baseless, groundless,

casuistic(al), Jesuitic(al), captious, misleading, bogus, sham,

untenable: The politicians advanced their usual sophistic

arguments for continuing a war that no one wanted to support.

sophisticated

adj. 1 cultivated, cultured, refined, experienced, worldly,

cosmopolitan, polished, elegant, urbane, worldly-wise,

knowledgeable, knowing, suave, soign‚(e), blas‚, chichi, slick,

Slang hip or hep, cool, with it: The Gordons mix with a pretty

sophisticated crowd. 2 advanced, complex, complicated,

intricate, elaborate, subtle, refined, multifaceted: The

desk-top computers of today are much more sophisticated than

most older main-frame systems.

sophistication

n. 1 worldliness, urbanity, culture, refinement, knowledge,

knowledgeability, cosmopolitanism, polish, elegance, poise,

suavity or suavit‚, savoir faire, savoir vivre, finesse,

discrimination, discernment, awareness, taste, tastefulness,

style: They want him on the board of directors of the museum

because he lends it sophistication. 2 complexity, intricacy,

subtlety, refinement: There is a staggering amount of

sophistication built into modern integrated circuits.

sorcerer n. sorceress, magus, necromancer, wizard, witch, warlock,

enchanter, enchantress, magician, thaumaturgist, shaman,

witch-doctor, medicine man: The law demanded death for the

sorcerers and for those who dealt with them.

sorcery n. witchcraft, enchantment, sortilege, necromancy, wizardry,

(black or white) magic, shamanism, black art, diabolism: Once

Vera works her sorcery on you, you obey her every whim.

sordid adj. 1 base, vile, corrupt, low, ignoble, debased, degraded,

abased, mean, ignominious, dishonourable, despicable,

disreputable, shabby, shameful, scurvy, rotten, execrable: He

forced his family to do the most sordid things to raise money.

2 avaricious, greedy, grasping, mercenary, piggish, hoggish,

selfish, rapacious, money-grubbing, stingy, parsimonious: His

most sordid plan was to pretend he was collecting money for the

handicapped. 3 dirty, foul, filthy, squalid, unclean, untidy,

mean, slummy, seamy, seedy, wretched, unsanitary, insanitary,

offensive, defiled, polluted, fetid, feculent, mucky, maggoty,

putrid, fly-blown, slimy: The conditions of some of the homes

the social workers visit are indescribably sordid. 4 wretched,

miserable, poor, poverty-stricken, down-and-out, impoverished,

ramshackle, hovel-like, tumbledown, dingy, seamy, seedy, slummy,

deteriorated, sleazy, back-alley: When he first came to town,

he lived in a sordid shack lent him by a farmer.

sore adj. 1 painful, sensitive, tender, raw, angry, burning,

stinging, smarting, hurting; irritated, inflamed, chafed: My

finger is still sore round the cut. 2 sensitive, delicate,

tender, embarrassing, awkward, ticklish, touchy, thorny,

prickly: Failing to complete medical school is a sore point

with her. 3 dire, serious, acute, extreme, critical, urgent,

pressing, desperate: He is in sore need of some good advice. 4

angry, angered, annoyed, irritated, vexed, irked, upset, Colloq

peeved: Don't get sore at me because you got low marks in your

exams. 5 painful, troublesome, grievous, aggrieved,

distressing, distressful, harrowing, severe, agonizing, bitter,

fierce, burdensome, onerous, heavy, oppressive: Melanie's

marital troubles proved a sore trial for her friends. 6 sore

straits. difficulty, trouble, distress, danger, dangerous or

precarious condition: The business is in sore straits, I fear.

--n. 7 injury, damage, swelling, rawness, infection,

inflammation, bruise, abrasion, cut, laceration, scrape, burn,

canker, ulcer: If that sore on your arm doesn't heal, you'd

better see a doctor.

sorrow n. 1 sadness, heartbreak, grief, unhappiness, dolour, misery,

woe, anguish, distress, suffering, torment, agony, wretchedness,

heartache, desolation, desolateness: How can one deal with the

sorrow of the loss of a child? 2 affliction, trouble, trial,

tribulation, misfortune, hardship, adversity, bad or hard luck,

cares, pressure, strain, travail: It is unbelievable that

anyone could survive a life filled with such sorrow.

--v. 3 grieve, lament, mourn, regret, keen, bemoan, agonize,

moan, bewail: She is sorrowing over the loss of her nephew.

sorrowful adj. 1 sad, unhappy, regretful, sorry, depressed, dejected,

crestfallen, chap-fallen, gloomy, downcast, blue, dispirited,

melancholy, in the doldrums, wretched, woebegone, miserable,

heartsick, disheartened, piteous, heavy-hearted, broken-hearted,

rueful, woeful, tearful, disconsolate, inconsolable,

grief-stricken, Colloq down in the mouth, down in the dumps:

The entire family was sorrowful to learn of Carriston's death.

2 distressing, lamentable, doleful, unfortunate, bitter,

distressful, troublous, grievous, unlucky, hapless, afflictive:

What a sorrowful life some of those miners' families have led!

sorry adj. 1 regretful, penitent, remorseful, contrite,

conscience-stricken, guilt-ridden, repentant, apologetic,

penitential: I am sorry if I offended you. 2 abject,

miserable, depressing, wretched, pitiful, pitiable, pathetic,

deplorable, stark, grim, sordid, dismal, base, star-crossed,

ill-starred: Crackham has led a rather sorry life, most of it

as a vagrant. Agnes again made a sorry spectacle of herself at

the Christmas party. 3 See sorrowful, 1, above: I was indeed

sorry to learn that you are moving away, Peggy.

sort n. 1 kind, variety, type, class, classification, group,

category, brand, make, mark, stamp, description, mould, stripe,

ilk, feather, kidney, character, nature; manner, species: A

1928 Alfa-Romeo coup‚ is not exactly the right sort of car for a

family. Lewis is a person of a different sort. What sort of

person is he? 2 kind, type, manner: This sort of behaviour must

stop. 3 species, genus, family, phylum, subgenus, subspecies,

race, breed, strain, stock, kind, variety, type: Aberdeen Angus

is a better sort of beef for steaks. 4 person, individual, lot;

thing: He is not really such a bad sort. 5 of sorts. of a

sort, of a mediocre or passable or admissible or not (too) bad

or fair or sufficiently good or adequate or undistinguished or

indifferent kind or quality or proficiency: Yes, one might say

that he is a violinist of sorts. 6 out of sorts. not oneself,

not up to snuff, unwell, ailing, indisposed, (slightly) ill,

low, Colloq off one's feed, under the weather: He is out of

sorts after last night's revelries. 7 sort of. See somewhat,

above.

--v. 8 assort, classify, file, order, rank, grade, class,

categorize, separate, divide, combine, merge, arrange, organize,

systemize, systematize, catalogue, group, sort out: Sort these

names into alphabetical order. 9 describe, characterize,

categorize, cast, throw, combine, mould, type: I did not enjoy

being sorted together with thieves and murderers. 10 sort out.

a organize, set or put straight, straighten out, resolve, tidy

(up), clarify, clear up, solve; decide: Someone will have to

sort out how we are to proceed. b choose, select, separate,

divide: Sort out all the books that you want to keep from those

to be donated to the library.

so so adj. mediocre, all right, average, undistinguished, passable,

not (too) bad or good, adequate, fair (to middling), middling,

indifferent, ordinary, tolerable, comme ci, comme ‡a, modest:

Sabrina, whose singing is just so so, will never be a star.

soul n. 1 (vital) spirit or force, being, (inner or true) self,

essence, psyche, heart, mind, intellect, reason, anima: He

finally surrendered, body and soul. 2 person, individual, man,

woman, mortal, (human) being: I won't tell a soul about our

conversation. What a sweet old soul she is! 3 incarnation,

embodiment, personification, typification, essence,

quintessence: You can count on me as the soul of discretion. 4

emotion, feeling, sentiment, sincerity, fervour, ardour, warmth,

dynamism, vivacity, energy, spirit, vitality, force: Alice puts

a lot of soul into her singing, and that comes across to the

audience.

soulful adj. sincere, deep, profound, moving, emotional, warm, ardent,

intense, fervent, expressive: The lovers exchanged soulful

looks.

sound° n. 1 tone; noise; din; cacophony; report: This piano has a

tinny sound. We could hear the sound of laughter from below. I

heard nothing over the sound of the crowd. Sounds of gunfire

echoed in the valley. 2 ring, tone, impression, characteristic,

quality, effect, aspect, look: I didn't like the sound of that

remark. 3 hearing, range, earshot: Anyone within the sound of

his voice could tell that he was angry.

--v. 4 resound, reverberate, echo, resonate: The noises sound

very close. 5 seem, appear, look; strike one, give one the

impression or feeling or sense (that); resemble, sound or seem

or look like: It sounds as if you don't want to come to my

party. That sounds like Russian to me. 6 ring, (be) activate(d),

(be) set or touch(ed) off, signal: Anyone walking into the room

sounds the alarm. The alarm sounds when the beam is broken. 7

Sometimes, sound out. articulate, pronounce, enunciate, utter;

voice, vocalize: I was taught to speak clearly, to sound each

consonant and vowel. 8 Sometimes, sound out or off. shout

(out), cry out, yell (out): Sound out those numbers loud and

clear! 9 sound off. vituperate, complain, bluster, grumble,

Slang bitch: Today Mr Morrison was again sounding off about the

service in the caf‚.

soundý adj. 1 undamaged, uninjured, whole, unmarred, in good condition

or shape, intact, unimpaired, unscathed: When the vase was sold

to you it was sound. 2 healthy, hale (and hearty), fit (as a

fiddle), robust, vigorous, blooming, rosy, ruddy: Old Tom is as

sound as ever. 3 firm, solid, substantial, strong, sturdy,

tough, rugged, durable, well-built, well-constructed,

dependable: A business, like a building, must be built on sound

foundations if it is to last. 4 sane, balanced, normal,

rational, wholesome, reasoning, reasonable, clear-headed, lucid,

right-minded, responsible, practical, prudent, politic, wise,

sensible, logical, common-sense, commonsensical, astute,

far-sighted, perceptive, perspicacious, percipient; valid, good,

judicious, reliable, useful: As Juvenal said, 'Mens sana in

corpore sano,' or 'A sound mind in a sound body'. My old teacher

gave me a lot of sound advice. 5 safe, secure, good,

conservative, non-speculative, solid, riskless; profitable: Are

you sure that utilities are a sound investment now? 6 unbroken,

uninterrupted, undisturbed, untroubled, peaceful, deep: I drank

the potion and at once fell into a sound sleep.

sound° v. 1 Often, sound out. plumb, probe, test, check (out or into),

fathom, inquire or enquire of, question, poll, canvass,

investigate, examine, survey: Sound out the membership on their

feelings about increasing the dues. 2 dive, plunge, submerge:

The great whale sounded, almost taking the tiny boat down with

it.

sound4 n. inlet, strait(s), fiord or fjord, bight, (sea) loch, bay,

arm of the sea, cove, Scots firth: The breeze freshened as we

sailed across the Sound of Mull.

sour adj. 1 acid, acidic, tart, vinegary, lemony, acidulous or

acidulent, acidulated, acescent, acerbic: This apple has a

pleasant, slightly sour taste. Do you like sour dill pickles? 2

turned, bad, (gone) off, fermented, curdled, rancid, spoilt or

spoiled: If the food is sour, throw it away. 3 disagreeable,

unpleasant, distasteful, bad, nasty, bitter, terrible: The poor

service and facilities made the entire holiday a very sour

experience. 4 acrimonious, bitter, embittered, unpleasant,

churlish, ill-natured, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, crusty,

curmudgeonly, crabbed, crabby, grouchy, cross, cranky, testy,

petulant, impatient, abrupt, nasty, curt, caustic, brusque,

peevish, snappish, edgy, sullen, morose, gloomy, discontented:

The waitress's sour expression matched her sour disposition.

--v. 5 turn, spoil, curdle, go bad or off, ferment: Milk sours

quickly in this climate if you don't refrigerate it. 6

embitter, acerbate, disenchant, exasperate, vex, Colloq peeve:

Being forced to practise for hours when a child was what soured

my enjoyment of playing the piano.

source n. 1 fountain-head, well-spring, origin, provenance,

provenience, inception, start, outset, beginning, root(s),

commencement, rise: We set out to find the source of the Blue

Nile. The mineral bauxite is the source of aluminium. 2

originator, author, creator, begetter: Who is credited as the

source of this quotation? 3 authority, documentation;

informant, Colloq horse's mouth: To verify the information, go

to the source.

sovereign n. 1 monarch, ruler, emperor, empress, king, queen, prince,

princess, potentate, chief, master, mistress, shah, sultan;

Akund (of Swat), Gaekwar (of Baroda), Nizam (of Hyderabad),

Mehtar (of Chitral), Nucifrage of Nuremberg, Sheikh of Araby,

Colloq supremo: She is the sovereign and must be obeyed.

--adj. 2 supreme, paramount, highest, principal, foremost,

greatest, predominant, dominant, ranking, leading, chief,

superior, pre-eminent, ruling, regnant, reigning, governing,

all-powerful, absolute, unlimited: The first-born of the

monarch is vested with sovereign authority upon the monarch's

death. 3 royal, regal, majestic, noble, lordly, aristocratic,

kingly, queenly: He was hailed as the sovereign ruler of all

the islands.

sovereignty

n. suzerainty, hegemony, dominion, rule, pre-eminence, power,

jurisdiction, authority, leadership, command, sway, supremacy,

ascendancy, primacy: Anyone who doubted his sovereignty was

seized and thrown into a dungeon.

sow v. seed, disseminate, broadcast, plant: The grand vizier sowed

the seeds of dissension amongst the subjects of the caliph.

19.11 space...

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space n. 1 spaciousness, room, place, expanse, elbow-room, leeway,

margin, latitude, play: There was no space for another desk. 2

blank: When the spaces are filled in, the puzzle is done. 3

interval, lapse, period, time, hiatus, lacuna, span, while,

duration, extent, spell, stretch, pause, wait, intermission,

gap, break, interruption: After a short space we were home

again. 4 accommodation, seat, berth, room, place: Luckily, I

got the last available space on the plane.

--v. 5 arrange, organize, array, set out, align, range, order,

rank, lay out, measure (out): Space the trees about eight feet

apart.

spacious adj. vast, large, extensive, enormous, wide, broad, commodious,

ample, expansive, roomy, huge, sizeable, large, capacious,

great, immense, outsize(d), voluminous, oversize(d): The house

was more spacious than it looked from the outside. Siberia

offers spacious territory, ripe for habitation over the next

century.

span n. 1 bridge, link, stretch, overpass, Chiefly Brit flyover: We

drove across the entire span in less than five minutes. 2

course, extent, interval, stretch, period, time, term, spell:

In the short span of six hours we had crossed the Atlantic.

--v. 3 cross, stretch over, reach over, extend over, go over,

bridge: A rude bridge spans the river at Lexington. Their lives

spanned more than a century.

spank v. slap, smack, put or take over one's knee, thrash, paddle;

chastise, punish, castigate; Colloq wallop, tan (someone's)

hide, paddywhack, whack, give (someone) a (good) licking or

hiding: In those days when you misbehaved you were spanked.

spanking adj. 1 spic and span, smart, bright, snappy, gleaming,

brand-new, fine, remarkable, outstanding, big, large, great:

You ought to see Jim Trowbridge's spanking new yacht. 2 brisk,

lively, crisp, bracing, fresh, freshening, rattling, strong,

invigorating, blustery: A spanking breeze blew up from the

west. 3 quick, rapid, swift, lively, snappy, fast, smart,

energetic, vigorous, brisk: The pony drew the dogcart at a

spanking pace.

spar° n. Nautical mast, yard, yard-arm, boom, boomkin, gaff, jigger,

mizen, Colloq stick, pole: The first gusts of the storm tore

the remaining canvas from the spars.

sparý v. 1 fight, box, exchange blows; shadow-box: He was once the

champion's sparring partner. 2 dispute, argue, bicker,

squabble, wrangle, bandy words, have words; fight, Colloq scrap:

I have better things to do than spar with you over breakfast

every day.

spare adj. 1 extra, surplus, supernumerary, auxiliary, supplementary,

additional; odd, leftover; in reserve, in addition: We got a

puncture, so Dad stopped and put on the spare wheel. Give them

the spare room. Have you a spare cigarette? 2 unoccupied,

leftover, leisure, free, surplus, extra; not spoken for: Her

demanding job left her very little spare time. 3 thin, skinny,

scrawny, cadaverous, gaunt, raw-boned, meagre, gangling,

lank(y), wiry, slim, slender; all skin and bones: The spare,

ragged figure crouched in the shadows, his hand outstretched in

supplication. 4 See sparing, below. 5 meagre, frugal, small,

skimpy, modest, scanty: Their meals were spare but wholesome.

--v. 6 save, rescue, deliver, redeem: Bill spared me from a

fate worse than death. Spare me the embarrassment of having to

ask for my money back. 7 pardon, let go, release, have mercy on,

let off, free, liberate: At the last moment, the judge spared

him. 8 allow, relinquish, let go (of), give, award, bestow, let

have, donate, part with, give, yield: She decided she could

spare a couple of pounds for the disaster appeal. Buddy, can you

spare a dime? 9 avoid, dispense with, manage or do without, give

up, forgo, forsake, surrender, sacrifice: We spared a great

deal of trouble by settling the dispute. Spare the rod and spoil

the child.

sparing adj. 1 thrifty, saving, frugal, spare, careful, prudent,

parsimonious, economical, penurious, mean; penny-pinching,

stingy, niggardly, miserly, close, close-fisted, cheap, Colloq

tight, tight-fisted, Brit mingy: As sparing in his praise as he

was in his purse, General Waller rarely complimented his troops.

2 See sparse, 2 below.

spark n. 1 scintilla, flicker, glimmer, glint, sparkle, speck, hint,

suggestion, vestige, atom, whit, jot (or tittle), iota: As long

as a spark of life remained in his body he fought for freedom

and justice.

--v. 2 Often, spark off. set or touch off, ignite, kindle,

enkindle, electrify, animate, trigger, energize, galvanize,

activate, excite, stimulate, set in motion, bring about, start

(up), begin, initiate, inspire, inspirit, provoke, precipitate:

Was there any single factor that sparked the Renaissance?

sparkle v. 1 glitter, scintillate, glint, flicker, shine, twinkle,

wink, blink, glimmer, flash, coruscate, blaze, burn, flame: The

setting sun sparkled on the sea. Brian's eyes sparkled with an

inner fire. 2 effervesce, fizz, bubble: We ordered a jeroboam

of sparkling Burgundy.

--n. 3 glitter, scintillation, twinkle, coruscation, dazzle,

spark, gleam, brightness, brilliance, radiance: I fear that the

sparkle has gone out of her smile. 4 vivacity, liveliness,

fire, brightness, wittiness, effervescence, ebullience,

excitement, animation, vigour, energy, spirit, cheer, joy,

light-heartedness, ‚lan, zeal, gusto, dash, life, gaiety, cheer,

cheerfulness; certain something; Colloq vim, zip, zing, pizazz,

oomph: It is easy to see that she gets her sparkle from her

mother.

sparse adj. 1 thin (on the ground), few (and far between), meagre,

scanty, (widely) dispersed or scattered, spread out, spotty, in

short supply, scarce: Tourists are sparse in Scotland in

January. Sparse blooms appeared on the rose-bushes this year. 2

little, limited, meagre, scant, sparing, inappreciable, not

much, insignificant: Sparse use was made of the new tennis

court because of the rain.

Spartan adj. austere, strict, severe, harsh, hard, stern, rigorous,

rigid, ascetic, stringent, controlled, disciplined,

self-denying, abstinent, abstemious: He gave up all luxuries

and today lives a Spartan life in the forest.

spasm n. 1 convulsion, throe, fit, twitch, paroxysm: Deprived of his

medication, Brian might go into spasms. 2 fit, seizure,

convulsion, paroxysm, spell, outburst, burst, eruption: After

that, every time he said 'furniture', the crowd went into spasms

of laughter.

spasmodic adj. 1 spasmodical, paroxysmal, convulsive, jerky, jerking,

sudden, Technical spastic: John was quite uneasy, unaware that

Cynthia's spasmodic winking was due to a tic. 2 fitful,

irregular, intermittent, arrhythmic, random, interrupted,

sporadic, erratic, occasional, periodic, unsustained,

discontinuous, pulsating, cyclic(al), broken: Spasmodic peals

of thunder shook the house.

spate n. flood, inundation, onrush, onset, rush, deluge, outpouring,

outflow, outflowing, flow: What did I say to provoke that spate

of foul language?

spatter v. splash, splatter, speckle, bespatter, spray, dabble, daub,

bedaub, sprinkle, besprinkle, Brit splodge, US splotch: When

she dropped the pan the grease spattered all over my new white

flannels.

spawn v. give birth to, yield, bear, bring forth, breed, beget,

create, father, sire, produce, generate, engender, give rise to,

bring about, cause: Donald's arrogance over his wealth spawned

a great deal of resentment.

speak v. 1 talk, converse, discourse: We were not allowed to speak

during lessons. 2 talk to, converse or discourse with, address,

say (something or) anything to: She was speaking quietly to the

children. That is no way to speak to your elders. 3 talk,

communicate in, discourse or converse in, communicate in, utter

in, articulate in, use: Can you really speak Chinese? 4

express, utter, say, state, tell, pronounce, enunciate, voice;

articulate, make known, communicate, reveal, indicate: He is

speaking the truth. 5 symbolize, betoken, signify, communicate,

convey, indicate: Her refusal to return your love-letters

speaks volumes. 6 so to speak. as it were, in a manner of

speaking, figuratively or metaphorically (speaking): When it

comes to employee benefits, the boss is Scrooge himself, so to

speak. 7 speak for. a support, uphold, defend, stand up for,

plead for, make a plea for, recommend, Colloq stick up for: Be

quiet and let Simon speak for himself. b act on or in behalf

of, act for, represent, act as agent for: He is speaking for

the whole staff when he expresses worries about the cuts. c

demand, require, beg, request, ask for: The situation speaks

urgently for an effective drug rehabilitation programme. 8 speak

for itself. be self-evident, be obvious, be significant: The

fact that both your son and the ring are missing speaks for

itself. 9 speak of. mention, advert to, allude to, refer to,

make reference to, comment on, speak or talk about: I begged

you not to speak of her again in my presence. 10 speak on.

discuss, address, discourse upon or on, speak to, treat (of),

deal with, examine, touch upon or on: In his presentation Dr

Andrews spoke on the role of natural predators in pest control.

11 speak out or up. a talk (more) loudly or clearly, make

oneself heard: I cannot hear you unless you speak up a bit. b

talk freely or unreservedly, express one's opinion, speak one's

mind, declare, come out, state one's position, take a stand: I

heard a mother of ten speak out against birth control. 12 speak

to. a reprove, scold, reprimand, rebuke, admonish, warn,

lecture: After his father spoke to him, Nicholas stopped

staying out so late. b be meaningful to, appeal to, influence,

affect, touch: Constance's poetry effectively speaks to the

heart. c accost, address, talk to, Formal apostrophize: I have

to speak to the teacher after class. d See 10, above. 13

spoken for. reserved, engaged, bespoke, set aside, accounted

for, chosen, selected: I'm afraid that the purple dress has

already been spoken for, madam.

speaker n. orator, lecturer; keynoter; rabble-rouser, demagogue, Colloq

tub-thumper, spieler: It was my function to introduce the

speaker.

spearhead v. 1 launch, initiate, lead (the way), take the initiative,

pioneer, blaze the trail, break the ice, take the lead, be in

the van or vanguard: He spearheaded medical research into

arthritis.

--n. 2 vanguard, advance guard, van, forefront, cutting edge:

They claim to be the spearhead of space technology.

special adj. 1 particular, specific, exceptional, uncommon, especial,

rare, unusual, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, different,

unorthodox, unconventional, unique, precise, individual,

singular, distinctive, specialized, certain, remarkable,

inimitable, idiosyncratic, curious, peculiar, odd, strange,

bizarre, weird, one of a kind; distinguished, notable,

noteworthy: They have a special way of communicating with each

other. I bought something very special for your birthday. A

special relationship sprang up between us. 2 significant,

important, momentous, earth-shaking, memorable, red-letter;

gala, festive, celebratory: The fifth of September is a special

day in our family. 3 pointed, concerted, deliberate,

particular, extra, determined: After I had made a special

effort to get there, nobody was home. 4 exclusive, express,

individual, extra: Send the packet by special messenger. 5

dear, intimate, particular, good, close, bosom, staunch, loyal,

faithful, devoted, steadfast; dearest, best, closest; esteemed,

valued: I wasn't aware that John Spencer was a special friend

of yours. 6 prime, primary, major, prominent, paramount: I

shouldn't attach any special importance to her demands.

--n. 7 See speciality, 2 below.

specialist

n. expert, authority, professional, master, connoisseur,

maestro, artiste, artist, adept: Pierre Legrand is a specialist

in matching antique furniture finishes. Such work requires

specialist knowledge.

speciality

n. 1 expertise, talent, genius, gift, skill, aptitude, trade,

craft, accomplishment, ability, strength, forte, strong point,

capability, adeptness, art, sphere, field, area, subject,

concentration, specialization, m‚tier, Chiefly US and Canadian

specialty, Colloq bag, thing, cup of tea, baby, claim to fame:

Dr Mann's speciality is tropical diseases. 2 piŠce de

r‚sistance, sp‚cialit‚ de la maison, special, Chiefly US and

Canadian specialty, US blueplate special: Today's speciality is

calves' brains au beurre noir.

specially adv. especially, particularly, custom, expressly, exclusively:

I had this suit specially made for me.

specific adj. 1 definite, precise, exact, particular, explicit, express,

unambiguous, definitive, clear-cut, unequivocal, (well-)defined,

determined, specified, individual, peculiar, certain, limited,

indicated, predetermined, established, spelt or spelled out,

delineated, set, distinct, fixed, circumscribed, restricted:

Each part has its specific function. 2 Often, specific to.

characteristic (of), unique to, individual (to), sui generis,

proper (to), typical (of), peculiar to, identified with,

personal (to), discrete (to), special (to), associated with:

The disease is specific to one area only. Are these problems

group-specific?

specification

n. 1 identification, identifying, description, describing,

particularization, particularizing, specifying, naming: The

police were relying on a specification of the ringleaders by an

informer. 2 itemization, itemizing, list, listing, check-list,

inventory, list of particulars, detail, enumeration: When can

you let me have the specifications for the new building? 3

requirement, qualification, condition, restriction, stipulation,

consideration: The specification called for green marble and no

substitute.

specify v. particularize, enumerate, itemize, name, denominate, list,

indicate, mention, identify, cite, define, detail, stipulate,

spell out, set out or forth, individualize, be specific about,

delineate, determine, disambiguate, establish: You must specify

the source of each quotation.

specimen n. sample, example, instance, exemplar, representative,

representation; illustration, case (in point), type, model,

pattern: This is a specimen taken from the Pre-Cambrian strata.

Using this as a specimen, can you reproduce the entire fabric?

specious adj. deceptive, superficial, casuistic, ostensible, misleading,

apparent, seeming, fallacious, sophistic(al), plausible, likely,

conceivable, possible, supposed, purported, presumed,

presumable, alleged, so-called: The candidate affected a

specious show of liberality merely to attract votes. Do not be

misled by specious reasoning.

speck n. spot, dot, fleck, mote, speckle, mark, bit, particle; crumb,

iota, jot (or tittle), whit, atom, molecule, touch, hint,

suggestion, suspicion, tinge, modicum, amount, grain, smidgen or

smidgin: There's a speck of soot on your collar. Is there a

speck of truth in what she says about you?

speckled adj. spotted, mottled, dotted, sprinkled, flecked, stippled,

dapple(d), freckled, brindle(d); discoloured, spattered,

bespattered: I can see by looking at it that it's a speckled

trout.

spectacle n. 1 show, display, sight, performance, event, presentation,

exhibition, exhibit, exposition, demonstration, extravaganza,

marvel, wonder, sensation: Instead of criticizing everything in

life, why not just sit back and enjoy the spectacle? 2 fool,

laughing-stock, curiosity: Joan makes a spectacle of herself by

her solo dancing when she gets a little tipsy. 3 spectacles.

eyeglasses, glasses, Colloq specs: He wears spectacles only for

reading.

spectator n. witness, eyewitness, observer, viewer, onlooker, looker-on,

watcher, beholder: There were more spectators than participants

at the spring dance.

spectral adj. ghostly, ghostlike, phantom, eerie, wraithlike,

incorporeal, unearthly, supernatural, weird, Colloq spooky: I

could have sworn there was a spectral figure, dressed in white,

standing near the window.

spectre n. 1 ghost, phantom, wraith, apparition, vision, spirit, shade,

revenant, Doppelg„nger, chimera, Colloq spook, bogeyman or

bogyman: Each year the spectre appeared to her on Christmas

Eve. 2 image, vision, (mental) picture: Again the horrible

spectre of war and pestilence arose.

speculate v. 1 Often, speculate on or upon or about or over. reflect (on

or about or over), consider, muse (on or about or over),

meditate (on or over or about), contemplate (on or about),

cogitate (on or about), think (about or over or on), ponder

(over or about), mull over, chew on or over, ruminate (on or

over or about), wonder (about), deliberate (over or on or

about), weigh, judge, evaluate, theorize (on or about),

conjecture (on or about), postulate, hypothesize: I have been

speculating about whether I should take a holiday in the

Algarve. Why not go and enjoy yourself instead of speculating on

the world's injustices? 2 gamble, wager, take a chance, Colloq

have a flutter, play the market, take a plunge: She is too

conservative to speculate in the stock market.

speculation

n. 1 conjecture, guess, hypothesis, theory, guesswork,

postulation, surmise, supposition, opinion: My speculations

have often proved true. Both the steady-state and the big-bang

theories of the origins of the universe are pure speculation. 2

thinking, rumination, cogitation, reflection, meditation,

contemplation, consideration, cerebration, pondering, wondering,

deliberation, evaluation: All serious philosophers engage in

idle speculation. 3 gambling, gamble, wagering, wager, taking

(a) chance(s) or risk(s), chance-taking: Her speculation on the

market paid off handsomely.

speculative

adj. 1 intellectual, ideational, abstract, cogitative,

notional, theoretical, hypothetical, conjectural, suppositional,

supposititious or suppositious, suppositive, rational,

ratiocinative, ideal, idealized, idealistic, unrealistic,

unpractical, impractical, analytical: Frank's theories about

climate change were entirely speculative and substantially

wrong. 2 risky, hazardous, uncertain, unreliable, untrustworthy,

doubtful, dubious, untested, unproven, unproved, Colloq iffy,

chancy, Slang dicey: You ought to invest your money in less

speculative enterprises.

speech n. 1 speaking, talking, articulation, diction, language,

expression, enunciation, elocution, speech pattern;

communication: His speech is marred by a lisp. Martha studied

speech at a well-known drama school. 2 oration, address,

lecture, talk, discourse, disquisition, sermon, homily; tirade,

harangue, philippic; (sales) pitch, line, song and dance; Colloq

spiel, blast: Her speech left her audience awed with her

knowledge of the subject. When the householder opens the door,

you launch into your speech about the encyclopedia. 3 dialect,

idiolect, jargon, parlance, idiom, fa‡on de parler, language,

tongue, Colloq lingo: English speech varieties range from Scots

to Cockney to Texan to Jamaican.

speechless

adj. 1 mute, dumb, voiceless: He was speechless and in shock

for two days following the accident. They claim to speak for

animals who are, of course, speechless themselves. 2 dumbfounded

or dumfounded, dumbstruck or dumbstricken, wordless, struck

dumb, tongue-tied, thunderstruck, shocked, dazed, inarticulate,

paralysed, nonplussed, Slang Brit gobsmacked: He was speechless

with fury to find his car missing.

speed n. 1 rapidity, fleetness, quickness, speediness, swiftness,

velocity, dispatch or despatch, hurry, hurriedness, haste,

hastiness, celerity, alacrity, expeditiousness, expedition,

briskness, promptness, timeliness; suddenness, precipitateness,

precipitousness, abruptness: We reached a speed of Mach 2. What

is the speed of your new computer? The speed of her reactions

will be recorded during the experiment.

--v. 2 Often, speed up. accelerate, move, expedite, forward,

advance, facilitate, boost, further, promote, help, assist, aid,

Colloq give a leg up: He vowed to do anything he could to speed

the troops' return from the battlefield. 3 hasten, make haste,

hurry, rush, charge, dart, bolt, shoot, run, race, sprint, fly,

streak, scurry, tear, hustle, scramble, scamper, career, bowl

along, go or fly like the wind, Colloq go hell for leather, go

like a bat out of hell, belt along, step on it, put one's foot

down, zip, zoom, skedaddle, go like a shot, US hightail it, step

on the gas, go like greased lightning, make tracks, Slang US

burn rubber: Where the road is straight, cars speed along at up

to 120 miles per hour.

speedy adj. 1 quick, rapid, swift, brisk, expeditious, fast,

immediate, prompt: What happened to the form of justice under

which the accused were guaranteed a speedy trial? 2 hasty,

precipitate, precipitous, hurried, summary: Some of the

townspeople favoured the wrong kind of speedy justice - by

lynching. 3 fleet, nimble, wing-footed, winged, fast, quick,

rapid, swift: Carol is one of the speediest sprinters on our

team.

spell° n. 1 period, interval, time, term, season; stint, turn, run,

course, shift, tour (of duty), watch, round: We had a spell of

bad weather. Each of us had a spell at the tiller during the

crossing.

--v. 2 relieve, replace, substitute for, take over for or from:

After 36 hours of uninterrupted duty, I needed someone to spell

me for a while.

spellý n. 1 enchantment, allure, charm, magic, witchcraft, witchery,

fascination, captivation, enthralment: She had them all under

her spell. 2 incantation, formula, charm: The priest uttered

some spell and I found myself unable to move. 3 attraction,

lure, allure, appeal, draw, pull, magnetism, fascination,

influence, mesmerism, hypnotic effect: We were drawn ever

onward by the spell of the jungle.

spell° v. 1 augur, portend, presage, promise, hold promise of,

signify, point to, indicate, omen, bode, look like, amount to,

mean: Harry's conviction will spell the end of his career as a

bank robber. 2 spell out. specify, delineate, make clear or

plain or explicit, clarify, elucidate: She despises you - I

can't spell it out for you more plainly than that.

spellbinding

adj. fascinating, enchanting, enthralling, captivating,

enrapturing, bewitching, mesmerizing, charming, overpowering:

The preacher put on one of his most spellbinding performances.

spend v. 1 pay out, disburse, expend, lay out, Colloq fork out, dish

out, shell out, Brit splash out: That man spends more for a

suit than you earn in a year. 2 squander, throw away, fritter

away, waste, go through, splurge, lavish, dissipate: He spends

money as if it's going out of style. 3 devote, allot, assign,

invest, put in, pass: If you don't spend more time with the

children they'll forget they have a father.

spendthrift

n. 1 profligate, wastrel, (big) spender, squanderer, prodigal:

Because her nephew is such a spendthrift, she put his

inheritance in a trust fund.

--adj. 2 wasteful, free-spending, prodigal, profligate,

squandering, extravagant, improvident: The chancellor's

spendthrift budget will increase inflation.

spent adj. 1 drained, exhausted, prostrate, tired, fatigued, fagged

out, weary, wearied, worn out, Colloq (dead) beat, done in, done

for, all in, dog-tired, played out, burnt- or burned-out, used

up, Brit knackered, done up, US pooped: He was totally spent

after sitting in the airport all night during the storm. 2

exhausted, used up, emptied, gone, expended, finished, fini,

consumed, depleted: At 70, he was wrong to feel that his life

was spent.

spew v. Often, spew forth or out or up. belch (up or out or forth),

vomit (up or forth), regurgitate, spit up or out, spout,

discharge, emit, eject, send forth, spurt, gush, throw up or

out, disgorge, Slang puke: The volcano spewed forth lava for

six days and nights.

sphere n. 1 globe, orb, globule, spherule; drop, droplet, bubble:

Flotation is provided by thousands of hollow plastic spheres. 2

society, class, level, caste, rank, domain, walk of life,

station, stratum, position: They did not belong to the same

social sphere. 3 area, field, province, subject, discipline,

range, speciality or US specialty, forte, Colloq bailiwick,

territory, department, thing, bag: Are Gregorian chants within

Stanley's sphere of interest?

spherical adj. spheric, globular, round, ball-shaped, ball-like,

globelike, globe-shaped, globose or globous, globoid,

globate(d), spheroid(al): They chose simple, spherical

lampshades for the sitting-room.

spice n. 1 condiment, relish, seasoning, flavour(ing); herb: Much of

the purpose of early explorers was to search for spices. 2

zest, spiciness, piquancy, tang, pungency, bite, sharpness,

poignancy, gusto, excitement, seasoning, dash, ‚lan, colour,

life, vigour, interest, stimulation, stimulant, spirit, Colloq

vim, zip, pep, kick, pizazz, punch, ginger, pepper: A holiday

in the Bahamas will add a little spice to our lives.

--v. 3 season, flavour: Highly spiced food does not agree with

many people. 4 Often, spice up. enliven, inspirit, stimulate,

invigorate: The proprietor felt that the new editor should try

to spice up the magazine.

spicy adj. 1 zesty, zestful, piquant, tangy, (well-)spiced,

(well-)seasoned, hot, peppery, sharp, pungent, snappy, biting,

full-bodied, aromatic, savoury, flavoursome, flavourful: This

curry is a little too spicy for my taste. 2 off colour,

indelicate, suggestive, risqu‚, improper, indecent, indecorous,

ribald, racy, bawdy, unseemly, offensive, titillating, sexy,

Colloq hot: This magazine often publishes spicy nude photos. 3

scandalous, sensational, outrageous, notorious, revealing,

revelatory, intimate: She likes to read about the spicy

goings-on in Hollywood.

spike n. 1 skewer, stake, prong, treenail, nail, peg, picket, pin,

pike, spine: To subdue a vampire, drive a wooden spike through

its heart.

--v. 2 impale, stab, stick, spear, pierce, spit, lance: He was

spiked through the thigh by a bayonet. 3 disable, thwart,

nullify, disarm, block, frustrate, foil, void, balk, check,

cancel, annul: Our plans for the picnic were spiked by the

weather. 4 strengthen; drug, poison, Slang slip in a Mickey

(Finn): I passed out because my drink was spiked.

spill v. 1 pour (out or over), overflow, slop or run or brim over:

The milk spilt all over the floor. 2 waste, throw out, lose:

Don't cry over spilt milk. 3 spill the beans. reveal or tell or

disclose or divulge all or everything, blab, tattle, let the cat

out of the bag, confess, Slang squeal, be a stool-pigeon or

stoolie, spill one's guts, sing (like a canary), Brit blow the

gaff: Finnegan spilled the beans to the cops.

--n. 4 outpouring, flood, leak, leakage: Don't tell me there's

been another oil spill! 5 fall, tumble, accident, Colloq

cropper, header: Crutchley had a nasty spill at the third fence

in the Grand National.

spin v. 1 revolve, turn, rotate, gyrate, twirl, whirl, twist, reel,

pirouette, pivot: The car spun out of control on the ice. Fred

spun Ginger around the dance floor. 2 invent, concoct, make up,

devise, produce, fabricate; weave, relate, retail, recount,

narrate, tell, unfold: Each night, father would spin a new

chapter in the yarn of the vagabond princess. 3 be dizzy, suffer

vertigo, swim, whirl, be giddy: My head was spinning from so

much attention by the media. 4 spin off. separate, derive: The

manufacturer spun off two new companies specializing in parts

and service. 5 spin out. prolong, protract, drag or draw out,

stretch out, perpetuate, continue, extend, keep alive, keep

going: The case was spun out for years in the courts.

--n. 6 whirl, whirling, twirl, twirling, turn, turning,

gyration, reel, pirouette, revolution, revolving, rotation,

rotating: He puts a spin on the ball when he throws it. Is the

spin of all planets in the same direction? 7 drive, whirl,

joyride, ride, tour, excursion, outing, jaunt: On Sunday

afternoons we sometimes went for a spin in the car.

spine n. 1 backbone, spinal column, vertebrae: He can't stand up

straight - he has curvature of the spine. 2 thorn, needle,

barb, spike, spur, prong, quill, ray, barbel, bristle, prickle,

Technical barbule, spicule or spiculum or spicula: The surface

of the sea urchin is covered with needle-like spines.

spineless adj. 1 Technical invertebrate: There are more species of

spineless creatures than those with internal backbones. 2 weak,

feeble, flabby, irresolute, weak-willed, indecisive,

ineffectual, ineffective, impotent, powerless: After her reign,

any king would appear spineless. 3 cowardly, dastardly,

pusillanimous, timorous, lily-livered, white-livered, craven,

fearful, timid, spiritless, squeamish, Colloq yellow,

chicken-hearted, chicken, yellow-bellied, wimpish: She said you

were spineless because you refused to go into the lions' cage.

spiral n. 1 helix, coil, corkscrew, screw, scroll; whorl, volute,

turn, curl: In earlier Greek motifs, the spiral is commoner

than the rectangular fret.

--adj. 2 helical, coiled, screw, corkscrew, cochlear or

cochleate; scrolled, volute(d), whorled: A spiral staircase is

attractive and space-saving, but hard to use.

spire n. 1 column, tower, belfry; steeple, flŠche: The spire of the

church was repeatedly struck by lightning that night. 2 top,

pinnacle, apex, peak, summit, acme, tip, crest, crown, vertex:

We climbed till we stood on the highest spire above the valley.

spirit n. 1 anima, breath, life, vitality, vital spirit, pneuma, soul,

consciousness, psyche, self, heart, essence: Though past

eighty, Mr Wilkins has a great deal of spirit. Even though she

is gone, Annabel's spirit is still with us. 2 character,

temperament, temper, persona, disposition, mind, will,

will-power, attitude, bent, inclination, energy, ardour, desire,

impetus, drive, urge, eagerness, zest, zeal, zealousness, fire,

passion(s), enthusiasm, motivation, mettle, resolution, resolve,

intention, enterprise: We have always admired the spirit of the

early pioneers. Bill has shown a lot of the right spirit. 3

zest, pungency, piquancy, warmth, fire, animation, life,

liveliness, vivacity, vivaciousness, panache, ‚lan, dash, spice,

Colloq sauce, pepper: He needs to put more spirit into his

sales presentation. 4 See spectre, 1, above. 5 bravery,

courage, grit, backbone, valour, pluck, daring,

stout-heartedness, manfulness, manliness, gameness,

resoluteness, will, will-power, Colloq vim, spunk,

get-up-and-go, (right) stuff, guts, US sand: Johnston has the

spirit to be a marine. 6 meaning, sense, tenor, signification,

purport, intent, intention, purpose, aim, implication, message,

essence, quintessence, core, heart, meat, pith, substance,

marrow: The spirit of the agreement is different from the way

the lawyers worded the contract. Is it in keeping with the

spirit of the law? 7 attitude, principle, thought, idea,

inspiration, notion, feeling, inclination, impulse: Christmas

is associated with the spirit of giving. 8 Often, spirits.

temper, mood, sentiments, feelings, cheer, humour, frame of

mind; morale: I hope he took my criticism in good spirit. You

seem to be in pretty good spirits today. My spirits are quite

low. 9 spirits. a feelings, mood, temper, sentiments; morale,

esprit de corps, team spirit: Spirits were high at the annual

boat races. b alcohol, liquor, whisky, strong drink, Colloq

booze, fire-water, Slang chiefly US and Canadian hooch or

hootch: It is illegal to sell spirits to minors.

--v. 10 spirit away or off. abduct, make off or away with,

carry off, transport, take away, kidnap, steal (off or away

with), whisk away, abscond with; make disappear: A thief

spirited away a painting from the exhibition. She was spirited

away by a band of elves.

spirited adj. lively, sprightly, energetic, vigorous, animated,

sparkling, dynamic, buoyant, effervescent, vivacious, ardent,

mettlesome: The horse I chose was a bit too spirited. The

barrister presented a spirited defence for his client. The 1970s

saw spirited revivals of art nouveau and art deco styles.

spiritual adj. 1 sacred, ecclesiastic(al), churchly, clerical, priestly,

devotional, holy, divine, sacerdotal, religious, non-secular:

Father Craig was in charge of the spiritual aspects of our

lives. 2 non-material, incorporeal, psychic(al), mental,

psychological, inner: Spiritual needs are less easily satisfied

than physical needs.

spit v. 1 expectorate; dribble, salivate, drool, slaver, sputter,

splutter; discharge, spew (forth), eject: Spitting is

forbidden. Don't you hate people who spit when they talk? The

volcano spat huge boulders into the sky. 2 spitting image or

spit and image. twin, duplicate, clone, image, counterpart,

likeness, copy: She is the spitting image of her mother.

--n. 3 spittle, saliva, drool, Technical sputum: A large

gobbet of spit clung to his beard.

spite n. 1 spitefulness, maliciousness, malice, malevolence,

malignity, ill will, venom, spleen, rancour, animosity, gall

(and wormwood), resentment, bitterness, hostility, antagonism,

hatred, hate, Colloq bitchiness: Just out of spite, Marian saw

to it that he didn't get the job. 2 in spite of. despite,

notwithstanding, regardless of, ignoring, in defiance of: In

spite of his efforts to be helpful, she despises him.

--v. 3 annoy, irritate, vex, upset, disconcert, offend,

provoke, discomfit, pique, put out, hurt, injure, wound, Colloq

peeve, get under (someone's) skin, needle, US do a number on:

He would cut off his nose to spite his face. He told her he was

happy only to spite her for having divorced him.

spiteful adj. rancorous, bitter, acrimonious, malevolent, malicious,

venomous, hateful, invidious, hostile, antagonistic, unfriendly,

unforgiving, retaliative or retaliatory, punitive, retributive

or retributory: Cutting off Colin's allowance because he forgot

your birthday was a spiteful thing to do.

splash v. 1 spatter, bespatter, splatter, shower, spray, sprinkle,

besprinkle, Brit splodge or US also splotch; mottle, spot: The

painters splashed paint all over the floor. My freshly washed

car was soon splashed with mud again. 2 blazon, spread, plaster:

Was that your picture splashed across the front page of

yesterday's paper?

--n. 3 spatter, spray, splatter, sprinkle, spot, stain, smear,

smudge, Brit splodge or US also splotch: There's a splash of

tomato sauce on the tablecloth. 4 impression, show, uproar,

ado, brouhaha, sensation, commotion, excitement, US foofaraw,

Colloq to-do: After all the advance publicity, he was sure to

make a big splash in the theatre.

splendid adj. 1 splendorous, magnificent, resplendent, dazzling,

gorgeous, showy, dashing, marvellous, spectacular, grand,

glorious, lavish, ornate, sumptuous, majestic, brilliant,

extraordinary, exceptional, superb, supreme, imposing,

impressive, awe-inspiring, awesome, lush, plush, rich,

luxurious, Colloq splendiferous, posh, swank(y), ritzy: The

mausoleum built by Shah Jehan for his wife was far more splendid

than his own palace. 2 impressive, marvellous, brilliant,

eminent, prominent, superior, noteworthy, notable, celebrated,

illustrious, famous, distinguished, exemplary, remarkable,

admirable, conspicuous, outstanding, sublime, striking,

extraordinary, successful, admirable, meritorious, creditable:

His splendid victory at Waterloo was the climax of his military

career. 3 excellent, superior, pre-eminent, fine, marvellous,

extraordinary, exceptional, unbelievable, incredible,

first-class, unequalled, unsurpassed, fabulous, peerless,

matchless, nonpareil, superlative, praiseworthy, laudable, Brit

brilliant, Colloq great, colossal, supercolossal, stupendous,

fab, fantastic, super, smashing, A1 or A-1 or A-one, tiptop,

capital, Brit brill, Slang far-out, way-out, dandy, cool, keen,

US solid, out of sight, fantabulous, boss, neat, major: Bill is

a splendid dancer.

splendour n. 1 magnificence, grandeur, brilliance, display, radiance,

resplendence, sumptuousness, stateliness, majesty, panoply,

spectacle, show, glory, pomp, gorgeousness, dazzle, refulgence,

beauty, splendidness, exquisiteness, luxuriousness, richness,

lavishness, luxury, Colloq swankiness, poshness, swank,

ritziness: There was nothing to match the splendour of the

court of Louis XIV. 2 brilliance, shine, lustre, light,

effulgence, brightness, glitter, dazzle, refulgence, luminosity,

luminousness, gloss: The splendour of the city's golden domes

was reflected in the setting sun.

splice v. 1 join, unite, marry, bind, conjoin; knit, entwine,

intertwine, braid, plait, twist, interlace: After the two rope

ends are spliced together, they should be seized with marline.

--n. 2 joining, union, splicing, joint, connection or Brit

connexion, tie, bond, binding, fastening, linking, linkage: A

proper splice will probably be stronger than the single cable.

splinter n. 1 sliver, fragment, piece; scrap, shard, shred, chip: A

splinter of glass is stuck in my finger.

--v. 2 shatter, break, fragment, split, disintegrate, smash to

smithereens: The lamp hit the floor and splintered into a

million pieces.

split v. 1 Often, split up or apart. divide, separate, cleave, cut or

chop apart, cut or chop in two, pull or tear apart, rend, break

or snap apart or in two, break up, come apart, rupture,

partition, detach, become detached; bisect, dichotomize: He

split the log with one blow of his axe. The ship split apart on

the reef. The party may split on the tax issue. 2 Often, split

up. divorce, separate, go separate ways, break up, part company:

After 30 years, the Hitchcocks have decided to split up. 3

Often, split up. branch, fork, diverge, separate: The road

splits to pass round the pond. 4 Often, split up. divide (up),

apportion, deal out, dole out, distribute, allot, share or

parcel out, carve up: Why don't we split the dinner bill five

ways? 5 burst, crack or break up, fall apart or about, Slang

bust: I laughed so much I thought I'd split! 6 leave, depart,

go, Slang take a (run-out) powder, take it on the lam, beat it,

scram, skedaddle: When they heard the sirens of the police

cars, they split.

--n. 7 crack, cleft, fissure, chink, cranny, slit, slot,

crevice, groove, furrow, channel, sulcus; gap, hiatus, lacuna,

opening, separation, division, chasm; rift, break, rupture,

fracture; slash, gash, tear, rip, rent: The edges of the

tectonic plates mark splits in the earth's crust. Pressure

caused the splits in these plaster columns. I had to borrow a

tablecloth to cover up the split in my trousers. 8 division,

dichotomy, schism, breach, rupture, partition, disunion,

discord; break, separation: Don't you think that the issue will

cause a split within the party?

--adj. 9 divided, separated; halved, bisected, cleft; cut,

broken, fractured: The result was a split vote along party

lines. Their first containers were of split bamboo.

splurge n. 1 display, show, ostentatiousness, extravagance, indulgence,

access, splash, burst, outburst, spree: In his final splurge he

bet everything on the number 14.

--v. 2 Often, splurge on. squander or dissipate or waste or

burn (up) or throw away money (on), show off or flaunt one's

money, Slang blow everything (on): Victor splurged on toys for

the children.

spoil v. 1 ruin, destroy, wreck, queer, mess up, upset, demolish,

harm, damage, Colloq kill: You really spoiled everything by

telling Mum about my pet frog. Spare the rod and spoil the

child. 2 damage, mar, injure, harm, deface, disfigure, scar,

blemish: The painting was spoiled by some fanatic who slashed

it. 3 baby, mollycoddle, coddle, indulge, pamper, dote on,

spoonfeed, Rare cocker: Barbara really spoils her family

terribly by indulging their every whim. 4 turn, go off or bad,

curdle, moulder, decay, decompose, become addle(d), rot,

putrefy, mildew: The milk will spoil if not refrigerated. 5 be

spoiling for. itch (for or after), yearn (for), be eager (for),

be keen (for), look for, be bent on, be desirous of, crave, be

after: If you give Tom a drink he'll be spoiling for a fight.

Oh, I thought he was always spoiling for a fight.

--n. 6 spoils. loot, booty, plunder, pillage, prizes, pickings,

Slang swag, take, goods, boodle: The Nazis took the paintings

as spoils of war.

spoilsport

n. killjoy, damper, dog in the manger, Colloq wet blanket, US

party pooper: Some spoilsport tipped off Jane about her

surprise birthday party.

spoken adj. 1 oral, vocal, verbal, viva voce: My spoken commentary

was recorded for later broadcast. He has an excellent command of

spoken French. 2 spoken for. See speak, 13, above.

sponsor n. 1 backer, supporter, promoter, angel, patron, Maecenas,

subsidizer: Make a contribution and we will list you as a

sponsor of the games. 2 (radio or television) advertiser: The

American broadcasting catch-phrase 'A word from our sponsor' is

not to be taken literally.

--v. 3 back, support, promote, fund, patronize, subsidize,

finance, underwrite: Hughes agreed to sponsor a campaign to

clean up the environment.

spontaneous

adj. 1 unannounced, unpremeditated, unplanned, impromptu,

extemporaneous, extempore, unprepared, unrehearsed, offhand, ad

lib, spur-of-the-moment, Colloq off the cuff: Miss Malkin's

spontaneous speech could not have been better had it been

written out. 2 natural, unforced, unbidden, instinctive,

instinctual, unconscious, reflex, automatic, mechanical,

immediate, offhand, unguarded, unthinking, unwitting,

involuntary, impetuous, impulsive, Slang knee-jerk: How could

you doubt the sincerity of such an outburst of spontaneous

affection? My spontaneous reaction is to beg you not to take up

sky-diving.

sporadic adj. occasional, intermittent, random, irregular, uneven,

erratic, chance, unexpected; spasmodic(al), fitful,

periodic(al): There has been sporadic unrest in that area of

the city.

sport n. 1 recreation, diversion, pastime, amusement, entertainment,

play, distraction, relaxation, divertissement, pleasure,

enjoyment, fun: I fish for sport, not to earn a living. 2

jest, humour, fun, mockery: They often call him rude names, but

only in sport. 3 make sport of. tease, deride, make a

laughing-stock (of), (hold up to) ridicule, make a fool of: She

doesn't like it when you make sport of her husband.

--v. 4 frolic, gambol, cavort, romp, caper, play, frisk, lark,

rollick, skip about: These octogenarians are sporting about

like young foals. 5 show off, exhibit, flaunt, display, wear:

Keith arrived, sporting the latest in Italian footwear.

sportive adj. frisky, gambolling, cavorting, frolicking, romping,

capering, rollicking, sprightly, coltish, spirited, frolicsome,

buoyant, gamesome, gay, kittenish, merry, playful, gleeful,

light-hearted, blithe, prankish, waggish: He watched a sportive

group of children playing hide-and-seek.

sportsmanship

n. fair play, sportsmanliness, fairness, honourableness,

honesty, honour, probity, scrupulousness, integrity,

uprightness, justice, justness: Good sportsmanship requires

that the loser congratulate the winner.

sporty adj. informal, casual; stylish, chic, smart, trendy,

fashionable, modish, … la mode, up to date, showy, rakish,

Colloq swank(y), loud, Slang classy, swell, flashy, snazzy,

sharp, US and Canadian spiffy: He came to dinner wearing sporty

clothes. Yes, I suppose you might call Fred a sporty dresser.

spot n. 1 mark, patch, speck, blot, blotch, blemish, speckle, fleck,

particle, mote, macula, smudge, stain, stigma, discoloration,

Brit splodge or US also splotch: There's a spot of ink on your

shirt. 2 site, place, locale, location, locality, scene,

setting, section, area, neighbourhood, quarter: The Coopers

picked out a lovely spot to build their new house. 3 morsel,

bit, bite, Colloq smidgen or smidgin: Let's stop in here for a

spot of tea. 4 predicament, situation, quandary, mess: John

said he was in a bit of a spot, and needed to borrow œ20 until

the end of the week. 5 spots. eruptions, pimples, acne,

pustules, blackheads, comedos or comedones, whiteheads; boils,

blains, wens; pock-marks; Old-fashioned US and Canadian hickeys:

Teenagers often get spots.

--v. 6 see, catch sight of, glimpse, discern, identify, pick

out, distinguish, single out, detect, sight, recognize, make

out, descry: I think I spotted Molly in the crowd. 7 mark,

stain, fleck, speckle, spray, splash, spatter, bespatter, sully,

soil, dirty, taint, besmirch, smudge: The car's shiny new

paintwork was spotted with mud.

spotless adj. 1 immaculate, clean, gleaming, shiny, polished, unspotted,

spick and span: The floor is so spotless you could eat off it.

2 pure, unsullied, unassailable, flawless, faultless,

untarnished, blameless, irreproachable: Samantha has a spotless

reputation.

spotlight n. 1 arc light, searchlight, US pin spotlight, Colloq US (pin)

spot: I couldn't see the audience with the spotlight shining in

my eyes. 2 focus (of attention), limelight, public eye: How

does it feel to have been in the spotlight most of your life,

Miss Hallward?

--v. 3 light (up), illuminate, focus (light) upon or on, shine

or shed or throw or cast light upon or on, emphasize, highlight,

draw attention to, feature, give prominence to, stress,

accentuate, accent, point up, underscore, underline, point up:

The students held a sit-in to spotlight the cuts in their

grants.

spotty adj. 1 spotted, dotted, speckled, freckled, flecked, blotched,

blotchy, stained, marked, pied, piebald, brindle(d), skewbald,

mottled, motley, dapple(d), macular, foxed; soiled, dirty; Brit

splodgy, splodged or US also splotchy, splotched: Pages of some

old books are spotty with brown stains. 2 pimply, pimpled,

blotched, blotchy, acned, pock-marked, pocky, bad, Scots plouky

or plooky: Ian used to have a spotty complexion, but it's clear

now. 3 patchy, irregular, uneven, erratic, sporadic,

capricious, fitful: Radio reception in our area is spotty

during electrical storms.

spout v. 1 discharge, emit, squirt, spurt, jet, shoot, gush, erupt,

spew (up or out or forth), spit, eject, disgorge, vomit (up or

forth), pour (out or forth), flow, stream: Steam spouts from

many vents in Iceland. The water came spouting out of the hose

and drenched me. 2 ramble on, rant, rave, carry on, pontificate,

orate, declaim, hold forth, maunder (on), witter on, hold forth,

expatiate, speechify, talk, Colloq go on, Brit rabbit on:

Harry, as usual, was spouting about his golf handicap.

--n. 3 waterspout, gargoyle, downspout, duct, drain, outlet,

conduit: The rainwater drains into the gutters, then into the

spouts. 4 up the spout. gone, lost, destroyed, beyond hope or

recovery, to be written off or abandoned: Our dream of finding

the treasure was now up the spout.

sprawl v. 1 spread (out), stretch (out), straddle, ramble, meander,

wander, straggle, branch out: Greater Los Angeles sprawls over

a huge area of some 450 square miles. 2 spread out, stretch out,

loll, lounge, slouch, slump, recline, lie about or around: A

dozen guests were sprawled on blankets at the beach party.

--n. 3 spread, stretch, expansion, extension: Some suburbs of

large cities have been swallowed up in urban sprawl.

spray° v. 1 sprinkle, spatter, scatter, shower, disperse, diffuse,

atomize, spread: Try to spray the insecticide evenly over the

plants.

--n. 2 shower, sprinkling, drizzle, mist, sprinkle, spindrift

or spoondrift: The strong wind carried the spray from the

whitecaps right up into the streets of the town. 3 atomizer,

sprayer, sprinkler, vaporizer, aerosol: Richard bought me a

cologne spray for Mother's Day.

sprayý n. flower or floral arrangement, nosegay, posy, bouquet, sprig,

branch, bough: The scores of tiny roses were interspersed with

sprays of baby's-breath.

spread v. 1 Often, spread out. diffuse, distribute, disperse,

disseminate, broadcast, sow, scatter, strew, shed, dispel,

dissipate: Spread the mulch as evenly as possible to a depth of

several inches. 2 Often, spread about or around. broadcast,

publicize, make known, bruit about, air, televise, circulate,

publish, distribute, disseminate, trumpet, announce, pronounce,

promulgate, advertise, enounce, make public, tell the world,

herald, repeat, recite: Start spreading the news: I'm leaving

today. 3 Often, spread out. unfold, draw out, display, stretch

out, open out, extend, lay out, fan out, unroll, unfurl: Please

spread the cloth on the table. 4 Often, spread out. stretch

(out), extend, protract, prolong, drag out, distribute,

disperse: The bank said I could spread the payments over twenty

years. 5 Often, spread out. stretch, extend, separate, put

apart or out, part: He spread his arms and Lorna rushed into

them. 6 grow, develop, increase, broaden, expand, extend,

widen, enlarge, mushroom, proliferate, sprawl, branch out;

metastasize: To meet the demand for the pies, bakeries began to

spread throughout the country. The cancer, unchecked, was bound

to spread. 7 smear, apply, smooth, put, rub, cover, layer,

plaster, plate, coat, wash, glaze, paint, varnish, overlay,

overspread; cloak, mantle, swaddle, wrap, blanket: I was

careful to spread the paint evenly, avoiding streaks. When the

cake has cooled, spread the chocolate icing over it.

--n. 8 spreading, extension, extending, expansion, expanding,

enlargement, enlarging, development, developing, increase,

increasing, proliferation, proliferating, broadening, growth,

widening, mushrooming, dispersion, dispersal, dispersing,

dissemination, disseminating, distribution, distributing,

dispensation, dispensing: The spread of the disease is

uncontrolled. One of the functions of a university is to

encourage the spread of knowledge. 9 extent, expanse, area,

span, sweep, vastness, stretch, reach, breadth, depth, size,

dimensions, compass, limits, bounds, boundary or boundaries: As

our craft accelerated past the moon, we were awed by the spread

of empty space that lay before us. 10 range, extent, scope,

span, difference: There was too much of a spread between the

cost and the selling price. 11 feast, banquet, meal, dinner,

repast, barbecue; table; Colloq feed: I have never seen a

spread like the one laid on for the returning champions. 12

butter, margarine, jam, jelly, preserve, conserve, confiture,

paste, US old-fashioned oleo: What kind of spread do you like

on your toast? 13 ranch, landholding, holding, property, place,

plantation, farm, homestead, place: His spread in Texas

eventually amounted to 10,000 acres. 14 bedspread, counterpane,

coverlet, bed-cover, cover, quilt, eiderdown, duvet, afghan, US

comforter, US and Canadian throw: Leave the spread off the bed,

Carlotta, as I want to take a nap.

spree n. frolic, romp, lark, outing, escapade, revel, wild party,

fling, debauch, orgy, bacchanalia; drinking-bout, carousal,

Colloq bender, binge, jag: Bruce has gone off on another of his

sprees.

sprightly adj. lively, chipper, spry, vivacious, cheerful, gay, brisk,

animated, sportive, active, alert, nimble, agile, energetic,

jaunty, perky, playful, spirited: She is quite sprightly for a

grandmother of 78.

spring v. 1 leap, bound, jump, hop, vault, dart, fly, bounce: He

sprang to his feet when she came into the room. When Tom came to

the stream, he sprang over it. The leprechaun sprang out from

behind a tree. 2 arise, appear, grow, come up, rise, come into

being or existence, be born, emerge, sprout, shoot up, burst

forth: Where the dragon's teeth were sown, an entire army

sprang up. 3 Often, spring up or from. originate, begin, start,

evolve; proceed from, stem from, descend from, derive from, come

from, develop from: He learned how the practice of scratching

the head in perplexity had sprung up. I wondered where the term

horse latitudes sprang from. 4 start or begin or experience or

cause to occur or appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly,

broach, pop, introduce or divulge or reveal or disclose suddenly

or unexpectedly: The canoe sprang a leak and started to sink.

He likes to spring trick questions at candidates in an

interview. 5 spring for. pay for, treat (someone) to, assume the

expense(s) of: If you go to a place I choose, I'll spring for

dinner.

--n. 6 leap, bound, jump, hop, vault, bounce, skip: In one

spring the cat cleared the garden wall and was off. 7

bounciness, bounce, resiliency, resilience, springiness,

buoyancy, elasticity, sprightliness, airiness, flexibility:

Despite her age, there's still a lot of spring in her step. 8

source, fount, fountain-head, well-spring, well, origin,

beginning, root: From what secret spring does his understanding

arise? 9 springtime, Eastertide, Maytime: At 35, James is

still in the spring of life.

--adj. 10 vernal: We exulted in the spring sunshine.

sprout v. bud, germinate, come up, arise, begin, bloom, blossom,

flower: With this warm weather, everything in my garden is

beginning to sprout.

spruce adj. 1 neat, dapper, smart, trim, well turned out,

well-groomed, elegant, Colloq natty: Peter Thornton turned up

for dinner looking as spruce as can be.

--v. 2 spruce up. tidy (up), neaten (up), primp, clean (up),

straighten out or up, smarten (up), titivate or tittivate: Some

people are coming to dinner, so first spruce up your room and

then spruce yourself up.

spunk n. nerve, courage, pluck, spirit, gameness, resolve,

resolution, mettle, heart, grit, spunkiness, backbone, marrow,

Colloq guts, gumption, Brit bottle, US sand: Frances has shown

she has tremendous spunk to have got this far despite her

handicap.

spur n. 1 goad, prod, urging, impulse, incitement, instigation,

prompting, pressure, stimulus, stimulation, incentive,

provocation, inducement, encouragement, motive, motivation: The

company paid the workers a bonus for each piece they completed

as a spur to productivity. 2 projection, prong, spike, spine,

gaff, barb, quill, tine, barbel, barbule, process: The hook has

a spur that prevents the fish from disengaging. 3 on the spur

of the moment. impetuously, impulsively, unthinkingly,

unpremeditatedly, impromptu, on the spot; rashly, thoughtlessly,

recklessly, hastily, brashly, incautiously, unexpectedly,

suddenly: On the spur of the moment, we decided to fly to Cap

d'Antibes for the weekend.

--v. 4 goad, prod, urge, egg on, impel, incite, prompt, press,

push, pressure or Brit pressurize, stimulate, drive, provoke,

induce, encourage, motivate, excite, animate: The sales force

are spurred on by the huge bonuses the company offers.

spurious adj. false, counterfeit, sham, fake, fraudulent, bogus, mock,

imitation, simulated, unauthentic, ungenuine, forged, feigned,

pretended, deceitful, meretricious, contrived, factitious,

artificial, ersatz, synthetic, Colloq pseudo, phoney or US also

phony: His brother was jailed for peddling spurious Egyptian

burial artefacts to archaeologists.

spurn v. reject, disdain, scorn, contemn, despise, rebuff, repudiate,

refuse, sneer at, snub, brush off, turn down, turn one's back on

or upon, look down on or upon, Colloq cold-shoulder, turn one's

nose up at, sneeze at: Judith spurned her father's offer of a

loan.

spurt n. 1 burst, access, effort, outbreak, spell, interval, spate,

moment, instant: With a sudden spurt of speed he caught up with

me. 2 increase, advance, acceleration, rise, improvement:

After a brief spurt in business in January, everything stopped.

--v. 3 gush, spew, squirt, jet, shoot, erupt, burst, surge:

The minute the plumber left, water began spurting out of the

drain again.

spy n. 1 double agent, foreign agent, secret(-service) agent,

intelligence agent, undercover agent, mole, fifth-columnist, CIA

man or woman or agent, MI5 or MI6 man or woman or agent;

informer, informant, Colloq mole, Slang stool-pigeon, stoolie,

fink, ratfink: In those days, everyone was a spy and you could

trust no one.

--v. 2 Usually, spy on or upon. follow, shadow, trail, watch,

observe, reconnoitre, keep under surveillance, US surveil,

Colloq tail, check out, case: Why should anyone from a foreign

government be spying on my mother? 3 espy, glimpse, spot, catch

sight or a glimpse of, descry, note, notice, see, discern: I

spied him getting into a yellow convertible.

spying n. espionage, undercover work, secret service; detection,

intelligence, surveillance: Virtually every government engages

in spying.

19.12 squad...

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squad n. unit, team, band, company, crew, force, troop, cadre, gang,

section, group, squadron, platoon, party: They decided to call

in the drugs squad. Has the work squad returned to base yet?

square adj. 1 equilateral, quadrangular, rectangular, right-angled,

quadrilateral, four-sided, cubic, cubed, six-sided, boxy: She

bought a work of art consisting of three square pieces of red

plastic on a mauve ground. He keeps trying to put square pegs

into round holes. 2 equal, on a par, even, on equal terms,

settled, balanced: With this payment, our accounts are now all

square. 3 even, true, exact, straight, accurate, precise,

correct: Make sure that the corners are perfectly square. 4

honourable, upright, honest, straightforward, fair (and square),

decent, ethical, open, (open and) above-board, right, (right

and) proper, clean, just, equitable, Colloq on the level, on the

up and up: I have never had anything but square dealings with

Fred Latham. 5 healthful, healthy, nutritious, substantial,

solid, full, generous, satisfying, filling, unstinting: You

could always count on three square meals a day when staying at

Auntie Maisie's. 6 na‹ve, innocent; bourgeois, conservative,

conventional, unsophisticated, provincial, old-fashioned,

conformist, strait-laced, unimaginative, predictable, Colloq

antediluvian, uptight, out of it, not with it, not in the know,

not hip or hep, unhip, stuffy, behind the times, straight, US

L-7: We were at the age when anyone over 25 was considered

square.

--n. 7 rectilinear figure, rectangle; cube, block: He took a

square of wood and quickly carved it into the shape of a duck. 8

plaza, piazza, place, park, (village) green, market-place,

market (square), agora, quadrangle: We like to sit on the

benches in the square outside my house and chat with the

neighbours. 9 bourgeois, conservative, conformist,

traditionalist, (old) fogy or fogey, die-hard; outsider; Colloq

stuffed shirt, fuddy-duddy, US longhair, L-7, Slang US nerd,

dweeb: My parents did not understand me - they were real old

squares.

--v. 10 stiffen, throw back, straighten (up), tense: I squared

my shoulders and prepared for the worst. 11 Usually, square

with. meet, match (with), conform to or with, obey, correspond

to or with, tally with, accord with, agree with, reconcile with

or to: These activities do not square with the plans set out by

the directors. 12 adapt, adjust, change, modify, harmonize,

accommodate, arrange, comply with, fit: Ronald was unable to

square his beliefs with what they were teaching him at the

seminary. 13 settle, arrange, come to terms, patch up, clear up,

satisfy, fix: Don't worry about the customs officials - I'll

square it with them later on.

squawk v. 1 cackle, screech, shriek, yell, yowl, whoop, hoot, scream,

call, cry: The parrot kept squawking 'Where is the treasure?

Where is the treasure?' 2 complain, grumble, whine, grouse,

protest, object, (make a) fuss, yap, yowl, Slang bellyache,

bitch, kick, beef, gripe, kick up a fuss: Oh, stop squawking

and get on with your work!

--n. 3 complaint, grouse, grumble, protest, Colloq kick, beef,

gripe: If you have a squawk, take it up with the sergeant.

squeamish adj. 1 dainty, delicate, prudish, punctilious, demanding,

critical, exacting, difficult, fussy, scrupulous, fastidious,

meticulous, painstaking, finicky or finical, Colloq persnickety

or pernickety, fuddy-duddy: The museum directors were too

squeamish to put on an exhibition of nudes. 2 nauseous,

qualmish, easily disgusted or revolted or nauseated: Sam was

too squeamish to watch open-heart surgery on the TV.

squeeze v. 1 press, compress, compact, crush, squash, wring, pinch,

nip, grip, tweak: Each morning Anne squeezes an orange to make

fresh juice for Edgar. Everyone knows that squeezing the nose

between the thumb and forefinger means that something smells. 2

extract, wrest, exact, extort, milk, wrench, pry (out), tear,

Colloq bleed: It is doubtful that they will be able to squeeze

a contribution out of old Scrooge. 3 milk, Colloq shake down,

bleed, lean on, put the screws to, put the squeeze on, twist

(someone's) arm, US put the arm on: You'll have to squeeze

Fletcher if you want to get paid. 4 ram, jam, pack, stuff,

cram, crowd, force, press, wedge: We were squeezed into the

train so tightly that I could hardly breathe. 5 clasp, clench,

embrace, hug, hold, enfold, fold, clutch, Archaic clip: She

squeezed him close as they bade goodbye. 6 squeeze through or

by. get through or by, pass, (barely) succeed, Colloq squeak

through or by, (barely) make it: He managed to squeeze through

the exam with a pass mark, but it was touch-and-go.

--n. 7 clasp, embrace, hug, clutch, Colloq clinch: She gave me

a little squeeze to signal her affection. 8 pressure: I was

beginning to feel the squeeze between inflation and high

interest rates. 9 crush, jam, crowd, squash, press: There was

such a squeeze of people at the sale that I couldn't get in. 10

girlfriend, mistress, sweetheart, Colloq sweetie, Slang moll,

broad, Archaic doxy: Willie showed up with his current squeeze.

11 put the squeeze on. press, bring pressure to bear on, urge,

influence, Brit pressurize, US pressure: The bank was beginning

to put the squeeze on me to repay my overdraft.

squelch v. 1 suppress, subdue, put down, quell, quash, defeat,

overcome, outdo, humiliate, Colloq shoot or slap down, take down

a peg (or two), take the wind out of (someone's) sails, settle

(someone's) hash: The slightest sign of disapproval from No‰l

was enough to squelch the most arrogant toady.

--n. 2 riposte, retort, comeback, quip, sally, gibe or jibe,

barb, Colloq wisecrack, put-down: One of the best squelches was

when Oscar Wilde said, referring to a bon mot, 'I wish I'd said

that', to which Whistler said, 'You will, Oscar. You will.'

squire v. 1 escort, accompany, conduct, go with, take; convoy: Who

will squire my sisters to the prince's ball?

--n. 2 esquire, gentleman, landowner, landholder, landed

proprietor: The old squire held his head high among the county

aristocracy.

squirm v. wriggle, writhe, twist, flounder, shift, fidget, be (very)

uncomfortable, agonize, Colloq sweat: The boy squirmed under

the stern gaze of the headmaster.

19.13 stab...

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stab v. 1 stick, puncture, prick, lance, jab, pierce, run through,

impale, gore, transfix, knife, bayonet, skewer, spike, spit,

spear, pin; plunge, poke, thrust: In the melee, George was

stabbed in the arm. It is said that she stabbed a fork into his

hand. 2 stab in the back. harm, betray, sell out, double-cross,

give the Judas kiss, play false with: As soon as he had left,

they stabbed him in the back by phoning the authorities.

--n. 3 puncture, jab, thrust, (stab-)wound: The coroner's

office reported that the body had six stabs in the abdomen. 4

attempt, try, essay; guess, conjecture: Even if you are wrong,

you lose nothing by making a stab at the right answer. 5 pang,

twinge, pain, ache, hurt, stitch: Doctor, I get a terrible stab

of pain in my side when I turn that way. 6 stab in the back.

treachery, betrayal, double-cross, Judas kiss, kiss of death,

duplicity: Informing on someone to the tax inspector is a

really nasty stab in the back.

stability n. 1 steadiness, solidity, firmness, soundness, sturdiness,

strength: These flimsy structures are not known for their

stability. 2 steadfastness, constancy, dependability,

reliability, tenacity, resolve, resoluteness, perseverance,

determination, persistence, durability, lasting quality,

solidity, permanence: The stability of the government was in

doubt as the crisis continued.

stable adj. 1 steady, solid, firm, sound, sturdy, strong, durable,

well-founded, fast, sure, established, deep-rooted, stout: The

building is designed to remain stable even in a severe

earthquake. 2 lasting, enduring, long-lasting, long-standing,

secure, steadfast, steady, strong, unchanging, unchanged,

unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable, unwavering,

immutable, permanent: A stable relationship has existed between

our countries for generations. The relationship you and I enjoy

has remained stable all our lives. 3 sane, (well-)balanced,

responsible, reasonable, sensible, competent, accountable: He

seemed a nice, stable young man, and nobody would have guessed

that he had a drugs habit.

stack n. 1 pile, heap, mound, mass, accumulation, hill, mountain,

store, stock, bank, deposit, supply, stockpile, hoard, load,

bundle, bale, Colloq US and Canadian stash: This stack of paper

ought to be enough to last through the next printing. 2

haystack, cock, haycock, rick, rickle, hayrick, Brit clamp: The

stacks were covered with a tarpaulin before it started to rain.

3 collection, aggregation, accumulation, agglomeration,

amassment, mass, load, pack, amount, abundance, plenty,

profusion, volume, array, sea, throng, multitude, swarm, host,

number, quantity, pile-up: We have a huge stack of orders to

process this morning. 4 smokestack, chimney, chimney-stack,

funnel; Building soil stack: They built the stack very tall to

carry the fumes away from the town below. 5 blow one's stack.

anger, become angry, become furious or infuriated, rage, rant,

lose one's temper, Slang blow or lose one's cool, get hot under

the collar, blow one's top: The boss will blow his stack if we

miss the deadline.

--v. 6 Often, stack up. pile (up), heap, accumulate, amass,

store, stock, stockpile, hoard, collect, aggregate, agglomerate,

Colloq stash (away), squirrel away: Stack those boxes neatly in

the corner. Has he stacked up enough points to qualify? 7 stack

up. a make sense, add up, agree, jibe, be verifiable, Colloq

check out: The ledgers don't stack up with the cheque-book. The

two sets of figures simply don't stack up. b compare, measure

up, hold a candle to, be on a par (with), be as good as: He

could never stack up to Olivier.

stadium n. arena, ground, amphitheatre, hippodrome, coliseum or

colosseum, circus: The new football stadium can accommodate

60,000 spectators.

staff n. 1 stick, pole, standard, baton, rod, pikestaff, pike, stake,

cane, stave, shaft, alpenstock, shillelagh, club, truncheon,

mace, crook, crozier, sceptre, wand, caduceus: Carrying the

ceremonial staff and dressed in full regalia, the officer

impressively opened the royal court proceedings. 2 personnel,

employees, help, workforce, crew, team, organization: Before we

introduced computers, we had a staff of fifty doing nothing but

filing.

stage n. 1 position, situation, grade, level, stratum, tier, echelon,

step, station, place, point, spot, juncture, division, phase,

lap; status, condition: We have to reach the third stage before

going on to the fourth. 2 platform, dais, podium; rostrum:

After the performance, the audience threw flowers onto the

stage. 3 the stage. show business, the theatre, the boards, the

footlights, Broadway, Chiefly Brit the West End; acting,

Thespianism; Colloq showbiz: That first burst of applause

decided her to make the stage her career.

--v. 4 put on, produce, present, mount, exhibit: If we can't

get the theatre, why don't we stage the show in Mr Kimble's

barn? 5 put on, contrive, organize, originate, devise, make up,

concoct, fake, trump up, stage-manage, manipulate, manoeuvre:

It seems that the enthusiastic reception given his wife had been

staged solely for his benefit.

stagger v. 1 totter, reel, lurch, teeter, sway, walk unsteadily or

shakily, pitch, rock, wobble: When he staggered in, they

thought he was drunk till they saw the knife in his back. I was

already staggering under the burden of a heavy mortgage and

three children and two elderly parents to care for. 2 surprise,

amaze, astound, astonish, overwhelm, overcome, dumbfound or

dumfound, shock, stupefy, stun, nonplus, floor, confound,

bewilder, startle, jolt, shake (up), take one's breath away,

make one's head swim, take (someone) aback, throw (someone) off

balance, tax, burden, Colloq flabbergast, flummox, bowl over,

Slang blow (someone's) mind: The cost of cleaning up the oil

spill will be staggering. He was staggered by her announcement.

3 alternate, space (out), vary, rearrange, zigzag, US change

off: Working hours will be staggered during the holiday period.

We could strengthen the structure by staggering the positions of

the columns.

stagnant adj. motionless, standing, still, quiet, sluggish, unmoving,

immobile, flat; stale, foul, putrid, putrescent, putrefied,

polluted, dirty, contaminated, filthy: The malarial mosquitoes

thrive in pools of stagnant water in the tropical swamps.

stagnate v. languish, idle, vegetate, deteriorate, degenerate, decline,

go to seed or pot, decay, rust, moulder, decompose, spoil, rot:

He felt he had stagnated in a backwater of civilization for far

too long.

staid adj. sedate, rigid, stiff, prim, dignified, sober, calm,

composed, quiet, restrained, solemn, serious, serious-minded,

grave, sober-sided: One expects a judge to be rather staid in

his behaviour.

stain n. 1 blot, mark, spot, discoloration, blotch, smutch, smirch,

speck, Brit splodge or US also splotch: There's a stain on your

tie. 2 mark, blot (on the escutcheon), stigma, blemish, Brit

blot on one's copybook, Colloq US black eye: His cowardice in

battle was a permanent stain on his reputation. 3 dye, colour,

colouring, tint, tinge, pigment: An indigo stain was used to

bring up certain features in microscopy.

--v. 4 blot, mark, spot, discolour, blotch, speckle, dye,

spatter, splatter, tinge, smudge, smutch, splash: The

tablecloth was stained red from the spilt wine. 5 spoil,

defile, ruin, smirch, besmirch, taint, tarnish, stigmatize,

shame, disgrace, sully, contaminate, soil, corrupt: Her reign

was stained with the blood of the thousands she had tortured and

executed.

stake° n. 1 stick, post, spike, picket, paling, pale, pole, pike,

stave; palisade, pole, upright, pillar, column: They tied the

goat to a stake and hid, waiting for the tiger to catch the

scent. 2 pull up stakes. move (house), resettle, move on,

migrate, emigrate, leave, depart: It was time to pull up stakes

and find a new camp-site.

--v. 3 tether, tie (up), secure, fasten, picket, lash, leash,

hitch, chain: The ponies were staked out in the pasture. 4

Usually, stake out. (a fence (in or off), confine, pen, enclose,

close in or off, hem in, shut in, impound, enclose, cage, wall

in: We hired a man to stake out a large enough area to keep the

horses. b mark off or out, define, delimit, outline, demarcate,

delineate, circumscribe: The pioneers had already staked out

the land they planned to cultivate.

stakeý n. 1 bet, wager, ante, risk, hazard: If you want to make the

game interesting, you'll have to raise the stakes. 2 investment,

interest, share, involvement, concern: Myra has a considerable

stake in the outcome of the shareholders' meeting. 3 at stake.

at hazard, hazarded, at risk, risked, on the table, in jeopardy,

jeopardized, concerned, involved: Don't take the matter

lightly, as Tom's reputation is at stake.

--v. 4 risk, jeopardize, venture, put (money) on, chance,

hazard, gamble, wager, bet: I had staked my last penny on that

gold-mine.

stale adj. 1 old, past its prime, unfresh, dry, dried-out, hardened,

limp, wilted, withered, flat, sour, turned, (gone) off, mouldy,

musty, spoiled, rotten: All the food is stale because you

failed to wrap it carefully. 2 old, banal, overused,

antiquated, old-fashioned, threadbare, trite, clich‚d,

unoriginal, hackneyed, stereotyped, tired, weary, boring,

tiresome, warmed-over, shop-worn, familiar, stock, well-known,

Colloq hand-me-down, Brit reach-me-down: These comedians come

up with the same old stale jokes year after year.

stalemate n. impasse, deadlock, stand-off, standstill, (dead or full)

stop, tie; check, checkmate, mate; US Mexican stand-off: As

both parties refused to back down, the situation was a

stalemate.

stalk° v. follow, dog, haunt, shadow, trail, track (down), hunt

(down), pursue, hound, chase, Colloq tail: The leopard stalked

its prey in complete silence.

stalký n. stem, trunk, cane, main axis, leaf-stalk, shaft, spike: The

leaves cluster at the very top, leaving the entire stalk of the

plant bare.

stall° v. 1 stop, halt, die, quit, shut down, fail, cease operating,

come to a standstill, Colloq conk out: My car stalled in the

middle of rush-hour traffic - isn't that typical?

--n. 2 compartment, stand, booth, cubicle, alcove, section,

space, area, slot, enclosure, quarters; counter, table: Several

antiques dealers had hired stalls in the market. 3 shed, pen,

cote, fold, coop, sty, corral, enclosure, cowshed, barn, stable:

The animals belong in their stalls at night.

stallý v. 1 delay, dawdle, dilly-dally, dally, loiter, linger,

temporize, equivocate, hesitate, prevaricate, play for time,

waste time, stonewall, be obstructive, put (someone or

something) off; vacillate, dither, hedge, procrastinate; Brit

haver, Colloq beat about the bush, drag one's feet, give

(someone) the run-around: He managed to stall for a while

before handing over the money.

--n. 2 stalling, delay, hedge, hedging, pretext, subterfuge,

wile, trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, manoeuvre, move,

stonewalling, obstructionism, playing for time, procrastination,

procrastinating, Colloq beating about the bush, run-around,

foot-dragging: Her claim that she was dressing was nothing but

a stall to give her time to hide the pistol.

stalwart adj. 1 robust, stout, strong, mighty, powerful, rugged,

staunch, hardy, sturdy, vigorous, lusty, indomitable, solid,

able-bodied, brawny, sinewy, muscular, fit, healthy, hale, (hale

and) hearty, Colloq husky, hefty, beefy: We shall need a dozen

stalwart men to carry out the raid. 2 redoubtable, intrepid,

undaunted, resolute, firm, determined, unbending, steadfast,

tenacious, unswerving, unwavering, unfaltering, unflinching,

uncompromising, unyielding, persevering, persistent, unflagging,

relentless, tireless, untiring, indefatigable: Although they

lost, their lawyers put up a stalwart defence. 3 brave,

courageous, daring, intrepid, valiant, heroic, manly, manful,

fearless, indomitable, stout-hearted, bold, audacious, game,

red-blooded, plucky, mettlesome, lion-hearted, spirited: These

stalwart knights met at dawn on the battlefield.

--n. 4 supporter, upholder, sustainer, partisan, loyalist,

(party) faithful, trouper, hero, heroine: And most of all I

want to thank those stalwarts who have supported me throughout

this victorious campaign.

stamina n. ruggedness, vigour, vigorousness, (intestinal) fortitude,

robustness, indefatigability, staying power, endurance, energy,

power, might, mettle, (inner) strength, staunchness,

stalwartness, courage, indomitability, Colloq grit, guts,

starch, US stick-to-it-iveness, sand, Taboo slang balls: Even

at the age of 70, she still had the stamina to run in the

marathon.

stammer v. 1 stutter, hesitate, hem and haw, stumble, falter, pause,

Brit hum and haw: Is he stammering from embarrassment or

because he has a speech defect?

--n. 2 stutter: Many young people who have a stammer lose it

when they get out of their teens.

stamp v. 1 trample, bring down one's foot; tread, step, tramp; Colloq

stomp (on): He flew into a rage and stamped on the floor, like

a petulant child. 2 impress, mark, imprint, print, record,

document, register, log; engrave, emboss, inscribe; sign,

initial: That last night in Rio is stamped forever in my

memory. Their passports were stamped at the frontier. 3 brand,

label, mark, tag, term, name, style, identify, categorize,

classify, characterize, designate, denominate, show to be: The

episode on Friday stamped him as someone not to be trifled with.

4 stamp out. eliminate, eradicate, abolish, get rid of,

annihilate, exterminate, kill, snuff out, terminate, end, put an

end to, destroy, put down, put out, extinguish, extirpate;

quell, subdue, suppress, squelch, repress: Something must be

done to stamp out the drug traffic.

--n. 5 mark, sign, hallmark, earmarks, traits, features,

characteristics: Her work bears the stamp of genius. 6 die,

block, punch, seal, matrix, plate, die-stamp, stereotype, mould;

signet(-ring): The stamps for the binding are not quite ready.

7 seal, (trade or service) mark, brand, logo, logotype, symbol,

representation, colophon, imprint, emblem, insigne (singular of

insignia), label, monogram, sign, crest, coat of arms,

escutcheon, cartouche, signature, initials: As it bears his

stamp, it must belong to him. 8 character, kind, sort, make,

fashion, type, cast, mould, grade, style, cut, genre, class,

level, kidney, feather, stripe, classification, species, genus,

variety, description: Men of Randolph's stamp are hard to find

amongst gentlemen and scholars alike.

stampede n. 1 rout, flight, scattering, panic, rush, dash: When the

store opened its doors for its annual sale, we were nearly

trampled in the stampede.

--v. 2 panic, frighten, rush, scatter, rout: Millions of

buffalo were killed by stampeding them off cliffs. 3 rush, run,

race, charge, take to one's heels, flee, take flight: At the

cry of 'Fire!', the audience stampeded for the exits.

stance n. carriage, bearing, deportment; position, posture, attitude,

standpoint, stand, viewpoint, point of view: Legs apart and

arms akimbo, she assumed a defiant stance at the door. Her

stance was that she must protect the children at all costs.

stanch v. staunch, stop, stem, halt, check, arrest, stay, end, cease;

prevent: Apply pressure with a pad to stanch the flow of blood

from the wound.

stand v. 1 rise, arise, get up, Brit be upstanding: We all stood

when the master of ceremonies proposed a toast to McArthur. 2

Sometimes, stand up. a set, place (upright), position, put,

move; up-end: Please stand the cabinet in the corner. b stay,

remain (standing): Just for that you can go and stand in the

corner! 3 endure, survive, tolerate, brook, countenance, face,

confront, last through, abide, allow, accept, take, suffer,

bear, withstand, undergo, experience, cope with, brave, stand or

bear up under, stand for, withstand, stomach, weather, handle,

Colloq put up with: I could not stand another year in the

tropics. She can stand neither hypocrites nor vanilla ice-cream.

4 continue, remain, persist, be or remain in effect or in force,

prevail, obtain, apply, exist: The law will stand as it is till

it is rescinded or modified by the court. 5 stand by. a

support, defend, back, stand or stick up for, stand behind, be

or remain loyal or faithful to, uphold, take the side of, side

with, sympathize with, US go to bat for: No matter what he did,

she always stood by him. b wait (in the wings), stand or wait

or stay or remain on the sidelines, be or stand ready or

available or accessible, be or stand in readiness: Would you

mind standing by in case we need your help? c stick to, adhere

to, support, maintain, persist in, affirm, reaffirm, confirm,

abide by: We shall stand by every word of the agreement. 6

stand down. resign, quit, step aside, withdraw: When it was

revealed that she was taking steroids, she agreed to stand down

from the team. 7 stand for. a symbolize, betoken, represent,

signify, mean, be emblematic of, exemplify, epitomize,

illustrate, typify, refer to, allude to: The initials in P. G.

Wodehouse's name stand for 'Pelham Grenville'. b support,

advocate, favour, sponsor, promote, espouse (the cause of),

subscribe to, back, champion, lend support or one's name to,

second: Norma has always stood for the principles of democratic

freedom. c campaign for, be or present (oneself) as a candidate

for, US stump for, run for: Who will stand for chairman this

year? d See 3, above. 8 stand in. substitute (for), understudy

(for), replace, relieve, double for, take the place of, US and

Canadian pinch-hit (for), Colloq cover for: If you can't get to

the rehearsal, I'll stand in for you. 9 stand out. a be

prominent or conspicuous or noticeable, be notable or

noteworthy: With her green spike hairdo and a safety pin

through her cheek, Kylie really stands out in a crowd. His

farewell speech stands out in my mind as one of his best. b

protrude, project, stick out, jut out, bulge, obtrude, beetle,

overhang, extend: The balcony stands out over the village

square. 10 stand up. a stand, rise, arise, get to one's feet,

get up: The boys had been taught to stand up when a woman

entered the room. b endure, last, wear (well), survive: Today's

products, with their built-in obsolescence, don't stand up to

long use. c jilt, break or fail to keep an appointment with:

After waiting for two hours, he realized that he had been stood

up. 11 stand up for. support, defend, take the side of, side

with, champion, uphold, Colloq stick up for: I shall never

forget how you stood up for me when they accused me of cheating.

12 stand up to. a confront, brave, challenge, encounter,

dispute, question, resist, defy, withstand: He's a coward when

it comes to standing up to authority. b resist, defy,

withstand, endure, outlast, last through, suffer: This material

will stand up to years of abuse.

--n. 13 position, attitude, stance, posture, policy,

philosophy, point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, belief,

opinion, sentiment, feeling, line: I disagree completely with

the Chancellor's stand on the economy. 14 defence, resistance,

effort: This campaign will be our last stand in trying to

retrieve some of the market we lost. 15 stop, stopover, halt,

stay; performance, show: We do some one-night stands in the

country before returning to Manchester. 16 counter, booth,

stall, table; wagon or Brit waggon, barrow, cart: He sells

fruit from a stand in the street. 17 rack, frame, bracket;

hatstand, coat-rack: This stand is for displaying a china

plate. I left my hat on the stand in your office. 18 staging,

platform, dais, stage, staging, bandstand, summer-house: We

like to go to the stand in the park to hear the band play. 19

copse, grove, wood, thicket, brake, wood, Brit spinney, coppice:

Near the house was a small stand of beeches.

standard n. 1 criterion, measure, benchmark, model, pattern, archetype,

touchstone, yardstick, gauge, guide, guideline, paradigm,

paragon, exemplar, example, sample, type, ideal, beau id‚al,

rule, canon, law, requirement, precept, principle: The metric

system has become the standard in many countries. People resent

having imposed on them the standards of another culture. 2 mean,

average, norm, par, level, rating: With many luxuries now

necessities, the standard of living has improved enormously. The

course was for students of intermediate standard. 3 flag,

banner, ensign, emblem, pennant, burgee, insigne (singular of

insignia), guidon, gonfalon or gonfanon, labarum: The black

knight bore a curiously coloured standard into battle. 4 pole,

post, stanchion, lamppost, column, pillar, support, pedestal,

pier, footing, (upright) bar or rod or timber: The car went out

of control and knocked down two lighting standards.

--adj. 5 accepted, approved, definitive, defined,

authoritative, official, required, regulative, regulatory,

textbook: Must we follow standard procedure? The tests were

conducted according to the standard methods. 6 recognized,

prevailing, prevalent, usual, customary, habitual, orthodox,

set, established, regular, familiar, ordinary, traditional,

classic, stock, typical, normal, staple, conventional,

universal: People in the south usually regard themselves as

speakers of standard English.

standardize

v. regiment, systematize, codify, normalize, homogenize: We

could save money if we standardized the dimensions of the books

we publish.

stand-by n. 1 supporter, defender, backer, upholder, partisan,

sympathizer, adherent, stalwart: His mother had always been his

stand-by against the severity of his father. 2 substitute,

surrogate, replacement, backup, understudy, second, US and

Canadian alternate: They had a second ambulance as a stand-by

in case the first broke down or needed servicing. 3 resource,

support, replacement: I knew I could always count on you as a

stand-by in case I had trouble.

stand-in n. double, substitute, stunt man or woman; surrogate,

replacement, stand-by, backup, understudy, second, US and

Canadian alternate: Any time they had to shoot a dangerous

scene, my stand-in went through the motions.

standing adj. 1 established, set, standard, conventional, customary,

usual, normal, regular, fixed, permanent, continued, continuing,

regular: The club has standing rules concerning use of the

card-room. 2 stagnant, motionless, unmoving, stationary, still,

static: Insects bred in the standing pools of rainwater. 3

continuous, fixed, ongoing, perpetual, unbroken: Michael placed

a standing order for six cases of Beaujolais Nouveau every

November. 4 erect, upright, on one's feet, vertical, unseated:

Please remain standing till the signal is given to be seated.

--n. 5 status, rank, station, position, place, grade, order,

level, stratum: Considering her standing in the party, Mrs

Miller ought to win the nomination easily. 6 eminence,

prominence, repute, reputation: Foster is a surgeon of

considerable standing. 7 Usually, long standing. (considerable)

age or longevity or experience or seniority or duration: Ivan

is an art expert of long standing.

standoffish

adj. aloof, haughty, unsocial, reserved, cool, frosty,

withdrawn, remote, removed, distant, detached, unapproachable,

inaccessible, uncongenial, unfriendly, unsociable; Olympian,

lordly, pompous, Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, snooty:

Oliver is much too standoffish to deign to come to my party.

standpoint

n. viewpoint, point of view, vantage point, perspective,

position, angle, view: From the standpoint of mice, cats do not

make good pets.

standstill

n. (dead or full) stop, halt: The car came to a standstill

with the front wheels overhanging a cliff.

staple adj. 1 basic, elementary, essential, necessary, requisite,

required, vital, indispensable, critical, fundamental, primary,

principal, main, chief: These people cannot afford even staple

commodities like flour and salt. 2 standard, usual, habitual,

ordinary, customary, prevailing, normal, conventional,

universal: The staple fare on television seems to consist of

old and new sitcoms.

--n. 3 Often, staples. necessities, essentials, basics,

fundamentals: Supermarkets disperse low-cost staples such as

bread, tea, and milk to force shoppers to pass luxury items.

Marital and financial problems are the staples of soap operas.

star n. 1 celestial or heavenly body; evening star, morning star,

falling star, shooting star, comet; nova, supernova: It was a

beautiful clear night and the sky was full of stars. 2

celebrity, personage, dignitary, VIP, name, somebody, luminary,

leading light, leading man or woman or lady, lead, principal,

diva, prima donna, hero, heroine, idol, superstar, Technical

slang top banana, headliner, Colloq big shot, (big) draw, celeb,

big name: Clancy knows many of the big stars personally.

--adj. 3 principal, major, leading, important, celebrated,

famous, famed, prominent, eminent, pre-eminent, distinguished,

brilliant, illustrious, unequalled, peerless, matchless,

incomparable, unrivalled, inimitable, unmatched, unparalleled,

top, foremost: A new local rock band was the star attraction at

the Hippodrome.

