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Synonyms and Antonyms
In the following list of nearly 15,000 synonyms and antonyms the index words are distinguished by italic type, and arranged alphabetically. Immediately after each index words follows a series of words similar thereto in meaning-synonyms and thereafter, again, in parentheses, a series of words opposite thereto in meaningantonyms. In writing, one is often at a loss for the exact word. Look up in the following list a word approximate in meaning to the one sought, and, running through the series of Synonyms following the approximate word, you will in all likelihood find the word wanted. As in Nature each thing is mostly attended by its opposite, so in literature two opposite ideas are often brought into neighborhood. The list of Antonyms (in parentheses) will therefore be no less useful than the list of Synonyms. Though not professing to exhaust the Synonyms and Antonyms of our language, the list will, with the help of cross-reference, be found serviceable in most cases. Abandon-leave, quit, forego, let go, waive, forsake, desert, renounce, relinquish. (Keep, cherish.) Abandoned-deserted, forsaken, profligate, wicked, reprobate, dissolute, flagitious, corrupt, depraved, vicious. (Respected, esteemed, cherished, virtuous.) Abasement-degradation, fall, degeneracy, humiliation, abjectness, debasement, servility. (Elevation, promotion, honor.) Abash-disconcert, discompose, confound, knock-the-wind-out-of, confuse, shame, bewilder. (Embolden, inspirit.) Abbreviate-shorten, curtail, contract, abridge, condense, reduce, compress. (Lengthen, extend, enlarge, expand).
Abdicate-divest oneself of, renounce, resign, relinquish. (Usurp, assume, invest oneself with, appropriate.) Abet-Egg, prick on, incite, stimulate, whet, encourage, back up, second, countenance, assist. (Dampen, discourage, dispirit, depress, repress, oppose.) Abettor-instigator, prompter, assistant, coadjutor, accomplice, accessory, particeps criminis. (Thrower-of-cold-water-on, wet blanket, extinguisher.) Abhor-recoil from, shudder at, loathe, abominate, nauseate, reject with disgust. (
Love, admire, devote oneself to.) Ability-Power, skill, gumption, efficiency, mastery, qualification, faculty, expertness, practical knowledge. (Incompetence, inefficiency, inability, impotence, handlessness, shiftlessness.) Abject-castaway, despised, despicable, vile, grovelling, mean, base, worthless, servile. (Supreme, august, commanding, noble, worshipful.) Abjure-forswear, disclaim, unsay, recant, revoke, deny, disown. (Attest, affirm bear witness to, dedicate oneself to.) Able-competent, qualified, skilled, efficient, capable, clever, adroit, adept, strong, telling, masterly. (Incompetent, inept, weak, unskilful, unqualified.) Abode-dwelling, residence, domicile, home, quarters, habitation, lodging, settlement. (
Transition, shifting, wandering, pilgrimage, peregrination, ramble.) Abolish-efface, extinguish, annihilate, nullify, destroy, undo, quash, annul, make void, cancel, abrogate, quench, suppress, vitiate, revoke. (Introduce, establish, enforce, restore.) Abominable-detestable, hateful, odious, execrable. (Choice, excellent, attractive, elect, select.) Abortive ineffectual, futile, inoperative, defective, inadequate. (Efficient, productive, propagative, complete, successful.) About-around, near to, nearly, approximately, contiguous, in relation to, respecting, concerning, regarding, relative to, with regard to, as to. (Remote from, out of relation to, far from, distant.) Abscond-take oneself off, "vamoose", disappear, bolt, decamp, run away. (Thrust oneself into notice, keep oneself in the eye of the world, figure prominently, attract attention.) Absent not present, wanting, absentminded, abstracted, inattentive, listless, dreamy, visionary, wool-gathering. (Present, all there, collected, composed, vigilant, observant, wideawake.) Absolute certain, unconditioned, unconditional, unlimited, unrestricted, transcendent, authoritative, paramount, imperative, arbitrary, despotic. (Conditional, subject to time and place, limited, hampered, fettered.) Absorb-suck up, imbibe, engross, drain away, consume. (Reserve, save, spare, husband, economize, hoard up.) Absurd (see Irrational) unreasonable, nonsensical, foolish, vain, impracticable. (
Reasonable, prudent, veracious, sensible.) Abuse, v.-pervert, deprave, traduce, debase, disparage, slander, calumniate, rail at, reproach, depreciate. (Improve, develope, cultivate, promote, bless, magnify, appreciate.) - n.-perversion, ill-usage, depravation, debasement, slander, reproach. (Cultivation, use, promotion, development, appreciation, praise.) Accede-join, assent, acquiesce in, comply, agree, concur, coincide, approve. (Dissent, object, decline, refuse.) Accelerate-hasten, hurry, speed, expedite, quicken, precipitate, forward, facilitate. (