--v. 4 feature or be featured; play or act or take the lead or

the leading part or role: He began his career starring in

spaghetti westerns.

stare v. 1 gaze, gape, goggle, gawk, watch, Colloq rubberneck, Slang

Brit gawp: The people were powerless to do anything but stare

as the molten lava engulfed the city.

--n. 2 fixed or blank look; goggle, gaze: The teacher fixed

her with a stare and she blushed with guilt.

stark adv. 1 completely, utterly, unqualifiedly, wholly, absolutely,

entirely, totally, fully, altogether, plainly, obviously,

clearly, certifiably: Is that an elephant on the beach, or am I

going stark staring mad? The children were running around stark

naked.

--adj. 2 plain, simple, Spartan, severe, unembellished,

unadorned, cold, bare, harsh, hard, grim, bald, blunt: The room

looks less stark with curtains. Just give me the stark facts

without all the elaboration. 3 harsh, severe, bleak, austere,

barren, desolate, dreary, grey, depressing, ravaged, empty,

vacant, Literary drear, Colloq US spooky: As day dawned, I

looked out over the stark landscape of the nuclear winter. 4

sheer, complete, utter, absolute, perfect, pure, thorough,

thoroughgoing, arrant, unmitigated, out-and-out, downright,

outright, total, unconditional, unqualified, clear, plain,

evident, obvious, patent, flagrant, gross, rank: They were

shocked by the stark poverty they saw in the rural areas.

start v. 1 Often, start off or up. begin, commence, get (something)

going, get off the ground, originate, initiate, open, set in

motion, activate, embark on; set in motion, turn or switch on,

crank up, Colloq kick off: They started operations at once. I

can't start my car. 2 Often, start off or up or in. arise, come

up, come to be or into being, emerge, crop up, develop, begin,

commence, get under way, originate: How did this situation

start? 3 Often, start off or up or in. go, leave, depart, get

going, move (off or out or on), get under way, set off or out or

forth, Colloq hit the road, get the show on the road: You start

and I'll follow shortly. 4 Often, start in. begin, commence,

get or start the ball rolling, get things under way, be on one's

way, get going: When I went in I found that she had started

without me. 5 jump, flinch, blench, quail, shy, recoil, wince,

shrink, draw back: He started when he saw her suddenly behind

him in the mirror. 6 cause to spring or leap or dart or jump or

bound: Any abrupt movement will start the plovers from cover.

7 establish, found, begin, set up, initiate, institute, create,

father, give birth to, beget: It was her ideas that started the

current trend in mystery novels. 8 bulge, protrude, stick out;

Colloq US bug out: Warping caused these boards to start from

the floor. When he saw what was in his swimming-pool, his eyes

started from their sockets.

--n. 9 beginning, opening, move: This is not very good, but

it's a start. 10 beginning, commencement, opening, outset,

onset, inception, start-up: The start of the race is set for

ten o'clock. 11 beginning(s), inception, birth, initiation,

onset, rise, genesis, creation, emergence, origin: The start of

the blues can be traced to New Orleans. 12 opportunity, chance,

beginning; help, assistance, aid, backing, financing,

sponsorship, encouragement, Colloq break: Her father-in-law

gave her the start she needed in business. 13 head start,

advantage, edge, lead, Colloq (the) jump, US and New Zealand

drop (on someone): Having the inside track gave her a start on

the competition. If he has a ten-minute start, we'll never catch

him. 14 inauguration, opening, beginning, initiation, Colloq

kick-off: When is the start of the salmon fishing season this

year? 15 beginning(s), founding, foundation, establishment,

inception, birth, origin: This company had its start in 1781.

startle v. frighten, surprise, scare, disturb, unsettle, upset,

discompose, make (someone) jump, jolt, jar, dismay, perturb,

stun, take (someone) aback, shock, astound, astonish, Colloq

shake up, give (someone) a turn, US discombobulate: He jumped

out from behind the door and startled me. She was startled when

she was told that she had to leave at once.

startling adj. shocking, terrifying, frightening, astounding,

astonishing, awesome, staggering, jarring, disturbing,

unsettling, upsetting, amazing, surprising: Monica fainted when

told the startling news.

starved adj. 1 starving, (extremely) hungry, famished, ravenous: Harry

came in from the fields, declaring he was starved and ready to

eat a horse. 2 starved or starving for. yearning for, dying for,

hankering for, hungry or hungering for, pining for, longing for,

burning for, craving, thirsting for or after, desirous of,

aching for, Colloq hurting for: I was starved for a pint of

cold lager. 3 starved of. deprived of, in need or want of,

lacking, be reft of: The children seemed starved of affection.

state n. 1 condition(s), circumstance(s), situation, state of

affairs, status, shape, position: He was concerned about the

state of the company's finances. 2 structure, form,

constitution, shape, phase, stage: One does not see iodine in

its gaseous state outside the laboratory. 3 grandeur, pomp,

style, splendour, magnificence, glory, brilliance: The prince

was met at the airport and escorted in state to the palace. 4

nation, country, land, body politic: No longer a colony, it

became an independent state in 1952.

--adj. 5 governmental, government, national, federal: The

State schools in the town had a good reputation. 6 ceremonial,

formal, dignified, stately, solemn, official; royal, regal,

imperial, majestic: We attended a state dinner at the White

House. The Queen travelled in the state coach from Buckingham

Palace to Westminster.

--v. 7 aver, assert, asseverate, declare, affirm, express,

report, articulate, voice, specify, delineate, claim, maintain,

allege, submit, confirm; say, testify, hold, have: He has often

stated his firm belief in democracy. He stated firmly that he

was not in the house on the night of the murder.

stately adj. dignified, august, solemn, distinguished, impressive,

striking, imposing, awesome, grand, lofty, elevated, noble,

majestic, regal, royal, imperial: The stately procession wound

through the streets of the capital.

statement n. assertion, allegation, declaration, expression, report,

account, affirmation, asseveration, averral, announcement,

annunciation, proclamation, utterance, communication,

communiqu‚, disclosure: Your statement is subject to

interpretation. He made a long and detailed statement about the

future of the project.

static adj. 1 immovable, immobile, unmoving, motionless, stationary,

fixed, stagnant, inert, still, unchanging, unchanged,

changeless, unvarying, invariable, constant: The situation

remained static for years. A living language is not static but

dynamic.

--n. 2 interference, noise, atmospherics; difficulty or

difficulties, trouble, problem(s), Colloq flak: With all the

static, I couldn't understand what she was saying. You can

expect some static about being late for your wedding.

station n. 1 place, position, spot, post, site, location: The sentry

is not to leave his station till relieved. 2 position, place,

status, rank, caste, standing, class, level: As a doctor, he

attained a station in life far above that of his father. 3

railway station, train station, passenger station, bus station,

US and Canadian depot: Let's meet in the waiting-room in the

station.

--v. 4 position, place, spot, post, site, locate, assign,

appoint, garrison, install or instal, Colloq billet: He was

stationed in three different places in four years.

stationery

n. writing-paper, letterhead(s), paper and envelopes, writing

implements or supplies; office supplies or equipment: We

consider stationery costs as part of overheads.

statue n. sculpture, figure, figurine, statuette, carving, casting,

model, bronze, image, icon or ikon, effigy, representation;

bust, atlas, caryatid, colossus, figurehead, Biblical graven

image: A statue of Disraeli stands in the market square of

Aylesbury.

statuesque

adj. imposing, impressive, majestic, regal, stately,

magnificent, noble, dignified, august, grand, well-proportioned,

comely, handsome, queenly, Junoesque: Julie's statuesque figure

was well set off by the draped silk gown.

status n. 1 eminence, prominence, pre-eminence, standing, stature,

importance, significance, repute, reputation, rank, station:

Few could approach Keith's status as a pathologist. 2 See

standing, 5, above.

staunch adj. 1 steadfast, loyal, firm, unflinching, steady,

unshrinking, unswerving, dependable, reliable, (tried and) true,

devoted, true-blue, trusty, trusted, faithful, unfaltering,

undeviating, unwavering: Charles has always been a staunch

supporter of the party. 2 strong, solid, sturdy, sound,

well-built, stout, substantial, well-constructed, well-made,

tough, rugged, long-lasting; watertight, seaworthy: The ship's

staunch oaken hull has withstood much abuse over the years.

stay° v. 1 remain, stop, continue, tarry, wait, stand, Colloq freeze:

Stay where you are or I'll shoot! 2 remain, stop, lodge,

sojourn, abide, reside, dwell, live, visit: I heard that Sheila

was back in town, staying at her aunt's. 3 keep, remain,

continue to be: I was having trouble staying awake. 4 stop,

arrest, thwart, prevent, put an end to, halt, interrupt, block,

check; curb, retard, slow, impede, foil, obstruct, hamper,

hinder, discourage, deter; delay, postpone, put off,

discontinue, defer, Technical prorogue: Only one man has the

authority to stay the execution. What can be done to stay the

advance of the killer bees? 5 linger, loiter, wait, tarry, stop,

remain, Archaic bide: I like this part of the world and plan to

stay here a while.

--n. 6 stop, stoppage, arrest, set-back, check, halt,

prevention, discontinuance, discontinuation, interruption,

blockage, delay, postponement, deferment, deferral, reprieve:

Have you been able to arrange a stay in carrying out the

sentence? 7 stopover, sojourn, visit, stop: We really enjoyed

our stay at Fred's house in Fort Lauderdale.

stayý n. 1 guy, line, rope, cable, chain, support, brace,

reinforcement; Technical head-stay, (running) backstay,

forestay, mainstay, mizen-stay: If one of those stays gives

way, the entire structure may fall.

--v. 2 support, strengthen, secure, reinforce, brace, buttress,

gird, shore (up): The mast is stayed by two steel cables, fore

and aft.

steadfast adj. resolute, determined, persevering, resolved,

single-minded, steady, unflinching, unfaltering, unwavering,

unswerving, indefatigable, dependable, immovable, stable, firm,

fixed, constant, persistent, unflagging, tireless, enduring,

dedicated, deep-rooted, faithful, true, loyal, staunch: For

years Janet has been steadfast in supporting the cause. Stephen

was a steadfast friend and will never be forgotten.

steady adj. 1 stable, firm, solid, substantial, sound, stout, strong:

Is this chair steady enough to stand on? 2 even, regular,

uniform, habitual, invariable, unvarying, unfluctuating,

unwavering, undeviating, changeless, unchanging, continuous,

constant; perpetual, non-stop, round-the-clock, persistent,

uninterrupted, unbroken, unrelieved, unceasing, ceaseless,

incessant, relentless, unremitting, never-ending, unending,

endless: Steady trade winds could be relied on to carry vessels

to the Caribbean. Inflation has remained steady for a year. How

do the children manage to survive on a steady diet of junk food?

The economists fear a steady rise in inflation. 3 unflinching,

unblinking, fixed, constant, unfaltering, continuous, direct:

The boy began to quail under the headmaster's steady gaze. 4

calm, cool, balanced, equable, controlled: Steady nerves are

needed to handle this new breed of fighter plane. 5 devoted,

firm, staunch, faithful, loyal, long-standing, inveterate,

consistent, confirmed, persistent: The Pendergasts have always

been steady supporters of the museum. 6 staid, sedate, sober,

dignified, poised, sophisticated, civilized, sensible,

down-to-earth, settled, serious, level-headed, reliable, Colloq

unflappable: WANTED: Steady person as housekeeper to eccentric

editor.

--adv. 7 firmly, solidly: His wife was holding the ladder

steady while he mended the gutter. 8 go steady. keep company,

date, socialize: Is Jane still going steady with Hubert?

--n. 9 boyfriend, girlfriend, (regular) fellow or girl,

sweetheart, Colloq guy, gal, woman, man: Yes, Hubert is still

Jane's steady. 10 regular, habitu‚, customer, frequenter,

familiar face: Gil has been a steady here ever since we opened.

--v. 11 stabilize, hold fast; brace, secure, support,

strengthen: Prices steadied after the first hour of trading. To

steady the table, merely tighten the screws holding the legs.

steal v. 1 take (away), appropriate, filch, shoplift, pilfer,

purloin, make or walk off or away with, get away with; embezzle,

misappropriate, peculate; Colloq lift, pinch, hook, snitch,

borrow, US boost, liberate, heist, hijack, Slang swipe, Brit

nick, prig, US hoist: The thieves stole only the emeralds,

leaving the diamonds. The bookkeeper stole the money by

diverting it into his own account. 2 plagiarize, pirate, copy,

imitate, appropriate, usurp, take: He claims that the story of

the film was stolen from his short story. 3 sneak, creep, slip,

tiptoe, prowl, lurk, skulk, Colloq pussyfoot: Silently, we

stole into the garden at the rear of the house.

--n. 4 bargain, (good) buy, Colloq give-away: At that price,

the rug was a steal!

stealing n. theft, robbery, robbing, larceny, pilferage, shoplifting,

poaching, embezzlement, peculation, thievery, thieving,

filching, burglary, plagiarism, plagiarizing, piracy, pirating:

Stealing from the church poor-box must be one of the lowest

things a person can do.

stealth n. furtiveness, secrecy, clandestineness, surreptitiousness,

sneakiness, slyness, underhandedness: What the thieves lacked

in stealth they compensated for in knowledge of art.

stealthy adj. stealthful, furtive, secretive, secret, sly, clandestine,

surreptitious, sneaky, sneaking, skulking, covert, undercover,

underhand(ed), backstairs, hugger-mugger, closet: He was as

stealthy as a cat in his movements. They were stealthy

collectors of pornography.

steamy adj. 1 humid, steaming, damp, moist, muggy, sticky, dank,

sweaty, sweltering, sodden, sultry, boiling, wet: We were not

prepared for the steamy jungle of equatorial Africa. 2 steamed

(up), fogged (up), befogged, misty, misted, hazy, clouded,

cloudy, beclouded, dim, blurred: Every time I take a hot

shower, the bathroom mirror gets all steamy. 3 erotic,

passionate, (sexually) exciting, arousing, hot, Colloq sexy,

Slang horny: The film was notorious for its steamy scenes.

steel n. 1 sword, dagger, blade, knife, dirk, stiletto: He saw the

flash of the cold steel in the moonlight.

--v. 2 brace, nerve, stiffen, fortify, grit one's teeth, bear

up, bite the bullet, screw up one's courage (to the sticking

point); inure, insulate, protect: People must learn to steel

themselves against criticism in this business.

steely adj. 1 greyish, grey: His steely blue eyes pierced deep into

her soul. 2 iron, tough, indurate, adamant, adamantine, hard,

strong, rugged, unyielding, flinty, sturdy: She was a woman of

steely determination.

steep° adj. 1 sheer, abrupt, precipitous, bluff, sharp, nearly

vertical or perpendicular or upright: In those days, a car had

to be in first gear to climb such a steep hill. 2 expensive,

dear, high, overpriced, exorbitant, excessive, extravagant,

extortionate, Colloq stiff: The house prices in the city centre

were much too steep for all but the highest-paid executives.

steepý v. 1 soak, submerge, souse, drench, immerse, saturate, douse,

wet, ret; pickle, marinate: Before cooking, the meat has to be

steeped in brine for at least six hours to tenderize it. 2

imbue, fill, saturate, immerse, inundate; bury: He learnt

Japanese by steeping himself in the language for six months.

steer v. 1 guide, pilot, conduct, direct; manage, control, channel:

Steer the boat closer to the pier. David has steered the company

to greater profits than ever before. 2 steer clear of. avoid,

dodge, keep away from, shun, circumvent, give (something or

someone) a wide berth: You'd best steer clear of Melissa when

she's angry.

--n. 3 Usually, bum steer. (bad or poor) tip or suggestion or

hint; (bad or poor) guidance or advice or information: He

avoids me because I once gave him a bum steer on a horse.

stellar adj. 1 astral, star, sidereal: The sidereal year is based on

stellar calculations. 2 chief, starring, principal, leading,

main, headlining: For years Lee has been a stellar performer on

the golf circuit.

stem° n. 1 trunk, stalk, stock; Technical peduncle, pedicel, petiole,

shoot: Three white blossoms are borne on each stem of the

plant. 2 bows, prow, stem-post: The ship shook from stem to

stern.

--v. 3 come, arise, develop, derive, issue, flow, generate,

originate, spring, emanate, sprout, grow, descend, result,

proceed: The dispute stems from basic differences in the ways

the parties regard property.

stemý v. 1 check, stop, halt, stanch or staunch, arrest, stay, curb,

control, quell, suppress; retard, slow, lessen, diminish,

reduce, cut (back (on)): The government introduced legislation

to stem immigration. I was able to stem the bleeding by applying

the tourniquet. 2 stem the tide (of). resist, withstand, go or

make headway or advance or make progress against, prevail over

or against: They were unable to stem the tide of public

opinion.

stench n. stink, reek, noisomeness, mephitis, fetor or foetor, foul

odour, effluvium, Colloq Brit pong: A terrible stench emanated

from the cupboard. For decades their government has wallowed in

the stench of corruption.

stenographer

n. secretary, amanuensis, stenotypist, tachygrapher,

phonographer: The court stenographer read back part of the

testimony.

stenography

n. shorthand, stenotypy, tachygraphy, speedwriting: Her

qualification in stenography proved most useful.

step n. 1 movement, move: The steps of the dance were very

intricate. 2 footfall, footstep, tread: I think I hear

father's step on the stair. 3 footstep, footprint, trace,

spoor, track, trace, mark, impression; imprint, vestige: In his

master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted. 4 action,

initiative, measure, activity, procedure, move, motion: What

steps are needed to improve the situation? 5 stage, move,

gradation, degree, progression: Can we not proceed from one to

the other in easy steps? 6 pace, footstep, stride: My mother's

cottage is just a few steps away, at the bottom of the garden. 7

in step (with). in keeping (with), in harmony or agreement

(with), harmonious (with), agreeable (with), according (with or

to), concordant (with), attuned (to), in tune (with), consonant

(with), consistent (with), appropriate (to), fitting (for);

conventional, traditional, routine: Do you think that her ideas

of discipline are in step with the times? I am not sure they are

in step at all. 8 out of step (with). out of keeping (with), out

of or not in harmony or agreement (with), not harmonious (with),

not agreeable (with), not according (with or to), discordant

(with), not concordant (with), not attuned (to), out of tune

(with), not consonant (with), inconsistent (with), inappropriate

(to), not fitting (for); offbeat, unconventional, eccentric,

Slang kinky: You must admit that her views are out of step with

the committee's. 9 step by step. gradually, a step at a time,

slowly, steadily: The way to unravel the problem is to analyse

it step by step. 10 steps. a course, way, route, direction,

path, movement, passage; journey, journeying, travels,

travelling: After leaving the village, I directed my steps

southward, towards the coast. b stairway, stairs, stair,

staircase, stepladder, US and Canadian stoop: Claire walked

down the steps to greet me. 11 take steps. proceed, move, begin

or start or commence to act or to take action, do something: We

must take steps to prevent this from happening again. 12 watch

one's step. tread carefully or cautiously, be cautious or

careful, exercise care or caution, be wary or discreet, be on

the qui vive, be or remain alert, be on one's guard, have or

keep one's wits about one, take care or heed, Colloq pussyfoot

about: You must really watch your step with Marnie to avoid

upsetting her.

--v. 13 move, walk, look; pace, stride: Step lively or you'll

miss your last chance to see the elephants. 14 step down. a

resign, abdicate, quit, bow out, retire: Don't you think it

time you stepped down from the chairmanship? b decrease,

diminish, reduce: Using this transformer, we can step down the

voltage gradually. 15 step in. intervene, interfere, intercede,

become involved: It seemed the right time for us to step in and

take over the company. 16 step on it. hurry (up), make haste,

hasten, speed up: He'd better step on it if he is going to

catch his plane. 17 step out. a go outside or out of doors,

leave: Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes while we

settle this in private? b go out, socialize: Notice how quickly

Genevieve has started stepping out again after her bereavement.

c become disinvolved, withdraw, secede: Our firm stepped out of

the negotiations when we saw who was bidding. 18 step up. a

improve, progress: George has certainly stepped up in the world

since I knew him at university. b increase, accelerate, raise,

intensify, boost, escalate, up, speed up: They stepped up the

pace until she could no longer keep up with them.

sterile adj. 1 barren, fruitless, unfruitful, childless, unproductive,

infertile, infecund: The first great disappointment of

Napoleon's life was that Josephine was sterile. 2 pure, aseptic,

uninfected, unpolluted, uncontaminated, disinfected, sanitary,

sterilized, germ-free, antiseptic: Make sure that you always

use a sterile bandage for a wound. 3 barren, unproductive,

stale, effete: Vanessa's greatest fear was that her mind would

become sterile and she would run out of ideas.

sterilize v. 1 purify, disinfect, cleanse, clean, fumigate, depurate,

Technical autoclave: Sterilize the instruments before using

them. 2 castrate (males), emasculate (males), geld (horses),

spay (female animals), alter (animals), neuter (animals),

caponize (male fowl), eunuchize (males), Technical ovariectomize

(females), vasectomize (males), Colloq fix (animals), cut (male

animals), Slang tie (someone's) tubes: Steers - that is,

sterilized bulls - yield tenderer meat.

sterling adj. 1 genuine, authentic, real, true, pure: Is this

candle-snuffer sterling silver? 2 excellent, superior, superb,

superlative, first-class, exceptional, matchless, peerless,

unequalled, nonpareil, incomparable, fine, very good, worthy,

estimable, admirable: Commander Ian Johnston has acquitted

himself as an officer of sterling character.

stern adj. 1 austere, severe, strict, stringent, demanding, critical,

rigid, rigorous, flinty, steely, authoritarian, uncompromising,

hard, tough, inflexible, firm, immovable, unmoved, unrelenting,

unremitting, steadfast, resolute, determined, unyielding,

adamant, adamantine, obdurate, hard-hearted, stony,

stony-hearted, unsparing, unforgiving, unsympathetic, harsh:

Discipline in the French Foreign Legion is said to be quite

stern. 2 serious, frowning, grim, forbidding, grave, gloomy,

dour, sombre, saturnine, lugubrious, gruff, taciturn, crabby,

crabbed, crusty, churlish, sour: Beneath that terribly stern

exterior he really is a pussy-cat.

stew n. 1 gallimaufry, goulash, salmagundi, hash, mess, olla

podrida, olio, mixture, mishmash, Brit hotchpotch, US also

hodgepodge: His book is a stew of many different opinions, none

of them his own. 2 state of excitement or alarm or anxiety,

dither, pother, bother, lather, sweat, Colloq tizzy, state: She

really worked herself up into a stew over the boy Paula is

engaged to.

--v. 3 simmer, seethe, agonize, fret, dither, chafe, burn,

smoulder, Colloq get steamed (up) (over or about), work

(oneself) (up) into a sweat or lather or state (over): Paula's

father is all stewed up over her leaving school to get married.

stick° v. 1 pierce, thrust, stab, transfix, pin, spike, impale, spear,

spit, run through, poke, gore, jab, prick, puncture, punch,

penetrate, drill, bore, riddle, perforate: He stuck the wild

boar with his spear. 2 put, drop, place, deposit, Colloq shove,

plonk, plunk, plop: Stick another ice cube in my drink, would

you? 3 put, poke, push, thrust, prod, dig; insert: She stuck

her head out of the window to get a better look. Stop sticking

your finger in my ribs! 4 attach, fasten, affix, fix, nail, pin,

tack; glue, cement, paste, gum, weld, solder, bind, tie, tape,

wire; bond, melt, fuse, unite, join: What shall we used to

stick the poster to the wall? How can I stick the pieces of the

vase together again? 5 Often, stick together. cohere, adhere,

stay or remain or cleave or cling together: I cannot make these

parts stick together. 6 hold, last, endure, go through, be

upheld, be or remain effective, remain attached: The prosecutor

was unable to make a charge of murder stick. 7 linger, dwell,

remain (fixed), continue, stay; be or become lodged or stopped

or fixed or fast or immovable or stationary, be or become

entangled or enmired or bogged down: Something sticks in my

mind about your leaving next week. We were stuck in the Sunday

traffic for hours. The wheel is stuck in the sand. 8 burden,

weigh down, encumber, saddle with, charge, impose on, force on:

We stuck Tony with the nasty job of changing the tyre. 9

baffle, puzzle, bewilder, perplex, confuse, stump, stop,

nonplus: I was totally stuck for a solution. 10 stand, abide,

tolerate, endure, bear: I can't stick people watching me while

I am painting. 11 stick around or about. wait, tarry, linger,

stay, stand by, remain, Colloq hang around or about or on: Can

you stick around for a few minutes after the meeting? 12 stick

at. stop at, hesitate at, pause at, scruple at, be deterred or

put off by, take exception to, shrink from or at, balk at:

Barnes sticks at nothing to get his way. 13 stick by. support,

be loyal or faithful to, stand by: Arnold will stick by you,

come what may. 14 stick it (out). persevere, persist, stand

fast, bear it, be resolute, soldier on, hold (one's) ground,

grin and bear it, see it through, weather it, Colloq US tough it

out: It was a very hard job, but I stuck it out to the very

end. 15 stick out or up. protrude, jut (out), extend, project,

poke (out); bulge, obtrude, stand out, overhang, beetle: Stick

out your tongue. What is sticking out of your ear? Balconies

stick out from all sides of the building. 16 stick together. a

unite, unify, join (forces), consolidate, merge, confederate,

amalgamate, cooperate, work together: The family always sticks

together at times of crisis. b See 5, above. 17 stick up. a

rob, mug, Colloq hold up, US heist: They stuck up a bank

courier this morning, in broad daylight! b put up, post, affix,

display: We went round town sticking up posters for our

candidate. 18 stick up for. rally to the support of, support,

stand by or up for, defend, speak for or in behalf of, take up

the cudgels for; put one's money where one's mouth is, have the

courage of one's convictions: A person must stick up for what

he thinks is right. 19 stick with. persevere, persist, stay or

remain or continue with, not change one's mind about: Stick

with me, kid, and you'll wear diamonds. I'll stick with the

smoked eel as a starter.

stický n. 1 stake, twig, branch, baton, wand, staff, rod, cane, pole,

pike, walking-stick: We put a stick in the ground to mark the

place. 2 person, man, fellow, chap, Colloq guy, Brit geezer,

bloke: Desmond isn't such a bad old stick after all. 3 the

sticks. the country, the provinces, the countryside, the

backwoods, the bush, Brit the hinterland or US the hinterlands,

Australian the outback, US the boondocks, the boonies: He hates

the city and now lives somewhere in the sticks. 4 wrong end of

the stick. misunderstanding, misreading, misconstruction,

misinterpretation: When it comes to understanding a regulation,

Ed always seems to get hold of the wrong end of the stick.

stick-in-the-mud

n. (old) fogy or fogey, conservative, anachronism, Colloq

fuddy-duddy, fossil, square, back number: Her husband was a

terrible stick-in-the-mud and would never try anything new.

sticky adj. 1 gluey, gummy, viscous, tacky, glutinous, viscid, Colloq

gooey: Children, please keep your sticky fingers off the car

windows. 2 awkward, ticklish, tricky, sensitive, delicate,

uncomfortable, discomfiting, discomforting, embarrassing, Slang

hairy: Inviting Steve with his ex-wife might be a bit sticky,

don't you think? 3 humid, clammy, dank, damp, muggy, close,

sultry, oppressive, sweltering: The weather was oppressive and

sticky, and they kept the fan on constantly.

stiff adj. 1 firm, rigid, inelastic, unbending, inflexible, hard,

unbendable, tough, solid, solidified, stiffened, unyielding,

brittle: The table napkins were so stiff with starch that I

almost cracked one. 2 severe, harsh, punitive, hurtful,

punishing, abusive, torturous, distressing, afflictive, painful,

overwhelming, unbearable, tormenting, merciless, excruciating,

cruel, drastic, US cruel and unusual: The government here has

stiff penalties for drug traffickers. 3 strong, potent,

powerful, overpowering, alcoholic: After that kind of an

ordeal, you could use a stiff drink, I'm sure. 4 vigorous,

energetic, staunch, dogged, tenacious, resolute, resolved,

determined, stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, indomitable,

relentless: They met with stiff opposition in trying to capture

the fort. 5 strong, steady, powerful, fresh, brisk, spanking,

gusty, forceful, howling: We had to reduce sail because of a

stiff westerly wind. 6 excessive, exorbitant, high, steep,

expensive, dear: They are asking a pretty stiff price these

days for a bottle of good vintage port. 7 cool, haughty, rigid,

wooden, stuffy, aloof, tense, intense, unrelaxed, forced,

pompous, stilted, mannered, ceremonious, austere, formal,

chilly, cold, unfriendly, standoffish, reserved, snobbish,

Colloq snooty, Slang uptight: Vince is warm and friendly, but

his wife is as stiff as a poker. 8 stilted, unrelaxed, wooden,

forced, artificial, laboured, pedantic, turgid, formal, prim,

Colloq stuffy: I have always found her writing to be rather

stiff. 9 difficult, hard, steep, uphill, laborious, arduous,

tiring, fatiguing, exhausting, harrowing, toilsome, rigorous,

challenging, Colloq rough, tough: It is quite a stiff climb to

the top of the pyramid of Cheops. That was a stiff homework

assignment. 10 solid, semi-solid, firm, hard, thick, dense,

compact: If you add a bit more water the next time, the jelly

won't get quite so stiff.

--n. 11 corpse, body, cadaver: Barry had to go down to the

morgue to identify some stiff they hauled out of the river. 12

skinflint, miser, Colloq cheapskate, Slang piker, US and

Canadian tightwad: A stiff is a customer who fails to leave a

tip.

stiffen v. 1 thicken, coagulate, clot, harden, jell, set, solidify,

congeal, crystallize: Beat the egg-whites with a whisk until

they stiffen. 2 brace, reinforce, tauten, rigidify, toughen,

strengthen: The weak support was stiffened by means of a steel

bar.

stifle v. 1 suffocate, smother, choke, strangle, throttle, asphyxiate:

The firemen were almost stifled by the smoke from the chemical

fire. 2 choke back, keep or hold back, withhold, repress,

suppress, hold in, restrain, prevent, curb, cover up, control:

I stifled a yawn as John went on about his grandchildren. 3

destroy, crush, demolish, extinguish, stamp out, kill, quash,

silence, stop, check: Under his tyrannical rule all artistic

creativity was stifled for fifty years.

stigma n. brand, (bad) mark, blot, smirch, stain, spot, taint,

blemish, demerit, blot on the escutcheon, Brit blot in one's

copybook: Bankruptcy is no longer the social stigma that it

used to be.

stigmatize

v. brand, mark, scar, blemish, besmirch, sully, disparage,

depreciate, denounce, condemn, calumniate, defame, pillory,

slander: His foul treachery stigmatized his entire family.

still adj. 1 quiet, serene, placid, calm, tranquil, motionless,

unmoving, peaceful, pacific, at rest, quiescent, even, flat,

smooth, inert, stationary, undisturbed, unruffled: In the

moonlight, the lake lay still and dark. 2 silent, quiet,

noiseless, soundless; hushed, restful, Literary stilly: Be

still or they'll hear you! In the still night I heard the

distant sound of an owl.

--n. 3 stillness, hush, quiet, silence, tranquillity,

noiselessness, peacefulness, calm: In the still of the evening

came the call of the nightingale.

--adv. 4 even now, to or till or until this or that time, (up)

till or until now, yet: Henry came for dinner five years ago,

and he's here still. Do you still smoke? 5 even, in addition:

Hugh weighed twenty stone when you last saw him, but he's

heavier still today. 6 notwithstanding, yet, even then: Are you

still going to Sue's party, despite what she said?. 7

motionless(ly), quiet(ly), silent(ly), stock-still: Lie still

while I put on this bandage.

--conj. 8 however, but, notwithstanding, nevertheless, even so,

in any event, in any case: She said she'd be here; still, you

never know, she may come later.

--v. 9 calm, allay, assuage, alleviate, relieve, silence, lull,

quiet(en), pacify, soothe, mollify, appease, subdue, suppress:

A few kind words and she had stilled my fears.

stilted adj. awkward, ungraceful, graceless, clumsy, wooden, stiff,

turgid, affected, artificial, unnatural, mannered, laboured;

pretentious, formal, pompous, lofty, bombastic, grandiloquent,

high-flown, inflated: Francis has a stilted way of expressing

himself.

stimulant n. 1 stimulus, incentive, provocation, spur, prompt, goad,

urge, prod, fillip, impetus, incitement, drive, impulse, push,

pull, draw: She yielded readily to the stimulants of

literature, science, and the fine arts. 2 energizer,

antidepressant, tonic, restorative, Colloq bracer, pick-me-up,

shot in the arm, Slang pep pill, upper, bennie, speed: He found

he couldn't get through the day without a stimulant.

stimulate v. 1 rouse, arouse, waken, awaken, wake up, excite, incite,

inspire, encourage, spur, quicken, fire, fuel, nourish,

activate, whip or stir up, goad, galvanize, jolt, inspirit:

What can be done to stimulate students to study history? Their

teacher eventually found a way to stimulate their interest. 2

increase, encourage, prompt, provoke, quicken: This drug

stimulates the circulation of the blood.

stimulating

adj. exciting, inspirational, inspiring, arousing, stirring,

animating, exhilarating, provocative, thought-provoking: I

cannot recall having spent a more stimulating evening in the

theatre.

sting v. 1 prick, stab, pierce, stick; bite: Bees, wasps, scorpions,

etc. sting you, but mosquitoes, spiders, and snakes bite. 2

hurt, wound, pain, injure, distress, nettle, cut to the quick:

He was really stung by Maria's callous remarks. 3 See

stimulate, 1, above: We were stung into action by the

minister's inspiring speech. 4 cheat, overcharge, swindle,

fleece, defraud, Slang rob, soak, rip off, take for a ride: You

really were stung if you paid that much for such an old piano.

stinker n. wretch, villain, scoundrel, cad, heel, beast, cur, viper,

snake in the grass, skunk, swine, polecat, Rather old-fashioned

blackguard, rogue, Archaic knave, varlet, dastard, (base)

caitiff, Colloq stinkpot, louse, creep, rat, Brit nasty piece of

work, sod, Old-fashioned rotter, bounder, blighter, Slang

(rotten) bastard, son of a bitch, Brit toerag, bugger, US SOB,

bum, stinkeroo or stinkaroo, Taboo slang shit, Brit arse-hole,

US ass-hole: They were a lovely couple, but their son was a

real stinker.

stinking adj. 1 foul-smelling, smelly, fetid or foetid, mephitic, rank,

noisome, malodorous, reeking, putrid, miasmal or miasmatic(al)

or miasmic, rancid, gamy, Colloq Brit pongy, whiffy: They were

kept in a stinking dungeon with little food for a month. 2

wretched, villainous, beastly, vile, contemptible, low,

despicable, mean, nasty, disgusting, rotten, terrible, awful,

Old-fashioned dastardly, Colloq lousy, Taboo slang shitty:

Taking my clothes while I was swimming was a stinking thing to

do. 3 drunken, drunk (as a lord or US also a skunk),

intoxicated, inebriated, (be)sotted, under the influence, over

the limit, high, maudlin, tipsy, woozy, Colloq pie-eyed, loaded,

in one's cups, under the weather, three sheets to the wind,

Slang sozzled, soused (to the gills), potted, plastered,

smashed, bombed, pissed, boozed, boozy, tanked, stoned, canned,

US in the bag: The last time I saw Bob, he was so stinking I

had to pour him onto his train.

stint n. 1 share, quota, allotment, bit, assignment, stretch, shift,

term, time, job, chore, task, routine, turn, tour, duty,

responsibility, obligation, charge: She had done her stint of

washing-up and refused to do any more. 2 control, curb, limit,

limitation, restriction, check, restraint, constraint,

condition, qualification, reservation: The committee is free to

exercise without stint its power to raise membership fees.

--v. 3 control, curb, limit, restrict: Don't stint yourself,

lunch is on the firm. 4 skimp, scrimp, be stingy or cheap or

penurious or parsimonious or sparing or frugal, hold back (on),

withhold, economize, pinch (pennies), cut corners, Colloq Brit

be mingy: They certainly didn't stint on the food and drink at

Andrea's party.

stipend n. pay, salary, payment, remuneration, remittance, recompense,

compensation, reward, emolument, earnings, income; grant,

subvention, scholarship, subsidy, allowance, allotment,

(financial) support: His stipend barely covers his basic

expenses.

stipulate v. specify, demand, require, covenant, set forth, agree (to),

provide (for), guarantee, warrant, promise, insist (upon or on);

call for: The agreement stipulates that the goods be received

prior to payment. The compensation stipulated in the contract

has been paid.

stipulation

n. condition, demand, essential, given, requirement, requisite,

prerequisite, specification, undertaking, obligation, covenant,

clause, proviso, term, agreement, provision, guarantee,

warranty, promise: This stipulation calls for payment on

delivery in full and in sterling.

stir v. 1 Often, stir up. agitate, shake (up), mix (up), scramble,

amalgamate, mingle, commingle, intermingle, merge, blend, fold

(in), churn (up), beat, whip (up): Stir all the ingredients

together. 2 move, rise, arise, get up, bestir (oneself), be up

and about, Colloq get a move on, get moving, get a wiggle on,

shake a leg, look or step lively, look alive, stir one's stumps:

It is about time you were up and stirring. 3 disturb, trouble,

affect, upset, stimulate, activate: The play stirred the

conscience of the king. Mention 'diet' to Roberta and you'll

stir up a wasp's nest. 4 Often, stir up. motivate, encourage,

stimulate, energize, galvanize, electrify, animate, excite,

inspire, provoke, move, rouse, arouse, get, prompt, urge,

incite, spur, prod, induce, persuade, convince: What will it

take to stir the council to take action? The usual

rabble-rousers were there, stirring up the crowd. 5 Often, stir

up. awaken, rouse, (cause to) recall or call to mind, revive,

resuscitate: Those photographs stir up so many old memories!

--n. 6 bustle, activity, movement, stirring, action, commotion,

flurry, confusion, tumult, ado, to-do, fuss, disturbance,

excitement, hubbub, Colloq Brit kerfuffle: There was a stir at

the door, which was flung wide to allow Kitty to sweep in. The

news of her marriage caused quite a stir. 7 prison, jail or Brit

also gaol, jail-house, clink, penitentiary, lock-up, Military

Brit glasshouse, US brig, Slang chiefly Brit quod, US big house,

pen, slammer, can, calaboose: He claims he's in stir for

something he didn't do.

stirring adj. moving, telling, emotional, emotive, emotion-charged,

rousing, stimulating, inspiring, gripping, evocative, exciting,

thrilling, melodramatic, dramatic, heady, intoxicating,

spirited, inspiriting, exhilarating, awe-inspiring: He was

treated to the stirring experience of hearing fifty thousand

people shouting his name in unison, again and again.

stock n. 1 supply, store, inventory, stockpile, reserve, reservoir,

cache, hoard; wares, merchandise, goods, selection, assortment,

range, variety, array: One can select something suitable from

the stock at the local wine shop. 2 pedigree, bloodline, house,

dynasty, (line of) descent, genealogy, extraction, roots,

lineage, family, ancestry, parentage, breeding, heritage: Her

mother was concerned that she should marry someone of good

stock. 3 source, progenitor, creator, father, begetter,

forefather, ancestor, precursor, forerunner, forebear; founder:

He might well provide the stock for a new line of kings. 4

livestock, (domestic or farm) animals, cattle, beasts; horses,

cows, oxen, sheep, goats: Don't forget to water the stock

before driving to the village. 5 share, ownership, investment,

capital, funds; property, assets: He owned ten shares of stock

in the corporation. The company's stock is worth next to nothing

today. 6 take stock. weigh (up), estimate, review, appraise,

look at, Colloq size up: We must take stock of the situation

and decide what to do.

--adj. 7 routine, stereotyped, banal, clich‚d, commonplace,

usual, hackneyed, ordinary, stale, staple, run-of-the-mill,

tired, old, everyday, customary, set, standard, traditional,

trite, worn out, Colloq corny: Ask him how he is and you always

get his stock reply, 'Fair to meddling'. 8 standard, ordinary,

regular, routine, staple: The shop does not carry 'extra tall'

or 'extra short', only stock sizes.

--v. 9 carry, have, have or make available, handle, deal in,

market, sell, supply, furnish, provide, offer, trade in, keep:

The shop stocked a wide range of hardware. 10 Often, stock up

(on). accumulate, amass, pile up, stockpile, hoard, store (up),

cache, lay in, inventory: Everyone stocked up on food in case

the village was blocked by snow.

stocky adj. thickset, sturdy, chunky, dumpy, solid, stumpy, burly,

beefy, heavy-set, squat, pyknic, mesomorphic: He is stocky and

powerfully built.

stodgy adj. stuffy, dull, heavy, ponderous, elephantine, boring,

tedious, humdrum, tiresome, turgid, uninteresting,

unimaginative, dry-as-dust, jejune, vapid, dreary, flat,

colourless, bland, Colloq ho-hum, blah, deadly: The speaker was

boring and gave the stodgiest talk I have ever heard.

stoical adj. stoic, impassive, resigned, apathetic, cool, unemotional,

emotionless, frigid, imperturbable, calm, dispassionate,

indifferent, phlegmatic, long-suffering, stolid, disciplined,

self-possessed, (self-)controlled, Colloq unflappable: Bertram

remained stoical as the judge read out the sentence of death.

stoicism n. indifference, self-possession, austerity, self-control,

fortitude, calmness, calm, coolness, imperturbability,

longanimity, forbearance, patience, fatalism, resignation,

Colloq unflappability: The people accepted the news of one

defeat after another with increasing stoicism.

stole n. tippet, scarf, boa, shawl: Mandy was too embarrassed to

wear her mink stole to the charity ball.

stolid adj. impassive, dull, doltish, obtuse, thick, dense, bovine,

wooden, slow, lumpish, unemotional, clod-like, phlegmatic,

lethargic, apathetic, indifferent, uninterested: He was a

stolid character, very different from his dynamic younger

brother.

stomach n. 1 abdomen, belly, gut, pot-belly, pot, paunch, Colloq

corporation, bay window, tummy, bread basket, spare tyre: His

huge stomach hung over and concealed his belt. 2 tolerance;

taste, appetite, desire, hunger, thirst, craving, need,

inclination, relish, longing, yearning, hankering: I have no

stomach for those TV sitcoms featuring precocious

four-year-olds.

--v. 3 abide, tolerate, endure, stand, bear, suffer, take,

accept, swallow, resign or reconcile oneself to, put up with,

countenance, brook, Brit stick: He walked out when he could no

longer stomach her continual criticism.

stony adj. 1 stoney, rocky, pebbly, shingly, shingled: Some of the

beaches along the Riviera are too stony to lie on directly. 2

stoney, hard, obdurate, adamant, adamantine, heartless,

stony-hearted, hard-hearted, indifferent, unsympathetic,

implacable, intractable, heartless, insensitive, insensible,

unfeeling, unsentimental, merciless, pitiless, cold,

cold-hearted, chilly, frigid, icy, tough, callous, steely,

inflexible, unresponsive, Colloq hard-boiled: He listened to

her pleadings in stony silence. 3 bankrupt, penniless,

indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, Colloq broke, Chiefly Brit

stoney, stony-broke or stoney-broke, skint: At the time, I was

so stony I didn't have two pennies to rub together.

stoop v. 1 Sometimes, stoop down. bend (down), bow, duck (down), lean

(down), hunch (down), hunker (down), crouch (down), scrunch

down: She had to stoop down to talk to the child. 2 Often,

stoop low. condescend, deign, lower or abase or degrade oneself,

sink, humble oneself; be demeaned or diminished: She had to

stoop pretty low to accept a job paying only half of what she

had demanded.

--n. 3 hunch, slouch, scrunch, crouch, stooping, slouching,

Technical lordosis, curvature of the spine, torticollis,

wryneck: The orthopaedist thought his stoop could be corrected

by a back brace.

stop v. 1 discontinue, halt, terminate, cease, break off, end, put

an end or a stop to, bring to a stop or a halt or an end or a

close, give up, quit, leave off, finish, conclude, desist

(from), refrain (from), abandon; draw to a close, be over, come

to a stop or a halt or an end or a close; Colloq cut (out), lay

off, Brit pack in: Stop shouting, I'm not deaf. The car stopped

suddenly. Will the fighting ever stop? 2 bring to a stop or a

halt or a standstill, check, cut off; arrest, suppress,

restrain, thwart; block, bar, obstruct, dam, keep or hold back,

prevent, hinder; slow, impede, stem, stanch or staunch: The

main problem was how to stop drug trafficking. Can we stop the

river from flooding? This tourniquet will stop the bleeding. 3

Often, stop up. obstruct, block (up), jam (up), plug (up), clog

(up), choke (up), stuff (up), fill (up), close (up or off): The

drain was all stopped up with paper. 4 peter out, be over, end:

He gave me an injection and the pain finally stopped. 5 pause,

break, take a break, interrupt, tarry; sojourn, rest, stay, put

up, lodge, visit, stop off or in or over; pull over, pull up:

I'd like to stop for a cup of coffee. I stopped at The Bell Inn

on my way here. We stopped short at the sign.

--n. 6 halt, end, cessation, termination, ban, prohibition;

close, standstill, conclusion: The new law put a stop to

door-to-door selling. We must bring that practice to a stop. 7

stay, sojourn, visit, break, rest, stopover, US layover: We

thoroughly enjoyed our stop in Brighton. 8 stopping-place,

station, terminal, stage, terminus, US and Canadian depot:

There is a bus stop in the next street. 9 blockage, blocking,

stopping (up), stoppage, closing up, obstruction, block: A stop

in the water supply was soon cleared up.

stopgap n. 1 makeshift, improvisation, substitute: The wire served as

a stopgap until they could get the proper part.

--adj. 2 makeshift, temporary, improvised, impromptu,

substitute, emergency, provisional, stand-by; jury-rigged: A

broomstick served as a stopgap mast for the dinghy's sail.

stopper n. stopple, cork, plug, bung: I had problems getting the

stopper out of the barrel.

store v. 1 stock, collect, accumulate, put by, lay away, set aside,

pile (up), aggregate, amass, cumulate; hoard; assemble: The

corn is stored in huge silos. 2 keep, hold, stow (away),

preserve, warehouse, stockpile: Apples should be stored in a

cool, dry place.

--n. 3 supply, inventory, collection, accumulation, stock,

stockpile, reservoir, cache, fund: We keep a large store of dry

foods for an emergency. Grandfather has an endless store of

tales about the sea. 4 shop, department store, market, retailer,

outlet, cooperative (store), Colloq co-op: You might get a good

fridge at a department store. 5 set or lay store by. give

credence to, believe (in), have faith or trust in, trust (in),

bank or rely on, depend on or upon, count on, value: I

shouldn't set much store by what that old gossip tells you.

storehouse

n. warehouse, depository or depositary, repository, storeroom,

bank, store, (In Asia) godown; arsenal, magazine, armoury: The

company maintains storehouses in a dozen countries to better

supply their customers.

storey n. floor, level, tier, Chiefly US story: The new building is

five storeys high.

storm n. 1 tempest, disturbance, turbulence; wind-storm, mistral,

gale, whirlwind, hurricane, tornado, typhoon, cyclone, US and

Canadian williwaw; shower, cloudburst, downpour, rainstorm,

deluge, monsoon, thunder-shower, thunderstorm, electrical storm;

dust-storm, sandstorm, simoom or simoon or samiel, harmattan,

khamsin, sirocco; snowstorm, blizzard; hailstorm, ice-storm:

People were evacuated from the area where it was thought the

storm would strike. 2 outburst, outcry, explosion, eruption,

outpouring, furore or US furor: The proposed taxes were met by

a storm of protest. 3 disturbance, rumpus, stir, commotion,

agitation, furore or US furor; turbulence, strife, turmoil,

disorder: I am not sure the company could weather another

serious financial storm.

--v. 4 rage, rant, rave, bluster, fume, explode, thunder, roar,

raise the roof, raise hell, raise Cain, Colloq fly off the

handle, blow one's top, US blow one's stack: When she found out

where Laura had gone, mother stormed round the house. 5 blow,

rain, hail, snow, sleet, rage, bluster, squall, howl: It

stormed for a week, and much property was destroyed. 6 attack,

assault, assail, raid, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombard, barrage, fire

upon or on, shell; besiege, lay siege to, siege: The enemy

stormed the castle again and again without effect.

stormy adj. 1 violent, tempestuous, blustery, turbulent, wild,

howling, raging, roaring, foul, nasty, bad, not fit for man or

beast, inclement: It was always stormy along the eastern coast

of the island. 2 violent, tempestuous, turbulent, fierce,

fiery, frantic, frenetic, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking,

frenzied, feverish, raving, wild: He and Kate enjoyed - if that

is the right word - a stormy relationship for thirty years.

story n. 1 narrative, tale, recounting, anecdote, yarn; account,

recital, chronicle, record, history; legend, myth, fairy tale or

story, romance, gest or geste, fable, fabliau; epic, saga, Edda;

joke, Colloq gag; mystery, detective story, whodunit, thriller;

horror story; allegory, parable; piece, article: In olden days,

the historians were the story tellers. George really knows how

to tell a story. Have any of your stories been published? 2

contention, testimony, assertion, version, statement,

representation, allegation: That's his story and he's sticking

to it. 3 fib, confabulation, (white or black) lie, alibi,

excuse, untruth, falsehood; tall tale, fishing or fish story:

He told us some story about having sailed round the world

single-handed in a dinghy. Did you believe her story about being

of royal blood? 4 article, item, report, dispatch, news,

tidings, release, information, copy, feature; scoop, exclusive:

A story about China appears on page two. 5 story-line, plot,

scenario, (plot) outline, summary, book: The story needs some

revision before the dialogue can be rewritten. 6 biography,

curriculum vitae, life (story); facts, experiences, adventures,

fortunes: His story is going to be made into a film.

stout adj. 1 fat, obese, tubby, overweight, thickset, heavy-set, big,

burly, corpulent, fleshy, heavy, plump, portly: She squeezed

onto the seat between the door and a rather stout man. 2

valiant, brave, undaunted, dauntless, hardy, courageous,

gallant, plucky, valorous, staunch, resolute, doughty, bold,

gallant: 'Stout fellow!' exclaimed the colonel, the ultimate

compliment he was ever heard to utter. 3 strong, tough,

substantial, durable: Tie stout cord round the box before

posting it. 4 brawny, sturdy, healthy, robust, strapping,

stalwart, lusty, hulking, athletic, Colloq beefy, husky: Two

stout bouncers flanked the entrance to the club.

stow v. pack, store, load, deposit, put (away), place; cram, stuff,

wedge, bundle, jam; hide, secrete, conceal, cache, Colloq stash

(away): We stowed our gear the moment we went aboard. They

couldn't stow another thing in the basement. Where did he stow

the pistol when the police searched the place?

straggle v. stray, ramble, loiter, rove, prowl, range, drift, wander,

meander, (be) spread, Colloq mosey: Thousands of refugees

straggled along the road away from the bombed village.

straight adj. 1 direct, unbending, undeviating, uncurved, regular,

linear: The tracks are straight for as far as the eye can see.

2 erect, vertical, upright, upstanding, perpendicular; plumb:

Stop slouching and stand up straight. He stood straight as a

ramrod. 3 even, square, true, right, flat, smooth, horizontal,

level: Are you sure that the billiard table is straight? 4

honest, frank, straightforward, direct, forthright, legitimate,

(fair and) square, fair, equitable, just, above-board, upright,

respectable, decent, trustworthy, honourable, dependable,

reliable, Colloq upfront: Sternway seems to be perfectly

straight in his business dealings. 5 unequivocal, unambiguous,

straightforward, candid, plain, simple, explicit, blunt,

unembellished, unelaborated, unqualified, outright, accurate:

The straight facts are given in this article. The police cannot

get a straight story out of him as to his whereabouts last

night. 6 direct, point-blank, straightforward, straight from the

shoulder, candid, outright, plain, frank, no-nonsense: Do you

mind answering a straight question? 7 shipshape, orderly, neat,

tidy, in order, arranged, organized, sorted out, spruce,

straightened out: I wish Leonard would put his room straight

before the guests arrive. 8 sober, staid, sedate, serious,

unsmiling, unemotional, impassive, emotionless, taciturn,

composed, mask-like: It was impossible to keep a straight face

during the school play. 9 undiluted, neat, unmixed, pure,

unadulterated, uncut, unmodified, unaltered, unalloyed: He

likes his whisky straight. 10 even, square, settled,

straightened out, agreed: The account will be straight when

Dick makes the last payment. 11 heterosexual, normal, Slang

hetero: Till Evelyn came out of the closet, I thought he was

straight.

--adv. 12 directly, right, undeviatingly, unswervingly; as the

crow flies, in a beeline: I should have known she would go

straight to the police. 13 (straight) ahead: Go straight for a

mile and you'll see it on the right. 14 Sometimes, straight

out. directly, unequivocally, unambiguously, forthrightly,

straightforwardly, point-blank, candidly, plainly, simply, in

plain or simple English, explicitly, outright, honestly,

accurately: Just give me the story straight, without beating

about the bush. 15 Often, straight away or off. immediately, at

once, without delay, instantly, summarily, directly, right (away

or off), right off the bat, promptly, Colloq p.d.q. (= 'pretty

damned quick'): She went back to work straight after having the

baby. I told him straight off to leave town. 16 straight up.

without ice: I like my gin straight up.

straighten

v. 1 Often, straighten out. uncurl, untangle, disentangle,

unsnarl, unravel, unkink; clear (up), settle, resolve, sort out,

set or put straight or right or to rights, correct, adjust,

rectify: She decided to have her hair straightened. They are

busy straightening out the matter of father's will. 2 Often,

straighten out. reform, rehabilitate, organize, reorganize:

Perhaps psychotherapy will straighten him out. 3 Often,

straighten out or up. tidy (up), arrange, rearrange, neaten,

spruce up, put in order, clean (up): Would you help me

straighten up the place before you leave?

strain° v. 1 stretch, force, tax, overtax, burden, overburden,

overwork, push; exceed, surpass: His story that a bushy-haired

intruder had shot her strained the jury's credulity. 2 push,

pull, tug, heave, stretch, twist, wrench, struggle: As he

strained at his bonds the rope cut more deeply into his wrists.

3 injure, hurt, harm, impair, damage, overwork, tax, pull, tear,

twist, wrench: I strained my back lifting that box of books. 4

stretch, crane, twist; try (hard), struggle, strive, labour,

toil, push, make an effort, exert oneself: She strained to

catch a glimpse of the prince. They strained to hear every word.

5 filter, sift, drain, screen, sieve; winnow, draw off,

separate; purify, seep, percolate: Strain the soup to remove

the bones. Strain the dregs from the wine. The water is then

strained through sand.

--n. 6 sprain, injury, damage, harm, wrench: Strains often

hurt more than broken bones. 7 anxiety, worry; effort,

exertion, stress, tension, pressure, burden; tax, demand,

obligation: The strain began to tell on all of us. Another rope

was needed to relieve the strain on the first. This advertising

budget will put a great strain on our resources. 8 Often,

strains. air, melody, tune, song, sound, music: In the distance

I made out the faint strains of skirling bagpipes. 9 tenor,

tone, drift, inclination, tendency, quality, spirit, mood,

humour, character, complexion, cast, impression, thread, vein,

theme: I detected a mellowing strain in her letters.

strainý n. 1 family, stock, ancestry, roots, extraction, derivation,

(family) background, heritage, descent, parentage, lineage,

pedigree, bloodline, race, line, descendants: This sample of

sweet pea came from an entirely different strain. 2 trace,

hint, suggestion, suspicion, soup‡on, streak, trait, mark,

indication, vestige, evidence, sign: There was a definite

strain of ruthlessness in her character.

strained adj. laboured, forced, artificial, stiff, tense, awkward,

uneasy, uncomfortable, difficult, tension-ridden,

self-conscious, unnatural, insincere, put-on: His already

strained relations with his wife scarcely improved when he met

Lisa.

strait adj. 1 narrow, tight, constricted, constricting, confining,

confined, restricting, restricted, limited, limiting, rigorous,

demanding, exacting; difficult, straitened: Strait is the gate

and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be

that find it.

--n. 2 Usually (except in gazetteers), straits. narrows,

channel: We coasted through the Straits of Magellan with all

sails flying. 3 dire or desperate or sore straits. bad or poor

state or condition, trouble, predicament, plight, mess, dilemma,

tight spot, hot water, US bind Colloq pickle, jam, scrape,

pretty or fine kettle of fish, US box: We shall be in dire

straits if father's cheque doesn't come soon.

straitened

adj. inadequate, insufficient, reduced, oppressed, distressed,

needy, necessitous, poor, poverty-stricken, indigent,

impoverished, destitute, penniless, insolvent, Colloq hard up,

US strapped: As a writer, he was accustomed to living in

straitened circumstances between sales of his stories.

strait-laced

adj. priggish, prim, conservative, old-fashioned, Victorian,

old-maidish, proper, prudish, puritanical, moralistic, strict,

narrow-minded, (over-)scrupulous, fussy, Colloq pernickety or US

also persnickety, stuffy, goody-goody: Her aunt has the

strait-laced notion that girls ought to be home by ten o'clock.

strange adj. 1 odd, peculiar, bizarre, weird, curious, uncommon,

unusual, rare, singular, exceptional, eccentric, weird, funny,

quaint, fantastic, out of the ordinary, extraordinary,

out-of-the-way, queer, outlandish, unheard-of, grotesque,

abnormal, remarkable, surprising, inexplicable, unaccountable,

uncanny, Colloq offbeat, far-out, Slang kinky, Brit rum, US

kooky: I had a strange dream last night. 2 unfamiliar,

unknown, unaccustomed: The children were warned not to get into

strange cars. She was overwhelmed by the strange culture of her

husband's country.

stranger n. foreigner, outlander, alien, newcomer, visitor: The people

in these parts don't take kindly to strangers.

stratagem n. trick, artifice, device, dodge, subterfuge, lure, wile,

ruse, plan, scheme, plot, intrigue, manoeuvre, ploy, tactic:

What stratagem did they use to tempt you to attend this boring

affair?

strategic adj. tactical, key, crucial, principal, cardinal, critical,

vital, key: That line of supply is of strategic importance.

Sending in the landing force was a strategic manoeuvre.

strategy n. plan, tactic(s), design, policy, procedure, scheme,

blueprint, Colloq game or master plan, scenario: The enemy's

strategy calls for quick air strikes by low-flying bombers.

stratum n. 1 layer, level, stratification, table, vein, seam; plane:

These coal strata have been mined for hundreds of years. 2

level, caste, class, rank, station, standing, status, bracket,

group, estate: She married someone from a higher stratum of

society.

stray v. 1 wander, roam, rove, range, straggle, drift, meander: They

found the ponies straying up the valley and across the moor. 2

deviate, diverge, wander, digress, ramble, divagate, get or go

off the track or subject, go off on or at a tangent, get

sidetracked: She let her mind stray from the matter in hand.

--n. 3 straggler, vagrant, waif, US dogie: They have always

taken in and cared for strays.

--adj. 4 vagrant, lost, roving, roaming, wandering, homeless,

derelict, abandoned: The problem with stray pets increases when

people abandon them on returning home after the summer. 5

random, casual, chance, accidental, haphazard, singular, freak,

accidental, unexpected: A stray bullet caught him in the leg.

6 isolated, separate(d), lone, odd, single: She brushed a stray

hair from her face.

streak n. 1 stripe, striation, strip, stroke, bar, band, line, mark,

smear, slash, dash, touch, daub, fleck, trace; vein, layer,

seam, stratum: The male bird is marked with a streak of bright

reddish-orange on its throat. A red streak marks the iron

deposit. 2 flash, bolt: I saw the dark figure in the light from

a streak of lightning. 3 spell, spate, period, stretch, run:

They were celebrating their streak of good luck at the roulette

table.

--v. 4 stripe, striate, line, bar, mark, smear, daub, slash:

Dawn was beginning to streak the sky when she left the party. 5

race, run, rush, dash, sprint, dart, hurtle, fly, scoot, speed,

hasten, hurry, tear, whistle, zip, zoom, Colloq whiz or whizz:

The gang streaked through the village on their motor cycles and

were gone.

stream n. 1 brook, brooklet, streamlet, rivulet, tributary, river,

freshet, run, watercourse, waterway, channel, Chiefly literary

rill, runnel, Literary or N Brit dialect beck, burn, Archaic NE

US except in placenames kill, US creek, branch: If the streams

continue to swell, flooding can be expected in low-lying areas.

2 flow, current, outpouring, effluence or efflux, effusion,

rush, spurt, surge, fountain, geyser, torrent, flood, deluge,

cataract, cascade: A stream of bubbles showed where the diver

was swimming. A stream of obscenities poured from his lips. 3

flow, rush, swarm, tide, flood, deluge, succession, series, row,

line, string, chain, barrage, Brit queue: Simon has had a

constant stream of visitors all morning.

--v. 4 run, flow, course, glide, rush, slide, slip, surge;

pour, issue, emanate, gush, flood, spout, well up or out or

forth, squirt, spurt, shoot, jet; cascade: The rain streamed

down the windows. 5 issue, emanate; rush, surge, pour, flood,

file, proceed, march, walk, move: People streamed in and out of

the building all day long.

streamer n. pennant, banner, pennon, flag, bannerette or banneret,

banderole or banderol or bannerol, gonfalon or gonfanon, jack,

burgee: A long streamer fluttered from the mast.

streamlined

adj. 1 aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, curved, curvilinear; smooth,

flowing: Streamlined design began to appear in cars and boats

in the 1930s. 2 modern, ultra-modern, modernistic, modernized,

up to date, time-saving, labour-saving, compact,

(well-)organized, efficient, automated: Mother always dreamt

about having a streamlined kitchen. 3 well-run, smooth,

efficient, automated, labour-saving, time-saving, profitable,

productive, simplified: He designed a fully streamlined

manufacturing process for us.

street n. 1 thoroughfare, way, road, roadway, high road, avenue,

concourse, boulevard, lane, drive, terrace, circle, row,

passage, alley, byway: I don't know the name of the street

where she lives. 2 up (someone's) Brit street or US alley.

(someone's) cup of tea, in (someone's) bailiwick, suiting

(someone) to a T: Crossword puzzles are very much up Eugene's

street.

strength n. 1 power, might, force, mightiness, robustness, toughness,

stoutness, sturdiness, brawn, brawniness, muscle, sinew: Do you

have the strength to lift that by yourself? 2 fortitude,

backbone, stamina, tenacity, tenaciousness, will-power,

perseverance, persistence, resoluteness, resolution,

pertinacity, nerve, grit, pluck, determination, gameness,

intrepidity, firmness, stability, Colloq guts, gutsiness, spunk,

US intestinal fortitude, stick-to-it-iveness: Sally was a tower

of strength when I needed her the most. 3 talent, ability,

aptitude, gift, strong point, asset: One of his strengths is

being able to sight-read music. 4 concentration,

concentratedness, intensity, potency: Coffee of that strength

would keep me awake all night. 5 vigour, force, energy, power,

potency, intensity: The strength of the wind was great enough

to pick up cars and toss them about. 6 durability, power,

toughness, stability, reliability, resistance, solidity,

stamina, ruggedness, endurance, soundness: The manufacturer

claims that his product has the strength to resist wear for a

hundred years. 7 persuasiveness, cogency, weight, force,

convincingness, incisiveness, soundness: There is no disputing

the strength of the argument against smoking.

strengthen

v. 1 reinforce, renew, bolster, fortify, support, confirm,

corroborate, substantiate, buttress, step up, boost: A thousand

troops were sent to strengthen the garrison at Fort Old. 2

encourage, hearten, invigorate, fortify, rejuvenate, nourish,

energize, vitalize, toughen, brace (up), steel, innervate,

stiffen: Whatever she said seems to have strengthened his

determination to succeed.

strenuous adj. 1 demanding, taxing, tough, arduous, laborious, toilsome,

burdensome, tiring, exhausting, difficult, hard, uphill:

Hauling in the fishing nets was strenuous work. 2 energetic,

active, vigorous, enthusiastic, zealous, earnest, dynamic,

intense, indefatigable, tireless, persistent, dogged,

determined, tenacious, pertinacious, resolute, sincere, eager:

He has made a strenuous effort to be more accommodating.

stress n. 1 emphasis, force, pressure, forcefulness, accent,

accentuation, prominence, Technical ictus: Many people place

the stress on the first syllable of 'controversy'. 2 emphasis,

significance, importance, weight, force, insistence, urgency:

She lays too much stress on looks. 3 (stress and) strain,

burden, anxiety, worry, distress, pain, grief, suffering,

anguish, pressure, tenseness, tension: She has four elderly

people to care for, and the stress is beginning to show.

--v. 4 emphasize, accent, accentuate, lay stress or emphasis

on, underscore, underline, mark, note, make a point of, bring

home, focus on, bring into prominence, spotlight, feature,

highlight: The conference succeeded in stressing the importance

of a good home life. 5 strain, put under strain or stress,

upset, disturb, burden, worry, distress, Brit pressurize or US

pressure: Duncan was terribly stressed after a few months in

the new job.

stretch v. 1 extend, reach; span, spread: Her memory stretches back to

the first World War. His Texas ranch stretches as far as the eye

can see. 2 distend, lengthen, elongate, widen, broaden, swell,

draw or pull out, balloon, inflate, enlarge, expand, increase,

dilate, blow up: Stretch the netting to cover the frame. 3

overtax, overextend; warp, strain, distort, bend, break: We

like to stretch our employees in this company. He is stretching

the rules by allowing undergraduates to take his course.

--n. 4 elasticity, give, resilience, resiliency,

stretchability, stretchiness: There isn't much stretch left in

this old rubber band. 5 extent, reach, span, spread, expanse,

sweep, area, tract, US section: There is a stretch of desert

just south of the coast. 6 time, stint, period, spell, term,

tour (of duty), Colloq US and Canadian hitch: He signed up for

a two-year stretch in the navy. He once did a six-month stretch

in prison for assault.

strew v. scatter, bestrew, sprinkle, disperse, spread, toss,

distribute; litter: Rubbish was strewn all over the floor.

stricken adj. 1 Usually, stricken by. struck (down) (by), hit (by), laid

low (by or with), affected (by or with), afflicted (with),

racked (by or with): He was stricken by pneumonia but is

recovering. 2 affected (by), smitten (by), overwhelmed (by or

with), overcome (by or with), plagued (by or with), tormented

(by); broken, crushed, demoralized, broken-hearted,

grief-stricken: He was stricken by her beauty. During the

plague year, commerce virtually ceased with the stricken city of

London.

strict adj. 1 rigorous, narrow, close, undeviating, confining,

constricting, constrictive, rigid, defined, precise, exact,

exacting, stringent, meticulous, compulsive, punctilious,

finicky or finical, scrupulous, attentive, conscientious,

faithful, thorough, complete: The judge's strict interpretation

of the law left no room for leniency or sympathy. 2 severe,

austere, authoritarian, autocratic, stern, firm, hard, tough,

uncompromising, inflexible, cold-blooded, iron-fisted,

tyrannical, harsh, ruthless, pitiless, unsympathetic: Miss

Wells is remembered by all her students as a strict

disciplinarian.

stricture n. 1 interdiction, blockage, restriction, restraint,

constraint, deterrent, impediment: The strictures imposed on

credit have throttled trade. 2 criticism, censure: He deplored

conservative strictures against anything new in the arts.

strident adj. shrill, raucous, harsh, loud, grating, stridulous,

stridulant, scraping, scratching, scratchy, grinding, hoarse,

rough, guttural, husky, gravelly, rasping, jarring, discordant,

unharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical, cacophonous, croaking,

creaking: Her strident voice could be heard all over the

building.

strife n. 1 discord, disharmony, disagreement, difference, conflict,

rivalry, competition, contention, dispute, dissension, struggle,

squabbling, bickering, arguing, quarrelling: The nation is torn

by the strife of perpetual labour disputes. 2 animosity,

friction, hard feelings, bad feeling(s), bad blood, antagonism,

ill will, hatred, enmity, hostility, unfriendliness: The strife

between us will continue because our philosophies differ so

radically.

strike v. 1 hit, deal a blow to, knock, smack, thump, thwack, crown,

cuff, punch, smite; beat, hammer, belabour, batter, pummel or

pommel, pelt, buffet, thrash; cudgel, bludgeon, club, whip,

horsewhip, scourge, lash, cane, flog, birch, slap, Colloq

wallop, slug, whack, clout, sock, conk, belt, bash, lambaste,

bop: Small wonder he struck you after what you called his wife.

2 deliver, deal, aim, direct: He struck a blow for freedom. 3

hit, collide with, land on or in or against, smash or bump or

bang or crash or dash into, go or run into, impact: Mrs

Humphrey's car went out of control and struck a tree. 4 remove,

take away, take apart, dismantle, knock down; take or pull or

haul down: Stage-hands struck the set. As the wind piped up we

struck the mainsail. 5 Usually, strike off or from or out.

obliterate, expunge, erase, eradicate, blot out, delete,

scratch, eliminate, rub out, cross (out), cancel, wipe out, US x

out: After the scandal, his name was struck off the register.

Strike out any references that might be thought libellous. 6

light, ignite: He struck a match to see where he was going. 7

affect, impress, influence, afflict, Colloq hit: The death of

her kitten struck Mandy to the heart. 8 make, reach, attain,

conclude; agree or settle (on), ratify, confirm: We struck a

bargain on the sale of the car. 9 occur or come to, dawn on or

upon, Colloq hit, register (with): It suddenly struck me that

you are leaving tomorrow. 10 impress, print, stamp, punch,

mint, make: They have struck a new gold coin for collectors.

11 instil, implant, induce: Horror films struck fear into our

hearts when we were children. 12 assume, adopt, put on,

display, affect, take on, feign: He struck a supercilious pose

of insouciant hauteur that annoyed her intensely. 13 Often,

strike down. afflict, affect, attack, indispose, incapacitate,

disable, cripple, invalid: Polio struck her down in the prime

of life. 14 encounter, come or happen or hit upon, come across,

chance upon, discover, stumble on, find: The news is that

they've struck oil in the North Sea. 15 revolt, rebel, mutiny,

walk out (of or off the job): The machinists struck at

midnight, bringing the industry to a halt. 16 strike on or upon.

dream up, devise, conjure up, improvise, work out, invent,

contrive, come up with, hit on or upon, arrive at: The

alchemist never did strike upon a way to turn lead into gold.

17 strike out. a fail, get nowhere, Colloq US miss the boat,

flop, come a cropper, Slang US blow it, blow the gaff, come to

nothing or naught or nought: Tim always strikes out when it

comes to girls. b See 5, above. 18 strike up. (cause to) begin

or start or commence: The band struck up. We struck up an

acquaintance aboard ship.

--n. 19 attack, assault: A dawn air strike is planned. 20

walk-out, sit-down (strike), job action, slow-down, go-slow,

work-to-rule: They will call a strike if negotiations break

down.

striking adj. remarkable, astounding, astonishing, amazing, wondrous,

awe-inspiring, awesome, stunning, impressive, imposing,

fabulous, out of the ordinary, unusual, rare, exceptional,

marvellous, extraordinary, magnificent, superb, splendid,

stupendous, Colloq great, smashing, Slang old-fashioned Brit

ripping, ripsnorting, top-hole, topping: I met the most

striking girl at the golf club.

string n. 1 line, cord, thread, twine, fibre, rope, cable, ligament,

strand, filament: To fly a kite one needs the right weight of

string. 2 leash, lead, leader: Why does he let her drag him

around on the end of a string? 3 line, row, series, sequence,

succession, chain, procession, stream, train, file, Chiefly Brit

queue: A string of coincidences led to their meeting again

after twenty years. 4 necklace, chain, loop, strand, dog-collar,

choker, chaplet, wreath, riviŠre, Archaic carcanet: In her hair

was a string of pearls. 5 pull strings or wires. use or exert

influence, Colloq throw one's weight around: He had to pull

strings to get his son a job on the paper. 6 pull the strings.

be in control, control, run, operate, dominate, be in command,

be in the driver's seat, hold the reins, manipulate: She is the

one who pulls the strings when it comes to new investments. 7

strings. conditions, stipulations, provisos, qualifications,

requirements, prerequisites, terms, obligations, limitations,

provisions, musts, Colloq catches: I might have known that

there would be strings attached to their offer of a free holiday

in Corfu.

--v. 8 thread, join: The children were busy stringing beads to

make necklaces. 9 Often, string together or up. loop, festoon,

link, drape, suspend, sling, hang, array, concatenate, chain

together: At holiday time, coloured lights are strung round the

town square. 10 string along. a follow, go along (with),

agree, concur, collaborate: I said I would string along with

the plan for the time being. b keep waiting or dangling, keep

on a string, keep on tenterhooks, Colloq play fast and loose

with (someone): She's just stringing you along till her

boyfriend comes back. c fool, deceive, bluff, dupe, cheat,

trick, hoax, Colloq take someone for a ride, put one or

something over on (someone): They strung Harold along for

months before they made off with his life savings. 11 string

out. a stretch, reach, extend: The line of refugees strung out

as far as one could see. b delay, postpone, drag out, protract,

spin out: He strung out the repayment for as long as possible.

12 string up. hang, lynch: He knew that if the jury didn't

convict him the townspeople would string him up.

stringy adj. fibrous, chewy, sinewy, gristly, ropy, leathery, tough:

The beef was somewhat stringy and the potatoes were overcooked.

strip° n. band, ribbon, fillet, belt, swath or swathe, stripe: She

wore a strip of embroidered silk tied round her head. They began

farming the strip of land near the lake.

stripý v. 1 peel, skin, bare, uncover, denude, lay bare, decorticate,

excoriate, flay: The woodwork will need stripping before you

repaint it. 2 disrobe, undress, get undressed, unclothe, strip

down to nothing or to the skin or to the buff or to (one's)

birthday suit, take off or peel off or divest (oneself) of or

shed (one's) clothes or clothing, get naked: The doctor told me

to go behind the screen and strip. 3 (do a) striptease, US work

the runway: Sugar Caine says she enjoys stripping for an

appreciative audience. 4 remove, take away, confiscate, seize,

expropriate, Slang rip off: He was accused of stripping the

assets from the companies he purchased. 5 rob, pillage,

despoil, plunder, ransack, loot, sack: Armies could be raised

only by letting them strip the cities they conquered.

stripe n. 1 band, bar, striation, strip, streak, line, stroke, slash,

length: Each railway car has a bright orange stripe along each

side. 2 style, kind, sort, class, type, complexion, character,

nature, description, persuasion, kidney, feather: These new

students are of a completely different stripe.

striped adj. streaked, lined, striated: Why not wear your striped

dress to the party?

stripling n. lad, boy, adolescent, juvenile, minor, schoolboy, youngster,

teenager, youth, young fellow or man, fledgling, Dialect

gossoon, young 'un, Archaic hobbledehoy: The police cadet was a

callow youth, a mere stripling.

strive v. 1 endeavour, strain, struggle, make every effort, attempt,

try (hard), do one's best or utmost, exert oneself, work at,

Colloq give (it) one's all, go all out: Jim strove to keep his

self-control. Jennie strives for perfection in all she does. 2

compete, contend, fight: One must often strive against

unbelievable odds to achieve a goal.

stroke n. 1 blow, rap, tap, thump, knock, smack, whack, swipe, slam,

strike, Colloq wallop: One stroke of the hammer and the nail

went in. 2 action, motion, go, move, movement, feat,

achievement: She won the leading role and defeated her shyness

at one stroke. 3 flourish, movement, gesture; mark, dash,

Colloq splash: With a stroke of the pen the man's fate was

sealed. 4 beat, throb, pulse, pulsation, thump: His heart was

beating at exactly 72 strokes a minute. 5 attack, seizure, fit,

apoplexy, apoplectic fit, spasm, paralytic attack or fit;

Technical embolism, thrombosis, cerebrovascular accident,

aneurysm: Gerry has been incapacitated since he had a stroke.

6 pat, touch, caress: A few strokes of her fingers on my brow

and the headache was gone. 7 achievement, accomplishment, feat,

act, action, work; example; touch: Your idea of having a jazz

concert to raise money is a stroke of genius. 8 bit, jot or

tittle, scrap, iota, touch, stitch, hint, suggestion: You

haven't done a stroke of work all morning. 9 occurrence,

happening, matter: It was just a stroke of luck that I came

along when I did.

--v. 10 caress, pet, pat, fondle; massage, rub, soothe: His

heart beat faster when she stroked his hand lightly with her

fingertips.

stroll v. 1 amble, saunter, ramble, walk, wander, promenade, meander,

stray, Colloq mosey: I think I'll stroll over and buy a

newspaper.

--n. 2 amble, ramble, saunter, walk, wander, promenade,

meander, constitutional: Father rarely missed his Sunday stroll

in the park.

strong adj. 1 powerful, muscular, mighty, brawny, strapping, robust,

sturdy, stalwart, burly, stout, sinewy, athletic, wiry, Colloq

beefy, hefty, husky: He was so strong he carried both wounded

men 500 yards to safety. 2 powerful, concentrated, intense,

pungent, potent, sharp, piquant, acrid, heady, penetrating,

aromatic, fragrant, hot, spicy: There was a strong odour of

ammonia. The flavour is a little too strong for my taste. 3

smelly, odoriferous, noisome, stinking, foul, mephitic, miasmic,

putrid, putrescent, rotten: There is a strong smell of rotting

flesh. 4 concentrated, undiluted, potent, intensified: How can

you drink such strong coffee and still sleep? 5 vigorous,

active, dynamic, energetic, eager, unflagging, tireless,

unfailing, diligent, indefatigable, staunch, true-blue,

steadfast, dedicated, enthusiastic, ardent, fervent, fervid,

vehement, rabid, zealous, resolute, determined, unwavering,

unswerving, firm, uncompromising, regular, persistent,

tenacious, sedulous, assiduous, hard-working: We could use

other strong party supporters like Sandy. 6 competent,

talented, skilled, qualified, knowledgeable, able, experienced,

well-versed, trained, efficient, capable: We are looking for

someone who is particularly strong in writing advertising copy.

7 influential, persuasive, convincing, compelling, trenchant,

unmistakable or unmistakeable, telling, great, profound;

effective, efficacious, effectual, powerful, formidable: His

evidence had a strong effect on the jury. She was taking very

strong medicine for her migraine. 8 well-supported, irrefutable,

well-substantiated, cogent, forceful, substantial, convincing,

conclusive: The police made out a very strong case against her

for premeditated murder. 9 well-established, well-founded,

redoubtable, substantial, powerful, formidable: The position

inside the fortress was quite strong. 10 likely, definite,

substantial, good, better than average, reasonable, sizeable:

There is a strong possibility that she will be elected. Sales of

cars were strong during the first quarter. 11 stable, sound,

solvent, prosperous, flourishing, thriving, affluent: The

economists think that the economy will remain strong. 12 solid,

sturdy, substantial, tough, well-built, reinforced, heavy-duty,

durable; hard-wearing: Is the cage strong enough to hold the

beast? 13 drastic, extreme, Draconian, high-handed, severe,

forceful, rigorous, harsh, stringent, aggressive, strenuous,

stiff, tough, Colloq hard-nosed: We had to resort to strong

measures. 14 numerous, large, considerable, great; numerically,

in number, in strength: They arrived on the battlefield with a

strong force of ten thousand men. Their army was ten thousand

strong. 15 vivid, graphic, etched, engraved, imprinted,

impressed; definite, clear-cut, clear, pronounced, distinct,

striking, marked: The memory of her embrace was still strong in

my mind. He bears a strong resemblance to his brother. 16

wilful, aggressive, combative, defensive, difficult, assertive,

incisive, dogmatic, doctrinaire, opinionated, self-willed,

hard-headed, strong-minded, recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate,

emphatic, Colloq pushy: One cannot deny that Caroline has a

strong personality. 17 vigorous, forceful, powerful, heavy:

Strong winds lashed the west coast last night. 18 rugged,

craggy, rough, weather-beaten: She was attracted by Martin's

strong, suntanned good looks. 19 dazzling, glaring, bright,

garish, brilliant, vivid, bold, blinding: The strong sunlight

made her her blink. Shocking pink is too strong a colour for a

small room. 20 urgent, strongly-worded, emphatic, assertive: A

proposal to repeal the tax was met by strong protests. 21

unvarying, the same, steady, stable, firm, balanced: The market

has remained strong all day. 22 emotional, deep-felt,

deep-rooted, basic, intense, fervent, passionate, deep, earnest:

Doris has very strong feelings on the subject of feminism.

--adv. 23 overbearingly, overenthusiastically, offensively,

aggressively, antagonistically, truculently: He always comes on

a bit strong when he's enthusiastic about something.

strong-arm

adj. threatening, menacing, bullying, high-pressure, thuggish,

violent, brutal, brutish, aggressive, terrorizing, terrorist,

intimidating, minacious: The gang use strong-arm tactics to

force shopkeepers to buy protection.

stronghold

n. fortress, bulwark, bastion, fastness, fortification,

citadel: The eastern district was one of the last strongholds

of the Labour Party.

strong-minded

adj. strong-willed, obstinate, firm, determined,

uncompromising, resolute, resolved, independent: He found he

was dealing with a very strong-minded young woman.

structure n. 1 form, shape, configuration, organization, arrangement,

make-up, framework, order, design, formation, system, nature,

character: The career structure of the company has served as a

model for similar firms. 2 building, edifice, house,

construction: Planning regulations allow only a certain kind of

structure in the residential areas.

--v. 3 construct, build, organize, design, form, shape,

arrange, systematize: Their language seems to be structured in

an unusual way.

struggle v. 1 strive, strain, expend energy, exert oneself, labour,

endeavour, try, attempt: He struggled to keep his head above

water. 2 contend, fight, wrestle, battle: They struggled

against the twin odds of poverty and sickness. 3 wriggle,

wiggle, squirm, writhe, twist, worm: She finally struggled free

of the ropes.

--n. 4 effort, exertion, strain; toil, work, travail, labour,

drudgery, striving, struggling: Earning even a humble living

was a struggle in those days. Was the outcome worth the

struggle? 5 contention, competition, contest, battle, fight,

tussle, match, clash, encounter, strife: The struggle between

good and evil continues.

strut v. swagger, parade, promenade, peacock, prance: She goes

strutting about the office as if she were the boss.

stub n. 1 butt, end, stump, tail (end), remnant, Colloq Brit

fag-end: He produced a stub of pencil from his pocket and began

to make notes. 2 counterfoil; receipt: You will need your

ticket stub for any claim.

stubborn adj. obstinate, unyielding, inflexible, intransigent,

intractable, uncompromising, mulish, pigheaded, refractory,

wayward, adamant, recalcitrant, bull-headed, persistent,

tenacious, pertinacious, unrelenting, dogged, determined: He

remains stubborn in his refusal to join the group.

student n. 1 pupil, learner, scholar, undergraduate, schoolboy,

schoolgirl, schoolchild, trainee, apprentice, disciple; Colloq

Brit swot or swotter or swat, US grind: Only students of

advanced standing are admitted to this class. 2 devotee,

follower, admirer, observer, evaluator, commentator, critic:

Nicole is a perceptive student of human nature.

studied adj. premeditated, deliberate, calculated, planned,

intentional, wilful, well-thought-out, conscious, contrived,

feigned, forced, laboured: He treated even the greatest crisis

with a studied air of insouciance.

studious adj. 1 assiduous, sedulous, diligent, industrious, attentive,

careful, painstaking, thorough, tireless: Miniaturists must pay

studious attention to detail. 2 scholarly, bookish, academic:

She refused to allow her athletic achievements to interfere with

her studious pursuits.

study v. 1 learn (about), read, con, memorize, burn the midnight oil,

lucubrate, Colloq bone up (on), cram, Brit swot or swat, mug up:

I want to study music. She has to study for an exam. 2

contemplate, consider, reflect on, think over or about, ruminate

on, chew over, turn over, weigh, ponder, deliberate over or on

or about, muse about or on, mull over, meditate on or about or

over: I want to study the problem before deciding what to do.

3 look or go into or over, look at, scan, examine, analyse,

inspect, investigate, scrutinize, survey, observe: The crime

squad studied every square inch of the murder scene. Avoiding

the issue as usual, Joyce silently studied her fingernails.

--n. 4 analysis, review, examination, survey, inquiry or

enquiry, investigation, scrutiny, research, exploration:

Government funds are paying for a study of the ecosystem of the

Norfolk Broads. 5 learning, lessons, bookwork, work, reading,

contemplation, investigation, Colloq boning up, cramming, Brit

swotting or swatting: The study of anthropology is what led him

to his theory of linguistic universals. 6 library, reading or

writing-room, sanctum (sanctorum), haunt, studio, retreat, den,

workroom, office: Let's go into the study and talk business.

stuff n. 1 substance, material, matter, fabric, ingredients, essence,

essentials, fundamentals, building blocks, makings: This is the

stuff that dreams are made on. Is hydrogen the basic stuff of

the universe? 2 equipment, goods, gear, trappings, kit, tackle,

accessories, paraphernalia, accoutrements or US also

accouterments, effects, belongings, possessions, things, bits

and pieces, impedimenta, baggage, property, chattels, furniture,

Brit lumber, Colloq junk, rubbish, crap, Brit clobber, Taboo

slang shit: Graham left all his stuff with his mother when he

went west. 3 spirit, attitude, grit, substance, makings,

talent(s), abilities, capabilities, qualities, attributes: Is

Simon the stuff of which commandos are made? 4 nonsense, trash,

rubbish, stuff and nonsense, twaddle, humbug, bunkum, tommy-rot,

balderdash, Colloq rot, garbage, bunk, tripe, poppycock, crap,

malarkey, boloney or baloney, bosh, hogwash, swill, claptrap,

piffle, hot air, flapdoodle, fiddle-faddle, codswallop, bull, US

horse feathers, Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit: You don't

believe all that stuff you've been reading about me, do you? 5

creations, accomplishments, things, works, materials, matter:

Without the attributions, I'd have trouble telling their stuff

apart.

--v. 6 jam, ram, cram, crowd, compress, pack, press, squeeze,

squash, shove, thrust, force: You couldn't stuff another

handkerchief into that suitcase. 7 line, fill, pack: Stuff the

chicken with the following mixture. 8 overeat, gorge,

overindulge, gormandize, gluttonize, Colloq make a pig or a hog

of oneself: They really stuffed themselves at the wedding

reception. 9 stuff up. clog, plug, obstruct, choke, block (up),

stop or US also pack up: Phone the plumber: the drain is

stuffed up again. The cold had given her a headache and a

stuffed-up nose.

stuffy adj. 1 close, airless, unventilated, oppressive, stifling,

suffocating, stale, musty, fusty, mouldy, mildewy, muggy, fetid

or foetid, frowzy or frouzy or frowsy, Brit frowsty: It was

stuffy in the ancient tomb. 2 pompous, pedantic,

self-important, self-centred, stodgy, old-fogyish or

old-fogeyish, old-fashioned, strait-laced, staid, conventional,

prim (and proper), priggish, niminy-piminy, stilted, stiff,

rigid, Colloq fuddy-duddy, uptight: What a bore to be trapped

for an entire evening with those stuffy old codgers!

stumble v. 1 falter, blunder, slip, trip, miss one's footing, stagger,

lurch, flounder: Minnie caught her heel in the grating and

stumbled. 2 falter, pause, hesitate, trip, slip, blunder: He

was very nervous and stumbled his way through his speech. 3

stumble on or upon. chance or come or happen on or upon, hit

upon, come or run across, find, discover, encounter, Colloq bump

into: I stumbled on a great new pub when I was out on Saturday.

stumbling-block

n. impediment, obstacle, bar, block, obstruction, hurdle,

hindrance, barrier, difficulty, snag: It was often labour

unions that proved the stumbling-blocks to technological

progress.

stump n. 1 stub, butt, end: The branches were lopped off, leaving

only the stumps.

--v. 2 mystify, confuse, perplex, bewilder, flummox, foil,

puzzle, baffle, confound, dumbfound or dumfound, stop, stymie,

nonplus, bring up short: I am completely stumped as to how the

trick was done. 3 campaign, electioneer, canvass, US and

Canadian barnstorm: The candidates are out stumping in the farm

areas in Iowa. 4 stump up. pay up or out, contribute, donate,

Colloq cough up, chip in, shell or fork out: Everyone at the

office stumped up for Peter's leaving present.

stun n. 1 daze, numb, benumb, knock out: I was stunned by an

unexpected blow to the solar plexus. 2 astonish, daze,

paralyse, stagger, stupefy, overcome, overwhelm, astound, jar,

shock, jolt, strike dumb, amaze, confound, bewilder, take

(someone's) breath away, Colloq shake up, bowl over,

discombobulate, flabbergast: The children were stunned to hear

that their mother had been arrested.

stunning adj. 1 stupefying, paralysing, staggering, benumbing, numbing;

knockout: Another stunning punch to the head and McGinty went

down. 2 beautiful, dazzling, brilliant, gorgeous, spectacular,

ravishing, sensational, extraordinary, remarkable, marvellous,

stupendous, fabulous, wonderful, superb, grand, divine,

heavenly, sublime, lovely, exquisite, glorious, astonishing,

astounding, amazing, striking, splendid, staggering,

overpowering, mind-boggling, earth-shaking, magnificent: There

stood the most stunning creature I had ever laid eyes on. The

team won a stunning victory in the county tournament.

stunt° n. caper, act, deed, feat, tour de force, exploit, trick, US

dido: The dangerous stunts are done by a stand-in for the star.

stuntý v. stop, limit, delimit, restrict, check, arrest, put an end

to, end; impede, hamper, hinder, slow, retard: My parents

always told me that smoking would stunt my growth.

stunted adj. dwarfed, shrunken, undersized, small, tiny, diminutive,

little, wee: We saw a bonsai - a stunted Japanese potted tree -

that was hundreds of years old.

stupid adj. 1 unintelligent, fatuous, obtuse, bovine, dull, dense,

lumpish, doltish, simple, simple-minded, moronic, imbecilic,

cretinous, Boeotian, subnormal, feeble-minded, weak-minded,

stolid, dull-witted, dim, dim-witted, halfwitted, thick,

thick-witted, thickheaded, slow-witted, witless, brainless,

mindless, empty-headed, bird-brained, feather-brained,

feather-headed, rattle-brained, rattle-headed, ox-like,

boneheaded, addle-pated, addle-headed, addled, Chiefly Brit

imbecile, Chiefly US dumb, jerky, thimble-witted, Colloq dopey,

Brit dozy: He seemed really stupid in comparison with his

precocious younger sister. 2 foolish, silly, frivolous, asinine,

hare-brained, crazy, insane, mad, crack-brained, scatterbrained,

absurd, inane, idiotic, ridiculous, risible, laughable,

ludicrous, nonsensical, senseless, bootless, irresponsible,

irrational, ill-advised, foolhardy, half-baked, Colloq cuckoo,

cock-eyed, damn-fool, Chiefly Brit daft, barmy or balmy, US

cockamamie or cockamamy: He came up with one stupid plan after

another. 3 insipid, dull, tedious, boring, tiresome, humdrum,

prosaic, monotonous, unimaginative, uninspired, uninteresting,

vapid, vacuous, Colloq ho-hum: Most sitcoms feature stupid

characters doing stupid things.

stupidity n. 1 fatuity, obtuseness, dullness, denseness, lumpishness,

doltishness, simplicity, simple-mindedness, imbecility,

cretinism, feeble-mindedness, weak-mindedness, stolidity,

dull-wittedness, dimness, dim-wittedness, halfwittedness,

thick-wittedness, slow-wittedness, thimble-wittedness,

witlessness, brainlessness, mindlessness, empty-headedness,

feather-headedness, rattle-headedness, boneheadedness: In

public affairs stupidity is more dangerous than knavery. 2

foolishness, folly, asininity, craziness, insanity, madness,

absurdity, absurdness, inanity, idiocy, ridiculousness,

risibility, ludicrousness, nonsense, senselessness,

bootlessness, irresponsibility, irrationality, foolhardiness:

The stupidity of such a venture is obvious when you consider the

enormous risk and the minuscule return.

stupor n. insensibility, stupefaction, torpor, lethargy, listlessness,

languor, laziness, lassitude, lifelessness, supineness, inertia;

inertness, coma, trance, unconsciousness, numbness: His stupor

might be caused by the medication he is taking for his cold.

sturdy adj. 1 strong, solid, stout, rugged, tough, well-built,

substantial; strapping, muscular, powerful, brawny, burly,

robust, well-muscled, athletic, hardy, Colloq husky, hefty:

This ladder should be sturdy enough to hold you. James got that

sturdy build from exercise. 2 stalwart, staunch, steadfast,

resolute, firm, vigorous, determined, uncompromising,

unyielding, unwavering, unswerving, unfaltering, enduring,

indomitable: One must admire her sturdy independence in the

face of all that criticism.

style n. 1 type, kind, variety, category, genre, sort, manner, mode,

make, design, fashion, look, period, pattern, configuration,

line, cut, shape, form: That style of jacket looks really good

on you. They are planning to build the house in the pointed

Gothic style. 2 fashion, trend, vogue, mode, look, rage, craze,

Colloq fad, (latest) thing: The current style is for shorter

skirts. 3 luxury, high style, comfort, opulence, splendour,

elegance: Now that he's won all that money, they live in style

on the Costa Smeralda. 4 chic, stylishness, taste, smartness,

flair, dash, ‚lan, panache, cachet, tastefulness,

fashionableness, elegance, refinement, polish, sophistication,

sophisticatedness, cosmopolitanism, Colloq pizazz; ritziness:

Irena has more style in her little finger than you have in your

whole body. 5 quality, character, mode of expression, approach,

treatment, vein, colouring, spirit, mood, form, technique;

tenor, tone, wording, phraseology, phrasing, language,

vocabulary, word choice, diction, sentence structure: The

pointillist style of painting appeals to many. His style of

writing is reminiscent of Stevenson's. 6 in style. See stylish,

below.

--v. 7 characterize, designate, denominate, call, name, term,

label, tag, brand: The use of the indicative for the

subjunctive is no longer styled a solecism in British English. 8

fashion, design, arrange, set, do, cut, tailor, shape, form:

Antoine styled my hair in a page-boy for the reception.

stylish adj. chic, fashionable, smart, … la mode, modish, in style or

fashion or vogue, elegant; chichi; Colloq in, with it, swanky,

Chiefly Brit trendy, Slang swell, neat, classy, snazzy, US

spiffy: Nicole always looks so stylish.

stymie v. thwart, obstruct, block, frustrate, snooker, defeat, spike,

ruin, foil, confound, stump, nonplus, hinder, impede, Colloq

flummox: The government has stymied all efforts to have him

extradited.

styptic adj. astringent: The styptic effect of alum stops bleeding.

19.14 suave...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

suave adj. debonair, sophisticated, urbane, cosmopolitan, worldly,

smooth, gracious, nonchalant, civilized, cultivated, courteous,

diplomatic, polite, charming, agreeable, affable, bland:

Fictional detectives range from the suave Simon Templar to the

earthy Philip Marlowe.

subconscious

adj. 1 subliminal, unconscious, suppressed, hidden, latent,

repressed, inner, innermost, underlying, deep-rooted, Colloq

Freudian: Despite his belligerence, he has a subconscious

desire to be loved.

--n. 2 (collective) unconscious, inner self; heart: Her

subconscious tells her that all confined areas are dangerous.

subdue v. 1 put or beat down, quell, repress, suppress, quash, crush,

control, master, overpower, gain mastery or control or the upper

hand over, get the better of, dominate, triumph over, hold or

keep in check, bridle, tame: Having subdued the uprising,

government forces are again in control. 2 conquer, vanquish,

defeat, overcome: The Mongol horde subdued all the people in

their path. 3 quiet(en) or tone down, moderate, mellow, temper,

soften, soft-pedal, check, curb, control: His anger was subdued

by her calm words.

subdued adj. 1 quiet, mellow(ed), toned down, moderate(d), tempered,

hushed, muted, low-key, unenthusiastic, repressed, restrained,

peaceful, tranquil, placid, calm(ed), temperate, reserved:

There was a little subdued criticism at first, but the bill was

passed. 2 chastened, sober, sobered, solemn, saddened, dejected,

sad, down in the mouth, crestfallen, downcast, grave, serious:

He looked subdued when he emerged from the headmaster's office.

subject n. 1 (subject-)matter, topic; issue, theme, angle, thesis,

gist, substance, business, affair, point: What is the subject

of conversation today? The subject under discussion was of

crucial importance. 2 course (of study), field, area,

discipline, branch of knowledge: In which subject did Frank

take his doctorate? 3 cause, ground(s), motive, reason, basis,

source, rationale; excuse: Increased taxes are always a subject

of complaint. 4 participant, case, guinea-pig, testee: The

subjects of the experiment were all in their thirties. 5

citizen, national; taxpayer, voter; liegeman, vassal: She

became a British subject after her marriage to Frank.

--adj. 6 Usually, subject to. exposed (to), open (to),

vulnerable (to), susceptible (to), prone (to), disposed (to), at

the mercy (of), liable (to suffer or undergo): She is subject

to asthma attacks. This kind of wood is subject to worm

infestation. 7 discussed, under discussion, referred to, above:

The subject book was not returned before the due date. 8

subject to. a answerable to, responsible for, bound by,

obedient to, subservient to, submissive to, controlled by, under

the control of: You are subject to the same laws as everyone

else. b dependent on, conditional on, contingent on: All leave

is subject to the approval of the departmental head.