Retard, delay, procrastinate, arrest, stop, impede, suspend.) Accept take, receive, assume, acknowledge, endorse. (Refuse, repudiate, protest, disown, disclaim.) Acceptable (see Agreeable)-pleasant, grateful, welcome. (Refusable, repugnant, displeasing.) Accident-casualty, contingency, hap, mishap, chance, mischance, misadventure (
Course, consequence, conclusion, result, necessity, law, order.) Accommodate-adjust, adapt, fit, conform, reconcile, suit, oblige, furnish, convenience. (
Thwart, misfit, cross, counteract, plot against, checkmate, defeat, inconvenience.) Accomplice (see Abettor)-confederate, ally, associate, accessory particeps criminis, assistant. (Adversary, rival, spy, opponent, enemy.) Accomplish-complete, perform, finish, fulfil, execute, perfect, consummate, achieve, effect, carry out. (Fail, miscarry, undo, wreck, ruin, frustrate.) Accomplishment-success, fulfilment, completion, performance, execution, achievement, consummation, attainment. (Failure, miscarriage, wreck, ruin.) Accord-harmonize, agree, allow, grant, concede. (Jar, clash with, disagree with, deny, disallow.) Accost, v.-address, confront, speak to, greet, salute. (Evade, fight shy of, give a wide berth to, slip past.) Account, v.-compute, estimate, reckon up, take stock of. (Leave unexplained, leave unsolved.) -- n.-reckoning, relation, charge, bill. (Riddle, mystery, puzzle, unknown quantity.) Accountable-answerable, responsible, amenable. (Exempt, free, irresponsible.) Accumulate-heap up, gather together, mass, save, collect, store up. (Scatter, dissipate, diffuse, spend, squander, throw away, melt waste.) Accumulation-heap, amount, amass, glut. (Dissipation, dissemination, distribution, decrease, diminution.) Accurate-definite, precise, correct, exact. (Inaccurate, wrong, erroneous, blundering, careless.) Achieve (see Accomplish)-complete, gain, win.
Achievement carrying to a final issue, feat, exploit, distinguished performance, acquirement. (Abortion, frustration, failure, shortcoming, defect.) Acknowledge-avow, confess, own, recognize, admit, grant, concede. (Repudiate, disclaim, disallow, disown, deny.) Acquaint-make known, make aware, apprise, inform, communicate, intimate, notify. (
Leave ignorant, keep secret, conceal, keep private.) Acquaintance (see Acquaint) - knowledge, familiarity, fellowship, cognizance, companionship. (Ignorance, unrelatedness, aloofness, stranger.) Acquiesce-rest contented with, give way to, yield, concur, agree, assent. (Protest, object, dissent, secede, oppose.) Acquit-set free, release, discharge, clear, absolve, exculpate, exonerate, liberate, deliver. (Accuse, impeach, charge, blame, convict.) Act, v.-do, perform, commit, operate, work, practise, behave, comport one's self, demean one's self, simulate, counterfeit, personate, play, enact. (Neglect, cease, desist, rest, wait, lie idle, refrain.) Action-working, agency, operation, business, gesture, engagement, fight, deed, battle, feat. (Inaction, repose, rest, idleness, ease, indolence, inertia, passiveness, quiescence, dormancy.) Active-energetic, busy, stirring, alive, brisk, operative, lively, agile, nimble, diligent, sprightly, alert, quick, supple, prompt, industrious. (Passive, inert, dead, extinct, dull, torpid, sluggish, indolent, lazy, dormant, quiescent, asleep.) Actual real, positive, objective, existing, present, current, certain. (Fictitious, imaginary, potential, possible, virtual, theoretical, illusive, delusive, elusive, false.) Acute-sharp, pointed, penetrating, piercing, keen, poignant, pungent, intense, violent, shrill, sensitive, sharp-witted, shrewd, discriminating, clever, cunning. (Obtuse, blunt, bluff, chronic, grave, dull, stupid, flat, callous, apathetic.) Adapt (see Accommodate) -fit, suit, adjust, conform, regulate. (Misfit, discommode, dislocate, confound, put out of joint.) Addicted-committed to, devoted, destined, prone, inclined, habituated, dedicated, given up to, tied, pledged. (Uncommitted, free, uncompromised, neutral, selfpossessed, unhackneyed, not broken in.) Addition-annexation, accession, supplement, adjunct, affix, appendage, accessory, increment, increase, augment, complement, plus, more. (Subtraction, deduction, retrenchment, curtailment, deprivation, separation, minus, less, loss, impoverishment.) Address-speech, allocation, salutation, accost, appeal; also skill, dexterity, adroitness; also direction, name; also residence. (Response, answer, reply, rejoinder;