--v. 9 subject to. expose, lay open, submit, put through,

impose on, cause to undergo: How could anyone subject another

human being to such cruelty? 10 conquer, subjugate, dominate,

subdue, enslave, enthral, crush, humble: The peoples subjected

by the Romans sometimes fared better than when independent.

subjection

n. subordination, domination, conquest, subjugation,

enslavement, enthralment, humbling, humiliation: Their goal was

the subjection of all peoples in the Mediterranean area.

subjective

adj. 1 personal, individual, idiosyncratic; prejudiced, biased:

His review of the play was entirely subjective. 2 self-centred,

egoistic, egocentric, selfish, self-serving: Your approach is

much too subjective to be of interest to others.

--n. 3 Technical nominative: The subjective of 'me' is 'I'.

subjugate v. dominate, enslave, enthral, crush, humble, subject, oppress,

suppress, put down, tyrannize, subdue, reduce, quell, overcome,

overpower, make subservient or submissive, humble, humiliate:

Few peoples have been subjugated so ignominiously as the

American Indians.

sublimate v. transmute, alter, transform; channel, divert: He sublimates

his aggressions by jogging and marathon running.

sublime adj. 1 lofty, high, supreme, exalted, elevated, empyrean or

empyreal, heavenly, noble, glorious, grand, high-minded;

honourable, ennobled, eminent, glorified, beatified, canonized,

sanctified, great, good: Her poetry evokes sublime emotions. 2

awesome, overwhelming, inspiring, mind-boggling, overpowering,

humbling, awe-inspiring, majestic, splendid, empyrean: The

architecture of the cathedral was truly sublime.

subliminal

adj. subconscious, unconscious, suggestive: Advertisers know

that subliminal techniques can be very effective in TV

commercials.

submerge v. 1 plunge, submerse, immerse, inundate, dip, wash, soak,

drench, saturate, wet, douse, Colloq dunk: To cleanse, submerge

the garment in a basin of warm water for ten minutes. 2 dive,

plunge, go down, descend, sink, sound, plummet: The order to

submerge was given as soon as the planes were spotted. 3 flood,

immerse, inundate, swamp, bury, engulf, overwhelm, deluge,

drown; conceal, hide, camouflage, obscure, cloak, veil, shroud:

He was quickly submerged under an enormous pile of

correspondence.

submission

n. 1 concession, acquiescence, capitulation, surrender,

yielding, deference, giving in, obedience, compliance,

resignation, submissiveness, tractability; meekness, docility,

passivity, timidity, unassertiveness: After years of oppression

their abject submission to a new tyrant was not altogether

surprising. 2 submittal, offering, tender, contribution, entry:

Submissions for the essay competition should be sent to the

address given below.

submissive

adj. 1 yielding, acquiescent, deferential, compliant, obedient,

tractable, amenable, agreeable, accommodating, passive,

unresisting, pliant, flexible, manageable, unassertive, docile,

meek, timid, resigned, uncomplaining: As a child she was very

submissive but she rebelled in adolescence. 2 obsequious,

abject, subservient, servile, humble, deferential, slavish,

ingratiating, truckling, biddable, sycophantic, toadying, Colloq

boot-licking, Taboo slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing,

arse-licking, US ass-kissing, ass-licking: She keeps a few

submissive lackeys about to do her bidding.

submit v. 1 Often, submit to. surrender (to), yield (to), capitulate

(to), give in or up (to), comply (with), agree (to), concede

(to), consent (to), accede (to), defer (to), bow or bend (to),

succumb (to), truckle (to), knuckle under (to), resign (oneself)

(to), be or become resigned (to); respect, accept, Colloq put up

with: Despite the threats, he refused to submit. The government

eventually submitted to the union's demands. 2 offer, proffer,

tender, enter, propose, present: Many of the suggestions that

Alan submitted have been accepted.

subordinate

adj. 1 Often, subordinate to. minor; inferior (to), lower

(than), lesser (than), secondary (to), second (to), junior (to),

subsidiary (to); next to, below, beneath, under: He had to

accept a subordinate position in the new company. His new job is

subordinate to that of purchasing director.

--n. 2 assistant, aide, junior, subaltern, staff member;

underling, hireling, inferior, lackey, servant, slave, vassal;

Colloq US staffer: She is a subordinate to the editor-in-chief.

--v. 3 make (something) secondary: Too many subordinate

community interest to personal greed.

subscribe v. 1 Often, subscribe to. endorse, support, underwrite,

advocate, back (up), approve (of), agree (with or to), accept,

consent (to), assent (to), countenance, tolerate, condone,

allow, permit, brook: I sympathize with many of their arguments

but I cannot subscribe to terrorism. 2 Often, subscribe to.

contribute (to), support, give (to), donate (to), pledge,

promise, sign (up) (for), Colloq chip in (to or for): Mrs

Donaldson has subscribed thousands to Amnesty International.

subscription

n. 1 payment, remittance, investment; commitment, dues, fee,

price, cost: The subscription is now œ100 a year. 2

obligation, pledge, promise, underwriting: If we get enough

subscriptions, we shall be able to print the book.

subsequent

adj. 1 succeeding, following, ensuing, next, future, later,

successive; resultant, resulting, consequent: Subsequent

governments have failed to solve the problem.

--prep. 2 subsequent to. after, following, succeeding, in the

wake or aftermath of: Further problems arose subsequent to

their second term of office.

subsequently

adv. later (on), afterwards or US also afterward:

Subsequently, the law was changed to protect witnesses.

subside v. 1 sink (down), drop (down), go down, recede, descend,

decline; lower, settle: The waters of the swollen river

subsided. The volcano's centre subsided, leaving a caldera. 2

abate, quiet(en) (down), calm (down), moderate, let up,

decrease, diminish, lessen, die (down or off or out), pass

(away), wear off: His enthusiasm for sky-diving subsided a bit

after he broke both legs. When the clamour had subsided, the

president rose to speak.

subsidiary

adj. Often, subsidiary to. ancillary (to), secondary (to),

auxiliary (to), lesser (than), additional (to), supplementary or

supplemental (to), complementary (to), accessory (to),

subordinate (to), adjuvant (to): The company offers removal of

hazardous waste as a subsidiary service.

subsidize v. fund, finance, support, aid, sponsor, subvene, maintain,

underwrite; capitalize, Slang US and Canadian bankroll: Bill

and Sue can only afford to live in that big house because her

parents subsidize them.

subsidy n. funding, financing, subsidizing, sponsoring, sponsorship,

assistance, aid, contribution, support, grant, subvention,

maintenance, underwriting, capitalization: Farmers are hoping

for increased subsidies.

subsistence

n. 1 existence, living, survival, subsisting, being: You are

worried about buying beer when I feel my very subsistence

threatened! 2 food, rations, victuals, provision, sustenance,

board, nourishment, nutriment, aliment; maintenance, keep,

upkeep: We depend on your salary for our subsistence, so forget

about quitting your job.

substance n. 1 material, matter, stuff; fabric, composition, make-up:

She couldn't recognize the substance in the bottle. The comet's

substance is mainly ice and dirt. 2 essence, pith, heart, core,

gist, burden, theme, meat, kernel, nub, crux, sum total, sum and

substance, point, gravamen, haecceity, quintessence, quiddity:

Explain, in 500 or fewer words, the substance of Hegel's dispute

with Kant. 3 meaning, import, significance, purport,

signification, point: Our visit to San Francisco gave substance

to all we had read about it. 4 reality, corporeality, solidity,

actuality, concreteness: You must learn to deal with the

substance, not the shadows. 5 means, wealth, property,

possessions, riches, resources, affluence, assets: John Culver

was a citizen of some substance in this town.

substantial

adj. 1 material, considerable, significant, great, worthwhile,

consequential, ample, goodly, respectable, abundant, generous,

big, large, sizeable, major, Colloq tidy, healthy: We

understand that he made a substantial payment to keep his name

out of the papers. 2 strong, solid, well-built, durable, sound,

stout, sturdy; big, large, massive, huge, sizeable, impressive,

vast; numerous, numberless: A substantial mausoleum was

constructed for his family. A substantial crowd had gathered. 3

well-founded, sound, weighty, solid, well-established, telling,

good, valid, actual: Many economists produced substantial

arguments in favour of another cut in interest rates. 4 wealthy,

well-to-do, rich, affluent, prosperous, profitable, successful;

landed, propertied: The Trevelyan Ironworks is a substantial

business, and Mr Trevelyan is one of our more substantial

businessmen.

substantially

adv. in substance, essentially, at bottom, fundamentally,

basically, in essence, intrinsically, in reality, at heart,

sincerely, truly, actually, in truth, veritably, indeed, in

fact, as a matter of fact; largely, to a large extent, in large

measure, materially, practically, in the main, for the most

part, mostly, virtually, to all intents and purposes; Archaic

verily: The article was substantially sound. Do you agree

substantially with the ruling of the court?

substantiate

v. confirm, affirm, corroborate, support, sustain, back up,

bear out, authenticate, show (clearly), prove, document, verify,

certify, validate: Do not make accusations that cannot be

substantiated by evidence.

substitute

v. 1 Sometimes, substitute for. replace, exchange, displace,

relieve, supplant; switch; take the place of, stand in for,

double for, Colloq sub for, cover for, swap or swop, US and

Canadian pinch-hit for: She substituted the real diamond with a

paste replica. I will substitute for you while you are away.

--n. 2 substitution, replacement, alternative, relief,

representative, deputy, delegate, stand-in, stand-by,

understudy, surrogate, succedaneum, Brit locum (tenens), US and

Canadian alternate: In those days a man could hire a substitute

to serve in his place in the militia.

substitution

n. 1 exchange, exchanging, change, changing, replacement,

replacing, supplanting, switch, switching, interchange,

interchanging, Colloq swap or swop, swapping or swopping: The

substitution of certain words distorted the sense. 2 See

substitute, 2, above.

substratum

n. substrate, foundation, underlayer, basis, fundament, base,

substructure, groundwork: The agreement rests on a substratum

of mutual trust and respect.

subterfuge

n. artifice, trick, device, stratagem, manoeuvre, ploy,

evasion, deception, dodge, feint, shift, excuse, expedient,

contrivance, intrigue: Although he told no lies, he used every

subterfuge to avoid telling the truth.

subtle adj. 1 delicate, fine, refined, exquisite, nice, Archaic

subtile: I became aware, almost subconsciously, of the subtle

odour of jasmine. These subtle shades of green are so peaceful.

2 abstruse, arcane, recondite, remote, deep, profound,

concealed, hidden, shadowy, nebulous, vague, obscure, veiled,

thin, airy, insubstantial, elusive, faint; sophistic(al): The

symbolism is so subtle as to be meaningful to the poet alone. A

subtle hint gave me to understand that I ought to go. 3 tricky,

shrewd, cunning, wily, sly, devious, crafty, smart, clever,

foxy, artful, scheming, designing, underhand(ed), deceptive,

Jesuitical, Machiavellian, ingenious, skilful, strategic,

insidious, casuistic, shifty, slick, slimy, Chiefly Brit smarmy:

You were a fool to allow that subtle serpent to insinuate

himself into your confidence.

subtlety n. 1 refinement, nicety, delicacy, exquisiteness, intricacy,

fineness, acuteness, elegance, sophistication: The subtlety of

the detail in this work is quite unique. One must admire the

subtlety of expression in her writing. 2 treachery, guile,

insidiousness, casuistry, cunning, artfulness, craftiness,

deviousness, slyness, deceptiveness: The subtlety of her

deception was revealed only after the war.

subtract v. 1 deduct, take away, take off, take (something) from: First

calculate the discount, then subtract it from the price. 2

Sometimes, subtract from. detract (from), diminish, take away

(from): Nothing could subtract from the exhilaration of that

moment.

subversion

n. overthrow, ruin, destruction, undermining, upheaval,

displacement: The dictator used extreme tactics to avoid the

subversion of his leadership.

subversive

adj. 1 subversionary, seditious, seditionary, treasonous,

treacherous, traitorous, revolutionary, insurrectionary: The

government regarded as subversive anything and anyone

disagreeing with their policies.

--n. 2 traitor, insurgent, saboteur, fifth-columnist,

collaborator, collaborationist, quisling, radical,

revolutionary, insurrectionist, insurrectionary; dissident,

defector: The security agencies were removing subversives from

sensitive jobs.

subvert v. overthrow, ruin, destroy, undermine, topple, demolish,

wreck, sabotage: The regime was subverted from within, not by

outside forces.

subway n. 1 Brit underground (railway), tube: She takes the subway to

work. 2 US tunnel, underpass: Use the subway to cross the road

in safety.

succeed v. 1 follow, come after, supervene: The end of the war in the

Pacific succeeded the surrender in Europe. 2 be successor (to),

follow, be heir (to), replace, take the place of, inherit or

take over from: Elizabeth I succeeded Mary in 1558. 3 Often,

succeed in or at. make good, thrive, prosper, flourish, be a

success, be successful, progress, advance, get ahead or on,

attain or gain or achieve success, win, triumph, Colloq make it,

arrive, get to the top: Has she succeeded in persuading you to

sing? He always wanted to make a lot of money and now he has

succeeded. They have succeeded at whatever they have tried.

success n. 1 good or happy result or outcome, good fortune,

achievement, triumph, attainment, ascendancy, prosperity: The

success of the fast food business is evident everywhere. 2

star, celebrity, (big) name, sensation: She was a great success

as a singer, dancer, and actress.

successful

adj. 1 wealthy, rich, prosperous, fortunate, lucky,

flourishing, thriving, prospering, well-to-do, affluent, Colloq

loaded, well-heeled, flush, in the money, US well-fixed: He is

a very successful investor. 2 lucrative, booming, profitable,

fruitful, moneymaking, remunerative: The shares they bought

proved to be a successful investment. How successful was last

year for the company? 3 famous, well-known, famed, celebrated,

renowned, eminent; prominent, pre-eminent, popular, leading,

top, best-selling: Constance is one of our most successful

poets. That book of mine was also successful. 4 victorious,

triumphant; first; winning: Henry was successful in his bid for

the chairmanship. I want to see a successful conclusion to the

tour.

succession

n. 1 passing (on), handing down or on, transmittal,

transmission, transfer, transferral, shift, conveyance,

conveyancing: According to her will, the succession of the

property is via her first-born. 2 sequence, progression, order,

series, turn, course, flow, chain, train, procession: The

succession of events was as he described. 3 accession,

assumption, attainment, elevation, promotion; inheritance: What

was the year of Charles II's succession to the Spanish throne?

4 lineage, descent, birthright, dynasty, ancestry, descendants,

bloodline: The 18th century began with the War of the Spanish

Succession. 5 in succession. one after or behind the other, at

intervals, successively, consecutively, in a row, running,

without interruption, uninterruptedly, in order, in line: They

published several historical novels in quick succession.

successive

adj. uninterrupted, continuous, unbroken, continual,

consecutive, succeeding: Last season he scored in sixteen

successive matches.

succinct adj. compact, brief, concise, pithy, terse, short, compressed,

condensed, epigrammatic: He prefers a succinct style of

writing, one that gets to the point.

succulent adj. juicy, rich, luscious, mouth-watering, toothsome: He was

eating a succulent peach with evident enjoyment.

succumb v. yield, give up, give way, surrender, accede, submit,

capitulate: I finally succumbed and agreed to their request for

help.

sucker n. dupe, goat, gull, victim, butt, cat's-paw, fool, Colloq

(easy) mark, easy or fair game, chump, pushover, soft touch,

Chiefly US and Canadian fall guy, Slang sap, pigeon, Brit mug,

Chiefly US and Canadian patsy: He's asking far too much for his

car, but some sucker will buy it.

sudden adj. unexpected, unannounced, unanticipated, unforeseen;

unwonted, surprising, startling; precipitate, abrupt, quick,

immediate, rapid, swift, brisk; impetuous, hasty, rash,

impulsive: His sudden turn caught us off balance. Your change

of heart was quite sudden.

suddenly adv. 1 in a flash or a moment or a split second, all at once,

instantly, instantaneously, momentarily, fleetingly, in the

twinkling of an eye, in a trice; quickly, abruptly, swiftly,

speedily, rapidly: Suddenly, my whole life flashed before me.

He suddenly realized why the head of MI6 had summoned him. 2 all

of a sudden, out of the blue, unexpectedly, without warning, on

the spur of the moment, hastily, hurriedly, feverishly:

Suddenly, she turned on her heel and stormed out.

sue v. 1 proceed or move or act (against), take (legal) action or

bring suit or prefer charges (against); summon(s), charge,

accuse: He threatened to sue. They are suing him for the

injuries they sustained. 2 petition, beg, plead, entreat, pray,

request, solicit, apply, beseech, implore, supplicate: After

five years of constant warfare, the country is suing for peace.

suffer v. 1 Sometimes, suffer from or with. agonize, smart, hurt,

writhe, sweat, ache: He is suffering with a stomach virus. How

terribly they suffered when their child was kidnapped! 2 endure,

undergo, experience, bear, live or go through, tolerate,

withstand, sustain, take, submit to, abide, submit to, Colloq

put up with: He suffered years of ill-health before he finally

died. 3 allow, tolerate, permit, let, admit, humour, indulge:

They suffer the storks to build their nests on their chimneys.

4 deteriorate, diminish, decline, go down, fall off, be reduced

or diminished: If you discontinue advertising, sales will

suffer.

suffering n. pain, agony, distress, misery, affliction, hardship,

torment, torture, tribulation, trial: The man's suffering is

written in his face.

suffice v. satisfy, serve, do, be sufficient or enough or adequate,

answer, sate, satiate, quench: If you are merely thirsty, water

should suffice.

sufficient

adj. adequate, enough: Have we sufficient food to last through

the winter?

suffix n. 1 ending, desinence, addition; affix: The suffix -ness is

added to many English adjectives to form nouns.

--v. 2 add (on), join, fasten to, subjoin, amend, Colloq tack

on: One can suffix -ness to a huge number of adjectives to form

nouns.

suffrage n. (right to) vote, voting right(s), franchise, voice, say,

ballot, option, choice: They campaigned for universal adult

suffrage.

suffuse v. overspread, imbue, pour or spread over, bathe, cover,

permeate, pervade, flood, flush, penetrate, saturate, mantle,

infuse, transfuse, imbrue or embrue: A rosy glow suffused her

face.

suggest v. 1 propose, advance, recommend, urge, advocate, support,

offer, proffer, put or set forward, present, mention, introduce:

He suggested going out to a pub for dinner. Can you suggest an

alternative? 2 call to mind, bring up, hint (at), imply,

insinuate, intimate, make one think, lead one to believe,

indicate: His silence suggested that this was not the right

time to pursue the matter.

suggestible

adj. impressionable, susceptible, receptive, impressible,

susceptive, open, mouldable, fictile: Patricia was very

suggestible at that age and readily believed everything that she

was told.

suggestion

n. 1 proposal, proposition, recommendation, plan, advice,

counsel, idea, notion, opinion; prompting, urging: The

committee rejected your suggestion that membership fees should

be increased. 2 indication, trace, whisper, insinuation,

innuendo, implication, intimation, hint, soup‡on, touch, tinge,

suspicion, breath, iota, jot or tittle: There wasn't the

slightest suggestion of animosity in her criticism.

suggestive

adj. 1 Often, suggestive of. reminiscent (of), evocative (of),

indicative (of): To me, the smell of orange blossom is always

suggestive of southern California. 2 provocative, naughty,

risqu‚, ribald, off colour, racy, bawdy, earthy, lusty, rude,

indelicate, unseemly, immodest, improper, indecent, prurient,

blue, offensive, vulgar, smutty, dirty, pornographic, lewd,

salacious, Colloq sexy, spicy, Slang raunchy: He used to sing

his suggestive songs in night clubs.

suit v. 1 adapt, accommodate, fit, adjust, tailor, make appropriate

or suitable: It will require some reorganization to suit the

office space to our needs. 2 please, satisfy, fill (someone's)

needs, gratify, be acceptable or suitable or convenient to or

for, befit; conform to: Choose whichever room suits you. The

schedule does not suit my personal plans at all.

--n. 3 jacket and trousers or skirt, outfit, uniform, ensemble,

costume, habit; garb, clothing, clothes, livery: He showed up

wearing a new silk suit. 4 lawsuit, action, case, proceeding,

process, cause, trial; litigation: I do not want to enter into

a suit over the damage to my car. 5 petition, plea, request,

entreaty, prayer, solicitation, application, appeal,

supplication; courtship: The king rejected all suits for his

daughter's hand in marriage.

suitable adj. appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, befitting, becoming,

right, proper, correct, acceptable, satisfactory, applicable,

meet, seemly; timely, opportune: John has at last found

suitable employment. A chandelier is not suitable at all for

such a low room. Is this a suitable time for me to ask you a

favour?

suitcase n. bag, valise, overnight bag, holdall, grip or Brit handgrip,

Brit formerly portmanteau: She packed enough for a week's

holiday into one small suitcase.

suite n. 1 set, series, collection, number: They gave us a beautiful

suite of rooms at the hotel. 2 set: She bought a new suite of

dining-room furniture. 3 following, retinue, entourage, train,

cortŠge, convoy, escort; followers, attendants, retainers: Her

suite includes advisors, secretaries, hairdressers, and

bodyguards.

suitor n. admirer, beau, wooer; boyfriend, paramour, lover, inamorato,

cicisbeo, escort, Archaic swain: Madelaine has more suitors

than I can count.

sulk v. mope, brood, pout, be sullen or moody or ill-humoured: I

wish you'd get a job instead of sulking about the house all day.

sullen adj. sulky, sulking, morose, brooding, pouting, gloomy, moody,

temperamental, dour, lugubrious, funereal, dismal, dreary, grim,

depressing, depressed, churlish, ill-humoured, glum, grumpy,

sombre, out of humour, antisocial, unsociable, cross, petulant,

perverse, crusty, crotchety, choleric, crabby, ill-natured,

ill-tempered, bad-tempered, splenetic, peevish, dyspeptic, out

of sorts, US cranky: He remained quite sullen and refused to

associate with anyone.

sully v. besmirch, stain, smirch, blemish, mar, defile, soil,

disgrace, dirty, tarnish, pollute, spoil, ruin, destroy, wreck:

Sadly, his reputation was sullied when his company was found to

be involved in insider trading.

sultry adj. 1 hot, humid, sticky, stuffy, stifling, oppressive, close,

muggy, steamy, steaming, moist, damp, sweltering, suffocating:

I was happy to be languishing again in the sultry warmth of St

Lucia. 2 lusty, lustful, passionate, erotic, seductive,

voluptuous, provocative, sensual, Colloq sexy, hot: She

continued her sultry, slow, sinuous dance.

sum n. 1 total, aggregate, grand total, sum total, whole, totality;

amount, quantity: The sum of money found in the satchel was not

revealed by the police. He would give the neighbourhood children

small sums to spend on sweets.

--v. 2 sum up. a recapitulate, summarize, encapsulate,

synopsize, digest, abridge, condense, consolidate, epitomize,

review: He summed up by reminding the children not to accept

gifts from strangers. b reckon, add up, calculate, total, tot

up, measure (up), take the measure of: They summed up their

chances of escaping. c estimate, evaluate, size up, assess:

She had summed him up the minute she saw him.

summarily adv. 1 immediately, at once, straightaway, directly, quickly,

without delay, unhesitatingly, without hesitation, forthwith,

promptly, swiftly, speedily, expeditiously, instantly, Colloq

p.d.q. (= 'pretty damned quick'): Any dog caught without a

muzzle will be impounded summarily. 2 suddenly, without

warning, abruptly, peremptorily, precipitately: He was

summarily dismissed, with no advance notice.

summary n. 1 summarization, recapitulation, encapsulation, compendium,

synopsis, digest, abridgement, condensation, shortening,

consolidation, epitome, epitomization, review, distillate,

conspectus, brief, outline, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚: I want a summary of

the meeting on my desk in the morning.

--adj. 2 abrupt, peremptory, short, quick, brief, laconic,

perfunctory, curt, terse: My simple request for some time off

was denied with a summary, 'No!'

summit n. peak, top, apex, acme, pinnacle, zenith, crown; culmination,

climax: The winds at the summit of Annapurna reached hurricane

force. There was no doubt that I had reached the summit of my

achievements.

summon v. 1 call, assemble, convoke, convene, send for, invite,

muster, get together, arouse, rouse: Why would he summon us to

the office at midnight? 2 Often, summon up. call or draw on or

upon, draw up, mobilize, muster (up), work up, gather, invoke:

I had to summon up all my courage to ask Eve to go out.

sumptuous adj. expensive, costly, extravagant, exorbitant, dear, rich;

lavish, luxurious, de luxe, opulent, palatial, royal, majestic,

regal, magnificent, dazzling, splendid, showy, Colloq posh,

plush, ritzy: The family treated us to a sumptuous repast to

celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

sun n. 1 (old) Sol, Helios, Phoebus (Apollo), Ra, Sunna, day-star:

Many early cultures worshipped the sun.

--v. 2 tan, suntan, sunbathe, bask, bake, brown, bronze: They

spent their holidays sunning themselves on the beach.

sundries n.pl. knick-knacks, trinkets, small items, notions,

miscellanea, miscellany, kickshaws, Brummagem, frippery,

bric-…-brac, odds and ends: We might find a button for your

shirt in a shop that sells sundries.

sundry adj. various, varied, miscellaneous, assorted, different,

mixed, diversified, divers: In addition to food, supermarkets

stock sundry other items.

sunken adj. 1 hollow, hollowed-out, haggard, drawn: From her sunken

cheeks the child looked as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. 2

submerged, undersea, underwater, submersed: The boat hit a

sunken wreck and foundered. 3 buried, underground, in-ground,

below-ground, settled, lowered: The old term for a sunken fence

is 'ha-ha'.

sunless adj. dark, grim, cheerless, unhappy, joyless, funereal,

depressing, dreary, drear, sombre, gloomy, grey, Stygian, black,

pitchy, inky, shadowy, tenebrous, unlit, unlighted, dusky,

subfusc or subfuscous, darkling: It was an overcast sunless

day, with rain in the offing.

sunny adj. 1 sunlit, sunshiny, brilliant, bright, radiant, fair,

fine, cloudless, clear, unclouded: The enchanting scenery and

warm sunny climate makes it a perfect place for holidays. 2

cheerful, cheery, happy, joyous, joyful, light-hearted, smiling,

beaming, buoyant, blithe, gay, mirthful, jolly, bubbly,

ebullient, genial, warm, friendly, outgoing: Being with someone

who has a sunny disposition was a pleasant change.

super adj. wonderful: A super collection of synonyms for this word

appears under superb, below.

superb adj. wonderful, marvellous, excellent, superior, gorgeous,

glorious, magnificent, outstanding, exquisite, fine, splendid,

unequalled, sensational, noteworthy, admirable, peerless,

matchless, unrivalled, first-rate, superlative, perfect,

classic, exceptional, extraordinary, striking, brilliant,

dazzling, miraculous, incredible, unbelievable, fantastic,

fabulous, stupendous, staggering, mind-boggling, breathtaking,

Woman's dialect divine, Colloq great, super, smashing, magic,

terrific, fantabulous, unreal, out of this world, mind-blowing,

super, Slang out of sight, far-out, boss, solid, cool, hot, bad:

The curator said he had never seen such a superb collection. She

does a superb Hedda Gabler. We were treated to a superb dinner.

supercilious

adj. haughty, contemptuous, superior, snobbish, disdainful,

arrogant, condescending, patronizing, overbearing, scornful,

lordly, high and mighty, pompous, lofty, stuffy, pretentious,

Colloq hoity-toity, highfalutin or hifalutin, uppity, snooty,

stuck-up, Brit toffee-nosed, uppish, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or

la-de-da: She was very supercilious towards her customers.

superficial

adj. 1 surface, external, exterior, shallow, skin-deep, slight,

outside: I suffered a superficial wound to the forehead. 2

surface, slight, external, apparent, skin-deep, outward,

cursory, insignificant, passing, unimportant, trivial, empty,

insubstantial; paying lip-service, for appearances' sake,

cosmetic: She bears a superficial resemblance to your sister.

His interest in your welfare is entirely superficial. 3 cursory,

slapdash, quick, hurried, hasty, perfunctory, nominal,

meaningless, passing: The machinery is subjected to a

superficial inspection before shipping.

superficies

n. (outer) surface, fa‡ade, face, externals, outside: The

superficies may appeal to children, but adults appreciate the

book's profundities.

superfluity

n. excess, superabundance, over-abundance, surplus, oversupply,

surfeit, glut, superfluousness, profusion, plethora, oversupply,

supersaturation: The middle and upper classes wallow in a

superfluity of goods.

superfluous

adj. excessive, excess, superabundant, over-abundant,

supererogatory, surplus, unneeded, uncalled-for, unnecessary,

redundant, extra; needless, dispensable, gratuitous: The

superfluous grain that remains unsold should be donated to

third-world countries. They knew each other so well that words

were superfluous between them.

superhuman

adj. 1 heroic, Herculean, godlike, legendary, valiant,

courageous, brave, daring, dangerous, death-defying,

extraordinary, miraculous, phenomenal, incredible, fabulous,

fantastic, unbelievable, amazing: His superhuman feats would

never be duplicated.

--n. 2 superman, hero, superhero, •bermensch, Hercules: They

still believe that one day a superhuman will come along to lead

them.

superintendent

n. supervisor, foreman, overseer, manager, administrator,

chief, head, boss; governor, controller, director, conductor:

Alan has been appointed superintendent of the new project.

superior adj. 1 higher, higher-ranking, higher-level, higher-class,

higher-calibre, upper, upper-level, upper-class, loftier,

nobler, better; of a higher order or status or standing, Colloq

classier, tonier: He was reported to his superior officer. 2

high-class, elevated, first-rate, distinguished, exceptional,

excellent, preferred, choice, select, ‚litist, outstanding,

superlative, matchless, unequalled, peerless, nonpareil,

sterling, supreme, fine, noteworthy, notable, worthy, estimable:

Kenneth has had the benefit of a superior education. 3 See

supercilious, above.

--n. 4 See supervisor, below.

superiority

n. 1 ascendancy, pre-eminence, supremacy, leadership, lead,

dominance, predominance, primacy, hegemony: Her superiority in

the field is unchallenged. 2 excellence, greatness,

peerlessness, matchlessness, inimitability, superlativeness,

prominence, eminence, importance, distinction, prestige, renown:

All commented on the superiority of Mark's contribution.

superlative

adj. unsurpassed, paramount, supreme, consummate, superior,

best, choicest, finest, matchless, peerless, unequalled,

unrivalled, singular, unique, incomparable, excellent, superb,

sterling, dazzling, first-rate, exceptional, extraordinary,

marvellous, spectacular, capital, Colloq tiptop, super,

smashing, great, ace, terrific, fantastic, Slang crack: Max

turned in a superlative performance in the tournament.

supernatural

adj. preternatural, unusual, extraordinary, exceptional,

unnatural, miraculous, remarkable, fabulous, preterhuman,

ghostly, spectral, abnormal, inexplicable, unexplainable;

metaphysical, other-worldly, unearthly, ultramundane,

supramundane, extramundane, occult, mystic, paranormal, psychic,

uncanny, weird, mysterious, arcane, unreal, magical, dark: Some

claim to hear supernatural voices speaking to them. Many

characters in children's stories have supernatural powers.

supersede v. replace, succeed, displace, supplant, oust, take the place

of, substitute for: The 286 computers have been superseded by

386 models.

supervise v. oversee, overlook, watch (over), manage, run, control,

superintend, govern, direct, be in or have charge (of), handle,

keep an eye on, administer: They are moving you up to supervise

the production department.

supervisor

n. overseer, foreman, manager, controller, superintendent,

superior, governor, director, boss, chief, head, administrator:

As supervisor, you are responsible for the work done in your

department.

supervisory

adj. managerial, administrative, executive: Do you think that

Len is ready for supervisory responsibilities?

supine adj. 1 flat (on one's back), lying (down), prostrate,

recumbent, Formal or technical procumbent, accumbent, decumbent:

When I found him, he was supine, staring up at the stars. 2

indolent, lazy, lethargic, idle, listless, indifferent,

apathetic, unconcerned, uninterested, torpid, languid,

languorous, sluggish, slothful, phlegmatic, lymphatic,

lackadaisical, inert, inactive, passive, motionless, inanimate,

spiritless, abject: During the entire crisis, the town council

was completely supine and uncaring.

supplant v. replace, displace, oust, turn out, eject, remove, expel,

dismiss, unseat, supersede, substitute, exchange: The council

should be supplanted by a new group more sympathetic to the

needs of the people.

supple adj. 1 flexible, flexile, pliant, bendable, elastic, resilient,

pliable, tractile, fictile: He made a rug-beater out of some

supple lengths of bamboo. 2 willowy, lithe, limber, nimble,

pliant, lissom or lissome, graceful, athletic: She has the

supple body of a dancer. 3 tractable, compliant, yielding,

accommodating, obliging, complaisant, acquiescent, submissive,

unresistant, unresisting, servile, obsequious, ingratiating,

fawning, toadying: With supple words the miserable sycophant

wormed his way into father's confidence.

supplement

n. 1 addendum, addition, appendix, epilogue, end-piece,

postscript, appendage, extension, continuation, adjunct, annexe,

appurtenance, accessory, codicil, insert, sequel;

supplementation; Technical suppletion: The later version

includes the 1909 supplement.

--v. 2 add (on or to), extend, augment; complement: Various

scholars supplemented the earlier work with their own notes and

comments. He supplements his income by working at a restaurant.

supplementary

adj. 1 additional, added, annexed, adjunct, new: The

supplementary buildings increased the size of the hospital

greatly. 2 supplemental, supportive, contributory, ancillary,

secondary, subordinate, annexed, additional, attached, added,

appended, subsidiary, adscititious; extraneous, adventitious,

supervenient, extra, excess; Technical suppletive: The

supplementary material expanded the original work five-fold.

supplicant

adj. 1 suppliant, supplicating, entreating, petitioning,

supplicatory, beseeching, praying, imploring, solicitous,

importunate, begging, mendicant: In 1897, he carved a

supplicant group in white marble, now in the Fraser Museum.

--n. 2 suppliant, applicant, petitioner, beseecher, suitor,

pleader, aspirant, appellant, plaintiff, beggar, mendicant: He

came to me as a supplicant, begging forgiveness for what he had

done.

supplication

n. 1 entreaty, petition, prayer, appeal, pleading, plea, suit,

solicitation, obsecration, obtestation, impetration: Heeding

the pitiful supplications of the beggars, they gave them some

money. 2 supplicating, begging, pleading, soliciting,

petitioning, entreating, beseeching: All his supplication could

not wring a farthing from the old skinflint.

supply v. 1 furnish, provide, give, endow, present, purvey, deliver,

come up with, contribute, distribute, sell; stock, accommodate,

afford, equip, outfit, gear (up), rig (out), fit (out),

provision, cater to, Chiefly Brit kit out or up; victual: Her

company supplies radios to the army. Her husband's firm supplies

the navy with anti-fouling paint. 2 yield, give, contribute,

come up with, deliver, provide, furnish: The farm supplies our

basic foods. 3 satisfy, fulfil, replenish, fill: Can you

supply the demand for clothing?

--n. 4 stock, stockpile, store, inventory, quantity, reservoir,

reserve, cache, hoard, accumulation, fund: Our supply is big

enough to serve the entire area. 5 furnishing, provision,

providing, purveying, supplying, distribution, equipping,

outfitting, provisioning, delivery, stocking, stockpiling: The

supply of microchips on a large scale is beyond our capacity.

support v. 1 back (up), stand by, help, bolster, uphold, brace,

strengthen, fortify, buttress, prop (up), shore up, reinforce,

boost, champion, assist, take up the cudgels for, aid, promote,

forward, second, advance, advocate, stand up for, be supportive

(of or in), Colloq stick up for: Peterson agreed to support him

in his bid for the presidency. 2 brace, hold up, carry, prop

(up); strengthen, shore up, reinforce, fortify, buttress: You

need a column to support this beam. 3 tolerate, bear, stand

(for), suffer, submit to, undergo, brook, stomach, endure,

abide, countenance, face, Brit stick, Colloq put up with: He

cannot support the notion that she might be guilty. 4 pay for,

fund, maintain, keep, finance, subsidize, underwrite, sponsor,

Colloq US bankroll: I can no longer support myself or my

family. 5 sustain, withstand, stand, take, bear, tolerate, hold

up under, weather: His legs were too weak to support his own

weight. 6 verify, corroborate, authenticate, vouch for,

endorse, confirm, affirm, bear out, attest to, certify,

substantiate, validate, ratify: Can anyone support his alibi?

--n. 7 help, backing, backup, reinforcement, bolstering,

encouragement, reinforcing, fortifying, assistance, aid,

succour, sustenance: Thank you for your support over the years.

8 brace, prop, stay, frame, foundation, underpinning,

substructure, truss, beam, column, pillar, strut, guy, guy wire,

mainstay, buttress, bolster, reinforcement, supporter: The

supports failed under the grandstand and it fell, injuring a

few. Alan was a tremendous support during my illness. 9

sustenance, (living) expenses, keep, maintenance, subsistence,

upkeep; finances, funding: Mona is suing David for the support

of their child. He lives mainly on government support.

supportable

adj. 1 tolerable, bearable, endurable, acceptable, sufferable:

Thoughts of death are more supportable when it seems remote. 2

defensible, confirmable, verifiable, demonstrable, tenable,

believable: The argument that we should keep the old tax

structure is simply not supportable.

supporter n. 1 enthusiast, champion, promoter, fan, aficionado, devotee,

admirer, backer, follower, support, advocate, exponent,

adherent, aid, assistant, helper: I wish to thank my many

supporters, who were there when I needed them. 2 See support, 8,

above.

supportive

adj. helpful, sustaining, supporting, encouraging, sympathetic,

understanding, reassuring: Among our many friends, Cleo was the

most supportive during the recent trouble.

suppose v. 1 assume, presume, presuppose, surmise, take, take as given

or as read, take for granted; believe, think, fancy, imagine;

Colloq take it: Don't people usually suppose that civil

servants are honest? I supposed her to be his wife. Do you

suppose you could return my key today? 2 hypothesize, theorize,

postulate, posit, assume: Supposing a reduced rate of

inflation, will they reduce interest rates? Suppose that you

have lost the election - what will you do?

supposed adj. 1 alleged, assumed, putative, reputed, presumed,

hypothetical, theoretical, theorized, imagined, suppositious,

supposititious: Her supposed drug addiction turned out to be a

myth. 2 obliged, expected, required; meant, intended: You were

supposed to return my key. What is that supposed to mean?

supposedly

adv. allegedly, reputedly, theoretically, hypothetically,

presumably; rumour has it: The bridge was blown up, supposedly

by terrorists.

supposing conj. if, even if, in the event that, despite the fact that,

although, though: Supposing he says no, what will you do?

supposition

n. assumption, presumption, surmise, belief, thought, fancy,

theory, hypothesis, postulate, proposal, proposition: On the

supposition that your calculations are correct, we will have

made a profit this year.

suppress v. 1 end, discontinue, cut off, cease, stop, terminate, put an

end to, halt, prohibit, preclude, prevent, repress, censor,

forbid, interdict, block, obstruct, withhold, stifle, inhibit,

hinder, arrest: They have been unable to suppress the

publication of the book. 2 put down, quell, crush, squelch,

quash, subdue, check, stamp out, snuff out, smother, extinguish,

quench, crack down on: The uprising was suppressed with the

shooting of the students. 3 keep down, control, keep under

control, keep or hold in check, restrain, hold in or back,

repress, cover up, conceal, hide, keep quiet or secret, mute,

muffle, quiet, silence: Objections to the guest speaker were

suppressed at the request of the university's chancellor.

suppression

n. suppressing, ending, end, discontinuation, discontinuing,

cutting off, cut-off, cessation, ceasing, surcease, stopping,

stop, terminating, termination, halting, halt, prohibiting,

prohibition, preclusion, precluding, preventing, prevention,

repressing, repression, censoring, censorship, forbidding,

forbiddance, interdicting, interdiction, blocking, obstructing,

obstruction, withholding, stifling, hindering; putting down,

put-down, quelling, crushing, squelching, quashing, subduing,

checking, check, stamping out, smothering, snuffing out,

extinguishing, extinction, elimination, quenching, cracking down

on, crack-down; control, controlling, restraining, restraint,

concealing, concealment, hiding, muting, muffling, quieting,

silencing: That constitutes suppression of the freedom of

speech. The suppression of heresy is a perennial church problem.

Dictators confuse the suppression of ideas with the oppression

of people.

supremacist

n. supremist, bigot, racist, racialist, dogmatist, zealot,

fanatic: Supremacists' philosophies are based on hatred, not

love.

supremacy n. 1 transcendency, pre-eminence, superiority, ascendancy,

excellence, primacy, peerlessness, matchlessness,

incomparability, inimitability: Colonialism depends on military

supremacy. 2 sovereignty, dominion, sway, mastery, control,

dominance, (supreme or absolute) rule or authority, autarchy,

omnipotence, hegemony: They maintained their supremacy over the

Iberian peninsula for centuries.

supreme adj. 1 highest, loftiest, topmost, greatest, first, foremost,

principal, unsurpassed, top, uppermost, chief, paramount,

sovereign: There is no appeal to a decision of the supreme

tribunal. 2 greatest, maximum, extreme, uttermost, utmost,

ultimate: I fear that your son has made the supreme sacrifice,

Mrs Atkins. 3 best, greatest, first, outstanding, pre-eminent,

first-rate, prime, primary, unexcelled, leading, crowning,

consummate: Many regard her as the supreme artist of her day.

4 superb, marvellous, excellent, outstanding, superlative,

matchless, peerless, incomparable, unparalleled, masterful,

masterly, sublime, brilliant, transcendent, inimitable, choice:

There is no doubt that she is a supreme artist.

supremely adv. very, extremely, completely, perfectly, superlatively,

sublimely, transcendently: I have never been so supremely happy

as I was in Capri in '38.

sure adj. 1 certain, assured, convinced, persuaded, positive,

definite, unwavering, unswerving, unflinching, steadfast,

steady, unshakeable or unshakable, confident, satisfied,

undeviating, unfaltering: How can you be so sure in your

opinion that Jack did it? I'm sure I've met you before. 2

established, firm, solid, trusty, stable, steadfast, secure,

safe, trustworthy, reliable: I never travel without my sure

companions, courage and caution. 3 accurate, reliable,

dependable, tried and true, unfailing, infallible, foolproof,

effective, Colloq sure-fire: A high temperature is a sure sign

of illness. 4 certain, inevitable, indubitable, unavoidable,

ineluctable, inescapable, guaranteed: He who enters the Devil's

Cave meets sure death.

surely adv. 1 certainly, to be sure, positively, absolutely,

definitely, undoubtedly, indubitably, unquestionably, beyond the

shadow of a doubt, beyond question, doubtless, doubtlessly,

assuredly, Colloq sure, US absotively-posolutely: He is surely

one of the finest riders I've ever seen. 2 firmly, solidly,

confidently, unfalteringly, steadily, unswervingly,

unhesitatingly, determinedly, doggedly, securely: Slowly but

surely, the Great Bamboni stepped out onto the tightrope

stretched across the Reichenbach Falls.

surface n. 1 exterior, covering, outside, top, skin, integument,

fa‡ade, face, boundary, interface, superficies; side, plane:

Most of the earth's surface is covered by water. How many

surfaces on an icosahedron? 2 on the surface. superficially, to

all appearances, at first glance, outwardly, to the casual

observer, extrinsically, ostensibly: It looks pretty enough on

the surface, but it is rotten underneath.

--v. 3 appear, show up, emerge, materialize, arise, rise, come

up, Colloq pop up, crop up: Guess who surfaced after ten years

in Tierra del Fuego! An enormous turtle surfaced near our boat.

4 pave, concrete, tarmac: They are surfacing the road in front

of my house.

surfeit n. over-abundance, superabundance, plethora, glut, excess,

surplus, oversupply, overdose, satiety, overflow, flood, deluge,

superfluity, nimiety: There has been a surfeit of those dolls

on the market. She is suffering from a surfeit of rich food and

alcohol.

surfeited adj. gorged, overfed, satiated, sated, stuffed, glutted, jaded:

He passed the sleeping surfeited diners and stole into the

library unseen.

surge v. 1 swell, wave, billow, bulge, heave, roll, undulate, well

forth or up, rise and fall, ebb and flow, pulsate; rush, gush,

pour, flood, stream, flow: The sea surged through the narrow

gorge with a roar. The crowd surged round their hero.

--n. 2 swell, wave, billow, roller, whitecap, white horse,

breaker, comber, upsurge, eddy, rush, gush, flood, stream, flow:

The raft was caught by a surge and tossed high up on the beach.

surly adj. unpleasant, rude, crusty, cantankerous, curmudgeonly,

churlish, crabby, crabbed, choleric, splenetic, dyspeptic,

bilious, temperamental, cross, crotchety, grouchy, grumpy,

bearish, testy, touchy, short-tempered, ill-tempered,

bad-tempered, ill-natured, bad-natured, ill-humoured, peevish,

quarrelsome, argumentative, obnoxious, uncivil, rough,

obstreperous: I see no reason to shop where the sales staff are

surly.

surmise v. 1 imagine, guess, conjecture, speculate, suppose,

hypothesize, theorize, assume, presume, conclude, gather, infer,

understand, fancy, suspect, feel, sense: I surmised that the

treaty terms were arranged by deputies long before the summit.

--n. 2 guess, conjecture, speculation, notion, hypothesis,

theory, supposition, assumption, presumption, conclusion,

understanding, fancy, suspicion, feeling, sense: It was an

early surmise of the experts that man could not survive passing

through the Van Allen belts.

surpass v. exceed, excel, go or pass beyond, outdo, beat, worst,

better, best, outstrip, outdistance, outperform, outclass,

outshine, eclipse, overshadow, top, cap, transcend, prevail

over, leave behind: He easily surpassed the statesmen of his

time.

surpassing

adj. excessive, extraordinary, great, enormous, unrivalled,

matchless, peerless, unmatched, unequalled, unsurpassed: I

could not believe the surpassing gall of the man.

surpassingly

adv. exceedingly, extraordinarily, incomparably, Literary

surpassing: The girls on the beach were surpassingly beautiful.

surplus n. 1 surplusage, overage, excess, leftover(s), surfeit,

over-abundance, oversupply, overdose, glut: The price of oil

dropped owing to the surplus in the market.

--adj. 2 excess, leftover, extra, spare, over-abundant,

superfluous, unused, redundant: The surplus grain is sold

abroad.

surprise v. 1 shock, astound, astonish, amaze, disconcert, nonplus,

dumbfound or dumfound, stagger, take aback, strike, hit, Colloq

floor, bowl over, flabbergast, rock or set (someone) back on his

or her or chiefly Brit their heels, Brit knock (someone) for

six, US knock (someone) for a loop: What surprised me was her

coolness in the face of danger. 2 take or catch unawares, catch

red-handed or in the act or in flagrante delicto, catch napping

or off guard, discover: When Samuel Johnson's wife found him

with a maid, she said, 'Dr Johnson! I am surprised!', to which

he replied, 'No, madam: you are amazed. I am surprised.'

--n. 3 shock, astonishment, amazement, stupefaction, wonder,

incredulity: Imagine my surprise to learn that I was being

arrested. 4 blow, jolt, shocker, bolt from or US also out of

the blue, bombshell, eye-opener: It came as a surprise to me

that my sister was pregnant.

surrender v. 1 give up, yield, let go (of), relinquish, deliver (up),

hand over, forgo, forsake, turn over, turn in, part with, cede,

concede: We were forced at gunpoint to surrender our valuables.

2 give up, yield, quit, cry quits, capitulate, throw in the

sponge or the towel, raise the white flag, throw up one's hands,

succumb, submit, give way, acquiesce, comply, give in, concede,

crumble: The argument is so overwhelming that I must surrender.

--n. 3 submission, capitulation, yielding, renunciation,

relinquishment, yielding, transferral, transfer, transference,

handing or turning over, conveyancing, ceding, cession,

concession: The official surrender of the disputed territory

took place in the following year.

surreptitious

adj. furtive, secret, clandestine, stealthy, underhand(ed),

covert, (on the) sly, secretive, private, concealed, hidden,

veiled, Colloq sneaky: She stole surreptitious glances at him.

surround v. 1 encompass, encircle, envelop, enclose, hem in, ring: She

likes being surrounded by flowers. Troops surrounded the

building.

--n. 2 environs, environment, surroundings, atmosphere,

ambience or ambiance, setting: The formal gardens make a

charming surround for the art gallery.

surrounding

adj. nearby, neighbouring, local, adjoining, neighbourhood,

adjacent, bordering, abutting, circumambient, circumjacent: The

surrounding countryside was bursting into bloom.

surveillance

n. observation, watch, scrutiny, reconnaissance: The police

kept him under constant surveillance.

survey v. 1 examine, appraise, evaluate, take the measure of, inspect,

study, scan, scrutinize, measure, size up, assess, investigate,

look into or over, review: He surveyed the situation and found

nothing wrong. 2 view, look at, get a bird's eye view of,

contemplate: From the top of the tower I surveyed the

surrounding countryside.

--n. 3 surveying, examination, appraisal, evaluation, measure,

study, scan, scanning, scrutiny, inquiry or enquiry,

measurement, investigation, inspection: Our survey of the

company finances yielded some very interesting information.

survive v. 1 continue, last, live (on), persist, subsist, pull through,

endure: The village was destroyed, but its people survived. 2

outlast, outlive,: At the age of 114, MacMurtagh has survived

all his children and many of his grandchildren.

susceptible

adj. 1 Often, susceptible of or to. open (to), prone (to),

subject (to), disposed (to), predisposed (to), receptive (to),

affected by, responsive (to): Brass is susceptible of a high

shine. Are you still susceptible to her blandishments? 2

impressionable, influenceable, vulnerable, reachable,

accessible, credulous, suggestible, gullible, na‹ve:

Susceptible youngsters need protection from commercial

exploitation.

suspect v. 1 disbelieve, doubt, mistrust, distrust, harbour or have

suspicions about or of, be suspicious of: Do you suspect the

butler? 2 feel, think, believe, sense, have a feeling, fancy,

imagine, theorize, guess, surmise, have a sneaking suspicion,

think it likely or probable, Colloq expect: I suspect that the

butler might have done it.

--adj. 3 suspicious, questionable, doubtful, dubious, shady,

shadowy; suspected: If you ask me, his behaviour since boarding

the Orient Express has been highly suspect.

suspend v. 1 hold up or off (on), withhold, put off, put or hold or

keep in or into abeyance, shelve, postpone, delay, defer,

interrupt, stop or check or cease or discontinue temporarily, US

table: We suspended payment pending inspection of the work

already done. Train services on this route will be suspended

till further notice. Suspend your disbelief for a moment to

consider the possible motive for stealing a prune. 2 hang,

attach, fasten, dangle, swing: She suspended the cameo from a

gold chain which she wore as a necklace. 3 debar, exclude,

eliminate, reject, expel, eject, evict; deprive of the rights

of, deny the privileges of; blackball: A member may be

suspended if his dues are six months or more in arrears.

suspense n. 1 uncertainty, indefiniteness, insecurity, doubt,

irresolution, expectancy, indecision, not knowing: May I have

the envelope please? - I cannot stand the suspense! 2 anxiety,

tension, apprehension, nervousness, agitation, anxiousness,

anticipation, expectation, excitement: A story that creates

suspense for the reader is often suitable for film treatment.

suspension

n. 1 debarring, disbarment, exclusion, elimination, rejection,

expulsion, ejection, eviction, deprivation, denial: The

suspension of privileges cannot last for more than a fortnight.

2 intermission, moratorium, deferment, hold-up, delay, delaying,

interruption, postponement, postponing, discontinuing,

discontinuation, stay: Luckily, the suspension of hostilities

lasted till the summer.

suspicion n. 1 doubt, dubiousness, dubiety, misgiving, mistrust,

distrust, scepticism, qualm, wariness, apprehension,

apprehensiveness, cautiousness, hesitation, second thought(s),

uncertainty, leeriness, Colloq funny feeling, bad vibes: We all

had our suspicions about Edward's genuine intentions. My worst

suspicions have now been confirmed. 2 notion, inkling,

suggestion, hint, trace, flavour, soup‡on, taste, dash, glimmer,

tinge, touch, shadow, shade, scintilla, Colloq chiefly US and

Canadian tad: If you have even a suspicion of doubt, do not

find the defendant guilty. Did I detect a suspicion of a sneer?

suspicious

adj. 1 doubtful, in doubt, dubious, questionable, debatable,

suspect(ed), under suspicion, open to doubt or question or

misconstruction, Colloq shady, fishy: There is something very

suspicious about his behaviour. 2 mistrustful, distrustful,

doubtful, in doubt, sceptical, suspecting, disbelieving,

unbelieving, leery, apprehensive, wary, uncertain, uneasy: I

was suspicious of Douglas from the very beginning.

sustain v. 1 uphold, support, keep up, maintain, continue, keep

(someone or something) going, keep alive, preserve; prolong,

persist in: He has been sustained on a life-support system for

weeks. If Georgette can sustain the pretence of loving him, he

won't change his will. 2 support, carry, bear, bolster, buoy

(up), reinforce, keep (someone) going, strengthen, shore up,

underpin, prop up, buttress: During those long months as a

hostage, only prayer sustained him. 3 endure, stand, withstand,

bear up under, put up with, suffer, undergo, experience,

tolerate, weather, brave: It is amazing how much punishment the

human body can sustain. 4 bear, carry, support: This column is

supposed to sustain the weight of half the building. 5 uphold,

recognize, allow, admit, approve, ratify, sanction, authorize,

endorse, validate: The judge sustained the objection by the

defence.

sustained adj. continued, continuous, continual, prolonged, unremitting,

steady, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, interminable; uniform,

even, level, unchanged, unchanging: The neighbours keep up that

sustained caterwauling every night. The audience was thrilled

by her sustained top C.

sustenance

n. 1 nutriment, nourishment, food (and drink), daily bread,

rations, victuals, provisions, provender, groceries, aliment,

edibles, eatables, foodstuff(s), viands, meat, Colloq grub,

eats, chow, nosh, Slang Brit prog, scoff: My first concern is

sustenance for my family. 2 livelihood, support, maintenance,

upkeep, keep, subsistence, living: The fur trade provided the

sustenance of early Canadian settlers.

19.15 swagger...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

swagger v. 1 strut, prance, parade, Archaic swash, Colloq US sashay,

cut a swath: Look at that Charlie swaggering down the street in

his new suit! 2 boast, brag, show off, vaunt, crow, Colloq Brit

swank: He is always swaggering on about his war experiences.

--n. 3 strut, prance, strutting, swaggering, show, display,

showing off, ostentation, braggadocio, arrogance, boastfulness:

Paul's outrageous swagger developed only after he was promoted.

swallow v. 1 eat, consume, devour, ingest, dispatch or despatch; drink,

gulp, guzzle, down, Colloq put or pack away, swig, swill:

Snakes swallow their prey whole. The amount that man can swallow

at one meal is incredible. 2 accept, allow, credit, believe,

take, Colloq buy, fall for: She swallowed that tale about an

aeroplane hook, line, and sinker. 3 Often, swallow up. absorb,

make disappear, engulf, consume, assimilate: The fugitive was

swallowed up by the crowd. 4 Sometimes, swallow back. keep or

choke back or down, repress, suppress, control, stifle, smother,

overcome, conquer: Harriet swallowed back the tears. Try

swallowing your pride just this once.

--n. 5 bite, nibble, morsel, mouthful; drink, gulp, guzzle,

Colloq swig: Have a swallow of this to warm you up a little.

swamp n. 1 bog, fen, marsh, quagmire, morass, moor, Chiefly literary

slough, Scots and No. Eng. dialect moss, So. US everglade: The

draining of swamps destroys the breeding places of mosquitoes.

--v. 2 overwhelm, overcome, flood, inundate, submerge, immerse,

deluge, overload, overtax, overburden, Colloq snow under: I'm

so swamped with work I'm sleeping at the office. 3 scuttle,

sink, founder: A huge wave swamped the boat and she sank

quickly.

swanky adj. smart, stylish, fashionable, chic, chichi, fancy,

luxurious, grand, elegant, Colloq swank, snazzy, neat, nifty,

plush, posh, ritzy, Brit swish: Living in a swanky house and

wearing swanky clothes - what else would anyone want?

swarm n. 1 throng, horde, army, host, multitude, hive, herd, mob,

mass, drove, flood, stream, cloud, flock, pack, shoal, bunch:

Swarms of people showed up for our garden party.

--v. 2 throng, mass, crowd, congregate, flock, gather, flood,

stream, flow: The fans swarmed round the rock group. 3 swarm

with. Often, be swarming with. crawl with, abound in or with,

throng with, teem with, burst with, bristle with, be overrun

with: In two minutes the place was swarming with police.

swarthy adj. swart, black, ebon, ebony, sable, pitch-black, jet-black,

coal-black, raven, dark: His swarthy complexion contrasted with

her china-like pallor.

swashbuckling

adj. adventurous, daring, daredevil, swaggering, roisterous,

bold, dashing, flamboyant: Those old swashbuckling films with

Errol Flynn, Richard Green, and Douglas Fairbanks, formed a

genre all their own.

swath n. swathe, path, belt, strip: A flock of birds was feeding

along the swath cut by the harvester.

swathe v. tie, bind, bandage, wrap, enwrap, swaddle, bundle (up),

envelop, shroud, muffle (up): I can't tell who he is as his

head is swathed in bandages.

sway v. 1 wave, waver, swing, sweep, oscillate, undulate, reel,

totter, swing or move to and fro or back and forth or from side

to side or backwards and forwards, rock, fluctuate; bend, lean:

The reeds swayed in the breeze. 2 move, incline, divert, tend,

veer, tilt, lean, slant, bias; influence, persuade, impress, win

over, bring round, convince, talk into: The wind is causing the

trees to sway towards the east. We tried to sway him to our way

of thinking.

--n. 3 sweep, wave, swing, (period of) oscillation, libration:

There must be a sway of twenty feet in the top of that

skyscraper. 4 influence, control, power, command, authority,

dominion, rule, sovereignty, leadership, mastery; grip,

clutches, grasp: His ambition was to get the mountain people

under his sway.

swear v. 1 depose, aver, asseverate, declare, insist, assert,

solemnly affirm or state, testify, promise, take an oath,

undertake, vow, avow, vouchsafe, warrant, pledge, give one's

word, agree: He swore he had not done any such thing. 2 curse,

blaspheme, imprecate, use profanity, utter profanities,

execrate, Colloq cuss: Priscilla stopped her ears at the men's

swearing. 3 swear by. trust (in), believe in, rely on, have

confidence in, count on: The colonel swears by the same old

fountain-pen he has used for years and will use no other. 4

swear off. forswear, renounce, abjure, go off, forgo, shun,

avoid, give up, eschew, forsake, throw over: Brian tells me

he's sworn off alcohol for a while.

sweat v. 1 perspire, glow: That workout made me sweat. 2 Often,

sweat out. worry, be anxious, agonize, anguish, bite (one's)

nails, be on pins and needles, fret, fuss, stew, torture or

torment oneself, lose sleep (over), Colloq sweat blood, be in a

tizzy, US sweat bullets: The professors really like to make

students sweat, don't they? Fiona is sweating it out till the

results are posted. 3 slave (away), labour, drudge, grind, toil

and moil, slog, work like a Trojan or a horse, Slang Brit swot

or swat: I sweat over a hot stove all day while you're out and

about town. 4 ooze, exude, squeeze out, transude: When a boy,

he believed that dew came from flowers sweating water.

--n. 5 perspiration, Technical diaphoresis, sudor: In addition

to body moisture, salt and other minerals are lost in sweat. 6

(hard) work, labour, laboriousness, grind, toil, drudgery,

slogging, sweating, Slang Brit swotting or swatting: Nothing

worthwhile is gained without some sweat. 7 state of confusion

or upset or excitement or distraction or agitation or anxiety or

distress or worry; pother, Colloq dither, tizzy, lather: Henry

has really worked himself up into a sweat over this problem. 8

No sweat! No problem!, Don't worry!, Everything is taken care

of!, All is well!, That presents no difficulty!: When asked to

change a flat tyre, the stranger's response was, 'No sweat!'

sweep v. 1 brush, whisk, clean, clear, tidy up: This weekend I have

to sweep out the basement. 2 Often, sweep away. carry or take

(away or off), destroy, wipe out, demolish, remove, wash (away);

blow (away): The raging torrent swept away the bridge. The wind

swept the debris before it. 3 swoop, flounce, glide, sail,

march, parade, skim, tear, dash, zoom: Hattie swept into the

room majestically. 4 curve, arc, arch, bend, bow, circle, turn:

The long drive to the house sweeps round the pond and gardens.

--n. 5 pass, clearance, stroke; purge: In one clean sweep the

police rounded up all the suspects. 6 curve, arc, arch, bow,

bend, curvature, flexure: Note the sweep of those main arches

holding up the dome. 7 range, extent, compass, reach, stretch,

scope, swing, span: The Hubbell space telescope has a farther

sweep than any on earth.

sweeping adj. 1 comprehensive, (all-)inclusive, general, extensive,

universal, all-embracing, broad, widespread, wide(-ranging),

far-ranging, blanket, umbrella, catholic, exhaustive, radical,

thorough(-going), out-and-out, across the board, wholesale,

Colloq wall-to-wall: We must institute sweeping reforms of the

party before the election. 2 complete, total, overwhelming,

decisive: The first team enjoyed a sweeping victory in track

and field events.

sweet adj. 1 sugary, honey-like, honeyed, sweetened: Sweet breakfast

cereals are bad for your teeth. 2 fragrant, perfumed, scented,

aromatic, ambrosial, sweet-smelling, sweet-scented, balmy,

redolent: The night air was sweet with jasmine. 3 harmonious,

melodious, sweet-sounding, euphonious, dulcet, musical, tuneful,

euphonic, mellifluous, mellow, lyric, silvery, bell-like,

golden: I could hear McCormick's sweet voice singing 'Danny

Boy'. 4 gentle, amiable, agreeable, genial, warm, friendly,

kind, nice, unassuming, easygoing; attractive, appealing,

charming, winning, pleasant, pleasing, lovely; cute, pretty:

Jane normally has such a sweet disposition. Old Mrs Hughes was

always sweet to me when I was little. Amy looks so sweet in her

new dress. What a sweet little kitten! 5 dear, beloved,

precious, prized, treasured, wonderful, marvellous, splendid,

Colloq great: How sweet life can be! 6 considerate, attentive,

solicitous, thoughtful, sympathetic, compassionate, kind,

kind-hearted, generous, gracious, accommodating: How sweet it

was of you to bring flowers! 7 cloying, sentimental, syrupy,

saccharine, treacly, precious, honeyed, sickening, Colloq

gushing, gushy, sloppy, soppy, maudlin, sticky, Brit twee,

Colloq icky: Claire is so sweet that she really overdoes it

sometimes. 8 sweet on. fond of, taken with, keen on, devoted

to, enamoured of, infatuated with, (head over heels) in love

with, Colloq wild or mad or crazy about, nuts about or over,

Slang gone on, stuck on, batty about: We were teasing Rick

about being sweet on Anne.

--n. 9 Often, sweets. bon-bon, chocolate, confection,

sweetmeat, Old-fashioned comfit, US candy: Harry always brings

a box of sweets for my mother when he comes to see me. 10

dessert, Brit pudding, afters: For a sweet we can offer you a

choice between chocolate gateau and gooseberry pie.

sweeten v. 1 sugar, sugar-coat: Can you think of nothing that would

sweeten the bad news? 2 dress up, make more attractive or

agreeable, sugar-coat, embellish, embroider; make less painful,

mitigate, alleviate, assuage, lighten, soften, palliate,

mollify, ease, allay, moderate, temper: Perhaps the

shareholders would be more amenable to the take-over were the

buyers to sweeten the offer.

sweetheart

n. girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, admirer, beau, darling, dear,

love, beloved, lover, paramour, inamorato, inamorata, lady-love,

betrothed, intended, fianc‚(e), Archaic swain Colloq heartthrob,

flame, sweetie, steady: She married her childhood sweetheart

and lived happily ever after.

swell v. 1 Often, swell out or up. grow, increase, enlarge, expand,

blow or puff up or out, distend, inflate, dilate, wax; mushroom,

belly, balloon, bloat, bulge, billow, fatten, rise, tumefy:

After cooking, the mixture swells to twice its original volume.

2 grow, increase, mushroom, snowball, accumulate, mount:

Forgotten for years, her savings had swelled to become a small

fortune. 3 increase, raise, augment, enlarge, boost, step up:

Something must be done to swell the number of recruits.

--n. 4 enlargement, broadening, increase, extension, spread,

swelling, inflation, expansion, rise, surge: Have you noted the

swell in popularity of health foods? 5 wave, surge, billow: As

we rose to the top of each swell, we could see the shore. 6

fop, dandy, gay blade, fashion plate, Beau Brummell, Archaic

coxcomb, Historical macaroni, Colloq clothes-horse, US fancy

Dan, Slang nob, Archaic lounge lizard, Brit toff: He frequented

the clubs populated by the other London swells.

--adj. 7 smart, chic, stylish, fashionable, modish, grand,

luxurious, de luxe, elegant, first-rate, first-class, top-grade,

Colloq posh, swank, swanky, ritzy: Charlie always took Diane to

the swellest places. 8 marvellous, thrilling, splendid,

spectacular, first-rate, fine, Colloq great, super, terrific: I

really had a swell time at your party.

swelling n. enlargement, distension, tumescence, protuberance, bump,

prominence, bulge, lump, excrescence, protrusion, tumour, node,

nodule: It is a good idea to have any unexplained swelling

examined by the doctor.

sweltering

adj. hot, torrid, steaming, sultry, steamy, muggy, sticky,

oppressive, stifling, stuffy, suffocating, clammy, humid, wet,

broiling, boiling, scorching, roasting, baking, wilting,

melting, tropical, Colloq close: I cannot live through another

sweltering summer in the Amazon jungle.

swerve v. veer, career, swing, diverge, deviate, sheer off, skew,

stray, turn (aside): The car swerved wildly off the road and

into a ditch.

swift adj. fleet, fast, rapid, speedy, hasty, lively, nimble,

expeditious; quick, brisk, sudden, abrupt: The postman was bent

on the swift completion of his rounds. What Bill needs is a

swift kick to jolt him out of his lethargy.

swiftly adv. fast, quickly, speedily, rapidly, expeditiously; briskly,

hurriedly, hastily, suddenly, abruptly, in a flash, in a trice,

in the wink of an eye, before you can say 'Jack Robinson',

before you can say 'knife', like a shot, in an instant, in (less

than) no time, precipitately, unexpectedly, Colloq like greased

lightning, US lickety-split, in a jiffy, Slang pronto, like a

bat out of hell: The assembly is done much more swiftly by

machine. Swiftly, I ducked into a doorway to avoid being seen.

swill n. 1 hogwash, pigswill, refuse, pigwash, slop(s), garbage,

waste: If you saw the swill that pigs eat, you might not eat

pork. 2 nonsense, rot, rubbish, Slang crap: That novel of hers

was the worst swill I've read in a long time.

--v. 3 drink, guzzle, quaff, swallow, Colloq swig, toss off or

down, throw down, polish off, knock back or off, US chug-a-lug:

They waste every evening swilling beer.

swimmingly

adv. smoothly, easily, effortlessly, well, successfully,

without a hitch or a problem, like a dream, cosily, like

clockwork, without difficulty, handily, readily: The plan has

gone swimmingly thus far.

swindle v. 1 cheat, cozen, bilk, defraud, deceive, hoodwink, take in,

fleece, dupe, fool, mulct, gull, make a fool or sucker (out) of,

victimize, exploit, trick, Old-fashioned or literary euchre,

Archaic chouse, Colloq bamboozle, chisel, diddle, pull a fast

one on, flimflam, pluck, burn, take (someone) for a ride, Brit

fiddle, US buffalo, Slang con, sting, screw, rook, gyp, rip

(someone) off: The gang has swindled several elderly people out

of their life savings.

--n. 2 fraud, confidence game or trick, cheating, swindling,

defrauding, deception, racket, trickery, sharp practice,

thimblerigging, chicanery, knavery, Colloq Brit fiddle, swizzle

or swizz, Slang rip-off, scam, con (game), gyp, US bunco: Those

old-time swindles are nothing compared with the activities of

unscrupulous stock brokers.

swindler n. cheat, confidence man or woman, hoaxer, mountebank,

charlatan, knave, scoundrel, sharper, fraud, trickster,

thimblerigger, villain, Technical defalcator, Colloq flimflam

man, Slang con man or woman, US bunco-artist, four-flusher:

Swindlers tricked them out of all their cash and traveller's

cheques.

swing v. 1 sway, move or go to and fro or back and forth or backwards

and forwards, come and go, wave, fluctuate, flap, oscillate,

vibrate, librate, waver, wobble, waggle, zigzag, wigwag,

flourish: The branches swung in the wind. They swung their arms

in time to the music. 2 hang, dangle; be hanged, be suspended:

They watched the monkeys swinging from tree to tree. He will

swing for his crime.

--n. 3 swinging, sway, swaying, toing and froing, coming and

going, waving, fluctuation, fluctuating, flapping, flap,

oscillation, oscillating, vibration, vibrating, libration,

waver, wavering, wobble, wobbling, waggle, waggling, zigzag,

zigzagging, wigwag, wigwagging, flourish, flourishing, stroke:

Catch the rope on its next swing. He was caught on the shoulder

by a wild swing of the bat. 4 sweep, scope, range, trend,

limit(s); change, switch, shift: The swing of public opinion is

unpredictable in these matters. There has been a small

percentage swing to the Conservatives. 5 pace, routine, groove,

pattern: Don't you find it hard to get into the normal swing of

things after a long holiday? 6 in full swing. in (full)

operation, under way, in business, animated, lively, on the

move, moving, going, Colloq on the hop, cooking: The party was

in full swing when we arrived.

swingeing adj. huge, immense, enormous, considerable, drastic, severe,

harsh, stringent, punishing, devastating, painful, excruciating,

major, daunting, Draconian, oppressive, exorbitant, excessive,

violent, Colloq thumping: They have instituted a truly

swingeing increase in commuter fares. She gives me a swingeing

headache.

swinging adj. fashionable, chic, up to date, modern, Colloq …-go-go, in

the swim, with it, Chiefly Brit trendy, Slang hip, groovy, in

the groove: That's what the swinging '60s were like in London.

swipe v. 1 Usually, swipe at. swing at, strike at, hit at, lash out

at: He swiped away at the golf ball but kept missing it. 2

steal, filch, pilfer, purloin, Colloq pinch, lift, snitch,

Chiefly Brit nick, whip, snaffle: They caught Freddie swiping a

bag of mints at Woolworth's.

--n. 3 swing, strike, clip: Ronald took a swipe at the ball

with his racket.

swirl v. 1 whirl, spin, eddy, churn, circulate, gyrate, surge, boil,

seethe: Faster and faster the water swirled round in the

maelstrom. 2 twist, whirl, whorl, curl, roll, furl, spin,

curve, spiral, twirl, wind (round): She swirled her hair round

her head and fastened it with a large clip.

--n. 3 twist, whirl, curl, roll, twirl, spiral: At the fabric

exhibition swirls of textiles were decoratively displayed.

swish v. 1 hiss, whisk, rustle, whisper, susurrate: I heard Elena

swish up behind me in her red silk taffeta dress.

--n. 2 hiss, hissing sound, whoosh, swoosh, rustle, whistle:

With a quick swish the machete knifed through the underbrush.

--adj. 3 elegant, fashionable, stylish, de rigueur, smart,

Colloq posh, plush, ritzy, swell, swank(y): Liza bought a swish

new outfit for the wedding. 4 homosexual, effeminate, swishy,

camp(y), US fruity, limp-wristed, Colloq queer, gay, Chiefly

Brit bent, US faggy, Slang kinky: He used to bring his swish

friends here, but not lately.

switch n. 1 twitch, lash, rod, whip, birch (rod), scourge: He picked

up the switch as if to hit me with it. 2 change, alteration,

exchange, shift, change-over, reversal, deflection, trade, swap

or swop: A switch of costume was done swiftly backstage,

yielding the expression 'quick-change artist'.

--v. 3 twitch, lash, whip, birch, beat, strike, thrash,

scourge, flog: The headmaster switched the boys for the

slightest misdemeanour. 4 change, shift, exchange, divert,

deviate: The colonel switched to another subject. They switched

the two stones, leaving the fake emerald. 5 divert, turn,

rechannel, redirect, direct: They switched the funds to another

project.

swivel v. 1 pivot, turn, rotate, spin, revolve, pirouette, move

freely: This joint allows the arm to swivel in all directions.

--n. 2 pivot, elbow-joint, gimbal, ball-and-socket joint: The

stern-chaser is fitted with a swivel, allowing it to be fired at

any angle.

swollen adj. enlarged, distended, inflated, bloated, bulging, puffed up

or out, tumid, tumescent, expanded, turgid, puffy, oversized,

outsized, Technical dropsical, hypertrophied, proud: My knee

was swollen for three days after that knock.

swoop v. 1 descend, dive, sweep down, pounce, stoop: The eagle

swooped down across the stream, catching a salmon in its talons.

--n. 2 descent, dive, sweep, pounce, stoop, stroke, blow, rush:

The police raid caught several drug dealers in one fell swoop.

19.16 sybarite...

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sybarite n. epicure, epicurean, hedonist, voluptuary, sensualist,

aesthete, gastronome, gourmet, bon vivant, bon viveur,

pleasure-seeker, playboy, jet-setter: These sybarites spend all

their time and their parents' money in the fleshpots of the

world.

symbol n. representation, figure, metaphor, allegory, insigne

(singular; plural is insignia), token, sign, emblem, badge,

image, logotype, mark, trade mark, colophon, brand, code,

abbreviation, phonogram, initialism, cryptogram, acronym,

monogram, password, shibboleth, watchword, code word; arms,

bearing, armorial bearing, crest, escutcheon, coat of arms,

banner, flag, pennant, standard, Colloq logo: This jewel is a

mere symbol of my devotion and love for you.

symbolic adj. Often, symbolic of. symbolical (of), tokening, betokening,

emblematic (of), figurative, allegoric(al), typical (of),

representative (of), symptomatic (of), characteristic (of),

metaphoric(al), allusive (of), denotative (of), connotative

(of), mnemonic (of): From ancient times the laurel, or bay, has

been regarded as symbolic of praiseworthiness.

symbolize v. represent, stand for, denote, connote, suggest, express,

imply, signify, mean, typify, exemplify, betoken, illustrate,

embody, epitomize: Green symbolizes envy and jealousy, red

anger, blue sadness, white purity, and so on.

symmetrical

adj. symmetric, (well-)balanced, proportionate, proportional,

well-proportioned, orderly, (well-)ordered, in proportion, even,

regular, congruous, congruent, uniform, harmonious; equal,

mirror-image, mirror-like: The temple was exactly symmetrical,

with a wing on each side. The two wings are symmetrical.

symmetry n. balance, proportion, evenness, order, orderliness,

regularity, uniformity, congruity, congruousness,

correspondence, agreement, harmony, consistency, equality: With

the crudest of tools, the pyramid builders achieved incredible

symmetry.

sympathetic

adj. 1 Often, sympathetic to or toward(s). compassionate (to or

toward(s)), commiserating (with), commiserative (with),

understanding (of), supportive (of), caring (to or toward(s)),

concerned (about or with), solicitous (of or to or (toward(s)),

warm-hearted (to or toward(s)), kind-hearted (to or toward(s)),

responsive (to or toward(s)), well-meaning, well-intentioned,

good-natured (to or toward(s)), considerate (of or to or

toward(s)), empathetic or empathic (with or to or toward(s));

sympathizing, kindly, comforting, consoling: The social workers

are sympathetic to the people's problems. One should be more

sympathetic. Julie takes a sympathetic outlook. 2 Often,

sympathetic to or toward(s). agreeable, pleasant, friendly,

well-disposed, favourably disposed, encouraging, like-minded,

responsive, congenial, en rapport, simpatico: You will find a

sympathetic ear at the council. The people are not sympathetic

to a tax increase.

sympathize

v. 1 Often, sympathize with. suffer or grieve or mourn (with),

feel (sorry) (for), have pity (for), empathize (with), condole

(with), commiserate (with): I sympathized with you over the

loss of your grandfather. Now that mine is gone, it is your turn

to sympathize. 2 Often, sympathize with. harmonize (with), get

along (with), relate (to), identify (with), go along (with), see

eye to eye (with), agree (with), side (with), understand, be en

rapport (with), be in sympathy (with), be simpatico (with), have

(a) rapport (with), Colloq be or vibrate on the same frequency

or wavelength (with), Slang dig: I can sympathize with anyone

who despises terrorism.

sympathizer

n. condoner, approver, conspirator, co-conspirator,

collaborator, accomplice, accessory, supporter,

fellow-traveller, ally: At one time, they tried to incarcerate

all suspected of being Fascist sympathizers.

sympathy n. 1 compassion, commiseration, pity, concern, tenderness,

empathy, understanding, solicitousness, warmth,

tender-heartedness, warm-heartedness, Archaic ruth: We feel

great sympathy for any child who loses a pet. 2 agreement,

harmony, compatibility, rapport, concord, accord,

fellow-feeling, congeniality, affinity, closeness, unity,

communion, fellowship, camaraderie: It is amazing that there

can be so much sympathy between two such different people.

symptom n. manifestation, evidence, syndrome, mark, token, indication,

cue, clue, (warning) sign, characteristic, trait, feature,

earmark, marker: Esmeralda is extremely jealous - I recognize

the symptoms.

symptomatic

adj. Often, symptomatic of. indicative (of), representative

(of), suggestive (of), characteristic (of), emblematic (of),

symbolic (of), peculiar (to), specific (to), idiosyncratic (of);

indicating, suggesting: A high fever is symptomatic of many

illnesses.

syndicate n. 1 trust, monopoly, bloc, cartel, syndication: They were

part of a syndicate that controlled the worldwide sale of

nickel. 2 (crime) family, Cosa Nostra, mafia: Guido used to be

an enforcer for the syndicate.

--v. 3 affiliate, ally, associate, amalgamate, consolidate,

league, confederate, synthesize: Mrs Cartwright was successful

in syndicating the milk producers in the entire county. 4

serialize, distribute: His business is syndicating old movies

to television stations.

synonymous

adj. Often, synonymous with or to. equal (to), equivalent (to),

tantamount (to), identified (with), corresponding (to or with);

transposable (with), exchangeable (with), identical (to or

with), interchangeable (with), the same (as): A word is almost

never truly synonymous with another in all respects. Even terms

like 'salt' and 'sodium chloride' are not synonymous.

synopsis n. summary, condensation, abridgement, epitomization, outline,

abstract, digest, pr‚cis, epitome, compendium, conspectus,

aper‡u, r‚sum‚: He was assigned to write a ten-page synopsis of

a 600-page book.

synthesis n. blend, compound, merge, union, amalgamation, coalescence,

integration, unifying, unification, composite, composition,

mixture, combination; compounding, combining, blending, merging,

union, amalgamation, coalescence, integrating, mixing, fusing,

fusion, unifying, unification: This mixture is a synthesis of

many different ingredients. How do they effect the synthesis of

coal, water, and air to make nylon?

synthetic adj. artificial, man-made, manufactured, ersatz; fake, false,

counterfeit, sham, bogus, spurious, mock, imitation, pseudo,

plastic, Colloq phoney or US also phony: Because of the animal

rights activists, many women today wear synthetic fur.

system n. 1 organized whole, organization, set, group, combination;

structure, arrangement, pattern, set-up: Some believe that the

universe is a vast ordered system, others that it is chaos in

which only man sees order. It took years to establish the

banking system in this country. 2 scheme, method, approach,

modus operandi, way, procedure, methodology, technique, plan,

process, practice, routine: There is a proper system for doing

the job and you should keep to it.

systematic

adj. organized, systematized, planned, methodical,

businesslike, orderly, well-organized, well-ordered, regular,

routine, standardized, standard: There are several systematic

ways for cataloguing books.

20.0 T

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20.1 tab...

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tab n. 1 flap, tag, loop, ticket, sticker, label, flag, lappet,

strap, handle: Pull on the red tab and the life jacket inflates

automatically. 2 charge, bill, account, reckoning, Chiefly US

check: They left me to pick up the tab at the restaurant for

everyone.

table n. 1 food, victuals, provender, comestible, edibles, eatables,

fare, board, provisions: One can rely on a fine table at Mrs

McGuire's. 2 plain, flatland, mesa, tableland, plateau, steppe:

The area is barren lava table from horizon to horizon. 3

(tabular or columnar) list or listing, register, record,

tabulation, chart, catalogue, index, inventory, itemization,

pr‚cis, table of contents: The figures are easier to understand

when arranged in a table.

--v. 4 submit, present, offer, proffer, bring forward, bring

up, propose: The bill will be tabled for action today. 5

shelve, postpone, defer, suspend, put off, stay, pigeon-hole,

mothball, Colloq put on ice: When the bill came up we tabled it

for six months.

tableau n. scene, sight, spectacle, picture, image; composition,

arrangement, grouping, effect: The children raptly listening to

their father telling a story - what a charming tableau!

tablet n. 1 (scribbling or writing- or note- or memo) pad,

(spiral(-bound)) notebook, US scratch pad: I write all my

dreams in a little tablet in case I forget to relate them to my

psychiatrist. 2 slab, plaque, plate, panel, plaquette: The

tablet on the base of the statue says it is of Disraeli. 3

stone, gravestone, headstone, tombstone, memorial: We each

contributed to the tablet that marks Croombender's grave. 4

pill, capsule, troche, pellet, pastille, drop, lozenge, bolus:

Take three tablets twice a day.

taboo adj. 1 tabu, anathema, forbidden, interdicted, off limits, out

of bounds, verboten, proscribed, banned, prohibited, restricted,

unmentionable, unspeakable; censored, censorable, unacceptable,

rude, impolite, indecorous, dirty, explicit; outlawed, illegal,

illicit, unlawful: Our holiday in Benidorm is a taboo subject

in my house. Many people dislike hearing taboo language used on

radio or television.

--n. 2 tabu, anathema, interdict, interdiction, proscription,

ban, prohibition, restriction: There is still a strict taboo

against mentioning bodily functions in public.

--v. 3 tabu, forbid, interdict, proscribe, ban, prohibit: The

hotel taboos the sharing of a room by unmarried couples.

tabulate v. systematize, organize, order, group, list, arrange,

classify, categorize, rate, grade, catalogue, codify,

pigeon-hole, sort, assort, index, itemize; record, note: We

shall report the results of the poll as soon as they have been

tabulated.

tacit adj. unspoken, undeclared, unsaid, unstated, unvoiced,

unuttered, silent, understood, unexpressed, implied, implicit:

The sisters have a tacit agreement not to poach each other's

boyfriends. He gave me a look of tacit gratitude.

taciturn adj. silent, uncommunicative, mum, mute, reticent, reserved,

uncommunicative, unforthcoming, tight-lipped, close-lipped,

untalkative, quiet: Even when he was small, Chris was quite

taciturn, saying little but evidently thinking much.

tack n. 1 pin, push-pin, nail, Brit drawing-pin, tin-tack, US

thumbtack: Someone keeps stealing the tacks from the bulletin

board. 2 fastening, stitch, baste: Could you put some tacks in

the hem so I can try on the skirt? 3 direction, bearing,

heading, course, approach; way, path, procedure, method,

technique, attack, line: Our new tack was due east. They may

have to take a different tack to win the contract. 4 tackle,

gear, equipment, equipage, harness, saddlery, fittings,

fitments, kit, outfit, rig, rigging, accoutrements or US also

accouterments: He has ordered all new tack for his horse.

--v. 5 pin, attach, fasten, secure, join, couple, unite,

combine, stick, fix, affix, staple, nail, skewer, peg, screw,

bolt, rivet; baste, stitch, sew, bind, tie; paste, glue, cement,

solder, braze, weld: You were only supposed to tack these

together lightly, but now I can't pull them apart. 6 change

direction or heading or course , Nautical go or come about;

zigzag, veer off or away, Nautical beat: We tacked quickly to

avoid striking the buoy. 7 tack on. add (on), append, annex,

attach, tag on: When they tacked on a rider to the contract, we

refused to sign it.

tackle n. 1 gear, rig, fittings, equipment, equipage, rigging,

paraphernalia, outfit, tools, apparatus, trappings,

accoutrements or US also accouterments, Colloq Brit clobber:

The steeplejack brought along all his tackle and made ready for

his climb. 2 block (and tackle), fall, hoisting gear, pulley,

sheave: You'll need heavier tackle to lift this cargo.

--v. 3 come to grips with, grapple with, approach, take on, try

to solve, (try to) deal or cope with, stand or face up to, face,

confront, address oneself to, attend to, set about, pursue,

Colloq take a crack at, have a go at: Perhaps you'd better

tackle the parking problem yourself. I'll tackle the boss on the

matter as soon as I see him. 4 attack, fall upon, devour,

consume, demolish, destroy: You've seen nothing till you've

seen Graham tackle a roast turkey.

tacky° adj. sticky, gluey, gummy, adhesive, ropy, viscous, viscid,

Colloq gooey: The varnish is still tacky and must dry before

sanding.

tackyý adj. tawdry, cheap, brummagem, gaudy, tasteless, vulgar,

shabby, tatty, sleazy, chintzy, shoddy, seedy: Richard

consistently buys the tackiest suits on the market.

tact n. discretion, diplomacy, sensitivity, savoir faire, judgement,

politesse, delicacy, finesse, cleverness, prudence, care,

carefulness, dexterity, dexterousness, discernment,

judiciousness, adroitness, skill, acumen, acuteness, perception,

understanding, consideration, thoughtfulness, politeness: You

can count on Robert to handle such matters with consummate tact.

tactful adj. discreet, diplomatic, sensitive, politic, judicious,

delicate, clever, prudent, careful, dexterous, discerning,

adroit, skilful, acute, perceptive, considerate, understanding,

considerate, thoughtful, polite: Even the people working in the

complaints department are tactful.

tactic n. 1 move, manoeuvre, ploy, caper, plan, strategy, stratagem,

device, ruse, plot, scheme, design: Inviting her husband along

was a tactic merely to avert suspicion. 2 tactics. manoeuvres,

strategy, plans, campaign, generalship, military science,

military operation(s), orchestration, engineering,

masterminding: Entirely different tactics must be employed in

jungle fighting.

tactical adj. artful, clever, cunning, shrewd, adroit, strategic,

skilful, adept, politic, smart, tactful: The general was noted

for his dazzling strategies and tactical genius.

tactician n. strategist, campaigner, mastermind, intriguer, plotter,

planner, schemer, manipulator, manoeuvrer, orchestrator, Colloq

operator: Montgomery was regarded by some as a master

tactician.

tactless adj. coarse, boorish, uncivilized, unsophisticated, rough,

rude, uncouth, discourteous, ungentlemanly, unladylike, crude,

gruff, bluff, abrupt, blunt, brusque, impertinent,

disrespectful, uncivil, impolite, insensitive, awkward,

bungling, clumsy, maladroit, inept, undiplomatic, thoughtless,

gauche, unskilful, impolitic, imprudent, inconsiderate,

injudicious, indiscreet, unwise: It was pretty tactless of him

to ask her out in front of his ex-girlfriend.

tag n. 1 label, name or price tag, mark, marker, tab, ticket,

sticker, stub, docket: The tag was clearly marked with a

bar-code. 2 name, epithet, label, designation, title,

appellation, nickname, Slang handle, moniker: Called 'Eddie the

dip', he got his tag 'the dip' because he's a pickpocket.

--v. 3 label, mark, ticket, identify, earmark: Please tag all

these cartons so we'll know what's in them without opening them.

4 label, name, call, dub, nickname, style, entitle, christen,

baptize: I have already said that Eddie was tagged 'the dip'

because he was a pickpocket. 5 tag along. follow, trail (along)

after, tail, shadow, attend, accompany, drag along with or

after: Does your little brother have to tag along wherever we

go?

tail n. 1 appendage, brush (of a fox), scut (of a hare, rabbit, of

deer), dock, caudal fin (of a fish), uropygium (of a bird),

pope's or parson's nose, tailpiece, flag: I just caught a

glimpse of the fox's tail as it leapt the fence. 2 rear end,

tail-end, backside, buttocks, croup, rump, posterior(s), bottom,

Colloq behind, hinie, Taboo slang Brit bum, arse, US ass: When

I catch you, I'll kick your tail! 3 reverse: The obverse of a

coin is the head, the reverse is the tail.

--v. 4 dog, follow, trail, stalk, shadow, track: We tailed the

suspect from Newcastle to New Mexico.

tailor n. 1 couturier, couturiŠre, costumier, dressmaker, modiste,

clothier, garment-maker, outfitter, seamstress: She has all her

clothing made by her tailor.

--v. 2 fit, adapt, suit, adjust, alter, accommodate, modify,

change, convert, cut, fashion, mould, stretch, accustom: Your

telephone system can be tailored to your most exacting demands.

tailor-made

adj. 1 fitted, custom-made, made-to-order, bespoke; made to

measure: He would not wear anything but tailor-made clothes. 2

ideal, perfect, customized, made-to-order, custom-made, suited,

suitable, (just) right, Colloq right up one's Brit street or US

alley: The job of lighthouse-keeper was tailor-made for a

misanthrope.

taint n. 1 stain, blot, blemish, slur, tinge, tincture, (black or

bad) mark, stigma, imperfection, flaw, scar, defect; discredit,

dishonour: His writing suffers from the taint of pedantry.

--v. 2 sully, tarnish, stain, stigmatize, smear, harm, hurt,

damage, debase, vitiate, blacken, foul, contaminate, pollute,

dirty, muddy, smirch, besmirch, blemish, soil, corrupt, spoil,

defile, ruin, destroy: It takes very little to taint one's

reputation in a small village.

take v. 1 grip, seize, grasp, clasp, get, get or take hold of, grab,

snatch, clutch, catch, capture, obtain, lay hold of, lay (one's)

hands on, procure, acquire, gain (possession of), take

possession of, secure, win, carry off, abduct, Colloq nab: The

police took him into custody. He takes what he can get. When it

comes to ineptitude, Sue certainly takes the prize. 2 pick,

select, choose, opt for, settle or decide or fasten on or upon:

When you get to the fork, take the road to the left. 3

appropriate, arrogate, extract, carry off or away, steal,

purloin, pilfer, filch, palm, rob, shoplift, pocket, remove,

walk off or away with, run or make off or away with; embezzle,

misappropriate, peculate; plagiarize, pirate; Colloq lift,

swipe, snitch, Chiefly Brit pinch, nick, Slang knock off, hook,

rip off, liberate, US boost, crook: They took what didn't

belong to them. 4 reserve, book, engage; hire, rent, lease: He

took a room in a small hotel, where he began to write detective

fiction. 5 acquire, get, adopt; assume, derive, obtain, draw,

receive, inherit: He has taken his bad manners from you. The

film takes its title from the book. 6 accept, receive, bear,

withstand, stand, endure, weather, tolerate, abide, brave, go

through, undergo, suffer, submit to, swallow, Colloq put up

with, brook, stomach, Brit stick: She took the news about

Leon's relapse quite well. I have taken quite enough from you

already. 7 assume, bear, undertake, adopt, arrogate;

acknowledge, accept: Kevin took full responsibility for the

mistake. 8 believe, think, judge, deem, hold, feel; take for,

assess (as), consider (as), regard (as), view (as), accept

(for): I take people to be honest till proven otherwise. She

took him for a fool when they first met. 9 carry, convey, bear,

transport, bring, deliver, ferry; haul, cart: Will this train

take me to Aylesbury? They took the bicycle to Old Lyme in a

van. 10 take up, study, be involved or occupied in or with,

apply oneself to, learn; read, Colloq tackle: I cannot believe

that Doreen is taking home economics. He took a course in car

maintenance. 11 prove or be effective or efficacious or

operative or functional, take effect, take hold, operate,

function, work, perform, Colloq do the trick: If the transplant

fails to take, the doctors will have to operate again. 12 exact,

extract, get: She took revenge by denying him certain

privileges. 13 swallow, eat, consume, ingest, devour, gulp

down, gobble up or down, wolf, bolt; drink, imbibe, quaff;

inhale: Rudolf takes pills of every conceivable colour. The

doctor said I could take a wee nip now and then. Sonya stepped

out to take a breath of fresh air. 14 subtract, deduct, remove,

take away, take from, take off: Take three from five. Five,

take away two, leaves three. It's cheaper when you've taken off

the discount. 15 end, terminate, annihilate, wipe out; kill:

The assault on Leningrad took tens of thousands of lives. The

Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. 16 require, demand, need,

necessitate, call for: Remember, it takes two to tango. It took

him two years to complete the fresco. It takes six to sail his

yawl. 17 hold, contain, accommodate, accept, fit in: This

storage bin cannot take anything else, it's completely full. 18

convey, lead, conduct; escort, convoy, guide, accompany: This

road takes you directly to the yacht club. He asked to be taken

to the manager's office. 19 understand, gather, interpret,

perceive, apprehend, deduce, conclude, infer, judge, deem,

assume, suppose, imagine, see: I take it from your expression

that you've had bad news. 20 charm, captivate, capture,

attract, lure, allure: There was something about him that took

her fancy. 21 use, employ, make use of, establish, put in(to)

place, adopt, put into effect, effect, apply; resort to, have

recourse to, turn to: The police have taken measures to ensure

that it doesn't happen again. 22 clear, get or go over or past

or round or through: Browning's Delight took the last jump

easily. He must have taken that corner at 90! 23 experience,

entertain, feel: She seemed to take an instant dislike to me.

24 express, voice, raise, put forth: I hope you will not take

objection or exception to what I am about to tell you. 25 cause

or make or induce or drive or persuade (someone) to go or be:

What takes you to M laga in August? 26 act, assume, play,

perform: I'm taking the part of the wicked witch in the local

pantomime. 27 bilk, cheat, swindle, defraud, Colloq con, Brit

fiddle: When he examined his wallet he realized he'd been

taken. 28 take aback. astound, astonish, surprise, startle,

shock: She was really taken aback at the news. 29 take after.

a resemble, look like, be the spitting image or the spit and

image of, favour, remind one of, Colloq be a chip off the old

block: He takes after his grandfather. b Sometimes, take off

after. chase, follow, run after, pursue: When the man stole the

newspaper and ran, the shopkeeper took after him at a gallop. 30

take back. retract, withdraw, recant, disavow, repudiate: He

now wants to take back what he said about you. 31 take down. a

note, make a note or memo or memorandum of, write down, record,

put or set down, put in writing, document, transcribe,

chronicle: Please take down what I am about to tell you. b

debase, deflate, lower, diminish, belittle, depreciate,

deprecate, humble, humiliate, shame, disparage, degrade,

disgrace: She certainly took that pompous ass down a peg or

two. 32 take in. a accommodate, receive, let in, quarter,

board, lodge: When her children grew up and left home, she

decided to take in lodgers. b deceive, fool, trick, impose upon,

overcharge, cheat, mulct, defraud, cozen, bilk, dupe, gull,

hoodwink, swindle, Colloq bamboozle, con, pull the wool over

(someone's) eyes, Slang Brit do: He was really taken in by that

time-share deal. c include, subsume, embrace, comprise, cover,

encompass, contain: Our sales figures take in all of North

America, not just Canada. 33 take it. a withstand or tolerate

or survive punishment or abuse, survive: The Marines are

extremely tough and can take it. b See 20, above. 34 take off.

a remove, doff, strip or peel off, discard, divest (oneself) of:

Take off your hat in the house. b satirize, lampoon,

caricature, mock, parody, travesty, burlesque, mimic, imitate,

Colloq spoof, Brit send up: It is not always easy to take off

members of the Cabinet. c depart, leave, go (away), decamp; fly

off, become airborne, lift off, blast off; Colloq skedaddle,

make (oneself) scarce, Slang hit the road, scram, beat it,

split: You'd better take off before they find you here. The

plane is due to take off at 18.35. 35 take on. a hire, engage,

employ, enrol, enlist, retain: We are so busy that we have

taken on ten new people. b challenge, rival, face, contend

against, oppose, match or pit (oneself) against, vie with,

fight: Are you in any condition to take on the champion? c

assume, accept, undertake, tackle: You might be taking on more

than you bargained for. 36 take out. entertain, escort, invite

out; court, woo: He took her out to dinner at a Chinese

restaurant. 37 take over. assume or take or usurp or gain

control or possession or command of: A huge conglomerate is

trying to take over our company. 38 take to. a like, find

pleasant or pleasing, feel affection or liking or affinity for,

find suitable: We took to each other the very first time we

met. He took to computers as a duck takes to water. b leave or

depart or take off for, run for, head for, flee to, make for:

When the attack came, the villagers took to the hills. 39 take

up. a pick up, accept, agree to, acquiesce to, accede to: She

took up his offer, and they've been married for forty years. b

assume, resume, carry on, continue, go on with, follow on with,

pick up: After a pause, he took up the thread of the story once

more. c espouse, embrace, become interested or involved in,

support, sponsor, advocate: She took up the cause of women's

rights at her age? d occupy, cover, use (up), fill (up):

Bernard's exercise equipment now takes up half the living-room.

e deal with, treat, consider, bring up, raise: Next week our

panellists will take up the question, 'Who benefits from

education?'

--n. 40 revenue, takings, yield, return, receipts, proceeds,

gain, profit(s); gate, box office: How much was the take from

the first day?

taken adj. captivated, entranced, enchanted, charmed, bewitched,

infatuated: I was so taken with Lucinda that I started blushing

like a teenager.

take-off n. 1 flight, flying, taking off, departure, leaving, going;

launch, lift-off: The take-off was delayed by bad weather. 2

satire, lampoon, caricature, mockery, parody, travesty,

burlesque, imitation, Colloq spoof, Brit send-up: The annual

students' entertainment was as usual a take-off of the teachers.

taking adj. attractive, alluring, engaging, captivating, winning,

winsome, charming, entrancing, enchanting, bewitching, fetching,

fascinating, delightful, irresistible, compelling, intriguing,

prepossessing: Cassie's taking ways won her many friends.

tale n. 1 story, narrative, report, account, record, chronicle,

history, narration, recital, anecdote: We were brought up on

tales of the supernatural. Her tale of what happened does not

agree with the facts. 2 falsehood, lie, fiction, fib,

fabrication, untruth, falsification, exaggeration, Colloq tall

tale or story, (cock-and-bull) story, US fish story: He told

some tale about having been captured by urban guerrillas. 3

rumour, gossip, slander, allegation, tittle-tattle, libel,

story, US chiefly naval scuttlebutt: I have been hearing tales

about wild parties at the neighbours' again.

talebearer

n. gossip, rumour-monger, gossip-monger, taleteller,

talemonger, scandalmonger, tell-tale, troublemaker, quidnunc,

tattler, informer, sieve, Chiefly US and Canadian tattle-tale,

Slang bigmouth, blabbermouth, squealer, stool-pigeon, stoolie,

rat, Brit sneak, nark, US fink, ratfink: The words, spoken in

private, were repeated to him by some talebearer.

talent n. 1 ability, power, gift, faculty, flair, genius, facility,

aptitude, capacity, knack, ingenuity, forte, strength;

endowment: Bill's extraordinary talent for playing the trombone

was widely acclaimed. 2 tendency, proclivity, propensity,

penchant, predilection, predisposition, bent, inclination:

Annabel certainly has a talent for saying the wrong thing.

talented adj. gifted, accomplished, brilliant, skilled, skilful,

masterful, expert, adept, adroit, dexterous, deft, clever, good,

polished, proficient, first-rate, top-drawer, excellent, Colloq

ace, crack, top-notch, Brit wizard, whizzo, US crackerjack:

Leslie is the most talented player in the school hockey team.

talisman n. amulet, charm, tiki, fetish or fetich, ju-ju, periapt,

abraxas; wishbone, rabbit's foot, Brit merry thought: He was

given a talisman that was supposed to protect its wearer from

bad luck.

talk v. 1 Sometimes, talk in. speak (in), use, communicate in,

converse in, express (oneself) in, discourse in: If you talk

English I might understand. 2 confer, consult, parley, have a

(little) talk, (have a) chat, confabulate, Colloq confab, Slang

US rap: I think we ought to talk before you decide which offer

to accept. 3 chatter, prate, prattle, jabber, blather or

blether, gibber, jibber-jabber, cackle, babble, patter, rattle

on, go on, Brit natter, witter, rabbit on, Colloq gab, Slang

gas, jaw , US run off at the mouth: They talk continuously,

mostly about nothing. 4 chat, gossip, palaver, Slang chew the

fat or the rag, shoot the breeze, US chin, schmooze, rap, have a

bull session, bat the breeze, shoot the bull: We were just

sitting around talking when Tom suggested we go for a swim. 5

inform, confess, give the game away, blab, Colloq come clean,

Slang rat, squeal, sing, spill the beans, Brit grass: If they

give him the third degree, you can be sure he'll talk. 6 speak,

give or deliver a speech or a talk or an address, lecture: I

believe that Professor Hale is talking at the County Library

tonight. 7 talk about or over or of. discuss, confer about or

on, parley about: I don't want to talk about football all the

time. Can't we talk it over? She talks only of you. 8 talk big.

boast, brag, vaunt, crow, bluster, exaggerate, blow or toot

(one's) own horn: He was never in the war - he just talks big.

9 talk down. a depreciate, deprecate, denigrate, disparage,

belittle, minimize, diminish, criticize, Colloq knock, pan, put

down: It's the only thing he's ever done, and you shouldn't

talk it down. b Usually, talk down to. condescend to, patronize:

I resent your talking down to me in that way. 10 talk into.

convince, bring round, sway, persuade: We have been trying to

talk him into running in the marathon. 11 talk over. discuss:

We talked over the best way to prepare the advertising proposal.

12 talk to or with. speak to or with, communicate with, converse

with: Since the episode with the monkey, she refuses to talk to

me. I talked with him yesterday. 13 talk up. promote, support,

sponsor, advertise, publicize, push, Colloq plug, hype,

ballyhoo: She has been talking up the book on her radio show.

--n. 14 oration, lecture, address, presentation, speech,

discourse, report, disquisition, dissertation; sermon; harangue,

tirade, Colloq spiel: Claire delivered a talk on computational

linguistics. Every week we have to listen to the same talk about

sin. 15 conversation, conference, discussion, meeting,

consultation, dialogue, colloquy, parley, palaver, chat,

tˆte-…-tˆte, confabulation, Colloq confab, powwow, Slang

chin-wag, head-to-head, US one-on-one, rap session: We must

have a little talk about your school report. 16 subject or

topic of conversation or gossip or rumour: Her behaviour at the

wedding was the talk of the town for weeks. 17 gossip, rumour,

hearsay, information, news, report, Colloq info, Slang dope:

There is some talk that you might be leaving. 18 palaver,

gossip, claptrap, prattle, prattling, chatter, verbiage, cackle,

bunk, nonsense, rubbish, balderdash, poppycock, hot air, stuff

and nonsense, twaddle, Colloq malarkey, piffle, hooey, hokum,

bunkum, bosh, hogwash, horse feathers, Slang bilge(-water),

crap, bull, tripe, Brit tosh, balls, US apple-sauce, Taboo slang

horseshit, bullshit: That's just a lot of talk. 19 dialect,

speech, way or manner of speaking, fa‡on de parler, language,

jargon, argot, cant, patois, accent, Colloq lingo: Can you

understand musicians' talk? My parents' talk is peppered with

words long obsolete in standard English.

talkative adj. garrulous, loquacious, verbose, long-winded, voluble,

prolix, wordy, chatty, gossipy, effusive, talky, logorrhoeic or

logorrhoeal, Colloq gabby, blabby, Slang big-mouthed; US running

off at the mouth: The children are so talkative I can't get a

word in edgeways.

talker n. 1 speaker, lecturer, orator, speech-maker, keynoter,

spellbinder, tub-thumper, rabble-rouser, demagogue, haranguer,

ranter: You might disagree with what he says, but you must

admit he's a great talker. 2 blusterer, blatherskite, swaggerer,

show-off, Slang windbag, gasbag, lot of hot air, blowhard: He

is a big talker, but he never gets anything done.

tall adj. 1 high, towering, big, soaring, lofty, giant, gigantic;

multi-storey: The giant sequoias of California are the tallest

trees in the world. There are many tall buildings in most major

cities. 2 lanky, gangling, rangy, leggy, long-legged, big,

giant, huge, gigantic, large: Some of those basketball players

are unbelievably tall. 3 exaggerated, overblown, far-fetched,

improbable, unbelievable, incredible, preposterous, outrageous,

overdone, absurd, Colloq Brit steep: He told us some amusing

tall tales about his fishing adventures.

tally v. 1 agree, coincide, accord, correspond, fit, compare, match

(up), square, conform, concur, harmonize, Colloq US jibe:

Nothing I could do would make my figures tally with those of the

bank. 2 Sometimes, tally up. count (up or out), enumerate,

record, register, reckon, add (up), total (up), tabulate,

itemize, list, calculate, compute: Please tally up what I owe

you.

--n. 3 count, enumeration, record, register, reckoning,

addition, total, tabulation, itemization, listing, calculation,

computation: According to my tally, you owe œ156.72. 4 ticket,

label, mark, marker, tag, tab: Each plant can be identified by

its own tally. 5 counterfoil, stub, counterpart, duplicate,

mate: If you lose your tally you cannot get back your luggage.

tame adj. 1 tamed, docile, disciplined, obedient, domesticated,

house-broken, trained, broken: He used to keep a tame fox in

his back garden. 2 mild, gentle, fearless, unafraid: It is

amazing how tame animals can be when they do not perceive man as

a threat. 3 tractable, pliant, compliant, meek, submissive,

mild, under (someone's) control or thumb, subdued, suppressed;

unassertive, feeble, ineffectual, timid, timorous, cowardly,

pusillanimous, chicken-hearted, faint-hearted, white-livered,

lily-livered, yellow, Colloq wimpish: Charles is far too tame

to defy Kate. 4 boring, tedious, tiresome, dull, insipid,

bland, lifeless, flat, vapid, prosaic, humdrum, bland,

unexciting, uninspired, uninspiring, run-of-the-mill, ordinary,

uninteresting, dead, Colloq wishy-washy: As a nightclub, the

place is much too tame for my tastes.

--v. 5 break, domesticate, train, house-train, gentle, master,

subdue, subjugate: The brown bear is a most difficult animal to

tame. 6 calm, subdue, control, mollify, pacify, mute, temper,

soften, curb, tone down, moderate, mitigate, tranquillize:

After a week the Lord tamed the violent sea and our tiny craft

was allowed to continue.

tamper v. interfere, meddle, intermeddle, intrude, tinker, mess (about

or around), Colloq fiddle or fool (about or around), monkey

(around), muck (about): Anyone caught tampering with the

machinery will be prosecuted.

tang n. 1 pungency, piquancy, bite, zest, zestiness, sharpness,

poignancy, spiciness, nip, edge, spice, taste, flavour, savour,

aroma, smell, odour, Colloq zip, kick: Ginger root gives the

dish just the right tang. 2 tinge, flavour, hint, suggestion,

soup‡on, trace, dab, smack, touch, smattering: The new version

has the tang of the original without its obsolete words. 3

prong, tab, projection, tongue, strip, tine, shank, pin, spike:

The tang of a good knife goes right through to the end of the

handle.

tangential

adj. divergent, digressive, off or beside(s) the point,

peripheral, irrelevant, extraneous, unrelated: The matter of

cost is tangential to the main issue.

tangible adj. material, real, physical, corporeal, bodily, somatic,

solid, concrete, touchable, tactile, manifest, palpable,

evident, actual, substantial, visible, seeable, discernible,

perceptible, ponderable, objective, ostensive: Leaving aside

intangibles like taste, smell, and colour, the important

tangible characteristic of food is texture.

tangle n. 1 confusion, knot, gnarl, mesh, snarl, twist, kink,

entanglement, jam, snag, jumble, mess, skein, web, coil: It

took hours to straighten out the tangle of ribbons. 2 muddle,

complication, jumble, puzzle, medley, complexity, complication,

scramble, mishmash, mix-up, hotchpotch or US and Canadian also

hodgepodge, jungle, maze, labyrinth: She was rather bewildered

by the vast tangle of information on the subject.

--v. 3 Often, tangle up. confuse, knot, mesh, snarl, gnarl,

twist, kink, ravel, entangle, jam, snag, intertwist, intertwine,

interlace, interweave, jumble, mess up, scramble, shuffle,

muddle: Now you've tangled all the ribbons I carefully

straightened out earlier. 4 Often, tangle with. wrangle (with),

contend (with), fight (with or against), (come into) conflict

(with), come or go up against, lock horns (with), dispute, cross

swords (with), disagree (with): The sheriff is the last person

I want to tangle with.

tantalize v. tease, taunt, provoke, torment, torture, bait, tempt,

plague, frustrate: They tantalized him by hanging the keys to

his cell just outside his reach.

tantamount to

adj. amounting to, as good as, virtually the same as, (pretty)

much the same as, equal to, equivalent to, like, of a piece

with, comparable to, commensurate with: His response, for all

its politeness, was tantamount to a rejection.

tantrum n. fit (of anger or of passion), outburst, eruption, blow-up,

explosion, flare-up, storm, rage, fury, Colloq Brit paddy, wax:

He has a tantrum every time he fails to get his own way.

tap° v. 1 rap, knock, dab, strike, peck; drum, beat: Must you

continually tap on the table with that blasted pencil?!

--n. 2 rap, knock, dab, strike, peck, pat; tapping, tap-tap,

rapping, knocking, pecking, beat, beating, patter, pattering: I

felt a tap on my shoulder. The tap, tap, tap of the dripping

water was driving me mad.

tapý n. 1 cock, stopcock, pet-cock, sillcock, seacock, spigot,

spout, valve, US faucet: Replace the washer in the tap to stop

the leak. 2 bung, stopper, cork, spile, plug, stopple, peg:

Move the tap from the empty barrel to the new one. 3 wire-tap,

bug, listening device, electronic eavesdropper: I think there's

a tap on my phone. 4 on tap. a on draught, out of the barrel

or keg: They have real ale on tap. b ready, available, on or

at hand, waiting, in reserve, on call: He promised to be on tap

if I needed him for anything.

--v. 5 drain, draw (off), siphon off or out, extract, withdraw:

We tapped the wine directly from the casks. 6 open, drain,

unplug, sap, bleed, milk, broach, mine, use, utilize, make use

of, put to use, draw on or upon, turn to account: Whenever she

needed money, she tapped her savings. 7 bug, eavesdrop on,

wire-tap: M.I.5 still taps her phone.

tape n. 1 strip, band, fillet, stripe, strap, belt, ribbon: She

wore a colourful woven tape round her head to hold her hair. 2

(tape) recording, reel, spool, cassette, video: He played us

the tape of the whole interview.

--v. 3 strap, band, bind; seal, stick: If you tape the packet,

customs cannot open it for inspection. 4 record; tape-record,

video: Programmes can be taped automatically when we are out.

taper v. 1 narrow (down), thin, diminish, come or go down: Note how

the trousers taper towards the ankles. 2 Often, taper off.

diminish, reduce, thin out, wind down, decrease, fade, lessen,

peter out, fall off, wane, subside, let up, slacken, die away or

down or off or out, decline, slow (down or up), weaken, abate,

ebb, slump, drop (off), fall (off), plummet: Sales of ice

skates can be expected to taper off during the summer.

tardy adj. 1 late, unpunctual, behind schedule, overdue, behindhand:

Yet again you have been somewhat tardy in completing your

assignments. 2 slow, dilatory, belated, slack, retarded,

sluggish, reluctant, indolent, lackadaisical, listless,

phlegmatic, slothful, lethargic, languid: They have been tardy

in acknowledging the importance of Allen's work.

target n. goal, object, objective, aim, end; butt, quarry: The target

of the charity drive is to raise œ30,000. Why make Peter the

target of your ridicule?

tariff n. 1 tax, assessment, duty, excise, levy, impost, toll, Brit

rate: The tariff on imported clothing may be increased. 2

schedule (of charges), price-list; bill of fare, menu: I

stopped by the hotel to ask about their tariff.

tarnish v. sully, disgrace, taint, blacken, blemish, stain, blot, soil,

spot, dirty, contaminate, defame, injure, spoil, ruin, damage,

harm, hurt, stigmatize, debase, degrade, denigrate, dishonour,

asperse, calumniate: By his behaviour, he has tarnished the

reputation of his entire family.

tarry v. 1 delay, pause, wait, linger, loiter, stall, procrastinate,

dawdle, bide one's time, temporize, hang back, Colloq hang on or

about or (a)round: They tarried in the pub, and missed their

train. 2 remain, sojourn, stay, stop, rest, dwell, bide (one's)

time, settle: She plans to tarry at Eastbourne for a while.

tart° adj. 1 sour, acidic, acidulous, acidulated, lemony, citrusy,

vinegary, acetous, acescent; sharp, tangy, astringent, acerb,

acerbic, acrid, bitter, pungent, piquant, harsh: Those grapes

are a bit tart for my taste. 2 biting, bitter, caustic, acid,

corrosive, mordant, astringent, acrimonious, trenchant, harsh,

scathing, stinging, acerbic, incisive, cutting, keen,barbed,

nasty, curmudgeonly, testy, crusty, abusive, virulent,

sarcastic, sardonic, satiric(al), vicious, cynical: You can

rely on Henry for a tart rebuff every time.

tartý n. 1 pie, tartlet, pastry, turnover, flan, quiche, patty, Brit

pasty: Three guesses who stole the tarts from the Queen of

Hearts. 2 strumpet, streetwalker, prostitute, whore, harlot,

fallen woman, trollop, wanton, working girl, fille de joie,

call-girl, loose woman, slut, drab, jade, demi-mondaine,

courtesan, woman of ill repute, hussy, doxy, lady of the evening

or the night, woman of easy virtue, Slang floozy, hooker, US

chippy, roundheels, bimbo: The paper claimed that the minister

was involved with a woman that it described as 'a tart'.

task n. 1 duty, assignment, business, job, charge, stint, mission,

work, chore, undertaking: It will be your task to keep the

others working. 2 (major) effort, test (of strength), piece of

work, struggle, strain: Getting him to do anything at all was

quite a task. 3 take to task. scold, reprimand, call to

account, blame, censure, recriminate, reproach, reprove, rebuke,

criticize, lecture, upbraid, chide, reprehend: I was taken to

task for failing to notify the police of the break-in.

taste n. 1 drop, soup‡on, dash, pinch, touch, hint, suggestion,

grain, trace, bit; flavour, savour, relish, tang: I added just

the tiniest taste of coriander to the sauce. 2 sample, morsel,

bite, mouthful, bite, sip, nip, swallow: I had a taste of the

sauce and it's superb. 3 palate, desire, inclination, leaning,

partiality, disposition, penchant, liking, fancy, preference,

fondness, appetite, relish, stomach, tolerance: She developed a

taste for caviare and champagne while working in television. 4

discernment, discrimination, perception, judgement, cultivation,

refinement, stylishness, grace, polish, elegance: Her unerring

taste leads her to select only the best. 5 style, mode,

fashion, manner, form, design, motif: The room was decorated in

Moorish taste. 6 decorum, discretion, tactfulness, delicacy,

refinement, politesse, politeness, correctness, propriety,

tastefulness: Evan's taste would never allow him to say

anything rude.

--v. 7 savour, sample, examine, try, test: Taste this and see

if it's too salty. 8 experience, sample, know, have knowledge

of, undergo, encounter, meet (with), come up against: As a

young man he had tasted the pleasures of Paris.

tasteful adj. in good taste, decorous, refined, finished, tactful,

polite, polished, restrained, correct, harmonious, fitting, fit,

proper, discriminating, aesthetic, discriminative, fastidious,

cultivated, comme il faut, elegant, graceful, charming: Though

a bit shabby, her clothes were demure and tasteful.

tasteless adj. 1 in bad or poor taste, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry,

meretricious, cheap, flashy, unrefined, inelegant, unaesthetic;

improper, wrong, indecorous, indelicate, uncultivated, uncouth,

uncultured, gauche, boorish, maladroit, distasteful, unsavoury,

coarse, crude, gross, vulgar, base, low: That is the most

tasteless dress I have ever seen. He made a tasteless remark

about her table manners. 2 insipid, bland, dull, flat, watery,

vapid, flavourless, unsavoury, Colloq wishy-washy: The tea

served there is completely tasteless.

tasty adj. delicious, delectable, luscious, flavorous, flavoursome,

flavourful, savoury, toothsome, palatable, appetizing, sapid,

mouth-watering, ambrosial, Colloq yummy, scrumptious: They

serve a very tasty curry at that Indian restaurant.

tatter n. 1 Often, tatters. scrap(s), rag(s), shred(s), bit(s),

piece(s): Tatters from the culprit's clothing were found on a

thorn-bush. 2 in tatters. in ruins, in shreds, destroyed,

ruined, shattered, in disarray, demolished: My life has been in

tatters ever since she left me.

tattered adj. ragged, torn, shredded, rent, threadbare: Above the altar

in the chapel hang the tattered standards of the regiment,

dating from the Crimean War.

tattle v. 1 blab, tell, reveal or divulge, give away secrets, Slang

squeal: Though sworn to silence, Davis tattled. 2 gossip,

prattle, prate, babble, chatter, jabber, blather or blether,

Brit natter, witter, Slang yack: The old crones were tattling

away in the kitchen.

taunt v. 1 tease, jeer (at), flout, twit, mock, torment, annoy, make

fun or sport of, poke fun at, deride, sneer (at), scoff (at),

insult, ridicule, burlesque, lampoon, US ride, Colloq kid, rib,

roast, put down, Brit guy, Slang bug, rag, hassle, US get on

(someone's) case: The boys used to taunt him, calling him

'Shrimpo' because he was so short.

--n. 2 jeer, gibe, brickbat, insult, scoff, derision, sneer,

slap (in the face), raspberry, Colloq dig, US Bronx cheer: At

17, he was six feet tall and no longer had to tolerate his

classmates' taunts.

taut adj. 1 tight, tense, strained, stretched, rigid, stiff: When

his jaw goes taut like that I know he's angry. 2 Nautical neat,

tidy, Bristol fashion, shipshape, spruce, (in) trim, smart,

orderly, well-organized; well-disciplined: Captain Scriven runs

a taut ship, no doubt about it.

tautology n. repetition, redundancy, battology, pleonasm, iteration,

tautologism; repetitiousness, repetitiveness, wordiness,

prolixity, verbiage, verbosity, long-windedness: Clich‚s like

'null and void' and 'cease and desist' are tautologies.

Tautology, when called 'repetition', is often used for

rhetorical effect.

tawdry adj. gaudy, cheap, flashy, brummagem, showy, meretricious,

garish, loud, tatty, tinsel, tinselly, plastic, tinny, shabby,

US tacky, Colloq cheapjack: She was wearing a tawdry outfit

picked up at a church jumble sale.

tax n. 1 levy, impost, duty, tariff, assessment, tribute, toll,

excise, customs, charge, contribution, Archaic scot, tithe, Brit

octroi, cess, rate(s), dues: Most people try to pay the lowest

taxes they can get away with. 2 onus, burden, weight, load,

encumbrance, strain, pressure: The admission of fifty new

children put a heavy tax on the school's resources.

--v. 3 assess, exact, demand, charge, impose or levy a tax

(on), Archaic tithe: If the government doesn't tax citizens,

where will the money come from? 4 burden, strain, put a strain

on, try; load, overload, stretch, exhaust; encumber, weigh down,

saddle, Brit pressurize, US pressure: This misbehaviour is

really taxing my patience. Our meagre resources were taxed to

the limit. Mother was taxed with the responsibility of caring

for us.

taxi n. 1 taxi-cub, cab, hackney, Colloq hack: Please hurry, as I

have a taxi waiting.

--v. 2 drive, ride (on the ground): After landing, the plane

taxied to the gate.

20.2 teach...

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teach v. instruct (in), inform (about), communicate (to), educate,

guide, train, tutor, coach, enlighten, edify, indoctrinate,

inculcate, instil, school in, demonstrate, show, familiarize or

acquaint with, give lessons (in) (to); drill, discipline: She

is qualified to teach chemistry. Captain Ross taught many

youngsters to sail. She wants to teach when she completes her

training.

teacher n. schoolteacher, educator, instructor, professor, doctor,

tutor, fellow, lecturer, master, mistress, schoolmaster,

schoolmistress, coach, trainer, guide, mentor, guru, cicerone,

counsellor, advisor; educationist; Brit don, Scots dominie, US

docent, Colloq schoolma'm: One can be counted extremely lucky

to have inspiring teachers.

team n. 1 side, line-up, group, band, gang, body, crew, party,

troupe: Which team does Lineker play for? 2 pair, yoke, span,

duo, set, rig, tandem: They hitched a fresh team of horses to

the coach and we were soon back on the road.

--v. 3 Often, team up. join (up or together), band or get or

work together, unite, combine, link (up), cooperate,

collaborate; conspire: If we team up, we'll get the job done

better and in half the time.

tear v. 1 rip, rend, rive, rupture, pull apart, shred, mutilate,

mangle, claw, split, divide, separate, sever: The tiger is

tearing its quarry to shreds. He tore the contract in half and

stormed out. 2 pull, snatch, wrench: The force of the blast

tore the attach‚ case from my grasp. The child was torn from

her mother's arms by the soldier. 3 dash, fly, run, gallop,

race, sprint, rush, scoot, shoot, sprint, speed, bolt, dart,

flit, scurry, scuttle, career, zoom, hurry, hasten, Colloq zip:

He is tearing around trying to find the money to cover his loan.

--n. 4 rip, rent, rupture, hole, split, slash, gore, cut,

score, slit, gash, fissure, rift, laceration: Nobody will see

the tear in your trousers if you remain seated.

tearful adj. weeping, crying, in tears, sobbing, whimpering, dewy-eyed,

blubbering, snivelling, lachrymose, Colloq weepy: She was

tearful as she told him they could not meet again.

tease v. 1 bait, taunt, torment, harass, bedevil, bother, nettle,

plague, chaff, pester, annoy, irritate, needle, goad, badger,

provoke, vex, twit, tantalize, frustrate, Non-Standard

aggravate, Colloq guy, pick on, rib, drive mad or crazy, drive

up the wall, Brit take the mickey out of, Slang rag: Stop

teasing the animals! Frances would tease me by agreeing to go

out and then begging off with a headache. 2 coax, worry, winkle,

work, manipulate: He was finally able to tease the broken piece

of key out of the lock.

technical adj. 1 complex, complicated, detailed, intricate, specialized:

This is a technical matter, not easily understood by the layman.

2 mechanical, applied, industrial, polytechnic, technologic(al):

We thought he would be happier attending a technical school.

technique n. 1 technic, method, approach, manner, mode, fashion, style,

procedure, system, tack, line, modus operandi, standard

operating procedure, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'), SOP (=

'standard operating procedure'): After many years, he has

developed his own technique for building hot-air balloons. 2

technic, art, craftsmanship, artistry, craft, knack, touch,

skill, skilfulness, adroitness, adeptness, dexterousness,

facility, competence, faculty, ability, aptitude, performance,

proficiency, talent, gift, genius, know-how, knowledge,

expertise: Jason's technique remains unsurpassed.

tedious adj. over-long, long-drawn-out, prolonged, endless, unending,

monotonous, unchanging, changeless, unvarying, laborious,

long-winded, wearing, wearying, wearisome, tiring, exhausting,

fatiguing, tiresome, boring, dreary, dull, dry-as-dust, drab,

colourless, vapid, insipid, flat, uninteresting, banal,

unexciting, prosaic, prosy, soporific, humdrum, routine,

repetitious, repetitive, mechanical, automaton-like, automatic,

Colloq ho-hum, Slang dead, US blah: For almost fifty years my

father had a tedious job on an assembly line.

tedium n. tediousness, monotony, changelessness, invariability,

long-windedness, wearisomeness, tiresomeness, boredom, ennui,

dreariness, dullness, drabness, colourlessness, vapidity,

insipidity, insipidness, two-dimensionality, banality, routine,

repetitiousness: How do you survive the tedium of getting up

and going to an office every day?

teem° v. Usually teem with. proliferate (with), be prolific (with),

abound, be abundant, swarm (with), be alive (with), crawl

(with), bristle (with), overflow (with), overrun (with), be full

(of), brim (with): When the panel was removed, the entire

foundation was seen to be teeming with termites.

teemý v. pour, rain, stream (down), Colloq come down (in buckets),

bucket down, rain or pour cats and dogs: It teemed with rain

continuously when we were on holiday.

teenager n. adolescent, youth, boy, girl, young man, young lady,

juvenile, minor, Colloq kid: The town ought to provide a place

where teenagers can get together.

teeter v. balance, wobble, rock, sway, totter, waver, tremble,

stagger: She screamed when she saw Bruce teetering on the edge

of the precipice.

telegram n. cable, cablegram, radiogram, radio-telegram, wire, telex,

(In France) bleu, pneu, Brit trade mark Telemessage, US trade

mark Mailgram: She received a telegram from him, saying that he

would be arriving on Monday.

telephone n. 1 handset, phone, Colloq blower, Chiefly US horn: Mr

Fraser, the Managing Director is on the telephone for you.

--v. 2 phone, ring (up), call (up), give (someone) a ring or a

call, Colloq get (someone) on the blower or chiefly US the horn,

give (someone) a tinkle or a buzz, buzz: Telephone when you

have a chance.

telescope n. 1 spyglass, Old-fashioned glass; refracting telescope,

reflecting telescope, radio telescope: Through the telescope,

he could just discern the American coastline.

--v. 2 shorten, compress, abbreviate, curtail, condense,

summarize, pr‚cis, digest, tighten (up), boil down, abridge,

truncate, abstract: Telescope the report into two columns for

page 2. 3 concertina, squash, crush: The first three carriages

of the train were telescoped in the crash.

television

n. TV, video (receiver), small screen, Colloq box, idiot box,

Brit telly, US boob tube, Slang tube, Brit goggle-box: My

television was not working over the weekend.

tell° v. 1 relate, narrate, recount, recite: Tell me a story. 2

Sometimes, tell of. say, mention, hint at, refer to, touch on,

utter, state, declare, proclaim, announce, publish, broadcast,

communicate, make known, report, impart, indicate, release,

break, let (something) be known, advertise, trumpet, herald,

bring to light, disclose, divulge, intimate, leak, admit,

betray, acknowledge, confess, disbosom oneself, get (something)

off (one's) chest, unburden or disburden (oneself), blab,

tattle, Colloq talk, let the cat out of the bag, spill the

beans, let out, let slip, blow the whistle on, give away the

(whole) show, US pull the plug on, Slang squeal, squeak, rat,

peach, US spill (one's) guts: She told of her fears. He refuses

to tell where the money is hidden. She talked a lot but told

very little. 3 apprise, advise, inform, let (someone) know,

notify, acquaint (someone) with (something): He has told me

everything. Tell them that I shall be late. He told them nothing

of his illness. 4 recount, describe, delineate, outline,

portray, depict, express, put, word, explain: I am not sure how

to tell you this. 5 order, command, require, demand (that),

charge, direct, dictate (that), instruct, bid: Tell them I want

no visitors today. She told him to go. 6 carry weight, be

influential, be effective, have (an) effect: What we

accomplished here today is bound to tell in our favour. 7

determine, say, confirm, aver, assert, asseverate, swear, take

an oath, be sure or certain or positive, know (for sure or for

certain): It just shows you never can tell. 8 ascertain,

determine, perceive, understand, make out, discern, identify,

recognize, distinguish, discriminate, differentiate: I cannot

tell if that is George or not. I can't tell George from John in

this photograph. 9 predict, prophesy, forecast, foretell,

foresee, forecast, determine, ascertain, know: Who can tell

what tomorrow will bring? 10 tell off. scold, reprimand,

berate, chide, castigate, censure, take to task, rebuke,

lecture, reproach, reprove, Colloq give (someone) a

tongue-lashing, rake or haul (someone) over the coals, give

(someone) a piece of (one's) mind, tick off, Slang tear a strip

off, US chew out: He was told off for being late for dinner

again. 11 tell on. tattle on, blab about, Brit grass on:

Charlotte never forgave Tim for telling on her to Aunt Jane.

tellý n. tumulus, mound, barrow, hillock: Excavation of the tell

exposed ancient skeletons.

telling adj. 1 effective, effectual, influential, weighty, important,

powerful, forceful, potent, significant, considerable, striking:

The new colour scheme in the office has had a telling effect on

morale.

--n. 2 tattling, (too) revealing, Colloq letting the cat out of

the bag, giving away the whole show: I cannot say why her key

was found in his pocket - that would be telling.

temper n. 1 mood, disposition, temperament, humour, state or frame of

mind, character, personality, nature, make-up, constitution:

Practising law did not suit his temper, so he became a social

worker. 2 composure, self-control, self-possession, calmness,

equanimity, balance, sang-froid, coolness, Colloq cool: He

would lose his temper if she ever mentioned another man. 3 ill

humour, ill temper, foul temper, irascibility, irritability,

petulance, volatility, peevishness, huffishness, surliness,

churlishness, hotheadedness, hot-bloodedness: At the first sign

of temper, just ignore him. 4 (temper) tantrum, fury, fit (of

pique), rage, passion, Colloq Brit wax, paddy: She went off

into a temper at the mere mention of his name.

--v. 5 modify, moderate, assuage, mollify, soften, cushion,

tone down, allay, soothe, mitigate, palliate, reduce, relax,

slacken, lighten, appease: The cold currents from the poles are

tempered by the equatorial waters. She used all her wiles to

temper his fury. 6 anneal, toughen, strengthen, harden: Plunge

the heated blade into water to temper it.

temperamental

adj. 1 moody, sensitive, touchy, hypersensitive, volatile,

irascible, irritable, petulant, testy, short-tempered,

hot-tempered, hotheaded, hot-blooded, excitable, explosive, on a

short fuse or US fuze, capricious, impatient, bad-humoured,

curt, brusque, short, gruff, bluff, curmudgeonly, waspish,

snappish, peevish, crabby, crabbed, grumpy, huffish, huffy,

crotchety, US cranky, Colloq grouchy: He's not usually

temperamental - must be something he ate. 2 erratic, uneven,

unreliable, inconsistent, undependable, unpredictable: That car

of mine is getting temperamental in its old age.

temperance

n. 1 (self-)restraint, moderation, (self-)control, forbearance,

(self-)discipline, continence: Temperance is one of the four

cardinal virtues, alongside justice, prudence, and fortitude. 2

abstemiousness, teetotalism, abstinence, sobriety, Rechabitism;

prohibition: We have always preached temperance to our

children.

temperate adj. 1 moderate, reasonable, (self-)restrained, disciplined,

controlled, forbearing, reasonable, sensible, sane, rational,

not excessive, composed, steady, stable, even-tempered, equable,

sober, sober-sided, sober-minded, mild, dispassionate,

unimpassioned, cool, cool-headed, unexcited, calm, unruffled,

tranquil, imperturbable, unperturbed, self-possessed, quiet,

serene: Even the most temperate of women would lose her cool

when dealing with a man like that. 2 abstemious, teetotal,

abstinent, continent, moderate, sober; chaste, celibate,

austere, ascetic, self-denying, puritanical: Those who lead

temperate lives seem to live no longer than those who yield to

dissipation.

tempest n. 1 storm, wind-storm, hailstorm, rainstorm, hurricane,

typhoon, tornado, cyclone, squall, thunderstorm: The Red Spot

on Jupiter is the centre of a perpetual, violent tempest. 2

storm, commotion, disturbance, upheaval, disruption, furore or

US furor, turbulence, ferment, tumult, agitation, perturbation,

hurly-burly, disorder, outbreak, unrest, riot, chaos, uproar,

brouhaha, Colloq hoo-ha: After the tempest of protest died

down, a vote was taken and saner heads prevailed.

tempestuous

adj. stormy, wild, uncontrolled, uncontrollable, disrupting,

disruptive, turbulent, tumultuous, riotous, chaotic, uproarious,

boisterous, frantic, frenzied, frenetic, furious, wrathful,

vehement, fiery, impassioned, fierce: They had a tempestuous

relationship, and did not live together for very long.

template n. templet, pattern, mould, guide, model, die: The work on the

lathe is matched to the template.

temple n. place or house of worship, holy place, house of God, church,

synagogue, mosque, pagoda, cathedral, sanctuary, chapel, shrine,

Yiddish shul or schul: Temples to gods are found throughout the

world.

tempo n. cadence, rhythm, beat, time, pulse, metre, measure; pace,

speed, rate: The melody should be played in waltz tempo. Living

in the country, Tom is unaccustomed to the tempo of big-city

life.

temporal adj. 1 earthly, terrestrial, terrene, mundane, worldly,

non-spiritual, non-clerical, lay, laic(al), secular,

non-religious, non-ecclesiastic(al), material, civil, profane,

fleshly, mortal: He believed that his temporal miseries would

be compensated for by an eternity in the seventh heaven. 2 See

temporary, below.

temporarily

adv. 1 for the time being, in the interim, pro tem, in or for

the meantime or the meanwhile, for now: Mr Peters is

temporarily out of the office, and will contact you on his

return. 2 briefly, fleetingly, for a (short or little) while or

time, for the moment: Your size is temporarily out of stock,

madam.

temporary adj. impermanent, makeshift, stopgap, stand-by, provisional;

pro tem, transitory, transient, fleeting, fugitive, passing,

ephemeral, temporal, evanescent, short-lived, momentary: I

suppose it will have to do as a temporary substitute.

tempt v. 1 attract, entice, lure, allure, draw (in), invite, lead on,

whet (one's) appetite, seduce, captivate, persuade, coax,

cajole: They had a special offer to tempt new customers. 2

lead, induce, persuade, prompt, move, incline, dispose: I would

be tempted to resign if they treated me that way. 3 provoke,

dare, (put to the) test: I shouldn't tempt Providence if I were

you.

temptation

n. 1 tempting, enticing, leading on, seducing, captivating,

persuading, coaxing, cajoling: The temptation by advertisers

never stops, does it? 2 enticement, seduction, captivation,

persuasion, allurement, invitation, attraction, draw, lure,

inducement, snare, Colloq pull, come-on: I could never resist a

temptation like that.

tempting adj. 1 seductive, enticing, inviting, alluring, captivating,

attractive, tantalizing, appealing, irresistible, titillating;

fetching, winsome, prepossessing, ravishing, voluptuous,

sensuous, Colloq sexy, US foxy: They made her a very tempting

offer which she found hard to refuse. He was continually

distracted by thoughts of tempting young girls. 2 appetizing,

mouth-watering, delicious, savoury, delectable, succulent,

luscious, toothsome: Why does food always look most tempting

when I am on a diet?

temptress n. seductress, vamp, siren, femme fatale, coquette, flirt,

enchantress, sorceress, Circe, Slang sexpot, man-eater, US foxy

lady, fox, mantrap: You warned me against that temptress

because you wanted her for yourself.

tenable adj. defensible, supportable, justifiable, maintainable,

workable, viable, defendable, plausible, reasonable, rational,

arguable, believable, credible, creditable, imaginable,

conceivable, possible: Copernicus showed that Ptolemaic

cosmology was no longer tenable.

tenacious adj. 1 persistent, dogged, unfaltering, pertinacious,

unswerving, determined, diligent, resolute, staunch, stalwart,

steadfast, strong, sturdy, unwavering, strong-willed,

strong-minded, unshaken, unshakeable or unshakable, obstinate,

intransigent, stubborn, adamant, obdurate, refractory,

immovable, inflexible, rigid, firm, unyielding, uncompromising:

Despite his age, Christopher maintains a tenacious grip on

reality. 2 cohesive, strong, tough; adhesive, sticky, clinging;

gummy, gluey, mucilaginous, glutinous, viscous, viscid: The

bricks are then smeared over with a tenacious mud, which dries

hard. 3 Often, tenacious of. clinging (to), grasping,

maintaining, keeping (up), staying with, retentive (of),

persisting or persistent (in), retaining: She is tenacious of

the old ways of doing things. 4 retentive, good: Aunt Agatha

has a very tenacious memory.

tenacity n. 1 tenaciousness, persistence, doggedness, perseverance,

pertinacity, determination, grit, diligence, resoluteness,

resolution, purposefulness, resolve, staunchness, steadfastness,

stamina, assiduity, sedulousness, strength, strong-mindedness,

unshakeability or unshakability, obstinacy, intransigence,

stubbornness, obduracy, inflexibility, rigidity, firmness,

uncompromisingness, Colloq US sand, stick-to-it-iveness: He

persisted with the tenacity of the English bulldog. 2

tenaciousness, cohesiveness, strength, power, toughness,

resilience; adhesiveness, stickiness, gumminess, glueyness,

mucilaginousness, glutinousness, viscousness, viscidity, US

cling: The texture of the surfaces affects the tenacity of the

bonding cement.

tenancy n. occupancy, occupation, possession, tenure: Our tenancy of

the house expires next month. The tenancy of this position is a

year.

tenant n. occupant, lessee, renter, leaseholder, occupier, resident,

inhabitant: We could not redecorate the premises while the

tenants were there.

tend° v. be inclined or disposed, be liable or apt or likely,

incline, lean, have or show or exhibit or demonstrate a

tendency, favour, verge, gravitate, be biased; be prone: The

judge might tend towards leniency in your case. I tend to agree.

Tree growth here tends towards the horizontal.

tendý v. care for, take care of, look after, look out for, watch

over, see to, keep an eye on, attend (to), wait on, cater to,

minister to, serve, nurse, nurture: Marie tended her father

lovingly throughout his long illness.

tendency n. inclination, bent, leaning, disposition, propensity,

predisposition, proclivity, predilection, susceptibility,

proneness, readiness, partiality, affinity, bias, drift,

direction, trend, movement: Brian has always had a tendency to

being overweight. The particles exhibit a tendency to align

themselves north and south.

tender° adj. 1 sensitive, delicate, fragile, frail, infirm, unstable,

shaky, weak, feeble, unwell, sickly, ailing, unsound: His

condition is still a bit too tender for him to go outside. 2

chewable, edible, eatable, soft: The steak will become more

tender if it is marinated. 3 young, youthful, immature,

juvenile, inexperienced, impressionable, vulnerable, green, new,

raw, undeveloped, untrained, uninitiated, callow: At his tender

age he could not have known about such things. 4 sensitive,

touchy, ticklish, dangerous, troublesome, provocative,

difficult, tricky: Please avoid mentioning the wedding, it's a

tender subject around here. 5 gentle, soft, delicate, light,

sensitive, soothing: Oh, how he yearned for her tender touch at

his fevered brow. 6 kind, kind-hearted, loving, affectionate,

fond, gentle, mild, compassionate, considerate, humane,

benevolent, sympathetic, feeling, thoughtful, soft-hearted,

warm, caring, merciful, solicitous, tender-hearted,

warm-hearted, good-natured: Wounded and helpless, he succumbed

to the tender care of the nurses. 7 touching, emotional,

moving, stirring, soul-stirring, heart-rending, heartfelt,

passionate, impassioned, impassionate, poignant, sentimental,

mawkish, maudlin: Who could forget the tender scene as Cedric

bade farewell to his mother and went off to war? 8 sore, raw,

painful, sensitive, inflamed; smarting, burning, hurting,

aching, agonizing: This spot, right here, is so tender that it

hurts just to think about it. 9 loving, affectionate, amatory,

amorous, adoring, romantic: They exchanged tender, knowing

looks.

tenderý v. 1 offer, proffer, present, propose, put forward, extend,

hold out, submit, advance, put up, set before: Donald tendered

his resignation yesterday. She has tendered the committee an

excellent proposal.

--n. 2 offer, bid, presentation, proposal, proposition: The

city is accepting tenders for the construction of a new bridge.

3 currency, money, specie, (bank) notes, cash, bills; payment,

compensation: Pound notes are no longer legal tender in England

and Wales.

tender° n. 1 dinghy, gig, skiff, launch, boat, row-boat or rowing-boat,

jolly-boat: The yacht moved easily through the water towing a

tender. 2 wagon, truck, vehicle: The tender of Felix's toy

train was filled with sweets for his birthday.

tenet n. belief, credo, creed, article of faith, ideology, precept,

conviction, principle, dogma, idea, opinion, position, view,

viewpoint, maxim, axiom, canon, teaching, doctrine: They accept

the Golden Rule as a fundamental tenet of their organization.

tenor n. drift, tone, spirit, essence, character, gist, bias, import,

substance, effect, significance, meaning, sense, connotation,

theme, thread, implication, inference, intent, purpose,

tendency, purport, direction: The general tenor of Mark's

letters was unfriendly.

tense adj. 1 taut, strained, stiff, under tension, rigid: One could

see how tense the muscles were under the skin. 2 intense,

nervous, anxious, under (a) strain, highly-strung, high-strung,

strained, on edge, wrought up, keyed up, worked up, taut, on

tenterhooks, apprehensive, distressed, upset, disturbed,

worried, edgy, on pins and needles, jumpy, fidgety, overwrought,

Colloq wound up, jittery, having a case of the jitters, Brit

strung up, US strung out, Slang uptight, US antsy: Try to relax

and not be so tense. 3 nervous, anxious, worrying, worrisome,

distressing, disturbing, stressful, nerve-racking or

nerve-wracking, fraught, disquieting: Those were tense moments

while we waited for the winner's name to be posted.

--v. 4 tighten, stretch, strain, tauten, tension: The mast

will be secure once the stays have been tensed.

tension n. 1 stress, tightness, tautness, strain, pull, traction,

pressure, tenseness, force: Can this cable withstand so much

tension? 2 nervousness, anxiety, anxiousness, strain, edginess,

apprehension, suspense, tautness, distress, upset, worry,

jumpiness, fidgetiness, Colloq jitteriness, (a case of) the

jitters: I could feel the tension building among the audience.

tentative adj. 1 experimental, speculative, exploratory, probative,

trial, provisional: We have tentative plans for introducing a

new work methodology. 2 unsure, hesitant, uncertain,

indecisive, cautious, timid, shy, diffident, uneasy,

apprehensive: The child gave him a tentative smile, not knowing

what to expect.

tenuous adj. 1 thin, slender, thin, fine, attenuated, delicate,

gossamer, diaphanous, fragile: The spider descended slowly on

its tenuous thread. 2 flimsy, insubstantial or unsubstantial,

paltry, weak, feeble, frail, meagre, vague, negligible,

insignificant, trifling, sketchy, hazy, nebulous, dubious,

doubtful, shaky: Your case rests on very tenuous evidence.

tenure n. 1 possession, holding, occupancy, incumbency, tenantry,

tenancy, occupation, residency, residence: The laws on tenure

are extremely complicated. 2 (job) security, permanence,

permanency: After five years he was automatically guaranteed

tenure.

tepid adj. 1 lukewarm, warmish: The gelatine should be tepid before

refrigerating it. 2 lukewarm, unenthusiastic, cool,

indifferent, apathetic, uninterested, unconcerned, nonchalant,

uncaring, neutral, blas‚: How can he remain tepid on an issue

like apartheid?

term n. 1 name, title, designation, appellation; word, expression,

locution, phrase: The term for that is venturi tube. Habeas

corpus is a term of art in law. 2 semester; time, period (of

time), interval, length of time, span (of time), duration,

spell, stretch, while: During the summer term we played cricket

every Saturday. He was sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.

3 sitting, stint, session, course; incumbency, administration:

During their latest term of office, interest rates were raised

twice. 4 Often, terms. condition(s), provision(s), article(s),

clause(s), proviso(s); stipulation(s), qualification(s),

assumption(s): According to the terms of the will, proceeds

from the patent go into a trust fund. 5 come to terms. agree,

come to or reach an agreement or an arrangement or an

understanding, reconcile, arrange, settle, compromise: Can we

come to terms on the price? He will simply have to come to terms

with his conscience. 6 in terms of. concerning, regarding, as

regards, with regard to, in relation to, relative to, relating

to, in the matter of: The psychiatrist offered little in terms

of direct solutions to my problems. 7 terms. a payment,

schedule, rates: What terms have they offered to settle the

debt? b standing, position, basis, relationship, relations,

footing: I always thought you two were on good terms.

--v. 8 call, name, label, designate, denominate, entitle,

title, style, dub; nickname: Abraham Lincoln was termed, among

other things, 'The Great Emancipator'.

terminal adj. 1 closing, concluding, terminating, ending, final,

ultimate, extreme; maximum, greatest: Spencer wrote that the

human being is at once the terminal problem of biology and the

initial factor of sociology. 2 deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal,

incurable: The cancer was diagnosed as terminal.

--n. 3 terminus, (terminal) station, end of the line, depot:

We arrived at the air terminal with five minutes to catch our

plane. 4 keyboard, monitor, position, station, VDU (= 'visual

display unit'), PC (= 'personal computer'), module, CRT (=

'cathode ray tube'), screen, (control) panel: The computer

system supported a terminal for each member of the team. 5

connection, wire, connector, coupler, coupling, conductor: Do I

attach the red cable to the positive or the negative terminal?

terminate v. stop, end, come to an end, finish; put an end to, cease,

conclude, discontinue, drop, abort, bring to an end or a close,

wind up or down, sign off, cut off: The railway line once

terminated at the port. They said they wanted to terminate the

contract.

termination

n. 1 end, ending, stop, stopping, stoppage, ceasing, cessation,

discontinuation, abortion, Colloq wind-up, winding up, close,

finish, finishing, conclusion: The rights revert to us at the

termination of the agreement. Because of her condition,

termination of the pregnancy was recommended. 2 suffix,

desinence, ending: The English termination -ly usually denotes

an adverb but is occasionally adjectival, as in sickly .

terminology

n. nomenclature, vocabulary, language, words, locutions,

wording, terms, phraseology, phrasing, jargon, shop-talk, argot,

cant, Colloq lingo: Medical terminology requires specialized

dictionaries.

terrain n. topography, landscape, ground, territory: These vehicles

are specially designed for rough terrain.

terrestrial

adj. 1 earthly, earthbound, worldly, terrene, tellurian or

telluric, global, sublunary, subastral; mundane: He insists

that we tackle our terrestrial problems before spending a

fortune on space travel.

--n. 2 earth-man, earth-woman, earth-person, earthling, mortal,

human: My experiences are beyond the imaginations of you mere

terrestrials.

terrible adj. 1 bad, serious, grave, severe, acute, distressing,

disagreeable, nasty, foul, unbearable, dreadful, loathsome,

hideous, vile, intolerable, awful, Colloq rotten, lousy,

beastly: I've had a terrible virus. 2 bad, remorseful,

regretful, rueful, sorry, contrite, ashamed,

conscience-stricken, guilty, distressed, dreadful, awful, Colloq

rotten, lousy, beastly: I felt terrible having to tell the

neighbours about their cat. 3 unhappy, unpleasant,

disagreeable, awful, miserable, joyless, wretched, unfortunate,

Colloq rotten, lousy, beastly: We spent an absolutely terrible

evening at the theatre. 4 gruesome, grisly, macabre, gory,

grotesque, brutal, savage, horrible, horrendous, terrifying,

terrific, harrowing, horrid, horrifying, ghastly, frightening,

frightful, unspeakable, monstrous, dread, terrible, appalling,

shocking, alarming, awful, foul: The casualties that were

arriving had the most terrible wounds. 5 disgusting, revolting,

nauseating, nauseous, offensive, vomit-provoking, obnoxious,

stomach-turning, stomach-churning, abominable, mephitic,

noisome, noxious, loathsome, horrible, hideous, terrific, awful,

evil, vile, rotten, awful: The compost heap was giving off the

most terrible stench. 6 terrifying, frightening, frightful,

fearsome, formidable, redoubtable, awesome, awe-inspiring,

terrific: The animal gave a terrible roar and charged into the

clearing.

terribly adv. very, extremely, exceedingly, thoroughly, decidedly,

unbelievably, incredibly, monumentally, outrageously, awfully,

fabulously, Colloq frightfully: They were terribly apologetic

about being late. I missed him terribly when he left.

terrific adj. 1 See terrible, 4, 5, 6, above. 2 wonderful, marvellous,

splendid, breathtaking, extraordinary, outstanding, magnificent,

exceptional, unbelievable, incredible, mind-boggling,

stupendous, superb, excellent, first-class, superior, Colloq

great, ace, fantastic, fabulous, sensational, smashing, super:

They really put on a terrific show.

terrify v. alarm, frighten, scare, terrorize, shock, make one's flesh

crawl or creep, horrify, make one's blood run cold, make one's

hair stand on end, stun, paralyse, petrify: Are you trying to

terrify the child with those horror stories?

terrifying

adj. alarming, frightening, scary, shocking, horrifying,

paralysing, petrifying: Being chased by a bull is a terrifying

experience.

territory n. 1 area, region, district, neighbourhood, zone, sector,

tract, land, precinct, quarter, vicinage, vicinity, purlieu:

Each one of these animals stakes out its own territory and

protects it. 2 area, bailiwick, domain, province, haunts, patch,

Colloq stamping-ground, US turf: Richard would be best advised

to stick to his own territory.

terror n. 1 fright, dread, fear, horror, panic, shock, alarm, anxiety,

dismay, consternation, intimidation, awe: They felt a sense of

terror when they caught sight of the enemy forces. 2 scourge,

demon, brute, monster, fiend, devil, US mad dog: The gang of

teenagers was the terror of the neighbourhood. Her daughter is a

little terror.

terrorist n. subversive, radical, insurgent, revolutionary, anarchist,

nihilist; bomber, arsonist, incendiary; desperado, gunman, thug,

felon, criminal: The shooting was carried out by a previously

unknown gang of terrorists.

terse adj. 1 concise, brief, short, compact, pithy, succinct,

summary, laconic, short and sweet, to the point, sententious,

crisp, epigrammatic, aphoristic; distilled, condensed,

compendious, abbreviated, abridged, shortened, concentrated: He

gave a terse account of what had happened. 2 abrupt, curt,

short, brusque, blunt, gruff, bluff, ungracious, petulant, tart,

rude: His answer was terse and unhelpful.

test n. 1 trial, examination, exam, proof, evaluation, assay, check,

check-up, investigation, study, analysis: My physics test is

tomorrow. Have you had a blood test lately?

--v. 2 try (out), check (up) (on), examine, evaluate, assess,

assay, prove, probe: Someone ought to test the water for

purity.

testify v. state, aver, assert, attest, swear, say, affirm, declare,

give evidence or testimony, bear witness, avow, vouchsafe,

proclaim, announce: He testified that he saw you there. Is your

mother going to testify at the trial? The fingerprints testify

to the fact that she was here.

testimonial

n. endorsement, certification, commendation, (letter of)

recommendation, reference, Colloq blurb: I am happy to write a

testimonial for you.

testimony n. evidence, attestation, affirmation, confirmation,

verification, authentication, corroboration, avowal, deposition,

statement, affidavit, declaration, assertion, claim, averral,

asseveration, information: We have only his testimony that the

woman caused the accident.

testy adj. irritable, bad-tempered, irascible, short-tempered,

petulant, touchy, tetchy, querulous, peevish, hot-tempered,

crusty, cross, grumpy, grouchy, bearish, crabby, crabbed,

fretful, captious, waspish, snappish, quarrelsome, fractious,

contentious, choleric, splenetic, ill-humoured, disagreeable,

ill-tempered, edgy, on edge, quick-tempered, crotchety,

cantankerous, US cranky, Colloq and US and Canadian dialect

ornery: The old colonel made a few testy remarks about the

boys' haircuts. Why make excuses for his being so testy?

tˆte-…-tˆte

n. 1 (cosy or personal) chat, dialogue, causerie, pillow talk,

private talk or word, parley, interview, Colloq confab, US

one-on-one: Will we have time for a brief tˆte-…-tˆte after

dinner?

--adv. 2 intimately, privately, in private, face to face,

confidentially, secretly, … deux, in secret, Colloq US

one-on-one: Could we meet tˆte-…-tˆte some time?

--adj. 3 intimate, private, intime, cosy: I arranged a little

tˆte-…-tˆte dinner at my flat.

tether n. 1 lead, leash, rope, cord, fetter, restraint, halter, tie,

chain: The dog had broken loose from its tether and was running

around in the yard.

--v. 2 tie (up or down), restraint, fetter, chain (up or down),

leash, manacle, secure, shackle, fasten, picket, stake: Why

don't you tether the goat where the grass is more plentiful?

text n. 1 wording, words, content, (subject-)matter; printed matter,

(main) body (text), contents: The editor had no right to make

changes in the text without consulting the author. The text is

in 10-point roman type, the footnotes in 8-point. 2 extract,

abstract, section, quotation, part, paragraph, passage, verse,

line: What text from the Scripture are we discussing next week?

3 subject(-matter), topic, theme, motif, issue, focus: For

today's talk I have chosen for my text the problem of

alcoholism. 4 textbook, school-book, reader, manual, primer,

workbook, exercise book, Archaic hornbook: Today's science

texts are much more advanced than those of twenty years ago.

texture n. feel, surface, character, grain, features, consistency,

weave; configuration, nature, structure, fabric, constitution,

substance: The material has a rough texture. The texture of the

plot is reinforced by the dialogue.

20.3 thank...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

thank v. 1 express or show (one's) gratitude or thanks or

appreciation, say thank you or thanks, give or offer or tender

thanks: Don't forget to thank your uncle for the gift, William.

2 blame, hold responsible, credit, acknowledge: You have your

mother to thank for the present state of affairs.

--n. 3 thanks. gratitude, appreciation, gratefulness,

acknowledgement, recognition, thanksgiving: I gave thanks that

I was again on dry land. 4 thanks to. owing to, because of, as

a result of, thanks be given to, in consequence of, as a

consequence of, by reason of, through, Sometimes non-standard

due to: Thanks to you, I have to commute to work by train.

thankful adj. grateful, appreciative, indebted, pleased, glad, obliged,

obligated, under obligation, beholden to: I am most thankful

that you came, doctor.

thankless adj. unappreciated, unacknowledged, useless, unrewarding,

fruitless, unprofitable, profitless, unrequited, vain, futile,

bootless: She always regarded housekeeping as a thankless task.

thaw v. 1 Sometimes, thaw out. melt, de-ice, liquefy, defrost, warm

(up), heat (up), unfreeze: We cannot leave till the river

thaws. Why not thaw out the shepherd's pie for dinner? 2 soften,

warm, become (more) cordial or friendly, relax, yield, relent,

bend, unbend, let (oneself) go: After he got to know some of us

better he began to thaw.

theatre n. 1 playhouse, (opera) house, (music-) hall, auditorium,

amphitheatre, theatre-in-the-round, coliseum, hippodrome, arena

(theatre): A long run in a West End or Broadway theatre is

every playwright's dream. 2 drama, stagecraft, dramaturgy,

melodrama, theatrics, histrionics, staginess, acting,

performing, performance: Even the way Mary serves dinner is

pure theatre. 3 the theatre. drama, the stage, dramaturgy,

dramatic or Thespian or histrionic art(s), the boards, show

business, Colloq showbiz: The theatre is a risky profession. 4

area, arena, scene, sphere or place or field of action, setting:

In which theatre of war did you serve?

theatrical

adj. 1 theatric, dramatic, stage, histrionic, Thespian;

repertory: He joined a theatrical company and his family

disowned him. 2 stagy, overdone, camp, campy, melodramatic,

overwrought, exaggerated, forced, overacted, overacting,

sensational, sensationalistic, fake, false, mannered, affected,

unnatural, artificial, showy, ostentatious, spectacular,

extravagant, Colloq phoney or US also phony, ham or hammy,

grandstand: Does Fergus's theatrical behaviour ever embarrass

you?

theft n. robbery, stealing, pilferage, pilfering, filching,

shoplifting, thievery, purloining, embezzlement, hijacking,

larceny, Colloq lifting, appropriation, pocketing, pinching,

swiping, snitching, Chiefly Brit nicking, US boosting, Slang

heist, knocking off, rip-off: The theft of the jewellery was

reported to the police immediately.

theme n. 1 subject(-matter), topic, idea, notion, concept, thesis,

text, thread, keynote, gist, core, substance, point, essence:

What is the central theme of your article? 2 essay, paper,

composition, review, article, story, piece, exposition, study,

exercise, monograph, tract, thesis, dissertation, disquisition,

treatise: I have to hand in two themes next week.

theorem n. 1 hypothesis, proposition, assumption, conjecture, thesis,

postulate: He has set forth a clever proof of the binomial

theorem. 2 statement, dictum, rule, deduction, formula, axiom,

principle: After a lifetime of experience, his theorem is that

honesty is the best policy.

theoretical

adj. 1 hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, untested,

unproved, unproven, moot, putative, debatable, supposititious,

suppositional: The theoretical trajectory will take it beyond

Uranus. 2 impractical, unrealistic, pure, ideal, abstract,

academic: The suggestion was purely theoretical, since we have

no means of carrying it out.

theorist n. theoretician, speculator, hypothecator, hypothesizer,

theorizer, philosopher, dreamer: Leave guesswork to the

theorists: we need hard facts.

theorize v. guess, hypothesize, conjecture, speculate: It is logically

illogical to theorize about articles of faith.

therapeutic

adj. therapeutical, healing, curative, remedial, restorative,

salutary, health-giving, healthy, beneficial, corrective,

salubrious, medical, medicinal: Primitive medicine men knew of

the therapeutic powers of these herbs.

therapist n. psychotherapist, psychologist, analyst, therapeutist,

psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, counsellor, advisor, Colloq shrink:

For some problems it is best to seek the advice of a trained

counsellor or therapist.

therapy n. 1 remedy, treatment, remedial programme; cure: As therapy,

he suggested I swim a mile every day. 2 psychotherapy,

psychoanalysis, analysis, group therapy: If it weren't for my

weekly therapy sessions, I'd never see anyone.

therefore adv. consequently, so, thus, as a result or consequence, hence,

ergo, for that reason, wherefore, accordingly, that being so or

the case: Demand for our products has fallen dramatically, and

we cannot therefore expect to make a profit this year.

thesaurus n. 1 treasury, treasure trove, storehouse, armoury, arsenal,

repository, cache: It is hoped that this book will be regarded

as a thesaurus of linguistic treasures. 2 synonym dictionary,

synonymy, dictionary, lexicon: He checked in his thesaurus for

a synonym of 'idea'.

thesis n. 1 argument, theory, proposition, point, contention, belief,

idea, premise or premiss, assumption, view, assertion, precept,

opinion, notion, theorem, axiom, postulate: Think how many

centuries it took man to come to grips with the thesis that all

men are created equal. 2 See theme, 2, above.

Thespian adj. 1 dramatic, theatrical or theatric, histrionic, acting,

performing; Colloq ham, hammy: His Thespian talents went

unnoticed until he appeared as an extra in a James Bond movie.

--n. 2 actor, actress, performer, trouper, player;

supernumerary; matin‚e idol, star; Colloq ham: For many years

she was one of the most beloved Thespians who ever trod the

boards.

thick adj. 1 broad, wide, solid, thickset, burly, ample, solid,

bulky, substantial, beamy: He sank his teeth into the thickest

sandwich I have ever seen. She is a bit thicker in the

mid-section than I had remembered, but a good ketch nonetheless.

2 Usually, thick with. dense, solid, compact, concentrated,

condensed, packed, close-packed, compressed, crowded, choked,

filled, full, deep, clotted, chock-full or choke-full or

chuck-full, chock-a-block, teeming, swarming, alive, bristling,

crawling, bursting, crammed, jammed, brimming, Colloq lousy

with: The gallery was thick with visitors. 3 compact,

condensed, compressed, choking, packed, impenetrable,

impassable, dense; pea-soup, soupy, murky, misty, foggy, smoggy,

smoky, opaque, obscure, obscuring, hazy: We plunged deeper into

the thick jungle. A thick fog blanketed the valley. 4 abundant,

plentiful, bushy, luxuriant: Her thick red hair tumbled down

over her shoulders. 5 dense, viscid, viscous, gelatinous,

mucilaginous, gluey, glutinous, ropy, coagulated, clotted,

congealed, jelled, jellied, inspissated, stiffish; stiff, firm,

rigid, solid: For a thicker sauce, use cornflour. 6

thickheaded, thick-witted, thick-skulled, dense, stupid, slow,

slow-witted, dull, dull-witted, stolid, obtuse, gormless,

boneheaded, fat-headed, pin-headed, wooden-headed, addle-pated,

halfwitted, block-headed, doltish, Boeotian, cretinous,

imbecilic, moronic, US thimble-witted; insensitive,

thick-skinned; Colloq dim-witted, Slang dopey: How could anyone

so thick have become an executive? 7 guttural, hoarse, throaty,

raspy, rasping, rough, husky, grating, gravelly, indistinct,

distorted, inarticulate; gruff, raucous: 'I need you,' he

moaned, his voice thick with emotion. 8 close, friendly, like

that, inseparable, devoted, hand in glove, on good terms, on the

best (of) terms, intimate, Colloq chummy, pally, (as) thick as

thieves, Brit matey, well in, US palsy-walsy: We were thick in

the old days, going everywhere together. 9 marked, pronounced,

strong, decided, obvious, typical: She speaks English with a

thick Polish accent.

--n. 10 core, heart, centre, middle, focus, midst: If it's a

fight, you can be sure that Timothy will be in the thick of it.

thicken v. coagulate, clot, congeal, jell, gel, set, solidify, stiffen,

harden, firm up, cake, incrassate, inspissate: Cornflour can be

used to thicken sauces.

thicket n. copse, brake, grove, covert, wood, Brit spinney: We

concealed our horses in the thicket and stole ahead on foot.

thick-skinned

n. insensitive, insensate, dull, obtuse, stolid, callous,

numb(ed), steeled, hardened, toughened, tough, unsusceptible,

inured, unfeeling, case-hardened, impervious, pachydermatous,

Colloq hard-boiled: You must be very thick-skinned not to

realize that they were getting at you.

thief n. 1 robber, burglar, cat burglar, housebreaker, picklock,

sneak-thief, safe-cracker, pilferer, shoplifter, purloiner;

embezzler, peculator; pickpocket, cutpurse, purse-snatcher,

mugger, highwayman, footpad, brigand, bandit, thug, dacoit,

ruffian, outlaw, desperado, hijacker, gunman, plunderer;

poacher; Technical kleptomaniac, Australian bush-ranger, US

road-agent, Colloq hold-up man, crook, US second-story or

second-storey man, bandito or bandido, Slang cracksman, box man,

dip, stick-up man: They caught the thief who took the

paintings. 2 cheat, swindler, confidence man, mountebank,

charlatan, sharper, trickster, flimflam artist or man,

thimblerigger, Colloq con man, con artist, shell-game artist, US

highbinder: That thief cheated them out of their savings. 3

pirate, (sea) rover, picaroon or pickaroon, corsair, freebooter,

buccaneer, marauder, filibuster, privateer: They might seem

romantic in retrospect, but at the time, pirates were no more

than common thieves.

thin adj. 1 slim, slender, lean, spare, slight, lanky, spindly,

skinny, thin as a rail or reed or rake, wispy, twiggy, skeletal,

gaunt, gangling, bony, emaciated, cadaverous, meagre, scrawny,

all skin and bones, scraggy, undernourished, underfed,

underweight, undersized, puny, sparse, hollow-cheeked,

(half-)starved, pinched, withered, shrunken, shrivelled (up):

Douglas is quite thin as a result of his illness. 2 sparse,

unsubstantial, poor, scant, insufficient, inadequate, slight,

worthless, unimportant, deficient, skimpy, unplentiful, paltry,

piddling: This year's harvest has been very thin. 3

attenuated, threadlike, stringlike, pencil-thin, fine; narrow:

Draw a thin line between the columns. Please slice the bread

thin. 4 flimsy, weak, feeble, slight, unsubstantial,

insubstantial, fragile, frail, poor, lame; unbelievable,

unconvincing: Harry gave some thin excuse for being late. 5

airy, filmy, diaphanous, gossamer, sheer, light, delicate,

chiffon, silky, silken, gauzy, translucent, see-through,

transparent: She had nothing but a thin negligee to protect her

from the cold. 6 watery, watered down, dilute(d), weak,

unsatisfying: My dinner, as usual, consisted of thin gruel and

a dry crust. 7 thin on the ground. rare, uncommon, scarce, few

(and far between), unusual, hard to come by or find, scant,

scanty: Good managers are thin on the ground.

--v. 8 Often, thin down. draw out, attenuate, reduce, trim, cut

down, prune; sharpen: At one end, thin the dowel to a point. 9

Often, thin down or out. dilute, water (down), decrease, reduce,

diminish: They always thin the wine with some water. The crowd

thinned out after a while.

thing n. 1 item, (inanimate) object, article, possession: They went

without leaving a thing behind. 2 item, subject, matter,

detail, feature, aspect, affair, constituent, element, factor,

point: There's one thing that I forgot to mention. It's a small

thing, but I like coffee with my breakfast. 3 fad, trend,

fashion: Let me show you the latest thing in sports cars. 4

feeling, reaction, attitude, sentiment, emotional attachment;

quirk, fixation, preoccupation, obsession; fetish or fetich,

id‚e fixe, affection, liking, partiality, predilection, fancy,

love, passion, mania; phobia, fear, terror, aversion, loathing,

horror, detestation, dislike, Colloq hang-up: A chocoholic has

a thing about chocolate. Pet snakes are not Patricia's thing.

Roger has a thing about going out in public. 5 device, item,

gadget, object, entity, mechanism, contrivance, apparatus,

instrument, utensil, Colloq dingus, doodad, whatchamacallit,

thingumajig, whosis, whatsis, thingummy, thingumabob, Chiefly US

and Canadian gismo or gizmo: Where's the thing that is supposed

to hold the flywheel in place? 6 chore, task, responsibility,

matter; act, action, deed, activity, proceeding: The first

thing I must do is to phone home. 7 opportunity, chance,

possibility: See me first thing tomorrow. 8 things. a

affairs, matters, business, concerns: I have to take care of

some things at the office today. b circumstances, events,

happenings: Things are rarely what they seem. c belongings,

luggage, baggage, impedimenta, possessions, paraphernalia,

effects, clothes, clothing, goods; equipment, tools, utensils,

implements, apparatus, Colloq gear, stuff, Slang Brit clobber,

US crap, junk, Taboo slang US shit: Take your things and leave

at once! The plumber left his things at the shop.

think v. 1 believe, imagine, expect, dream, fantasize, suppose: When

do you think that you will retire? 2 judge, reckon, consider,

deem, regard (as), characterize (as), believe, assume, mark:

They thought him a fool for making such a fuss. 3 contemplate,

cogitate (on or over or about), ruminate (over or about),

reflect (on), meditate (on or over or about), muse (on or over

or about), deliberate (on or over or about), think about or of

or over: He likes to sit in the bath and think. I need time to

think over your proposal. 4 Often, think of. recall, remember,

recollect, call to mind: I simply cannot think of the name of

that film we saw last week. 5 think of or about. a consider,

ponder, weigh, contemplate, muse over, have in mind, mull over,

entertain the idea or notion of, intend, have in mind, propose:

Do you ever think of retiring? b assess, evaluate, value,

judge: What do you think about their latest suggestion? 6

think up or of. devise, concoct, contrive, come up with, invent,

conceive (of), dream up, create, make up, improvise: Who thinks

up the plots for these dreadful TV series?

thinkable adj. conceivable, possible, imaginable, feasible, reasonable,

tenable, not unlikely, plausible, believable, credible: It is

hardly thinkable that they can be serious.

thinker n. sage, wise man, savant, Nestor, Solomon, pundit, mastermind,

philosopher, scholar, learned person, mentor, expert: She has

been looked on as one of the great thinkers of her time.

thinking adj. 1 rational, sensible, ratiocinative, intelligent,

reasoning, reasonable; meditative, contemplative, reflective,

philosophical, cogitative, pensive, thoughtful, intellectual:

Any thinking person would have done the same as you.

--n. 2 opinion, judgement, belief, thought, point of view,

viewpoint, assessment, evaluation, theory, reasoning,

conclusion, idea, philosophy, outlook: There is nothing either

good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Do you concur with the

current thinking on education?

thirst n. 1 craving, desire, appetite, hunger, eagerness, avidity,

ravenousness, voracity, voraciousness, lust, passion,

enthusiasm, fancy, hankering, longing, yearning, Colloq itch,

yen: It was the thirst for gold that drove them mad. She has an

insatiable thirst for knowledge.

--v. 2 Often, thirst for or after. crave, desire, hunger for or

after, lust for or after, fancy, hanker for or after, long for,

yearn for, wish for: These men are thirsting for power.

thirsty adj. 1 parched, dry, dehydrated; arid: I need another drink -

I'm really thirsty. The thirsty land welcomes the rain. 2

desirous, hungry, avid, eager, ravenous, voracious, burning,

greedy, avaricious, hankering, yearning, craving, Colloq

itching: The students are thirsty for knowledge and very

hard-working.

thorn n. 1 barb, spine, spike, prickle, bristle, brier, bur or burr,

point, bramble, cocklebur: My sleeve caught on the thorn and

tore. 2 Often, thorn in (one's) side. bother, irritation,

annoyance, nuisance, vexation, torment, torture, scourge,

plague, affliction, irritant, bane, Colloq pain in the neck,

Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass: His nagging

brother has been a thorn in his side for years.

thorny adj. 1 prickly, barbed, spiny, spiked, brambly, spinous,

Technical spinose, acanthoid, spiculose, spiculate, spinulose,

aciculate, muricate, barbellate, setigerous, setaceous,

setiferous, setose: The insect's feet have tiny thorny

projections. 2 difficult, hard, tough, prickly, nettlesome,

painful, ticklish, delicate, intricate, critical, complex,

complicated, problematic, vexatious, knotty, tangled, involved,

troublesome, controversial, nasty, worrying, Colloq sticky,

Slang hairy: Many thorny questions have vexed us throughout the

ages.

thorough adj. 1 thoroughgoing, complete, downright, perfect,

through-and-through, total, unmitigated, undiluted, unmixed,

unalloyed, out-and-out, unqualified, sheer, utter, arrant,

absolute, proper: I have rarely encountered such thorough

stupidity. 2 exhaustive, extensive, painstaking, meticulous,

assiduous, careful, scrupulous, particular, conscientious,

methodical: Police conducted a thorough search but found

nothing. 3 extensive, exhaustive, detailed, in-depth,

comprehensive, full, complete, all-inclusive, total,

all-embracing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, universal, A-to-Z,

Colloq all-out: We need someone who has a thorough knowledge of

the terrain.

thoroughly

adv. 1 completely, downright, perfectly, totally,

unqualifiedly, utterly, absolutely, entirely, extremely,

unreservedly, wholly, fully, positively, definitely, quite: He

is thoroughly stupid, as we all know. 2 carefully,

painstakingly, exhaustively, extensively, assiduously,

sedulously, methodically, conscientiously, scrupulously,

meticulously, intensively, comprehensively, completely,

throughout, from top to bottom, from stem to stern, backwards

and forwards, in every nook and cranny: Police searched

thoroughly again, but could still find no murder weapon.

though conj. 1 although, even though, while, in spite of or despite

the fact that, notwithstanding that, albeit, granted, granting

or conceding that, allowing or admitting that, even if,

supposing: Though it is the right size, I hate the colour.

--adv. 2 however, nonetheless, nevertheless, yet, but, still,

even so, be that as it may, all the same, notwithstanding, for

all that: She lost the original; I kept a copy though.

thought n. 1 thinking, reflection, reflecting, meditation, meditating,

contemplation, contemplating, cogitation, cogitating, musing,

pondering, rumination, ruminating, brooding, mental activity,

mentation, brown study; brainwork, cerebration, deliberation,

deliberating, consideration, considering: She was deep in

thought. The solution may require considerable thought. 2 idea,

notion, brainstorm, observation: I have a thought that I'd like

to share with you. 3 consideration, contemplation, planning,

plan, scheme, design, intention, expectation, hope, prospect,

anticipation, dream, vision: Any thought of taking a few days

off had to be abandoned. 4 thoughtfulness, consideration,

kindliness, kind-heartedness, concern, compassion, tenderness,

kindness, sympathy, attentiveness, regard, solicitude: I don't

need any help, but I appreciate the thought. 5 Often, thoughts.

recollection(s), memory or memories, remembrance(s),

reminiscence(s): Now and then he comforted himself with

thoughts of his happy childhood. 6 intellect, intelligence,

reasoning, rationality, ratiocination, reason: Some believe

that only humans are capable of thought. 7 bit, trifle, touch,

small amount, trace, soup‡on, little, tinge: This champagne is

a thought too sweet.

thoughtful

adj. 1 considerate, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, compassionate,

tender, sympathetic, attentive, solicitous, helpful, charitable:

Wasn't it thoughtful of Simon to offer his help? 2

contemplative, pensive, reflective, musing, in a brown study,

pondering, meditative, engrossed, introspective, rapt, wistful,

brooding, wool-gathering, day-dreaming: Every time I mentioned

Clarissa, he would become thoughtful. 3 prudent, wary,

cautious, mindful, heedful, thinking, attentive, circumspect,

careful, caring: The crew are ever thoughtful of the

passengers' safety.

thoughtless

adj. 1 inconsiderate, rude, impolite, insensitive, tactless,

undiplomatic, untactful, unthinking: It was thoughtless of you

to mention her son, who is serving time for possession of drugs.

2 rash, imprudent, negligent, foolish, stupid, careless,

neglectful, reckless, silly, unthinking, unreflective,

absent-minded, forgetful, remiss, ill-considered, heedless,

inadvertent, inattentive: How thoughtless of me to forget your

birthday!

thrashing n. 1 beating, drubbing, whipping, flogging, assault, caning,

belting, mauling, lashing, trouncing, basting, battering,

pounding, Colloq hiding, tanning, lambasting, hammering,

pasting: Every time he stepped into the ring he got a

thrashing. 2 punishment, chastisement, disciplining,

discipline, castigation: He dreaded the thrashing his father

administered at any sign of disobedience.

thread n. 1 fibre, filament, strand, (piece of) yarn; string, line,

cord, twine: Threads from his jacket were found clutched in the

victim's hand. The glass is spun out into fine threads. 2

theme, plot, story-line, subject, motif, thesis, course, drift,

direction, tenor, train (of thought), sequence or train or chain

of events: It is difficult to follow the thread of the story

when it has so many digressions.

--v. 3 string: Carefully thread the beads onto the wire. 4

file, wind, pass, squeeze (through), pick or make (one's) way

(through), inch, ease: He threaded his way through the crowd to

reach the dais.

threadbare

adj. 1 frayed, worn (out), worn to a frazzle, ragged,

moth-eaten, tattered, tatty, scruffy, shabby, seedy, torn,

wretched, sorry, slovenly: My old winter coat is looking a bit

threadbare. 2 trite, hackneyed, overused, overworked, reworked,

stale, tired, stereotyped, commonplace, clich‚d, clich‚-ridden,

banal, prosaic, dull, monotonous, tedious, tiresome, boring,

played out, Colloq old hat: You'll never make it as a comedian

by relying on that threadbare material of yours.

threat n. 1 intimidation, menace, commination, warning, peril, risk,

danger, Damoclean sword: It is not honesty but the threat of

punishment that deters many from crime. 2 omen, presage,

portent, foreboding, forewarning, intimation: The villagers

lived under a constant threat from the smoking volcano.

threaten v. 1 intimidate, menace, terrorize, daunt, cow, bully,

browbeat, warn, caution: The headmaster threatened those who

misbehaved with the most dire punishment. 2 imperil, put at

risk, endanger, jeopardize, put in jeopardy: All life is

threatened if the environment is not better looked after. 3

impend, loom; augur, portend, presage, forebode: The creatures

crawl into their burrows if danger threatens. The gathering

clouds threatened rain.

threatening

adj. ominous, menacing, portentous, sinister, looming,

inauspicious, minatory, minacious, comminatory, intimidating,

foreboding, imminent, impending: Threatening storm clouds began

to build in the western sky.

threshold n. 1 sill, door-sill, doorstep; doorway, entrance: He stood at

the threshold and peered into the room. 2 brink, verge, edge,

beginning, commencement, outset, start, dawn: The emigrants

were at the threshold of a new life.

thrift n. economy, husbandry, care, carefulness, prudence, parsimony,

frugality, thriftiness, sparingness, scrimping, skimping;

penuriousness, close-fistedness, tight-fistedness,

niggardliness, stinginess, miserliness: Only through our thrift

were we able to save enough for a new car.

thrifty adj. economical, careful, prudent, parsimonious, frugal,

sparing, scrimping, skimping; penurious, close-fisted,

tight-fisted, niggardly, stingy, miserly, penny-pinching, cheap:

He talked about the need to save money and be thrifty in every

way.

thrill n. 1 excitement, titillation, frisson, tingle, tingling

(sensation), stimulation, Colloq kick, bang, charge, buzz:

Victor feels a tremendous thrill when his daughter wins a tennis

match. 2 tremor, quiver, quivering, shudder, shuddering,

tremble, trembling, flutter, throb, throbbing, tremor,

pulsation, vibration: The only warning was a slight thrill in

the earth just before the main quake.

--v. 3 excite, stimulate, animate, electrify, galvanize,

enliven, stir, titillate, touch, strike, move, impassion,

arouse, Slang send, give (someone) a kick: They were thrilled

to discover that they had won an award.

thrilling adj. exciting, stimulating, animating, electrifying,

galvanizing, enlivening, stirring, titillating, striking,

moving, arousing, rousing, gripping, sensational, riveting,

spine-tingling, soul-stirring: Last year's Cup Final was a

thrilling match, with most sides playing their hearts out. I

have never had such thrilling rides at the fun fair.

thrive v. succeed, prosper, boom, advance, flourish, grow, bloom,

burgeon, develop, wax, increase, fructify, ripen: They thrived

in the invigorating mountain air.

throe n. Usually, throes. pang, anguish, struggle, chaos, turmoil,

tumult, paroxysm, spasm, fit, seizure, convulsion, Technical

ictus: She was in the throes of despair at the dreadful news

from home.

throng n. 1 horde, crowd, host, assemblage, assembly, gathering, mass,

crush, jam, multitude, congregation, press, swarm, herd, flock,

bevy, drove: Throngs of people packed the shopping mall on

Saturday.

--v. 2 crowd (into), fill, pack (into), cram (into), crush

(into), jam (into), press (into), swarm (into), herd (into),

flock (into or to); assemble (in or at), gather (in or at), mass

(in or at), congregate (in or at): Thousands thronged the

stadium to watch the tennis matches.

through prep. 1 because of, on account of, owing to, as a consequence

or result of, by virtue of, via, be means of, by way of, with

the aid or help of, under the aegis or auspices of, Sometimes

non-standard due to: It was through his good graces that I got

the appointment. 2 during, throughout, in the course or middle

of: The dog barked all through the night. 3 inclusive of,

including: When I say 'the third through the sixth' I mean

'including the sixth'. 4 to; into: I went through a lot of

trouble to find this book.

--adj. 5 Often, through with. done (with), finished (with); at

the end of one's tether (with), washing (one's) hands (of): Let

me know when you are through. How many times has she sworn she

was through with him forever?

--adv. 6 by, past: I am just passing through. 7 entirely,

through and through, completely, thoroughly, totally, wholly,

utterly, fully, to the core, from head to foot or toe, from top

to bottom, from stem to stern, from one end to the other, in

every way, in all respects: By the time I got home, I was

soaked through.

throughout

prep. 1 during, all (the way) through, from the beginning to

the end of: We worked throughout the day and night. Throughout

his life he felt the need for constant support. 2 everywhere in,

all over, in every part of, in every nook and cranny of, from

one end to the other of: I searched throughout the house for my

keys.

--adv. 3 all (the way) through, everywhere, from one end to the

other, wholly, entirely, completely, fully: They were busy

tidying the house throughout before his mother came to stay.

throw v. 1 toss, cast, hurl, fling, sling, pitch, dash, propel,

project, shy, bowl, send, launch, Colloq chuck: He threw the

ball to the batter with all his might. 2 cast, shed, project:

I was hoping you might throw some light on the subject. Coming

events throw their shadow before them. 3 throw or bring down,

floor, fell, knock down or over, overthrow, upset, overturn: He

threw the vase on the floor. 4 dismay, confound, confuse,

dumbfound or dumfound, baffle, disconcert, unnerve, throw off or

out, unsettle, put off, put (someone) off his or her or their

stride or pace or stroke, Colloq discombobulate: Her frank

questions about my private life really threw me. 5 throw away.

a discard, cast off, dispose of, jettison, get rid of, scrap,

throw out, dispense with, Colloq dump, trash, chuck out, Slang

ditch: He is a hoarder, refusing to throw anything away. b

waste, squander, lose, forgo, fritter away, fail to exploit or

take advantage of, Slang blow: He threw away his last chance

for a decent life when he left her. 6 throw off. a eject,

expel, emit, throw up or out: The volcano throws off rocks

every so often. b shake off, rid or free (oneself) of, get rid

of, reject, renounce, repudiate: He finally managed to throw

off his mother's pernicious influence. c deceive, mislead,

decoy, misguide, misdirect, distract, divert, bewilder,

confound, confuse, Colloq flummox, bamboozle: He doubled back

to throw the dogs off. d See 4, above. 7 throw out. a

radiate, emit, send forth, give out or off, diffuse, put out or

forth, disseminate: The substance throws out a greenish light.

b expel, eject, force out, evict, Colloq Brit turf out, Slang

bounce: Henry was thrown out of the pub for rowdy behaviour. c

See 5 (a), above. d See 6 (a), above. 8 throw over. jilt,

leave, abandon, desert, forsake, break or split up with, Colloq

walk out on, chuck, drop: She was heartbroken when he threw her

over and married her sister. 9 throw up. a vomit, spit up,

puke, spew up, be sick; regurgitate, disgorge, Colloq heave

(up): He felt as if he was going to throw up. b abandon, quit,

leave, throw over, give up, relinquish, resign, renounce, Colloq

chuck: He threw up a perfectly good job to go and live on a

boat. c reveal, bring out or up, bring to the surface or the

top, bring forward or forth, bring to light or to notice: Their

treachery was thrown up in high relief by the events that

followed. d throw or slap or knock together, jerry-build: The

house was thrown up overnight - and it looks like it. e See 6

(a), above.

thrust v. 1 push, shove, drive, force, impel, ram, jam, butt, propel,

prod, urge, press; shoulder, jostle, elbow: A stranger thrust

this note into my hand. She thrust her way through the crowd. 2

stab, plunge, stick, jab, poke; lunge: He thrust the dagger

into the man's back. She thrust at me with an ice pick. 3

Usually, thrust upon. press (upon or on), impose (upon or on),

force (upon or on), urge (upon or on): They were willing to

help, but rather thought the problem had been thrust upon them.

--n. 4 shove, push, drive, lunge, poke, prod, stab: He

depended on his agility to avoid the thrusts of the rapier. 5

propulsion, force, power, energy: The thrust of the photon

engines drives the space ship at nearly the speed of light.

thud n. clunk, thump, whomp, wham, clonk, bump: His head hit the

wall with a thud.

thug n. hooligan, gangster, desperado, gunman, terrorist, hoodlum,

robber, assassin, murderer, killer, cutthroat, ruffian, Mafioso,

(In Paris) apache, tough, mugger, Technical p'hansigar, Brit

rough, Slang tough, hood, crook, hit man, heavy, US goon,

Australian larrikin: Some thugs roughed him up and took his

wallet.

thumb n. 1 Technical pollex. 2 all thumbs. awkward, clumsy,

maladroit, Colloq butter-fingered, ham-fisted, cack-handed: I

am all thumbs when it comes to threading needles. 3 give

(something) the thumbs down or turn thumbs down (on). disapprove

(of), reject, rebuff, turn down: We turned thumbs down to the

idea of a picnic. 4 turn or give thumbs up (to). approve (of),

accept, welcome, Colloq OK or okay: The boss gave thumbs up to

our request for a Christmas party. 5 under (one's) thumb. under

(one's) control, wrapped (a)round (one's) little finger, in the

palm of (one's) hand, eating out of (one's hand), at (one's)

beck and call: She has the directors under her thumb.

--v. 6 hitchhike, Colloq hitch, US hook a ride: They thumbed

their way across the country. 7 Often, thumb through. leaf

(through), flick or flip (through), riffle (through), skim

(through), browse (through): I was thumbing through City Life

and came across your picture, Bernard! 8 thumb (one's) nose at.

scoff at, deride, jeer at, mock, dismiss, scorn, flout, be

contemptuous of, show contempt for, exhibit defiance for, be

defiant of, contemn, Brit cock a snook at: He has thumbed his

nose at authority all his life.

thumbnail adj. rough, undetailed, cursory, sketchy, superficial; brief,

short, quick; compact, concise, pithy, succinct: His poetry is

a chilling, thumbnail sketch of the way we live now.

thumping adj. 1 great, huge, colossal, stupendous, gigantic, enormous,

immense, monumental, massive, titanic, elephantine, behemoth,

gargantuan, mammoth, jumbo, Colloq whopping, thundering,

walloping: That is the biggest thumping beach ball I have ever

seen! That was a thumping lie. 2 complete, utter, unmitigated,

24-carat, perfect: Anyone who would turn down a salary increase

must be a thumping idiot.

thunder n. 1 roll, reverberation, boom, booming, roar, roaring,

pealing, rumble, rumbling; crash, crashing, crack, cracking,

explosion, blast: We were deafened by the thunder of the tanks

crossing the bridge above us.

--v. 2 roll, reverberate, boom, roar, rumble, resound; explode,

crash, crack, blast: The noise of the jets thundered through

the valley. 3 shout, yell, scream, bellow, bark, roar;

denounce, fulminate against, swear (at), rail (at), curse (at),

execrate; threaten, intimidate, menace: 'Fee, fie, foe, fum!'

thundered the giant. No secretary will tolerate his thundering

at her.

thunderous

adj. roaring, booming, thundering, tumultuous, noisy, loud,

ear-splitting, deafening: They took curtain calls to thunderous

applause.

thunderstruck

adj. dumbfounded or dumfounded, astonished, astounded,

awestruck, awed, speechless, struck dumb, amazed, taken aback,

staggered, stunned, shocked, dazed, numb, paralysed, aghast,

open-mouthed, nonplussed, Colloq flabbergasted, floored, bowled

over, Brit knocked for six: We were thunderstruck to learn that

our team had been disqualified.

thus adv. 1 so, in this manner or way or fashion or wise, as

follows, Non-Standard thusly: On receipt of the payment, I

wrote thus to him. 2 therefore, ergo, consequently, as a

consequence, as a result, accordingly, (and) so, then, for this

or that reason, hence, in which case or event, that being the

case, that being so: He has already decided; thus, your efforts

to persuade him are useless.

thwart v. 1 frustrate, impede, check, stymie, baffle, stop, foil,

stump, hinder, obstruct, balk, block, oppose, negate, nullify,

Colloq short-circuit: They have thwarted all our efforts to

become friendly.

--n. 2 brace, cross-brace; (rowing-)seat, bench: These canoes

are fitted with two thwarts.

20.4 tickle...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

tickle v. titillate, delight, please, gratify, amuse, entertain,

divert, captivate, thrill, tickle pink or to death: The show we

saw last night really tickled my fancy. She was tickled to

receive the flowers.

ticklish adj. 1 uncertain, unsteady, unsure, unstable, unsettled,

fickle, touch-and-go, touchy: Power that relies on the sword

has a ticklish basis. 2 delicate, precarious, risky, hazardous,

dangerous, critical, thorny, fragile, awkward: As the canoe

drifted towards the waterfall, we found ourselves in a very

ticklish predicament. 3 delicate, sensitive, hypersensitive,

difficult, touchy, prickly: Cornelia is a bit ticklish on the

subject of her holiday plans.

tidy adj. 1 neat, orderly, trim, shipshape, spruce, spick and span,

clean, well-kept, well-groomed: Change your clothes and come

back when you're tidy. 2 well-organized, organized,

well-ordered, methodical, systematic, trim: They refused to

clean his office till he had made it tidy. 3 respectable,

sizeable, significant, considerable, substantial, good, goodly,

good-sized, ample, large, big, fair, generous, not

insignificant; Colloq not to be sneezed at: They settled a tidy

sum on their daughter when she was married.

--v. 4 Often, tidy up. neaten (up), straighten (out or up),

clean (up), put in order, Colloq fix (up), spruce up, organize,

reorganize, arrange, rearrange: You can't watch television

until you've tidied up your room. Please tidy up the files by

the end of the week.

tie v. 1 bind, fasten, make fast, tie up, lash, secure, truss,

attach, tether, rope, chain, moor; connect, join, knot, link,

couple, splice, unite: He keeps a vicious dog tied to a stake

in his garden. Tie the ends of the rope together. 2 bind, truss

(up), tie up, lash, pinion, restrict, confine, restrain; limit,

tie down, curtail, curb, cramp, hamper, hinder: His hands are

tied behind his back. According to the terms of the agreement,

my hands are tied and I can do nothing. 3 connect, associate,

unite, join, link, bind (up), affiliate, ally, league, team

(up): Our business interests are tied to those of the major

banks. 4 equal, even, be equal or even (with), match, be neck

and neck (with): We tied them for first place. Yesterday, we

were tied for second. 5 tie down. a clinch, secure, confirm,

Colloq nail down: I tied down the PBT contract this morning. b

restrict, restrain, constrain, confine, curtail: He won't marry

because he doesn't want to feel tied down. 6 tie in. a be

consistent, make sense, correspond, coincide, fit (in), be

logical, coordinate: His alibi ties in with the witness's

testimony. b relate, connect, link, associate, coordinate:

They cleverly tie in concern for the environment with their

product. 7 tie up. a occupy, engage, (keep) busy: This affair

will tie me up till Tuesday. b use, take up, encroach on,

impose on: I won't tie up your time any longer. c stop, halt,

bring to a standstill: The traffic was tied up for hours. d

commit, oblige, obligate, bind: We have tied up all their

output for a year. e See 1, above. f See 2, above.

--n. 8 link, fastening, bond, band, connection, tie-up,

relationship, affiliation, liaison, involvement, entanglement:

Isn't there some tie between those two companies? 9 string,

cord, lace, rope, thong, ribbon, band, ligature, shoelace, line,

leash, stop: The tie of her dressing-gown came loose. 10

equality, dead heat, deadlock, draw, stalemate: When there is a

tie, the game ought to go into 'sudden death' overtime. 11

cravat, US necktie: Please put on a tie for dinner. 12 railway

tie, sleeper: Ties in Europe are now made of concrete.

tie-in n. tie-up, relationship, relation, association, connection,

link, linkage: They say that there is a tie-in between smoking

and lung cancer.

tier n. row, line, level, order, range, course, series, stratum,

layer, echelon, file, rank, storey: The trireme is said to have

had three tiers of oarsmen.

tie-up n. 1 US and Canadian slow-down, slow-up, entanglement,

stoppage, jam, log-jam, traffic jam, delay, congestion: The

tie-up was caused by fog on the highway. 2 See tie-in, above.

tiff n. (petty) quarrel, disagreement, misunderstanding, dispute,

argument, difference (of opinion), squabble, bicker, row,

wrangle, US spat: Clare and Geoff have had their first tiff.

tiffin n. luncheon, lunch, light repast, snack: The new arrivals were

to join us for tiffin.

tight adj. 1 secure, firm, fast, fixed, secured, close-fitting, snug,

sealed, hermetically sealed, leak-proof, hermetic, impervious,

impenetrable, impermeable, airtight, watertight, waterproof,:

Make sure that the lid is tight. 2 taut, stretched, tense,

constricting, (too) small, ill-fitting: She was wearing a very

tight dress. 3 strict, binding, restrictive, stringent, severe,

tough, uncompromising, unyielding, rigorous, stern, austere,

autocratic, harsh, hard and fast, inflexible: You can't get

away with anything under such tight regulations. I have a tight

schedule next week. 4 Chiefly nautical taut, (well-)disciplined,

orderly, neat, well-organized, trim, tidy, smart: He runs a

tight ship. 5 stingy, niggardly, mean, penurious, miserly,

parsimonious, penny-pinching, tight-fisted, close-fisted, Colloq

Brit mingy: Glenn is much too tight to buy anyone a drink. 6

close, (almost) even, (highly) competitive, neck and neck,

evenly matched: It is going to be a tight race. 7 difficult,

trying, dangerous, perilous, risky, hazardous, touchy,

problematic, sticky, tricky, ticklish, precarious, touch-and-go:

The strike has created a tight situation at the office. 8

tipsy, drunk, intoxicated, Colloq high, woozy, under the

influence, Brit tiddly: When I saw her, she was too tight to

drive. 9 scarce, scanty, hard to find or come by, rare; dear,

expensive: Entrepreneurs have found investment money to be

pretty tight this year.

--adv. 10 tightly, securely, firmly; closely: Keep this door

closed tight. Hold me tight. Her hands were clasped tight in

prayer. 11 compactly, densely, solidly, firmly, closely: We

were packed so tight in the bus that no one could move.

tighten v. 1 Sometimes, tighten down or up. anchor, fasten, fix, tense,

secure: Tighten those last two screws and you're finished. 2

make tighter or tenser or stronger, strengthen: He tightened

his grip on my hand. 3 Sometimes, tighten up. make more

rigorous or strict or stringent or severe or restrictive, close

gaps in: We ought to tighten security at the warehouse. 4

Sometimes, tighten up. tauten, stiffen, tense, close: I felt

the noose begin to tighten round my neck.

tight-lipped

adj. close-mouthed, silent, quiet, mum, mute, close-lipped,

noncommittal, reticent, secretive, taciturn, unforthcoming,

uncommunicative, reserved: He remained tight-lipped about his

activities during the war.

tightly adv. closely, tensely, vigorously, rigorously: It was a

tightly fought race.

tights n.pl. US and Canadian and New Zealand panty hose, Australian

and US also pantihose: It was much too hot to wear tights.

till° v. plough or US also plow, cultivate, farm, work, dig, hoe,

harrow, manure, Literary delve: My family has tilled this land

for seven generations.

tillý n. money or cash-drawer, cash-box or register: He insists that

the money was in the till when he left last night.

tilt v. 1 lean, slant, incline, slope, angle, tip, heel over, pitch,

list, cant: She caught the lamp just as the table tilted. 2

tilt at. joust with, compete with, battle against, contend with,

spar with, cross swords with, attack: In tilting at the media,

he has chosen some formidable opponents.