also awkwardness, maladroitness, clumsiness, slovenliness, gaucherie). Adhesion sticking, adherence, attachment, adoption, espousal. (Repulsion, revulsion, antipathy, aversion, hostility, incompatibility, recoil, dislike, disdain.) Adjacent-next, near, nigh, at hand, alongside, close by, adjoining, contiguous, conterminous, bordering, neighboring, proximate. (Remote, foreign, distant, aloof, far, apart, asunder.) Adjourn put off, postpone, defer, delay, prorogue, suspend, procrastinate, keep in abeyance, retard, waive, remand, reserve. (Settle summarily, decide peremptorily, dispose of there and then, conclude, clinch, accelerate, precipitate.) Adjunct, n.-(see Addition)-appendage, affix, annex, annexment, annexation, appendant, appendix, adhesion, appendency, appurtenance. (Curtailment, retrenchment, lop, mutilation, reduction, deduction, subtraction, clipping, docking, filching.) Adjust make exact, set right, bring into conformity, fit, adapt, dovetail, arrange, harmonize, settle, regulate. (Confound, confuse, muddle, disorder, perplex, embarrass, entangle, clash, jar, jumble, disarrange, unsettle, disturb.) Admirable-wonderful, excellent, choice, noble, grand, estimable, lovely, ideal, surpassing, extraordinary, eminent. (Detestable, vile, mean, contemptible, despicable, worthless, villainous, wretched, pitiful.) Admit-allow, permit, suffer, receive, usher, open the door to, grant, acknowledge, confess, concede, accept. (Deny, refuse, turn away, shut out, forbid, disown, disclaim.) Advantageous-profitable, serviceable, useful, beneficial, helpful, of value. (Disadvantageous, detrimental, prejudicial, injurious, hurtful, harmful, deleterious, obnoxious, pernicious.) Affection-bent, inclination, partiality, attraction, impulse, love, desire, passion, fascination; also suffering, disease, morbidness. (Repulsion, revulsion, antipathy, dislike, recoil, aversion, estrangement, indifference, coldness, alienation; also wholeness, soundness, healthiness.) Affectionate-loving, kind, fond, doting, tender, amiable, cordial, hearty, good-hearted, large-hearted, benevolent, philanthropic. (Cold, unloving, unkind, heartless, selfish, crabbed, sour, malign, malicious, ill-wishing, malevolent, misanthropic, cynical, ill-natured, cruel, hating.) Agreeable-pleasant, acceptable, grateful, refreshing, genial, pleasing, palatable, sweet, charming, delectable. (Disagreeable, displeasing, unpleasant, ungrateful, harsh, repellent, painful, noxious, plaguy, irritating, annoying, mortifying, galling.) Alternating-reciprocal, correlative, interchangeable, by turns, vice versa. (Monotonous, unchanging, continual.) Ambassador-messenger, envoy, emissary, legate, nuncio, diplomatist, diplomate, representative, vicegerent, plenipotentiary, minister, agent. (Principal, government, sovereign, power, firm, house.) Amend-mend, improve, correct, better, meliorate, rectify, prune, repair, revise, remedy, reform. (Worsen, injure, impair, damage, harm, hurt, mar, mangle, blemish, deteriorate, ruin, spoil.) Anger-resentment, animosity, wrath, indignation, pique, umbrage, huff, displeasure, dudgeon, irritation, irascibility, choler, ire, hate. (Love, loving-kindness, kindness, benignity, bountifulness, bonhomie, good nature, goodness, charity.) Appropriate assimilate, assume, possess oneself of, take, grab, clutch, collar, snap up, crimp, capture, steal. (Expropriate, relinquish, give up, surrender, yield, resign, forego, renounce, abandon, discard, dismiss.) Argue-indicate, evince, show, reason, discuss, debate, dispute, contend. (Obscure, darken, mystify, mislead, misrepresent, evade, sophisticate.) Arise-rise, ascend, mount, climb, soar, spring, emanate, proceed, issue. (Descend, fall, gravitate, drop, slide, settle, decline, sink, dismount, alight, tumble, end, close, finish, conclude.) Artful-cunning, crafty, skilful, wily, designing, politic, pawky, astute, knowing, tricky. (Artless, naïve, natural, simple, plain, ingenuous, frank, sincere, open, candid, guileless, straightforward, direct.) Artifice-contrivance, stratagem, trick, design, plot, machination, chicanery, knavery, jugglery, guile, jobbery. (Artlessness, naïveté, candor, openness, simplicity, innocence, ingenuousness.) Association-partnership, fellowship, solidarity, league, alliance, combination, coalition, federation, junto, cabal. (Opposition, antagonism, counteraction, conflict, resistance, hindrance, counterplot, detachment, individualism.) Attack-assault, charge, onset, onslaught, incursion, inroad, bombardment, cannonade. (