--n. 3 lean, slant, incline, slope, angle, tip, heel, list,

pitch, cant, inclination: The wall is at a perilous tilt and

could easily fall. 4 joust, tourney, tournament, meeting,

tilting, engagement, encounter, match, contest, test, trial,

fight, combat; dispute, argument, difference, quarrel,

altercation, squabble, tiff, US spat, Colloq set-to: I have

enjoyed the various tilts I have had with the editor over the

years.

timber n. 1 trees, forest, woodland: The standing timber has been

seriously depleted in Brazil. 2 wood, beams, boards, planks, US

and Canadian lumber: The timber for our new house arrived

today. 3 material, potential, stuff, character, quality,

talent, prospect: Agatha seems to be good management timber.

timbre n. tone (colour or quality), tonality, colour, resonance:

Kurt's voice has a rich, full timbre.

time n. 1 period, interval, stretch, spell, patch: I was going

through a bad time when we last met. 2 period, interval,

stretch, while, span, space, term, duration: It is a long time

since I have seen you. In the time I took to write this, she had

vanished. 3 hour; point, moment: What time is it? At what time

is our appointment? 4 age, period, epoch, era, lifetime,

heyday, day(s): The novel is set in the time of the Caesars. 5

opportunity, chance, occasion: You must make time to visit your

mother. 6 experience: I had a wonderful time at your party. 7

tempo, beat, rhythm, metre, measure: They are playing 'Teddy

Bears' Picnic' in march time. 8 ease, leisure; convenience:

He'll be there in his own time. 9 Often, times. life, things,

circumstance, conditions, everything, culture, mores, habits,

values: How times have changed since we were young! 10 ahead

of time. (bright and) early, prematurely, beforehand, in good

time: He arrived ahead of time and had to wait. 11 all the

time. always, ever, constantly, continuously, continually,

perpetually, at all times, without surcease, unceasingly:

Mother is after me all the time to do my homework. 12 at one

time. a once, once upon a time, on one occasion, previously, in

days of yore, formerly, heretofore, in the (good) old days: At

one time you thought me beautiful. b simultaneously, (all) at

once, at the same time, together, all together, in unison: The

car can only carry five people at one time. 13 at the same

time. a all the same, nonetheless, yet, even so, but, however,

be that as it may, nevertheless, notwithstanding, just the same:

I love her; at the same time, I cannot live with her. b See 12

(b), above. 14 at times. from time to time, occasionally,

(every) now and then, once in a while, on occasion, every so

often, at intervals, sometimes, Colloq every so often: At

times, Ingrid would come over and cook dinner for me. 15 behind

the times. old-fashioned, outdated, dated, outmoded, antiquated,

pass‚, obsolescent, obsolete, Colloq old hat, dead: Isn't 'The

Lambeth Walk' a bit behind the times? 16 for the time being.

for now, for the present, for the moment, meanwhile,

temporarily, pro tempore, pro tem, Archaic for the nonce: He

has been appointed chairman for the time being. 17 in no time.

at once, forthwith, straightaway, immediately, quickly,

speedily, without delay, swiftly: The pizza we ordered was

delivered in no time. 18 in time. a in timely fashion, early,

in good time, in the nick of time: The doctor arrived in time

to save the baby. b soon, one of these days, sometime, someday,

one day, eventually, sooner or later, anon: In time, people

might be living on the moon. 19 on time. a punctually, on the

dot, in good time: He is never on time for his appointments. b

in instalments, on terms, on account, on credit, Colloq Brit on

the never-never, on hire purchase or h.p.: We bought the car on

time. 20 take (one's) time. dawdle, dilly-dally, shilly-shally,

delay, linger, loiter: He's certainly taking his time with his

report. 21 time and again. again (and again), repeatedly, (over

and) over again, time and time again, time after time,

frequently, often, many times, on many occasions: Time and

again I warned him he'd get a ticket if he parked there.

--v. 22 schedule, set, regulate, control: The trains are timed

to arrive five minutes apart. 23 schedule, set, organize,

adjust, fix: She timed her entrance to coincide exactly with

the crash of the cymbals.

time-honoured

adj. established, traditional, habitual, customary, rooted,

conventional, age-old, set, fixed; venerable, venerated,

respected, revered, honoured: We observed the time-honoured

custom of kissing the Blarney Stone.

timeless adj. eternal, everlasting, immortal, undying, endless,

unending, ceaseless, abiding, deathless, ageless, changeless,

unchanged, immutable, unchanging, permanent, indestructible: He

was enraptured by the timeless beauty of the heavens.

timely adj. punctual, prompt, well-timed, propitious, opportune,

convenient, favourable, auspicious: We welcomed the timely

arrival of our rescuers.

time-serving

adj. self-seeking, self-serving, selfish, self-indulgent,

ambitious, mercenary, venal, greedy, profit-oriented,

fortune-hunting, gold-digging, opportunistic, hypocritical,

obsequious, sycophantic, toadying, toad-eating, boot-licking,

subservient, Colloq on the make, on the take, Slang US out for

numero uno, Taboo slang brown-nosing: Members of the party were

known to be time-serving and untrustworthy.

timetable n. schedule, calendar, curriculum, programme, agenda, Chiefly

Brit diary: My timetable doesn't allow for long lunches.

time-worn adj. ageing, old, tired, worn, time-scarred, decrepit,

dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, run-down, dog-eared,

ragged, moth-eaten, threadbare, seedy, shabby, archaic, antique,

well-worn, worn out, pass‚, broken-down, old-fashioned,

out-dated, dated, antiquated, ancient, obsolescent, obsolete,

stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, stale, trite, overused,

Colloq old hat: She went into her time-worn routine about two

living as cheaply as one.

timid adj. shy, retiring, modest, coy, bashful, diffident, timorous,

fearful, apprehensive, mousy, scared, frightened, nervous,

cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, Colloq chicken-hearted, yellow,

yellow-bellied, chicken, chicken-livered, lily-livered, gutless:

I knew this strapping marine when he was a timid little boy.

tinker v. trifle, dabble, meddle, mess (around or about), toy, fool or

play (around or about), Brit potter or US putter (about or

around), Colloq fiddle or monkey or muck (about or around):

Graham has always enjoyed tinkering with engines.

tinny adj. 1 shabby, flimsy, flimsily or poorly made, shoddy,

inferior, cheap, tawdry: He bought himself a tinny old

rattletrap of a car. 2 metallic, harsh, twangy: She plays that

tinny old trumpet day and night.

tint n. 1 tincture, wash, hue, colour, cast; tinge, touch, hint,

trace, dash, colouring, shade, tone, suggestion: In the west a

tint of pink lingered in the sky. I thought I detected a tint of

anger in his voice. 2 dye, rinse, wash, stain, tincture,

colourant, colouring, touch-up: What's the harm in granny's

using blue hair tint?

--v. 3 dye, stain, colour, rinse, tinge, touch up: Sandra

tints her hair to give it a coppery sheen. 4 tinge, colour,

influence, affect, taint, stain: A deep pessimism tints all his

writing.

tiny adj. microscopic, infinitesimal, minute, minuscule, diminutive,

wee, small, little, miniature, micro, mini, pocket,

pocket-sized, bantam, pygmy or pigmy, midget, Lilliputian,

petite, delicate, dainty, elfin, slight, insignificant,

negligible, trifling, paltry, inconsequential, puny, Colloq

pint-sized, teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itty-bitty,

itsy-bitsy: She wore the tiniest bikini I had ever seen. When I

saw them together I realized how tiny she is. Forgetting my

birthday was only a tiny thing.

tip° n. 1 end, extremity, peak, apex, summit, vertex, cap, top,

pinnacle, tiptop, crown, head, terminal, ferrule or ferule,

finial, nib or neb, point: The tip of the mountain showed above

the clouds. He broke off the tip of the billiard cue.

--v. 2 top, cap, crown, surmount: The foil is tipped with a

rubber button to prevent injury.

tipý v. 1 Often, tip over. upset, overthrow, knock or cast or throw

down, up-end, knock over, overturn, topple (over), capsize: His

elbow tipped the lamp, which fell with a crash. 2 slant, lean,

incline, slant, tilt, cant: The statue is tipped a bit off the

vertical. 3 empty, unload, dump, deposit, Slang Brit ditch:

They tipped their load of gravel all over my driveway.

--n. 4 (rubbish or US garbage) dump, rubbish or refuse or trash

heap, dumping-ground: This old chair belongs in the tip.

tip° n. 1 gratuity, baksheesh, pourboire, douceur, lagniappe or

lagnappe, present, gift, Colloq little something: That waiter

didn't deserve a tip. 2 tip-off, (inside) information, warning,

advice, suggestion, clue, hint, pointer, forecast, prediction,

Colloq Brit gen: Louie had a tip that the police were coming.

Her tip was 'Flapdoodle' to win the fifth race.

--v. 3 reward: Why did you tip the barmaid? 4 Usually, tip

off. advise, warn, caution, alert, forewarn, notify, let

(someone) know, Colloq let (someone) in on: The thieves were

tipped off and never arrived.

tirade n. declamation, harangue, diatribe, philippic, outburst,

onslaught, screed, jeremiad, denunciation, stream of abuse,

invective: He let loose with such a vituperative tirade that I

walked out.

tire v. 1 weary, tire out, fatigue, exhaust, wear out, drain, sap,

enervate, drain, wear out, debilitate, weaken, Colloq take it

out of, fag (out), take it out of: The long climb tired me. 2

bore, exasperate, weary, irk, irritate, annoy, bother: I wish

you wouldn't tire me with your accounts of your shopping

expeditions.

tired adj. 1 exhausted, tired out, worn out, weary, fatigued, spent,

drained, Colloq all in, (dead) beat, knocked out, fagged (out),

dog-tired, ready to drop, dead tired, done in, Brit knackered,

whacked, US bushed, pooped, wiped out: I was really tired after

that ten-hour flight. 2 Usually, tired of. bored with,

exasperated by, weary of, irked or irritated or annoyed or

bothered by, sick (and tired) of, Colloq fed up (to here) with:

Perhaps she's tired of your constant nagging. 3 overworked,

overused, clich‚d, stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed,

unimaginative, trite, stale, worn out, unoriginal, commonplace,

Colloq bromidic: The gossip columns are filled with the same

old tired rubbish day after day.

tireless adj. energetic, vital, vigorous, dynamic, spirited, lively,

indefatigable, hardworking, industrious, untiring, unflagging,

unfaltering, unfailing, persistent, dogged, tenacious,

pertinacious, persevering, staunch, sedulous, unwavering,

unswerving, undeviating, steady, steadfast, resolute,

determined: We all appreciate the honorary secretary's tireless

efforts on behalf of our fund-raising this year.

tiresome adj. 1 boring, dull, fatiguing, humdrum, monotonous, flat,

tedious, wearisome, tiring, uninteresting, insipid, bland,

dry-as-dust, fatiguing, soporific, hypnotic: Ibsen wrote plays

that actors love and audiences find tiresome. 2 irritating,

irksome, vexing, vexatious, annoying, bothersome, exasperating,

trying, disagreeable, troublesome, unpleasant: I wish she would

take her tiresome problems elsewhere.

tissue n. fabric, network, web, interweaving, combination, chain,

series, accumulation, conglomeration, concatenation, pile, mass,

pack: Their entire testimony was a tissue of lies.

titbit n. delicacy, (dainty) morsel, treat, choice item, bonne bouche,

US tidbit, Colloq goody: Sally likes to steal little titbits

off my plate. I heard a juicy titbit of gossip this morning.

title n. 1 name: You cannot tell much from a book's title. 2

designation, appellation, epithet: Aubrey is now an earl, but

he rarely uses his title. 3 caption, inscription, headline,

head, subtitle, legend, subhead, rubric: The title on this

picture has nothing to do with its subject. 4 championship,

crown: He holds the world heavyweight boxing title. 5 right,

interest, privilege, entitlement, ownership, possession, tenure;

(title-)deed, documentation of ownership: My aunt has sole

title to these lands.

--v. 6 name, call, designate, style, label, term, entitle,

christen, baptize, nickname, denominate, tag, dub: Harold was

titled King of the Revels.

titter v. 1 chuckle, snicker, chortle, giggle; snigger: He told the

most awful jokes at which his staff would titter politely.

--n. 2 chuckle, snicker, giggle, (suppressed) laughter,

chortle, snigger: A titter ran through the audience.

titular adj. nominal, so-called, so-designated, so-styled, self-styled,

soi-disant, token, putative, theoretical: He may be the titular

head of the company, but his brother is really the boss.

20.5 toast...

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toast n. 1 tribute, pledge, salutation(s), greeting(s),

felicitations, honour, good wishes, appreciation,

remembrance(s), cheers: The speaker proposed a toast to the

editor-in-chief. 2 heroine, hero, favourite, darling, idol:

Jenny was the toast of the town.

--v. 3 pay tribute to, salute, drink to, honour, greet,

congratulate, felicitate: We toasted our fallen comrades.

toilet n. 1 (water) closet, WC, men's (room), ladies' (room), (public)

convenience, facility or facilities, washroom, bathroom,

lavatory, privy, outhouse, urinal, (in France) pissoir,

vespasienne; Nautical head, Chiefly military latrine, Chiefly US

rest room, New England necessary, Colloq the Gents, the

Ladies('), powder-room, little girls' room, little boys' room,

Brit loo, smallest room (in the house), Military ablutions,

Slang Brit bog, karzy, US and Canadian john, can, crapper: They

excused themselves to go to the toilet. 2 Formal or literary

grooming, dressing, making up, Brit toilette: She was still at

her toilet when we arrived.

toilsome adj. arduous, laborious, tough, hard, difficult, strenuous,

burdensome, onerous, back-breaking, exhausting, fatiguing,

tiring, enervating, wearying, draining: After a toilsome ascent

we finally reached the first camp.

token n. 1 coin, disc: You need to buy a token to get through the

turnstile. 2 symbol, sign, mark, marker, badge, emblem,

indication, proof, evidence: The purple trim on a Roman toga

was a token of its wearer's elevated status. 3 souvenir,

memento, keepsake, reminder, remembrance, Archaic remembrancer:

The miniature Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower are tokens of

our trips abroad.

--adj. 4 symbolic, emblematic, representative: The panel was

made up of three men and a token woman. 5 superficial,

cosmetic, surface, perfunctory, minimal, slight, nominal: We

encountered only token resistance when taking over the

communications centre.

tolerable adj. 1 bearable, supportable, allowable, endurable, acceptable,

sufferable: The heat and humidity are barely tolerable. 2

acceptable, unexceptional, common, fair, common-or-garden

variety, middling, ordinary, average, so so, mediocre, adequate,

run-of-the-mill, passable, indifferent, Colloq OK or okay, not

(too) bad, pretty or fairly good: They serve a tolerable lunch

in the hotel bar.

tolerance n. 1 open-mindedness, toleration, forbearance,

broad-mindedness, permissiveness, magnanimity, indulgence,

sufferance, patience, freedom from bigotry or prejudice: You

must exercise more tolerance in dealing with people who are

poorer than you. 2 play, clearance, allowance, variation: The

tolerance between these parts is less than a ten-thousandth of a

millimetre. 3 toleration, resistance, endurance, imperviousness;

immunity, insensitivity: His tolerance of the outrages of

stupidity seems limitless. She has a low tolerance for sugar.

tolerant adj. open-minded, objective, forbearing, unprejudiced,

unbigoted, dispassionate, broad-minded, indulgent, magnanimous,

patient, generous, charitable, catholic, latitudinarian,

permissive, liberal, big-hearted, fair, even-handed,

considerate: I am more tolerant of people than of their ideas.

tolerate v. 1 stand (for), allow, permit, bear, suffer, brook,

countenance, abide, admit, indulge, concede, sanction, swallow,

stomach, turn a blind eye to, Colloq put up with, Brit stick:

The teacher refused to tolerate any more misbehaviour. 2 bear,

stand, submit to, endure, weather, take, accept, undergo: Tests

show that the product can tolerate considerable wear and tear.

toll° v. 1 ring, peal, chime, strike, sound: The clock tower bell

tolled three.

--n. 2 ring, ringing, peal, pealing, chime, chiming, striking,

sound, sounding, tolling, knell: Each toll of the bell marked

the death of another victim.

tollý n. 1 charge, fee, dues, assessment, tariff; excise, duty,

impost, levy, tribute: New motorways will be funded by means of

a toll on traffic using them. 2 loss, penalty, cost, damage(s);

exaction: The death toll from the earthquake reached 50,000.

tomb n. sepulchre, crypt, vault, mausoleum, grave, catacomb,

burial-chamber, final or last resting-place: Every year his

tomb is visited by a mysterious woman in black.

tombstone n. gravestone, headstone, marker, monument, cenotaph: The

tombstones in the military cemetery stood in serried ranks.

tone n. 1 sound, note: Odd tones emanated from the electronic

music-maker. 2 stress, emphasis, force, accent, intonation,

modulation, phrasing, inflection, pitch, tonality, timbre, sound

(colour), tone colour or quality, colour or colouring,

resonance, sonorousness, sonority, fullness, richness: The tone

of his voice is extraordinarily melodic. 3 manner, style,

attitude, air, aspect, approach, note, tenor, tone of voice,

mode of expression, temper, vein, spirit, air: Do not take that

imperious tone with me! 4 tint, tinge, shade, hue, colour,

colouring, cast: The fabric has a silvery tone that makes it

shimmer.

--v. 5 tone down. temper, modify, reduce, moderate, modulate,

soften, quiet(en), dampen, dull, subdue, mute, soft-pedal:

Please tone down your voice or the neighbours will hear you. 6

tone up. (re)invigorate, tune (up), brighten (up), (re)vitalize,

freshen (up), limber up, get into condition or shape: I really

have to tone up my body before I put on a swimsuit this summer.

tongue n. 1 language, speech; dialect, patois,Creole, idiom, parlance,

argot, talk, vernacular, fa‡on de parler: The people in that

area speak a strange tongue. 2 (verbal) expression, utterance,

voice, articulation: Michael is reluctant to give tongue to his

real feelings. 3 hold (one's) tongue. be or remain or keep

silent, keep mum, say nothing or nought, not breathe a word,

keep (one's) counsel, not say a word, Slang shut up: Hold your

tongue till you are spoken to! 4 slip of the tongue. slip,

mistake, gaffe, blunder, faux pas, Freudian slip, Colloq Brit

boob: Saying 'bald' when I meant 'bold' was a slip of the

tongue. 5 (with (one's)) tongue in (one's) cheek. facetiously,

whimsically, ironically, jocularly, jokingly, not seriously, in

jest, jestingly, in fun, to be funny, Colloq kiddingly: As he

is my older brother, I call him 'Dad' with tongue in cheek, of

course.

tongue-lashing

n. scolding, berating, reproof, rebuke, reprimand; (verbal)

abuse, castigation, chastisement, vituperation, revilement,

Colloq dressing-down, telling-off, talking-to, Brit slating,

ticking-off, wigging: For all his efforts to please, he only

got a tongue-lashing for interfering.

tongue-tied

adj. speechless, at a loss for words, struck dumb, dumbfounded

or dumfounded, mute, inarticulate: I was so nervous when the

Prince of Wales spoke to me that I got tongue-tied.

tonic n. 1 stimulant, restorative, invigorant, boost, refresher;

Obsolete or literary ptisan or tisane, Technical roborant,

analeptic, Colloq bracer, pick-me-up, pick-up, shot in the arm,

US picker-upper: His father made his money selling snake-oil

tonic.

--adj. 2 stimulant, stimulating, restorative, invigorating,

fortifying, bracing, strengthening, reviving, enlivening,

refreshing, Technical analeptic, roborant: Seeing Maddie and

Max again had a tonic effect.

tool n. 1 utensil, implement, instrument, device, apparatus,

appliance, contrivance, aid, machine, mechanism, gadget, Colloq

contraption, gimmick, Chiefly US and Canadian gismo or gizmo:

The work would go faster if you had the proper tools. 2 means,

way, agency, weapon, medium, vehicle, instrumentality, avenue,

road: Education is the tool you need to get anywhere in life.

3 puppet, cat's-paw, pawn, dupe, Slang stooge, sucker: I had

been used merely as a tool in her ambitious rise to the top.

--v. 4 work, carve, cut, embellish, decorate, ornament, dress,

shape: This is the shop where the leather is tooled and

gold-stamped.

top n. 1 summit, apex, peak, acme, crest, head, pinnacle, vertex,

zenith, meridian, crown, culmination, high point, height,

apogee: They reached the top of the mountain at dawn. For a

change, I should like to be at the top looking down. Samantha

remains at the top of her profession. 2 lid, cover, cap,

covering, stopper, cork: Put the top back on the bottle when

you're through.

--v. 3 surpass, better, best, outstrip, exceed, outdo, excel,

beat, transcend: It would be impossible to top some of his

achievements. 4 surmount, cover, cap, crown, tip; finish,

complete, garnish: The entire concoction was topped by a

maraschino cherry. 5 trim, crop, lop or cut off, clip, prune,

nip, pinch (back): All the trees in this area have been topped

to let in more sunlight. 6 scale, climb, ascend, surmount: The

party topped Annapurna the next day. 7 top up. fill (up),

refresh, refill, replenish, US freshen (up): He asked the

barman to top up our drinks.

--adj. 8 best, greatest, foremost, leading, pre-eminent,

eminent, first, first-rate, principal, prime, finest, choicest,

topmost; excellent, superior, superb, top-drawer, top-grade,

top-notch, supreme, peerless, unequalled, incomparable, Colloq

crack, ace, A-1 or A-one: Is he the top man in his field? She

is a top economics adviser to the government. 9 uppermost,

topmost, highest: The top fruit is the best.

topic n. subject(-matter), matter, issue, question, point, thesis,

theme, text, keynote, field or area of study or of inquiry: We

need to decide on a topic for tonight's discussion.

topical adj. 1 contemporary, current, up to date, timely: Drug

addiction is certainly a topical subject. 2 local, superficial:

For a minor injury we give a topical, not a general anaesthetic.

topple v. 1 upset, up-end, knock down or over, bring down, fell,

capsize, collapse: Scores of buildings were toppled by the

tornado. 2 bring or throw down, overthrow, defeat, vanquish,

overcome, overturn, unseat, oust: The leaders of the coup

succeeded in toppling the government in a week. 3 fall (over or

down), drop, collapse, keel over, tumble down: Seven guardsmen

toppled over because of the heat on the parade ground.

topsy-turvy

adj. 1 upside down, wrong side up, head over heels, inverted,

reversed, backwards, vice versa: The children were wearing

their pyjamas topsy-turvy. 2 chaotic, muddled, jumbled,

disorderly, disordered, disorganized, confused, mixed-up, messy,

untidy, in a muddle, higgledy-piggledy, Colloq arsy-versy, every

which way: The room was completely topsy-turvy and it was

impossible to find anything.

torment v. 1 torture, abuse, maltreat, mistreat, distress, agonize,

excruciate, crucify, harrow, rack, pain: Hunger tormented his

weary body. 2 worry, trouble, plague, annoy, bedevil, vex,

harry, badger, hector, harass, pester, nag, persecute, needle,

nettle, irk, irritate, bother, torture, afflict, Brit chivvy or

chivy or chevy: I was tormented by the suspicion that something

was wrong.

--n. 3 agony, wretchedness, anguish, distress, misery, pain,

woe, painfulness, torture, suffering, curse, hell: How can

parents endure the torment of losing a child? 4 worry,

vexation, annoyance, harassment, ordeal, persecution, needling,

nuisance, bane, irritation, bother, affliction, scourge,

torture: For yet another day I had to suffer the torment of

their company.

torpid adj. sluggish, slow, slow-moving, slow-paced, tortoise-like,

lethargic, apathetic, indolent, passive, slothful, dull,

stupefied, sleepy, somnolent, inactive, inert, languid,

languorous, phlegmatic, spiritless, lifeless, listless,

fain‚ant, lackadaisical, pococurante, indifferent, uncaring,

unconcerned, insouciant: Johnson said that it is a man's own

fault if his mind grows torpid in old age.

torpor n. sluggishness, sloth, lethargy, apathy, indolence, passivity,

slothfulness, dullness, stupefaction, drowsiness, sleepiness,

somnolence, inactivity, inertia, inertness, languor, laziness,

phlegm, lifelessness, listlessness, idleness, fain‚ance,

pococurantism, indifference, unconcern, insouciance: The heat

produced a certain torpor in all of us.

torrent n. stream, rush, flood, deluge, effusion, gushing, outburst,

outpouring, spate, inundation, flow, overflow, tide, cascade:

In minutes the brook became a rushing torrent. They assailed us

with a torrent of abuse.

torrential

adj. rushing, streaming, copious, profuse, teeming, relentless,

violent; fierce, vehement, vociferous, ferocious: The

torrential monsoons inundated the land. I had never heard such a

torrential outpouring of oaths.

torrid adj. 1 hot, fiery, sultry, stifling, sweltering, broiling,

sizzling, roasting, blazing, burning, baking, cooking, boiling,

blistering, blistery, scorching, scorched, parched, parching,

arid; humid, steamy, steaming, muggy; tropical: It seemed

impossible that any creature could survive in such a torrid

climate. 2 fervent, fervid, passionate, intense, ardent,

inflamed, impassioned, lustful, amorous, erotic, Colloq sexy,

hot: The film was noted for its torrid love scenes.

tortuous adj. 1 twisted, twisting, winding, wandering, serpentine,

turning, crooked, sinuous, bent, curled, curling, curved, curvy,

curvilinear, flexuous, anfractuous, convoluted, involuted,

zigzag, maze-like, mazy, labyrinthine: They followed a tortuous

trail through the jungle. 2 roundabout, indirect, devious,

intricate, involved, unstraightforward, complicated, ambiguous,

ambagious, circuitous, warped, crooked, tricky, misleading,

deceptive: We could not help being intrigued by the tortuous

Machiavellianism of the scheme.

toss v. 1 throw, cast, lob, pitch, fling, hurl, heave, shy, launch,

send, let fly, propel, catapult, sling, bowl, Colloq chuck: The

goalkeeper tossed the ball into the middle of the field. 2

shake, jerk, stir up, agitate, fling: Lucy disdainfully tossed

her head. 3 shake (up), stir (up), agitate, jiggle, tumble,

joggle; wave, lash, thrash: Don't you put the dressing on

before you toss the salad? The branches of the huge oak were

being tossed about in the storm. 4 writhe, wriggle, squirm, toss

and turn, thrash: I tossed all night, unable to get a moment's

sleep. 5 pitch, yaw, wallow, roll, lurch, undulate, plunge:

Our little boat was tossed this way and that in the heavy seas.

--n. 6 throw, lob, pitch, heave, shy: His toss went wild and

the ball rolled over the cliff.

tot n. child, toddler, infant, baby: Can you recall when you were

a tiny tot?

total n. 1 sum (total), totality, aggregate, whole, amount, total

number: The total of wounded came to only fifteen.

--adj. 2 whole, entire, complete, full, gross, overall,

comprehensive: Total rainfall in that area is only three inches

per annum. 3 complete, unalloyed, unmitigated, unqualified,

unconditional, utter, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,

perfect, outright, downright, all-out, absolute: My son is a

total failure in everything he attempts.

--v. 4 add (up), tot up, sum up, reckon, compute: Please total

my bill. 5 amount to, add up to, come to, mount up to: The

bill totals twice the amount I paid yesterday.

totalitarian

adj. absolute, absolutist, arbitrary, authoritarian,

autocratic, dictatorial, Fascist(ic), undemocratic, illiberal,

monolithic, Nazi, oppressive, despotic, tyrannical: Sooner or

later, totalitarian governments get overthrown.

totality n. total, aggregate, sum (total), whole, entirety, beginning

and end, alpha and omega, be-all and end-all: The totality of

his interests lies in watching soap operas on TV.

totally adv. completely, utterly, entirely, fully, unqualifiedly,

unconditionally, perfectly, absolutely, thoroughly, wholly,

consummately: We then decided on a totally different approach.

The weather was totally awful.

totter v. waver, topple, falter, tremble, teeter, sway, rock, stagger,

stumble, wobble, quiver, shake, quake, shiver, dodder: He

seemed to totter a bit as he left the pub.

touch v. 1 put (one's) hand on, feel, handle: She leant forward and

touched my hand. 2 bring into contact with, apply, put, set:

He touched a match to the fuse and ran. 3 Sometimes, touch (up)

against. be in contact (with), border, adjoin, meet, come up or

be (up) against, push or press or lean (up) against, brush or

rub (up) against, come or be together, abut: The ladder is

touching the freshly painted wall. 4 lay a hand or finger on;

meddle with, have to do with, interfere with, come near,

approach: If you touch me, I'll scream. 5 drink, eat, consume,

partake of, take, use, taste, have to do with: He swore that he

would never touch alcohol again. 6 affect, impress, influence,

disturb, move, stir, arouse, excite, impassion, stimulate,

strike, Colloq get to: We were touched by your sympathetic

note. 7 rival, match, equal, compare with, come up to, be on a

par with, be a match for, be in the same league or class as or

with, be on an equal footing with, reach, come or get near or

close to, hold a candle to, measure up to or against, Colloq US

stack up to or with or against: No other car can touch our new

model for speed and safety. 8 Usually, touch on or upon. refer

to, have reference to, pertain to, relate to, have a bearing on,

regard, mention, allude to, speak or write of, tell of, bring up

or in, raise, deal with, cover: I must now touch upon a

delicate matter. 9 have access to, access, use, employ, make

use of, put to use, avail (oneself) of, take, get, take

advantage of: I do not touch the principal, but try to live off

the interest. 10 touch down. land, alight, come to earth: We

touched down for fuel at Gander, Newfoundland. 11 touch off. a

detonate, spark (off), set alight, set off, ignite, light, fire,

put a match to: We touched off the gunpowder and blew up the

arsenal. b instigate, initiate, begin, start, set in motion,

ignite, set off, trigger, provoke, foment, cause, give rise to:

Her offhand remark touched off a family row that lasted for

years. 12 touch up. retouch, patch up; beautify, enhance,

titivate, renovate, spruce up: She said that the painting had

recently been touched up. Mandy is upstairs touching up her

make-up.

--n. 13 feeling, feel, texture: She wants nothing but the

touch of silk next to her body. 14 pat, tap, blow, hit, stroke,

brush, caress: She hated him so much that she cringed at the

touch of his hand. 15 dash, hint, intimation, suggestion,

soup‡on, bit, intimation, pinch, jot, spot, trace, tinge, taste,

suspicion, smattering, colouring, smack, speck, drop, whiff,

odour, scent, smell: Cynthia has a touch of hypocrisy about

her. The salad dressing could use a touch more garlic. 16

ability, deftness, expertise, dexterity, adroitness, facility,

skill, skilfulness, knack, capability, genius, talent, gift,

flair: Richard has a master's touch in everything he does. 17

response, feel, responsiveness, feeling, movement, operation,

performance level: This piano action has an excellent touch.

18 signature, trade mark, characteristic, influence, approach,

style, manner, technique, execution, method: I thought I

recognized your touch in the furniture selection. A woman's

touch might have helped.

touching adj. moving, stirring, emotional, tender, poignant, pathetic,

soul-stirring, heart-rending, heart-breaking, sad, pitiful,

distressing, distressful: The most touching scene is the one

where the boy meets his father for the first time.

touchstone

n. standard, yardstick, criterion, reference, benchmark, test,

norm, measure: His craftsmanship is the touchstone by which the

others are judged.

touchy adj. 1 (over-)sensitive, supersensitive, hypersensitive,

highly-strung, tense, thin-skinned, crabby, crabbed, testy,

irascible, irritable, tetchy, temperamental, grouchy, peevish,

querulous, petulant, pettish, splenetic, captious, bad-tempered,

short-tempered, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, crusty, cross,

curmudgeonly, cantankerous, choleric, dyspeptic, waspish,

bearish, snarling, snappish, argumentative, disputatious,

contentious, US high-strung, cranky: She is very touchy on the

subject of her family. He's always touchy in the morning. 2

critical, touch-and-go, sensitive, ticklish, risky, precarious,

hazardous, chancy, unsure, uncertain, close, hairbreadth,

dangerous, hair-raising, frightening, terrifying, nerve-racking

or nerve-wracking, Jocular parlous, Colloq hairy: There was a

touchy moment when the fuel leaked into the astronauts' cabin.

tough adj. 1 hard, firm, durable, long-lasting, wear-resistant,

substantial, strong, stout, rugged, sturdy, sound, well-built:

Only one kind of material is tough enough to endure such

conditions for so long. 2 stiff, hard, leathery, inflexible,

chewy, fibrous, cartilaginous, sinewy, ropy, wiry, stringy:

That steak was as tough as shoe-leather. 3 strong, stalwart,

brawny, burly, muscular, powerful, virile, manly, sturdy,

doughty, intrepid, stout, rough, vigorous, strapping, athletic:

Two tough-looking characters moved towards us, so we left. 4

difficult, demanding, exacting, hard, troublesome; laborious,

taxing, strenuous: We deal with tough complaints every day.

It's a tough job. 5 baffling, thorny, puzzling, perplexing,

mystifying, knotty, irksome, difficult: The examiners asked us

some very tough questions. 6 stubborn, hardened, inured,

obstinate, obdurate, hard, harsh, severe, stern, inflexible,

refractory, intractable, adamant, unyielding, ungiving, rigid,

unbending, unsentimental, unfeeling, unsympathetic, callous,

hard-boiled, uncaring, cold, cool, icy, stony, Colloq

hard-nosed: He's a tough man to work for, but he's fair.

--interj. 7 Colloq Too bad!, Tough luck!, Hard luck!, Brit Hard

cheese!, Slang Tough titty!, Taboo slang Tough shit!: When I

told him that my money had been stolen, he said 'Tough!'

--n. 8 bruiser, hooligan, bully (boy), rowdy, thug, ruffian,

Colloq roughneck, bruiser, tough guy, gorilla: A couple of

toughs who had been threatening the cashier disappeared when

they saw our uniforms.

tour n. 1 journey, trip, excursion, outing, expedition, voyage,

trek, peregrination, jaunt, junket: We went on a guided tour

because we were short of time and wanted to see everything. 2

stroll, perambulation, walkabout, ramble, walk, drive; round,

circuit, ambit: The government representatives are on a tour of

all nuclear facilities. 3 spell, shift, assignment, turn,

Military period of service or enlistment: His tour of duty is

not finished till midnight.

--v. 4 journey, travel, voyage, visit, trip, trek, sightsee,

cruise; Colloq globe-trot: On retirement we spent a year just

touring around Europe.

tourist n. traveller, voyager, visitor, sightseer, Colloq

rubberneck(er), out-of-towner, Brit tripper, day-tripper,

holiday-maker: During the summer, this place is inundated with

tourists.

tournament

n. tourney, competition, contest, match, meeting, event, meet:

The tennis tournament was delayed by rain.

tousle v. dishevel, disorder, ruffle, disarrange, tangle (up), mess

(up), rumple, disarray, US muss (up): Her hair was all tousled

by the wind.

tout v. 1 hawk, peddle, sell, promote, talk up, Colloq push, plug:

They tout these new headache tablets as miraculous.

--n. 2 tipster: He is often seen with racetrack touts.

tow v. pull, drag, draw, haul, lug, trail, tug, trawl: The boat

was towing a long purse seine. I arrived just as the police were

towing away my car.

towards prep. 1 toward, in the direction of, to; for, so as to approach

or near, on the way or road to: She turned towards me. I'd

appreciate a lift if you're going towards Aston Clinton. 2

toward, to, for, as a help to, supporting, promoting, assisting:

We welcome any contribution towards the charitable works of our

order. 3 toward, near, nearing, close to, approaching, shortly

before: Towards the close of day, the cattle wander back to the

barns.

tower n. 1 bell-tower, campanile, minaret, pagoda, obelisk; belfry,

spire, turret, steeple, flŠche: There was a time when the

church tower was the tallest building in the town. 2 fortress,

citadel, stronghold, castle, fastness; keep, dungeon, prison:

The princess was imprisoned in the tower for a year and a day.

--v. 3 Often, tower over or above. loom, soar, rise, ascend,

rear: These ugly high-rise buildings tower over everything,

blocking out the sun.

towering adj. 1 lofty, tall, high, soaring, outstanding, elevated,

sky-scraping, sky-high, great, impressive, imposing, huge,

gigantic, supreme, superior, paramount, extraordinary,

unmatched, unequally, unrivalled, unparalleled, unsurpassed:

The towering American economy dominated the world for decades

after World War II. 2 violent, fiery, burning, passionate,

excessive, vehement, intense, consuming, mighty, overwhelming,

unrestrained, immoderate, inordinate, intemperate, extreme,

colossal, enormous: Every time she mentioned Valentino, he went

into a towering rage.

town n. township, village, hamlet, community; municipality, city,

metropolis, borough, burgh: She was born in Stornoway, a small

town in the Outer Hebrides. We have to drive into the town to

do our shopping.

toy n. 1 plaything: Whenever he visited, Uncle Jed brought toys

for the children. 2 trifle, trinket, bauble, gewgaw, gimcrack,

knick-knack, bagatelle, kickshaw, bit of frippery: After

marrying her, he treated her as a rich man's toy.

--v. 3 Usually, toy with. trifle (with), dally (with), play

(with), sport (with), fool (with), fiddle (with), tinker (with):

He kept toying with his watch chain. 4 Usually, toy with. flirt

(with), dally (with), dilly-dally (with), play (with), deal with

carelessly, amuse oneself with: The cad was only toying with

her affections.

--adj. 5 miniature, tiny, diminutive, small, dwarf: She breeds

toy poodles. 6 imitation, fake, phoney or US also phony,

simulated, artificial: This is only a toy watch and doesn't

work.

20.6 trace...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

trace n. 1 hint, intimation, sign, token, suggestion, touch, vestige,

indication, mark, record, evidence, clue: There wasn't any

trace of the intruders. 2 bit, spot, speck, jot, drop, dash,

suspicion, remnant, tinge, soup‡on, iota, whiff, suggestion,

trifle: The traces of mud on the suspect's shoes proved he had

been there. 3 Often, traces. track(s), trail, spoor,

footprint(s), print(s), footmark(s): They were following the

traces of a buffalo.

--v. 4 dog, pursue, follow (in the footsteps of), stalk, track

(down), shadow, trail, Colloq tail: We traced him to a seedy

hotel in Caracas. 5 investigate, discover, ascertain, detect,

determine, find, seek, search for, hunt down or up, unearth,

track: Have you traced her whereabouts? I am able to trace my

ancestry back to the time of the First Crusade. 6 delineate,

outline, copy, draw, map, chart, mark (out), record, reproduce,

sketch: We traced Marco Polo's route to China and back.

track n. 1 line, rail(s), way, railway, US railroad: New track was

laid between London and Manchester. 2 path, trail, route,

footpath, course, road, street, alley: A rough track leads over

Sty Head Pass. Are you sure you're on the right track? 3 spoor,

trail, footprint(s), print(s), trace(s), footmark(s), scent,

slot, wake: The last time I saw him he was following the track

of a yeti. 4 keep track of. trace, track, keep an eye on,

follow, pursue, monitor, supervise, oversee, keep up with or on,

watch, keep a record of or on, record: Using an electronic tag,

we were able to keep track of the animal's movements. 5 lose

track of. lose, misplace, mislay, lose sight of, forget: She

lost track of some important papers. I lost track of what I was

saying.

--v. 6 follow, dog, pursue, trace, stalk, shadow, trail, hunt

down, chase, Colloq tail: She was tracked to Istanbul, where

they lost her. 7 See 4, above. 8 track down. find, seek out,

ferret out, hunt down, trace, catch, apprehend, capture, smell

or sniff out, run to earth or ground, Colloq run down: We

finally tracked him down at his mother's house in Putney.

trackless adj. empty, pathless, untrodden, unexplored, uncharted, virgin,

untrod: We found ourselves in the trackless wilderness of

central Australia.

tract° n. region, area, stretch, territory, expanse, zone, portion,

section, sector, quarter, district, patch, plot, parcel, US lot:

The developers own a tract of land where they plan to build a

shopping mall.

tractý n. treatise, monograph, essay, article, paper, dissertation,

disquisition, homily, sermon, critique; pamphlet, booklet,

brochure, leaflet: Daphne was distributing tracts to passers-by

in front of the church.

tractable adj. 1 docile, amenable, tame, manageable, biddable,

persuadable or persuasible, compliant, easygoing, willing,

submissive, obedient, governable, yielding: It was a pleasure

to teach a student who was so tractable. 2 manageable,

handleable, workable, adaptable, malleable, pliable, plastic,

ductile, fictile: The new materials are quite tractable and can

be drawn or moulded with ease.

traction n. grip, gripping power, drag, purchase, friction, adhesion:

Unable to get any traction on the ice, the car skidded off the

road.

trade n. 1 commerce, business, traffic, exchange, barter, dealing(s),

buying and selling, merchandising, marketing, mercantilism,

truck: Have we any trade in shoes with South Korea? We are

establishing trade with Eastern Europe? 2 calling, occupation,

pursuit, work, business, employment, line (of work), m‚tier,

job, vocation, craft, career, profession: Just what trade are

you engaged in? 3 swap or swop, exchange, interchange, barter:

Was exchanging your microwave cooker for a hi-fi set a good

trade? 4 customers, clientele, custom, patrons, following,

patronage, shoppers: Her shop caters chiefly to the holiday

trade.

--v. 5 transact or do business, buy, sell, deal, traffic,

merchandise, have dealings: There are laws against Sunday

trading in some areas. 6 exchange, swap or swop, interchange,

switch, barter; return: Having traded his car for the boat, Sam

has no way of reaching the marina.

trader n. dealer, merchant, businessman, broker, merchandiser,

distributor, seller, salesman, saleswoman, salesperson, vendor,

buyer, purchaser, retailer, wholesaler: All sorts of traders

can be found in the covered market.

tradesman n. 1 merchant, dealer, shopkeeper, retailer, vendor, seller: A

tradesman had been ringing at the door for several minutes. 2

artisan, craftsman, journeyman, handicraftsman: He is a

tradesman, a skilled cabinet-maker by profession.

tradition n. custom, practice, habit, usage, convention, ritual, rite,

unwritten law, institution, form, praxis, lore: Exchanging

gifts on Christmas Eve has long been a tradition in our family.

traditional

adj. customary, usual, routine, habitual, standard, household,

stock, time-honoured, established, well-known, conventional,

ritual, unwritten, accustomed, historic, old, ancestral:

Mazetta mocha tarts were the traditional birthday cakes at home

when I was a child.

traffic n. 1 movement, conveyance, shipping, transport, freight,

Chiefly US transportation: Traffic across the border has

resumed. 2 See trade, 1, above: Drug traffic has increased

greatly in recent years.

--v. 3 See trade, 5, above: The police think that Baines is

trafficking in stolen goods.

tragedy n. catastrophe, calamity, disaster, misfortune, adversity,

blow: The death of their dog was a terrible tragedy, especially

for the children.

tragic adj. sad, depressing, lamentable, unhappy, funereal, forlorn,

melancholy, cheerless, mournful, lachrymose, dolorous, grievous,

morose, lugubrious, dismal, piteous, pitiable, pitiful,

pathetic(al), appalling, wretched, dreadful, awful, terrible,

horrible, deplorable, miserable, distressing, disturbing,

upsetting, shocking, unlucky, unfortunate, hapless, ill-fated,

inauspicious, star-crossed, ill-omened, ill-starred, calamitous,

catastrophic, crushing, disastrous; tragical: It was really

tragic that we couldn't get there in time to say goodbye.

trail n. 1 (beaten) path, way, footpath, route, way, track, course:

There is a well-worn trail through the wood. 2 track, spoor,

scent, smell, trace, footsteps, footprints, path, wake: The

trail of the elephant herd was quite easy to follow. 3 See

train, 2, below: She was always followed by a trail of

admirers.

--v. 4 tow, draw, drag (along), haul, pull, tag along, trawl,

bring along (behind), carry along (behind): We were moving

slowly because we were trailing a dinghy. 5 drag, pull, move,

be drawn, stream, sweep, dangle: I heard the whisper of silken

gowns trailing across Persian carpets. 6 lag (behind), dawdle,

loiter, linger, follow, straggle, bring up the rear, hang back,

fall or drop behind: Our team was trailing three-five in the

final. 7 follow, pursue, dog, trace, shadow, stalk, track,

chase, hunt, Colloq tail: We trailed the suspect to Victoria

Station, where we lost him. 8 trail off or away. diminish,

decrease, fade away or out, disappear, dwindle, lessen, die out

or away, peter out, subside, taper off, weaken, grow faint or

dim: As they drove away, the noise of their blasting radio

trailed off.

train n. 1 carriage, coach, Baby-talk choo-choo: Will this train

take me to Newcastle? 2 retinue, entourage, cortŠge, suite,

following, escort, guard, attendants, retainers, followers,

trail; staff, court, household: After the duke's coffin came a

train of several hundred hangers-on. 3 line, queue, procession,

succession, string, set, sequence, chain, progression, caravan,

cavalcade, parade, column, file: The baggage train of the

advancing army stretched for miles.

--v. 4 discipline, exercise, tutor, teach, coach, drill,

school, instruct, prepare, educate, edify, guide, bring up,

indoctrinate, rear, raise: We had been trained to put things

away and avoid clutter. 5 work out, exercise, practise: Hannah

is training for the next Olympics.

trait n. feature, characteristic, attribute, quality, peculiarity,

idiosyncrasy, quirk, lineament, mark, property: He has some

unpleasant traits, like spitting when he talks.

traitor n. turncoat, Judas, quisling, betrayer, renegade,

fifth-columnist, US Benedict Arnold, Colloq double-crosser,

snake in the grass, double-dealer, two-timer: Some traitor in

their midst had revealed their plans to the enemy.

traitorous

adj. treacherous, perfidious, seditious, subversive,

insurrectionist, renegade, insurgent, disloyal, deceitful,

untrue, unfaithful, faithless; treasonable, Colloq

double-crossing, double-dealing, two-timing: They identified

the traitorous wretch and hanged him. Consorting with the enemy

is a traitorous act.

trajectory

n. flight path, course, track: The missile has a high

trajectory.

tram n. tramcar, trolley bus, US and Canadian streetcar,

trolley(-car): Most cities with a traffic problem have replaced

trams with buses.

trammel n. 1 Usually, trammels. impediment(s), hindrance(s),

shackle(s), handicap(s), check(s), restriction(s), restraint(s),

curb(s), deterrent(s), constraint(s), hitch(es), snag(s),

(stumbling) block(s), obstacle(s), bar: He managed to avoid the

trammels of domesticity.

--v. 2 impede, hinder, handicap, check, restrain, curb, deter,

constrain, block, obstruct, fetter, confine: Do not let the

limitations of what's practical and possible trammel your

imagination.

tramp v. 1 march, hike, trudge, plod, slog, plough, tread, trek,

walk, US mush: I must have tramped across half of England

looking for work. 2 Usually, tramp on or upon. See trample, 1,

below.

--n. 3 march, trudge, plod, slog, trek, hike, walk: Every day

we had to make the five-mile tramp into the village for water. 4

derelict, vagabond, vagrant, drifter, rover, gypsy, beachcomber,

Brit dosser, down-and-out, Australian swagman, US hobo, bum,

down-and-outer: The police do not allow tramps to sleep in

public parks. 5 step, tread, footfall, footstep: She couldn't

get to sleep until she heard her husband's tramp on the stair.

trample v. 1 trample on or upon, tramp (on or upon), stamp (on), tread

(on), step on, crush, press, squash, flatten, Colloq stomp (on

or upon), squish, squush or squoosh: After the harvest, we

would take turns trampling the grapes. 2 Often, trample on or

upon. violate, damage, harm, hurt, infringe or encroach on, ride

roughshod over, set at naught, scorn, contemn, disdain, defy,

disregard, ignore, fly in the face of, fling or cast or throw to

the winds: The military regime trampled on the people's civil

rights. 3 Usually, trample out. trample down, trample

underfoot, stamp out, extinguish, put out, destroy, crush, break

down: The left-wing parties were trampled in a military coup.

trance n. daze, stupor, semi-conscious or half-conscious or hypnotic

or cataleptic or dream state, state of semi-consciousness or

half-consciousness or catalepsy or suspended animation or

stupefaction or abstraction or (complete) absorption or

exaltation or rapture or ecstasy; brown study: He walked about

all day in a trance, oblivious to what was going on around him.

tranquil adj. calm, serene, placid, quiet, peaceful, still, smooth,

unagitated, halcyon, relaxed; unruffled, sedate, steady,

regular, even, dispassionate, self-possessed, cool,

self-controlled, cool-headed, unexcited, undisturbed,

untroubled, unperturbed: He often thought back to the tranquil,

sultry summer days of his youth. How can Eleanor be so tranquil

when everything about her is so chaotic?

tranquillize

v. calm, soothe, pacify, still, quiet, relax, lull, compose,

sedate: He soon fell asleep, tranquillized by the medication

that had been administered to him.

tranquillizer

n. bromide, barbiturate, opiate, sedative, anti-psychotic,

anti-anxiety drug, Slang downer, red: She had been prescribed

tranquillizers, and developed severe side-effects.

transact v. do, carry on or out, conduct, manage, handle, negotiate,

transact, administer, discharge, perform, enact, settle,

conclude, complete, finish: We are flying to Frankfurt today to

transact some business.

transaction

n. 1 deal, dealing, negotiation, matter, affair, business,

action, proceeding, agreement, arrangement, bargain: This

transaction must not be revealed to the stock market. 2

transactions. proceedings, record(s), acta, minutes, annals,

Colloq goings-on, doings: The Society's transactions are

published annually.

transcend v. surpass, outstrip, exceed, go beyond, outdistance, overstep,

outdo, excel, overshadow, top, outdistance, outvie, rise above,

outshine, beat: Her performance at La Scala transcended that of

every other Mimi I have heard.

transcendent

adj. peerless, incomparable, unequalled, matchless, unrivalled,

unparalleled, unique, consummate, paramount, superior,

surpassing, supreme, pre-eminent, sublime, excellent, superb,

magnificent, marvellous; transcendental: Can there be any doubt

of Einstein's transcendent genius?

transcribe

v. 1 copy, reproduce, replicate, duplicate: I am busy

transcribing my lecture notes. 2 translate, transliterate,

write out, render, represent, show, interpret: The Rosetta

Stone has the same text transcribed in Egyptian hieroglyphics

and in demotic as well as in Greek.

transcript

n. 1 transcription, translation, transliteration, rendering,

interpretation, representation: Most linguists regarded writing

as a mere transcript of language. 2 (carbon or machine or Xerox

or photostatic or xerographic) copy, carbon, duplicate,

duplication, photocopy, reproduction, Photostat, Colloq dupe: I

have requested a transcript of the court proceedings.

transfer v. 1 move, transport, convey, remove, carry, take, deliver,

bring, transmit, cart, haul, shift, hand (on or over), turn

over, give, pass (on or along or over): The documents will be

transferred to you today.

--n. 2 move, conveyance, transmittal, transmission, delivery,

change: The papers documenting the transfer of the property are

here.

transfix v. 1 pin, fix, impale, skewer, nail, pierce, spear, spike,

spit, stick: The shrike, or butcher-bird, transfixes its prey

on a thorn, then picks its bones clean. 2 enrapture, galvanize,

electrify, hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet,,fascinate, bewitch,

enchant, ensorcel, engross, root to the spot, stun, paralyse,

Colloq stop dead (in one's tracks): The felon stood transfixed

with terror as the judge pronounced sentence.

transform v. change, modify, transfigure, alter, transmute, metamorphose,

turn into, convert, transmogrify, mutate, permute: What will it

take to transform these students into civilized human beings?

transformation

n. change, modification, transfiguration, transfigurement,

alteration, transmutation, metamorphosis, conversion,

transmogrification, mutation, permutation: The transformation

in her appearance over a few short months was miraculous.

transfuse v. 1 instil, transmit, transfer, inject: Her greatest success

was to transfuse a sense of history to her students. 2 infuse,

permeate: An embarrassed blush transfused his face.

transgress

v. 1 sin, trespass, offend, err, lapse, fall from grace,

disobey, misbehave, go wrong or astray, do wrong: She knew she

had transgressed and was ready to atone. 2 break or violate or

contravene or go beyond or exceed or overstep or infringe or

defy or disobey (the law): He had blatantly transgressed the

laws of decency.

transgression

n. sin, trespass, offence, error, lapse, fall from grace,

disobedience, misbehaviour, wrong, violation, fault, misdeed,

misdemeanour, crime, wrongdoing, infraction: How should he be

punished for his transgressions?

transgressor

n. sinner, offender, criminal, felon, culprit, lawbreaker,

trespasser, wrongdoer, evil-doer, villain, miscreant,

malefactor, delinquent: The majority of transgressors are

apprehended within 24 hours of the crime.

transient adj. transitory, temporary, brief, fleeting, momentary,

passing, ephemeral, fugacious, fugitive, evanescent,

short-lived, short-term, impermanent, fly-by-night, volatile:

The peace was transient, as the outbreak of civil war soon

followed. A souvenir shop obviously sells more to the transient

trade than to residents.

transit n. 1 moving, movement, travel, travelling, motion, passing,

progress, progression, transition; passage, traverse, traversal,

traversing: We were unable to mail any letters while we were in

transit. The overland transit of the island took three days. 2

transport, transportation, carriage, haulage, cartage,

conveyance, transfer, transference, transferral, transmittal:

The transit of the merchandise will be handled by our regular

shipping company.

--v. 3 cross, traverse, go or move or pass or travel across or

over or through: They were advised to check with authorities of

every country visited or transited during their journey.

transition

n. 1 change, alteration, metamorphosis, change-over,

transformation, transmutation, mutation, development, evolution,

conversion, modification, metastasis: Tracing the transition

from tadpole to frog is exciting for young pupils. 2 See

transit, 1, above.

translate v. 1 convert, paraphrase, change, rewrite, interpret,

transcribe, render, decode, decipher, metaphrase: Can you

translate this German document? 2 transform, convert, change,

mutate, turn, transmute, metamorphose, transubstantiate, alter,

transmogrify: Why are people always trying to translate the

dross of reality into the gold of dreams? 3 interpret, rewrite,

explain, reword, elucidate, spell out: Can you translate this

technical legal jargon into plain English? 4 transfer, convey,

carry, move, transport, forward, ship, send, dispatch or

despatch: Soon after being made bishop of Worcester, he was

translated to Winchester.

translation

n. 1 conversion, paraphrase, interpretation, transcription,

transliteration, rendering, rendition, metaphrase, gloss,

decipherment, decoding: It was Michael Ventris who was

responsible for the translation of Linear B. 2 metamorphosis,

change, alteration, transmutation, transfiguration,

transformation, transmogrification, transubstantiation,

conversion: The translation from the caterpillar to the

butterfly is miraculous. 3 interpretation, rewriting, rewrite,

explanation, rewording, elucidation: He is well known for his

translation of abstract ideas into terms that an intelligent

layman could cope with. 4 transfer, transference, transferral,

conveyance, carrying, moving, movement, transportation,

transport, forwarding, shipping, shipment, sending,

transmission, dispatch or despatch: His translation to a minor

consular post in the south Pacific was expected.

transmission

n. 1 transfer, transference, transferral, transferring,

conveyance, carrying, moving, movement, transportation,

transport, transporting, forwarding, shipping, shipment,

sending, transmittal, transmitting, dispatch or despatch,

dispatching or despatching: We were unable to arrange for the

transmission of the papers in time for the meeting. 2 broadcast,

broadcasting, sending, telecasting, dissemination,

communication: Transmission of the new programmes begins next

year.

transmit v. 1 send, transfer, convey, communicate, pass on, deliver,

forward, dispatch or despatch; post, ship, cable, radio,

telegraph, fax, telex, telephone, phone, Chiefly US and Canadian

mail, Colloq wire: Your message was transmitted last night. 2

pass or go through, pass on, send, put, direct, conduct,

channel: The mirror transmits the light through this filter.

transparent

adj. 1 (crystal) clear, pellucid, diaphanous, see-through,

limpid, crystalline, sheer, transpicuous: I want completely

transparent glass in this window, instead of that frosted glass.

2 plain, apparent, obvious, evident, unambiguous, patent,

manifest, unmistakable or unmistakeable, (crystal) clear, as

plain as day, as plain as the nose on (one's) face, undisguised,

recognizable, understandable, transpicuous: The origin of many

English words is transparent because of their spelling. 3

candid, open, frank, plain-spoken, direct, unambiguous,

unequivocal, straightforward, ingenuous, forthright,

above-board, artless, guileless, simple, na‹ve, undissembling,

Colloq on the level, upfront: His transparent honesty makes

Clive unsuited to a career in diplomacy.

transpire v. 1 become known, be rumoured, be revealed, come to light: It

transpired that she had been seeing him while she was still

married. 2 Sometimes non-standard happen, occur, take place,

come about, come to pass, materialize, arise, turn out: No

improvement has yet transpired in their living conditions.

transplant

v. displace, move, remove, relocate, shift, uproot, resettle,

transfer: This is the third time the company has transplanted

Harry in a year!

transport v. 1 carry, bear, convey, move, remove, transfer, deliver,

fetch, bring, get, take, ship, haul, transmit, send, forward:

The goods were transported by ship. 2 exile, banish, deport,

send away: Australia was settled mainly by people who had been

transported from England. 3 carry away, enrapture, captivate,

delight, charm, spellbind, bewitch, fascinate, enchant,

entrance, hypnotize, mesmerize, electrify, ravish: Flavia's

parents were totally transported by her winning the decathlon.

--n. 4 transportation, carrier, conveyance, shipping, transfer,

transferral, shipment, haulage, cartage, carriage, moving:

Can't you give me any idea of what the transport costs might

come to? 5 Usually, transports. rapture, ecstasy, exaltation,

exultation, euphoria, delight, (seventh) heaven, happiness,

bliss, elation, exhilaration, thrill, Elysium, paradise; Elysian

Fields, Colloq cloud nine: Helen succumbed to transports of

delight at seeing her son receive such an important award.

transpose v. exchange, interchange, metathesize, switch, swap or swop,

trade, commute, transfer: The bank transposed two figures on my

statement, reducing my balance by œ500.

trap n. 1 snare, pitfall, gin, springe, deadfall, booby-trap: After

the Pied Piper left, Hamelin had no further need for rat traps.

2 trick, subterfuge, wile, ruse, stratagem, ambush, deception,

device, artifice, ploy: Oscar was the man for whom Esther set a

neat trap. 3 mouth, Slang yap, gob, mush, face: Shut your trap

or get out.

--v. 4 snare, ensnare, entrap, catch, net: We dug a pit to

trap the marauding lion. 5 imprison, confine, lock, hold, keep:

The boy was trapped in the cave without a means of escape. 6

trick, deceive, fool, dupe, beguile, inveigle: Esther finally

trapped Oscar into marrying her.

trappings n.pl. accoutrements or US also accouterments, panoply,

caparison, equipage, apparatus, equipment, paraphernalia,

appointments, furnishings, furniture, gear, rig, habiliments,

decoration(s), embellishment(s), accessories, frippery or

fripperies, adornment(s), trimmings, raiment, fittings, finery:

Many respect the trappings of office more than the

office-holder.

trash n. 1 rubbish, (stuff and) nonsense, balderdash, moonshine,

gibberish, gobbledegook or gobbledygook, tommy-rot, bunkum,

garbage, twaddle, Colloq rot, flapdoodle, crap, codswallop,

bosh, piffle, hooey, bunk, malarkey, poppycock, boloney or

baloney, eyewash, hogwash, bilge-water, bull, Scots havers, Brit

tosh, gammon, US a crock, hokum, gurry, horse feathers, Slang

Brit (a load of (old)) cobblers, Taboo slang bullshit,

horseshit, Brit balls, US a crock of shit: Don't believe him -

he is talking trash. 2 (Chiefly US and Canadian) junk,

brummagem, knick-knacks, gewgaws, trifles, bric-…-brac, frippery

or fripperies, bits and pieces, odds and ends, trinkets, tinsel,

'Not Wanted on Voyage': There was mostly trash in the flea

market, but there were one or two more valuable items. 3 (In US

and Canada) rubbish, litter, garbage, waste, refuse, junk,

debris, rubble, dregs, dross, scoria, slag, offscourings, dirt,

sweepings, Slang crap: The service comes to remove the trash

once a week.

--v. 4 Slang chiefly US destroy, ruin, wreck, vandalize,

deface: The lodgers trashed the flat before doing a moonlight

flit.

traumatic adj. shocking, upsetting, disturbing, painful, agonizing,

distressing, harmful, hurtful, injurious, damaging, wounding,

traumatizing: Few experiences are more traumatic than losing a

child.

travel n. 1 travelling, tourism, touring, globe-trotting: Travel is

an enriching experience. Travel by air is the commonest means of

long-distance transport. 2 travels. trips, expeditions,

journeys, excursions, tours, voyages, touring, treks, trekking,

travelling, wanderings, peregrinations, junkets, pilgrimages:

In all your travels, have you ever encountered an honest man?

--v. 3 journey, go, move, proceed, roam, rove, traverse, tour,

take or make a trip or tour or excursion or junket or journey,

trek, voyage: As one who has travelled far and wide, what is

your favourite country? 4 go, move, socialize, fraternize,

associate, Colloq hang around or about: Cordelia and I do not

travel in the same circles.

traveller n. tourist, voyager, sightseer, globe-trotter, gypsy, wanderer,

hiker, rover, wayfarer, Jocular bird of passage, Colloq

rubberneck(er), jet-setter, Chiefly Brit tripper, day-tripper,

holiday-maker: Travellers have been greatly inconvenienced by

the strike of customs officials.

travelling

adj. itinerant, wandering, peripatetic, roving, mobile,

nomadic, touring, wayfaring, migratory, restless: At fourteen,

he joined a travelling circus.

traverse v. 1 cross, criss-cross, travel or pass or move over or

through, walk, cover, travel (over), roam, wander, range, tramp,

tour: He has traversed the country from end to end innumerable

times. 2 cross, criss-cross, go across; lie or extend across or

athwart, bridge, intersect: The road traverses the river

several times at Newtown. 3 oppose, cross, thwart, go or act

against, go or act in opposition or counter to, conflict (with),

controvert, contravene, counter, obstruct, contradict, gainsay,

deny: The policies of today seem to traverse those set forth

only last year. 4 examine, look into, scrutinize, inspect,

investigate, review, study, look at, consider, contemplate,

scan, look over, check, survey, reconnoitre, observe: Certain

areas of knowledge are seldom traversed by scholars.

treasure n. 1 wealth, riches, money, fortune, valuables, cash, cache,

hoard: The existence of the treasure came to light only last

week. 2 pride (and joy), delight, joy, darling, ideal, apple of

(one's) eye, Colloq jewel, gem, prize, find, catch: Kathy is a

treasure and I don't know what we did before we hired her.

--v. 3 hold dear, cherish, value, prize, esteem, rate or value

highly: We treasure the signed letter that Churchill wrote to

my father. I treasure every moment we can spend together.

treasury n. exchequer, bank, cache, resources, funds, money(s): There

was not enough money in the treasury to pay for the scheme. The

Treasury indicated their concern at the current state of the

economy.

treat v. 1 handle, manage, behave or act toward(s), deal with; use:

Why should we treat female employees any differently? 2 handle,

manage, deal with, discuss, touch on or upon, consider, take up,

study, examine, explore, investigate, scrutinize, analyse, go

into, probe, survey, expound (on), criticize, review, critique:

That subject is treated in Chapter VI. 3 nurse, doctor, attend,

care for, look after, prescribe for, medicate: He is being

treated for gallstones. 4 entertain, take out, pay for, regale,

play host to; wine and dine: Our visitors treated us when we

went out to dinner yesterday. 5 treat (someone) to (something).

pay (the bill) for, buy (something) for: Edward treated us all

to ice-cream.

--n. 6 favour, gift, present, boon, bonus, premium, Colloq US

and Canadian freebie: Put your money away - this is my treat.

treatment n. 1 Often, treatment of. behaviour (towards), conduct

(towards), action (towards), handling (of), care (of),

management (of), dealing(s) (with), manipulation (of), reception

(of); usage (of): I am not accustomed to such rude treatment.

Your treatment of our customers must be more courteous, Miss

Davidson. 2 therapy, care, curing, remedying, healing: They

received extensive medical treatment for the injuries they had

sustained.

treaty n. pact, agreement, alliance, concordat, entente, covenant,

deal, contract, compact, accord: They entered into a treaty not

to violate each other's borders.

tremble v. 1 quiver, shake, quake, shiver, shudder, quaver, quail;

vibrate, rock: Her first big role and she was trembling like a

leaf! The earth trembled as the tanks rolled past.

--n. 2 quiver, shake, quake, shiver, shudder, quaver, tremor;

vibration: There was a little tremble, and then the building

collapsed.

tremulous adj. 1 trembling, a-tremble, quivering, shaking, quaking,

shivering, shuddering, quavering, hesitant, wavering, unsure,

unsteady, faltering, doubtful, nervous, shaky, palpitating,

jumpy, Colloq jittery: His tremulous hands revealed just how

apprehensive he was. 2 timid, shy, bashful, anxious, worried,

timorous, fearful, afraid, frightened, scared: I cannot

remember when I felt so tremulous before meeting someone.

trenchant adj. cutting, keen, acute, sharp, pointed, poignant,

penetrating, incisive, biting, mordant, mordacious, sarcastic,

bitter, acerbic, acid, vitriolic, tart, acrid, acrimonious,

acidulous, corrosive, caustic: The critics dismissed the play

with a few trenchant remarks.

trend n. 1 tendency, leaning, bias, bent, drift, course, inclination,

direction: The trend seems to be towards shorter skirts. 2

fashion, style, vogue, mode, look, rage, Colloq fad, craze,

thing: Why is she so compulsive about keeping up with the

latest trends?

--v. 3 tend, lean, be biased, bend, drift, incline, veer, turn,

swing, shift, head: At the convention, the party leaders

trended more to the left of centre.

trendy adj. 1 fashionable, stylish, … la mode, modern, up to date, up

to the minute, in vogue, voguish, all the rage, Slang hot, now,

with it, groovy, in the groove, in, flash: Sibyl travels with

that trendy set from Belgravia.

--n. 2 show-off, clothes-horse, coxcomb, exhibitionist, Slang

Brit pseud, grandstander: Don't you just hate those trendies

down at Cole's wine bar?

trial n. 1 test, testing, experiment, proof, try-out, trying out,

trial run, examination, check, checking, Colloq dry run: The

trials of the new life-jackets are to be conducted soon. 2

hearing, enquiry or inquiry, examination, inquisition,

litigation, judicial proceeding, lawsuit, contest: Throughout

the trial, the accused protested his innocence. 3 try, attempt,

endeavour, effort, venture, essay, Colloq go, shot, stab, fling,

whirl, crack, whack: This was their first trial at climbing the

north face. 4 trouble, affliction, tribulation, hardship,

adversity, suffering, grief, woe, misery, distress, bad or hard

luck, misfortune, hard times: Mona acknowledged the trial of

having ten children and no husband. 5 nuisance, irritation,

bother, bane, annoyance, pest, irritant, thorn in the flesh or

side, US bur or burr under the saddle, Colloq plague, hassle,

pain (in the neck), headache, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse

or US ass: William, who is full of mischief, is a constant

trial to his mother.

--adj. 6 sample, experimental, exploratory, provisional,

probationary, tentative, conditional, pilot: Will you consider

a trial subscription to Verbatim, The Language Quarterly?

tribe n. race, stock, strain, nation, breed, people, seed, (ethnic)

group, gens, clan, blood, pedigree, family, sept, dynasty,

house; caste, class: It was important in that society to marry

someone from the same tribe.

tribunal n. court (of justice), bar, bench, judiciary, Inquisition, Star

Chamber: Should he be tried before a judicial tribunal or

pilloried by the tribunal of public opinion?

tributary n. branch, offshoot, streamlet, feeder, brook, rivulet, run,

rill, runnel, runlet, streamlet, Scots and No. Eng. burn, No.

Eng. beck, US creek, NE US kill: The Teviot is one of the

tributaries of the Tweed.

tribute n. 1 honour, homage, recognition, celebration, respect, esteem,

testimonial, compliment, encomium, acknowledgement, acclaim,

acclamation, commendation, praise, kudos, laudation, panegyric,

eulogy, glorification, exaltation: No greater tribute could be

bestowed than recognition by one's fellows. 2 tax, exaction,

impost, duty, excise, levy, dues, assessment, tariff, charge,

surcharge, payment, contribution, offering, gift; ransom; tithe,

Peter's or Peter pence: In exchange for their freedom, the king

demanded an annual tribute of a thousand oxen.

trick n. 1 ruse, artifice, device, stratagem, wile, deception,

manoeuvre, deceit, fraud, hoax, imposture, intrigue,

machination, conspiracy, subterfuge, dodge, confidence trick,

sham, Slang con: The government's 'dirty tricks squad'

perpetrated crimes against their political adversaries. 2 prank,

frolic, antic, (practical) joke, hoax, tomfoolery, antic, caper,

jape; sport, horseplay, mischief; Scots cantrip, Colloq

leg-pull, gag, shenanigans, US dido: The boys meant no harm,

they're just up to their tricks. 3 art, knack, technique,

skill, secret, gift, ability, Colloq hang: He has developed the

trick of persuading people to buy life insurance. 4 Usually, no

mean trick. feat, accomplishment, deed: It was no mean trick to

train a cat to fetch his slippers. 5 sleight of hand,

legerdemain, magic, stunt: I have taught him all the tricks I

know. 6 trait, characteristic, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy,

eccentricity, quirk, practice, habit, mannerism, crotchet,

weakness, foible: He has an odd trick of winking while giving a

sly smile. 7 do the trick. work, answer, fulfil the need,

suffice, be effective, solve or take care of the problem, do or

accomplish the necessary, US turn the trick, Colloq fill the

bill: Replacing the battery cable did the trick.

--v. 8 fool, hoodwink, dupe, mislead, outwit, outmanoeuvre,

deceive, misguide, misinform, gull, bilk, cheat, defraud, cozen,

take in, swindle, humbug, Colloq bamboozle, take, put something

over on (someone), pull the wool over (someone's) eyes, Brit

gammon, Slang rook: I knew I had been tricked when I missed my

wallet. For years the couple made a living tricking tourists out

of their money. She tricked me into taking her to dinner.

--adj. 9 See tricky, 3, below.

trickery n. chicanery, deception, deceit, guile, shrewdness, craftiness,

slyness, shiftiness, evasiveness, artfulness, artifice, craft,

imposture, swindling, knavery, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud,

cheating, Colloq hanky-panky, skulduggery, funny or monkey

business, jiggery-pokery: He separated her from her money by

trickery.

trickle v. 1 drip, drop, dribble, drizzle, run, flow, spill; ooze,

seep, leak, exude: The water trickled onto the floor. Blood is

trickling from the wound.

--n. 2 drip, seepage, spill, dribble, runnel, runlet, rivulet:

A tiny trickle of saliva appeared at the corner of his mouth.

tricky adj. 1 deceitful, shady, deceptive, shifty, dodgy, artful,

guileful, crafty, duplicitous, shrewd, cunning, dishonest,

devious, sly, wily, slippery, foxy, double-dealing, cheating:

Arthur is a tricky chap and I shouldn't trust him. 2 ticklish,

risky, hazardous, sensitive, delicate, touch-and-go, thorny,

difficult, awkward, complex, complicated, knotty, uncertain,

debatable, Colloq iffy, sticky: It is a tricky decision whether

you tell a patient how ill he really is. 3 unfair, unjust,

unsportsmanlike, deceptive, Colloq trick: There were some

tricky questions in today's exam.

trifle n. 1 knick-knack, trinket, bauble, bagatelle, toy, gewgaw,

nothing, plaything, bˆtise, Colloq doodah: Oh, it's nothing,

just a trifle I picked up in the Seychelles. 2 little, bit,

drop, iota, scintilla, suggestion, dash, dab, pinch, whiff,

mite, whit, jot, tittle, Colloq smidgen or smidgin, US tad: I'd

like a trifle more sugar in my coffee, if you don't mind.

--v. 3 Usually, trifle with. dally (with), flirt (with), wanton

(with), mess about (with), toy (with); play (with), fiddle

(with), dandle, tinker (with), fidget (with): I hated to see

the way he trifled with my sister's affections. While trifling

with this knob, I was able to get Radio Moscow.

trifling adj. trivial, insignificant, unimportant, puny, minor, paltry,

slight, petty, inconsequential, frivolous, superficial,

incidental, negligible, commonplace, inconsiderable, shallow,

valueless, worthless, US and Canadian picayune, Colloq piddling:

Their contribution to musical scholarship has been trifling.

trim adj. 1 neat, tidy, orderly, well-ordered, well-groomed, well

turned out, well-kempt, smart, crisp, dapper, spick and span,

spruce, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), Archaic or dialectal

trig, Colloq natty, US spiffy: Nancy arrived wearing her trim

new flight-attendant's uniform. 2 in good or fine fettle, fit

(as a fiddle), athletic, slim, slender, clean-cut, shapely,

streamlined, compact: Larry looks so trim that I asked him if

he had lost weight. The new convertible model is a very trim

little motor-car.

--v. 3 curtail, shorten, prune, pare, lop (off), crop, bob,

clip, cut, shave, shear, snip, dock; barber: They trimmed the

article by cutting two paragraphs from the end. He had shaved

off his beard and trimmed his moustache. 4 decorate, embellish,

dress up, embroider, adorn, ornament, deck out, caparison,

beautify: When should we trim the Christmas tree?

--n. 5 trimming, edging, piping, purfling, ricrac or rickrack,

embroidery, border, hem, frill, fringe, ornament, ornamentation,

decoration, embellishment, adornment: The skirt was spoilt by a

rather cheap trim round the hem. 6 condition, state, fettle,

health, form, order, fitness, repair, Colloq shape: Sid's car

seemed to be in good trim when I saw it yesterday.

trio n. threesome, trilogy, triad, triplex, triple, troika,

triptych, triumvirate, triplet, trine, triune, trinity, three:

An interesting trio showed up for dinner.

trip n. 1 stumble, slip, blunder, false step, misstep, fall: He

sprained his ankle in that trip on the stair. 2 stumble, slip,

blunder, false step, misstep, faux pas, error, mistake,

indiscretion, lapse, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae,

erratum, oversight; Freudian slip; Slang Brit boob: If it

hadn't been for that one trip, we would have had a perfect

score. 3 tour, journey, excursion, outing, expedition, voyage,

trek, peregrination, jaunt, junket, drive: We took a short

side-trip to visit Khios.

--v. 4 dance, caper, skip, cavort, gambol, frisk, hop, spring:

Joanne came tripping gaily down the Champs •lys‚es. 5 stumble,

slip, blunder, misstep, fall (down), tumble, topple, dive,

plunge, sprawl, lurch, flounder, stagger, falter: I tripped on

the doorstep and went head over heels. 6 Often, trip up. trap,

trick, catch out, unsettle, throw off, disconcert: She has been

trying to trip me up and confess to something I didn't do. 7

journey, travel, voyage, visit, tour, trek, sightsee, cruise;

Colloq globe-trot: They have been tripping all over Europe this

summer. 8 detonate, set off, trigger, operate, release,

explode, spark off: When he touched the wire, he tripped the

charge. 9 Often, trip out. hallucinate, Slang freak out, turn

on: There's no talking to him when he's tripping out on coke.

triumph n. 1 victory, conquest, success, achievement, accomplishment,

attainment, coup, ascendancy: The discovery of the drug was

perhaps the greatest of his many triumphs. 2 exultation,

rejoicing, exulting, elation, delight, rapture, exhilaration,

jubilation, happiness, joy, celebration, glory: There was great

triumph on winning the World Cup.

--v. 3 Often, triumph over. win, succeed, carry the day, be

victorious, gain a victory, take the honours, thrive, dominate,

prevail; defeat, beat, rout, vanquish, best, conquer, overcome,

overwhelm, subdue: Does justice always triumph? The book is

about how man triumphed over pain.

triumphal adj. celebratory, rapturous, jubilant, joyful, glorious,

exultant; commemorative: A holiday was declared to celebrate

her triumphal entry into the city. This triumphal arch

commemorates Trajan's victory over the Dacians.

triumphant

adj. victorious, successful, conquering, winning; undefeated:

The triumphant hero returns tonight!

triviality

n. 1 smallness, unimportance, insignificance, meaninglessness,

inconsequentiality or inconsequentialness or inconsequence or

inconsequentness, trivialness, pettiness, paltriness: I have

difficulty coping with the triviality of some of my boss's

requests. 2 trifle, technicality, non-essential, small matter,

unimportant or insignificant or inconsequential or trivial or

petty detail, bˆtise: He tends to get bogged down in

trivialities, unable to see what is important.

trivialize

v. belittle, denigrate, lessen, minimize, undervalue,

depreciate, underestimate, underrate, make light of, laugh off,

underplay, dismiss, disparage, misprize, beggar, deprecate,

slight, scoff at, scorn, run down, decry, Colloq put down, play

down, pooh-pooh: Edward tends to trivialize the work of others.

trophy n. 1 prize, laurel(s), wreath, cup, award, reward, honour(s),

medal, citation, palm, bays; booty, spoils, Colloq gold, silver,

silverware: He has won trophies for more boat races than I have

participated in. 2 memento, souvenir, token, record, reminder,

remembrance, keepsake: That scar is a trophy of a hand-to-hand

fight near El Alamein.

trot v. 1 jog, run; bustle, hustle, hurry, hasten, scamper, scoot,

Colloq skedaddle: I trot round the park every morning for

exercise. As I need some butter, I'd better trot down to the

shop before it closes. 2 trot out. bring out, show, display,

exhibit, flaunt, come out with; dredge up, drag out; recite,

repeat: Our neighbour trotted out his new lawnmower for us to

admire.

--n. 3 jog, lope, single-foot, pace; run: It was a delight to

watch the young horses in a fast trot round the track. 4

translation, gloss, interpretation, crib, Colloq US pony, horse:

He couldn't read Homer without a trot.

trouble v. 1 bother, upset, anguish, alarm, worry, afflict, agitate,

disquiet, discomfit, make uncomfortable, grieve, perturb,

discommode, inconvenience, discompose, discountenance, put out,

burden, encumber, weigh down: I don't mean to trouble you with

my problems, but I have no one else to turn to. 2 annoy,

irritate, irk, vex, bother, plague, pester, torment, harass,

hector, harry, provoke, nettle, exasperate, ruffle, Colloq get

or grate on (someone's) nerves, give (someone) a hard time, get

under (someone's) skin: Vincent keeps troubling me for advice

on starting a new business. 3 discommode, incommode, impose on,

inconvenience, put out, thank: I'll trouble you to turn off the

light when you leave the room. 4 care, be concerned, take the

trouble or the time, go to the trouble, bother, exert (oneself),

concern (oneself), take pains: He never troubled to find out if

his family was safe.

--n. 5 distress, worry, concern, difficulty, discomfort,

unpleasantness, inconvenience, vexation, grief, woe, affliction,

disquiet, suffering, tribulation, anxiety, torment, anguish,

strife: Her trouble began when her ex-husband stopped paying

for child support. How can someone so insignificant cause so

much trouble? 6 annoyance, bother, tormenter, irritation,

nuisance, nag, heckler, pest, Slang US nudnik: Ever since she

lost her job, she's been a trouble to her family. 7 disorder,

agitation, row, disturbance, turbulence, tumult, upset,

dissatisfaction, unrest, discord, dispute, turmoil, rebellion,

revolt, uprising, outbreak, fighting, fight, skirmishing,

skirmish: The trouble began when workers refused to allow

management to hire replacements. 8 affliction, defect,

disability, disease, ailment, illness, sickness, disorder,

complaint: With her trouble she ought to see a doctor. 9 in

trouble. a in deep trouble, in a mess, in a predicament, in

dire straits, Colloq in a pickle, in hot water, on the spot, in

a scrape, Slang Brit in shtook or shtuk or shtuck or schtuck,

Taboo slang in deep shit, up shit creek (without (the vestige

of) a paddle): They will be in terrible trouble if the bank

forecloses on the mortgage. b unmarried or unwed and impregnated

or pregnant or with child or expecting or in a delicate

condition or colloq in a family way: Most of the girls who are

in trouble are teenagers.

troublemaker

n. mischief-maker, rabble-rouser, gadfly, firebrand, agent

provocateur, stormy petrel, incendiary, gossip-monger,

scandalmonger, malcontent, instigator, meddler, agitator: As

far as the police were concerned, any protester was, by

definition, a troublemaker.

troublesome

adj. worrisome, worrying, annoying, irksome, irritating,

vexatious, bothersome, distressing, difficult, burdensome,

Colloq pestiferous, US and Canadian pesky: We sometimes have to

put up with troublesome motor-cycle gangs.

truant n. 1 malingerer, runaway, absentee, delinquent, dodger,

shirker, idler, loafer, layabout, Slang Brit skiver, Brit

military scrimshanker: Truants were warned that their parents

would be required to visit the school.

--adj. 2 malingering, runaway, absent, absentee, delinquent,

shirking, loafing, Slang Brit skiving: The officer brought in

three truant boys found fishing at the lake.

truce n. 1 armistice, cease-fire, suspension of hostilities, lull,

moratorium, respite, let-up, intermission, interval, interlude:

It looked as if the truce might last. 2 pact, treaty, compact,

agreement, cease-fire, armistice: If both sides abide by the

truce the war might be over.

truck n. 1 merchandise, commodities, goods, stock, wares, stuff, odds

and ends, sundries, junk, rubbish, US trash: There was no one

in the shop and all the truck was stacked in the corner. 2

dealing(s), traffic, business, transaction, trade, commerce,

communication, contact, connection, (business or social)

relations: She refuses to have any truck with the likes of you.

truckle v. kowtow, be obsequious, toady, defer, bow, scrape, genuflect,

salaam, drop to the ground or to (one's) knees or down on

(one's) knees, submit, yield, cower, cringe, grovel, crawl,

quail, fawn (on or upon), Colloq butter up, fall all over, lick

(someone's) boots, boot-lick, US apple-polish, Slang suck up to,

Taboo slang brown-nose, kiss (someone's) Brit arse or US ass:

Just look how Caroline is always truckling to the boss, hoping

for favours.

truculent adj. surly, sullen, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, unpleasant,

nasty, obstreperous, rude, unpleasant, ferocious, fierce,

savage, feral, barbarous, harsh, scathing, virulent, combative,

belligerent, antagonistic, bellicose, hostile, contentious,

warlike, violent, pugnacious, Colloq scrappy: I don't care

enough for this job to endure the boss's truculent attitude a

moment longer.

true adj. 1 accurate, correct, truthful, faithful, literal,

authentic, veracious, actual, factual, realistic, genuine,

right, valid, unelaborated, unvarnished, unadulterated,

verified, verifiable: Do you swear that this is a true account

of what actually took place? 2 staunch, faithful, devoted,

dedicated, loyal, fast, firm, unswerving, steady, steadfast,

trustworthy, trusty, dutiful, upright, honourable, constant,

unwavering, stable, dependable, sincere, reliable, true-blue:

D'Artagnan proved himself to be a true friend. 3 proper, exact,

accurate, unerring, correct, precise, right, Slang Brit spot on:

It is important that these matters be seen in their true

perspective. If this is a true copy of the original, please

sign it.

--adv. 4 truly, truthfully, honestly, accurately, candidly,

frankly, sincerely, straightforwardly: Tell me true, do you

love me? If the report speaks true, then we must find the

culprit. 5 exactly, correctly; geographically: We sail true

north to Iceland. 6 come true. come to pass, occur, take,

place, happen, be realized, become a reality, be fulfilled: Her

dreams finally came true when she bought a little house in Kent.

truism n. commonplace, platitude, bromide, axiom, clich‚, maxim: You

can rely on Vera to utter a truism like, 'It's a nice day', on a

warm, sunny day.

truly adv. 1 truthfully, actually, really, honestly, in fact, in

truth, in actuality, in reality, in all honesty, sincerely,

genuinely: Are you truly giving up your job to get married? I

truly believed her to be guilty. 2 properly, rightly,

rightfully, justly, legitimately, justifiably, duly, well and

truly, accurately: In the circumstances, can we truly condemn

him for behaving as he did? 3 definitely, really, actually,

undoubtedly, indubitably, beyond (the shadow of) a doubt, beyond

question, without a doubt, indeed, unquestionably, absolutely,

positively, decidedly, certainly, surely: I believed her to be

truly guilty. 4 in truth, indeed, really, honestly, sincerely,

genuinely, Archaic (yea,) verily, Usually ironic forsooth: I

love you, darling, truly I do.

trunk n. 1 main stem, stalk, stock, Technical bole: After the

tornado, only the trunks of the trees remained upright. 2

torso, body: All that was found of the corpse was the trunk. 3

chest, locker, foot-locker, box, case, bin, coffer, casket: We

found a trunk full of old books in the attic. 4 snout,

proboscis: The elephant reached for the food with its trunk. 5

(In US and Canada) luggage compartment, Brit boot: We cannot

get all the luggage into the trunk of the car.

trust n. 1 confidence, reliance, faith, conviction, certitude,

certainty, sureness, positiveness, assurance, belief: Place

your trust in me. 2 credit, reliability, dependability,

credibility, trustworthiness: The company will sell you the

piano on trust. 3 custody, care, keeping, charge, guardianship,

protection, safe keeping, trusteeship: The money is in trust

for Gillian's grandchildren. 4 monopoly, cartel; group,

corporation, conglomerate: An international trust controls the

world market in diamonds.

--v. 5 rely (on or upon), have faith or confidence (in),

confide (in), depend or bank or count (on or upon), pin (one's)

faith or hopes on or upon: I trust that you will attend the

meeting. In God we trust - others must pay cash. Can I trust you

to keep a secret? Don't trust to luck. 6 entrust, commit, give,

delegate, make or turn or sign or hand over, depute, assign,

empower, consign: I shouldn't trust my money to her.

trusting adj. trustful, unsuspicious, confiding, confident,

unsuspecting; na‹ve, innocent, gullible, incautious, credulous:

It is a good thing that her husband has a trusting nature.

Samantha might be a little too trusting and could easily be

deceived.

trustworthy

adj. reliable, trusty, dependable, accurate; responsible,

steady, steadfast, loyal, faithful, (tried and) true,

honourable, honest, ethical, principled, moral, incorruptible:

Is this thermometer trustworthy? Isaac's former employer said

that he is completely trustworthy.

truth n. 1 genuineness, reality, actuality, correctness, accuracy,

fact: The truth of the matter is that he's in love with you. 2

fact(s): To tell the truth, I came here to kill you. 3 in

truth. in fact, truly, actually, really: In truth, his name is

not Jack Armstrong at all but Ebenezer Braithwaite.

truthful adj. true, accurate, factual, veracious, true to life, honest,

realistic, reliable, faithful, trustworthy, straightforward,

candid, frank, sincere, earnest, forthright, unvarnished,

unembellished: He gave a truthful account of his experiences in

the jungle.

try v. 1 attempt, endeavour, essay, seek, undertake, venture,

strive, struggle, make an effort, try (one's) hand at, Colloq

have a stab or go or whack (at), take a shot or crack (at): He

tried to help me with my homework. 2 test, try out, prove,

evaluate, examine, inspect, check out, sample, appraise, assay,

look over, analyse, scrutinize, assess, judge: I'll try your

way of solving the problem. You won't know if it works till you

try it. 3 test, prove, strain, tax: You are trying my patience

with your silly questions. 4 hear, sit on, adjudicate, judge,

adjudge: There are three more cases to try this month.

--n. 5 attempt, endeavour, essay, undertaking, venture,

struggle, effort, turn, Colloq go, stab, whack, fling, shot,

crack: You have three tries to pin the tail on the donkey.

trying adj. irritating, exasperating, frustrating, annoying, irksome,

infuriating, maddening, bothersome, tiresome, vexing,

troublesome, worrying, worrisome, distressing, disquieting,

upsetting, dispiriting, taxing, demanding, tough, stressful,

difficult, tiring, fatiguing: This must be a trying time for

you, caring for eight small children.

20.7 tug...

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tug v. 1 pull, tow, yank, jerk, draw, drag, haul, wrench: The boy

was tugging a little puppy along on a lead.

--n. 2 pull, tow, yank, jerk, drag, haul, wrench: I gave a tug

and the doorknob came away in my hand.

tuition n. education, teaching, tutelage, training, schooling,

instruction, guidance, preparation: The course fees cover

tuition and accommodation.

tumble v. 1 fall (down), pitch, turn end over end or head over heels,

roll, drop: Giggling hysterically, we tumbled in a heap on the

lawn. 2 drop, toss, dump, jumble: The waiter tumbled several

spoonfuls of berries on to my plate. 3 tumble to. understand,

apprehend, perceive, comprehend, see the light, Colloq get the

signal or message, catch on, Brit twig to, Slang get wise, wise

up, dig: I finally tumbled to what she was trying to tell me.

--n. 4 fall, slip, stumble, Colloq header, spill: Joshua took

a bad tumble on the stairs yesterday.

tumbledown

adj. ramshackle, dilapidated, ruined, in ruins, decrepit,

rickety, shaky, falling apart or to pieces, disintegrating,

tottering, broken-down, crumbling, gone to rack and ruin: He

lived for years in a tumbledown shanty near the railway.

tumour n. neoplasm, cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, malignancy, carcinoma,

growth, lump, swelling, protuberance, excrescence: The doctor

found a tumour that he said ought to be removed.

tumult n. commotion, disturbance, upset, uproar, riot, disorder,

disquiet, insurrection, agitation, bedlam, chaos, brouhaha,

fracas, hubbub, stir, pandemonium, hullabaloo, furore or US

furor, brawl, Donnybrook, affray, row, mˆl‚e or melee,

turbulence, ferment, ado, turmoil, confusion, rampage, frenzy,

rage, excitement, rumpus, Colloq US ruckus: The tumult caused

by the football hooligans spread through the city.

tumultuous

adj. clamorous, noisy, boisterous, disorderly, turbulent,

violent, uproarious, chaotic, frenzied, furious, excited,

agitated, hectic, riotous, rowdy, unruly, unrestrained, fierce,

savage, wild, hysterical, frantic, rumbustious, boisterous,

obstreperous, tempestuous, stormy: The heroes received a

tumultuous welcome on their return.

tune n. 1 melody, air, song, strain, motif, theme: David presents a

marvellous half-hour radio programme of show tunes every week. 2

euphony, pitch, harmony, accord, accordance, consonance, unison,

correspondence, conformity: She cannot sing in tune. The guitar

is out of tune with the piano. Her husband is out of tune with

today's fashion.

--v. 3 tune up, calibrate, adjust, regulate, coordinate, adapt,

attune, align, set: That garage charges too much for tuning an

engine. 4 tune in (on). attend (to), pay attention (to), listen

(to), understand, be aware (of), be on the qui vive, be alert

(to), Slang be on the same wavelength or frequency (with): I am

not sure that Bernard is tuned in to what his sister does for a

living. 5 tune out. ignore, disregard, turn a blind eye to, be

blind to, turn one's back on, turn a deaf ear to: Sally is able

to tune out anything she doesn't like to hear.

tuneful adj. melodic, musical, sweet-sounding, melodious, euphonious,

dulcet, mellifluent, mellifluous, harmonic, catchy, mellow,

smooth, rich, rhythmic, Colloq easy on the ear(s): Irving

Berlin wrote some of the most tuneful music that we have.

tunnel n. 1 shaft, subway, (underground) passage(way), underpass;

burrow, hole; Channel Tunnel, Colloq Chunnel: The cat got out

through this tunnel.

--v. 2 burrow, dig, hole, excavate, penetrate, mine: The

prisoners tunnelled under the wall and escaped.

turf n. 1 sod, sward, green, grass, greensward, lawn: We bought

some turf for the new lawn. 2 territory, bailiwick, area,

neighbourhood, backyard, Colloq stamping-ground, home ground,

(personal) space: You're on my turf now, so you'll do as I say.

3 the turf. horse-racing, racing, the racing world, racecourse,

racetrack: The attractions of the turf keep them from other

pursuits.

--v. 4 turf out. eject, dismiss, expel, throw out, oust,

banish, exile, Colloq sack, bounce, give (someone) the boot or

the sack or the (old) heave-ho, chuck or toss or kick or boot

out, fire: The committee said he had brought the sport into

disrepute and turfed him out of the team.

turn v. 1 rotate, revolve, spin, roll, reel, circle, gyrate, whirl,

wheel, go (a)round or about, pivot, swivel: The earth turns on

its axis. Turn the crank to raise the bucket. 2 move, shift,

wheel, veer, swing, face: As she turned I noticed a horrible

scar. 3 reverse, turn (a)round, alter, change, adapt,

reorganize, remodel, modify, refashion, reshape, reform,

transform, make over, convert, bring over: He has been trying

to turn the business into a profit-making enterprise. He has

turned defeat into advance. She managed to turn one of the most

loyal membrs of the government. 4 go or pass or move (a)round,

veer, drive, walk: Turn left at the corner. 5 go bad, become

rancid, spoil, curdle, addle, sour, decay, moulder, rot,

putrefy, Colloq go off: All the milk in the fridge had turned

because of the power cut. 6 apply, put, use, employ: Is there

any way we can turn this situation to our advantage? 7

Sometimes, turn aside or away. block, avert, thwart, prevent,

balk or baulk, parry, deflect, fend off, check: He deftly

turned aside the thrust of the dagger. 8 form, make up,

fashion, formulate, construct, cast, create, coin, concoct,

express: Donald certainly knows how to turn a felicitous

phrase. 9 direct, aim, point: He turned the gun on himself and

pulled the trigger. 10 twist, sprain, wrench: I have turned my

ankle and cannot walk. 11 twist, wind, snake, curve, bend, arc,

coil, loop, meander, zigzag: The road turned this way and that,

following the river bank. 12 turn against. defy, mutiny, rebel,

revolt, rise (up) against: The captain had not expected the

first mate to turn against him, too. 13 turn back. a reverse,

repulse, repel, rebuff, drive back, beat back: At last we

turned back the enemy's advance. b go back, retrace (one's)

steps, return: We must turn back before it is too late. 14

turn down. a refuse, reject, rebuff, decline, deny: My request

for help was turned down. b decrease or diminish or lessen or

lower or soften the sound of: Turn down the radio, I'm on the

phone. 15 turn in. a go to bed or sleep, retire, withdraw,

call it a day, Slang hit the sack or the hay: I usually turn in

by eleven o'clock. b hand in or over, turn over, deliver, give

in, submit, offer, proffer, tender, give back, return,

surrender, yield: Please turn in your visitors' badges before

you leave. c turn over, deliver (up), inform on, betray, Colloq

squeal on, rat on, finger, tell on: For enough money, he'd turn

in his own mother. 16 turn into. a turn to, become, change

into or to, metamorphose into or to: Right before her, the

prince turned into a frog again. b go or come into, drive into,

pull into, walk into: They lost sight of the suspect when he

turned into a side-street. 17 turn off. a stop, switch off,

deactivate, discontinue; extinguish: First turn off the water,

then the light. b disillusion, depress, cool (off), disenchant,

disaffect, alienate, repel, repulse, bore, offend, put off,

displease, sicken, nauseate, disgust: People who don't brush

their teeth turn me off. c deviate, diverge: When you come to

the fork, turn off to the right. 18 turn on. a start (up),

switch on, energize, activate, set in motion, cause to function

or operate: Turn on the light. b depend on or upon, be

contingent on, hinge on or upon, be subject to: The success of

the venture turns on our ability to capitalize it. c excite,

thrill, arouse, stimulate, titillate, work up, impassion: He

was really turned on by the girl in the bar. 19 turn on or

upon. a concern, revolve about, relate to: The discussion

turned on his ability to write music. b be hostile to, attack,

assail, set upon, Colloq tear into: Oliver is so unpopular that

his own dog turned on him and bit him. 20 turn out. a make,

form, shape, construct, build, fabricate, put together,

assemble, manufacture, produce, put out, bring out: The plant

turns out a thousand cars a week. b develop, evolve, eventuate,

happen, result, prove, occur, end up, arise: As it turned out,

he lost anyway. It turns out that he knows my sister. c eject,

evict, throw out, expel, oust, dismiss, terminate, cashier,

Colloq fire, sack, kick out, axe, Brit turf out: When they

found I wasn't a member, they turned me out. d dress, fit out,

equip, rig out, accoutre or US also accouter: She was well

turned out in a beautiful ball gown. e come, arrive, appear,

attend, assemble, meet, Colloq show (up), surface: 55,000

turned out for the rock concert. 21 turn over. a consider,

muse or ruminate over or about, revolve, ponder (over): I

needed a while to turn over the job offer in my mind. b

reverse, invert, turn upside down: Turn over the clock and read

the inscription on the bottom. c overturn, upset, knock over:

In my haste, I turned over the punch bowl. d sell, merchandise:

A shop in that location ought to turn over a million a year. e

rotate, revolve, spin, kick over: The engine turns over, but it

won't start. 22 turn tail. run away, flee, bolt, scoot, show a

clean pair of heels, cut and run, take to (one's) heels, beat a

hasty retreat, Colloq take off, beat it, scram, skedaddle: He

turned tail when I shouted for help. 23 turn to. a appeal to,

apply to, resort to: She turned to me for help. b advert to,

refer to, pick or take up, have recourse to: Please turn to

your exercise books now. c get to work, pitch in, buckle or

knuckle down: The neighbours turned to in helping clean up the

mess after the storm. d turn into, change to, convert into,

become: Lot's wife was turned to salt. 24 turn turtle.

capsize, overturn, keel over, upset, up-end, Colloq go bottoms

up: The overloaded barge turned turtle and sank in the river.

25 turn up. a surface, appear, arrive, Colloq show (up), show

one's face: Guess who turned up at our wedding? b come up,

arise, Colloq crop up, pop up: Something will turn up soon for

you. c uncover, discover, find, unearth, come across, hit upon,

dig up, expose, disclose, reveal, bring to light: We turned up

a formerly unknown fact about the shipwreck. d increase or

raise or amplify or intensify the sound of: Turn up the TV - I

can't hear what they're saying.

--n. 26 revolution, rotation, cycle, spin, whirl, circuit,

round, roll, twirl; pirouette: He gave the top another turn,

just to make sure it was on securely. 27 curve, bend, turning,

corner, sinuosity, dog-leg, hairpin bend or curve, irregularity,

meander, twist, zigzag, Colloq toing and froing: There are many

dangerous turns on that road. 28 loop, coil, spiral, twist:

Take two turns of this rope round your waist, then knot it. 29

deviation, turning, detour, shift, change of direction or

course: A turn to the right is not permitted at this corner.

30 opportunity, chance, say, round, spell, time, watch, shift,

stint, tour (of duty), move, trick, Colloq whack, crack, shot,

go: You have had your turn, now let someone else go. 31 drive,

spin, ride; airing, constitutional, ramble, saunter, stroll,

walk, promenade, amble: Let's take a short turn round the park.

32 trend, direction, drift: The conversation took a new turn.

33 change, alteration, switch: The doctor says that Valerie has

taken a turn for the better. 34 Usually, bad turn. disservice,

harm, injury, wrong: If you do someone a bad turn, what can you

expect? 35 Usually, good turn. favour, (good) deed, act (of

kindness), courtesy, boon, mercy: One good turn deserves

another. 36 shock, fright, surprise, start, scare: You really

gave me a turn, jumping out like that! 37 form, style, manner,

mode: Each turn of phrase in her writing seems original and

refreshing. 38 disposition, inclination, bent, bias, leaning,

tendency: Alistair is of a rather dour turn of mind tonight.

39 at every turn. everywhere, constantly, always, all the time:

In Scotland, we met with kindness and hospitality at every turn.

40 by turns. alternately, reciprocally, in rotation,

successively, in succession: The book is fascinating and

frustrating by turns. 41 in turn. sequentially, one after the

other, in succession, successively, in (proper) order: Each

patient will be treated in turn. 42 out of turn. a out of

sequence, out of order: I don't want you answering questions

out of proper turn, Jonathan. b imprudently, indiscreetly,

improperly, disobediently, inappropriately: I apologize if I am

speaking out of turn on this issue. 43 take turns. alternate,

vary, rotate, exchange: Let's take turns looking through the

telescope.

turn-about

n. reciprocity, exchange: Turn-about is fair play.

turncoat n. renegade, traitor, betrayer, deserter, fifth-columnist,

double agent, apostate, tergiversator, defector, backslider,

Vicar of Bray, US Benedict Arnold, Colloq snake in the grass:

Labour members who voted with the Tories on the issue were

branded turncoats.

turn-off n. 1 exit, side-road, feeder (road), auxiliary (road), ramp,

Brit slip-road, US (exit or entrance) ramp: Our shop is at the

first turn-off after the traffic light. 2 damper, killjoy,

Colloq wet blanket, Slang US freeze-out: It was a real turn-off

to discover that his hobby was model railways.

turnout n. 1 assemblage, muster, attendance, audience, crowd, gate,

throng, gathering: The turnout for the first day of the sale

was enormous. 2 output, production, out-turn, volume; gross

national product, GNP, gross domestic product, GDP: Turnout has

improved since the settlement of the labour dispute. 3 gear,

outfit, clothing, apparel, apparatus, equipment, trappings,

fittings, equipage: Have you seen Charlie in his

mountain-climbing turnout?

turnover n. gross (revenue), (total) business, volume: Although

turnover increased by ten per cent, profits were down by two per

cent.

tutor n. 1 teacher, instructor, educator, coach, mentor, guru:

Bernard engaged a tutor to coach him through the examinations.

--v. 2 teach, instruct, coach, educate, school, train,

indoctrinate, drill, enlighten, advise, direct, guide, prepare,

ground: Twitchell needs someone to tutor him in the fine art of

going out with girls.

20.8 tweak...

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tweak v. 1 pinch, nip, twitch, squeeze, jerk, grip: I do wish that

adults would refrain from tweaking my nose, though it is pretty

cute.

--n. 2 pinch, nip, twitch, squeeze, jerk, grip: He gave her

nose an affectionate little tweak.

twee adj. precious, sweet, sentimental, quaint, dainty, cute,

mignon(ne), bijou: The tearoom atmosphere is a bit too twee for

my taste.

twiddle v. 1 play with, twirl, fiddle (with), wiggle, juggle, toy with,

fidget with, Colloq fool with, mess with, monkey with: Stop

twiddling with the dial on that radio! 2 twiddle (one's)

thumbs. do nothing, be idle, idle or while away (the) time,

waste time, bide (one's) time: I sat there, twiddling my

thumbs, while you were being entertained royally.

twig° n. sprig, stem, shoot, offshoot, branchlet, stick, sucker,

sprout, withe or withy, tendril: Gather up some dry twigs for

kindling.

twigý v. understand, grasp, fathom, get, comprehend, see, know,

sense, divine, Colloq catch on, be or get or become wise to,

tumble to, Slang rumble, dig: She twigged the situation at once

but didn't let on she knew.

twilight n. 1 dusk, sunset, gloaming, sundown, half-light, crepuscule or

crepuscle: We enjoyed dinner at twilight on the terrace

overlooking the sea. 2 decline, wane, waning, ebb, downturn,

down-swing, slump, decay, weakening, declination, diminution:

Even at the twilight of his career, Jonas enjoyed the respect of

his colleagues. 3 Twilight of the Gods. G”tterd„mmerung,

Ragnar”k or Ragnarok: The world ends at the Twilight of the

Gods, only to be born anew.

--adj. 4 evening, crepuscular, dimming, darkening, darkish,

darksome, shadowy, shady, dim, dark, obscure, sombre, gloomy,

Literary darkling: The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled

thickets mourn. 5 twilight zone. limbo: He lives in the

twilight zone, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy.

twin n. 1 double, clone, duplicate, look-alike, counterpart, Slang

ringer: I cannot distinguish these twins.

--adj. 2 identical, matching, matched, duplicate,

corresponding, look-alike: The bedroom had twin beds with pink

covers.

--v. 3 pair, match, yoke, join, link, couple, combine, connect,

associate: Many towns in Britain are twinned with similar towns

on the Continent.

twine n. 1 cord, string; rope, cable, yarn: Have you some twine for

tying up this package?

--v. 2 entwine, braid, twist, intertwine, curl, wreathe,

spiral, wind, weave, interweave, encircle, wrap: Annette's

front door has roses twined all round it.

twinge n. 1 stab, pang, cramp, spasm, pinch, stitch, (sharp) pain,

prick, bite, gripe: I get a terrible twinge in my back when I

lift anything heavy. 2 pang, pain: I felt a twinge of remorse

at leaving.

twinkle v. 1 scintillate, sparkle, coruscate, glitter, shimmer, wink,

flicker, glisten, glint, flash, fulgurate, spark, dance, blink,

shine, gleam: The stars were twinkling in the icy black sky.

Nicole's eyes twinkled as she told me about Max's latest

success.

--n. 2 twinkling, scintillation, scintillating, sparkle,

sparkling, coruscation, coruscating, glitter, glittering,

shimmer, shimmering, winking, flicker, flickering, glistening,

glint, flash, flashing, fulguration, spark, sparking, dancing,

blinking, shine, shining, gleam, gleaming, dazzle, dazzling:

From far off, I caught the twinkle of the sun on car

windscreens.

twinkling n. 1 (split) second, flash, twinkling or wink of an eye,

instant, trice, Colloq jiffy, two shakes (of a lamb's tail),

tick: Liza called out, and in a twinkling, Joseph was at her

side. 2 See twinkle, 2, above.

twirl v. 1 spin, whirl, rotate, revolve, wheel, turn, gyrate, twist,

wind (about or around): The windmills twirled in the breeze.

Katherine absently twirled a lock of hair round her finger.

--n. 2 twirling, spin, spinning, whirl, whirling, turn,

turning, revolution: He was hypnotized by each twirl of the

roulette wheel. 3 whorl, winding, convolution, spiral, helix,

coil, volute: The pattern consists of interlocking twirls of

green and brown.

twist v. 1 plait, braid, weave, entwine, intertwine, twine,

interweave, pleach, splice, wreathe, interlace: She twisted

together some daisies to make a garland for her hair. 2

distort, warp, contort, pervert, alter, change, slant, bias,

colour, falsify, misquote, misstate, garble, miscite,

misrepresent, violate; misinterpret, mistranslate,

misunderstand, misconstrue: He twisted her words so that she

seemed to be saying the opposite of what she intended. 3

wriggle, worm, squirm, writhe, wiggle: The little beggar

twisted out of my grasp and ran for his life. 4 wind, snake,

meander, turn, zigzag, worm, bend, curve: I lost sight of the

stream where it twisted through the undergrowth. 5 wrench,

turn, sprain, rick or wrick: I twisted my ankle on a faulty

step. 6 twist (one's or someone's) arm. force, coerce, make,

persuade, bully, Brit pressurize, US pressure: I didn't want to

go, but she twisted my arm.

--n. 7 coil, spiral, skew, zigzag, dog-leg, turn, curve, angle,

bend, bow, meander: The road is full of twists and turns. 8

interpretation, analysis, understanding, slant, angle,

construction, construal; treatment, approach, version,

variation: This book puts a new twist on the fall of the Roman

Empire. 9 distortion, misinterpretation, contortion,

perversion, warping, alteration, change, departure, bias,

colouring, falsification, misquotation, misstatement, garbling,

misrepresentation; mistranslation, misunderstanding,

misconstrual, misconstruction: It was a twist of fate that

brought us together again. She gave everything he said such a

twist that he scarcely recognized his own ideas. 10 quirk,

idiosyncrasy, crotchet, peculiarity, oddity, trick,

eccentricity, incongruity, inconsistency, irregularity;

weakness, flaw, fault, foible, failing: Owing to a twist in his

character, he has developed a hatred of women. 11 round the

twist. mad, crazy, insane, eccentric, Colloq daft, Brit round

the bend, Slang nuts, nutty, bonkers, cuckoo, batty, off (one's)

rocker, Brit barmy or balmy: Kevin's gone round the twist if he

thinks I am going out with his sister.

twister n. 1 cheat, swindler, confidence man or woman, rogue,

scoundrel, swindler, trickster, mountebank, deceiver, fraud,

impostor or imposter, Colloq con man or woman, crook: This

particular twister preys on the elderly. 2 tornado, cyclone,

typhoon, hurricane, whirlwind; waterspout: The twister picked

up my bicycle and dropped it in my neighbour's garden.

twit° v. tease, cajole, taunt, jeer (at), make fun of, banter, tweak,

gibe or jibe, chaff, ridicule, mock; blame, berate, deride,

scorn, contemn, censure, revile, reproach, upbraid; Colloq kid,

pull (someone's) leg: She never seemed to mind being twitted

about her height.

twitý n. nitwit, nincompoop, ass, ninny, ninny-hammer, fool,

imbecile, blockhead, halfwit, idiot, simpleton, Colloq chump,

moron, Brit silly billy, Slang dope, US and Canadian jerk: That

silly twit told the teacher what we were planning.

twitter v. 1 peep, cheep, tweet, chirp, warble, trill, chirrup,

chatter: The birds twitter so loudly that they wake me every

morning. 2 chatter, prattle, gossip, giggle, prate, titter,

snicker, snigger, simper: I was embarrassed because my

classmates always twittered when I did a recitation.

--n. 3 peep, peeping, cheep, cheeping, twittering, tweet,

tweeting, chirrup, chirruping, chirp, chirping, warble,

warbling, trill, trilling: The twitter of the birds was driving

me mad. 4 ado, bustle, excitement, flutter, dither, whirl,

agitation, Colloq stew, tizzy: The girls were in a twitter of

apprehension.

two-faced adj. double-dealing, hypocritical, duplicitous, dissembling,

deceitful, Janus-faced, treacherous, dishonest, untrustworthy,

insincere, scheming, designing, crafty, Machiavellian, sly,

perfidious, lying, mendacious: That two-faced liar told you one

story and me another!

20.9 tycoon...

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tycoon n. mogul, magnate, baron, financier, (multi)millionaire,

billionaire, merchant prince, potentate, Colloq big shot,

(big-time) operator, wheeler-dealer, big-timer, US big wheel,

big cheese: What makes you think that Castenado is an oil

tycoon?

type n. 1 class, category, classification, kind, sort, genre, order,

variety, breed, species, strain, group, genus, ilk, kidney:

Just what type of person would you say the president is? 2

typeface, Brit fount, US font: The body text ought to be set in

Bodoni Book type, the headings in Times bold. 3 prototype,

paradigm, archetype, epitome, exemplar, model, specimen,

pattern, personification, standard, quintessence: She doesn't

consider him to be the usual type of businessman.

--v. 4 typewrite; keyboard; transcribe: She types at a speed

of about sixty words a minute.

typical adj. 1 representative, characteristic, conventional, normal,

standard, ordinary, regular: On a typical day I get up at 6.30.

2 orthodox, classic, conventional, in character, in keeping,

usual, commonplace, run-of-the-mill, natural, customary, common,

to be expected, ordinary: His way of looking at life is typical

for someone of his educational and social background.

typify v. exemplify, instance, epitomize, personify, represent,

characterize, embody, evince, symbolize, suggest: John's views

typify the conservative approach.

tyrannical

adj. tyrannous, oppressive, dictatorial, Fascistic, despotic,

autocratic, authoritarian, arbitrary, imperious, overbearing,

unjust, high-handed, severe, harsh, iron-handed, heavy-handed:

The people suffered under one tyrannical form of government

after another for generations.

tyrannize v. Often, tyrannize over. domineer over, bully, subjugate,

enthral, enslave, dominate, intimidate, dictate to, order about

or around, ride roughshod over, browbeat, keep under (one's)

thumb, oppress, subdue, suppress, keep down: The people have

been tyrannized long enough.

tyranny n. autocracy, Fascism, authoritarianism, absolutism, despotism,

dictatorship, Stalinism, Nazism; arbitrariness, oppression,

suppression, subjugation, enslavement, enthralment, domination:

Tyranny would not survive long were it not expedient for its

supporters.

tyrant n. dictator, despot, autocrat, martinet, Hitler, bully,

oppressor, authoritarian, hard taskmaster, slave-driver, Simon

Legree, overlord: It seems that no people or part of the world

is immune to tyrants.

21.0 U

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21.1 ugly

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ugly adj. 1 unattractive, unlovely, unprepossessing, unsightly,

hideous, grotesque, gruesome, ghastly, offensive,

repulsive-looking, plain, plain-looking, plain-featured,

bad-featured, ill-favoured, dreadful-looking, awful-looking,

terrible-looking, horrible-looking, frightful-looking,

monstrous-looking, US and Canadian homely: The Georgian houses

were demolished and replaced by ugly tower-blocks. 2

objectionable, disagreeable, unpleasant, offensive, nasty,

loathsome, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, noisome, nauseating,

nauseous, revolting, sickening, disgusting, obnoxious, mephitic,

rotten, corrupt, filthy, vile, heinous, bad, sordid, evil, foul,

perverted, immoral, depraved, degenerate, base, debased,

detestable, hateful, abominable, execrable, despicable, odious:

The East End murders were among the ugliest crimes of the

century. He sprang from his seat with an ugly curse on his

lips. 3 disquieting, uncomfortable, discomforting, troublesome,

awkward, disadvantageous, ominous, dangerous, perilous,

hazardous: He found himself in a very ugly position, with no

apparent means of escape. 4 unpleasant, disagreeable, surly,

hostile, nasty, spiteful, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, currish,

irascible, curmudgeonly, cantankerous, crabby, crabbed,

crotchety, cross, cranky, mean: He's in an ugly mood till he's

had his coffee.

21.2 ulcer...

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ulcer n. 1 sore, lesion, abscess, ulceration, canker, chancre, boil,

gumboil, eruption, carbuncle, inflammation: That ulcer should

be treated before it gets any worse. 2 cancer, canker,

festering spot, blight, scourge, poison, disease, pestilence,

curse, bane, plague: We must purge this ulcer before it

corrupts the entire organization.

ulcerous adj. ulcerative, cancerous, cankerous, festering, ulcerated,

ulcerative, suppurating, suppurative, gangrenous, septic,

Technical furuncular, furunculous, necrotic, necrosed,

sphacelated: The wound is in an ulcerous condition and requires

immediate surgery.

ulterior adj. 1 hidden, concealed, covert, secret, unrevealed,

undisclosed, unexpressed, private, personal, underlying,

surreptitious, underhand(ed): She had an ulterior motive for

arriving early. 2 outside, beyond, further, remote, remoter:

What you propose is ulterior to our immediate plan.

ultimate adj. 1 final, last, terminating, terminal, end, eventual,

conclusive, concluding, decisive, deciding: The ultimate

outcome will not be known till next week. Who is the ultimate

authority in such matters? 2 final, maximum, highest, greatest,

supreme, utmost, paramount: Her ultimate goal is to win the

gold medal. 3 elemental, basic, fundamental, underlying,

primary, essential, final: He believes that the ultimate truths

were set down in Scripture. 4 remotest, furthest, farthest,

extreme, uttermost, last, final: The ultimate stage of the

experiment will be at a distance of five light-years.

ultimately

adv. finally, at long last, in the final or last analysis, in

the end, at the end of the day, after all is said and done, at

(the) last, in the long run; fundamentally, essentially,

basically, at bottom: I thought it might ultimately come to

this. He came to understand that ultimately people must depend

on each other.

ultimatum n. demand(s), term(s), condition(s), stipulation(s),

requirement(s): If we refuse to comply with his ultimatum,

he'll kill the hostage.

ultra- adj. extreme, immoderate, excessive, drastic, radical,

fanatic(al), unmitigated, outrageous, unqualified, sheer,

blatant, out-and-out, complete, thorough, thoroughgoing, dyed in

the wool, die-hard, rabid, opinionated, unregenerate,

unrepentant, unreformed, fundamentalist, prejudiced, bigoted,

Colloq hard-nosed: Ultra-conservativism marked his views till

the day he died.

21.3 umbrage...

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umbrage n. Usually, take umbrage. feel or be offended, take offence,

feel displeasure or annoyance or exasperation or indignation or

vexation or bitterness or resentment, be piqued or displeased or

annoyed or exasperated or indignant or vexed or resentful,

harbour a grudge: She took umbrage at the way he seemed to

ignore her.

umbrella n. 1 parasol; Colloq chiefly Brit gamp, Brit brolly, US

bumbershoot: You will need an umbrella today. 2 protection,

cover, coverage, aegis, shield, screen, patronage, agency: What

benefits are included under the umbrella of this policy?

umpire n. 1 referee, arbiter, judge, moderator, adjudicator,

arbitrator; official; Colloq ref, Australian umpy, US ump: The

sides agree to abide by the decision of the umpire.

--v. 2 referee, arbitrate, judge, moderate, adjudicate;

officiate: When Peter Jones umpires a game, the players know

they will get a fair decision.

umpteen adj. a lot of, many, innumerable, unnumbered, countless, a huge

number of, very many, numerous, hundreds of, thousands of,

millions of, billions of, trillions of: You've been told

umpteen times, 'Don't go near the water'.

21.4 unabashed...

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unabashed adj. unashamed, unblushing, unembarrassed, brazen, blatant,

bold, undaunted, unawed, undismayed, unconcerned: I couldn't

put up with his unabashed conceit for another moment.

unable adj. not able, powerless, unfit, unqualified, impotent: The

company was unable to give guarantees about continuity of

employment.

unabridged

adj. 1 uncut, whole, full-length, entire, complete, intact,

uncondensed, unshortened; unbowdlerized, unexpurgated: This is

the original, unabridged edition, with nothing removed. 2

extensive, thorough, comprehensive, exhaustive,

all-encompassing, (all-)inclusive: That word is too rare to be

listed in anything but an unabridged dictionary.

unaccented

adj. unstressed, unemphasized, unaccentuated, weak, Technical

lenis: The first syllable of 'before' is unaccented.

unacceptable

adj. unsatisfactory, objectionable, wrong, bad, improper,

unallowable, undesirable, not de rigueur, distasteful,

disagreeable, unsuitable, inappropriate, unpleasant, tasteless:

Murder is generally regarded as an unacceptable way to relieve

oneself of unwanted company.

unaccompanied

adj. alone, solo, on (one's) own, unescorted, unchaperoned,

unattended, Music a cappella, Colloq stag: We went to the dance

unaccompanied.

unaccountable

adj. 1 unexplained, inexplicable, unexplainable, mysterious,

inscrutable, incomprehensible, unintelligible, strange,

puzzling, baffling, peculiar, odd, bizarre, unfathomable: I

found it unaccountable that anyone would arrive for an

appointment four hours early. 2 not answerable, not responsible:

How can you have a governmental committee that is unaccountable

to anyone? 3 weird, unheard-of, extraordinary, unusual,

unorthodox, uncanny: Sophie has unaccountable powers of

perception.

unaccustomed

adj. 1 unfamiliar, unusual, rare, unexpected, uncommon,

unprecedented, unanticipated, curious, peculiar: They

encountered unaccustomed hostility from local people. 2

unaccustomed to. unused to, inexperienced in or at, amateurish

at, unpractised in or at, unfamiliar with, uninitiated in:

Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I had better be brief.

unadorned adj. plain, simple, unembellished, undecorated, unornamented,

stark, bare, austere: She prefers an unadorned style, without

frills.

unaffected°

adj. genuine, real, sincere, natural, simple, plain,

unpretentious, unassuming, ingenuous, unsophisticated,

unstudied, honest, guileless, artless, unartificial,

straightforward, unfeigned: He conveyed in simple unaffected

language a clear impression of the nightmarish quality of that

day.

unaffectedý

adj. Usually, unaffected by. impervious (to), immune (to),

untouched (by), unmoved (by), unresponsive (to), aloof (to or

from), uninfluenced (by), unimpressed (by), remote (to or from),

cool or cold (to), unconcerned (by), unstirred (by): The

duchess remained totally unaffected by the children's appeals

for help.

unapproachable

adj. 1 distant, remote, aloof, reserved, standoffish, austere,

withdrawn, unfriendly, forbidding, chilly, cool, cold, frigid:

James seems unapproachable, but in fact he's a very warm person.

2 inaccessible, remote, unreachable, out-of-the-way, out of

reach, beyond reach: Her house is unapproachable except from

the sea.

unarmed adj. unprotected, defenceless, weaponless: The army began

shooting unarmed civilians.

unasked adj. uninvited, unrequested, undemanded, unsolicited, unsought,

unwanted, unprompted, gratuitous, unbidden, spontaneous,

unwelcome, unasked for: I wish he would keep his unasked

opinions to himself.

unattached

adj. 1 separate, unconnected, detached, independent,

unaffiliated, self-governing, self-regulating, self-regulated,

autonomous, self-reliant, self-sustaining, self-sustained: The

committee was established as an unattached body, not associated

with any organization. 2 single, unmarried, uncommitted,

unengaged, on (one's) own, unspoken for: I joined the club

hoping to meet some unattached people.

unauthorized

adj. unsanctioned, unapproved, unofficial, unlawful, illegal,

illicit, illegitimate: Unauthorized use of the company's

parking spaces is prohibited.

unavoidable

adj. inescapable, ineluctable, inevitable, irresistible,

inexorable, sure, certain, fated, destined, predestined,

determined, predetermined, unchangeable, unalterable, settled,

fixed, definite: Punishment is an unavoidable consequence of

getting caught for something you shouldn't have done.

unaware adj. ignorant, oblivious, unknowing, unsuspecting, unconscious,

uninformed, unenlightened, incognizant, inobservant, insensible,

heedless, unmindful, unsuspecting: She was totally unaware of

the huge spider dangling directly over her.

unawares adv. 1 unexpectedly, abruptly, by surprise, suddenly, off

(one's) guard: We caught the sentry unawares. 2 inadvertently,

unconsciously, unintentionally, unknowingly, unwittingly, by

mistake, mistakenly, by accident, accidentally, in an unguarded

moment: She had betrayed her closest friend unawares.

unbalanced

adj. 1 uneven, asymmetric(al), unsymmetric(al), lopsided,

unequal, overbalanced, unstable, wobbly, shaky, unsteady: That

stack of chairs is unbalanced and could fall any minute. 2 mad,

demented, certifiable, crazy, insane, eccentric, non compos

mentis, touched (in the head), unstable, unhinged, deranged,

disturbed, of unsound mind, out of (one's) head, Colloq daffy,

dizzy, Chiefly Brit daft, Slang nuts, batty, off (one's) rocker,

Chiefly Brit bonkers, US out of one's gourd, loco: The boy is

clearly unbalanced, but that doesn't excuse his appalling

behaviour.

unbearable

adj. intolerable, unsupportable, unendurable, insufferable,

unacceptable, too much: The pain in her side was almost

unbearable.

unbeatable

adj. unsurpassable, undefeatable, excellent, unexcelled,

incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, peerless, unparalleled,

superlative, supreme: She'll go far with such an unbeatable

combination of looks and brains.

unbecoming

adj. 1 unsuited, unsuitable, inappropriate, ill-suited,

unfitting, unfit, inapt, unapt, out of character, out of place:

It is unbecoming to wear your mink coat to the Save the Animals

fund-raising dinner. 2 indecorous, unseemly, indelicate,

improper, ungentlemanly, unladylike, offensive, tasteless:

Father said it was unbecoming for her to use such foul language.

unbelievable

adj. incredible, preposterous, inconceivable, unimaginable,

mind-boggling, implausible, unthinkable: The amount of money

they spend on clothes is unbelievable. He told an unbelievable

tale about having been picked up by a flying saucer.

unbelieving

adj. incredulous, disbelieving, non-believing, doubting,

mistrusting, distrusting, mistrustful, distrustful, suspicious,

sceptical, unpersuaded, unconvinced: The unbelieving world

thinks that the age of miracles is past.

uncertain adj. 1 unsure, indeterminate, unpredictable, undeterminable,

unforeseeable, unascertainable, haphazard, chance, arbitrary,

random, aleatory, serendipitous, hit-or-miss, casual: It is

uncertain whether interest rates will rise again next month. 2

unsure, in or of two minds, vacillating, undecided, unclear,

ambivalent, irresolute, indecisive, hesitant, hesitating,

undetermined, shilly-shallying, Brit at a loose end, US at loose

ends: Julia is uncertain about what to do next. 3 unsure,

indeterminate, up in the air, indefinite, unpredictable,

unresolved, unsettled, in the balance, conjectural, speculative,

debatable, touch-and-go, unreliable, doubtful, dubious,

questionable, vague, hazy: The future of the company is now

uncertain. The results of the election are still uncertain. 4

variable, changeable, inconstant, unfixed, unsettled, irregular,

fickle, erratic, fitful, unsteady, wavering, unreliable,

sporadic, occasional; unmethodical, unsystematic: The pictures

in the cave danced in the uncertain light of the torch. How can

we make an appointment if your plans are so uncertain?

uncharted adj. unmapped, unknown, unexplored, undiscovered, unfamiliar,

strange, virgin, trackless: For weeks he wandered lost in the

uncharted jungle.

unchaste adj. impure, wanton, immoral, unvirtuous, promiscuous,

immodest, Cyprian, debased, lecherous, lewd, lascivious: Her

unchaste conduct was a topic of conversation throughout the

school.

uncivilized

adj. 1 barbarous, savage, wild, uncultivated, barbarian,

barbaric, crude, primitive, brutish: He was an uncivilized man

living in uncivilized surroundings. 2 unrefined, uncultured,

uncouth, loutish, coarse, uneducated, untutored, unpolished,

churlish, boorish, philistine, provincial, rough, rude,

unlearned, ill-mannered, incondite, unmannerly, unsophisticated,

inelegant, gross, gauche: Anna's father forbade her to go out

with the uncivilized boors in the nearby town.

unconscionable

adj. 1 conscienceless, unscrupulous, amoral, unprincipled,

immoral, unethical, evil, criminal, unjust, wicked, arrant:

This unconscionable thief stole from his own mother. 2

excessive, extortionate, egregious, extreme, unwarranted,

unreasonable, outrageous, inordinate, immoderate, exorbitant,

indefensible, unpardonable, inexcusable, unforgivable: When I

questioned the unconscionable size of his bill, the plumber

explained that he charges extra for house calls.

unconscious

adj. 1 insensible, out (cold), knocked out, senseless, numb,

stunned, comatose, dead to the world, Colloq blacked-out: The

patient was unconscious for hours. 2 Often, unconscious of.

heedless (of or to), unheeding, unheedful (of), insensitive

(to), mindless, unmindful (of), reflex, automatic, involuntary,

unintentional, instinctive, subliminal, unthinking,

unpremeditated, subconscious, unwitting; blind (to), unaware

(of), oblivious (to or of), deaf (to): For Tim, scratching his

head is an unconscious act. Tim is totally unconscious of how

irritating his mannerisms are.

uncontrolled

adj. unrestrained, ungoverned, unchecked, untrammelled,

undisciplined, wild, unruly, boisterous, riotous, out of hand or

of control, rampant, frenzied, frantic; going berserk, running

amok or amuck: He hit his brother in a moment of uncontrolled

anger.

under prep. 1 beneath, below, underneath, covered by: What is under

that blanket? The wreck lies a mile under the surface. 2

subordinate to, answerable to, inferior to, second to, secondary

to, subservient to, below, beneath, underneath, junior to,

directed or supervised or controlled by, under (the) control of,

at the mercy of, at the beck and call of: The bashibazouks were

under the sultan's top officers. 3 included or comprised in or

under, subsumed under: This should be under the heading, 'What

is the Stupidest Thing you have done Today?' Under which

category is 'Software'? 4 under the aegis or protection or eye

or guardianship or care of: The prince was trained under the

grand vizier. 5 less than, lower than: I paid under œ200 for

my VCR. 6 under the influence. drunk, tipsy, high, impaired:

The police charged him with driving while under the influence.

--adv. 7 below, underneath, beneath: You looked on top of the

bed, but have you looked under? 8 underwater, beneath the

waves, down, out of sight: We watched helpless as he went under

for the third time.

underclothes

n. underclothing, underwear, undergarments, lingerie,

Old-fashioned unmentionables, Colloq underthings, undies, Brit

smalls, Old-fashioned Brit small-clothes, US skivvies: When a

salesman she met on the train said he was in ladies'

underclothes, she moved to another carriage.

undercover

adj. secret, private, clandestine, confidential: He doesn't

look much like an undercover agent.

undercurrent

n. 1 undertow, cross-current, rip tide, rip (current),

underflow: Caught in the undercurrent, he was carried out to

sea. 2 undertone, subcurrent, trend, tendency, overtone, tenor,

suggestion, murmur, implication, connotation, sense, feeling,

aura, tinge, flavour, atmosphere, ambience or ambiance;

vibrations, Colloq vibes: There is a sinister undercurrent of

gloom about this place.

undercut v. 1 undermine, excavate, hollow out, cut out or away, gouge

out: If you undercut the roadway it will collapse. 2

underprice, undercharge, sacrifice, sell cheaply or at a loss,

undersell: The supermarkets undercut prices and put the

independent grocers out of business.

underdog n. loser, scapegoat, victim; vanquished, defenceless; Colloq

fall guy, little fellow or guy: It has always been our policy

to fight for the underdog.

underestimate

v. undervalue, underrate, discount, misjudge, miscalculate,

misprize, minimize, depreciate, belittle, not do justice to,

fail to appreciate, set (too) little store by, think (too)

little of: No one should underestimate the physical and mental

effort involved.

undergo v. suffer, bear, endure, experience, live or go through, be

subjected to, subject oneself to, sustain, submit to, weather,

stand, withstand: The hotel has recently undergone extensive

refurbishing.

underground

adj. 1 subterranean, buried, below-ground, sunken, covered:

They crept through the underground passage into the treasure

room. 2 secret, clandestine, concealed, hidden, covert,

undercover, surreptitious, stealthy, private: The secret

service has a worldwide underground network of agents. 3

alternative, radical, experimental, avant-garde, nonconformist,

revolutionary: Some underground newspapers that sprang up in

the 1960s are still being published.

--n. 4 tube, metro, underground railway, US subway: Two more

stops on the underground and we'll be there. 5 resistance,

partisans or partizans, freedom fighters, (in France) Maquis,

insurgents, seditionaries or seditionists, insurrectionists,

guerrillas or guerillas, extremists, revolutionaries;

fifth-columnists, fifth column, saboteurs, subversives: The

underground helped the family to escape to England. The

government blames the underground for the bombings.

undermine v. 1 sap, drain, disable, weaken, debilitate, threaten,

sabotage, subvert, damage, hurt, harm, impair, ruin, dash,

wreck, spoil, Slang queer, bugger (up): He said that the entire

campaign would be undermined if the events of January 17th were

ever revealed. 2 See undercut, 1, above.

undersized

adj. under-size, little, short, small, petite, tiny, elfin,

bantam, slight, mignon(ne); stunted, underdeveloped, runty,

runtish, dwarfish, dwarfed, pygmy, squat; underweight,

undeveloped: These cattle are a bit undersized for market.

understand

v. 1 grasp, comprehend, see, perceive, discern, make out, get

the drift or the hang of, appreciate, interpret, take cognizance

of, recognize, be aware or conscious of, be conversant with,

know, realize, conceive of, be aware (of), apprehend, penetrate,

Colloq get (it), dig, catch on (to), tumble to, cotton on (to),

Brit twig: I can understand what you are saying. I didn't think

you understood. 2 accept, agree, arrange, covenant, take: I

understand the terms of the agreement. 3 interpret, take, read,

gather from, construe, surmise from, assume from, infer from,

view, see: As I understand the regulation, only residents may

use the facilities. 4 hear (of), gather, get wind (of), take

it, be told or informed or advised, have found out or learnt,

Colloq hear tell: I understand that you've applied for another

job. 5 sympathize or empathize (with), be in sympathy (with),

show compassion (for), commiserate (with); accept, tolerate,

allow, forgive: Surely your employer will understand your being

late because of the funeral.

understanding

n. 1 agreement, contract, arrangement, bargain, covenant,

concession, pact, compact, accord, treaty, concordat, entente,

alliance, truce, armistice, reconciliation, settlement: They

reached an understanding with respect to nuclear weapons. 2

discernment, sensitivity, sensitiveness, sympathy, empathy,

perception, insight, good sense, intuition, enlightenment,

percipience, sagacity, sageness, sapience, wisdom, Colloq savvy:

Georgianna brings so much understanding to her treatment of the

aged. 3 Usually, understanding of. comprehension or, awareness

or grasp or control or idea or conception or knowledge or

mastery (of), acquaintance or familiarity or intimacy or

dexterity or skilfulness or deftness or adroitness or adeptness

(with), competence or skill or expertness or know-how or

proficiency or expertise (in), Colloq US fix (on), handle (on):

I know no one with a better understanding of medieval Welsh. 4

reading, interpretation, opinion, judgement, estimation, notion,

view, perception, apperception, apprehension: My understanding

of what took place is at odds with yours. 5 intellect,

intelligence, mind, brain, brainpower, sense, reason, reasoning

power, wisdom, Colloq brains: I'm afraid that he lacks the

understanding needed to cope with the subtleties of the

situation.

understated

adj. subtle, restrained, low-key, simple, basic, unembellished,

unadorned: Alexandra was wearing an understated black dress

with a string of pearls.

understood

adj. accepted, agreed, arranged, given, covenanted, settled,

conceded: It was understood that we would be dining together

that night. The terms of the agreement are now fully

understood.

understudy

n. 1 second, substitute, stand-in, alternate, backup, double,

sub, reserve, US pinch-hitter: The understudy got her break one

night when the star fell ill.

--v. 2 substitute for, stand in for, back up, double for,

second, replace, US pinch-hit for: He is understudying Hamlet

as well playing the part of Laertes.

undertake v. 1 assume, take on or upon (oneself), accept, take or assume

or bear the responsibility for, enter upon, begin, start, set

about, embark on, tackle, try, attempt: Gates might be

undertaking a bit too much, considering his condition. 2

promise, covenant, agree, contract, pledge, vow, swear, warrant,

guarantee, bargain, commit (oneself), stipulate, engage: Is it

not true that you undertook to complete the work in six months?

undertaker

n. mortician, funeral director: The body is available for

viewing at the undertaker's tonight.

undertaking

n. 1 enterprise, affair, business, project, task, effort,

venture, work, feat: The scope of the undertaking was far

beyond her capacity. 2 doing, performing, performance,

realization, achievement: Giles's undertaking of the work makes

me feel more confident. 3 promise, pledge, commitment,

assurance, contract, agreement, vow, guarantee or guaranty,

warranty: You gave an undertaking to complete the work by

Friday.

underworld

n. 1 Usually, the underworld. organized crime, the syndicate,

the Mafia, the mob, Cosa Nostra, criminals, the criminal

element, Colloq gangland: Lorenzo was fast becoming a

well-known figure in the underworld. 2 nether regions, abode of

the dead, Hades, Hell, Avernus, Dis, Orcus, Facetious Egyptian

underground: I think I prefer contemplating the Happy Hunting

Ground of the American Indian to the underworlds of Christianity

and classical Mediterranean culture.

underwrite

v. 1 back (up), finance, support, invest in, subsidize,

subvene, sponsor, uphold, approve, insure, guarantee, US

subvene: The company has agreed to underwrite the development

of your invention. 2 subscribe to, endorse or indorse, sign,

countersign, consent to, agree to, confirm, accede to, sanction,

ratify, approve, validate, Colloq OK or okay: The government

underwrote the action one day, then denied knowledge of it the

next.

undesirable

n. 1 persona non grata, pariah, outcast, exile, reject, leper:

The police had many requests to run the undesirables out of

town.

--adj. 2 unwanted, objectionable, offensive, unacceptable,

obnoxious, unsavoury, unwelcome, disliked, distasteful,

repugnant, unfit, unbecoming, unsuitable: The parks are filled

with tramps, drug addicts, and other undesirable elements.

undeveloped

adj. embryonic, premature, immature, incipient, inchoate,

potential, latent: His sense of beauty remained undeveloped

till he visited Rome.

undiluted adj. pure, neat, straight, unmixed, uncut, unblended,

unadulterated, unwatered, unalloyed: No ice, please - I like my

whisky undiluted. How do you like the undiluted gall of the

fellow walking in here uninvited!

undisciplined

adj. untrained, unschooled, unprepared, untutored, uneducated,

untaught, unpractised, uncontrolled, disobedient, naughty, bad,

wilful, wayward, unrestrained, erratic, unpredictable, unruly,

wild: The sergeant has taken quite a few undisciplined recruits

and knocked them into shape.

undisguised

adj. open, out-and-out, unmistakable or unmistakeable, overt,

unconcealed, unreserved, unrestrained, unfeigned, unpretended,

obvious, evident, patent, clear, explicit, transparent, sincere,

heartfelt, unalloyed, unmitigated: They regarded the traitor

with undisguised contempt.

undisputed

adj. unquestioned, unquestionable, beyond question, accepted,

acknowledged, admitted, indisputable, indubitable, undoubted,

certain, sure, unmistakable or unmistakeable, definite,

explicit, clear, (self-)evident, obvious, uncontested,

unchallenged, incontestable, irrefutable, incontrovertible,

undeniable, conclusive: He proved once again that he is the

undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

undistinguished

adj. ordinary, commonplace, common, everyday, run-of-the-mill,

pedestrian, unexceptional, plain, homespun, simple, prosaic,

unremarkable; mediocre, middling, indifferent, unexciting,

unimpressive, unpretentious, Brit homely, Colloq so so, no great

shakes, no big deal, nothing to write home about, nothing

special or unusual or extraordinary: It was an undistinguished

modern building near the roundabout.

undivided adj. 1 whole, entire, unbroken, uncut, intact, unseparated,

complete, unsplit: The family lands remained undivided for

generations. 2 undiverted, whole, entire, devoted,

concentrated, full, complete, exclusive, undistracted: You have

my undivided attention.

undo v. 1 loosen, loose, open, unfasten, unhook, unlace, unzip,

unsnap, unbutton, untie, unpin; unlock, unbolt: Help me undo my

blouse. Don't undo the gate - you'll let the dogs out. 2 unwrap,

uncover, open, untie, unbind: Why have you allowed the children

to undo their Christmas presents a week early? 3 cancel, annul,

rescind, nullify, void, declare null and void, reverse,

invalidate: If one could undo things there would be no such

thing as regret.

undoing n. 1 ruin, ruination, destruction, devastation, defeat,

downfall, overthrow, fall, collapse, descent, debasement,

degradation, abasement, mortification, humiliation, shame,

disgrace: It is not easy to identify the factors that brought

about the demagogue's undoing. 2 curse, misfortune, bane,

affliction, trouble, blight: As the novelists would have it, a

beautiful woman was his undoing.

undone° adj. 1 ruined, lost, wrecked, crushed, destroyed, devastated,

shattered, brought to ruin, defeated, prostrated, overcome:

Brian was completely undone by that gold-digging heart-breaker

he met in Caracas. If the headmaster finds out about the glue,

we are undone! 2 open, loose, loosened, untied, unfastened,

detached, unhooked, unlaced, unzipped, unsnapped, unbuttoned,

unpinned, unstuck: Your shoelaces are undone. The knot came

undone.

undoneý adj. unaccomplished, uncompleted, incomplete, unfinished,

omitted, neglected, left (out), skipped, missed, passed over,

forgotten, unattended to: From this list of chores, how many

are still undone?

undoubtedly

adv. indubitably, without (a) doubt, indisputably,

unquestionably, beyond (a or the shadow of a) doubt, certainly,

definitely, surely, assuredly, unmistakably or unmistakeably,

explicitly, clearly, obviously, incontestably, irrefutably,

incontrovertibly, undeniably: If they win, they will

undoubtedly go to the pub to celebrate.

unduly adv. 1 disproportionately, excessively, overly, unnecessarily,

inordinately, unreasonably, irrationally, unjustifiably,

improperly, inappropriately: He claimed that he was being

unduly harassed by the police. 2 immoderately, lavishly,

profusely, extravagantly: Don't be unduly generous in tipping

our waiter - he did spill the soup in your lap.

unearth v. dig up, disinter, exhume; excavate, dredge up, mine, quarry,

find, pull or root out, come across, discover, turn up, expose,

uncover: The artefacts were unearthed at Boghazk”y, ancient

Hattusas. They had unearthed some evidence that would put him

away for years.

unearthly adj. 1 supernatural, unnatural, preternatural, unworldly,

other-worldly, psychic(al), extramundane, extraterrestrial,

extrasensory, supersensory, out-of-(the)-body, asomatous,

incorporeal, sublime, celestial, astral: They speculated about

what unearthly experiences space travel might lead to. 2 weird,

bizarre, macabre, nightmarish, uncanny, eerie, strange, ghostly,

spectral, unreal, Literary eldritch, Colloq spooky, creepy: An

unearthly creature appeared in a mist before her. 3 strange,

odd, peculiar, unusual, abnormal, absurd, out of the ordinary,

extraordinary, outrageous; unheard-of, unreasonable, Colloq

ungodly: The baby wakes up at the unearthly hour of three

o'clock every morning.

uneducated

adj. unschooled, untaught, uncultivated, unread, uncultured,

illiterate, unlettered, ignorant, unenlightened: It is

debatable whether the fault for being uneducated lies with the

student, the teacher, or the system.

unemployed

adj. out of work, jobless, idle, laid off, out of a job, out of

work, unoccupied, inactive, Facetious resting, at liberty, at

leisure, Brit redundant, Colloq Brit on the dole: He has been

unemployed ever since he was made redundant.

unenthusiastic

adj. lukewarm, cool, cold, uninterested, indifferent, blas‚,

unresponsive, apathetic, unexcited, unimpressed: Bentley

presented the new design, but the directors were unenthusiastic

and turned it down.

unenviable

adj. uncoveted, undesirable, unwished for, unattractive: He

was given the unenviable task of informing the victim's family.

unfamiliar

adj. 1 new, novel, unknown, unconventional, unusual, different,

uncommon, strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre: The man spoke in a

tongue that was totally unfamiliar to me. 2 Usually, unfamiliar

with. unacquainted with, unaccustomed to, inexperienced in or

with, unused to, unconversant with, uninformed about, ignorant

of, unpractised or unskilled in, unskilled at, uninitiated in,

unversed in: The Americans were as unfamiliar with cricket as

the Englishmen were with baseball.

unflattering

adj. 1 harsh, unsympathetic; realistic, stark, candid: Her

hairstyle was unflattering and made her face look rather heavy.

2 uncomplimentary, insulting, unfavourable: Saying that I look

just like my grandmother is quite unflattering.

unfledged adj. undeveloped, immature, unmatured, inexperienced, green,

callow, young, raw, ungrown: Take these unfledged recruits and

turn them into men.

unfold v. 1 open (out or up), spread (out), unfurl, stretch out,

expand, uncoil, unwind, straighten out: Emerging from the pupa,

it unfolds its wings and becomes a beautiful butterfly. 2

develop, evolve, happen, take place, occur, be divulged, be

disclosed or revealed: What will unfold next in our little

drama?

unforeseen

adj. unexpected, surprising, unanticipated, unpredicted,

unlooked-for, unsought, unhoped for, undreamed of or undreamt

of, unthought of, startling, surprise, chance, fortuitous: The

sales manager's resignation was an unforeseen event.

unfortunate

adj. 1 unlucky, luckless; cursed, out of luck, unblessed,

Colloq down on (one's) luck: She was unfortunate enough to have

married early and divorced late. 2 poor, miserable, wretched,

woebegone, pathetic, dismal, unhappy, forlorn, pitiable, doomed,

ill-starred, star-crossed, ill-fated: These unfortunate

refugees have nowhere to go if we refuse them asylum. 3

deplorable, terrible, awful, catastrophic, disastrous,

calamitous, tragic, lamentable, regrettable, distressing,

upsetting, disturbing, inauspicious, grievous, ruinous: It was

an unfortunate decision, and led to many problems. The flood was

a most unfortunate sequel to the earthquake.

unfounded adj. baseless, groundless, unwarranted, unjustified,

unsupported, unsupportable, unsound, unjustifiable, unattested,

unproven: Reports of a typhoid outbreak are completely

unfounded.

ungodly adj. 1 wicked, sinful, impious, blasphemous, heretical,

irreligious, iconoclastic, atheist(ic), anti-religious,

sacrilegious, demonic, demoniac(al), diabolic(al), satanic,

fiendish, hellish, infernal; depraved, godless, corrupt,

immoral, evil, iniquitous, bad, villainous, heinous, flagitious,

profane, vile: The crusaders believed that they had a duty to

deliver Jerusalem from the ungodly heathens. 2 awful,

outrageous, indecent, monstrous, nasty, dreadful, terrible,

appalling, frightful, shocking, Colloq God-awful, unearthly,

Brit beastly: Margot and I were subjected to another ungodly

evening at the Dawsons'.

ungovernable

adj. unruly, refractory, intractable, unmanageable,

uncontrollable, rebellious, wild, disobedient, unrestrainable,

incorrigible: The nursemaid was saddled with two ungovernable

children whom she had to cosset.

ungraceful

adj. 1 awkward, clumsy, ungainly, lubberly, Colloq all thumbs,

butter-fingered, Slang US and Canadian klutzy: People in the

aerobics class are always ungraceful to start off with. 2

inelegant, graceless, coarse, crude, inartistic, vulgar,

tasteless, unaesthetic, unrefined, barbarous, unlovely, ugly,

unharmonious, unattractive, ill-proportioned, unsymmetric(al),

asymmetric(al): Some regard the Albert Memorial as a paragon of

ungraceful Victorian design.

ungracious

adj. discourteous, overbearing, churlish, gauche, rude,

uncivil, impolite, ill-bred, bad-mannered, unmannerly,

ungentlemanly, unladylike, gruff, bluff, brusque, abrupt, surly,

curmudgeonly: It was ungracious of him not to acknowledge the

help of his staff.

ungrateful

adj. unthankful, unappreciative, rude; selfish, heedless: That

ungrateful wretch never thanked me for all my help.

unguarded adj. 1 incautious, unwary, careless, inattentive, heedless,

inobservant, inadvertent, unthinking, unwatchful, unvigilant:

He let the intruder past him in an unguarded moment. 2

defenceless, unprotected, undefended, unfortified, open,

uncovered, exposed, vulnerable: The sentry insisted that he had

left his post unguarded for only a few minutes. 3 indiscreet,

careless, imprudent, unwise, hasty, unthinking, thoughtless;

guileless, incautious: He was anxious to restore good relations

after his unguarded remarks about their associates.

unhappy adj. 1 sad, depressed, blue, dejected, melancholy, despondent,

downcast, gloomy, downhearted, dispirited, heavy-hearted,

long-faced, disconsolate, sorrowful, miserable, crestfallen,

cheerless, forlorn, low-spirited, glum, distressed, tearful,

Formal lachrymose, Colloq down, Slang US bummed out: Mary is

very unhappy that John is to be away a whole month. 2 unlucky,

unfortunate, unpropitious, inauspicious, unfavourable, luckless,

hapless, cursed, wretched, ill-omened, ill-fated, ill-starred,

star-crossed, jinxed, disastrous: Let me tell you how this

unhappy state of affairs came about. 3 infelicitous, unfitting,

inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited, wrong, inexpedient,

ill-advised, poor, unfortunate: Vivian was an unhappy choice as

his successor.

unhealthy adj. 1 ailing, unwell, ill, sickly, infirm, feeble, frail,

debilitated, unsound, sick, in poor or delicate health or

condition, indisposed, invalid, valetudinary: The boys had

pasty, unhealthy faces. 2 unwholesome, harmful, noxious,

detrimental, insalubrious, damaging, injurious, destructive,

malign: The doctor said that this climate is unhealthy for

people with respiratory disorders. 3 risky, dangerous, perilous,

life-threatening, touch-and-go: You might find it unhealthy to

criticize the government here.

unheard-of

adj. 1 unknown, unfamiliar, obscure, unidentified, nameless,

unsung: She is busy trying to promote some unheard-of sculptor.

2 unimaginable, undreamed of or undreamt of, unprecedented,

unimagined, unbelievable, inconceivable, unusual: They took the

unheard-of step of requiring that refunds be paid. Her starting

salary is an unheard-of œ100,000. 3 shocking, offensive,

outrageous, disgraceful, extreme, unthinkable, outlandish: The

victims were subjected to unheard-of tortures.

unheralded

adj. unannounced, unpublicized, unadvertised; unexpected,

surprise, unanticipated, unforeseen, unpredicted: Published by

some obscure company, the book turned out to be an unheralded

success.

unhesitating

adj. 1 swift, rapid, quick, immediate, instantaneous, prompt,

ready, unhesitant: The response was an unhesitating 'No!' 2

unfaltering, unwavering, wholehearted, unqualified, unswerving,

undeviating, staunch, steadfast, implicit, resolute: We

appreciate your unhesitating devotion to duty.

unhurried adj. leisurely, unrushed, easy, easygoing, casual, gradual,

deliberate, steady, sedate, calm: We proceeded at an unhurried

pace, eventually arriving at dusk at the castle gates.

unidentified

adj. nameless, anonymous, unknown, unmarked, unnamed, unknown,

unfamiliar, unrecognized, mysterious: The police found the body

of a unidentified woman in the park.

uniform adj. 1 homogeneous, consistent, unvaried, unchanged, unaltered;

unvarying, unchanging; invariable, unchangeable, unalterable,

regimented, standard; ordered, orderly, equal, even, like,

identical; alike: The mixture is uniform throughout. The rules

are uniform for everyone. Line up in ten uniform rows of ten

each. 2 even, unbroken, smooth, regular, flat: Not one

irregularity marred the uniform surface of the plain.

--n. 3 livery, habit, regalia, costume, outfit; regimentals:

When I next saw him, he was in the uniform of a Gestapo officer.

uniformity

n. 1 regularity, similarity, sameness, homogeneity,

consistency, symmetry, evenness, invariability, unchangeability,

similitude, conformity, agreement, concord, accord,

harmoniousness; harmony, concordance, accordance, conformance,

correspondence: One can easily see the lack of uniformity even

in what is supposed to be a classless society. 2 dullness,

monotony, drabness, sameness, tedium, featurelessness, flatness,

invariability, lack of variety, changelessness: After a few

days, the uniformity of the routine began to get on my nerves.

unify v. consolidate, unite, combine, amalgamate, coalesce, bring

together, fuse, join, weld, merge, confederate, integrate: The

separate elements were unified into a coherent whole. Successive

Reform Bills unified the nation.

unimpeded adj. unblocked, unchecked, free, unconstrained, unrestrained,

unhindered, unhampered, unencumbered, open, untrammelled,

unrestricted: They insist on having unimpeded access to the

files.

unimposing

adj. unimpressive, nugatory, trivial, trifling, minor,

unimportant, puny, inconsiderable, negligible: It was an

unimposing building sandwiched between two office blocks. A

more unimposing little cockalorum has seldom assailed my

sensibilities.

uninformed

adj. ignorant, nescient, unknowledgeable, unenlightened,

uneducated, unschooled, untutored, untaught, uninstructed,

unaware, incognizant: The problem is not that they are stupid,

merely uninformed and misinformed.

uninhabited

adj. desolate, empty, abandoned, deserted, unoccupied, vacant,

vacated, tenantless, untenanted; desert, unpopulated, unpeopled,

trackless, depopulated, waste, barren: Tristan da Cunha, in the

south Atlantic, is an uninhabited island.

uninhibited

adj. wild, unchecked, unbridled, uncurbed, intemperate,

boisterous, unrepressed, unconstrained, unrestrained,

uncontrolled, unselfconscious, unreserved, relaxed, casual,

easygoing, free (and easy), open, frank, candid, outspoken,

Colloq upfront: Their behaviour at the party was totally

uninhibited. I will tell you what I think only if I can be

totally uninhibited about it.

uninviting

adj. repulsive, repellent, offensive, unappealing,

unattractive, unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful,

unappetizing, unsavoury, sickening, revolting, obnoxious, nasty,

disgusting, Brit off-putting: The food he put on the table was

cold and uninviting.

union n. 1 uniting, unity, combining, combination, joining, junction,

conjoining, conjunction, allying, alliance, associating,

association, coalition, amalgamating, amalgamation, fusing,

fusion, marrying, marriage, confederating, confederation,

confederacy, synthesizing, synthesis, mixing, mixture,

federation, togetherness: Monarchies favour the union of Church

and State. 2 alliance, association, organization, society,

circle, fraternity, club, fellowship, team, ring, gang,

syndicate, coalition, party, confederation, confederacy,

federation, Bund, league, consortium, bloc, cartel, trust: The

countries formed a union to control their joint economies. 3

joint, seam, splice, junction, conjunction, graft, weld;

coupling: The union between the two pieces may be stronger than

the material itself. 4 agreement, accord, harmony,

harmoniousness, congruity, coherence, compatibility, unanimity,

unity: The union of the various elements in the painting was

skilfully effected.

unique adj. 1 single, lone, (one and) only, solitary, one of a kind,

sui generis: Natural forces conspired to create this unique

situation. 2 unequalled, unparalleled, unrivalled,

incomparable, inimitable, peerless, unmatched, unsurpassed,

unexcelled, second to none: Stimble's genius is unique in the

annals of proctology.

unison n. in unison (with). in harmony, together, corresponding

exactly, in (perfect) accord, consonant, harmonious: Why is his

singing never in unison with ours? We all responded in unison

with a rousing 'No!'

unit n. element, component, entity, part, item, constituent, piece,

portion, segment, section, module: The units fit together like

Lego blocks.

unite v. 1 combine, unify, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, mix, mingle,

commingle, intermix, blend, consolidate, fuse: The splinter

parties have united to form a coalition. 2 join (forces),

unify, wed, marry, link, connect, merge: The two families are

united by marriage. 3 bond, fuse or weld or solder or glue or

stick or tie or bind or fasten or fix or fit (together): Unite

these pieces and the job is done.

united adj. 1 unified, common, mutual, combined, merged, coalesced,

pooled, shared, collective, joint, amalgamated, connected: The

new law will serve our united interests. 2 joint, cooperative,

common, communal, collaborative, synergetic or synergistic,

collective, concerted, coordinated, allied; partnership: We

must make a united effort if we are to survive. 3 agreed,

unanimous, in agreement, of one mind, of like mind or opinion,

like-minded, in accord, in harmony, harmonious: We are united

in our assessment of last night's performance.

unity n. 1 consistency, unanimity, constancy, uniformity, sameness,

consensus, agreement, concord, concordance, accord, solidarity,

compatibility, concurrence, continuity, consentaneousness,

rapport, sympathy, like-mindedness: All members of the

association enjoy a unity of purpose. 2 oneness, singularity,

integrity, singleness, congruity, uniformity, congruousness,

homogeneity, identity, sameness, resemblance, likeness,

similarity, similitude: If there is little unity between your

ideas and those of the organization, perhaps you should resign.

3 unification, uniting, combination: In unity is strength.

universal adj. 1 prevalent, prevailing, general, worldwide, widespread,

ubiquitous, omnipresent, limitless, unlimited, common, pandemic,

epidemic: The end of the 20th century is marked by a universal

preoccupation with greed. 2 cosmic, infinite, boundless,

limitless, unlimited, measureless, endless, uncircumscribed,

all-inclusive, all-embracing, all-encompassing, wide-ranging,

comprehensive: Renaissance man was regarded as possessing

universal knowledge.

universally

adv. in every case or instance, in all cases or instances,

unexceptionally, without exception, uniformly, always,

invariably: In those days, it was universally accepted that the

earth was flat.

universe n. 1 cosmos, creation, macrocosm: What arrogance makes man

believe that in all the vast universe God pays him any heed? 2

world, bailiwick, sphere, province, domain, circle, milieu,

territory, corner, quarter, microcosm: Such behaviour may be

acceptable in her tiny universe.

unkempt adj. dishevelled, uncombed, tousled, disarranged, ungroomed,

wind-blown, untidy, disordered, mussed (-up), messy, messed-up,

bedraggled, shaggy, scruffy, rumpled, slovenly, frowzy, blowzy,

Archaic draggle-tailed, Colloq sloppy: Mother would refuse to

allow us to the table if we were unkempt.

unkind adj. inconsiderate, unthoughtful, thoughtless, unfeeling,

unconcerned, insensitive, unkindly, unsympathetic, uncharitable,

unchristian, uncaring, hard-hearted, heartless, flinty, hard,

rigid, callous, tough, inflexible, unyielding, unbending,

severe, harsh, stern, cruel, mean, inhuman: It was very unkind

of you to refuse the beggar.

unknown adj. 1 unrecognized, unfamiliar, strange, unnamed, anonymous,

nameless, unidentified; obscure, unheard-of, little-known,

humble, undistinguished, unsung: Some unknown person left this

package for you. Bill is in some unknown place for the weekend.

An unknown poet won the competition. 2 unfamiliar, unexplored,

uninvestigated, unresearched, unrevealed, mysterious, uncharted,

unidentified, dark: We were now going into unknown territory.

3 unbeknownst, untold, unrevealed: Unknown to me, the thieves

were at that moment breaking in through the kitchen window.

unlamented

adj. unmissed, unmourned, unbemoaned, unbewailed, unloved:

They destroyed a statue of the late, unlamented Joseph Stalin.

unlawful adj. illegal, illicit, against the law, illegitimate, under the

table, under the counter, criminal, felonious; outlawed, banned,

prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, disallowed, proscribed,

verboten; unauthorized, unlicensed, unsanctioned: Unlawful

payments had been made to councillors. Gambling has been

declared unlawful in that county.

unlike adj. 1 different (from), dissimilar (to), unalike, distinct

(from), opposite (from or to), contrasting or contrastive (with

or to), separate (from), divergent (from), incompatible (with),

distinguishable (from), far apart (from), far (from), distant

(from), ill-matched (with), unequal (to), unequivalent (to):

His notions of right and wrong are unlike those of other people.

Although they're brothers, they look quite unlike each other. 2

atypical, uncharacteristic, untypical: It is unlike you to

complain.

--prep. 3 different from, differing from, in contradistinction

to, in contrast with or to, dissimilar to, distinct from,

opposite from or to, contrasting with or to, divergent from,

incompatible with, distinguishable from, ill-matched with,

unequal to, unequivalent to: Unlike you, I've been there and

know what it's like.

unlikely adj. 1 improbable, doubtful, dubious, remote, unthinkable,

unimaginable, inconceivable, implausible: His story was

unlikely, but she decided to believe him. It is not unlikely

that he will come even if we ask him to stay away. 2 unseemly,

inappropriate, unfit, unfitting, unsuitable, uncongenial,

objectionable, unbecoming, unacceptable, unattractive,

distasteful: Claire had seldom seen a more unlikely prospect

for a husband. 3 unpropitious, unpromising, inauspicious: The

tiny shop seemed an unlikely place to find a great treasure.

unlimited adj. 1 unrestricted, unrestrained, limitless, unconstrained,

unqualified, full, absolute, unconditional, far-reaching,

unchecked, uncontrolled: He has unlimited authority to issue

all the paper money he wishes. 2 limitless, boundless, endless,

vast, unbounded, immense, immeasurable, measureless, numberless,

innumerable, inexhaustible, interminable, never-ending,

infinite, myriad, extensive,: As the wealthiest woman in the

world, she has unlimited resources to do as she pleases.

unload v. empty, dump, unpack, offload, discharge; disburden,

unburden: We unloaded the cargo at Sulawesi. The camels must be

unloaded every night.

unmarried adj. single, unwed(ded), bachelor, spinster, old-maid, maiden,

unattached, unengaged, unbetrothed, unplighted, unpromised,

free, uncommitted: He was thirty-five, unmarried, and lived

alone in a tiny flat.

unmentionable

adj. 1 unspeakable, unutterable, ineffable, taboo, scandalous,

forbidden, interdicted; inexpressible: I will not have Karen or

her unmentionable boyfriend in this house again! 2 disgraceful,

indecent, immodest, shameful, shocking, appalling,

dishonourable, indescribable, obscene, filthy: In carnivals,

geeks do unmentionable things with live chickens.

--n. 3 unmentionables. underclothes, underclothing, underwear,

undergarments, lingerie, Archaic small-clothes, Colloq

underthings, undies, Brit smalls, US skivvies: The woman next

door insists on hanging out her unmentionables in full view of

the whole street.

unmerciful

adj. merciless, pitiless, unsparing, unkind, relentless,

unpitying, heartless, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, flinty,

unfeeling, unsympathetic, unforgiving, mean, cruel, savage,

brutal, brutish, vicious, barbarous: The boys gave him an

unmerciful beating for cheating.

unmitigated

adj. undiluted, unalloyed, unmixed, untempered, unmoderated,

unmodified, unabated, unlessened, undiminished, unreduced,

unrelieved, oppressive, unalleviated, unmollified, unsoftened,

relentless, unqualified, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,

outright, downright, categorical, absolute, immoderate, sheer,

complete, consummate, total, perfect, true, pure, arrant, utter,

plain: That man is an unmitigated bore. The project was an

unmitigated disaster.

unmoved adj. cool, aloof, calm, collected, unaffected, untouched,

unsympathetic, unstirred, undisturbed, apathetic, stoic(al),

impassive, dispassionate, unemotional, unfeeling, unconcerned,

indifferent, unreactive, unresponsive, stolid, stony, adamant,

stony-hearted, hard-hearted: Despite her child's tears, she

remained totally unmoved.

unnatural adj. 1 Derogatory abnormal, perverse, perverted, monstrous,

unusual, peculiar, strange, aberrant, improper, unseemly; Slang

kinky , Chiefly Brit bent: There was a scandal when the senator

was found to have engaged in some unnatural act. 2

sodomitic(al), bestial, tribadic, tribadistic: They still coyly

referred to homosexual activities as 'unnatural acts'. 3

uncharacteristic, out of character, odd, peculiar, strange,

unexpected, abnormal, unusual: Isn't it unnatural for someone

who has won the sweepstakes to look so unhappy? 4 laboured,

forced, stilted, stiff, restrained, artificial, false,

insincere, feigned, contrived, affected, mannered,

self-conscious, theatrical, stagy: She has an irritating,

unnatural laugh. 5 outlandish, weird, uncanny, strange, odd,

unaccountable, supernatural, preternatural, queer, grotesque,

bizarre, extraordinary, eccentric, freakish: Let me tell you

about the unnatural events that took place in that house.

unnecessary

adj. unneeded, needless, unrequired, dispensable, disposable,

expendable, unwanted, surplus, superfluous, supererogatory,

inessential, unessential, non-essential: The children were

asleep, so we asked the workmen to avoid making any unnecessary

noise.

unnerve v. upset, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, rattle, discomfit,

unsettle, disconcert, dismay, intimidate, stun, stupefy, Colloq

shake (up), faze: Peter drove home slowly: the accident he had

seen had unnerved him.

unnoticed adj. unnoted, overlooked, unobserved, undiscovered, unremarked,

unmarked, unperceived; unseen, unheard: Fortunately, Martha's

nasty aside went unnoticed.

unobtrusive

adj. inconspicuous, unostentatious, low-key, retiring, modest,

self-effacing, unpresuming, unpretentious, unassuming, quiet,

humble, unaggressive, unassertive, non-assertive, subdued,

reserved, reticent, suppressed: Agatha may seem unobtrusive,

but she's a tigress when aroused.

unofficial

adj. informal, unauthorized, undocumented, off the record,

private, secret, unpublicized, unannounced: The builder

acknowledged having had unofficial meetings with the council.

unopened adj. closed, shut: The book lay, unopened, on the bedside

table.

unorthodox

adj. irregular, unconventional, nonconformist, unconforming,

nonconforming, aberrant, aberrational, deviant, heteroclite,

unusual, abnormal, uncustomary, uncommon: Roebuck's unorthodox

methods almost lost him his job.

unpaid adj. 1 payable, outstanding, owed, owing, due, unsettled: In

the end he absconded, leaving a pile of unpaid bills. 2

unsalaried, voluntary, volunteer, honorary, US dollar-a-year:

On retirement, she took an unpaid job with Oxfam.

unpalatable

adj. distasteful, disagreeable, unpleasant, unsavoury,

unappetizing, unattractive, repugnant, nasty, offensive; rancid,

sour, off, turned, bitter, inedible, uneatable: Without an

education, they are often offered the unpalatable jobs. We

found heavy claret totally unpalatable with the sole.

unparalleled

adj. unequalled, incomparable, matchless, peerless, unrivalled,

unmatched, inimitable, unexcelled, superior, supreme,

superlative, unsurpassed, unusual, special, singular, rare,

unique, exceptional, consummate: In our experience, the food

and service aboard the Normandie were unparalleled.

unperfumed

adj. unscented, plain, natural: This deodorant is available in

sandalwood, forest pine, mint, or unperfumed.

unpopular adj. out of favour, in bad odour, unliked, disliked, shunned,

avoided, snubbed, ignored, unsought after, unaccepted, unwanted,

rejected, unwelcome, undesirable; unloved, friendless: New

taxes are always unpopular. James had always been an unpopular

boy at school.

unprejudiced

adj. unbigoted, unbiased, impartial, unjaundiced, just, fair,

objective, disinterested, fair-minded, non-partisan, liberal,

open-minded, undogmatic: An unprejudiced opinion would be

difficult to find, since everyone has an axe to grind.

unpremeditated

adj. unprepared, unplanned, unarranged, uncontrived, unstudied,

coincidental, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, last-minute,

impromptu, extemporaneous or extemporary, extempore, ad lib,

offhand, casual, impulsive, natural, involuntary, automatic,

unconscious, Colloq off the cuff: I had no inkling of her

plans, so my running into her was entirely unpremeditated. Her

immediate, unpremeditated reaction was to run away.

unprepared

adj. 1 unready, surprised, taken aback, (caught) napping or off

guard, dumbfounded or dumfounded, at sixes and sevens, Colloq

(caught) with (one's) pants down, Brit caught on the hop, US

asleep at the switch: The sudden squall found us unprepared and

we lost a sail. 2 unfinished, incomplete, uncompleted: Dinner

was still unprepared at eight o'clock. 3 unwarned, unreadied,

not set up, not forewarned: I was unprepared for the strange

events that followed. 4 See unpremeditated, above.

unprofessional

adj. 1 unbecoming, improper, unethical, unprincipled, unseemly,

undignified, unfitting, unbefitting, unworthy, unscholarly,

negligent, lax: The Medical Association is quick to act against

doctors whose conduct might be judged unprofessional. 2

amateurish, amateur, inexpert, inexperienced, untrained,

untutored, unschooled, incompetent, unskilled, unskilful,

inferior, second-rate, inefficient, poor, shoddy, low-quality,

sloppy: It was an astonishingly unprofessional way to audit

accounts. 3 non-technical, unspecialized, non-specialist, lay,

everyday, ordinary, plain (English), understandable: What does

all that gobbledegook mean when translated into unprofessional

language?

unprofitable

adj. 1 profitless, ungainful, unremunerative, unfruitful,

non-profit-making; breaking even; losing, loss-making: The last

quarter was unprofitable for car manufacturers. 2 bootless,

pointless, purposeless, unavailing, futile, useless,

unproductive, worthless, ineffective, inefficient: Having

employees sitting about waiting for the telephone to ring is

unprofitable.

unpromising

adj. inauspicious, unpropitious, unfavourable, gloomy, ominous,

adverse, portentous, baleful, hopeless: The forecast for the

economy looked unpromising yesterday but has suddenly

brightened.

unqualified

adj. 1 ineligible, unfit, untrained, ill-equipped, unsuited,

unequipped, unprepared: He was rejected as unqualified for the

job of repairing computers. 2 unrestricted, unreserved,

unconditional, categorical, outright, unmitigated, downright,

out-and-out, pure (and simple), true, perfect, utter, absolute,

consummate: If he told you that he flew jets in the RAF, he is

an unqualified liar. Cato's unqualified 'Delenda est Cartago'

was echoed in every speech he made in the Roman senate.

unquenchable

adj. insatiable, unslakeable or unslakable, unsatisfiable;

inextinguishable, unsuppressible, irrepressible, indestructible:

She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Those principles

have kindled an unquenchable fire in the hearts of the

oppressed.

unquestionable

adj. unexceptionable, indubitable, undoubted, indisputable,

incontestable, unimpeachable, undeniable, certain, sure,

positive, irrefutable, manifest, obvious, patent, clear,

definite, incontrovertible, unequivocal, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, conclusive: Their integrity is unquestionable,

and I have complete confidence in them.

unreal adj. 1 imaginary, fantastic, chimeric(al), fanciful, fancied,

illusory, make-believe, phantasmagoric(al), phantasmal,

spectral, figmental, unrealistic, non-existent: Fear made the

whole scene unreal to Martha. 2 theoretical, hypothetical,

mythical, imaginary, made-up, fictitious, make-believe,

fanciful: Although the example is unreal, it will serve its

purpose in my argument. 3 artificial, synthetic, synthesized,

mock, false, fake(d), counterfeit, fraudulent, dummy, spurious,

falsified, pretend(ed), sham, pseudo, make-believe: The

countryside looked a little unreal, too luxuriant and too

sculptured.

unrealistic

adj. 1 impractical, illogical, unreasonable, unworkable,

unrealizable, quixotic, romantic, fanciful, visionary,

delusional, delusive, delusory: However exciting it is to think

of travelling faster than light, the notion is unrealistic. 2

unreal, unlifelike, unnatural, unauthentic,

non-representational, unrepresentative, inaccurate: The

background paintings are poorly done and unrealistic.

unreasonable

adj. 1 irrational, illogical, unthinking, absurd, foolish,

senseless, nonsensical, mindless, brainless, thoughtless, silly,

mad, crazy, insane, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, stupid,

fatuous, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, preposterous,

far-fetched, short-sighted, unperceptive, unperceiving,

undiscerning, myopic, blind: Some people have an unreasonable

aversion to anything scientific. Is it unreasonable to expect

you to spend a little time with your mother? 2 excessive,

outrageous, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, extortionate,

inordinate, unconscionable, unjust, unwarranted, inequitable,

unfair, unequal, improper, unjustified, unjustifiable,

uncalled-for: The new tax puts an unreasonable demand on those

with lower incomes. 3 inappropriate, unapt or inapt,

unsuitable, unbefitting, impractical, unrealistic: His conduct

was quite unreasonable for a man of the cloth.

unrefined adj. 1 coarse, rude, rough, unsophisticated, uncultured,

uncivilized, uncultivated, unpolished, inelegant, ill-bred,

impolite, discourteous, unmannerly, ill-mannered, bad-mannered,

ignoble, plebeian, undignified, unladylike, ungentlemanlike,

ungentlemanly, uncourtly, ungracious, boorish, loutish, gross,

vulgar, uncouth, cloddish, bumbling, awkward, gauche: Consider

their background before criticizing them for being unrefined. 2

impure, unpurified, unclarified, raw, crude, coarse, untreated,

unfinished, natural, unprocessed: The unrefined ore is first

washed thoroughly.

unrelated adj. independent, separate, distinct, different, dissimilar,

incompatible, inappropriate, foreign, alien, unassociated,

unaffiliated, unconnected, uncoupled, unlinked, unallied,

uncoordinated: Why raise a totally unrelated issue?

unreliable

adj. irresponsible, disreputable; untrustworthy, undependable,

uncertain, unstable, treacherous, flimsy, weak: He is

unreliable and unlikely to be there when you need him. The

equipment was expensive, slow, and unreliable.

unrepentant

adj. unrepenting, unremorseful, impenitent, unapologetic,

unregretful, unashamed, unembarrassed, unselfconscious,

remorseless, unreformed, unrehabilitated, unregenerate,

recidivist or recidivistic or recidivous: They were quite

unrepentant, though they had seen for themselves the harm they

had done.

unresolved

adj. unsettled, open, up in the air, moot, pending, debatable,

arguable, problematic(al), indefinite, vague, open to question,

questionable, unanswered, unsolved; undetermined, undecided,

uncertain, unsure, ambivalent, wavering, vacillating,

irresolute: The matter of joining the monetary union remained

unresolved. I am still unresolved on the issue.

unrest n. disquiet, uneasiness, distress, anxiety, anxiousness,

nervousness, anguish, unease, worry, concern, agitation,

turmoil, disturbance, trouble, strife, agony: The proximity of

the huge army on our borders caused considerable unrest among

the populace.

unruly adj. unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable, undisciplined,

unregulated, lawless, disobedient, insubordinate, rebellious,

mutinous, fractious, refractory, contumacious, obstreperous,

wilful, headstrong, stubborn, recalcitrant, intractable,

defiant, uncooperative, wayward, disorderly, turbulent, riotous,

tumultuous, violent, stormy, tempestuous: She had no idea of

how to handle a capricious and unruly teenager. The first

reading of the bill led to an unruly session of Parliament.

unsatisfactory

adj. insufficient, inadequate, inferior, poor, unacceptable,

displeasing, disappointing, unworthy, inappropriate, deficient,

weak, wanting, lacking, unsuitable, imperfect, flawed,

defective, faulty: The report was unsatisfactory in that it

failed to meet the committee's demands. Why put up with

unsatisfactory workmanship?

unsavoury adj. distasteful, objectionable, unpleasant, disagreeable,

unappetizing, unpalatable, offensive, repugnant, obnoxious,

repellent, nasty, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, nauseating,

sickening: Her ex-husband is a totally unsavoury character.

Even the most unsavoury swill tasted like ambrosia to the

starving inmates.

unscathed adj. unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, unmarked, untouched,

undamaged, unscarred, unscratched, safe and sound, in one piece,

as new, Archaic scatheless, Colloq like new: Miraculously, he

came out of the battle unscathed.

unscrupulous

adj. unconscionable, conscienceless, unprincipled, amoral,

unethical, immoral, dishonourable, corrupt, dishonest,

deceitful, sly, cunning, artful, insidious, shifty, sneaky,

slippery, roguish, knavish, disingenuous, treacherous,

perfidious, faithless, false, untrustworthy, wicked, evil,

Colloq crooked: Some people are totally unscrupulous in the

pursuit of their ambitions.

unseasonable

adj. unsuitable, inopportune, inappropriate, untimely,

ill-timed, inexpedient: Unseasonable frosts in April caused

severe damage to the flower buds.

unseemly adj. 1 improper, unrefined, unbecoming, indecorous, indelicate,

unbecoming, unladylike, ungentlemanly, undignified, in poor or

bad taste, disreputable, discreditable, risqu‚, naughty,

indecent, shameful, offensive, lewd, lascivious, obscene, rude,

coarse: Out of desperation, they engaged in some unseemly

activities. 2 impolitic, unwise, imprudent, inapt,

inappropriate, inopportune, inconvenient, uncalled-for,

unsuitable, improper, inadvisable, ill-advised, unbefitting,

unfitting, out of place or keeping, awkward, inauspicious,

inexpedient, unfortunate, ill-timed, untimely: It would be

unseemly for you to become involved with such a notorious

individual.

unselfish adj. generous, charitable, open-handed, ungrudging, unstinting,

unsparing, giving, magnanimous, philanthropic, humanitarian,

free, liberal, altruistic, selfless, self-sacrificing: We were

all greatly impressed by her unselfish concern for the

well-being of her colleagues.

unsettled adj. 1 unfixed, unstable, changing, varying, variable,

changeable, inconstant, ever-changing, protean, unpredictable,

inconstant, uncertain: The weather remained unsettled all week.

They told me of their unsettled life as gypsies. 2 disturbed,

turbulent, riled, agitated, disquieted, upset, perturbed,

ruffled, rattled, flustered, restive, restless, unnerved, US

roiled: It was being kept in the dark about Father that made us

feel unsettled. 3 disoriented, confused, mixed up, unorganized,

disorganized, disorderly, disordered, tumultuous: The unsettled

situation in the east worried us. 4 See unresolved, above:

Some questions about Ian remain unsettled.

unsettling

adj. unnerving, upsetting, disturbing, perturbing,

discomfiting, disconcerting: Sorry for being a wet blanket, but

I have had some unsettling news from home.

unsightly adj. ugly, hideous, awful-looking, horrible, frightful-looking,

unattractive, unprepossessing, unlovely, unpretty, plain, US and

Canadian homely: The property borders an unsightly junk-yard.

unsocial adj. unsociable, unfriendly, cool, cold, chilly, aloof,

uncongenial, unamiable, unforthcoming, standoffish,

inhospitable, withdrawn, reserved, solitary, retiring, distant,

detached, reclusive, hermitic(al), eremitic(al), anchoritic or

anchoretic; antisocial, misanthropic, hostile: Erwin, who

prefers to be alone, is definitely unsocial. Donna, who despises

other people, is unsocial for different reasons.

unsolicited

adj. unlooked-for, unsought, unsought after, unrequested,

unasked for, uncalled-for, gratuitous, uninvited; Colloq US

over-the-transom: Tanya is always offering unsolicited advice

on every conceivable subject. The publishers receive scores of

unsolicited book manuscripts each week.

unsophisticated

adj. 1 na‹ve, inexperienced, simple, childlike, unworldly,

innocent, ingenuous, artless, guileless: Is the unsophisticated

consumer sufficiently protected against unscrupulous traders? 2

simple, plain, uncomplicated, undetailed, uninvolved, unrefined:

The computers of twenty years ago were unsophisticated compared

with those of today.

unsound adj. 1 weak, feeble, frail, rickety, shaky, ramshackle, infirm,

unstable, wobbly, tottering, unsteady, broken-down, crumbling,

disintegrating, dilapidated, defective, imperfect, faulty,

decayed, rotten: The building inspector condemned the structure

as unsound and unsafe. 2 unhealthy, diseased, ill, afflicted, in

poor health, ailing, sickly, sick, unwell, delicate, injured,

wounded: The attack of flu left him unsound in wind and limb.

3 insane, mad, psychotic, unbalanced, unstable, demented,

deranged: The doctors said that she was still of unsound mind

and ought not be released. 4 illogical, faulty, flawed,

fallacious, untenable, invalid, groundless, unfounded,

erroneous, defective, specious: We thought that his arguments

were unsound, so we rejected his recommendations.

unspoiled adj. unspoilt, unsullied, pristine, virgin, whole, untainted,

unstained, immaculate, uncorrupted, unpolluted, spotless,

stainless: The house has been preserved in its original

condition, unspoiled by modern additions.

unstable adj. 1 changeable, variable, unsteady, inconstant,

inconsistent, insecure, capricious, fickle, irregular,

unpredictable, unreliable, erratic, volatile, fluctuating,

flighty, mercurial, vacillating, tergiversating, indecisive,

undecided, irresolute, indefinite, unsettled: He seems too

unstable to maintain a long-standing relationship. 2 See

unsound, 1, above.

unsuccessful

adj. 1 unfortunate, unavailing, vain, abortive, useless,

bootless, fruitless, unfruitful, unproductive, ineffective,

ineffectual, inefficacious, worthless, unprofitable, sterile:

We made an unsuccessful attempt to regain control of the

company. 2 unlucky, hapless, unfortunate, luckless, defeated,

beaten, jinxed, cursed, foiled, frustrated, balked: Trevor

complained that he had been unsuccessful in business all his

life.

unsung adj. uncelebrated, unrecognized, unglorified, unexalted,

unpraised, unhonoured, unnoticed, disregarded, unknown,

anonymous, unidentified, nameless, obscure, insignificant,

inconspicuous: I have no wish to add to the long list of unsung

authors of the twentieth century.

unsuspecting

adj. unsuspicious, unwary, unknowing, ignorant, unconscious,

gullible, credulous, na‹ve, ingenuous, innocent, trusting;

unaware, off guard: Martin became an unsuspecting dupe in

Lambert's plot to embezzle money from the bank.

unsympathetic

adj. uncaring, unconcerned, callous, unfeeling, unaffected,

untouched, unmoved, indifferent, unemotional, dispassionate,

uncompassionate, unreactive, unresponsive, impassive, stolid,

cold, cool, aloof, unstirred, apathetic, insensitive, stoic(al),

stony, adamant, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, unpitying,

pitiless, ruthless: We were unable to understand Taylor's

unsympathetic attitude to the suffering around him.

untamed adj. undomesticated, wild, unbroken, unsubdued, uncontrollable,

savage, fierce, feral, ferocious: In the story, the wolf boy

behaves like an untamed beast.

untarnished

adj. unsoiled, unsullied, immaculate, spotless, unspotted,

untainted, faultless, uncorrupted, unfouled, chaste, lily-white,

undefiled, virginal: Despite the obloquy heaped on his

colleagues, his own reputation remained untarnished.

untenable adj. insupportable or unsupportable, indefensible,

unsustainable, unmaintainable, unjustified, unjustifiable,

baseless, groundless, unfounded, flawed, faulty, weak,

illogical, specious, implausible, unreasonable, unsound: It is

beyond me why he holds so tenaciously to such untenable views.

unthinkable

adj. 1 inconceivable, unbelievable, unimaginable, incredible,

incomprehensible, beyond belief, extraordinary, Colloq

mind-boggling, Slang mind-blowing: It seemed unthinkable that

such a mild-mannered man could have been a mass murderer. 2

unacceptable, absurd, illogical, impossible, improbable,

unlikely, out of the question, preposterous, ridiculous,

laughable, ludicrous, Colloq not on: It is simply unthinkable

for her to go to the ball unattended.

unthinking

adj. 1 thoughtless, mindless, undiscriminating, unconsidered,

unwitting, unreflecting, unthoughtful, irrational, unreasonable,

illogical, unperceptive, unperceiving, undiscerning, witless,

brainless, foolish, senseless, nonsensical, rash, stupid, silly,

mad, crazy, insane, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, hasty,

short-sighted: It was unthinking of me to ask her mother to go

out to dinner with us. 2 inconsiderate, impolite, tactless,

rude, thoughtless, undiplomatic, discourteous, uncivil,

imprudent, unwise, indiscreet, neglectful: On the other hand,

it would have been unthinking of me not to ask her mother.

untidy adj. disorderly, messy, dishevelled, unkempt, slovenly,

slatternly, bedraggled, rumpled, frowzy, sloppy, dirty;

littered, cluttered, chaotic, helter-skelter, jumbled, Archaic

draggle-tailed, Colloq US mussy, mussed-up: You should never go

to the door looking so untidy. Ken's papers are always so

untidy.

untiring adj. unflagging, determined, indefatigable, dogged,

persevering, perseverant, tireless, unwearying, unwearied,

dogged, dedicated, unfailing, unfaltering, steady: Kim has

always been an untiring perfectionist.

untold adj. 1 countless, uncounted, uncountable, unnumbered,

numberless, innumerable, myriad, incalculable; immeasurable,

measureless, unlimited: Untold millions are lost through tax

fraud each year. 2 unrecounted, unnarrated, undescribed,

unpublished, unrevealed, undisclosed, undivulged, unreported,

private, hidden, secret: How many untold stories are there in

the naked city? 3 inexpressible, unutterable, indescribable,

unimaginable, inconceivable, unthinkable, unspeakable: The

untold agony that man went through because of his family's

illnesses!

untoward adj. 1 adverse, unfavourable, unpropitious, discouraging,

inopportune, unpromising, bleak, inauspicious, bad, unfortunate:

The rainstorm created untoward conditions, causing the river to

rise dangerously. 2 unbecoming, unfitting, awkward,

inappropriate, unapt, unsuitable, improper, impolite, rude,

boorish, ungentlemanly, unladylike, indecorous, indelicate,

unwarranted, uncalled-for, unrefined, unseemly, unwise,

imprudent, undiplomatic, tactless, untactful, ill-conceived,

silly, foolish, stupid, ill-timed, vexatious, vexing,

irritating, annoying: Charles made some untoward remark about

the size of Sandra's feet.

untried adj. untested, unproved or unproven, new: He may be good at

homes, but he is as yet untried as the designer of a library.

untrue adj. 1 unfaithful, faithless, disloyal, fickle, capricious,

undependable, unreliable, dishonourable, untrustworthy, false,

hypocritical, dishonest, insincere, two-faced, duplicitous,

devious, deceitful, treacherous, perfidious: Only when I saw

her with Henry did I realize that Pauline had been untrue to me.

2 wrong, false, inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, misleading,

mistaken, distorted: What you said about Pauline was simply

untrue. 3 inexact, non-standard, substandard, imprecise,

imperfect: How unfortunate for legend had William Tell's aim

been untrue!

unused adj. 1 (brand) new, untouched, pristine, original, intact,

fresh, firsthand: He sold me his unused computer for half what

it cost. 2 disused, abandoned, derelict, neglected, given up:

We hid in an old unused factory building. 3 unconsumed,

leftover, remaining, left: If dissatisfied with this product,

return the unused portion for a full refund. 4 unused to.

unaccustomed to, unfamiliar with, inexperienced in or at,

amateurish at, unpractised in or at, uninitiated in: I am quite

unused to doing that sort of thing.

unusual adj. uncommon, exceptional, atypical, untypical, different,

unexpected, singular, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, odd,

peculiar, curious, bizarre, strange, queer, remarkable, unique,

freakish, unprecedented, unconventional, unorthodox, Slang

off-the-wall: It takes an unusual person to be as charitable as

Jean. Don't you agree that an egg-laying mammal is a bit

unusual?

unvarnished

adj. plain, simple, pure, unembellished, straightforward,

straight, direct, honest, unelaborated, naked, stark, sincere,

frank, candid, outspoken: My dear, let me tell you the

unvarnished truth about Marnie and Jim.

unveil v. reveal, expose, uncover, lay bare or open, bare, bring to

light: They will unveil a rival bid at tomorrow's meeting. Only

after William died did Cynthia unveil the truth about his double

life.

unwarranted

adj. uncalled-for, unasked, unasked for, unjustified,

indefensible, unjust, unfair, unconscionable, unworthy,

improper, inexcusable, gratuitous, unmerited, undeserved,

unprovoked, outrageous, excessive, unreasonable, unrestrained,

intemperate, untempered, immoderate, undue, unnecessary: The

police were accused of unwarranted use of force in ejecting the

rowdies from the pub.

unwary adj. heedless, careless, hasty, incautious, unguarded,

imprudent, rash, foolhardy, reckless, thoughtless, indiscreet,

unthinking, mindless, unwise: Many perils await the unwary

traveller. It was unwary of you not to lock the doors and

windows.

unwashed adj. 1 dirty, uncleaned, unclean, uncleansed: Separate your

personal things from the unwashed laundry in the hamper.

--n. 2 the (great) unwashed. Derogatory the rabble, the

masses, the mob, the plebs, people (at large or in general), the

population, the populace, the man or woman in the street, Mr (&

Mrs) Average, the working class(es), most people, the (silent)

majority, US John Q. Public: The effort to sell expensive

brandy to the great unwashed failed miserably.

unwelcome adj. 1 uninvited, unsought for, unwished for, undesired,

undesirable, displeasing, unpleasing, distasteful, unpleasant:

My day was further ruined by the unwelcome arrival of all those

bills. 2 unwanted, rejected, unaccepted, excluded; persona non

grata, anathema: Following that episode, Curshaw was made to

feel unwelcome at the club.

unwholesome

adj. 1 unhealthy, unhealthful, detrimental, deleterious,

pernicious, insalubrious, unhygienic, insalutary, harmful,

noxious, toxic, injurious, destructive: Fernthwaite finally

succumbed to the unwholesome climate and had to be sent home. 2

corrupt, immoral, bad, wicked, evil, sinful, perverted;

demoralizing, depraved, degrading, corrupting, perverting: The

social worker said it was wrong for a child to be raised in such

an unwholesome atmosphere. 3 ill, ailing, sickly, sick, pale,

wan, anaemic, pallid, pasty: Their unwholesome complexion comes

from malnutrition.

unwieldy adj. awkward, clumsy, bulky, oversized, cumbersome, ungainly,

unmanageable, unhandy, unmanoeuvrable: The huge oil tankers,

though economical, often proved unwieldy in the ports they

visited.

unwonted adj. infrequent, unusual, uncustomary, uncommon, unfamiliar,

unprecedented, rare, singular, atypical, abnormal, peculiar,

odd, strange, irregular, unconventional, unorthodox: All this

unwonted physical exercise made them exhausted by evening.

unworthy adj. 1 unequal, meritless, unmerited, substandard, inferior,

second-rate, menial, puny, petty, paltry, unprofessional,

mediocre, despicable, contemptible, dishonourable, ignoble,

disreputable, discreditable, unqualified, ineligible, unfit,

undeserving: I consider Patrick an unworthy opponent. 2

unworthy of. unbecoming to, inappropriate to, unsuitable for,

unfit for, out of character for, inconsistent with or for, out

of place with or for, incongruous with or for: That sort of

petty haggling is unworthy of your position and of you.

21.5 upbeat...

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upbeat adj. positive, optimistic, sanguine, favourable, cheerful,

encouraging, heartening, buoyant, light-hearted: Christopher

has a very upbeat attitude towards life despite his age.

upbraid v. scold, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, berate, castigate,

chastise, reprove, chide, censure, take to task, Colloq tell

off, tick off, dress down, give a dressing-down, give (someone)

a piece of (one's) mind, tell (someone) a thing or two, rake

(someone) over the coals, jump on or all over, bawl out, US chew

out: The boys were soundly upbraided for going near the railway

tracks.

upbringing

n. rearing, raising, training, education, cultivation, nurture,

breeding: The way one behaves through life is really a matter

of upbringing.

upheaval n. upset, unrest, commotion, change, cataclysm, disruption,

disturbance, disorder, confusion, chaos, furore, or US furor:

Those were times of drastic political upheaval in Asia.

uphold v. support, maintain, sustain, preserve, hold up, defend,

protect, advocate, promote, espouse, embrace, endorse, back,

champion, stand by: All demagogues claim to uphold democratic

principles.

upkeep n. 1 maintenance, repair, support, sustenance, preservation,

conservation, subsistence, running, operation: The upkeep of

the infrastructure came to ten per cent of the annual budget

last year. 2 (operating) costs, (running) expenses, outlay,

expenditure, Brit overheads, oncosts, US overhead: Have you

included upkeep in the annual expenses?

upper adj. 1 higher (up), loftier, topmost, more elevated, uppermost:

Air is less dense in the upper parts of the atmosphere. Our flat

is on an upper floor. Her best notes are sung in the upper

register. 2 higher, upland, more elevated; (more) northerly,

northern: We visited the cataracts on the upper reaches of the

Nile. We spent the holiday in upper Canada. 3 later, more

recent: These strata were laid down in the Upper Cretaceous

period. 4 upper case. capital letter(s), capital(s), majuscule

(letters or characters): The heading ought to be in upper case.

5 upper crust. upper class, ‚lite, aristocrats, nobles, blue

bloods, wealthy, US Four Hundred: Gregory thinks of himself as

a member of the upper crust and won't associate with us. 6 upper

hand. advantage, control, authority, power, sway, superiority,

supremacy, command, dominance, ascendancy, Colloq edge: Purvis

kowtows to whoever has the upper hand.

--n. 7 on (one's) uppers. poor, indigent, destitute,

poverty-stricken, Colloq broke: Stanley has been on his uppers

since losing his job.

upper-class

adj. 1 ‚lite, aristocratic, blue-blooded, well-born, noble,

high-born, patrician, Colloq upper crust: Eunice comes from an

upper-class Irish family. 2 high-class, elegant, fancy,

luxurious, first-rate, de luxe, royal, regal, sumptuous, Colloq

swank(y), ritzy, posh: I'll have you know that we stayed only

in upper-class hotels on our tour.

uppermost adj. 1 highest, topmost, loftiest, highest, top: These curious

animals live in the uppermost branches of the trees. 2

foremost, first, most important or prominent or influential or

telling, principal, paramount, pre-eminent, predominant:

Uppermost in my mind is the safety of the children.

uppish adj. affected, putting on airs, snobbish, conceited,

overweening, self-important, Colloq uppity, snooty, high and

mighty, hoity-toity, highfalutin or hifalutin, stuck-up, on

(one's) high horse, Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed: Even if

she is in charge she doesn't have to be so uppish.

upright adj. 1 erect, perpendicular, vertical, on end, straight up and

down, plumb, stand-up, standing up, Brit upstanding: Few

upright columns of the Greek temple remained. 2 moral,

principled, high-minded, ethical, virtuous, upstanding,

straight, righteous, straightforward, honourable, honest, just,

trustworthy, unimpeachable, uncorrupt(ed), incorruptible,

decent, good: David had long been an upright member of the

church council.

--n. 3 post, pole, column, vertical, perpendicular: We need

another upright to support the floor over here.

--adv. 4 perpendicularly, vertically, upward(s), straight up

(and down): The javelin was sticking upright out of the ground.

5 right side up: Miraculously, the platter with the roast on it

landed upright on the floor.

uprising n. rebellion, revolt, mutiny, revolution, insurrection, rising,

putsch, coup (d'‚tat): The government quelled the uprising with

water cannons and tear gas.

uproar n. clamour, hubbub, disturbance, commotion, hullabaloo,

brouhaha, din, racket, pandemonium, tumult, turmoil, pother,

outcry, outburst, bedlam, agitation, frenzy, broil, rumpus,

fuss; affray, fracas, brawl; Colloq hoo-ha, to-do, US hoop-la,

Brit kerfuffle or carfuffle or kurfuffle: The announcement of

the new taxes caused a nation-wide uproar.

uproarious

adj. 1 clamorous, noisy, deafening, tumultuous, turbulent,

tempestuous, excited, frenzied, rowdy, riotous, disorderly,

wild: We had an uproarious party on New Year's Eve. 2

hilarious, hysterical, (screamingly) funny, side-splitting,

Colloq too funny for words, killing: Leslie told his uproarious

story about Colonel Cholmondley and the tiger.

uproot v. 1 transfer, transplant, move, displace; exile, banish:

Finney has been uprooted five times in his career with the firm.

2 deracinate, extirpate, root out, dig out, pluck out, tear out;

destroy, demolish, ruin, eradicate, annihilate, kill, ruin,

devastate, ravage: Thousands of trees were uprooted by the

hurricane.

upset v. 1 disturb, agitate, distress, unsettle, put off, put out,

perturb, disquiet, fluster, ruffle, frighten, scare, disconcert,

dismay, trouble, worry, bother, discompose, make (someone)

nervous: We once had a nanny who told the children horror

stories just to upset them. 2 overturn, capsize, topple, up-end,

tip over, knock over or down, invert, turn topsy-turvy or upside

down, spill: That is the third time this week you have upset

the cream jug. 3 disturb, derange, disrupt, disarrange, mess

up, disorganize, snarl up, jumble, muddle, Colloq Brit kerfuffle

or carfuffle or kurfuffle: The boys upset the entire house with

their horseplay. 4 overthrow, defeat, beat, worst, thrash,

rout, conquer, overcome, win out over, get the better of, get or

gain the advantage over, triumph over, be victorious over,

vanquish: The question is whether the challenger will upset the

champion in the Wimbledon finals. 5 defeat, ruin, spoil, thwart,

interfere with, destroy, demolish, mess up, disturb, Colloq

throw a Brit spanner in(to) or US monkey wrench into (the

works), US discombobulate, Slang screw up, gum up, put the

kibosh on, Taboo slang fuck up , Brit bugger up: Your coming

early upset my plan to shampoo my hair.

--adj. 6 capsized, overturned, upside down, bottom side up,

inverted, reversed, toppled, tipped over, topsy-turvy: We clung

to the bottom of the upset boat till help arrived. 7 sick,

queasy: Eve has an upset stomach and cannot go. 8 perturbed,

disturbed, disquieted, disconcerted, agitated, distressed,

worried, troubled, unnerved, distracted, apprehensive, nervous,

frightened, scared, afraid: We found Valdimir in a terribly

upset state at Natasha's disappearance. 9 disordered, confused,

disorganized, messed-up, jumbled, muddled, disturbed,

disarranged: The house is never so upset as after a party. 10

angry, irate, furious, beside oneself, mad, Colloq fit to be

tied, Slang freaked out: Father was upset because I took the

car without his permission.