Defence, protection, guard, ward, resistance, stand, repulse, rebuff, retreat.) Audacity-boldness, defiance, prowess, intrepidity, mettle, game, pluck, fortitude, rashness, temerity, presumption, foolhardiness, courage, hardihood. (Cowardice, pusillanimity, timidity, meekness, poltroonery, funk, fear, caution, calculation, discretion, prudence.) Austere severe, harsh, rigid, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, inflexible, obdurate, dour, exacting, straight-laced, unrelenting. (Lax, loose, slack, remiss, weak, pliant, lenient, mild, indulgent, easy-going, forbearing, forgiving.) Avaricious-tight-fisted, griping, churlish, stingy, parsimonious, penurious, miserly, niggardly, near, close, illiberal, ungenerous, covetous, greedy, rapacious, (Prodigal, thriftless, improvident, losel, extravagant, lavish, dissipated, freehanded, wasteful.) Aversion-(see Affection)-antipathy, revulsion, repulsion, dislike, recoil, estrangement, alienation, repugnance, disgust, nausea. (Predilection, fancy, fascination, allurement, attraction, magnet.) | Awe-dread, fear, reverence, prostration, admiration, bewilderment. (Familiarity, indifference, stolidity, heedlessness, unconcern, contempt, mockery.) Axiom-maxim, aphorism, apophthegm, adage, motto, dictum, theorem, truism, proverb, saw. (Absurdity, nonsence, paradox, inconsistency, jargon, twaddle, tomfoolery.) Babble-splash, spirtle, trill, gurgle, bubble, purl, ripple, prattle, clack, gabble, clash, jabber, twaddle, prate, chatter, blab. (Keep silence, hold one's tongue, hush, be still.) Bad-depraved, defiled, distorted, corrupt, evil, wicked, wrong, sinful, morbid, foul, peccant, noxious, pernicious, diseased. imperfect, tainted, touched. (Good, whole, sound, healthy, beneficial, salutary, prime, perfect, entire, untouched, unblemished, intact, choice, worthy.) Baffle-thwart, checkmate, defeat, disconcert, confound, block, outwit, traverse, contravene, frustrate, balk, foil. (Aid, assist, succor, further, forward, expedite, sustain, second, reinforce, recruit.) Base-(see Bad)-crude, undeveloped, low, villainous, mean, deteriorated, misbegotten, ill-contrived, ill-constituted. (Noble, exalted, lofty, sublime, excellent, elect, choice, aristocratic, exquisite, capital, first-rate.) Bear-carry, hold, sustain, support, suffer, endure, beget, generate, produce, ean, yean, breed, hatch. (Lean, depend, hang, yield, colapse, be sterile, be unproductive.) Beastly-bestial, animal, brutal, sensual, gross, carnal, lewd. (Human, humane, virtuous, moral, ethical, intellectual, thoughtful, spiritual, self-restrained, disinterested, holy.) Beat-strike, smite thrash, box the ears, thwack, thump, pummel, drub, leather, baste, belabor, birch, scourge, prevail, defeat, surpass, rout, overthrow. (Reward, recompense, compensate, remunerate, repay, indemnify, atone.) Beautiful-fair, complete, symmetrical, handsome, lovely, harmonious, elegant, graceful, comely, proper, seemly, bonny, personable, shapely, pretty, dainty, fine. (
Ugly, repulsive, foul, defective, misshappen, hard-favored, ill-favored, ill-made, illlooking, crooked, unshapely, unsightly, amorphous, lumpish, clumsy, slouching, gawky, grisly, ungainly, uncouth, lumbering, hulky, unwieldy, ghastly, loathsome, shocking, haggard, disfigured, deformed, gruesome, grim, gaunt, blotched, bloated, snub-nosed, plain, bald, homely.) Becoming-(see Proper)-agreeing, suiting, accordant, fit, seemly, suitable, apt, apposite. (Unbecoming, discordant, discrepant, improper, in bad form, untimed, illassorted, outré.) Beg-beseech, crave, entreat, implore, solicit, ask, request, pray, petition, sue, plead, supplicate, importune, dun. advance, give, volunteer.) (Offer, proffer, tender, bid, present, propose, move, Behavior-carriage, comportment, deportment, conduct, demeanour, guise, bearing, manner. (Inertia, passivity, inaction.) Beneficent (see Avaricious)-bountiful, generous, munificent, liberal, free, openhanded, free-handed, princely, good. (Maleficent, shabby, scrubby, scurvy, sordid, mercenary, churlish, illiberal, greedy, niggardly, stingy.) Benefit-good, advantage, service, behoof, behalf, boon, utility, use, profit. (Disservice, disadvantage, prejudice, drawback, loss, detriment, injury, bane, ill.) Benevolence-(see Beneficent)-well-wishing, charity, amiability, goodwill, philanthrophy, kindness, large-heartedness. (Malevolence, malignity, malice, hate, envy, enmity, spite, rancor, ferocity, selfishness, rapacity.) Blame-censure, reprove, reproach, reprimand, upbraid, reprehend, chide, admonish, rebuke, reprobate, impugn. (Approve, honor, commend, praise, compliment, laud, bless, applaud, panegyrize, eulogize.) Blemish-flaw, stain, spot, speck, imperfection, defect, drawback, fault, disfigurement, blur, smudge, blotch. (Ornament, decoration, embellishment, adornment, flourish, finery, gilding.) Blind-stone-blind, stark-blind, purblind, dimsighted, ignorant, uninformed, benighted, hoodwinked, misinformed. (Clear-sighted, eagle-eyed, lynx-eyed, argus-eyed, keen-sighted, sharp-sighted, wide-awake, enlightened.) Blot (see Blemish)-efface, cancel, expunge, erase, obliterate, raze, delete. (Record, chronicle, calendar, commemorate, commit to writing, jot down, note, minute.) Bold-(see Audacity)-brave, daring, fearless, intrepid, courageous, gallant, highspirited, mettlesome, plucky, foolhardy, adventurous, venturesome. (Cowardly, timid, timorous, shy, poor-spirited, chicken-hearted, white-livered, craven.) Border-margin, boundary, frontier, confine, verge, rim, brim, edge, brink, skirt, fringe, hem, selvedge, valance. (Inclosure, interior, inside, content, continent, kernel, trunk, body.) Bound-circumscribe, limit, restrict, confine, enclose, surround, rail in, fence round, wall in, barricade; also leap, jump, hop, spring, vault, skip. (Enlarge, clear, deliver, widen, expand, disimprison; also plunge, dip, souse, sink, founder.) Brave, v.-dare, defy; beard, bid defiance to, set at defiance, hurl defiance at, laugh to scorn, challenge. (Cave in, show the white feather, capitulate, lay down arms, strike one's flag, cede, knuckle down, eat humble pie, bite the dust, cringe to.) Bravery. (See Audacity and Bold.) Break-bruise, crush, pound, squeeze, crack, snap, splinter, crumble, sunder, sever, hack, hew, slash, hash, mangle, gash. (Bind, hold together, knit, rivet, join, buckle, truss, bandage, splice, swathe, gird.) Breeze-blow, zephyr, current, gust, blast, squall, gale, storm, tempest, hurricane, whirlwind, tornado, cyclone, typhoon, harmattan, monsoon, sirroco, trade-wind, blizzard, (Stillness, hush, calm, stagnation, repose, lull, silence, pause.) Bright (see Light)-shining, lustrous, radiant, splendent, clear, sheeny. (Dull, dim, dingy, darkish, dun, opaque.) Brittle-frangible, fragile, frail, splintery. (Tough, tenacious, resisting, stubborn, obstinate.) Burial (see Grave)-interment, sepulture, funeral, inhumation, cremation, obsequies. (Exhumation, disinterment, resurrection.) Business-occupation, employment, pursuit, vocation, avocation, calling, profession, craft, trade. (Leisure, pleasure, vacation, play, recreation, relaxation.) Bustle stir, fuss, ado, fidgetiness, flurry. (Quiet, stillness, inertia, lethargy.) Calamity-misfortune, disaster, mischance, reverse, contretemps, catastrophe. (Good fortune, luck, prosperity.) Calm-still, motionless, immobile, stagnant, placid, serene, composed. (Stormy, unsettled, restless, agitated, distracted.) Capable-(see Effective) - competent, able, valid, efficient, efficacious, qualified. (Incapable, unqualified.) Captious-censorious, cantankerous, disparaging, carping, fastidious. (Complaisant, conciliatory, bland, fair-spoken.) Care-solicitude, concern, cark, heed, caution. (Negligence, carelessness, nonchalance.) Caress-fondle, love, pet, cosset, cocker. (Turn one's back upon, flout, scoff at, spurn, disdain.) Carnage-butchery, gore, massacre, slaughter.
Cause-origin, source, ground, reason, motive. (Effect, consequence, result, product.) Cease-discontinue, leave off, stop, end, desist, abstain, forbear. (Continue, progress, persist, persevere, abide.) Censure-(see Blame)-reprehend, chide, remonstrate with, reprove. (Approve, commend, praise, applaud.) Certain sure, infallible, indubitable, unavoidable. (Doubtful, dubious, problematical, contingent, ambiguous, precarious.) Cessation (see Cease)-discontinuance, desistance, stop, stoppage, rest, halt. (Perseverance, persistence, continuance.) Chance-(see Design)-accident, fortune, hazard, hap, luck, casualty, contingence, venture. (Intention, purpose, calculation.) 'Change-exchange, bourse, mart, bazaar, emporium, dépôt. Changeable-mutable, variable, fickle, alterable, mobile, transient. (Steadfast, firm, immovable, consistent.) Character-constitution, nature, disposition, idiosyncrasy, reputation. (Accident, extraneousness, adventitiousness.) Charm-fascination, enchantment, witchery, seduction, attraction, amenity. (Nuisance, mortification, bore, plague, pest.) Chastity-purity, continence, virtue, modesty. (Concupiscence, lewdness, venery, pruriency, lechery.) Cheap-low-priced, inexpensive, moderate, reasonable, worthless, trashy. (Dear, costly, exorbitant, extortionate, prime, capital, first-rate.) Cheerful-blithe, lightsome, jaunty, brisk, sprightly, vivacious, gay. (Melancholy sombre, morose, gloomy, sad, heavy, lugubrious, sulky, moping, despondent.) Chief-chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, ruler. (Vassal, henchman, subject, liegeman, retainer, follower.) Circumstance (see Character)-environment, situation, conjuncture, predicament, contingency. (Constitution, essence, substance.) Class-division, category, department, order, kind, sort, genus, species, variety, family, race, tribe. (Universality, catholicity, generality.) Clear. See Bright.