--n. 11 defeat, upsetting, conquest, overthrow, rout,

thrashing, triumph, victory: We celebrated the upset of Queen's

Park Rangers by Manchester United. 12 surprise, unexpected event

or occurrence: The upset of the season was when Carridoff won

the Derby.

upshot n. result, end (result), outcome, ending, conclusion,

termination, effect, after-effect, fallout, wake, backwash,

repercussion, after-clap, feedback, resolution, culmination,

denouement or d‚nouement, issue, Colloq pay-off, US wrap-up:

The upshot of the nasty business was that Bowles was sent to

prison for life.

upstart n. parvenu(e), arriviste, nouveau riche, (social) climber,

status-seeker, pretender, nobody: That upstart husband of

Dora's tried to get me to invest in some scheme of his.

uptake n. comprehension, understanding, apprehension, grasp,

perception, insight, perspicaciousness, perspicacity,

perceptiveness, sensitivity: Billie was very quick on the

uptake, and knew immediately what the man was after.

21.6 urge...

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urge v. 1 press, push, drive, force, impel, speed, accelerate,

hurry, rush, hustle, move, goad, prod, egg on, spur: He urged

his steed onward. 2 press, goad, prod, egg on, spur, prompt,

induce, incite, constrain, exhort, encourage, demand, request,

ask, plead (with), beseech, beg, entreat, importune: We've been

urging the police for months to investigate the goings-on at

that house. 3 coax, persuade, induce, prevail upon, campaign

(with), sway, influence, talk into, advise, suggest, counsel:

The agents urged them to sell their house while the market was

good. 4 argue, set forth, affirm, state, allege, assert, hold,

advise, advocate, demand: The residents urged that the planning

board should deny permission for a supermarket.

--n. 5 pressure, impetus, desire, compulsion, impulse, itch,

longing, yearning, drive, fancy, hunger, thirst, craving, Colloq

yen: We stopped because Corey felt the urge to have some

ice-cream.

urgency n. imperativeness, pressure, stress, extremity, importance,

seriousness, importunity, necessity, need, insistence, exigency,

emergency: She was told to ring back as a matter of some

urgency.

urgent adj. 1 immediate, instant, imperative, pressing, compelling,

vital, life-and-death or life-or-death, important, serious,

necessary, exigent, rush, emergency, pressing, high-priority:

There was an urgent need to do something at once, so she

screamed. 2 supplicative, begging, solicitous, earnest,

importunate, insistent, loud, clamorous, active, energetic,

pertinacious, tenacious, forceful, firm: Both parties were

urgent in pressing for tax reform.

urinate v. pass or make water, Technical micturate; Babytalk (make a)

wee, (go) wee-wee, (have a or US also take a) pee, (make)

pee-pee, do number one, tinkle, piddle; Euphemistic go to the

men's or ladies' (room), go to the 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, go to the loo, Slang (take or have a) piss, Brit have a

or go for a slash: One symptom of cystitis is pain when

urinating.

21.7 usage...

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usage n. 1 use, custom, habit, practice, routine, convention, form,

tradition: British usage reflects decreasing use of the

subjunctive mood. 2 treatment, use, management, handling,

operation, manipulation: It would appear that the car has been

subjected to some rough usage.

use v. 1 employ, make use of, put into practice or operation,

practise, utilize, exercise, bring into play, have recourse to,

resort to, put or press into service, put to use, avail

(oneself) of; say, utter, speak: If you use a hammer you might

damage the surface. Why do you have to use bad language? 2

capitalize on, turn to account, profit by or from, exploit,

utilize, make use of, take advantage of, manipulate, manoeuvre,

handle, abuse, misuse, play, work: She used her smile to lure

men on. Dorothy never forgave Conrad for the way he used her and

her contacts to get his job. 3 consume, eat, drink, smoke, take,

partake of, ingest, inject, Slang shoot (up): He has never used

a habit-forming substance. 4 consume, buy, purchase, employ,

utilize: Which kind of detergent do you use? 5 use up.

consume, exhaust, expend, run through, run out of, deplete;

waste, squander, fritter away, pour down the drain, throw away:

He used up all the toothpaste. She used up her entire

inheritance gambling.

--n. 6 usage, application, employment, utilization; using: The

use of unleaded fuel is recommended. 7 function, utility,

application; advantage, benefit, good, service, interest,

profit, avail: What's the use of a radio that doesn't work? 8

wear (and tear), utilization, treatment, usage, handling: Long

use has worn the workbench smooth. 9 usability, usefulness,

utility, utilization, usage, function, functioning, service(s),

serviceability, power: He lost the use of his right arm in an

accident at work. 10 licence, permission, permit, privilege:

We paid a high fee for the use of this parking space. 11

consumption, purchases, buying, acquisition: The use of

cigarettes has diminished in the last decade. 12 advantage,

purpose, point, end, object, reason, basis, ground: I have

tried to help him overcome his habit, but what's the use? Many

are the uses of adversity. 13 demand, need, necessity, urgency,

exigency: The world has as much use for art as for engineering.

14 See usage, 1, above. 15 have no use for. execrate, detest,

abhor, hate, despise, scorn, contemn, spurn, reject, dislike:

We have no use for cowards in this regiment.

used adj. 1 second-hand, cast-off, old, worn, Euphemistic pre-owned,

Colloq hand-me-down, Brit reach-me-down: You're better off

buying a good used car, since new ones depreciate so quickly. 2

utilized, employed, occupied; in use: We slept in a rarely used

room. 3 used to. accustomed to, habituated to, acclimatized or

acclimated to, adapted to, hardened or toughened or inured to or

against, tempered to, tolerant of; familiar or acquainted with:

After all those years, Amanda was used to Bill's shouting.

useful adj. utilitarian, functional, serviceable, practical, usable,

of use, beneficial, salutary, advantageous, expedient,

profitable, valuable, gainful, helpful, fruitful, productive,

effective, worthwhile: Does this knob serve any useful purpose?

We had some very useful conversations with the bank manager.

usefulness

n. utility, applicability, practicability, purpose,

purposefulness, point, practicality, benefit, advantage,

expediency, profit, profitability, value, gain, help,

fruitfulness, effectiveness, worth: I never could see the

usefulness of all the forms one has to fill in.

useless adj. 1 ineffective, ineffectual, unserviceable, impractical,

impracticable, unpractical, unavailing, vain, pointless,

purposeless, idle, futile, unproductive, unsuccessful, impotent,

effete, sterile, barren, abortive, unusable, bootless,

worthless, Rare inutile: The treatment that she tried was quite

useless. 2 inefficient, incompetent, unproductive, ineffectual,

ineffective, hopeless, inept: My dachshund has proved totally

useless as a watchdog.

user n. 1 consumer, buyer, purchaser, owner; operator: Users of the

equipment report excellent results. 2 alcohol or drug or

narcotic addict: The police have been interviewing users in

order to obtain more information about the dealers.

user-friendly

adj. simple, practicable, usable, explicit, accommodating,

understandable: The system is designed to be particularly

user-friendly.

usual adj. same, customary, habitual, accustomed, familiar,

well-known, common, everyday, established, traditional, set,

time-honoured, old, conventional, workaday, stock, wonted,

regular, ordinary, normal, expected, routine, typical,

run-of-the-mill, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, trite, prosaic,

worn out, shop-worn, predictable, unexceptional, unoriginal,

unremarkable, unimaginative: The usual answer I get is 'Why?' I

missed my usual train this morning. They still sing the usual

drinking songs.

usually adv. customarily, as a rule, generally (speaking), most of the

time, for the most part, most often, mostly, almost always,

inveterately, on the whole, normally, commonly, regularly,

predominantly, chiefly, all things considered, in the main,

mainly, by and large, as usual, Colloq as per usual: I usually

walk home from the office. Johnson usually interviews applicants

in the morning.

21.8 Utopia...

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Utopia n. paradise, heaven, seventh heaven, (Garden of) Eden, bliss,

cloud-cuckoo-land, Nephelococcygia, never-never land,

Shangri-La, Cockaigne or Cockayne, heaven on earth, perfection:

He dreams about a Utopia where everyone is rich and there are no

taxes.

utterly adv. completely, perfectly, absolutely, thoroughly, fully,

entirely, wholly, unreservedly, totally, unqualifiedly,

out-and-out, altogether, overwhelmingly, unequivocally,

categorically, definitely, properly; extremely, Brit dialect

proper; (with) no holds barred, body and soul, head over heels:

The proposal was utterly defeated in the Commons. That was an

utterly foolish act. She gave herself to him utterly.

22.0 V

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22.1 vacancy...

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vacancy n. 1 emptiness, void, gap, lacuna, hiatus, blank, deficiency,

opening, breach, vacuum: Only after she left did Hubert sense

the vacancy in his life. 2 (job) opening, slot, position, post,

situation: Her promotion created a vacancy in the personnel

department. 3 blankness, emptiness, vacuity, absent-mindedness,

inanity, vacuousness, incomprehension, fatuity, unawareness: I

knew by the vacancy of his look that he hadn't any idea of what

I was talking about.

vacant adj. 1 empty, void, hollow, unoccupied, untenanted,

uninhabited, abandoned, deserted: The house remained vacant all

summer. 2 blank, expressionless, deadpan, empty, vacuous, dull,

absent-minded, inane, uncomprehending, fatuous, unaware: After

the accident, she would just sit, for hours on end, with a

vacant look on her face. 3 unoccupied, free, unused, unutilized,

spare, extra, idle, unfilled, unengaged, unspoken for: The

doctor has a vacant hour tomorrow at ten and could see you then.

vacate v. 1 leave, depart (from), withdraw from, quit, evacuate, get

or go out of; desert, abandon: In a fire drill, employees must

vacate the building in five minutes. 2 give up, relinquish,

sacrifice, renounce, let go, resign, abdicate, cede, give up

right or claim to, abandon: We vacated all claims to my aunt's

property. 3 annul, declare null and void, nullify, void,

repudiate, override, overrule, rescind, revoke, recall, quash,

set aside, invalidate: The judge vacated the defendant's plea

of diminished capacity.

vade-mecum

n. handbook, manual, ready reference, book, guide: She always

had with her a vade-mecum on rare poisons.

vagabond n. 1 gypsy, tramp, vagrant, wayfarer, rover, wanderer,

itinerant, migrant, bird of passage, rolling stone, beachcomber,

derelict, Chiefly US and Canadian hobo, Australian swagman,

Colloq US bum, Slang US bindle-stiff: The police interviewed

every vagabond they could find for a clue to the murder.

--adj. 2 vagrant, wayfaring, roving, wandering, itinerant,

migrant, derelict, nomadic, gypsy, rambling, roaming, drifting,

peripatetic, transient, peregrinating: When will he give up his

vagabond ways and settle down?

vague adj. 1 indefinite, indistinct, imprecise, inexact, unclear,

confused, unspecified or non-specified, general, generalized,

unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit,

ill-defined, hazy, fuzzy, ambiguous, obscure, amorphous;

shapeless, blurred, blurry, filmy, dim, shadowy, veiled, bleary,

foggy, misty, cloudy, clouded, hardly or barely distinguishable

or discernible: I have only a vague recollection of our having

met. She must have had a vague idea of your intentions. Leon

could almost make out the vague shape of an approaching figure.

2 undetermined, indeterminate, unfixed, indefinite, inexact,

unspecified or non-specified, unspecific or non-specific,

ambiguous, doubtful, in doubt, uncertain, equivocal, ambiguous:

For security reasons, her time of arrival was left vague. 3

veiled, concealed, hidden, shrouded, obscure, ill-defined,

unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit, ambiguous:

There had been a vague threat of kidnapping, which should not

have been ignored. 4 subliminal, subconscious, indefinable,

unexplained: I had a vague sensation of being followed. 5

indefinite, ambiguous, wishy-washy, undecided, indecisive,

irresolute, vacillating, wavering, inconstant, unsettled,

uncertain, nebulous, up in the air: Leonore is vague about her

plans to run for re-election. 6 vacant, empty, blank,

expressionless, empty, vacuous, dull; puzzled: By their vague

expressions I could see they hadn't understood a word.

vaguely adv. 1 distantly, remotely, indefinitely, dimly, subliminally,

subconsciously, inexplicably: I became vaguely aware of another

presence in the room. 2 ambiguously, imprecisely, inexactly,

unclearly, confusedly, confusingly, hazily, fuzzily, nebulously,

obscurely: Kenston claims that he expresses his theories

vaguely to allow for broad interpretation. 3 idly, vacantly,

detachedly, absent-mindedly, dreamily, absently, distractedly:

Manton listened only vaguely to the judge's words.

vain adj. 1 proud, conceited, haughty, arrogant, boastful,

egotistical, cocky, self-important, vainglorious, narcissistic,

Colloq big-headed, swell-headed, stuck-up, swollen-headed: They

are so vain that they have mirrors in every room. 2 worthless,

profitless, bootless, pointless, unsuccessful, empty, futile,

useless, unavailing, unproductive, fruitless, ineffective,

abortive: Peter sent Carol flowers every day in a vain attempt

to win her back. 3 in vain. a vainly, futilely, unsuccessfully,

fruitlessly, bootlessly: In vain, we sought the help of the

police. b irreverently, blasphemously, disrespectfully,

improperly: Despite his mother's admonitions, he continues to

take the Lord's name in vain.

valley n. glen, dale, dell, vale, dingle, hollow, coomb or coombe or

combe or comb, No. Brit and Welsh cirque or corrie or cwm, Scots

strath: Oh, to stroll once again the cool valleys and the

heathered hills of home!

vanity n. 1 conceit, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, arrogance,

cockiness, self-importance, vainglory, haughtiness, pride,

self-admiration, self-worship, Colloq swell-headedness,

big-headedness: It is disgraceful what some people do to

satisfy their vanity. 2 vainness, emptiness, hollowness,

worthlessness, futility, unreality, bootlessness, pointlessness,

uselessness, folly, vapidity, silliness, vacuousness, vacuity,

foolishness, fatuity, frivolousness: The vanity of trying to

complete the book in a year must be obvious by now.

vapid adj. insipid, flavourless, tasteless, bland, watery, watered

down, wishy-washy, jejune, colourless, unpalatable, flat, tame,

lifeless, boring, tedious, tiresome, uninteresting, trite,

wearisome, wearying, humdrum, Colloq blah, ho-hum: The minister

attacked green politics as vapid romanticism.

vapour n. 1 mist, fog, steam, cloud, smoke, smog, exhalation: There

arose from the bog a suffocating, miasmic vapour. 2 the

vapours. morbidity, hypochondria, hysteria, nervousness,

depression, rheuminess, Archaic distemper, Colloq the pip:

Charlotte suffered an attack of the vapours and retired to her

room.

variable adj. changeable, protean, changing, inconstant, varying,

wavering, mercurial, fickle, capricious, unsteady, unfixed,

unstable, uncertain, undependable, unpredictable, fluctuating,

vacillating, mutable, chameleonic, chameleon-like: The weather

can be quite variable depending on the season.

variance n. 1 variation, difference, disparity, discrepancy,

disagreement, deviation, inconsistency, divergence, incongruity:

The monitor takes account of minute variance in blood pressure.

2 disagreement, misunderstanding, discord, difference (of

opinion), dissension, contention, dispute, dissent, controversy,

quarrel, conflict, argument, debate, lack of harmony, falling

out, schism, rift: There has never been any variance between us

about the disciplining of the children. 3 at variance. in

dispute, in disagreement, quarrelling, in contention, in

conflict: The workforce was at variance with management in the

matter of day care.

variant n. 1 alternative, modification, variation: 'Labor' is an

American spelling variant of 'labour'.

--adj. 2 varying, variable, changing, altering, unstable,

deviant, deviating, different, differing; separate, distinct:

It is claimed that the law is given variant interpretations

depending on the social standing of the suspect.

variation n. 1 change, changing, alteration, altering, variety, varying,

modification, modifying, difference, differing, diversification,

diversity, diversifying, modulation, modulating, conversion,

converting, permutation, permuting: We have to allow for

variation in the intensity of the light. 2 variety, choice,

novelty, diversity, departure (from the norm or usual), change

of pace, divergence, variegation, deviation (from the norm):

This restaurant offers considerable variation in its menu.

varied adj. 1 diverse, diversified, mixed, miscellaneous, assorted,

heterogeneous: An insufficiently varied diet may lead to

malnutrition. 2 See various, below 3 See variegated, below.

variegated

adj. multicolour(ed), particolour(ed), varicoloured,

many-coloured, motley, pied, piebald, brindled, mottled,

polychrome, polychromatic; nacreous, changeant, opalescent,

opaline: Plants with variegated foliage always add interest to

a garden.

variety n. 1 diversity, diversification, multifariousness,

multiplicity, number, range, assortment, medley, mixture, mix,

miscellany, heterogeneity, choice, selection, collection: Don't

you find that the variety of foods in supermarkets today is

astonishing? There was certainly a wide variety of people at

their party. 2 difference, heterogeneity, discrepancy,

diversity, disparity, variation, contrast: The flora and fauna

of Australia display great variety. 3 sort, brand, make, mark,

kind, class, category, breed, type, order, genre, species,

genus, classification, strain: Which variety of washing powder

do you prefer? Rex cultivated only the rarest varieties of

orchid.

various adj. 1 different, a number of, a variety of, diversified,

diverse, several, many, numerous, sundry, heterogeneous,

miscellaneous, Literary divers: We are considering various

offers for the painting. Catherine held various executive

positions in the company. 2 different, distinct, individual:

There are various ways of looking at the problem.

vary v. 1 change, alter, diversify, transform, reshape, remodel,

restyle, modify, reorganize: We vary the programme each month

to make it more interesting. 2 change, switch, alternate,

fluctuate, vacillate: The manager's attitude varies from

helpful to downright rude. 3 depart, deviate, differ, diverge,

shift, veer: These results do not vary from the average by more

than five per cent.

vast adj. infinite, unlimited, boundless, limitless, unbounded,

interminable, endless, never-ending, inexhaustible,

indeterminate, immeasurable, incalculable, measureless; immense,

enormous, huge, tremendous, great, prodigious, stupendous,

gigantic, massive, voluminous, capacious, colossal, monumental,

mammoth, jumbo, elephantine, behemoth, Cyclopean,

Brobdingnagian, titanic, Literary vasty, Colloq ginormous,

humongous: It is difficult to comprehend the vast distances of

space. There is a vast difference between the climates of

California and the Midwest.

vastly adv. immensely, greatly, hugely, enormously, considerably,

substantially, (almost) entirely, infinitely, exceedingly,

extremely, very much, Colloq worlds: Their new house was vastly

different from the way I had pictured it. Katy looks vastly

better since she lost two stone.

22.2 vehicle...

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vehicle n. 1 conveyance: The police report that two vehicles were

damaged in the crash. 2 means, channel, mechanism, carrier,

conduit, agency, instrument: Water is the vehicle used in many

sprays.

veil n. 1 covering, cover, screen, camouflage, cloak, curtain, mask,

shroud: A veil of silence has been drawn over the meetings. He

stole away under the veil of darkness.

--v. 2 cover, conceal, hide, camouflage, cloak, mask, disguise,

shroud, shield, obscure: The writer's identity was veiled from

us till recently.

veiled adj. concealed, hidden, masked, obscure, unrevealed, covert,

disguised, secret, sub rosa, subtle: There seemed to be a

veiled threat in the way he said goodbye.

vein n. 1 blood-vessel; nervure: He killed himself by opening a

vein in his wrist. 2 streak, seam, stripe, striation, stria,

thread, line: The reddish vein gives this marble a warm

feeling. 3 seam, lode, stratum, course, deposit, bed: The

prospector discovered a vein of almost pure gold in the old

mine. 4 thread, hint, suggestion, touch, trace, streak, line,

strain, mood, spirit, tone, note, tenor, feeling, attitude,

disposition, humour, temper; tendency or inclination or

proclivity toward(s): Underlying her apparent kindness is a

vein of bitter hatred. 5 way, manner, course, fashion, style,

mode, pattern: He would have continued in that same vein if the

chairman hadn't stopped him.

velocity n. speed, swiftness, rapidity, fleetness, quickness, briskness,

alacrity, celerity, pace, rate of speed, miles per hour, m.p.h.,

kilometres per hour, km/hr: Our velocity slowed as we neared

the outer atmosphere.

venal adj. corrupt, corruptible, bribable or bribeable, buyable,

purchasable, mercenary, unprincipled, dishonourable, rapacious,

avaricious, greedy, simoniacal, Colloq crooked, Slang bent: All

we had to do was to find a venal official, cross his palm with

silver, and they would release our son.

vendetta n. (blood) feud, quarrel, dispute, conflict, rivalry, enmity,

bitterness, hatred, ill will, bad blood: Fifty years after

leaving Palermo, the vendetta between their families still

persisted.

veneer n. gloss, fa‡ade, finish, pretence, (false) front, (outward)

show or display, appearance, mask, guise, aspect, superficies:

Beneath that veneer of elegance and refinement lie the heart and

soul of a monstrous criminal.

venerable adj. respectable, honourable, estimable, respected, honoured,

esteemed, august, sedate, impressive, revered, reverenced,

worshipped: Venerable old military men were called on for

advice.

venerate v. respect, honour, esteem, revere, reverence, worship, hallow,

adore, admire, look up to: Schweitzer was widely venerated for

his charitable works.

veneration

n. respect, honour, esteem, reverence, deference, homage,

devotion, worship, admiration, adoration, idolization, awe:

Their veneration for their hero turned to contempt when his past

was revealed.

venereal adj. sexual; genital; social, sexually transmitted, gonorrhoeal

or gonorrhoeic, syphilitic: Reports indicate that venereal

disease has been on the decline since the advent of AIDS.

vengeance n. 1 revenge, retaliation, retribution, requital, reprisal:

Her vengeance for what he had done was to disinherit him. 2

with a vengeance. a violently, fiercely, ferociously, wildly,

vehemently, furiously, forcefully: The wind blew with a

vengeance all night. b energetically, to the fullest extent, to

the utmost or the fullest or the limit, (with) no holds barred,

enthusiastically, wholeheartedly: Give Richard a job to do and

he goes at with a vengeance.

venial adj. forgivable, excusable, pardonable, tolerable, tolerated,

minor, petty, insignificant, unimportant, remittable or

remissible: That hypocrite considers even his most heinous

crimes to be venial.

venom n. 1 poison, toxin: The snakes are 'milked' of their venom,

which is collected for research in antitoxins and

pharmaceuticals. 2 malice, maliciousness, malevolence, ill will,

malignity, animosity, hate, hatred, hostility, antagonism,

spite, spitefulness, spleen, rancour, bitterness,

embitteredness, gall, poison, poisonousness, virulence: Vinnie

was totally unprepared for the venom of the attack.

venomous adj. 1 poisonous, deadly, toxic, dangerous, life-threatening,

lethal: There are few venomous snakes in the British Isles. 2

poisonous, virulent, malicious, malevolent, malign, malignant,

savage, baleful, envenomed, hostile, antagonistic, spiteful,

splenetic, acerbic, rancorous, bitter, embittered, mean,

vicious: That venomous little man caused me to lose my job.

vent n. 1 opening, slit, slot, hole, aperture, air-hole, blow-hole,

spiracle, orifice, outlet, inlet, funnel, flue, duct, passage;

fumarole, fissure, pipe, mofette or moffette: The tepee has a

vent at the peak to let the smoke of the fire escape. 2 give

vent to. See 3, below.

--v. 3 give vent to, express, verbalize, air, articulate,

enunciate, declare, voice, announce, communicate, pronounce,

proclaim, reveal, release, let go, let loose, allow to become

known, make known, blurt out, make public, broadcast: Has

Margie ever vented her true feelings about your work as a bomb

disposal expert? Arnold vents his spleen on any unfortunate who

will stand for it. 4 discharge, release, emit, eject, issue,

empty, dump, expel, send or pour out or forth, throw out: It is

illegal to vent poisonous fumes into the atmosphere.

venture n. 1 risk, chance, hazardous undertaking, experiment,

speculation, gamble, plunge, fling: Their new publishing

venture turned out to be quite a success.

--v. 2 dare(say), make bold, hazard, volunteer, tender, offer,

broach, advance, proffer, put forward: Ambrose ventured some

nasty remark and was asked to leave. 3 jeopardize, risk,

endanger, hazard, imperil; gamble, bet, wager, plunge, put down:

Thomas ventured his last chip on the number four.

venturesome

adj. 1 daring, bold, intrepid, adventurous, courageous, plucky,

adventuresome, audacious, fearless, doughty, brave, spirited:

Henderson felt that he was being truly venturesome by sailing

single-handed round the Isle of Wight. 2 risky, rash, reckless,

sporting, game, daredevil: Taking one's family into the

American West was truly a venturesome undertaking - even in the

20th century.

verbal adj. 1 spoken, oral, vocal, said, uttered, expressed,

enunciated, articulated, colloquial, conversational, viva voce,

word-of-mouth, unwritten: We had a verbal agreement that you

would behave yourself. 2 word-for-word, verbatim, literal: We

have an accurate verbal transcript of the proceedings. 3 word,

lexical, vocabulary: She did very well on the verbal parts of

the examination but poorly on the mathematics.

verbatim adj. 1 word-for-word, verbatim et literatim (= 'word-for-word

and letter for letter'), literal, exact, precise, accurate,

faithful, strict: This verbatim translation may be accurate but

all the poetic expressiveness is lost.

--adv. 2 word for word, verbatim et literatim, literally,

exactly, precisely, accurately, faithfully, to the letter,

strictly: To make certain there would be no misunderstanding,

the speech was copied verbatim.

verge° n. 1 edge, border, boundary, margin, brink, threshold, brim:

Frances is jealous of John to the verge of insanity. 2 on the

verge of. about to, ready to, on the (very) point of, preparing

to, soon to: Many smaller companies are on the verge of

bankruptcy.

--v. 3 Often, verge on. border (on), approach, come close or

near (to), Technical be asymptotic to: Cathy's idea of comfort

verges on what is more commonly thought of as luxury. Her

charitable contributions last year verged on zero.

vergeý v. incline, lean, tend, extend, stretch, turn; approach, draw,

move: The road verges southwards after the bridge.

verify v. affirm, confirm, testify to, attest (to), bear witness to,

vouch for, corroborate, support, substantiate, clinch or clench,

prove, demonstrate, show, bear out, authenticate, validate,

certify, guarantee, back up, warrant: Can you verify the

accuracy of his testimony?

veritable adj. real, true, virtual, genuine, actual, legitimate,

authentic: Frank becomes a veritable monster if denied his

daily doughnut.

vernacular

adj. 1 native, local, regional, indigenous, autochthonous: Old

Hebrew fell out of use, to be replaced by vernacular Aramaic. 2

popular, informal, colloquial, conversational, ordinary,

familiar, everyday, spoken, vulgar, vulgate; plain, simple,

straightforward, easy: We have both the vernacular and the

formal, literary, or clerical levels of language. Can you

translate this scientific gobbledegook into vernacular English

that we can understand?

--n. 3 jargon, patois, argot, cant, idiom, phraseology,

language, talk, speech: Alf occasionally slips into the

vernacular of a Billingsgate fishmonger (his former calling ) .

versatile adj. 1 adaptable, resourceful, all-round, all-purpose,

many-sided, multi-purpose, multifaceted, flexible, adjustable,

protean, dexterous, handy, facile: Everett is a versatile

painter who works in many media and styles. 2 variable,

changeable, protean, changing, flexible, fluctuating: Any

versatile organization should be able to accommodate staff

losses.

versed adj. Usually, well-versed in. well-read or (well-)informed in

or (well-)trained or (well-)grounded or (well-)schooled or

(well-)educated or (well-)tutored or learned or cultured or

lettered or cultivated or literate or competent or accomplished

or skilled in, (well) posted on, knowledgeable in or about,

proficient or experienced or practised or expert or good in or

at, conversant or familiar or (well-)acquainted with: The

applicant appears to be sufficiently well-versed in several

subjects to be qualified to teach them.

version n. 1 form, variant, variation, type, model, style, kind,

variety, manifestation, portrayal, adaptation, rendition,

interpretation, adaptation, construct, construction, conception,

idea: This is yet another modern designer's version of 1920s'

and 1930s' art deco. 2 story, account, rendering, rendition,

translation, interpretation, reading, understanding, view, side:

Simon's version of what happened is completely distorted.

vertex n. top, tip, extremity, zenith, meridian, apogee, peak, apex,

acme, summit, pinnacle, crest, crown, cap, height(s): The

building is surmounted by a pyramidal dome at the vertex of

which is a statue of Osiris.

vertigo n. dizziness, light-headedness, giddiness, instability, Colloq

wooziness: Vertigo suddenly overcame me, and I grabbed a rail

to steady myself.

verve n. spirit, vivacity, vivaciousness, vitality, life, liveliness,

animation, sparkle, energy, vigour, exuberance, briskness, brio,

esprit, ‚lan, dash, flair, panache, flourish, enthusiasm, zeal,

zest, gusto, Colloq pizazz, zip, vim, get-up-and-go, zing,

oomph: Helen's verve adds much to this production of Carmen .

very adv. 1 extremely, truly, really, to a great extent,

exceedingly, greatly, (very) much, profoundly, deeply, acutely,

unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, exceptionally,

remarkably, absolutely, completely, entirely, altogether,

totally, quite, rather, hugely, vastly, Dialect right, Brit

jolly, Colloq damn(ed), terribly, awfully, darned, US dialect

danged, plumb, Slang Brit bleeding , Chiefly Brit bloody: The

Bell Inn has a very fine wine list. Vicky was very attached to

her pony. I shall be there very soon. 2 most, extremely,

certainly, surely, definitely, decidedly, unequivocally,

unquestionably, quite, entirely, altogether: If you ask her

out, she is very likely to say no.

--adj. 3 exact, precise, perfect; same, selfsame, identical,

particular: Her hopes were the very opposite of his. I arrived

the very day she left. He is the very model of a hard-working

student. 4 least, mere, merest, bare, barest, sheer, sheerest;

utter, pure, simple: The very thought of war makes me ill. The

very mention of her name strikes terror into the hearts of the

local residents.

vessel n. 1 container, receptacle, utensil, holder: Food was stored

in vessels neatly arrayed around the sarcophagus. 2 craft,

boat, ship, ark, Literary barque or US also bark: The vessel

docked gently at the airlock of the space station.

vestige n. trace, suggestion, soup‡on, hint, glimmer, inkling,

suspicion, sign, evidence, mark, token, scent, whiff, tinge,

taste; remnant, scrap, fragment, memorial, residue, relic,

remains: Vestiges of an ancient city have been found in the sea

off Cyprus.

vestigial adj. imperfect, undeveloped, underdeveloped, rudimentary,

incomplete: Anatomists regard the coccyx in man and apes as a

vestigial tail.

vet v. examine, review, investigate, scrutinize, inspect, check

(out), look over, scan; validate, authenticate; Colloq give

(something or someone) the once-over, size up: We engaged an

expert to vet the definitions of culinary terms for the new

dictionary.

veteran n. 1 old hand, past master, old-timer, trouper, Colloq

warhorse: Barlow was a veteran of twenty years' experience in

the service.

--adj. 2 experienced, practised, seasoned, mature,

long-serving, battle-scarred: Did it never occur to this

veteran politician that there are degrees of misconduct?

veto v. 1 stop, block, deny, ban, turn down, reject, disallow, rule

out, quash, prevent, prohibit, interdict, taboo, outlaw,

proscribe, preclude, Colloq put the kibosh on, kill, nix:

Father vetoed the idea that we go to Brighton for the holiday.

Any measure he proposed was summarily vetoed.

--n. 2 denial, ban, stoppage, block, embargo, turn-down,

rejection, disallowance, quashing, prevention, prohibition,

interdiction, taboo, proscription, preclusion, vetoing, Colloq

killing, nixing: The home secretary's veto of the abortion

measure greatly angered the women's groups.

22.3 viable...

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viable adj. sustainable, supportable, sensible, reasonable, practical,

practicable, applicable, workable, feasible, possible: We have

three days to come up with a viable plan for continuing the

research project.

vibes n.pl. vibrations, feelings, sensations, resonance(s), rapport,

empathy, sympathy: I felt the place had really good vibes the

minute I walked in.

vibrate v. quiver, shiver, shudder, fluctuate, quake, shake, tremble,

throb, pulsate, oscillate, pulse, reverberate, resonate, Brit

judder: The house began to vibrate, the windows rattled, and

the dishes danced off their shelves.

vicarious adj. surrogate, delegated, deputed, commissioned, assigned,

indirect, substituted: He derived vicarious pleasure from

seeing his children do the things that he no longer could.

vice n. 1 immorality, corruption, evil, badness, depravity,

degradation, degeneracy, iniquity, villainy, venality,

evil-doing, wickedness, profligacy, sin, sinfulness,

transgression: She described the town as a den of indecency,

exhibitionism, and vice. 2 flaw, defect, fault, imperfection,

blemish, shortcoming, failing, weakness, frailty, foible,

infirmity, deficiency: Rejection without due consideration is a

prejudicial vice of editors.

vice versa

adv. conversely, contrariwise, to or on the contrary, reversed,

the other way around: She made the facts fit her conclusions,

instead of vice versa.

vicinity n. area, neighbourhood, locale, vicinage, environs, locality,

precincts, purlieus, territory: All people living in the

vicinity of the nuclear plant were tested for radiation

poisoning.

vicious adj. 1 immoral, unprincipled, amoral, barbarous, corrupt, evil,

bad, base, depraved, vile, atrocious, execrable, degraded,

degrading, degenerate, venal, iniquitous, heinous, odious,

perverted, nefarious, wicked, flagitious, devilish,

diabolic(al), fiendish, monstrous, profligate, shameful,

shameless, abominable, sinful: The vicious, bloody dictatorship

on the island lasted only a dozen years. 2 malicious, spiteful,

mean, nasty, hateful, malevolent, malignant, bitter,

acrimonious, rancorous, venomous, vindictive, defamatory,

slanderous, scandalous, Slang rotten, bitchy: When they argued,

they said terribly vicious things to one another. 3 savage,

wild, untamed, ferocious, fearful, brutal, fierce, fiendish,

bestial, feral, brutish, ravening, Literary fell: The local

children were terrified of his vicious Rottweiler.

vicissitude

n. 1 change, mutation, alteration, changeability, mutability,

variation, variability, variety, alternation, flux, fluctuation,

unpredictability: Who seeks stability in life often encounters

its vicissitude. 2 vicissitudes. fluctuations, changes,

variations, contrasts, inconstancy, unpredictability,

uncertainties, Colloq ups and downs, flukiness: His success is

amazing in light of the vicissitudes he survived.

victim n. 1 sufferer, martyr, casualty, scapegoat, sacrificial lamb,

injured party: It is a pity that you had to be the victim of

her greed. 2 dupe, gull, fool, butt, fair game, Colloq chump,

fall guy, Slang sucker, sap, Chiefly US and Canadian patsy, US

schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel: She was an easy

victim for any confidence man.

victimize v. 1 prey on, pursue, go after, pick on, bully, take advantage

of, persecute, exploit, use: Increasingly, older people are

being victimized by unscrupulous relatives. 2 cheat, swindle,

bilk, defraud, dupe, hoodwink, deceive, gull, fool, trick,

outwit, outsmart, outfox, Colloq snooker, flimflam, Slang suck

or sucker in, screw, shaft, take (in), rook: The confidence

team used the old Spanish handkerchief trick to victimize

unsuspecting tourists.

victor n. winner, champion, conqueror, prizewinner: They came home

unchallenged victors by an overwhelming 11 point margin.

victorious

adj. triumphant, successful: Caesar was victorious over the

Gauls.

victory n. triumph, conquest, supremacy, superiority, success,

overcoming, mastery, winning, quelling, crushing: Alexander's

victory over Darius at Arbela was one of the decisive battles of

history.

vie v. compete, contend, struggle, strive: The brothers constantly

vied for their father's affection.

view n. 1 outlook, aspect, prospect, scene, perspective, vista,

panorama, spectacle, picture, tableau; landscape, seascape,

cityscape: From the tower we had a view of the devastation

below. 2 opinion, point of view, approach, position, judgement,

belief, way of thinking, conception, understanding, impression,

feeling, sentiment, notion: Denham's view is that the country's

defences are inadequate. 3 aspect, angle, position, prospect,

perspective, vision, representation, projection: Here is a

termite's-eye view of the timbers in your house. 4 inspection,

survey, vision, sight, observation, scrutiny, examination,

contemplation, study: The shroud was pulled away, exposing the

revolting object to our view. 5 aim, direction, intent,

intention, purpose, objective, object, expectation, prospect,

vision, hope, dream: We cultivated their friendship with a view

to being invited aboard their yacht. 6 in view of. in light of,

considering, in consideration of, because of, on account of: In

view of your failure to respond to our letters, we must refer

the matter to our lawyers.

--v. 7 look at or upon or over, see, take in, watch, observe,

scrutinize, examine, regard, behold: From this vantage point

one can view the entire valley. 8 witness, see, watch, observe,

take in: We viewed the entire robbery as it took place. 9

regard, consider, think of, look on or upon, judge, deem,

believe, hold, estimate, rate, gauge, assess: Control views

Craven as a threat.

viewpoint n. standpoint, (point of) view, attitude, angle, slant,

position, stance, vantage point, perspective, frame of

reference, way of thinking, context: From our viewpoint,

widening the road only encourages speeding.

vigilance n. watchfulness, alertness, observance, guardedness,

circumspection, attentiveness, caution: While the dog remains

loose, we must exercise vigilance.

vigilant adj. watchful, alert, sharp, observant, guarded, circumspect,

attentive, wakeful, cautious, careful, wary, chary, on one's

guard, on the alert, on the lookout, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed,

Argus-eyed, on the qui vive, on one's toes, with one's eyes

open, Colloq with one's eyes skinned or peeled: As long as we

remain vigilant, they will never be able to take us by surprise.

vigorous adj. energetic, active, vivacious, dynamic, brisk, lively,

spirited, robust, strong, hardy, hale, hearty, vital, fit,

lusty, stalwart, in good or fine fettle, spry, sprightly,

resilient, Colloq peppy, full of pep, full of get-up-and-go,

full of beans: At 63, he is just as vigorous as he was at 40.

vigorously

adv. energetically, actively, vivaciously, dynamically,

briskly, spiritedly, robustly, strongly, hardily, heartily,

lustily, stalwartly, eagerly, with might and main, with a

vengeance, strenuously, Colloq like mad, like crazy, hammer and

tongs: It may not be good for you to exercise vigorously every

day.

vigour n. vitality, resilience, strength, power, energy, forcefulness,

force, stamina, endurance, mettle, mettlesomeness, pith,

dynamism, spirit, liveliness, animation, verve, vivacity,

exuberance, brio, briskness, zest, zealousness, enthusiasm,

gusto, eagerness, Colloq spunk, pep, pizazz, vim, oomph, zing,

get-up-and-go: When attacked, they defended themselves with

extraordinary vigour.

vile adj. 1 base, abject, contemptible, debased, degenerate,

depraved, bad, iniquitous, execrable, atrocious, sordid,

immoral, amoral, wicked, evil, sinful, hellish, fiendish,

ignoble, revolting, despicable, horrid, horrible, dreadful,

terrible, corrupt, mean, wretched, miserable, degrading,

ignominious, disgraceful, shameful, shameless: In every age,

the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among

demagogues. 2 disgusting, nasty, sickening, nauseous,

nauseating, foul, loathsome, offensive, noxious, repulsive,

repellent, repugnant: It is, indeed, a vile disease, but at

least it is not contagious. She had prepared some vile cocktail

that I refused to drink.

vilify v. depreciate, devalue, deprecate, debase, disparage,

denigrate, diminish, traduce, defame, speak ill of, revile,

slander, libel, abuse, defile, sully, smear, tarnish, malign,

calumniate, asperse, run down, decry, Rare vilipend, Colloq US

bad-mouth: His political and religious views became notorious

and were often vilified.

villain n. wretch, evil-doer, criminal, miscreant, blackguard, rogue,

rascal, cad, scallywag or scalawag, malefactor, scoundrel, dog,

cur, viper, reptile, snake in the grass, rat, Archaic

rapscallion, Literary knave, caitiff, Colloq Brit bounder,

blighter, Slang bastard, son of a bitch, Brit rotter, US SOB or

s.o.b. (= 'son of a bitch'): The villain of the film is a

smooth-talking charmer who swindles old ladies out of their

savings.

villainous

adj. 1 treacherous, perfidious, dishonest, unscrupulous,

traitorous, corrupt, faithless, criminal, felonious, murderous,

Colloq crooked, bent: Few activities are more villainous than

being a double agent. 2 See vile, 1, above.

vindicate v. 1 clear, exonerate, absolve, acquit, exculpate, excuse: She

was vindicated of any complicity in the affair. 2 justify,

support, uphold, prove: Subsequent events vindicated his

actions.

vindictive

adj. avenging, vengeful, vindicatory, revengeful, retaliatory,

spiteful, unforgiving, splenetic, resentful, rancorous,

implacable: She later turned vindictive, attacking everyone for

real or imagined slights.

vintage n. 1 year, crop, harvest, origin, generation: Which vintage is

the better for Bordeaux, 1949 or 1954?

--adj. 2 quality, choice, superior, better, good, select, best,

classic; aged, seasoned, mature(d), mellow(ed): Mark has become

an expert in vintage wines. 3 antiquated, old-fashioned,

old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, antique, bygone, old-time,

collector or collector's, Colloq over the hill: Claud used to

drive his vintage car to work every day.

violate v. 1 break, breach, disobey, disregard, contravene, infringe,

ignore: He habitually violated the law by carrying a pistol. 2

dishonour, desecrate, profane, defile, degrade, debase, treat

irreverently: Vandals were found to have violated the sacred

shrine. 3 rape, debauch, ravish, ravage, molest, attack,

assault, outrage: The victim identified the man who had

violated her.

violation n. 1 infringement, breach, disregard, disobedience,

contravention, abuse; ignoring, infringing, breaching,

disregarding, disobeying, contravening, abusing, violating:

Parking here is a violation of the law. Violation of the rules

will be dealt with summarily. 2 profanation, profaning,

sacrilege, desecration, desecrating, defilement, defiling,

degradation, degrading, dishonour, dishonouring, debasement,

debasing, violating: The authorities take a serious view of the

violation of a place of worship or a cemetery. 3 rape,

ravishment, molestation, attack, outrage, assault, violating:

The defendant is charged with the violation of three women.

violence n. 1 (brute or physical) force, might, mightiness, power,

strength, severity, intensity, energy, vehemence, ferocity,

ferociousness, fierceness, fury, vigour; destructiveness,

virulence: The violence of the storm continued unabated

throughout the night. The violence of the seizures diminished

after she was given the medication. 2 bestiality, brutality,

barbarity, savagery, cruelty, bloodthirstiness, wildness,

ferocity, frenzy, fury, passion, fierceness, vehemence,

murderousness: The marauders attacked with a violence that

terrified the villagers. 3 do violence to. a harm, damage,

injure: The scandal did violence to her reputation. Humphrey's

singing could do violence to any melody. b warp, twist, distort:

In reporting that her views are antifeminist, the newspaper did

violence to the import of her speech.

violent adj. 1 wild, physical, destructive, vehement, brutal, brutish,

beastly, nasty, cruel, mean, barbarous, inhuman, savage, fierce,

ferocious, furious, frenzied, uncontrollable, untamed,

ungovernable, raging, raving, irrational, insane, crazed, Colloq

fit to be tied: Tony turned into a violent maniac when he

suspected her of seeing another man. 2 harmful, injurious,

damaging, detrimental, destructive, deleterious, catastrophic,

cataclysmic, ruinous, devastating: This was the most violent

earthquake to hit Mexico in recorded history. 3 acute, serious,

severe, extreme, harsh, trenchant, virulent, intense, energetic,

forceful, vehement, passionate, impetuous,tempestuous: The

proceedings were interrupted by an outburst of violent abuse

from the public gallery.

virtual adj. effective, essential; practical, understood, accepted: In

rush hours, the motorway traffic comes to a virtual standstill.

virtually adv. essentially, effectively, practically, almost, to all

intents and purposes, for all practical purposes, more or less,

nearly, as good as, substantially, in effect, in essence: He

had virtually won the Brisbane-London sailing race when he

passed the Lizard, but then he hit a rock.

virtue n. 1 morality, high-mindedness, honour, goodness, justness,

righteousness, fairness, integrity, right-mindedness, honesty,

probity, uprightness, rectitude, decency, worth, worthiness,

nobility, character, respectability: You will find the

Billingses to be people of unassailable virtue. 2 virginity,

chastity, chasteness, honour, innocence, purity: As Healey had

six daughters, he was kept quite busy protecting their virtue. 3

quality, credit, strength, good point, asset: Opposing the

seven deadly sins are the three theological virtues, faith,

hope, and charity, and the four cardinal virtues, fortitude,

justice, prudence, and temperance. 4 by virtue of. by dint of,

owing to, thanks to, by reason of, because of, on account of:

Gerry was a part owner by virtue of his investment in the

company.

virtuosity

n. (technical) skill, technique, ability, expertise, mastery,

excellence, brilliance, craftsmanship, craft, flair, dash, ‚lan,

‚clat, panache, pyrotechnics, showmanship, show, staginess,

Colloq razzle-dazzle: The concerto was performed with signal

virtuosity but little imagination or understanding.

virtuoso n. 1 master, maestro, expert, genius, talent, prodigy, old

hand, Colloq wizard, whiz or whizz or wiz, whiz-kid or

whizz-kid, Chiefly Brit dab hand, US maven or mavin: Walter is

a veritable virtuoso on the harmonica.

--adj. 2 masterful, masterly, expert, talented, brilliant,

dazzling, bravura, prodigious, excellent, superb, extraordinary,

exceptional, superior, first-rate, superlative, matchless,

peerless, sterling, marvellous, remarkable: His virtuoso

performance of the B minor sonata won him a standing ovation.

virtuous adj. 1 moral, honourable, ethical, honest, good, upstanding,

high-principled, upright, righteous, pure, uncorrupted,

incorruptible, just, fair, right-minded, fair-minded,

high-minded, scrupulous, trustworthy: Thomas has proved himself

a virtuous young man. 2 chaste, innocent, virginal, virgin;

decent, proper, unsullied, faithful, true, uncorrupted: A

virtuous woman makes a virtuous wife.

virulence n. 1 virulency, poisonousness, venomousness, toxicity,

noxiousness, deadliness, perniciousness, injuriousness,

destructiveness, malignity, malignancy, violence, balefulness:

The virulence of his affliction was not recognized till it was

too late. 2 virulency, acrimony, acrimoniousness, bitterness,

acerbity, rancour, spleen, poison, poisonousness, venom,

venomousness, malignity, malevolence, maliciousness, malice,

spite, hostility, resentment, antagonism, hatred: We were taken

aback by the virulence of the priest's attack on Miss Thompson's

morals.

virulent adj. 1 lethal, life-threatening, deadly, fatal, pernicious,

septic, poisonous, toxic, baleful, noxious, dangerous, harmful,

injurious, detrimental, deleterious, destructive, unhealthy,

unwholesome: He died from a virulent form of dysentery that he

caught in the tropics. 2 vicious, venomous, bitter, spiteful,

malignant, malign, malicious, malevolent, poisonous, splenetic,

acrimonious, acerbic, acid, mordant, sarcastic, nasty,

trenchant, caustic, antagonistic, hateful, hostile: What did I

do to the reviewer of The Herald to merit such a virulent

review?

visible adj. 1 seeable, perceivable, perceptible, discernible,

detectable, discoverable, noticeable, unmistakable or

unmistakeable, clear, obvious, observable; visual: The visible

part of the energy spectrum is relatively small. The entrance

holes to their burrows were clearly visible. 2 obvious,

conspicuous, evident, apparent, prominent, manifest, distinct,

patent, well-defined, identifiable: The consequences of the Act

of Union of 1707 are still visible in Scotland today.

vision n. 1 eyesight, perception, sight: The optician said there is

nothing wrong with MacKenzie's vision. 2 far-sightedness,

understanding, imagination, foresight, foresightedness, insight:

MacKenzie has brought great vision to this scheme for developing

the Australian outback. 3 view, perspective, perception,

envisioning, envisaging, dream, idea, plan, scheme: MacKenzie's

vision of making the desert bloom seemed impossibly remote. 4

phantom, apparition, chimera, delusion, hallucination, mirage,

spectre, shade, eidolon, revenant, phantasm, materialization,

illusion, ghost, wraith: A vision appeared to MacKenzie as he

slept, telling him that her name was Alice Springs. 5 sight for

sore eyes, (welcome) sight, dream, epitome: To MacKenzie Alice

was a vision of great beauty, and he proposed marriage.

visionary adj. 1 dreamy, speculative, unpractical, impractical, fanciful,

imaginary, unrealistic, unreal, romantic, idealistic,

unworkable, Utopian: It is a pity that none of MacKenzie's

visionary plans ever came to pass.

--n. 2 dreamer, idealist, romantic, fantast, wishful thinker,

Don Quixote: The world needs more visionaries like MacKenzie.

visit v. 1 (go or come to) see, call (in or on or upon), look in on,

stop in or by, Colloq pop in or by, drop in (on), take in: I

plan to visit Leslie. Did you visit the Smithsonian Institution?

2 afflict, attack, befall, fall upon, assail, seize, smite,

scourge, descend upon, inflict, affect: Horrible diseases and

tortures were said to visit those who denied God.

--n. 3 stay, call, sojourn, stop, stopover: The minister will

be here for only a brief visit.

visitation

n. 1 staying, calling, visiting, sojourning, stopping (over):

The father has visitation rights to his children on weekends. 2

affliction, ordeal, trial, punishment, disaster, catastrophe,

cataclysm, calamity, tragedy, curse, scourge, blight, plague,

pestilence: In the story, the tyrant succumbed finally to a

visitation from the Almighty.

visitor n. caller, guest, company; visitant: May I phone you back

after my visitors have gone?

vital adj. 1 imperative, essential, necessary, needed, requisite,

required, indispensable, mandatory, compulsory, cardinal,

fundamental, basic, critical, crucial, central, pivotal: Air

and water are vital for the existence of most known organisms.

2 important, key, central, critical, crucial, life-and-death or

life-or-death, pivotal, paramount, main: In an emergency, the

captain must make the vital decision whether to abandon ship.

This is a matter of vital concern for us all. 3 lively, full of

life, vivacious, spirited, vigorous, dynamic, alive, animated,

brisk, energetic: We have lost a vital member of the community.

She took a vital interest in community affairs. 4 invigorating,

quickening, life-giving, animating, vitalizing, reviving,

vivifying, enlivening, rejuvenating: I could feel the vital

energies returning to my limbs.

vitality n. 1 energy, life, life-force, vigour, power, intensity, force,

liveliness,, vivacity, vivaciousness, animation, sparkle,

spiritedness, exuberance, Colloq zing, pep, pizazz, oomph,

get-up-and-go, zip, vim: My great-grandfather has the vitality

of a forty-year-old. 2 stamina, hardiness, endurance, energy,

strength, robustness: Does this society have the vitality

needed to take it into the next decade?

vitalize v. stimulate, activate, arouse, vivify, animate, awaken,

inspirit, invigorate, enliven, inspire, revive, rejuvenate,

innervate, energize, fortify, reinvigorate, renew, refresh,

charge (up): The tonic vitalized him to the point where he felt

young again.

vitiate v. 1 spoil, ruin, harm, impair, mar, sully, corrupt, pervert,

contaminate, adulterate, weaken, degrade, downgrade, depreciate,

diminish, depress, vulgarize, lower, reduce, undermine: Words

appropriated from other languages tend to enrich rather than

vitiate modern English. 2 debase, deprave, pervert, corrupt,

demoralize, defile: Despite other strengths his entire

character was vitiated by overriding avarice. 3 invalidate,

destroy, delete, cancel, nullify, annul, revoke, void, abrogate,

abolish, withdraw, quash, suppress: The invoice was effectively

vitiated by the plaintiff's failure to deliver the goods.

vituperate

v. berate, rate, reproach, revile, vilify, execrate, abuse,

denounce, decry, deprecate, disparage, devalue, diminish, put

down, run down, devaluate, depreciate, blame, inculpate,

censure, find fault with, attack, assail, castigate, scold,

reprimand, upbraid, rebuke, chide, chasten: From the pulpit he

continued to vituperate the vices of the court.

vituperative

adj. abusive, calumniatory, calumnious, scurrilous, derogatory,

belittling, depreciatory, depreciative, detractory,

contemptuous, damning, denunciatory, denigrating, deprecatory,

censorious, aspersive, defamatory, slanderous, libellous,

castigatory, condemnatory, malign, scornful, withering, harsh,

sardonic, sarcastic, biting, acid, contumelious, opprobrious,

insulting, Formal vilipenditory, Colloq down-putting: Why

should he have directed this vituperative speech at the very

person whom he loves?

vivacious adj. lively, spirited, sprightly, energetic, animated, brisk,

ebullient, effervescent, bubbly, gay, cheerful, happy, blithe,

jaunty, light-hearted, sunny, merry, high-spirited, buoyant,

chipper, Colloq up, peppy, full of pep, full of beans, zippy:

Had he not gone on the cruise, Michael would never have met the

vivacious redhead who became his bride.

vivid adj. 1 intense, strong, brilliant, fresh, bright, dazzling,

lucid, rich, clear, colourful, glowing: Michel looked splendid

in a silk dress of vivid yellow. 2 clear, detailed, sharp,

realistic, graphic, true to life, lifelike, distinct, powerful,

strong, memorable, dramatic, striking: It brought back to me

vivid memories of our first meeting in 1985. 3 prolific,

fruitful, fertile, fecund, inventive, creative: That kiss,

which never took place, is a figment of Bagley's vivid

imagination.

22.4 vocalist...

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vocalist n. singer, soloist, choirboy, choir girl, choir member,

chorus-boy, chorus girl, chorus-member, chorister, caroller;

diva, prima donna, chanteuse; cantor, crooner; Colloq songbird,

canary, thrush, nightingale: It was sung by a female vocalist

with a high-pitched girlish voice.

vocation n. calling, trade, m‚tier, business, profession, occupation,

career, employment, job, pursuit, life's-work, life-work, line

(of work), Slang bag, thing: I left university with no

particular vocation in mind.

vogue n. 1 fashion, mode, style, look, taste, trend, rage, craze,

last word, dernier cri, (latest) thing, Colloq fad, the latest:

Black leather boots were in vogue once again. 2 popularity,

favour, preference, acceptance, currency, prevalence,

fashionableness: They are capitalizing on the vogue for torn

jeans.

voice n. 1 speech, utterance, articulation, words, expression: Keith

found it difficult to give voice to his innermost thoughts. 2

share, part, vote, participation, say, decision, option, turn,

chance: As a junior member of the board, Nicholas had no voice

in major decisions. 3 spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson,

representative, agent, agency, instrument; organ, medium,

vehicle, forum, publication: Throughout his time in government,

Logan had served as the voice of the miners. The Clarion views

itself as the voice of all the people, though it actually

represents only a few.

--v. 4 express, utter, articulate, enunciate, present,

verbalize, put into words, give utterance or voice or expression

or vent to, communicate, convey, declare, assert, make known,

reveal, disclose, raise, bring up, air: I must voice my

misgivings about the step you are planning to take.

void adj. 1 null and void, invalid, not (legally) binding,

inoperative, unenforceable, ineffectual, futile, ineffective,

vain, unavailing, idle, useless, pointless, bootless: Owing to

irregularities, the election was declared void. If a card is

turned face-up, the deal is void. 2 empty, vacant, unoccupied,

unused, unutilized, unfilled, blank, clear; deserted: It is up

to the council to appoint new members as places become void. 3

void of. devoid of, without, lacking, destitute of: The man was

utterly void of imagination. In a minute, the room was void of

people.

--n. 4 emptiness, vacantness, vacuum, blankness, nothingness:

Without a word, he leaped off the edge and plunged into the

void. 5 space, niche, slot, opening, place, vacancy, gap,

emptiness: Who will fill the void left by Edgar's departure?

--v. 6 nullify, annul, cancel, delete, disannul, declare or

render null and void, invalidate, quash, vacate, discharge,

abandon, disestablish, neutralize, disenact, set or put aside,

rescind, reverse, abnegate, abrogate: They had to void the

accusation for lack of evidence. 7 evacuate, discharge, expel,

emit, purge, clear, empty, drain, eject; pass, excrete, urinate,

defecate: The tanker went far out to sea before voiding its

tanks. This medication will help in voiding the patient's

bowels.

volatile adj. 1 vaporizing, evaporable, evaporative: A volatile

solvent, which evaporates quickly, is the vehicle for

thermosetting plastics. 2 changeable, fickle, flighty,

inconstant, erratic, restless, unstable, variable, mercurial,

capricious: She was so volatile that one could never predict

what she would do next. 3 explosive, hair-trigger, sensitive,

charged, eruptive, tense, tension-ridden: Be careful of

Christine's volatile temper.

volition n. (free) will, choice, option, choosing, choice, discretion,

preference: She pursued a course of her own volition.

volley n. 1 salvo, bombardment, barrage, cannonade, fusillade,

discharge, hail, shower: A volley of shot struck the tower,

which collapsed. 2 outpouring, torrent, flood, deluge,

inundation, burst, storm, outbreak: The cracks of the

muleteer's whip were accompanied by a volley of abuse. 3 give

and take, to-and-fro, interaction, reciprocity, exchange,

volleying, crossfire, badinage, bantering: Samuel enjoyed the

volley of haggling that accompanied every sale.

voluble adj. talkative, glib, fluent, loquacious, garrulous, chatty,

profuse, gossipy, exuberant, long-winded, bombastic, windy,

wordy, Colloq blessed with the gift of the gab: He is the House

of Commons' most voluble advocate of capital punishment.

volume n. 1 amount, quantity, supply, mass, bulk, abundance, sum

total, aggregate: The volume of ore from the mine created a

pile hundreds of feet high. Her volume of output is greater than

yours and mine together. 2 capacity, size, measure: The volume

of this bottle is not more than a litre. 3 loudness: Turn down

the volume on that ghetto-blaster. 4 book, tome: I bought a

twenty-volume set of Dickens.

voluminous

adj. 1 large, extensive, great, spacious, capacious, expansive,

roomy, loose, ample, big, ample, bulky, cavernous, copious,

massive, huge, substantial, tremendous, enormous, gigantic,

mammoth, vast: Rose's voluminous skirt was supported by a

farthingale. 2 oversized, out-sized, ample, billowing: The

voluminous spinnaker filled and we wafted down the estuary at

hull speed.

voluntarily

adv. freely, willingly, spontaneously, of (one's) own free

will, on (one's) own (initiative or recognizance or

responsibility), without prompting, without being prompted or

asked, gratis, gratuitously; by choice, intentionally,

purposely, on purpose, deliberately: Some of the students spent

their summer vacation voluntarily helping the needy.

voluntary adj. 1 free, elective, willing, spontaneous, unsolicited,

unbidden, unasked, gratuitous, contributed: All work done on

behalf of the cause is voluntary. 2 discretionary or

discretional, unconstrained, intentional, wilful, deliberate,

intended, premeditated, planned, volitional, optional: His

confession was entirely voluntary, and he was not coerced in any

way.

voluptuous

adj. 1 sensual, sensualistic, sensuous, luxurious, voluptuary,

sybaritic(al), hedonist(ic), pleasure-seeking, pleasure-loving,

luxury-loving, (self-)indulgent: He longed to taste once again

the voluptuous delights of the Corinthian court. 2 seductive,

attractive, desirable, beautiful, tempting, inviting, appealing,

enticing, alluring, ravishing, luscious, delicious, gorgeous,

shapely, buxom, well-proportioned, well-endowed, well-built,

Colloq curvaceous, sexy, eye-filling, Slang (well-)stacked,

busty, US built: As he lolled on silken cushions, voluptuous

houris danced round him in tightening circles.

vomit v. spew out or up, spit up, belch forth; regurgitate, throw up,

gag, retch, heave, US keck, Colloq puke, return (food), Brit

sick up, Slang chiefly Australian chunder, US barf, upchuck,

toss (one's) cookies, spiff (one's) biscuits: The ancient steam

engine vomited smoke and cinders from its huge stack. The very

thought of going on a sea voyage almost made me vomit.

voracious adj. 1 insatiable, gluttonous, ravenous, ravening, rapacious,

piggish, hoggish, cormorant, predacious, edacious, devouring,

greedy, avaricious, esurient, uncontrollable, uncontrolled,

unquenchable, enormous, prodigious, US cormorant: Is there no

satisfying the man's voracious appetite? 2 thirsty, hungry,

desirous, avid, eager, zealous, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid,

ardent, earnest, passionate, devoted: It was becoming difficult

to satisfy the public's voracious demand for gossip.

vote n. 1 ballot, ticket, show of hands; referendum, plebiscite: We

must have a vote on the issue. 2 suffrage, franchise: Women

did not have the vote in those days. 3 opinion; voter, elector:

Do you think your platform can win over the liberal vote?

--v. 4 opt, choose, come out (for or against), express or

signify (one's) opinion or preference or desire: Many people

vote for a party rather than an individual.

vouch v. Usually, vouch for. support, guarantee, back (up), endorse,

certify; uphold, sponsor, bear witness, attest to: My neighbour

will vouch for me. Can she vouch for your not leaving the house

all evening?

vouchsafe v. 1 offer, give (up), yield, accord, supply, grant, impart,

bestow, deign or condescend to give: The minister vouchsafed no

information regarding interest rates. 2 permit, allow, suffer:

The government vouchsafed the hostages safe passage out of the

country.

vow v. 1 swear, pledge, promise, assure, state, declare, give

(one's) (solemn) word (of honour): I vowed to return after the

war to care for those who had helped me escape.

--n. 2 oath, pledge, promise, agreement; (solemn) word (of

honour): She will keep her vow, you may be certain.

22.5 vulgar...

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vulgar adj. 1 indelicate, boorish, uncultured, uncultivated, low,

unrefined, common, plebeian, inelegant, unladylike,

ungentlemanly, gauche, uncouth, coarse, tasteless, ostentatious,

ignoble, low-class, Colloq flash: The boss's wife was known for

her vulgar behaviour at the dinner table. 2 tasteless,

indelicate, indecent, rude, crude, naughty, dirty, improper, off

colour, risqu‚, ribald, blue, indecorous, nasty, offensive,

gross, lustful, obscene, lewd, lascivious, licentious, smutty,

salacious, scatological, filthy, pornographic, Slang US raunchy:

He made a lot of money through publishing vulgar magazines and

videos. 3 popular, vernacular, ordinary, everyday, general,

homespun, commonplace, household, average: Dictionaries should

record the vulgar language as well as the literary.

vulgarity n. 1 coarseness, lack of refinement or sophistication,

crudeness, rudeness, indelicacy, tawdriness, baseness,

humbleness, unsophistication, gaucherie, gaucheness, ignobility:

When you consider his upbringing you can scarcely blame him for

his vulgarity. 2 impropriety, lewdness, grossness, foulness,

vileness, filthiness, obscenity, Slang US raunchiness: The

magazine was refused an import licence because of its vulgarity.

vulnerable

adj. exposed, defenceless, weak, sensitive, unprotected,

unguarded, unshielded, helpless, powerless: She felt vulnerable

to those who prey on the elderly.

23.0 W

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23.1 wad...

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wad n. 1 pad, mass, lump, clod, ball, plug, chunk, hunk, block,

pack: He had a wad of cotton wool in each ear. 2 roll,

pocketful, heap, quantity, load, Colloq US bankroll: Over

coffee James handed him a wad of notes.

waddle v. toddle, shuffle, wobble or wabble, totter, paddle, pad,

waggle, duck-walk, Brit dialect wamble: He waddled down the

road, a shopping-bag on each arm.

wade v. 1 ford, cross, traverse, walk, make one's way: The water is

only knee-deep, and you can wade across. 2 paddle, play,

splash: There is a shallow pool where the little children can

wade. 3 wade in or into. a enter, get in (or into), join (in):

When the fight began, Patrick waded in with arms flailing. b

attack, approach, get or set to work, plunge or dive into: I

have to wade into an enormous pile of mail that accumulated

while I was away. 4 wade through. plough through, work (one's)

way through, hammer or pound away at, plod through, peg away at:

You really have to wade through that entire book to write your

report.

waffle v. 1 Often, waffle on. carry on, jabber (on), prattle (on),

prate, blather (on or away), Colloq run on, Brit witter (on),

natter (on), rabbit on, Slang run off at the mouth: He kept

waffling on about his new computer and, frankly, I wasn't

listening. 2 equivocate, hedge, quibble, shuffle, tergiversate,

hem and haw, prevaricate, Brit beat about the bush, US beat

around the bush, Colloq fudge: I wish he would stop waffling

and say what he means.

--n. 3 talk, palaver, verbiage, prattle, twaddle, blather,

prolixity, wordiness, jabber, jibber-jabber, Colloq hot air:

All I got was a lot of waffle when I asked for the best interest

rate on a loan.

waft v. 1 drift, float, blow, whiff, be borne or carried or

transported: The scent of jasmine wafted towards me on the warm

breeze.

--n. 2 breath, suggestion, puff, whiff, hint: A waft of cool,

fresh air momentarily eased the stench of the dungeon.

wag° v. 1 wave, waggle, oscillate, fluctuate, sway, undulate,

flutter, flap, flip, flicker, shake, vibrate, quiver, nod, rock,

dance, wobble, bob, bobble, waver, Rare vellicate: Misty's tail

wagged as I approached the house.

--n. 2 wave, waggle, oscillation, fluctuation, sway,

undulation, flutter, vellication, flap, flip, flicker, shake,

vibration, quiver, nod, wobble, bobble, waver: The dying animal

recognized me and gave a feeble wag of her tail.

wagý n. comedian, wit, punster, pundit, joker, jester, comic,

jokester, droll, merry andrew, clown, Colloq card: A wag said

that tailors were like storks - known for their big bills.

wage n. 1 Often, wages. pay, compensation, emolument, remuneration,

payment, fee, salary, stipend, recompense, reward, earnings;

honorarium: The strikers wanted a ten per cent increase in

their hourly wage.

--v. 2 carry on, pursue, conduct, engage in, undertake,

practise, prosecute, proceed with: History shows that wars are

often waged over trifling differences.

wait v. 1 tarry, linger, hold on, stay, bide (one's) time, mark

time, stand by, Colloq cool (one's) heels, stick around, sit

tight, hang on, Brit hang about, US hang around: If you wait

till I've finished this, I'll join you for dinner. 2 be delayed

or postponed or deferred or shelved or put off, US be tabled,

Colloq be put on ice or on the back burner: The quarterly sales

figures can wait - we haven't yet completed those for this

month. 3 wait on or upon. serve, attend (to), minister (to):

Rose made such a fuss that the restaurant staff refused to wait

on her.

--n. 4 delay, pause, stay, hold-up, interval, halt, stop,

stoppage, break, hiatus, lacuna, gap, respite, rest (period),

intermission, discontinuation, recess: There was an extra long

wait between trains because of track repairs further up the

line.

waiter n. waitress, head waiter, maŒtre d'h“tel, host, hostess,

sommelier (des vins), wine steward, stewardess; cup-bearer,

Ganymede, Hebe: Marie asked the waiter to bring her a clean

plate.

waive v. 1 give up, relinquish, renounce, resign, forsake, forgo,

cede, sign away, surrender, abandon, yield, dispense with: I

waived my right to the inheritance in favour of my daughters. 2

set or put aside, except, ignore, disregard, overlook, abandon,

defer, postpone: We are happy to waive the rules in your case,

madam.

waiver n. renunciation, relinquishment, forgoing, ceding, cession,

resignation, surrender, abandonment, setting or putting aside,

deferral, remission, postponement: Her waiver of all rights to

the inheritance was duly recorded.

wake° v. 1 Often, wake up. awaken, awake, rouse, waken, bring around;

stir, bestir (oneself), get up, come to, get going: Wake me

when it is over. She didn't wake up till noon. 2 awake, waken,

awaken, animate, stimulate, enliven, galvanize, fire, quicken,

inspirit, inspire, activate, liven up, vivify, kindle, vitalize,

stir, arouse, get (someone) going, bring to life: When I feel

this tired, it takes a lot to wake me up. Seeing Margo woke a

spark in me I thought had long since died.

--n. 3 vigil, watch, death-watch, funeral: If you have ever

been to an Irish wake, you will know what I mean.

wakeý n. 1 track, trail, aftermath, path, backwash, wash, bow wave;

trace, spoor, scent: The wake from the passing boats damages

the docks. No matter where he went, they followed in his wake. 2

in the wake of. following (on or upon), after, subsequent to; as

a result or consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to,

by virtue of: In the wake of the law's enactment, scores of

abortions were performed.

wakeful adj. 1 awake, sleepless, waking, unsleeping, restless, restive,

insomniac: The children were wakeful the entire night in

anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus. 2 watchful, (on the)

alert, on the qui vive, sharp, attentive, vigilant, wary,

cautious, observant, heedful, on the lookout: We remained

wakeful, alert to any footstep.

walk v. 1 advance, proceed, move, go, wend, go or make (one's) way

by foot, tread, step, perambulate, stalk, stride, tramp, stroll,

amble, ramble, ambulate, shamble, pad, shuffle, saunter, trudge,

trek, plod, slog, hike, parade, promenade, strut, swagger,

prance, march, goose-step, pace, trip, sidle, tiptoe, sashay,

flounce, stagger, lurch, limp, waddle, stamp, mince, slink,

steal, prowl, skulk, sneak, creep, Colloq go by or ride by

shanks's or shanks' mare or pony, hoof it, foot it, traipse,

pussyfoot, Slang US boogie: Guthrie certainly has a peculiar

way of walking. 2 take, convoy, accompany, escort, go with;

conduct, lead; empty: Let me walk you to the station. I have to

walk the dog twice a day. 3 patrol, trace out, stalk, cover,

haunt, prowl, wander, roam, rove or range about in or on,

frequent: Her mother could not understand why Maizie walked the

streets nightly. 4 walk out. a leave, depart, desert; walk out

on: She just walked out and no one has seen her since. b

strike, go (out) on strike, protest, take industrial action,

Brit down tools: Negotiations reached an impasse, so the

employees walked out.

--n. 5 path, lane, pathway, pavement, footpath, promenade,

esplanade, boardwalk, Brit footway, US sidewalk: We strolled

along the pleasant walks that lead through the park. 6 gait,

step, carriage, bearing, stride: He had great fun imitating

Groucho Marx's slinky walk. 7 constitutional, stroll, amble;

slog, tramp, hike: Lettie likes to take a walk in the park

after dinner. We had a five-day walk through the jungle before

reaching civilization.

wall n. 1 screen, partition, divider, enclosure, separator,

bulkhead, barrier, obstruction, obstacle, impediment, block,

fence: Marcie built round herself a wall of resentment which no

one could penetrate. 2 barricade, fortification, protection,

bulwark, breastwork, embankment, rampart, palisade, stockade:

It was questionable whether the walls would withstand the

cannon-balls. 3 drive up the wall. drive crazy or insane or

mad, madden, exasperate, derange, try, irritate, infuriate,

enrage: The constant caterwauling from the next flat is driving

me up the wall. 4 go to the wall. fail, collapse, be ruined,

face ruin, go bankrupt, lose everything, Colloq go broke, go

under, fold (up), Slang go bust: Unicold went to the wall

because of increased costs and decreased sales.

--v. 5 Often, wall up or off. enclose, partition (off), close

(off), brick up, immure: A bricklayer was hired to wall up the

openings where the windows had been.

wallet n. purse, pocketbook, Brit notecase, US billfold: An anonymous

good Samaritan found my wallet and sent it to me intact, with

all the money in it.

wallow v. 1 roll or loll about or around, welter, writhe, tumble,

splash or plash: He enjoys watching the pigs wallowing in the

mud. 2 Usually, wallow in. luxuriate in, bask in, revel in,

glory in, indulge (oneself) in, give (oneself) up to, succumb

to, take to, appreciate, fancy, enjoy, like, love, savour, Slang

get a kick or a bang or a boot from or out of: Now that Gabriel

is a big rock star, he simply wallows in all the attention he is

getting. 3 stumble, stagger, lurch, flounder, teeter, totter,

falter, pitch: Without its engines, the ship was lifted skyward

by a wave one moment only to wallow in a trough the next.

wan adj. 1 white, sickly, pale, pallid, livid, pasty, ashen,

bloodless, waxen, whey-faced, sallow, colourless, deathly,

ghostly, ghastly, cadaverous: I almost wept at seeing the

child's wan face against the pillow. 2 weary, weak, hollow,

feeble, frail, ineffectual, sorry, pitiful: She offered no more

than a wan smile in response to questions about her family.

wand n. baton, stick, staff, stick: The magician pointed with his

wand and a bottle of gin appeared.

wander v. 1 walk, go, roam, rove, range, stray, ramble, stroll,

saunter, meander, drift, cruise, prowl, Colloq mosey: We

wandered about the village square, chatting and window-shopping.

2 wind, meander, zigzag, turn this way and that: A trout stream

wanders past our house. 3 digress, go off, become

absent-minded, go wool-gathering, lose concentration or focus:

My mind wandered as the speaker droned on. 4 deviate, digress,

turn, divagate, stray, drift, depart, go off at a tangent, lose

(one's) train of thought, lapse: The speaker tended to wander

occasionally.

wane v. 1 decrease, diminish, grow less, lessen, decline, die out,

abate, ebb, subside, fade (away), dim, taper off, peter out,

wind down, weaken: The waning moon cast its pale light on the

dying knight. As his strength waned he could no longer lift his

sword. 2 draw to a close, end, terminate: The day waned into a

gloomy evening.

--n. 3 decrease, diminution, lessening, decline, abatement,

ebb, subsidence, fading, tapering off, petering out, winding

down, weakening, deterioration, degeneration: The 1970s saw the

wane in popularity of large, gas-guzzling cars. 4 on the wane.

on the decrease or decline or ebb, diminishing, decreasing,

declining, abating, subsiding, fading, tapering off, petering

out, winding down, weakening, deteriorating, degenerating: The

economy is recovering, and inflation is on the wane. Since that

latest illness, my energy has been on the wane.

wangle v. scheme, plot, work out, contrive, manoeuvre, engineer,

manage, manipulate, machinate, Colloq fix, fiddle, work, pull

off, finagle, swing: I hear that you were able to wangle an

audience with the pope.

want v. 1 desire, crave, wish (for), long for, pine for, hope (for),

fancy, covet, hanker after, lust after, hunger for or after,

thirst for or after, yearn for, Colloq have a yen for: I want

you near me. Ignore his crying - he just wants some ice-cream.

Maybe he's crying because he wants to go. 2 need, lack, miss,

require, call for, demand, be deficient in, be or stand in want

or in need of, necessitate; be or fall short of: This engine

wants proper maintenance. The bottle wants only a few more drops

to fill it.

--n. 3 need, lack, shortage, deficiency, dearth, scarcity,

scarceness, insufficiency, scantiness, inadequacy, paucity: For

want of good writers, the literary quarterly diminished in size

and finally disappeared. 4 appetite, hunger, thirst, craving,

desire, fancy, wish, longing, yearning, hankering, demand,

necessity, requirement, requisite, prerequisite, Colloq yen:

She gave up trying to satisfy his wants. 5 poverty, need,

indigence, homelessness, destitution, privation, pauperism,

penury, neediness, impecuniousness: The civilized nations are

trying to solve the problems of want, which seem to increase

daily.

wanting adj. 1 deficient, inadequate, not up to par or expectations,

insufficient, leaving much to be desired, unsatisfactory,

unsatisfying, disappointing, second-rate, inferior, poor,

shabby, shoddy, flawed, faulty, imperfect, incomplete,

unfinished, defective, patchy, impaired, damaged, broken,

unsound: These robots were tested at the factory and were found

wanting. 2 absent, missing, lacking, short (of), US and

Canadian shy (of): What good is a banjo wanting its strings?

wanton adj. 1 immoral, dissolute, profligate, dissipated, depraved,

loose, promiscuous, lustful, licentious, lecherous, wild,

libidinous, lewd, lascivious, unchaste: She is a wanton hussy

who is no better than she ought to be. 2 abandoned,

unrestrained, undisciplined, ungoverned, ungovernable,

unmanageable, outrageous, immoderate, intemperate, untempered:

It is not the boy's fault, it is the wanton company he keeps. 3

reckless, rash, uncaring, lavish, extravagant, wilful, heedless,

irresponsible, careless: This situation arises from the

parents' wanton disregard for their children's moral training. 4

wicked, evil, malevolent, malicious, merciless, inhumane,

vicious, cruel, violent, unjustified, unprovoked, uncalled-for,

purposeless, motiveless, unjustifiable, arbitrary, gratuitous:

We were subject to wanton attacks by the hill people.

--n. 5 vamp, strumpet, whore, harlot, loose woman, prostitute,

voluptuary, slut, trollop, Jezebel, Colloq tart, Slang hooker,

working girl, call-girl: Who invited that wanton, with her

tight-fitting, shamelessly low-cut dress?

war n. 1 warfare, combat, conflict, fighting, clash, hostilities,

battle, struggle, engagement, encounter, strife, contention:

The war, in which several millions died, lasted six years. 2 at

war. fighting, battling, in combat, in conflict; in

disagreement, in dispute, in contention, struggling,

antagonistic, at daggers drawn: They are at war because an

ambassador refused to retract some silly insult.

--v. 3 do battle or fight or struggle or (engage in) combat

with or against, make or wage war with or against, take up arms

or strive or campaign or tilt against, cross swords or contend

or joust with: We must continue to war against the forces of

evil.

ward n. 1 district, division, precinct, section, zone, quarter:

Perkin was running for re-election as councillor of the Eastgate

ward. 2 minor, dependant: The child was made a ward of the

court.

--v. 3 ward off. fend off, repel, avert, avoid, block, thwart,

keep away or off or at bay or at arm's length, check, repulse,

chase away or off, forestall: This brandy should help ward off

the night chill.

wardrobe n. 1 (collection or stock of) clothing or clothes or attire or

apparel: At the time, my entire wardrobe consisted of a pair of

jeans, a shirt, and a dinner suit. 2 clothes-press, closet,

clothes-cupboard: In her wardrobe they found more than three

thousand pairs of shoes.

warehouse n. storehouse, store, storeroom, depository, stockroom, depot,

go-down: The books are kept in a warehouse and shipped to

customers as needed.

wares n.pl. merchandise, goods, commodities, manufactures, produce,

stock-(in-trade), supplies, lines: A blind man peddled his

wares on this corner for twenty years.

warlike adj. combative, belligerent, bellicose, aggressive, pugnacious,

hostile, bloodthirsty; hawkish, militaristic, jingoistic,

warmongering: Violation of the border was a warlike act that

must be punished. There are warlike factions in every

government.

warm adj. 1 heated, tepid, lukewarm, cosy, comfortable, not

uncomfortable, balmy: We chose a beautiful warm day for our

picnic. 2 passionate, impassioned, excited, animated, fervent,

fervid, spirited, lively, ardent, zealous, keen, eager,

emotional, heated, intense, irritated, annoyed, vexed, angry,

irate, furious, testy, short-tempered, touchy, quick-tempered,

irascible, irritable, stormy, turbulent, vigorous, violent,

Colloq worked up, hot under the collar, steamed up: Charles

occasionally became a bit warm on the subject of architecture.

The debate grew warm as we joined in. 3 amiable, friendly,

cordial, affable, pleasant, genial, cheerful, kindly,

hospitable, hearty; affectionate, tender, mellow, loving,

amorous: After a warm greeting from our host, we went in to

meet the other guests. Her generous gifts to charity revealed

that she really has a warm heart. 4 ardent, enthusiastic,

earnest, eager, sincere: Our ideas for the new campaign met

with warm approval from the client. 5 uncomfortable, awkward,

unpleasant, strained, tense: The people in this town tend to

make things a bit warm for strangers. 6 Often, getting warm.

close or near to making a discovery, about to make a discovery:

From her look as I approached the cabinet, I knew I was getting

warm.

--v. 7 heat (up), warm up or over: I warmed myself by the

fire. 8 Often, warm to. become less antagonistic or hostile to

or toward(s), become enthusiastic or supportive of, become

excited or animated about or over, be attracted to or toward(s),

like, feel affection for: Martin never did warm to my idea of

using the village notice-board for his message. 9 stir, move,

please, delight, make (one or someone) feel good: It warmed me

to know that she had at last found someone to love.

warm-blooded

adj. 1 Technical homoeothermic or homoeothermal or

homoiothermic or homoiothermal or homeothermic or homeothermal:

Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, reptiles and fish are

cold-blooded. 2 passionate, ardent, fervid, hot-blooded,

impetuous, Colloq randy: He tried to excuse his behaviour

towards her by saying that he was just a normal, warm-blooded

man.

warmly adv. 1 affectionately, tenderly, fondly, lovingly: Linda

kissed him warmly to thank him for the gift. 2 cordially,

amiably, amicably, solicitously, warm-heartedly: We were

greeted warmly by the manager on our arrival and shown to our

rooms. 3 earnestly, eagerly, fervently, enthusiastically, well,

kindly: The directors are warmly disposed to your plan for

reorganization. 4 vigorously, intensely, fiercely, intensively,

intently, energetically, doggedly, persistently, zealously,

fervently, fervidly, hotly, ardently, enthusiastically: We

learned that she was being warmly pursued by Interpol. 5

heatedly, vehemently, vociferously, forcefully, energetically,

vigorously, feverishly, frantically, furiously, angrily,

violently: The sending of a peace-keeping force was being

warmly debated in the UN.

warmth n. 1 heat: We basked in the welcome warmth of the sun. 2

cordiality, heartiness, friendliness, geniality, amiableness,

kindliness, tenderness, affability, love: Mother thrives on the

warmth of a family environment and should not be put in a

nursing home. 3 ardour, effusiveness, enthusiasm, zeal,

excitedness, fervour, vehemence, vigour, ebullience, passion: I

was taken aback by the warmth of the stranger's greeting. The

resolution was debated with considerable warmth. 4 irritation,

annoyance, pique: The warmth of his reaction to the accusation

is understandable.

warn v. 1 caution, admonish, advise, notify, apprise, inform, give

(fair) warning, alert, give (prior) notice, put (someone) on

notice or on guard or on the alert, make (someone) aware (of),

forewarn, tip off, Rare premonish: The entire population has

been warned about the imminent hurricane. 2 advise, counsel,

caution: You did warn me against investing in llama farms.

warning n. 1 caution, admonition, advice, counsel, caveat, word (to the

wise), tip, notification, notice, threat; lesson, example:

Cyril never took seriously his doctor's warning about his

cholesterol level. Let that be a warning to you not to drink and

drive. 2 omen, sign, signal, indication, augury, foretoken,

portent, foreshadowing, forewarning, prophecy: Sailors take

that kind of sky and a falling barometer as warning of a

hurricane.

warp v. 1 twist, contort, distort, deform, bend out of shape,

wrench, pervert, misshape: Using steam, the timber was warped

to fit the hull. You certainly have a warped idea of what Yvette

does for a living.

--n. 2 twist, contortion, distortion, bias, deformity,

deformation, bend, wrench, perversion, kink, idiosyncrasy,

quirk, deviation: There is too much of a warp in this veneer to

repair it. Harry has to overcome a serious warp in his attitude

towards food.

warrant n. 1 authorization, sanction, reason, justification, approval,

validation, licence, right, certification, entitlement, grounds,

cause, rationale, basis, assurance, carte blanche, guarantee,

pledge, security, charter, warranty: We demand to know what

warrant may exist for such an action. 2 writ, order, affidavit,

paper, document, credential, permit, entitlement, licence,

permit, summons, subpoena, mandate, decree, fiat, edict, ukase:

Do not let them search the premises without a warrant. A warrant

has been issued for her arrest.

--v. 3 guarantee, promise, assure, ensure or insure, answer

for, be answerable for, certify, vouch for, underwrite, back up,

uphold, stand by or behind: All these products are warranted by

the manufacturer for one year. 4 authorize, sanction, justify,

explain, approve, verify, validate, permit, allow, provide or

offer grounds or justification or cause or reason for, call for,

necessitate, entitle, empower, excuse, license: What is it that

warrants such accusations of malfeasance?

warranty n. guarantee, assurance, promise, commitment, covenant,

undertaking, agreement, pledge, bond: There is a maker's

warranty that repairs of any defects will be made at no cost to

the buyer.

wary adj. cautious, careful, on (one's) guard, circumspect, prudent,

apprehensive, chary, watchful, vigilant, on the qui vive,

heedful, observant, on (one's) toes, Colloq cagey, Slang leery

(of): Phoebe is wary of going out with someone she doesn't

know.

wash v. 1 wash up, clean (up), cleanse, bathe, shower, douche,

douse, scrub (up), shampoo, soap up, lather, launder, scour,

soak, rinse, flush, wet, drench, deterge, sponge (off),

Facetious perform (one's) ablutions, Archaic absterge, Formal or

literary lave, Brit bath: Please wash the dishes when you have

finished eating. I must wash before I do anything else. 2

Sometimes, wash away or out or off. remove, move, transport,

carry, bear, convey, deliver, deposit, drive, sweep: The silt,

with the gold dust, is washed downstream. In this process, the

impurities are washed away. 3 splash, spatter, splatter, plash,

dash, beat, pound, thrash, break, toss, surge, undulate, rush,

run, lap, ripple, roll, flow: We stood watching the sea washing

against the breakwater. 4 Usually, wash away or off. erode,

wear off or away, remove, delete, erase, expunge, destroy,

eradicate, obliterate, extinguish, blot out, wipe out: After

5000 years, the action of the waves had washed away all traces

of the Vengorian civilization. 5 Often, wash away or out. erode,

cut or dig or wear or eat or dredge (away or out), excavate,

channel: The river eventually washed out a new course, fifteen

miles to the west. 6 decontaminate, purify, sift, filter,

depurate: The wastes are thoroughly washed in these tanks

before being discharged into the ocean. 7 overlay, film, coat,

paint, glaze; plate: What do you think of colour they washed

the wall? 8 hold up, stand up, stand the test of time, carry

weight, bear scrutiny, prove true, make sense, be believable or

credible, Colloq hold water: I'm afraid that Helen's

explanation of her whereabouts at the time of the murder simply

won't wash. 9 wash down. swallow: Here, wash the pill down with

this. 10 wash (one's) hands of. stay or keep away from, disown,

repudiate, turn (one's) back on, have nothing more or further to

do with, get rid of, rid (oneself) of, desert, abandon, leave:

After Neil took the money, Violet washed her hands of him and

his problems.

--n. 11 washing, cleaning, cleansing, scrubbing, scrub,

scouring, shampoo, shampooing, bath, bathing, shower, sponge

bath, tub-bath; laundering; Facetious ablutions; Colloq Brit

tub, tubbing: He always likes a good wash and shave before

breakfast. 12 wave, wake, surge, backwash: The wash from

passing ships almost swamped our skiff. 13 lotion, rinse,

liniment, salve, embrocation, emulsion, preparation; mouthwash,

gargle; eyewash, collyrium: Use this wash twice a day till the

condition disappears. 14 flow, wave, swell, welling, sweep,

sweeping, ebb and flow, surge, surging, undulation, rise and

fall: Shellfish in the gap cleanse themselves of impurities in

the constant tidal wash running through there. 15 coat, coating,

film, overlay, glaze; plating: There is a microscopic wash of

gold over the tin to lend the bracelet a little cachet.

washed out

adj. 1 wan, pale, pallid, colourless, faded, lacklustre, flat;

blanched, bleached, etiolated: Gene looks washed out because he

never gets out in the sun. She was wearing washed-out jeans and

a torn t-shirt. 2 exhausted, spent, tired, tired out, weary,

worn out, fatigued, drained, Colloq dog-tired, bone-tired, done

in, all in, fagged out, bushed, Brit knocked up, US knocked out,

Slang beat, US and Canadian tuckered out, pooped: After a hard

day in the office, I feel completely washed out.

washed up adj. finished, through, failed, done for, played out, over (and

done with), Slang kaput, fini: After that last fiasco, he's no

more than a washed-up has-been.

washout n. failure, disaster, d‚bƒcle, (total) loss, fiasco,

disappointment, Colloq flop, dud, Brit damp squib, US lead

balloon: His attempts to revive the hula-hoop craze were a

washout.

waspish adj. irascible, bad-tempered, foul-tempered, temperamental,

testy, grouchy, sensitive, volatile, querulous, edgy, petulant,

spiteful, peevish, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, cross, crabby,

crabbed, crotchety, splenetic, grumpy, captious, cranky, crusty:

Elaine is feeling very waspish today - no one can do anything

right.

waste v. 1 squander, misuse, throw away, fritter away, misspend,

splurge, dissipate, Slang blow: Why I wasted so much time on

him I'll never know. Don't waste your money on such frivolities.

2 Often, waste away. diminish, deteriorate, dwindle, decline,

decay, atrophy, wither, shrink, weaken, become debilitated,

fade, become enervated or enfeebled, regress, ebb, sink: She is

just wasting away, and I am seriously worried that she may not

recover. 3 enervate, enfeeble, emaciate, gnaw, destroy, consume,

debilitate, exhaust, disable: Arkwright contracted a terrible

wasting disease while in the tropics. 4 assassinate, murder,

kill, Slang put away, rub out, US ice: Don't worry, Boss, we'll

waste Andy and you won't have no more trouble.

--n. 5 misuse, misapplication, squandering, dissipation,

misemployment, abuse, neglect: What a terrible waste of talent

to have such a person doing such lowly work! Do not let that

genius go to waste. 6 wasting, extravagance, prodigality,

wastefulness, squandering, indulgence, lavishness, profligacy,

dissoluteness, improvidence, overindulgence: Government waste

is one of our biggest problems. 7 refuse, rubbish, garbage,

dregs, debris, leavings, scrap, offscourings, sweepings, litter,

Archaic orts, US and Canadian trash: Techniques are being

developed to process the waste in order to avoid using

landfills, incineration, or dumping at sea. 8 wasteland, desert,

wilderness, barrens, wilds, emptiness, vastness: Beyond that

system were vast wastes of uninhabited space.

--adj. 9 extra, leftover, unused, superfluous, worthless,

useless: The waste food was usually fed to the animals. 10

barren, unproductive, unusable, unsalvageable, useless,

unrecyclable, unprofitable, worthless: The waste products of

manufacture are a big problem. 11 lay waste. devastate,

destroy, demolish, despoil, ruin, wreck, ravage, pillage, sack,

plunder, loot, rob, strip, spoil, gut, ransack, wreak havoc

(up)on, crush, raze, annihilate, eradicate, extirpate, wipe out:

These lands and cities, laid waste by the invaders, have never

recovered.

wasteful adj. extravagant, spendthrift, profligate, prodigal, lavish,

improvident, unthrifty, uneconomical, overindulgent,

open-handed, free-handed, penny wise and pound foolish: It was

very wasteful of you to buy me that expensive jewellery.

wastrel n. 1 spendthrift, profligate, waster, prodigal, big spender,

squanderer: That wastrel went through his inheritance in a

year. 2 idler, layabout, malingerer, loafer, shirker,

good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, Chiefly Brit drone, Slang Brit

skiver: The workhouse is the place for wastrels like you!

watch v. 1 observe, regard, look at, gaze at or on, take in,

contemplate: Daniel loves to watch the bears at the zoo. 2

look after, tend, mind, keep an eye on, watch over, mind, guard,

care for, take care of, safeguard, protect, shield, keep safe,

supervise, superintend; chaperon, accompany, attend; Colloq

babysit (for), sit (with): Could you please watch Suzie while I

go shopping? 3 observe, note, notice, make or take note of,

see, pay attention (to), attend (to), follow, (take) heed (of),

examine, inspect, scrutinize, pore over; eye, peer at; ogle,

make eyes at: Watch the way I bone this fish. Ted enjoys

watching the girls going by. 4 Often, watch (out) for. look for,

be on the watch or lookout or alert or qui vive (for), guard

(against), keep an eye open (for), be watchful (for), note, take

note or notice of, be vigilant (for or of), keep (one's) eyes

open (for), keep a (sharp) lookout (for), be prepared or ready

for, be careful of, anticipate, await, wait (for), look for,

Colloq keep (one's) eyes peeled or skinned (for), keep a weather

eye open (for): We were watching for irregularities in the test

results. Watch where you're going! Watch out for that last step!

--n. 5 vigil, surveillance, observation, lookout: Our six-hour

watch was rewarded by the appearance of a yellow-bellied

sapsucker. 6 clock, timepiece, pocket watch, wrist-watch;

chronometer: I always set my watch by the GMT time signal on

the radio. 7 sentry, sentinel, guard, watchman: The midnight

watch just returned from his rounds. 8 on the watch (for). on

the alert (for), on the lookout (for), on (one's) guard (for),

on the qui vive (for), alert (for or to), awake (to), observant

(of), watchful (of), cautious (of), wary (of), vigilant,

circumspect: We remained on the watch for the slightest

movement in the bushes.

watchman n. (security) guard, sentinel, sentry, watch, night-watchman,

custodian, caretaker; watchdog: After retiring from the police,

he worked as a watchman.

water n. 1 H2O; distilled water, tap water, drinking-water, bottled

water, spa water, still water, soda (water), effervescent water,

mineral water; sea water, salt water; ditch-water, dishwater,

bath-water, US branch water, Facetious Adam's ale, Technical or

Latin aqua; Technical heavy water or deuterium oxide or D2O;

Brit fizzy water: Pure water is odourless, tasteless, and

colourless. 2 not hold water. be illogical or unsound or

invalid, not be sensible, be inconsistent, not make sense, be

unbelievable or incredible, be indefensible, be unfeasible or

unworkable, not work, not function, not hold up under or bear

scrutiny or examination, not ring true, ring false, Colloq not

wash: Her account of her whereabouts that day just doesn't hold

water. 3 like water. lavishly, extravagantly, freely,

wastefully, profligately, open-handedly, liberally, excessively,

copiously, unstintingly, unreservedly: They've been spending

money like water since they won the football pools. 4 make

water. urinate, pass water, Colloq pee, piss: When a dog makes

water, it marks off a territory bounded by its scent. 5 of the

first water. of superior or excellent or first or top or A-one

or the finest or the highest or the best quality or grade;

first-grade, top-grade: These were not industrial stones but

diamonds of the first water.

--v. 6 inundate, flood, drench, saturate, soak, douse,

irrigate, hose, wet, shower, splash, spray, sprinkle, moisten,

damp, dampen, bedew: If you don't water the garden, the

vegetables will die. 7 Often, water down. dilute, weaken, thin

out, adulterate; cut; mollify, modify, soften, tone down,

qualify: We no longer go there because they water the drinks.

They told the children a watered-down version of what had

happened.

water-colour

n. aquarelle: John's water-colours sell as fast as he paints

them.

waterfall n. cascade, cataract, fall(s), chute, Niagara, No. Brit force,

Scots linn: In front of them, a waterfall tumbled down a

rock-face into a deep pool.

watertight

adj. 1 sealed, waterproof: The escape hatch has been made

watertight. 2 unassailable, impregnable, solid, airtight,

flawless, faultless, incontrovertible; without loopholes:

Landry has a watertight alibi for the night of the crime.

watery adj. 1 weak, dilute(d), watered down, tasteless, insipid,

flavourless, bland, flat, dull, thin, runny, pallid, anaemic,

Colloq wishy-washy: He asked me in, then gave me some watery

tea to drink. 2 weeping, teary, tearful, running, weepy,

lachrymose, rheumy: The child looked up at him with watery eyes

and then collapsed, sobbing. 3 wet, swampy, boggy, marshy,

aqueous, squelchy; soggy, moist, damp, humid; Colloq squushy or

squooshy: It took days to make our way across that watery plain

to the high ground.

wave n. 1 swell, undulation, billow, sea, heave, roller, whitecap,

white horse; ripple, wavelet, breaker, comber: A huge wave

tossed me up on the beach. 2 surge, swell, welling up, ground

swell, movement, flood, upsurge, uprising, current, tide: The

period is marked by a wave of materialism and greed that swamped

all morality and integrity. 3 signal, sign, gesticulation,

gesture: Was his wave intended for you or for me?

--v. 4 undulate, billow, move to and fro, flap, flutter,

quiver, flip-flop, swing, sway, ripple, oscillate, zigzag,

fluctuate, shake; wag, whiffle, wigwag, wiggle, waggle,

brandish: The streamer waved slowly in the quickening breeze.

Stop waving that knife at me! 5 signal, sign, indicate, signify;

gesture, gesticulate: Hazel waved goodbye from the train.

way n. 1 manner, method, mode, fashion, means, system, course (of

action), procedure, approach, scheme, technique, practice, modus

operandi, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'): That's no way to talk

to your mother! We have ways of making you talk. Is that any way

to treat a lady?! It's the wrong way to deal with the problem. 2

manner, spirit, feeling, sense, character, approach,

personality, temperament, disposition, modus vivendi (=

'lifestyle'), nature, technique, style, conduct, habit,

behaviour pattern, custom: He has such a pleasant way about

him. Lucinda certainly has a way with children and dogs. You

city people may not approve of our down-to-earth country ways. 3

path, road, street, avenue, course, route, trail, direction:

Show me the way to go home. The way to the village lies through

dark woods. 4 distance; route, trail, course, road: You've come

a long way since we last met. 5 progress, passage, advance,

headway; speed, velocity, motion, (forward) movement: We made

our way to the front of the crowd. Who has the right of way at

the crossing? The tide was too strong for us to get any way on.