Clever-(see Artful)-adroit, dexterous, expert, deft, ready, smart, accomplished, nimble-witted. (Awkward, maladroit, gauche, dull, shiftless, clumsy.) Clothed-vested, dressed, invested, sheathed, swathed, arrayed, equipped, apparelled. (
Divested, denuded, bared, stripped, dismantled, disrobed.) Coarse-crude, unrefined, unbolted, unpolished, drossy, husky, chaffy, rough-hewn, rudimental. (Refined, exquisite, elaborate, cultivated, mature, mellow, fine.) Coax-cajole, wheedle, fawn, lure, induce, entice, seduce. (Dissuade, indispose, warn, admonish.) Cold-frigid, gelid, chill, inclement, hibernal, arctic, apathetic, phlegmatic, torpid. (
Hot, torrid, glowing, incandescent, volcanic, fiery, genial, vivacious.) Color-hue, tint, tinge, tincture, dye, shade, pigment, paint, stain. (Pallor, paleness, wanness, blankness, achromatism, discoloration.) Combination (see Association)-amalgamation, coalescence, fusion, faction, league, coalition, alliance, federation, party. (Decomposition, analysis, dissolution, split, rupture, disunion, schism.) Command-(see Rule)-empire, sway, rule, dominion, authority, mastery, government, order, ordinance, behest, injunction. (Anarchy, license, insubordination.) Commodity-goods, effects, ware, merchandise, stock, cargo, article. Common (see Prevalent)-general, universal, ordinary, habitual, usual, customary, trite, mean, base. (Uncommon, extraordinary, rare, exceptional, odd, eccentric, unique.) Compassion-pity, coinmiseration, sympathy, humanity, forbearance, long-suffering. (
Malevolence, cruelty, severity, callousness.) Compel-force, coerce, oblige, necessitate, constrain, make. (Leave to oneself, laisser faire, let alone, tolerate.) Compensation-indemnification, counterpoise, set-off, offset, amends, atonement, requittal, reward, wage. (Self-reward, self-punishment, good-in-itself.) Compendium-abstract, précis, epitome, digest, summary, synopsis, abridgment, draft. (
Enlargement, amplification, expansion, extension.) Complain (see Bear) -lament, murmur, regret, repine, deplore, grieve, bewail, bemoan. (Rejoice, congratulate oneself, thank one's stars, exult, boast, brag, chuckle.) Comply-(see Admit)-consent, assent, yield, concede, grant acquiesce. (Refuse, reject, deny, decline, resist, rebuff.) Compound, adj.-composite, complex, blended, hybrid, mongrel, multiform. (Simple, uniform, single, pure, elementary, homogeneous.) Comprehend (see Bound) - comprise, contain, embrace, include, enclose, grasp, master, understand. (Exclude, reject, eliminate, lose, miss, mistake.) Conceal (see Babble)-hide, secrete, cover, screen, veil, shroud, mask, disguise, bury, reserve. (Publish, announce, report, divulge, disclose, noise abroad, proclaim.) Conceive (see Comprehend)-grasp, apprehend, devise, invent, fabricate. (Being ignorant of, be blind to.) Conclusion-result, upshot, inference, deduction, finding. (Evidence, facts, premises, data, grounds.) Condemn (see Blame)-convict, find guilty, sentence, doom. (Acquit, exculpate, exonerate, clear, absolve.) Conduct-direct, manage, govern, head, lead, guide, regulate, superintend, control. (
Follow, obey, submit, serve, comply.) Confirm-corroborate, ratify, endorse support, uphold, authenticate, substantiate, verify. (Weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, reduce, dilute.) Conflict-contend, contest, wrestle, tussle, clash, jar, jostle, wrangle, jangle. (Harmonize, agree, fraternize, concur.) Confute-refute, disprove, rebut, overthrow, explode, cut the ground from under one's feet. (Demonstrate, prove, establish, show.) Conquer (see Beat) -defeat, vanquish, discomfit, overcome, overthrow, overpower, rout, lick, drub, floor, worst. (Fail, be beaten, lose, shipwreck, founder.) Consequence (See Cause)-effect, derivation, result, event, issue, upshot, product. (
Cause, origin, source, antecedent, agency, motive.) Consider-reflect, deliberate, meditate, muse, ruminate, cogitate, contemplate, ponder, weigh. (Forget, ignore, drop out of account.) Consistent (see Becoming)-accordant, concordant, compatible, consonant, congruous, reconcilable, harmonious. (Discordant, discrepant, incompatible, repugnant, unconsonant.) Console-(see Compassion) - relieve, ease, soothe, assuage, comfort, encourage. (Embitter, sour, exasperate, aggravate, envenom.) Constancy (see Changeable)-continuance, tenacity, persistence, steadiness, pertinacity, stability, perseverence. (Irresolution, infirmity of purpose, vacillation, fickleness, fluctuation, shuffling.) Contaminate (see Blemish)-pollute, stain, taint, tarnish, blur, smudge, sully, defile, corrupt. (Cleanse, purify, purge, expurgate, refine, disinfect.) Contemn-despise, disdain, scorn, slight, disregard, look down on, set at naught. (Esteem, appreciate, admire, respect, look up to, do homage to.) Contemplate--(see Consider)-speculate, survey, scan, observe, anticipate, intend, purpose. (Disregard, be blind to, not expect, not intend.) Contemptible (see Contemn)-despicable, paltry, shabby, beggarly, worthless, vile, cheap, trashy. (Estimable, momentous, weighty, considerable, first-rate.) Contend (see Conflict)-fight, wrangle, join issue, compete, cope with, vie. (Be at peace, be in harmony, be on the best footing with.) Continual-perpetual, endless, ceaseless, incessant. everlasting, uninterrupted, interminable. (Momentary, rare, transient, fleeting, ephemeral, brief, spasmodic, passing.) Continue (see Cease)-remain, persist, endure, abide, pursue, perpetuate. (Discontinue, desist, stay.) Contradict deny, gainsay, oppose, contravert, negative. (Affirm, assert, declare, predicate, maintain.) Cool. See Cold.
Correct-mend, amend, rectify, improve. (Impair, wrong, harm, spoil, mar.) Cost-expense, charge, price, fare, value, demand. (Discount, abatement, reduction, depreciation.) Covetousness-avarice, avidity, cupidity, mercenariness, rapacity, extortion. (Generosity, munificence, liberality, bountifulness.) Cowardice-poltroonery, dastardliness, faint-heartedness, funk, pusillanimity. (Courage, boldness, intrepidity, spirit, self-reliance.) Crime-offence, trespass, misdemeanor, felony, delinquency, transgression, tort. (Innocence, guiltlessness, blamelessness.) Criminal culprit, delinquent, misdemeanant, felon, convict. (Paragon, seraph, saint.) Crooked-twisted, distorted, bent, awry, wry, askew, deformed. (Straight, right, upright, even, direct, regular.) Cruel-brutal, ferocious, barbarous, truculent, blood-thirsty, fiendish. (Kind, benignant, benevolent, loving, sympathetic.) Cultivation tillage, culture, humanization, refinement, melioration. (Waste, state of nature, savagery, deterioration, demoralization.) Cursory-fugitive, temporary, precipitate, hurried, perfunctory. (Permanent, abiding, thorough.) Custom-(see Manner and Method)-habit, wont, usage, fashion, practice. (Disuse, eccentricity, singularity, nonconformity.) Danger-peril, hazard, jeopardy, risk, insecurity. (Safety, impregnability, surety, invulnerability.) Dark-obscure, sombrous, opaque, unintelligible, inexplicable, incomprehensible. (
Light, luminous, shining, clear, lucid, perspicuous.) Deadly-mortal, fatal, destructive, lethal. (Vivifying, vital.) Dear (see Cheap)-costly, precious, high-priced, beloved, darling, pet, favorite. (Cheap, disliked, despised.) Death-decease, demise, dissolution, departure, release, loss, extinction. (Birth, life, resurrection, regeneration, renaissance.) Decay, n. decline, consumption, wane, ebb, attenuation, atrophy, tabefaction. (
Growth, enlargement, development, increment, expansion.) Deceive-cheat, defraud, cozen, diddle, overreach, gull, dupe, swindle, victimize, impose upon, delude, do, outwit, circumvent, hoax, trick. (Be candid, be straightforward, tell the truth and shame the devil.) Deceit, n.- trick, imposition, fraud, deception, wile, feint, dodge. (Truthfulness, frankness, candor, veracity, plain dealing, honesty, ingenuousness.) Decide-determine, resolve, conclude, settle, adjudicate, arbitrate, terminate. (Hesitate, dilly-dally, boggle, shuffle.) Decipher-interpret, explain, construe, unravel, disentangle, solve, resolve, read, spell. (
Misinterpret, misapprehend, mistake, confound, confuse.) Decision-(see Decide)-determination, conclusion, firmness. (Wavering, hesitancy, dubiety, trimming.) Declamation-harangue, oration, recitation, tirade, speech. (Drawl, humming-andhawing, inarticulateness.) Declaration-affirmation, assertion, affidavit, deposition, avouchment. (Denial, abjuration, disclaimer.) enlarge.) Decrease-(see Decay)-diminish, lessen, reduce, wane, decline. (Increase, grow, Dedicate-consecrate, devote, offer, apportion, inscribe. Deed-act, transaction, proceeding, feat, exploit, record, minute, document, instrument. Deem-judge, estimate, consider, esteem, suppose, take for. Deep-profound, abysmal, abstruse, hidden, secretive, extraordinarily wise. (Shallow, superficial, flat, common-place.) Deface (see Blemish)-mar, spoil, injure, disfigure, obliterate, blot. (Illustrate, set off, exhibit, develop, bring out, beautify.) Default (see Lack)-shortcoming, deficiency, defect, imperfection, defalcation, failure, absence. (Sufficiency, satisfaction, completeness, performance, supererogation.) Defect. See Blemish and Default.