6 aspect, respect, particular, detail, point, sense, feature:

In certain ways, you remind me of Attila the Hun. 7 clearance,

pathway, avenue, scope, freedom, opportunity: When you hear a

siren, drive to the side and give way. Make way for the Lord

High Executioner! 8 condition, situation: She prefers the

prissy 'in a family way' to the straightforward 'pregnant' and

the vulgar 'have a bun in the oven'. I saw Luke yesterday and he

was really in a bad way. 9 by the way. incidentally, moreover,

by the by, parenthetically: By the way, have I told you how

beautiful you look tonight? 10 by way of. a via, through, by

means of: We drove from London to Oxford by way of Reading. b

(functioning) as, in (the) way of, in the capacity of,

equivalent to, more or less, something like: Richard is by way

of being an expert on eccentric behaviour. 11 give way. a

collapse, break (down), fail, cave in, fall (down), crumble,

crumple, disintegrate, go to pieces: The cable gave way,

causing the bridge to collapse. b yield, surrender, retreat,

concede, withdraw, accede, make concessions, acquiesce,

acknowledge: The trouble is that they both think they are in

the right and neither will give way. 12 under way. proceeding,

progressing, on the move, moving, advancing, going, begun,

started, in progress, operating, functioning, at work, US in

work, Colloq in the works, US in the pipeline: Once under way,

it takes the ship three days to make the crossing. Plans are

under way to reclaim the slum area for a park.

waylay v. 1 ambush, lie in wait for, await, intercept, pounce upon or

on, swoop down on or upon, accost: You'll have to waylay him on

his way to lunch if you want to speak to him. 2 attack, mug,

seize, assault, accost, set upon: He was waylaid by a band of

thieves and stripped of his belongings.

way-out adj. 1 bizarre, mad, weird, crazy, strange, odd, peculiar,

freakish, freaky, eccentric, queer, abnormal, offbeat,

outrageous, wild, exotic, esoteric, Colloq kinky, Slang kooky,

off-the-wall, far-out, screwy, nutty, US flaky, screwball: The

police did not take kindly to the boys' way-out behaviour after

the party. 2 avant-garde, advanced, original, innovative,

unorthodox, unconventional, experimental, precedent-setting,

progressive, exploratory, ground-breaking, Slang far-out:

Spencer thinks that the way-out art of the 1960s will have great

value one day.

23.2 weak...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

weak adj. 1 feeble, frail, fragile, unsubstantial, flimsy,

breakable, frangible, delicate, rickety, unsteady, unsound,

decrepit, shaky, infirm: That chair is too weak for you to

stand on. 2 frail, infirm, debilitated, enervated, delicate,

sickly, anaemic, wasted, decrepit, puny, effete, worn out,

tired, exhausted: When I last saw Tindell he was so weak he

could hardly lift his brandy glass. 3 unassertive, retiring,

namby-pamby, spineless, irresolute, impotent, ineffectual,

ineffective, incompetent, feckless, inept, wishy-washy, timid,

meek, craven, timorous, cowardly, pusillanimous, lily-livered,

chicken-hearted, Colloq chicken, yellow: We know which is the

weaker partner in that marriage, don't we? 4 feeble, lame,

half-baked, poor, miserable, unconvincing, unpersuasive, empty,

shallow, flimsy, hollow, pathetic, pitiful, unbelievable,

untenable: Edward made some weak excuse for being late. I found

Mona's argument against birth control very weak indeed. 5

weak-minded, dim-witted, dull-witted, slow-witted, foolish,

feeble-minded, simple, simple-minded, soft-headed, stupid, dull,

moronic, imbecilic, Colloq dumb: They seek out people of weaker

intelligence and make fools of them. 6 faint, dim, poor, dull,

pale, faded, indistinct, vague, hazy, imperceptible,

indiscernible, unclear, blurred, blurry, muzzy, wavering,

faltering, ill-defined, feeble, flickering, subdued: I could

hardly see her face in the weak light of the candle. 7 feeble,

subdued, low, soft, hushed, muffled, muted, almost inaudible,

stifled, indistinct: When the victim finally spoke, his voice

was very weak. 8 See watery, 1, above. 9 weak point. See

weakness, 3, below.

weaken v. 1 debilitate, enfeeble, enervate, emasculate, mitigate,

moderate, dilute, deplete, diminish, lessen, depress, lower,

reduce, sap, undermine, exhaust, impoverish: The continuous

torture helped to weaken Errol's resolve. 2 fade, dwindle,

tire, droop, sag, fail, give way, crumble, flag: My

determination weakened when I saw what had happened to the

children. 3 give in, relent, acquiesce, give way, yield, accede,

consent, agree, assent, soften, bend, ease up, let up, ease off,

relax: If you ask very politely, she might weaken and allow you

to go out and play. 4 water (down), dilute, thin (out): Adding

the water so weakened the soup that it tasted like dishwater.

weakling n. milksop, baby, mollycoddle, lightweight, namby-pamby, US and

Canadian milquetoast, Colloq sissy or Brit also cissy, loser,

cream puff, jellyfish, pushover, softie or softy, Slang wimp,

twerp or twirp, US weak sister, schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl

or shlemiel: If you count on a weakling like Geoffrey, nothing

will ever get done.

weakness n. 1 feebleness, frailty, fragility, delicacy, delicateness,

vulnerability, infirmity, decrepitude: They discovered a

weakness in the structure of the bridge, so it had to be closed.

2 incapacity, irresolution, irresoluteness, impotence,

powerlessness, puniness: He is ashamed of his weakness in being

unable to stop smoking. 3 weak point, foible, failing, fault,

shortcoming, flaw, Achilles' heel, defect, imperfection,

liability: Her one great weakness is her inability to deny her

children anything. 4 soft spot, fondness, affection, liking,

preference, bent, leaning, inclination, fancy, penchant,

predilection, proneness, proclivity, predisposition, partiality,

appreciation, appetite, sweet tooth, taste, eye: The two of

them share a weakness for good food and wine.

wealth n. 1 affluence, riches, money, opulence, prosperity, property,

holdings, capital, assets, wherewithal, cash: Most of their

wealth comes from illicit trade in diamonds. 2 profusion,

abundance, bounty, plenteousness, bounteousness, copiousness,

mine, plenitude, fullness, store, cornucopia, richness: Janet

has a wealth of ideas for situation-comedy plots.

wealthy adj. rich, affluent, well off, prosperous, well-to-do, opulent,

comfortable, moneyed, Colloq in the money, on Easy Street,

flush, well-heeled, in clover, Slang loaded, stinking (rich),

filthy rich, quids in, rolling in it: Bill has a wealthy aunt

who sends him a little something now and then.

wear v. 1 be dressed or clothed in, dress in, put on, don, be in,

step or get into or in, have on, sport: I shall wear my new

suit tonight. 2 display, show, exhibit, have, adopt, assume: I

wondered why she wore such a curious expression. 3 Often, wear

down or away or off. damage, impair, harm, fray, erode, abrade,

corrode, rub (off): The water has worn down the rocks till they

are round and shiny. The inscription on the stone is worn away.

After years of use, the paint has worn off. 4 Often, wear well.

last, endure, survive, hold up, bear up, stand up: I wrote to

the makers telling them the shoes have worn well. 5 drag, pass

slowly, creep by or along, go by gradually or tediously: The

hours wore on as I waited for the test results. 6 Often, wear

out. tire, fatigue, exhaust, debilitate, weary, enervate, drain,

burden: You must be worn out from carrying those heavy books.

7 bore, exasperate, harass, vex, annoy, irritate, tax, strain:

I find it wearing to listen to that music all day long.

--n. 8 wearing, use, utilization; attire, garb, clothing,

clothes, apparel, dress, gear: Did you get much wear out of

your new hat? Suzanne is modelling a silver lam‚ dress for

evening wear. 9 wear and tear, attrition, deterioration, damage,

fraying, chafing, abrasion, erosion, corrosion, friction: As

the engine ages, heavier oil is needed to offset the normal

wear.

weary adj. 1 tired, fatigued, exhausted, worn out, drained, spent,

Colloq all in, ready to drop, fagged (out), done in, dead (on

(one's) feet), frazzled, dead beat, dog-tired, Brit knocked up,

US knocked out, Slang Brit whacked, knackered, US pooped, zonked

(out), shot: He is so weary after work that he can scarcely eat

his dinner. 2 boring, irksome, irritating, tedious, vexing,

annoying, exasperating, burdensome, wearying, tiring, fatiguing,

draining, taxing, wearisome: We walked many a weary mile before

reaching the oasis. 3 bored, impatient, jaded, blas‚, Colloq

fed up, sick and tired, Taboo slang browned off: I wish he

would wipe that weary expression off his smug face.

--v. 4 Often, weary of. tire (of), be or become bored (with or

by) or impatient (with) or jaded (with or by), Colloq be or

become fed up (with) or sick and tired (of): I soon wearied of

her nagging. 5 exhaust, enervate, fatigue, tire, debilitate,

drain, tax, wear or tire out: The long trek across country had

wearied us all.

weather n. 1 (meteorological) condition(s), climate: The weather

suddenly changed, and we arrived home cold and wet. 2 under the

weather. ailing, ill, sickly, unwell, indisposed, out of sorts,

sick, Colloq poorly, seedy: I didn't go sailing because I was

feeling a bit under the weather.

--v. 3 stand, survive, suffer, bear up against, endure,

withstand, rise above, ride out, live through, brave: Gemma

didn't think she could weather much more sarcasm from the

critics.

weave v. 1 loom; braid, plait, entwine, intertwine, interlace,

interweave, knit (together): These fabrics were woven by hand.

Weave these leather strands together to make a belt. 2 blend,

combine, fuse, merge, unite, intermingle, mesh, splice,

dovetail, join: The threads of their lives are inextricably

woven together. 3 construct, make, contrive, build, create,

fabricate, compose, spin, design: Oh, what a tangled web we

weave When first we practise to deceive! 4 zigzag, criss-cross,

wend or make (one's) way, dodge, bob and weave, shift: Look at

that motor cyclist weaving in and out of the traffic! 5 get

weaving. get started, get a move on, hurry (up), start, Colloq

shake a leg, Brit get or pull (one's) finger out, Chiefly US get

a wiggle on: If you're going to get to work on time, you'd best

get weaving.

web n. spider's web, cobweb; net, network, entanglement, snare,

trap: Don't you just hate getting those webs in your hair? She

became entangled in a web of deception.

wed v. 1 marry, espouse, get married, become husband and wife, say

or take (one's) (marriage) vows, join or unite in holy wedlock

or matrimony; lead down the aisle, lead to the altar, Archaic

wive; Colloq tie the knot, get hitched, get spliced: They were

wed on the fourth of July, 1921. That was when Harry wed

Annabel. 2 combine, unite, ally, marry, blend, merge, join,

mingle, intermingle, commingle, coalesce, mix, intermix,

amalgamate, compound, alloy, fuse, homogenize: As a chef, he is

extremely fortunate to be able to wed business to pleasure.

wedded adj. Usually, wedded to. intimately or obstinately attached or

connected (to), enamoured (of): He has always been wedded to

the notion of living alone on an island.

wedding n. 1 marriage (ceremony), wedding ceremony, nuptials;

confarreation: Our son's wedding was attended by members of the

royal family. 2 combining, combination, uniting, union,

joining, juncture, blending, blend, allying, alliance,

associating, association, marrying, marriage, merging, merger,

mingling, intermingling, commingling, coalescing, coalescence,

mixing, mixture, intermixing, amalgamating, amalgamation,

compounding, compound, alloying, alloy, fusing, fusion,

homogenizing, homogenization: Through her wedding of vision to

observation she has produced some truly remarkable paintings.

wedge n. 1 block, chock: A shoe with a wedge heel is called a

'wedgie'. We forced wedges into the cracks in the stone to split

it. 2 separation, separator, division, partition, split,

fissure, cleavage: That woman tried to drive a wedge between me

and my husband.

--v. 3 ram, jam, stuff, cram, crowd, force, squeeze, pack,

thrust: You couldn't have wedged another person into the back

seat of that Mini with a shoehorn.

wee adj. 1 tiny, small, diminutive, little, minuscule, midget,

minute, miniature, Lilliputian, microscopic, Colloq itty-bitty,

itsy-bitsy, teeny(-weeny), teensy(-weensy): Johnny caught his

wee little finger in the door. 2 unimportant, insignificant,

trivial, little, puny: It was only a wee thing, of no interest

to anyone but me.

weep v. 1 cry, shed tears, bawl, blubber, keen, sob, lament, mourn,

bemoan, bewail, moan, grieve, whine, whimper, mewl, pule,

snivel, Colloq blub, boohoo, Brit and Australian whinge: A

small child, sitting by herself, was weeping bitterly. 2 ooze,

seep, exude, drip: The wound had started weeping and needed

bandaging.

weigh v. 1 Sometimes, weigh in at or out at. Colloq tip the scales

at: The sailboard weighed in at 250 pounds. I weigh more than I

should. 2 consider, ponder, contemplate, think on or over or

about, mull over, turn over in the or (one's) mind, ruminate

over, chew over, reflect on or upon, brood over, pore over,

study, examine: After weighing the qualifications of the

candidates, we voted for you. Weigh your words carefully before

responding. 3 judge, estimate, assess, evaluate, value,

determine: It is not easy to weigh each person's contribution

to the effort. 4 Usually, weigh on or upon. lie heavy on,

burden, depress, prey on, oppress, disturb, perturb, upset:

Loneliness weighs heavily on Dave's widow. 5 matter, count,

have (an) effect or influence, carry weight, be of value or

account, Colloq cut any ice: Certain factors - like the sizes

of the bribes - are likely to weigh heavily with the judges of

this particular beauty contest. 6 weigh down. burden,

overburden, load, overload, encumber, tax, overtax, strain,

trouble, worry, depress, oppress: He's been weighed down by

financial worries since losing his job.

weight n. 1 heaviness, avoirdupois, mass, tonnage, Dialect heft: They

sell peaches by weight but melons are individually priced. The

weight of these books must be enormous. 2 burden, load,

millstone, onus, pressure, strain, albatross, cross: He has to

support the weight of the entire family's expenses. 3

influence, authority, power, substance, force, moment,

importance, consequence, impact, persuasiveness, value, worth,

Colloq clout: Clyde brought down his full weight in favour of

the liberal candidate. Clyde's opinion carries little weight

with me. He must stop throwing his weight around. 4 mass,

majority, preponderance or preponderancy, bulk, superiority:

The weight of the voters is in favour of reducing taxes. The

weight of the evidence is against us.

--v. 5 load, charge, ballast: The policemen's truncheons are

weighted with lead. 6 arrange, manipulate, bias, incline,

slant, Colloq rig: The statistics are weighted so as to make

the advertiser's product look superior.

weighty adj. 1 heavy, ponderous, massive, huge, bulky, substantial,

ample, large, mammoth, colossal, immense, enormous, gigantic,

prodigious; corpulent, fat, obese, adipose, Colloq hefty: I

found myself face to face with a rather weighty gentleman who

was blocking the doorway. 2 important, consequential,

significant, momentous, grave, crucial, portentous,

thought-provoking, provocative: These are weighty matters and

should be handled with circumspection. 3 influential,

convincing, persuasive, impressive, telling, powerful, potent,

leading; forceful: Weighty arguments have been put forward in

support of these proposals.

weird adj. strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre, unnatural, eerie, queer,

grotesque, freakish, outlandish, uncanny, unearthly,

other-worldly, supernatural, preternatural, Literary eldritch,

Colloq spooky, freaky, kinky, Slang far-out, way-out: There was

something decidedly weird about the creature at the door.

weirdo n. eccentric, madman, madwoman, lunatic, psychotic, Colloq

crazy, weirdie, nutcase, oddball, queer fish, crank, Slang

freak, loony, psycho, Brit nutter, US screwball, nut, kook: Why

belong to a club whose members are weirdos who refuse to talk to

one another?

welcome v. 1 greet, hail, meet, receive, accept, offer hospitality

(to): Everywhere she went she was welcomed with open arms.

--adj. 2 accepted, acceptable, well-received, desirable,

agreeable, gratifying, appreciated: Norma is always a welcome

guest at my house. Ice cream was a welcome relief from the

perennial plum duff. 3 freely permitted or allowed, invited,

entitled, suffered: At that hotel, guests are welcome to dine

when they please.

--n. 4 reception, greeting, salutation: We gave the ambassador

a warm welcome.

weld v. 1 unite, combine, merge, fuse, connect, link, join; solder,

braze, cement, bond: We felt welded together in a brotherhood

that would last forever. The brace must be welded all the way

along the edge.

--n. 2 seam, joint, juncture, commissure: The weld must be

filed down smooth.

welfare n. benefit, good, advantage, well-being, prosperity, (good)

fortune, profit, interest, (good) health, happiness, felicity:

It is up to the parents to look after their children's welfare.

well° adv. 1 satisfactorily, sufficiently, adequately, agreeably,

nicely, (well) enough, Colloq OK or okay: Alan is doing well

these days. 2 successfully, famously, marvellously,

wonderfully, fabulously, incredibly, splendidly, admirably,

spectacularly, excellently, superbly: Barbara and David really

get along well together. 3 articulately, understandably,

expressively, correctly, accurately, properly, proficiently,

effectively, artistically, poetically; grammatically: Henry

will make a good announcer because he speaks well. 4

comfortably, luxuriously, prosperously, extravagantly, showily,

pretentiously, ostentatiously, sumptuously, grandly, opulently:

How can Rita live so well with no visible income? Living well is

the best revenge. 5 graciously, kindly, highly, favourably,

glowingly, approvingly, warmly, genially, cordially, amiably,

kind-heartedly, warm-heartedly, affectionately, lovingly:

Rudolph has always spoken well of you, Aileen. 6 skilfully,

expertly, adeptly, proficiently, ably: Does Anne play well

enough to compete professionally? Paul sings well. 7 far, by a

long way, immeasurably, (very) much; far and away, definitely,

positively, obviously, clearly, plainly, manifestly, evidently,

unquestionably, decidedly, beyond (the shadow of a) doubt,

Colloq by a long chalk: Keep well away from the fuel tank

before lighting that cigarette. She is well beyond the beginner

stage. This painting is well worth what you paid. 8

good-naturedly, equably, coolly, serenely, calmly, soberly,

unexcitedly, sedately: Burt took the bad news about his car

very well. 9 likely, probably, in all probability, doubtlessly,

without doubt, not unexpectedly, indeed: He might well say he

needs no help. 10 easily, without difficulty: Though he gave

her the money, he could not well spare it. 11 completely,

entirely, wholly: Before she could well finish her sentence, he

was out of the house. 12 thoroughly (cooked), (cooked) through

and through, completely (cooked): He likes his roast beef well

done. 13 intimately, closely, familiarly, personally;

thoroughly, profoundly, soundly, fully: Do you know Boris well?

I learnt my lesson well. 14 fairly, justly, suitably, properly,

adequately, reasonably, fully, generously, amply: James is well

paid for his work. 15 happily, mercifully, fortunately,

luckily: After the divorce, both said they were well rid of

each other.

--adj. 16 healthy, fit, hale, robust, vigorous, hearty, in fine

or good fettle, Colloq in good shape: Wendy felt really well

after her holiday. 17 satisfactory, pleasing, agreeable, good,

right, all right, fine, proper, OK or okay: When he phoned the

office, they told him all was well.

wellý n. 1 well-spring, spring, fountain, well-head, fountain-head,

fount, source, reservoir: The well provided a constant supply

of cool clear water.

--v. 2 Often, well up or out or forth. flow, spring, surge,

rise, stream, trickle, brim over, swell, start; gush, spurt,

jet, spout; ooze, seep, leak: Tears welled up in the child's

eyes when she saw the broken doll.

well-advised

adj. prudent, wise, sensible, intelligent, smart: You would be

well-advised to avoid Chichicastenango at this time of year.

well-balanced

adj. 1 rational, sane, sensible, rational, reasonable,

level-headed, sober, sound, well-adjusted, cool(-headed), Slang

together: Ray is as well-balanced as people seem to be these

days. 2 even, symmetric(al), harmonious, well-proportioned,

orderly, well-ordered, well-disposed: Note the well-balanced

arrangement of the windows in this Palladian fa‡ade.

well-bred adj. well brought up, well-mannered, polite, decorous,

mannerly, refined, courteous, cultivated, polished, cultured,

gentlemanly, ladylike, elegant, suave, urbane, sophisticated,

gracious, courtly, genteel, gallant, chivalrous: Jane prefers

bikers to the well-bred gentlemen her mother selects for her.

well-established

adj. long-standing, traditional, set, venerable, well-known,

accepted, well-founded: He works for a well-established firm of

solicitors. It's a well-established fact that the English

discuss the weather a lot.

well-fed adj. plump, chunky, thickset, chubby, rounded, rotund, portly,

stout, fleshy, overweight, adipose, fat, obese, gross, Brit

podgy or US pudgy: On the westward crossing we were seated with

a well-fed Austrian couple.

well-groomed

adj. neat, dapper, fastidious, tidy, trim, smart, clean-cut,

spruce, natty, well-dressed, Colloq nifty, Slang US and Canadian

spiffy: Well-groomed gentleman sought as escort to attractive

widow. Hourly rate. Driving licence essential.

well-informed

adj. knowledgeable, learned, well-read, well-versed,

well-educated, literate, educated, Colloq in the know, wise, US

vibrating on the right frequency, Slang hip or hep: With access

to all the media, what excuse have you for not being

well-informed?

well-known

adj. 1 known, familiar, (well-)established, acknowledged,

customary, everyday: Plain salt is a well-known remover of wine

stains. 2 famous, noted, notable, celebrated, renowned,

illustrious, famed, prominent, eminent, pre-eminent: The

scandal linked a former Cabinet Minister with several well-known

City names.

well off adj. comfortable, wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous,

well-to-do, Colloq well-heeled, US well-fixed: They are well

off and live in a charming house on the edge of the Cotswolds.

well-thought-of

adj. admired, highly regarded, respected, reputable, venerated,

esteemed, revered, looked-up-to, valued: Timothy is a

well-thought-of member of the community.

well-timed

adj. timely, seasonable, opportune, auspicious, favourable,

advantageous, beneficial: Tax incentives gave a well-timed

boost to the economy.

welsher n. non-payer, cheat, cheater, swindler, Slang dead-beat, US

welcher: That welsher never paid the money he lost to me at

poker.

welt n. 1 bead, ridge, seam, edge, wale, stripe: The cushion has a

welt of contrasting colour binding it. 2 bruise, contusion,

bump, lump, scar, weal or wale or wheal: The boy's back was

covered with red welts where he had been birched.

welter n. 1 mass, mess, jumble, tangle, confusion, mishmash, muddle,

clutter, Brit hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge: Her assignment

was to sort out a welter of discarded clothing for the poor. My

mind was assailed by a welter of disorganized images.

--v. 2 be sunk or involved in, flounder, be bogged down in, be

entangled or ensnarled in: Till I found a new secretary, I

would have to continue weltering in a sea of correspondence and

unfiled papers.

wet adj. 1 moist, moistened, damp, dampened, soaked, soaking,

sopping, wringing, dripping, sodden, soppy, saturated, drenched:

During the rainy season, the ground is far too wet for planting.

2 rainy, raining, teeming, pouring, drizzling, showery: We have

had a very wet spring this year. 3 feeble, weak, irresolute,

effet, namby-pamby, foolish, ineffectual, ineffective,

spineless, timorous, cowardly: She considered some of her

colleagues too wet to take the tough action needed.

--n. 4 moisture, water, wetness, dampness, damp, humidity,

liquid: The wet stood out on his forehead. 5 rain, wetness,

mist, dew, fog, damp, humidity: Come in out of the wet, and

warm yourself by the fire. 6 milksop, softie or softy,

lightweight, Colloq drip, loser, Brit weed, Slang wimp, US weak

sister: Why is he such a wet about standing up for his rights?

23.3 wheedle...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

wheedle v. coax, cajole, inveigle, charm, beguile, persuade, talk;

butter up; Colloq con, sweet-talk: Irena always managed to

wheedle someone into taking her dancing.

wheel n. 1 disc, ring, annulus, circle, hoop: It seems odd that no

culture in the western hemisphere ever invented the wheel.

--v. 2 spin, turn, veer, swivel, pivot, swing, whirl: Medusa

wheeled to face him and he promptly turned to stone.

whereabouts

n.pl. or sg. 1 location, position, place, site, situation,

locale, neighbourhood, vicinity: Her present whereabouts are

unknown to me. The culprit concealed his whereabouts from the

police.

--adv. 2 where, in or at or to what place, whither:

Whereabouts are you going to spend your holiday? Whereabouts are

you going?

whet v. 1 sharpen, hone, grind, file, put an edge on, strop: He

whetted the knife on an oiled stone till it was razor-sharp. 2

pique, sharpen, awaken, arouse, stimulate, kindle, fire,

increase, excite, enhance: The cruise on Bill's yacht whetted

my appetite to own a small sailing-boat.

whimsical adj. 1 quaint, fey, fanciful, odd, curious, unusual,

chimeric(al), queer, singular, peculiar, funny, fantastic(al),

pixyish, playful, puckish, absurd, preposterous, Colloq offbeat:

When Andrew's whimsical drawings caught on they were bought by

greetings card makers. 2 capricious, erratic, eccentric,

wavering, flighty, unsettled, fickle, mercurial, wavering,

fluctuating, unpredictable, inconsistent, volatile, unsteady:

The buses in our village run on what could best be termed a

whimsical timetable.

whip v. 1 beat, thrash, lash, flog, horsewhip, scourge, switch,

cane, birch, flagellate, leather, spank, strap; castigate,

chastise, punish, discipline; Slang tan, US wale: They learnt

right from wrong because father whipped them when they were

wrong. 2 trounce, defeat, beat, conquer, overwhelm, rout,

overcome, overpower, thwart, check, best, worst, drub, stop,

outdo, Colloq lick, wipe the floor with, batter, Slang

pulverize, clobber, destroy, ruin, murder, slaughter, kill,

squash, smash, US cream: Karpilova whipped O'Meara 6-0, 6-2 at

today's match. 3 run, scamper, scoot, race, scurry, scramble,

hurry, flit, rush, dash, dart, Colloq zip, zoom, skedaddle: I

whipped round the corner and dived behind a tree to hide. 4

beat, whisk, fluff up: Whip the egg-whites till they are stiff.

5 Nautical seize, bind, wind, fasten, tie: The end of the line

is whipped to prevent its unravelling. 6 whip out. yank out,

jerk out, pull (out), whisk out, present, exhibit, flash,

produce: He suddenly whipped out a gun and started shooting. 7

whip up. a stir up, agitate, arouse, rouse, work up, excite,

incite: The rabble-rousers whipped the crowd into a frenzy. b

improvise, put together or assemble or prepare quickly or

hurriedly, Colloq knock together, knock up, US slap together:

Tina whipped up a snack while we were waiting for Ken to arrive.

--n. 8 scourge, knout, lash, cat-o'-nine-tails, rawhide, quirt,

horsewhip, bull-whip, cane, birch, switch, thong, (riding-)crop,

Colloq cat: We dreaded it when Dr Hazen eyed the whip hung

behind the classroom door.

whipping n. 1 beating, thrashing, lashing, flogging, horsewhipping,

scourging, switching, caning, birching, flagellation, spanking:

Once he had had a whipping, the boy would not misbehave again.

2 Nautical seizing, binding, tying, winding, fastening: The

whipping will prevent the end of the line from unravelling.

whirlpool n. maelstrom, vortex, eddy, whirl, swirl, Heraldry gurges: As

we watched in horror, the canoe was drawn down into the

whirlpool and disappeared.

whirlwind n. 1 waterspout, dust devil, cyclone, typhoon, anticyclone,

hurricane, extra-tropical cyclone, tropical cyclone,

Nontechnical tornado, Nautical white squall, Australian

willy-willy, Colloq US whirly: A whole row of houses was

destroyed in the whirlwind.

--adj. 2 speedy, quick, swift, sudden, precipitous, lightning,

headlong, hasty, rash, impetuous: It was one of those whirlwind

romances that last till the wind dies down.

whisk v. 1 rush, dart, sweep, brush: Agatha whisked about the room,

aimlessly moving small objects about on tables and shelves. 2

speed, rush, carry, whip, hasten, hustle, hurry: The taxi came

and whisked Fran off to the airport. 3 See whip, 4, above.

--n. 4 sweep, wave, brush, flick: With a whisk of his hand he

dismissed the servants. 5 brush, fly-whisk: The chief flicked

his whisk to signal that the audience was ended. 6 beater,

whip: It is quicker to whip cream with a whisk.

whisky n. whiskey, alcohol, spirits, John Barleycorn, usquebaugh,

Scotch, home-brew, mother's ruin (= 'gin'), Scots barley-bree,

Brit Scotch, US rye, bourbon, white lightning, white mule,

moonshine, Colloq booze, hooch, rot-gut, US corn, fire-water,

Slang US Sneaky Pete, smoke: Peter is a welcome guest who

always remembers to bring a bottle of whisky.

whisper v. 1 breathe, murmur, mutter, mumble, hiss, speak or say softly

or under (one's) breath, sigh, susurrate: He whispered sweet

nothings in her ear. 2 gossip, bruit about, noise abroad,

murmur, insinuate, hint, rumour, disclose, divulge, reveal,

breathe a word: We have all heard Corin whispering of your

wife's infidelities.

--n. 3 murmur, undertone, hushed tone(s): Why do you always

speak in whispers when talking about Nesta? 4 hint, suggestion,

soup‡on, suspicion: There was never the slightest whisper of

gossip about Eleanor.

white adj. 1 snow-white, snowy, chalk-white, chalky, ivory, creamy,

milky, milk-white, oyster-white, off-white; silver, hoary: Many

buildings in the tropics are painted white. Do you believe that

a person's hair can turn white overnight? 2 pale, pallid, pasty,

wan, whey-faced, ashen, bloodless, drained, whitish, waxen,

ghastly, ghostly, anaemic, dead white, deathly white,

cadaverous, corpse-like: Her black dress contrasted starkly

with her white complexion. 3 innocent, pure, unsullied,

stainless, unblemished, spotless, immaculate, virginal,

virtuous, undefiled, chaste: She came to you with white hands,

which you have sought to dirty with your vicious accusations. 4

Caucasian, Caucasoid, light-skinned, fair-skinned,

pale-complexioned: The American Indian was - and still is -

treated very unfairly by the White man.

whitewash v. gloss over, cover up, sugar-coat, hide, camouflage, conceal,

qualify, minimize, extenuate, diminish, play down, downplay,

make light of, rationalize, excuse: We are being accused of

whitewashing the dishonest actions of the previous

administration.

whittle v. 1 pare (down or away), shave, trim, cut, carve, hew, shape:

Remember when Grandpapa used to whittle those tiny figures of

elves when we were children? 2 Usually, whittle away at or down.

pare, shave, cut, trim, reduce, diminish, erode, eat away at:

If he keeps whittling away at his trust fund, he might have to

get a job.

whole adj. 1 entire, complete, uncut, full, intact, unbroken, total:

I can't believe she ate the whole chicken. Were you here the

whole time? 2 in one piece, intact, unharmed, undamaged,

unscathed, unimpaired, unhurt, uninjured: How could anyone

emerge whole from that smash-up? 3 well, healthy, sound, fit,

strong: The surgeons have made him whole again.

--n. 4 everything, aggregate, (sum) total, totality, lot,

entirety; ensemble; Colloq whole kit and caboodle: I look at

the whole and don't bother about petty details. 5 on the whole.

largely, mostly, usually, more often than not, for the most

part, in general, generally, by and large, with few exceptions,

all things considered, all in all, as a rule, chiefly, mainly,

in the main, predominantly: On the whole, our clients collect

only originals, not copies or prints.

wholehearted

adj. devoted, dedicated, committed, earnest, sincere,

unqualified, unmitigated, unreserved, complete, entire,

unstinting, real, true, genuine, hearty, heartfelt, serious,

enthusiastic, zealous, warm, fervent, ardent, spirited, eager,

energetic: Once I agree to help, you can rely on my

wholehearted support.

wholesome adj. 1 healthful, healthy, health-giving, nutritious,

nourishing, beneficial, tonic, salutary, salubrious,

strengthening, bracing, stimulating: Everyone should regularly

engage in wholesome exercise. 2 moral, ethical, righteous,

upright, honourable, decent, principled, proper, fit, meet: I

am not sure that the child is being brought up in a wholesome

atmosphere.

wholly adv. 1 altogether, entirely, absolutely, quite, totally,

thoroughly, completely, in toto, fully, in all respects, in

every way, all in all, utterly, unqualifiedly, every inch, 100%;

lock, stock, and barrel; root and branch; backwards and

forwards; from the ground up; Colloq bag and baggage; hook,

line, and sinker; to the nth degree; (the) whole hog, US up one

side and down the other: We are wholly on your side in this

matter. The company has been wholly reorganized. 2 only,

exclusively, solely, unexceptionally, categorically,

unequivocally, unambiguously, explicitly: The success or

failure of the plan depends wholly on you.

whoop n. 1 shout, shriek, yell, roar, bellow, hoot, (battle or war)

cry, war-whoop, outcry, scream, screech, squeal, yelp, yowl,

howl, bark; cheer, hurrah, huzzah; Colloq holler: At his whoop

of joy we knew he had passed the exam.

--v. 2 shout, shriek, yell, roar, bellow, hoot, cry (out),

scream, screech, squeal, yelp, yowl, howl, bark; cheer, hurrah,

huzzah; Colloq holler: He heard the tribesmen whooping as they

descended on the fort.

whopping adj. 1 huge, great, enormous, colossal, gigantic, immense,

tremendous, prodigious, monstrous, thumping, mammoth, massive,

Brobdingnagian: With that whopping Great Dane of yours in the

kitchen there's no room to move about. 2 flagrant, outrageous,

extravagant, terrible, awful: Jones tells such whopping lies I

don't know when to believe him.

23.4 wicked...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

wicked adj. 1 evil, bad, immoral, amoral, unprincipled, sinful,

impious, irreligious, blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious,

ungodly, godless, diabolic(al), satanic, Mephistophelian,

demonic, demoniac(al), hellish, infernal, accursed, damnable,

fiendish, ghoulish: How wicked must one be to murder one's own

child? She has done many wicked things, but this was the worst.

2 depraved, dissolute, villainous, black-hearted, iniquitous,

horrible, horrid, hideous, heinous, beastly, base, low, vile,

debased, degenerate, perverse, perverted, corrupt, foul,

offensive, abominable, disgraceful, shameful, dreadful, awful,

gross, gruesome, grim, appalling, grisly, loathsome, lawless,

unrepentant, unregenerate, incorrigible, criminal, felonious,

rascally, knavish, terrible, egregious, execrable: The Deluge

was regarded as divine vengeance on a wicked world. He was a

wicked man, in league with the devil himself. 3 dirty,

pornographic, filthy, erotic, obscene, lewd, offensive,

indecent, prurient, smutty, rude, taboo, blue, coarse, bawdy,

vulgar, salacious, licentious, nasty, X-rated, Colloq US

raunchy: The townspeople took the wicked books and burnt them

all. 4 vicious, beastly, savage, nasty, bad, violent, mean,

cruel: Graham has a wicked temper. The boys were subjected to

the most wicked treatment. 5 naughty, mischievous, impish, sly,

devilish, rascally, roguish, scampish, puckish; vexatious,

exasperating, annoying, irritating, irksome, trying, galling,

bothersome: What trouble have those wicked children got

themselves into now? It is wicked of you to make pig noises

every time I mention Bertha. 6 foul, offensive, pernicious,

baleful, mephitic, disgusting, revolting, sickening, repulsive,

repellent, nauseous, repugnant, rotten, pestilential, noxious:

That liniment the doctor prescribed has a wicked odour. 7

expert, ingenious, superior, superb, superlative, outstanding,

masterful, masterly, skilful, deft, adept: That chap Gough

plays a wicked game of tennis.

wide adj. 1 spacious, roomy, ample, extensive, broad: The road is

wide enough for two cars to pass. If the book is set in wider

type, it will have more pages. 2 broad, extensive,

comprehensive, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, inclusive,

far-reaching, wide-ranging, widespread: He has wide interests,

from music to archaeology to sport. 3 extreme, considerable,

substantial, sizeable, major, big, large; widespread: There

have been wide fluctuations in market prices. 4 wide of the

mark. off the mark, astray, deviant, deviating, off (the)

target, not on target, inappropriate: Forecasts from analysts

were based on erroneous assumptions and proved to be very wide

of the mark.

--adv. 5 astray, afield, wide of the mark, off the mark, off

(the) target, to one side: He took careless aim and the shot

went wide. 6 all the way, as much as possible, fully,

completely, to the utmost: The dentist said, 'Open wide'. When

I heard the drill, I was suddenly wide awake.

widely adv. 1 extensively, thoroughly, universally, everywhere,

generally, by many: In the days when it was widely believed

that the earth was flat, perhaps it was. 2 to a large or a great

extent, greatly, largely, very much, extremely, considerably,

substantially: Opinions differ widely regarding the origin of

the universe.

widen v. distend, dilate, spread, stretch, enlarge, increase, expand;

extend, broaden, supplement, add to, augment: It will be

necessary to widen the opening to allow insertion of the device.

We are planning to widen the news coverage we provide our

readers.

width n. 1 breadth, wideness, compass, broadness, span; diameter,

calibre, bore; measure; Nautical beam: What is the standard

width of railway track in this country? The width of the

cannon-ball is three inches. 2 reach, scope, range, breadth,

extent, extensiveness: There is an impressive width of choice

at the restaurant.

wield v. 1 flourish, swing, brandish, wave, handle, use, employ: He

wields that machete as if he means business. 2 exercise, have,

employ, exert, use, utilize: Since Juan is the one who wields

the power, he is the one to deal with.

wife n. mate, helpmeet, helpmate, spouse, bride, partner, Colloq

better half, little woman, the missis or missus, old lady or

woman, ball and chain, Slang trouble and strife: Doesn't your

wife mind your going out every night?

wild adj. 1 undomesticated, untamed, unbroken, savage, feral: The

only four-legged animals inhabiting the island were wild pigs.

2 uncultivated, uninhabited, waste, desert, desolate, virgin,

unpopulated, empty, trackless, barren, lifeless; deserted: The

cottage overlooks an expanse of wild moorland. 3 savage,

uncivilized, barbarous, primitive, rude, uncultured,

uncultivated, brutish, barbaric, fierce, ferocious: Some early

explorers studied the wild people they encountered in far-off

lands. 4 uncontrolled, unrestricted, unrestrained, untrammelled,

unbridled, unfettered, unshackled, free, unchecked, lively,

impetuous, unconventional, undisciplined, disobedient,

insubordinate, self-willed, wayward, mutinous, rowdy(ish),

boisterous, unruly, tumultuous, turbulent, tempestuous,

uproarious; uncontrollable, unmanageable, ungovernable,

intractable, unrestrainable: Peter led quite a wild youth. We

cannot cope with their wild behaviour after they have had too

much to drink. 5 mad, maniac(al), crazed, crazy, irrational,

distracted, frenzied, frantic, distraught, hysterical, raving,

raging, unhinged, demented, delirious; berserk; run amok or

amuck: William had a wild look about him. Nellie has been

driven wild by the pressures of business. 6 exciting, excited,

vehement, passionate, romantic, turbulent, chaotic, tempestuous,

reckless, madcap: At the time, Ernest was having a wild love

affair with Charles's widow. 7 absurd, irrational, unreasonable,

extravagant, fantastic, imprudent, foolish, foolhardy,

impractical, impracticable, unpractical, unworkable, ridiculous,

reckless, silly, giddy, flighty, madcap, outrageous,

preposterous, bizarre, strange, odd, peculiar, Colloq offbeat:

He lost thousands on some wild scheme for reducing shipping

costs by filling bubble packing with helium. 8 tousled,

wind-blown, unkempt, dishevelled, untidy, disordered,

disorderly, messed-up, Colloq mussed-up: Her hair was in wild

disarray. 9 enthusiastic, avid, eager, agog, Colloq crazy, mad,

daft, dotty, Brit potty, Slang nutty, nuts: I'm just wild about

Harry, And Harry's wild about me.

--n. 10 Usually, wilds. wasteland, wilderness, desert,

vastness, emptiness, Colloq sticks, middle of nowhere, back of

beyond: His idea of adventure was to trek through the wilds of

Hyde Park.

wile n. Often, wiles. trick, stratagem, ruse, artifice, subterfuge,

dodge, trap, snare, manoeuvre, ploy, contrivance, move, gambit,

plot, scheme, machination, Colloq (little) game: You won't get

far trying to work your wiles on me, young lady.

wilful adj. 1 intentional, deliberate, voluntary, conscious, intended,

purposeful, premeditated, US willful: The jury decided that

such a wilful act of vandalism must be punished. She is accused

of wilful neglect of her children. 2 stubborn, headstrong,

pigheaded, obstinate, mulish, inflexible, adamant, obdurate,

intransigent, unyielding, self-willed, ungovernable,

recalcitrant, unruly, immovable, intractable, dogged,

determined, refractory, uncompromising, wayward, perverse,

contrary: Jim is far too wilful, and tends to have a tantrum if

he fails to get his own way.

will n. 1 desire, wish, longing, liking, inclination, disposition,

drive, purposefulness, purpose, intent, intention, resolve,

commitment, resolution, determination; will-power: Where

there's a will there's a way. Some believe that taking

medication is against God's will. Marguerite seems to have lost

the will to live. 2 choice, wishes, desire, inclination: He was

forced to submit against his will. 3 (last will and) testament,

last wishes: In accordance with his will, Josiah was buried at

sea. 4 at will. as or when (one) pleases or wishes or thinks

fit(ting), at (one's) desire or whim or pleasure or discretion:

If he brings his own car, then he can leave at will.

--v. 5 want, desire, wish, choose, see fit, make, compel,

force, command, order, ordain, require: When she willed him to

appear, there was a flash of lightning and he was there. 6

leave, bequeath, devise, hand down or on, pass on, transfer;

settle upon or on: My great-uncle Philip willed me his

collection of 19th-century theatre memorabilia.

willing adj. agreeable, acquiescent, compliant, amenable, consenting,

assenting, passive, complaisant, docile, ready, well-disposed,

happy, content, pleased, delighted, enthusiastic, avid, eager,

zealous, Colloq game: Albert might not have thought up the

pranks, but he was a willing accomplice.

willingly adv. readily, happily, contentedly, gladly, cheerfully,

amenably, agreeably, freely, passively, docilely, of (one's) own

accord or free will, on (one's) own, ungrudgingly, by choice,

voluntarily, unhesitatingly, nothing loath, eagerly,

enthusiastically, zealously, avidly, Colloq at the drop of a

hat: We did not coerce him in any way - he went along quite

willingly. You can rely on Hubert to give willingly and

generously to support any good cause.

willowy adj. 1 lissom or lissome, pliant, lithe, flexible, supple,

limber, loose-limbed: Everyone enjoys watching the willowy

athletes training for the Olympics. 2 slim, slender, graceful,

sylphlike, svelte, thin, long-limbed, clean-limbed: How does

Jeanne keep her willowy figure without dieting?

willy-nilly

adv. 1 whether one likes it or not, inevitably, necessarily, of

necessity, perforce, whether or no, like it or not, nolens

volens, bon gr‚, mal gr‚: Having borrowed the money, you must,

willy-nilly, repay it.

--adj. 2 necessary, unavoidable, inevitable, involuntary: He

joked about a willy-nilly choice, meaning one offering no

alternatives.

wilt v. 1 sag, droop, wither, shrink, shrivel (up or away),

diminish: My house-plants wilted because they weren't watered.

2 sag, droop, bow, weaken, sink, wane, wither, lose courage or

nerve, flag, dwindle, languish: The lad wilted under the stern

glare of the headmaster.

wily adj. shrewd, cunning, crafty, sly, artful, guileful, clever,

foxy, vulpine, disingenuous, shifty, scheming, plotting,

calculating, designing, sharp, canny, deceitful, deceiving,

deceptive, treacherous, perfidious, false, double-dealing,

dishonest, underhand(ed), tricky, smooth, slick, slippery, oily,

unctuous, Scots and No. Eng. pawky, Colloq cagey, crooked,

two-timing, Slang chiefly Brit fly: Rats are wily and cunning,

and have to be taken seriously.

win v. 1 come (in or out) first, carry the day, conquer, overcome;

carry off (the palm), finish first (in), achieve first place

(in), triumph (in), be victorious (in), be the victor (in), gain

a victory (in), prevail (in), succeed (in), take first prize

(in), Colloq bring home the bacon: Which team is more likely to

win today? We seem to have won the battle but not the war. 2

gain, carry off or away, attain, acquire, get, obtain, secure,

procure, receive, collect, net, bag, earn, realize, pick up,

glean: Look at all those trophies Gillian has won playing golf!

3 win over. influence, sway, incline, persuade, charm, prevail

upon, convert, induce, bring round or around, convince: Don't

think that Gilbert can be won over without a strong argument.

--n. 4 victory, conquest, triumph, success: So far this season

we have recorded six wins and one loss for the Surrey Scouts.

wind° n. 1 breeze, zephyr, puff, gust, breath, draught, light air,

current (of air): A gentle wind wafted our little boat across

the bay. 2 puffery, bombast, rodomontade, bluster, boasting,

braggadocio, vain speech, blather, (idle or empty) talk,

fustian, nonsense, twaddle, humbug, babble, gibberish, Colloq

gab, hot air, claptrap, hogwash, rot, hooey, boloney, Slang Brit

(load of (old)) cobblers: I went there for advice and all I got

was a lot of wind. 3 gas, flatulence, windiness, flatus,

borborygmus (= 'stomach rumbling (as from gas)'), heartburn,

Taboo slang fart (= 'anal release of gas'): I have to take a

pill to relieve this wind. 4 before the wind. Nautical

downwind, off the wind: We were racing before the wind with

every scrap of sail flying. 5 break wind. Taboo slang fart:

It is considered rude to break wind. 6 get or have wind of.

hear of, learn of, come to know, pick up, be made or become

aware of, gather, understand, hear on the grapevine, Colloq hear

tell of: We got wind of the company's plans to close this

plant. 7 get or have the wind up. take fright, become

frightened or afraid or apprehensive: When I heard a window

being raised I got the wind up. 8 in the wind. around, about,

rumoured, in the air, detectable, discernible, discoverable,

imminent, impending, approaching, close (at hand), about to

happen or take place or occur, afoot, in the offing, near, on

the way, Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the cards: We knew

that a change was in the wind, but never expected the chairman

to resign. 9 off the wind. See 5, above. 10 on the or a wind.

Nautical upwind, windward, to the wind, into (the teeth or the

eye of) the wind; near the wind Because 'Syrena' was a sloop,

she could sail closer on the wind than the schooner. 11 put the

wind up. scare, frighten, alarm: The leakage at the nuclear

plant really put the wind up everyone living in the area. 12

sail close or near to the wind. take risks, throw caution to the

winds, play with fire, skate on thin ice, take (one's) life in

(one's) hands, Colloq stick (one's) neck out, Slang go for

broke: One nude scene is highly salacious, and we think the

director is sailing very close to the wind by including it. 13

take the wind out of (someone's) sails. deflate (someone),

disconcert (someone), destroy (someone's) advantage, ruin

(someone's) superiority or supremacy or ascendancy: It rather

took the wind out of her sails when he announced that he was

leaving anyway.

windý v. 1 turn, bend, twist, snake, worm, twine, zigzag, slew,

swerve, loop, coil, curve, meander, ramble, veer: The river

winds along the valley floor. 2 reel, roll, spiral, turn,

twist, curl, coil, wrap, twine, wreathe; crank (up), wind up:

The streamers are wound around the columns for decoration. 3

wind down. a taper off, slow down, diminish, reduce, close out,

slacken or slack off (on), ease (up on), decrease, cut back or

down (on); wind up: They were going to wind down their

sportswear department, but then business suddenly perked up. b

relax, become calm or tranquil, calm down, cool off or down,

regain (one's) equilibrium, ease up or off, Colloq unwind, let

(one's) hair down, take it easy: It takes me a couple of days

to wind down from the hectic activity in the office. 4 wind up.

a terminate, conclude, come or bring to an end or a close or a

conclusion, end (up), close down or up, finish (up), wrap up;

liquidate, settle: After calmly winding up his affairs, Evan

sailed off in his boat and was never seen again. b end up,

finish (up), become ultimately: I understand that Sally wound

up as a bar girl in Tampico. c excite, innervate, energize,

stimulate, invigorate, stir up: After getting us all wound up

about that weekend party in Paris, she called the whole thing

off. d agitate, fluster, disconcert, ruffle: Don't let such

trifles get you so wound up. e See 3 (a), above.

windfall n. bonanza, godsend, stroke of (good) fortune, serendipitous

find, boon, piece of (good) luck, jackpot, (lucky) strike: The

sale of the house provided a windfall that saved them from

imminent bankruptcy.

windy adj. 1 blustery, blowing, blowy, breezy, gusting, gusty, wild,

squally, tempestuous; windswept: It is quite windy today. I

waited at that windy corner for you and you never showed up! 2

talkative, long-winded, garrulous, wordy, verbose, prolix,

loquacious, rambling, voluble, fluent, effusive, glib, turgid,

bombastic, pompous, longiloquent: Potter does tend to be windy

at times.

winner n. victor, champion, prizewinner, title-holder, conqueror,

conquering hero, Colloq champ: The winner will receive a new

car.

winning adj. 1 engaging, attractive, alluring, captivating, endearing,

prepossessing, winsome, bewitching, fetching, taking,

enchanting, pleasing, delightful, charming, amiable, friendly,

pleasant, sweet: Maggie's winning ways are a tremendous asset

to making friends. 2 triumphant, conquering, victorious,

successful: The winning team is invited to dine at the Red

Lion.

wintry adj. 1 hiemal, brumal, hibernal; icy, snowy, freezing, frozen,

frosty, cold, frigid, bitter (cold), chilly, chilling, piercing,

cutting, glacial, Siberian, arctic, hyperborean: It was cold

and the sky was clear and wintry with premonitions of frost. 2

cold, frigid, chilly, cool, chilling, glacial: She got a very

wintry reception from Dan's parents, who disliked the idea of

their living together. 3 forbidding, bleak, dismal, cheerless,

dreary, harsh, unfriendly, ugly, menacing, ominous, threatening,

dark: His comment about her age evoked only a wintry look from

Margot.

wipe v. 1 Sometimes, wipe off or out or up. rub, clean (off or out

or up), cleanse; dry (off or out or up), dust (off), mop (up),

swab, sponge (off or up): For God's sake, wipe your nose!

Please wipe the crumbs off the table when you've finished

eating. Stop crying and wipe up the spilt milk. 2 Often, wipe

off. remove, erase, take off or away, get rid of: Wipe that

grin off your face, stranger. 3 wipe out. kill (off),

annihilate, massacre, destroy, finish (off), dispose of,

eradicate, obliterate, exterminate, do away with, stamp out, get

rid of, remove, wipe off the face of the earth: Scientists have

succeeded in wiping out smallpox.

wiry adj. muscular, sinewy, lean, lank, thin and strong, tough and

flexible: He was a stocky and wiry little man, rather like a

short-legged terrier.

wisdom n. 1 sagacity, sageness, judgement, discernment, reason,

prudence, judiciousness, (common) sense, insight, penetration,

sapience, understanding, rationality, clear-sightedness,

clear-headedness, perspicacity, perspicuity, percipience,

perception, perceptiveness, intelligence, acuteness, acumen,

astuteness, sharpness, shrewdness, long-headedness: At least

she had the wisdom not to shoot the intruder. Allen's wisdom

stems from long experience in such matters. 2 knowledge,

learning, erudition, lore, scholarship, enlightenment: The

wisdom of the ages is locked away in these books.

wise adj. 1 sage, sagacious, judicious, reasonable, commonsensical,

prudent, sensible, insightful, sapient, understanding, rational,

sound, clear-sighted, clear-headed, discerning, perspicacious,

perspicuous, percipient, perceptive, intelligent, acute, astute,

sharp, shrewd, crafty, clever, bright, quick-witted, smart,

brilliant, long-headed, Colloq brainy: Among the wisest of men

were Solomon, Confucius, Buddha, and, perhaps, Aristotle. 2

knowledgeable, learned, enlightened, informed, erudite;

(well-)educated, knowing, well-read, well-versed, lettered,

scholarly: We saw to it that they escaped, and the police were

none the wiser. Wise heads prevailed at the college on what

constituted worthwhile research. 3 well-advised, advisable,

judicious, sensible, expedient, reasonable, strategic, tactful,

tactical, prudent, politic, discreet, diplomatic,

well-thought-out, well-considered, proper, fitting, appropriate,

meet: Do you think it wise to punish the child so severely? 4

put wise (to). inform or advise or warn (of or about): If you

must know how he found out, it was Myrna who put him wise. Did

she also put him wise to where the money is hidden? 5 wise to.

aware or knowledgeable or informed of or about, sensitive to, on

to or onto, Colloq in the know about: You are wrong if you

think she isn't wise to your little tricks. Get wise to what's

going on, Man.

--v. 6 wise up (to). become informed or aware (of or about),

wake up (to), Colloq get wise (to) or in the know (about): If

Cooley doesn't wise up, he'll be in deep trouble. Was it you who

wised Meg up to the fact that Tom no longer cares?

wisecrack n. 1 joke, quip, rejoinder, witticism, pun, barb, jest, gibe or

jibe, Colloq gag; dig: Everything is a potential subject for a

wisecrack.

--v. 2 joke, quip, pun, gibe or jibe: Get serious and stop

wisecracking for a change.

wise guy n. wiseacre, smart alec or aleck, Archaic witling, Colloq

know-all or know-it-all, Brit Clever Dick or cleverdick, Slang

smarty-pants, smarty, Brit smart-arse, US smart-ass,

wisenheimer: There's always some wise guy waiting to make a

clever remark.

wish v. 1 desire, want; yearn, crave, long, hope, hanker, have a

mind, (have a) fancy, choose, care: I wish you'd go now. If you

had Aladdin's lamp, what would you wish for? 2 require, request,

demand, order, specify: Did you wish lemon or milk in your tea?

3 foist or force or thrust or impose upon, Colloq fob off on or

upon, palm off on: The job of treasurer was wished on me when

Jock left.

--n. 4 desire, request, whim, want, craving, longing,

hankering: Your every wish is my command. 5 desire, longing,

craving, need, yearning, hankering, passion, keenness, thirst,

appetite, hunger, whim, urge, liking, fondness, fancy,

preference, predisposition, disposition, inclination, Colloq

yen, Slang itch: She expressed a wish for nightingale tongues,

truffles, and champagne.

wishy-washy

adj. 1 neither here nor there, undecided, indecisive,

irresolute, half-hearted, shilly-shallying, tergiversating,

vacillating, uncertain, of or having mixed feelings, of two

minds: Make up your mind and stop being so wishy-washy about

everything! 2 feeble, weak, watery, watered down, thin, vapid,

flat, bland, runny, diluted, tasteless, insipid, flavourless,

stale: Isabel served me some wishy-washy tea and sent me on my

way.

wisp n. shred, scrap, strand, thread, snippet, tuft, lock: The

laboratory matched the wisp of hair found in the victim's hand

with the hair of the suspect.

wistful adj. 1 melancholy, mournful, sad, morose, sorrowful,

disconsolate, heartsick, forlorn, woeful, woebegone, desirous,

longing, yearning: She gave a last, wistful look at the

aeroplane as it rose into the clouds. 2 thoughtful,

contemplative, pensive, absent-minded, detached, absorbed, in a

brown study, preoccupied, meditating, meditative, reflective,

ruminating, ruminative, dreamy, dreaming, day-dreaming, musing:

Some might have misinterpreted his wistful gaze at her

photograph.

wit n. 1 intelligence, brains, mind, (common) sense, judgement,

understanding, discernment, wisdom, sagacity, insight,

astuteness, cleverness, Slang savvy: He hasn't the wit to know

when he's being insulted. 2 humour, drollery, levity, joking,

repartee, raillery, facetiousness, waggishness, badinage,

repartee, jocularity, wordplay, paronomasia; amusement,

entertainment: Some say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

3 comedian, comedienne, humorist, comic, wag, joker, farceur,

farceuse, punster, madcap, zany; parodist, satirist,

caricaturist; Colloq pundit, card, character: In the face of

such a devastating remark, even the club wit was struck dumb.

witch n. 1 sorceress, enchantress, magician, sibyl, pythoness;

warlock: The witches prophesied that Macbeth would be king. 2

hag, fury, battleaxe, crone, gorgon, Medusa, ogress, Xanthippe,

shrew, virago, harridan, fishwife, termagant, Archaic beldam or

beldame, Offensive old bag, bitch: How could you stand living

with the old witch for so many years?

withdraw v. 1 draw back, retract, pull back, recoil, shrink back: He

would suddenly withdraw into his cocoon whenever she said the

name, 'Elsie'. 2 retract, recall, take back, cancel, rescind,

recant, disavow, disclaim, abjure, void, annul, go back on, back

down (on): If she doesn't withdraw that remark, I shall sue her

for slander. 3 pull out, extract, remove, Technical retrude:

Afterwards, she withdrew the knife, washed it, and replaced it

in the rack. The dentist withdrew the bad tooth. 4 retire,

retreat, go, repair: After dinner, we withdrew to the

drawing-room for brandy and cigars. 5 leave, depart, go, make

(oneself) scarce, absent (oneself), retire: We waited till the

servants withdrew before exchanging news about Cora.

withdrawn adj. 1 reserved, detached, distant, standoffish, aloof, shy,

diffident, bashful, timid, timorous, introverted, taciturn,

reticent, silent, quiet, retiring, shrinking: Why is Henry

acting so withdrawn tonight? 2 remote, distant, isolated,

solitary, hidden, secluded, private, out-of-the-way, reclusive:

Sarah and Ben have led a withdrawn existence since the children

married and moved away.

withering adj. destructive, devastating, death-dealing, murderous,

deadly: The enemy laid down a withering barrage of machine-gun

fire.

withhold v. 1 hold or keep back, retain, reserve, restrain, control,

repress, check, hide, conceal: He could withhold his anger no

longer. 2 hold or keep back, deduct, retain, reserve: The

company is required to withhold a percentage of wages and

salaries for taxes.

withstand v. resist, oppose, stand (up to), face, defy, confront, combat,

grapple with, fight (against), cope with, hold out against,

weather, suffer, survive, tolerate, take, bear, last through,

endure, brave, Colloq Brit stick: Can Brian withstand the

pressure of his new job? Our small force withstood the attack

for days.

witness n. 1 observer, onlooker, spectator, viewer, eyewitness,

bystander, watcher, Rare earwitness: Were you a witness to what

took place here? 2 deponent, testifier, corroborating witness,

corroborator: The defence will call its witnesses today. 3

bear witness (to or of). testify (to), attest (to), be or give

or provide or furnish or constitute evidence or proof or

testimony (of or to), verify, confirm, corroborate, show, prove:

The bent poker bears witness to the violence of the attack.

--v. 4 see, observe, watch, look on or at, view, behold, mark,

note, notice, take in, Colloq spot, catch: I did witness the

way they looked at each other. 5 countersign, sign, certify,

endorse, substantiate, document, certificate: Would you mind

witnessing our signatures, Miss Cabot? 6 See 3, above.

witticism n. pun, quip, play on words, bon mot, jest, joke, epigram,

clever remark, sally, Archaic or literary conceit, Colloq gag,

one-liner: Clive is just as likely to utter a witticism as say

something excruciatingly banal.

witty adj. ingenious, subtle, clever, humorous, sarcastic, sardonic,

piquant, humorous, comic(al), farcical, ludicrous, facetious,

amusing, jocular, waggish, droll, funny: Corbett, not ready

with his usual witty riposte, shouted an obscenity at the bus

driver.

wizened adj. wrinkled, shrunken, shrivelled (up), withered, gnarled,

dried up, wilted, faded, wasted: The wizened old crone is his

grandmother.

23.5 woe...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

woe n. trouble, hardship, adversity, misery, anguish, tribulation,

calamity, trial, wretchedness, grief, unhappiness, desolation,

dolour, melancholy, gloom, depression, sadness,

disconsolateness, misfortune, affliction, sorrow, distress: How

much more woe could beset one small family?

woebegone adj. troubled, miserable, anguished, wretched, grief-stricken,

unhappy, desolate, doleful, dolorous, melancholy, melancholic,

gloomy, mournful, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, sad, glum,

crestfallen, chap-fallen, lugubrious, downcast, disconsolate,

unfortunate, star-crossed, afflicted, distressed, woeful,

forlorn, downhearted, broken-hearted, heartbroken, disheartened,

Slang US bummed out: Timmy has been so woebegone since his

puppy was stolen!

woman n. 1 female, lady; girl: Elvira was the first woman to be

elected to the board. 2 wife, spouse, bride, lady-love,

sweetheart, lady, girl, girlfriend, mistress, concubine, mate,

helpmeet, helpmate, partner, Colloq sweetie, better half, little

woman, the missis or missus, old lady or woman, ball and chain,

Slang trouble and strife: In this scene, Porgy tells Bess that

she is his woman, now and forever. 3 lass, maid, maiden, miss,

lassie, Slang gal, dame, bird, skirt, chick, bit of fluff,

broad, piece (of work), number, baggage, moll, popsy: The

soldiers went into town to try to find some women for an

evening's entertainment. 4 domestic, housekeeper, maid, cleaning

woman or lady, maidservant, chambermaid, handmaiden, abigail,

lady-in-waiting, Brit charwoman, Colloq Brit char, daily: They

have a woman who comes in every other day.

wonder n. 1 marvel, prodigy, phenomenon, spectacle, rarity, sight,

curiosity, miracle, Slang knockout, stunner, mind-blower,

mind-boggler, trip: Surely, the wheel must rank high among the

wonders of technology. And still he gazed, and still the wonder

grew, / That one small head could carry all he knew. 2 awe,

astonishment, admiration, amazement, wonderment, surprise,

stupefaction, fascination: Facsimile transmission, which used

to excite so much wonder, is now used in offices all over the

world.

--v. 3 ponder, muse, meditate, think, theorize, conjecture,

puzzle, query, question, inquire, be inquisitive, be curious,

ask oneself, speculate, cudgel (one's) brains: I wondered if I

would be invited to the dance. Have you ever wondered what makes

the world go round? 4 marvel (at), goggle, gawk, gape, stare, be

awed, be thunderstruck, be amazed, be astonished: We wondered

at the death-defying skills of the trapeze artistes. 5 wonder

about. question or doubt the sanity or reason or reasonableness

of: I wondered about Tammy after that streaking episode.

wooded adj. sylvan, forested, bosky, tree-covered, woody, timbered:

We rested and had our lunch in the coolness of a wooded glen.

wooden adj. 1 wood, woody, ligneous, xyloid: The wooden cabinet for

the kitchen is almost finished. 2 stiff, rigid, artificial,

clumsy, stilted, unnatural, awkward, ungainly, spiritless,

unanimated, dead, lifeless, dry, passionless, unimpassioned,

impassive, vacant, empty, colourless, expressionless, deadpan:

The understudy gave a wooden performance as Uncle Vanya. 3

unintelligent, block-headed, stupid, dull, insensitive,

slow-witted, dull-witted, obtuse, oafish, doltish, tiny-minded,

dim-witted, dunderpated, Colloq thick, wooden-headed,

knuckle-headed: Clancy has some pretty wooden ideas about how

to run a business.

woolly adj. 1 fleecy, woollen, wool-bearing, laniferous, lanate or

lanose, lanuginose or lanuginous, downy, fuzzy, shaggy,

flocculent or floccose, flocky: He was wearing a woolly hat.

After two days one test tube contained a woolly precipitate. 2

hazy, fuzzy, unclear, obscure(d), foggy, indistinct, confused,

vague, cloudy, clouded, nebulous, ill-defined: My recollection

of the event is a bit woolly after all these years.

word n. 1 (little) talk, (brief) conversation, chat, discussion,

consultation, dialogue, huddle, parley, tˆte-…-tˆte, chit-chat,

confabulation, conference, interview, Colloq powwow, confab:

Could I have a word with you before you leave for the day? 2

news, intelligence, information, facts, data, report, story,

tidings, account, communiqu‚, bulletin, dispatch or despatch,

advice, message, Colloq low-down, Slang info, dope, Brit gen, US

poop: Have you had any word about the situation in the Middle

East? 3 name, term, designation, locution, appellation,

expression, phrase: What is the word for 'write' in Greek? 4

promise, pledge, vow, oath, (solemn) word of honour,

undertaking, assurance, warrant, guarantee or guaranty,

warranty: You have my word that I won't mention this to anyone.

5 utterance, expression, declaration, statement: Let me give

you a word of warning, my friend. 6 suggestion, hint,

scintilla, bit: I promise that I won't breathe a word of this

to anyone. 7 command, order, signal, direction, instruction,

Colloq US high sign: I shall not press the red button till you

give the word. 8 in a word. succinctly, briefly, in brief, in a

few words, concisely, in short, in summary, in sum, not to mince

words, to make a long story short, when all is said and done, in

the final analysis, not to beat about the bush, Colloq in a

nutshell: His bedside manner was, in a word, menacing. 9

words. a quarrel, dispute, argument, unpleasantness: Paul and

Kitty had words and are not on speaking terms. b lyrics, book,

libretto, text: Did Irving Berlin write the words as well as

the music to his songs?

--v. 10 put (forth), say, couch, express, phrase, utter, state,

term, style, set forth: Had you worded your complaint in

politer language, you might have spared yourself a punch in the

eye.

wording n. phraseology, language, phrasing, choice of words, word

choice: From the confused wording of this note I cannot tell

whether you are coming to my party or not.

wordy adj. verbose, prolix, rambling, long-winded; pleonastic,

redundant, garrulous, windy, talkative, loquacious: This

contract is too wordy and could be cut to two pages. Try to make

your replies less wordy.

work n. 1 labour, toil, effort, drudgery, travail, exertion,

industry: Few people make it to the top and stay there without

hard work. 2 employment, business, occupation, vocation,

calling, profession, trade, line, m‚tier, career, livelihood,

job, post, position, situation: Does your work as a test pilot

interfere much with your home life? 3 task, function, duty,

assignment, charge, responsibility, chore, commission,

undertaking, stint: When you are finished with that work, clean

out the cellar. 4 feat, achievement, creation, accomplishment,

opus, handiwork, oeuvre, production, composition, piece,

master-work, masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre, magnum opus, output:

Some of Edwin's recent works have won prizes. 5 in work. in

production, under way, being done, in the works, being planned,

in the planning stage(s): The budget has been approved and the

project is already in work. 6 out of work. unemployed, idle,

jobless, at liberty, between engagements, available, free, Brit

redundant, Colloq Brit on the dole, US on or collecting

unemployment: How long have you been out of work?

--v. 7 labour, toil, exert oneself, sweat, moil, slave (away),

peg away, slog (away): His father worked in the mines from the

age of nine till he died of black-lung disease at forty. 8 till,

plough, farm, cultivate: Would he have been healthier and

longer-lived had he worked the land? 9 have a job, hold (down) a

post or position, earn a living, be employed: His wife works as

a designer in a Parisian fashion house. 10 control, manage,

manipulate, manoeuvre, wield, handle, operate, use, make use of,

utilize, exploit, deal with, bring into play: Are you sure you

know how to work all those dials and buttons? 11 function,

operate, run, go, develop, turn out, Colloq pan out: Are you

sure that the plan is working to your advantage? 12 function,

operate, run, go: The drill works better if you turn on the

power. 13 knead, mould, form, fashion, shape; mix, stir,

incorporate: Work the clay into long, narrow strips. Try to

work the colour in with your fingers.. 14 manoeuvre, manipulate,

guide: See if you can work him over into a corner where you can

grab him. 15 operate, use, employ, put to (good or effective)

use, wield, manipulate, ply, apply, exploit: Tanya must have

worked her magic on Eustace to make him that docile. 16 bring

about, effect, accomplish, carry out or off, make, produce,

achieve, engender, beget, create, do, put through, execute,

fulfil, effectuate, implement, realize: I doubt that the new

sports centre will work many changes in the area. 17 work in.

find time or space for, include, insert, introduce, fit in,

squeeze in, accommodate: I'll try and work in your comments

when I write up my report. 18 work on. wheedle, coax,

importune, press, Brit pressurize, US pressure; influence,

persuade, act on, prevail upon, induce, dispose, urge: Keep

working on him to try to change his mind. 19 work out. a

exercise, do callisthenics, do aerobics, warm up, do setting-up

exercises, do (one's) daily dozen, jog, lift weights, train,

drill: I try to work out for an hour every day. b Often, work

out at or to. equal, total (up to), result in, amount to, come

to: Let's see - that works out at one car for every 4.7 people.

c clear up, resolve, solve, Slang Brit and New Zealand suss out:

Thaddeus is old enough to work out his own problems. Can they

work out their differences? d evolve, develop, succeed, prosper,

come out all right, prove satisfactory, go well, be effective,

Colloq pan out: How can you be so sure that everything will

work out? e formulate, work up, contrive, draw up, detail,

plan, develop, devise, put together, elaborate, expand, enlarge

(on): The captain worked out a way for them to escape. 20 work

up. a excite, make excited, agitate, inflame, enkindle, arouse,

rouse, stir, move, animate, incite, spur, Colloq fire (up), get

(someone) (all) steamed or hopped or het up: Those

fire-and-brimstone preachers used to get the people all worked

up. b prepare, (make or get) ready, whip into shape, develop,

come up with, write up, put together, produce, turn out: Can

you work up that proposal in time for Monday's meeting? c

advance, ascend, rise, move up or ahead or on: In no time at

all, Greg worked his way up from assembler to foreman. d See 19

(e), above.

worker n. labourer, working man or woman, workman, hand, employee,

artisan, craftsman, tradesman, white-collar worker, blue-collar

worker, proletarian, breadwinner, wage-earner: It seems

unlikely that the workers would strike for longer hours and less

pay.

workmanship

n. handicraft, craft, craftsmanship, artistry, art, technique,

handiwork, skill, skilfulness, mastery, US artisanship: One

cannot help but admire the workmanship in those marquetry

tabletops.

works n.pl. 1 plant, factory, workshop, shop, mill: We were taken on

a tour of the works to see how the marble is carved. 2

mechanism, machinery, workings, (moving or working) parts;

clockwork, Colloq innards, insides, Slang guts: We once had a

clock with all the works exposed. 3 the works. a everything,

the lot, Colloq the whole kit and caboodle, the whole shooting

match, everything but the kitchen sink, Chiefly US and Canadian

the whole shebang: We ordered two hamburgers with the works. b

a thrashing, a beating, a drubbing, a battering, a flogging, a

lambasting: When he refused to tell them where the money was

hidden, they gave him the works.

world n. 1 earth, planet, sphere, globe, Terra; universe, cosmos,

existence, creation, life: Do you believe the world is round?

Buckland lives in his own, private world. 2 humanity, mankind,

people, the human race, society, the public, men, humankind,

everybody, everyone, the world at large: We know what he thinks

of the world, but what does the world think of him? 3 area,

sphere, domain, community, clique, crowd, circle, fraternity,

faction, set, coterie: What value does the art world place on

Longchamps' paintings? 4 period, time, age, era, epoch,

time(s): They have produced an excellent series of programmes

on the ancient world. 5 bring into the world. a deliver, have,

give birth to, beget, Rare or dialect birth: Grandmother

brought sixteen children into the world. b deliver, midwife:

The town family doctor brought hundreds of children into the

world in his long career. 6 for all the world. precisely,

exactly, in all respects, in every respect, in every way, just:

He behaved for all the world like a man possessed by the devil.

7 on top of the world. ecstatic, delighted, elated, happy,

exultant, overjoyed, rapturous, Brit in the seventh heaven, US

in seventh heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:

George has been on top of the world ever since Prudence agreed

to marry him. 8 out of this world. marvellous, wonderful,

exceptional, unbelievable, incredible, excellent, superb, Colloq

great, smashing, fantastic, fabulous, Slang out of sight,

far-out, Brit magic, US to the max: The place we stayed at

Ibiza was out of this world!

worldly adv. 1 mundane, earthly, terrestrial, temporal, physical,

carnal, fleshly, corporeal, human; lay, non-spiritual,

non-religious, civic, secular, profane: Theo indulged in

worldly pleasures in the fleshpots of the continent. Veronica

put aside worldly things and took the veil. 2 urbane, suave,

sophisticated, cosmopolitan, worldly-wise, Slang with it, hip,

cool: Behind that worldly manner is the heart of a peasant.

worn adj. 1 shabby, threadbare, tatty, tattered, ragged, frayed:

Burt wears an old, worn tweed jacket when he's around the house.

2 haggard, drawn: He looked anxiously at his mother's thin,

worn face. 3 worn out. tired, fatigued, exhausted, frazzled,

spent, jaded, played out, haggard, drawn, the worse for wear,

Colloq dog-tired, all in, done in, Slang dead (on one's feet),

beat, US pooped: I was completely worn out from climbing those

stairs.

worried adj. fearful, apprehensive, anxious, distressed, nervous,

uneasy, anguished, disquieted, agonized, agonizing, distraught,

on edge, on tenterhooks, ill at ease, troubled, fretful,

agitated, perturbed, upset, suffering: The two worried mothers

waited at the police station for news of their children.

worry v. 1 be anxious, be fearful, be concerned, fret, agonize, be

distressed, be vexed, Colloq stew, bite or chew (one's) nails,

go or get grey, get grey hair, Slang sweat blood, US sweat

bullets: I worry about you when you stay out so late. 2 annoy,

irk, pester, nettle, harry, harass, tease, bother, tantalize,

torment, plague, hector, badger, nettle, gall, peeve, Colloq

hassle: The police have been worrying me the way a dog worries

a bone.

--n. 3 concern, care, responsibility; problem, bother, trouble,

affliction, irritation, annoyance, vexation: I cannot see why

that is your worry. I am sorry to hear about your financial

worries. 4 anguish, anxiety, uneasiness, unease, nervousness,

distress, apprehension, disquiet, perturbation, agitation,

upset, misgiving: Your association with that crowd has caused

your mother and me a great deal of worry.

worsen v. 1 increase, exacerbate, heighten, intensify, aggravate: The

recent rains have worsened the drainage problem. 2 weaken,

deteriorate, decline, degenerate, decay, slip, sink, slide,

fail, disintegrate, take a turn for the worse, get worse, go

from bad to worse, Colloq go downhill: Her condition continues

to worsen.

worship v. 1 venerate, revere, reverence, extol, honour, exalt, praise,

admire, adore, adulate, glorify, deify, idolize, be devoted to,

pay homage to, bow down before, kneel before, put on a pedestal:

When he arrived, he found the people worshipping huge stone

idols.

--n. 2 veneration, reverence, adoration, devotion, homage,

honour, respect, esteem, exaltation, praise, admiration,

adulation, glorification, deification, idolatry: A healthy

respect for security should not be confused with the worship of

money.

worth n. quality, merit, value, advantage, benefit, good, importance,

significance, usefulness: You have underestimated Roberta's

worth to the community.

worthless adj. 1 valueless, unimportant, insignificant, inessential or

unessential, dispensable, disposable, paltry: His contribution

to the work of the committee proved utterly worthless. 2

pointless, bootless, silly, inane, vain, unavailing, useless,

futile, fruitless, unproductive, unprofitable: It is worthless

to try to salvage that wreck. 3 cheap, valueless, tawdry, poor,

trashy, rubbishy, shabby, wretched, Colloq tinny, crappy,

cheesy, Slang chintzy: The deceased's handbag contained only a

few items of worthless jewellery.

worthwhile

adj. 1 profitable, justifiable, productive, gainful, rewarding,

fruitful, cost-effective, remunerative: Would it be worthwhile

to buy up that land as a long-term investment? 2 useful,

valuable, good, helpful, beneficial, worthy, beneficent,

desirable, exemplary, matchless, honourable, upright, sterling,

irreproachable: Brian Smith is one of the most worthwhile

people I met at university.

worthy adj. 1 worthwhile, deserving, meriting, meritorious,

praiseworthy, good, estimable, qualified, creditable: He is a

worthy recipient of the honour. 2 See worthwhile, 2, above.

--n. 3 dignitary, personage, notable, eminence, luminary: The

dinner was attended by all the local worthies.

wound n. 1 damage, hurt, injury, trauma, traumatism; laceration,

puncture, cut, gash, slash, lesion, bruise, contusion: We

dressed and bandaged the wounds of the victims. 2 slight,

damage, injury, harm, blow, distress, mortification, torment,

torture, anguish, pain, insult: Hugh takes the slightest

criticism as a deep wound to his self-esteem.

--v. 3 damage, harm, injure, hurt, traumatize; cut, slash,

gash, lacerate, slit, stab, shoot, Colloq wing: He was wounded

in the leg in the war. 4 slight, distress, damage, mortify,

insult, hurt, pain, grieve, offend, aggrieve, wrong: I was

terribly wounded by the things she said about me.

23.6 wrap...

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wrap v. 1 Sometimes, wrap up. swathe, swaddle, bind, cover, enwrap,

envelop, wind, enshroud, shroud, enfold, fold, muffle, enclose,

sheathe, encase; pack, package, do up, gift-wrap: Wrap up well

- it's cold outside. I've just finished wrapping some Christmas

presents. 2 wrapped up in. immersed in, submerged in, buried in,

absorbed in, engrossed in, bound up in, involved in, occupied

with or by or in, engaged in, dedicated to, devoted to: While

Irma is completely wrapped up in her grandchildren, Henry is

wrapped up in his books. 3 wrap up. a complete, conclude,

finish, end, bring to a close, terminate, wind up, settle, tidy

up: We'll be able to wrap things up in an hour and go home. b

Wrap up! Be silent!, Be quiet!, Stop talking!, Hold your

tongue!, Slang Shut up!, Shut your face!, Shut your trap!, Shut

your mouth!, Brit Put a sock in it!: He would have kept on

wittering away if she hadn't told him to wrap up.

--n. 4 stole, shawl, mantle, poncho, serape, cloak, cape:

Sonia adjusted her evening wrap before going out to dinner.

wrapper n. 1 housecoat, robe, dressing-gown, bathrobe, kimono,

negligee, lounging robe, peignoir, US house-dress: Peggy threw

on a wrapper and went to answer the door. 2 envelope, package,

packing, wrapping, covering, jacket, case, casing, container:

Throw the wrapper in the dustbin.

wreak v. inflict, exercise, exert, carry out, bring (to bear), visit,

effect, work, unleash, execute, impose, force, vent, let go:

The tribesmen wreaked vengeance on the hill people for

destroying their farms.

wreck v. 1 destroy, ruin, devastate, demolish, smash, shatter, spoil,

dash (to pieces), reduce to nothing, turn into scrap,

annihilate: He drove my motor-bike into a tree and wrecked it.

2 sink, scuttle, run aground, founder, capsize: The ship was

wrecked on a reef near Rarotonga.

--n. 3 hulk, shipwreck, ruins: The wreck finally rusted away

to nothing. 4 mess, disaster, ruin; havoc: That man made a

wreck of her life. 5 destruction, loss, sinking, devastation,

foundering, grounding, capsize, capsizing, disabling,

disablement, wrecking; demolition, demolishing, levelling,

tearing down, razing, pulling down, obliteration: The wreck of

the Titanic was a major news event in 1912. The wreck of the old

tower block is scheduled for next month.

wreckage n. debris, fragments, remains, rubble, ruin(s): The wreckage

of the building is being searched for survivors.

wrench v. 1 yank, twist, jerk, force, pull, tug, tear, wring, rip,

wrest: The gun was wrenched from my grasp, breaking my finger.

2 strain, sprain, twist, overstrain: After she wrenched her

ankle on the ladder, Mary couldn't walk for a week. 3 extract,

wrest, wring, force, pry, draw: The only way they could wrench

the information from Michael was by torturing him.

--n. 4 yank, twist, jerk, pull, tug, rip: One wrench at the

doorknob and it came off in my hand. 5 pang, pain, agony,

torture, blow, ache, throe, anguish, sadness, grief, heartbreak:

The severest wrench at my heartstrings came when we had to part.

6 Brit spanner, shifting spanner, adjustable spanner, US monkey

wrench: We need metric wrenches to work on your car.

wrestle v. battle, fight, struggle, tussle, strive: After thirty years

Garth wrestled his way to the top in the company.

wretch n. 1 scoundrel, blackguard, worm, villain, cur, beast, dog,

swine, rogue, good-for-nothing, knave, varlet, scallywag or

scalawag, rascal, rapscallion, Archaic caitiff, whoreson, Colloq

rat, stinker, louse, creep, Slang bastard, Brit rotter, bounder,

blighter, US bum: That wretch not only stole my wife but asked

me for money to support her! 2 unfortunate, poor fellow or chap,

miserable creature, poor devil, pilgarlic, Slang poor bastard or

son of a bitch, Brit poor bugger or sod, US sad sack: The poor

wretch cannot keep a job and lives off others' charity.

wretched adj. 1 miserable, awful, terrible, atrocious, deplorable,

Colloq lousy, rotten: We had the most wretched weather

throughout our holiday. 2 unhappy, sad, miserable, woebegone,

woeful, dismal, downhearted, heartbroken, broken-hearted,

heartsick, dejected, depressed, melancholic, melancholy,

mournful, disconsolate, inconsolable, doleful, cheerless,

crestfallen, joyless, desolate: If you want to see a wretched

human being, look at a boy whose dog is lost. 3 pitiable,

pathetic, sorry, pitiful, hapless, hopeless, unfortunate,

miserable: The poor in these tropical paradises are some of the

most wretched people on earth. 4 vile, shameful, scurvy,

underhand(ed), treacherous, contemptible, despicable, base, low,

mean, paltry, mean-spirited, detestable: It was hard to see how

the people could support such a wretched little demagogue.

wriggle v. 1 wiggle, wobble, shake, tremble, quiver, jiggle, waggle,

writhe, twist, fidget: She managed to wriggle free of the ropes

and run away. The dog was wriggling with excitement at seeing

its master. 2 twist, squirm, snake, worm, writhe, slither,

crawl: He wriggled through the narrow opening into the

strongroom.

--n. 3 wiggle, zigzag, wavy line, Colloq squiggle, squiggly

line: The page had no writing on it, only a lot of wriggles. 4

wriggling, writhing, squirm, squirming, wiggle, wiggling,

shaking, trembling, quiver, quivering, shimmying, waggle,

waggling, twisting, twist: Don't confuse that rhythmic wriggle

of the hips with dancing.

wrinkle° n. 1 crease, fold, line, furrow, crinkle, crow's-foot,

corrugation, pucker, ridge: She hasn't a wrinkle on her face -

but then she's only nine.

--v. 2 crease, fold, line, furrow, crinkle, corrugate, pucker,

gather, ruck, crimp, screw up, rumple, crumple: I love the way

you wrinkle your nose when you're perplexed.

wrinkleý n. dodge, gimmick, device, ploy, ruse, scheme, trick, idea,

plan, plot, stunt, way, approach, technique, method, Slang

chiefly Brit wheeze: Leave it to Edmund to come up with a new

wrinkle for fleecing pensioners.

write v. 1 pen, scribble, get off, dash off; indite, inscribe, make

out: I was writing you a note when you phoned. She wrote out a

cheque for œ1000. 2 correspond (with), send a letter or a note

or a postcard or US also a postal card, communicate (with): You

don't write home often enough. Write and let me know when you

get a job. 3 compose, create, make up, author: We saw the house

in which Elgar wrote the 'Enigma' Variations. 4 write down. a

register, list, catalogue, note, make a note or notation,

record, transcribe, set or jot or take down, note, put in

writing, put in black and white: The teacher was known for

Irish bulls like, 'All absent students must write down their

names'. b derogate, decry, disparage, put down, minimize, make

little of, play down, detract, belittle: Cumberland's

contributions have been written down by his critics. 5 write

off. delete, cancel, disregard, ignore, forgive, forget (about),

annul, eradicate, erase: The bad debts have been written off.

writer n. author, novelist, litt‚rateur, essayist, man of letters,

scribe, scribbler, wordsmith, freelancer, penny-a-liner, hack,

Grub Streeter, journalist, newsman, reporter, correspondent,

member of the fourth estate, (gossip) columnist, stringer, Brit

paragraphist, US paragrapher, Colloq pen-pusher, pencil-pusher,

sob sister, Brit journo: These days all those who know how to

write call themselves writers.

writing n. 1 handwriting, longhand, penmanship, script, calligraphy or

chirography, scribble: I sometimes have trouble reading your

writing. 2 Sometimes, writings. (literary) work(s),

composition, theme, book, article, critique, criticism, review,

editorial, column, expos‚, essay, poetry, poem, novel,

non-fiction, fiction, document, letter, correspondence,

publication, Chiefly Brit journalism leading article or leader,

Chiefly US journalism op-ed article: Her writing has been

widely published. Poe's writings are collected in this book. 3

literature, belles-lettres, letters: I don't agree that British

writing has declined since 1900.

wrong adj. 1 improper, unjust, unfair, injudicious, unethical,

terrible, foul, awful, bad, immoral, sinful, evil, iniquitous,

villainous, wicked, vile, diabolic(al), infernal, fiendish,

corrupt, dishonest, reprehensible, abominable, dreadful,

dishonourable, blameworthy, naughty, shameful, disgraceful,

opprobrious, criminal, felonious, illegal, illicit, unlawful,

illegitimate, Colloq crooked: They believe that all war is

wrong. It was wrong of you to come here while my husband was

away. 2 mistaken, in error, erroneous, incorrect, inaccurate,

imprecise, inexact, fallacious, askew, false, wide of the mark;

strange, odd, peculiar, curious; Colloq off target or US also

off the target, Brit off beam, US off the beam: The answers to

these four questions were all wrong. You certainly have some

wrong ideas about me. 3 incorrect, improper, unsuitable: They

must have given us the wrong baby at the hospital. 4

inappropriate, inapt, improper, indecorous, unseemly, unfitting,

unacceptable, undesirable, incongruous, unbecoming, out of

place, ill-considered, wrong-headed, imprudent, misguided,

inexpedient, impolitic, infelicitous, Colloq out of line: You

saw nothing wrong in inviting girls to stay with you in your

rooms? Your mother thinks she's the wrong girl for you. 5 out of

order, not working, faulty, awry, amiss, the matter, defective,

imperfect, unsound, flawed, deficient: Considering the noise my

car makes, there must be something wrong. 6 opposite, reverse,

incorrect, improper: That is the wrong direction to the post

office.

--adv. 7 awry, imperfectly, incorrectly, improperly,

inappropriately, amiss, badly, wrongly, Scots and No. Eng. and

literary agley, Colloq out of sync: You've wired up the video

all wrong. 8 go wrong. a go astray, falter, fail, lapse, err,

fall from grace, go to the bad, deteriorate, go downhill,

backslide, regress, retrogress, recidivate: Her father was

convinced that she would go wrong if she went into the theatre.

b fail, malfunction, break down, miscarry, backfire, fall

through, Colloq flop, come to grief, go kaput, Brit go phut:

The entire plan went wrong when Clara started screaming.

--v. 9 abuse, mistreat, injure, misuse, maltreat, ill-use,

ill-treat, discredit, asperse, calumniate, malign, dishonour,

impose upon, take advantage of, harm, damage, oppress: He

believes he was wronged by his commanding officer.

wry adj. 1 distorted, contorted, twisted, lopsided, deformed,

crooked, aslant, one-sided, askew, bent, tilted, off-centre: He

is afflicted by a rheumatic disorder, which gives his neck a wry

appearance. 2 dry, droll, witty, sardonic, sarcastic,

ironic(al), amusing; perverse, fey; Scots pawky: Bill has a wry

sense of humour that does not appeal to everyone.

24.0 Y

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24.1 yank...

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yank v. 1 jerk, jolt, tug, wrench, snatch, hitch: He yanked the

chair from beneath me just as I sat down.

--n. 2 jerk, jolt, tug, wrench, snatch, hitch: Give two yanks

on the rope when you want me to pull you up.

yap v. 1 bark, yelp: Their dog was yapping away all night. 2

gabble, babble, blither or blather, chatter, jabber, tattle,

prattle, prate, Colloq chiefly Brit witter, natter, Slang jaw,

run on, US run off at the mouth: I wish she'd stop her yapping

and give me some peace.

--n. 3 mouth, Slang trap, gob, US bazoo: If only Sam would

shut his big yap once in a while!

yardstick n. measure, benchmark, criterion, standard, gauge, basis,

touchstone, scale, exemplar: We thought she sang beautifully,

but then we had no yardstick against which to judge.

yarn n. 1 thread, fibre, strand: I haven't enough yarn to finish

knitting these socks. 2 tale, story, account, narrative,

anecdote; tall tale, fable, fabrication, fiction, cock-and-bull

story, Colloq whopper, Brit fishing story, US fish story, fish

tale: The old salt had many yarns to spin during the long

evenings by the fire.

24.2 yearly...

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yearly adv. 1 annually, perennially, every year, once a year, year

after year, year in (and) year out, regularly: We watch the

Canada geese migrate north yearly. 2 per year, per annum, by

the year, each year: What is the interest rate yearly?

--adj. 3 annual, perennial, once-a-year, regular: Those yearly

migrations told us when to plant the first crop.

yearn v. long, pine, ache, hanker, itch, hunger, thirst, crave, have

a craving, desire, wish, want, fancy, prefer: I yearn to see

the green-clad hills of home once more, Before my vessel bears

me from this mortal shore.

yell v. 1 shout, scream, bellow, howl, screech, yowl, roar, bawl,

caterwaul, squall, yelp, Colloq holler: 'Stop yelling at your

sister!', shouted my father.

--n. 2 shout, scream, cry, bellow, howl, screech, yowl, roar,

caterwaul, squall, yelp, Colloq holler: I think I heard a yell

for help.

yeomanly adj. yeoman, workmanlike, useful, staunch, courageous, loyal,

dedicated, faithful, steadfast, unswerving, unwavering, firm,

sturdy, reliable, solid: Carruthers certainly did a yeomanly

job on reorganizing the system.

yes-man n. toady, sycophant, toad-eater, time-server, hanger-on,

lickspittle, bootlicker, truckler, flunkey, courtier, jackal,

spaniel, lap-dog, Taboo slang Brit arse-kisser, arse-licker, US

ass-kisser, ass-licker, US brown-noser: He surrounds himself

with yes-men, then says he refuses to take no for an answer.

yet adv. 1 as yet, (up) till or until now, so far, thus far,

hitherto, to the present (time): She hasn't arrived yet. 2

still, up to this time, up to now, even now, till or until now,

to this day: She was there earlier and I think she's there yet.

3 moreover, furthermore, besides, further, still: He made yet

another excuse. 4 in the future, in time to come, later,

eventually: Despite the life I've led, I might yet get to

heaven. 5 still, notwithstanding, anyway, anyhow, nonetheless,

nevertheless, regardless, in spite of or despite everything,

just or all the same, even so, after all, US still and all:

Despite the life I've led, I might get to heaven yet.

--conj. 6 notwithstanding, in spite of or despite it or that or

the fact, still, nevertheless, but: He goes out every night,

yet never oversleeps in the mornings.

24.3 yield...

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yield v. 1 surrender, give up (the fight or struggle), give in,

knuckle under, submit, cede, cry quits, throw in the towel or

the sponge, capitulate, succumb, raise the white flag: The

captain of the enemy company asked if we would yield. 2 give

up, surrender, give over, hand in or over, abandon, relinquish,

renounce, cede: We agreed to yield our arms to the enemy. 3

agree, consent, comply, concede, relent, assent, give way,

accede, concur: He did his best to persuade me, and I finally

yielded. 4 earn, return, pay, bring in, supply, generate,

produce, net: She has investments that yield more than 15% a

year.

--n. 5 return, production, output, revenue, takings, gate,

earnings, income, proceeds, profit, gain: The yield from that

operation is not even enough to pay the rent.

yielding adj. 1 pliant, flexile, flexible, pliable, soft, plastic,

fictile, elastic, resilient, supple, springy, bouncy, spongy,

rubbery: The frame is of a yielding material that gives way

under pressure. 2 accommodating, docile, submissive, amenable,

tractable, compliant, obedient, flexible, acquiescent,

agreeable, obliging, manageable, manipulable: He wanted a wife

with a yielding temperament who would tolerate his foibles.

24.4 young...

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young adj. 1 youthful, teenage(d), adolescent, prepubescent,

pubescent, juvenile, minor, junior, under age: Would you

believe that she has young children? 2 boyish, girlish;

immature, callow, green, inexperienced, unfledged, uninitiated,

unsophisticated, childlike, innocent, na‹ve: This programme may

contain material unsuitable for young ears. 3 childish,

puerile, infantile, babyish, US sophomoric: He's too young to

invite to the party.

--n. 4 offspring, babies, issue, little ones, progeny, litter,

brood; children: The cat's young should stay with her for a few

weeks.

youth n. 1 childhood, boyhood, girlhood, young manhood, young

womanhood, prepubescence, pubescence, adolescence, salad days;

immaturity, minority: In our youth we do many foolish things we

might later regret. 2 child, youngster, schoolchild, teenager,

teen, minor, juvenile, adolescent; boy, schoolboy, stripling,

young boy or man, lad, laddie, whippersnapper; girl, lass,

lassie, schoolgirl, maid, maiden, Literary damsel, demoiselle,

mademoiselle, Colloq kid, (little) shaver, US and Canadian tad,

Slang teeny-bopper, Brit sprog: As youths, they used to spend

time at rock concerts. 3 children, youngsters, juveniles,

adolescents, young people, young, Colloq kids: The youth of

today have little respect for their elders.

24.5 yucky...

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yucky adj. yukky or US also yuchy, disgusting, repugnant, repellent,

unappetizing, vomit-provoking, sick-making, ill-making,

nauseous, nauseating, revolting, foul, mucky, revolting,

beastly, awful, Slang Brit grotty: We get this yucky mess at

school that we call 'mystery meat'.

yummy adj. delicious, mouth-watering, luscious, appetizing, tasty,

toothsome, savoury, delectable, ambrosial, Colloq scrumptious:

At our school tuck shop we get the most yummy ice-cream.

25.0 Z

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25.1 zany...

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zany adj. 1 clownish, mad, wild, frolicsome, sportive, playful, gay,

merry, slapstick, crazy, funny, comic(al), amusing, hilarious,

absurd, nonsensical, ludicrous, silly, foolish, inane, Colloq

wacky, loony, madcap, crackpot, nutty, goofy, US kooky: The

buskers put on the zaniest show I have seen for some time.

--n. 2 clown, comic, jester, fool, joker, buffoon, wag,

comedian, merry andrew, laughing-stock, Slang nut, US screwball:

The two zanies kept the crowd in stitches while the pickpockets

stole their wallets.

zap v. destroy, kill, slaughter, annihilate, murder, slay,

assassinate, liquidate, erase; shoot, electrocute, Slang rub

out, polish off, knock off, bump off, snuff (out), waste, hit,

US ice: The baddies got zapped by the ray gun, one after the

other.

25.2 zealot...

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zealot n. fanatic, extremist, radical, bigot, maniac, militant: We

have to deal with ruthless zealots who are willing to die for

their cause.

zealotry n. fanaticism, extremism, radicalism, bigotry, militantism,

terrorism, single-mindedness, monomania, fervour, frenzy,

hysteria, obsession, obsessiveness: Their attacks on innocent

civilians show how far their zealotry can take them.

zenith n. meridian, summit, acme, apex, vertex, apogee, high point,

top, peak, pinnacle: The dictator reached the zenith of his

power very quickly.

zero n. 1 nil, null, nothing, nought or naught, aught, cipher,

Cricket duck, Colloq nix, US goose-egg, nada, niente, Slang Brit

(sweet) Fanny Adams or F.A., bugger-all, US zilch: Temperatures

have remained below zero all day. The visiting team won three

games, we won zero. 2 (rock) bottom, nadir: On a scale of one

to ten, she is a zero. 3 nobody, nothing, nonentity, Slang US

nebbish, bupkis: That fellow she married is a real zero.

--v. 4 zero in on. focus on, pinpoint, fix on, home in on,

concentrate on, bring to bear on: We zeroed in on the problem

and then rapidly found the answer.

zest n. 1 spice, relish, gusto, tang, pepper, ginger, piquancy,

pungency, edge, bite, flavour, Colloq zing, zip, pizazz: Put in

a little of my home-made sauce to add some zest. 2 eagerness,

zestfulness, exuberance, appetite, interest, enthusiasm, hunger,

thirst: Where does Sidney get his zest for life?

25.3 zone...

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zone n. area, quarter, district, region, sector, section, sphere,

belt, territory, province, realm, domain, precinct, bailiwick,

department, terrain, circle, locality, locale, Slang US turf: A

duty-free zone will allow for quicker transshipment of goods.

The northern and southern hemispheres each have a frigid,

temperate, and torrid zone.

zoo n. 1 zoological garden, menagerie, Tiergarten, (safari) park:

When I was a child, I enjoyed going to the zoo almost as much as

I do now. 2 madhouse, mess; chaos, pandemonium, bedlam, Colloq

US three-ring circus, Chinese fire-drill: When my husband and

the three children get ready in the morning the kitchen is like

a zoo.