Defence-fortification, munition, bulwark, palisade, stockade, rampart, scarp, vindication, justification, apology. (Storm, escalade, siege, investment, cannonade.) Defend (see Attack) -fend, shield, screen, ward, guard, vindicate, justify. (Assault, accuse, impeach, incriminate, inculpate.) Defer. See Adjourn.
Deficient (see Default)-incomplete, lacking, in arrear, docked, lopped, truncated. (
Entire, whole, complete, perfect, replete, redundant.) Defile (see Blemish and Contaminate)-soil, smutch, besmear, begrime. Define-limit, bound, term, demarcate, fix, settle, determine. (Enlarge, widen, expand.) Defray-pay, discharge, settle, liquidate, square accounts, satisfy, clear. (Fail, break, stop payment, dishonor.) Degree-grade, extent, measure, ratio, standard, pitch, gradation, rate, rank. Deliberate, v. See Consider. -adj. circumspect, wary, cautious, careful, purposed, willed, intended, planned, premeditated. (Blind, heedless, thoughtless, unintended, uncalculated, hasty, rash.) Delicacy-nicety, dainty, tit-bit, taste, refinement, tact, finesse, fastidiousness, punctilio, scrupulosity, modesty. (Grossness, coarseness, roughness, crassness, boorishness, vulgarity, indecorum, ill-breeding, indelicacy.) Delicate-(see Robust)-dainty, refined, fragile, weak. (Coarse, burly, gross, beastly.) Delicious-savory, palatable, luscious, charming, delightful, elysian. (Offensive, nasty, shocking, odious, nauseous.) Delight-gratification, felicity, bliss, elysium, enchantment, transport, ecstacy. (Mortification, vexation, wretchedness, anguish, woe.) Deliver-transfer, consign, utter, declare, extricate, rescue, liberate, emancipate. (
Keep, retain, restrain, check, bridle.) Demonstrate-prove, show, evince, exhibit, display, manifest. (Mystify, obscure, darken, confound.) Depart-quit, vacate, retire, withdraw, remove, abscond. (Arrive, light, alight, dismount, land, return.) Deprive-strip, bereave, despoil, rob, reave, snatch, divest, denude. (Invest, equip, accoutre, array, attire.) Depute-commission, delegate, accredit, authorize, entrust, charge. Derision-ridicule, scoffing, mockery, raillery, chaff, badinage, satire, irony. (Awe, dread, reverence, humility.) Derivation-origin, source, spring, emanation, etymology. Describe (see Define)-denominate, delineate, portray, style, characterize, specify, Desecrate-profane, secularize, blaspheme, revile, scoff. (Sanctify, consecrate, beautify, canonize.) Deserve-merit, be entitled to, earn, justify, be worthy of, have right to. (Usurp, arrogate, steal.) 1
Design, n.-delineation, illustration, sketch, drawing, portraiture, draught, projection, scheme, plan, drift, proposal, outline.)
Desirable-worth while, eligible, seemly, advisable, expedient, suitable, acceptable. (
Objectionable, ineligible, unfit, inadmissible, ill advised, unadvisable.) Desire, n.-wish, longing, hankering, solicitude, anxiety, aspiration, appetite, itching, lust. (Apathy, neutrality, indifference.) Desist. See Cease.
Desolate, adj.-lone, lonely, single, solitary, isolate, bereaved, forlorn, forsaken, deserted, bleak, dreary. (Social, befriended, visited, festive.) Desperate-frenzied, frantic, furious, outrageous, reckless, wild, unbridled. (Calm, measured, composed, moderate, temperate, calculating.) Despise. See Contemn.
Destiny-fatality, fate, doom, predestination, lot, fortune, decree, kismet. (Casualty, accident, contingency, chance.) Destructive - (see Beneficent) - mischievous, pernicious, maleficent, malignant, nocuous, disastrous, deleterious. (Creative, constructive, beneficial, salutary.) Desuetude (see Custom)-disuse, disusage, discontinuance, inusitation. (Use, habit, wont, practice.) Desultory-immethodical, disconnected, rambling, dislocated, discontinuous, interrupted, fitful, intermittent. (Continuous, consecutive, successive, constant, uninterrupted.) Detail, n.-particular, item, count, speciality, individuality. (Generality, generalization, catholicity, integration, totality.) -v.-particularize, enumerate, specify. (Generalize.) Deter (see Abet and Dismay)-scare, discourage, appeal, dissuade. (Encourage, embolden, inspirit, incite.) Detriment-damage, loss, bane, deterioration, impairment, scath, canker. (Benefit, improvement, betterment.) Develop-unfold, evolve, further, expand, increase. (Degenerate, retrograde, atrophy, dwindle, extirpate.) Device. See Artifice and Design.
Devoid-wanting, destitute, bereft, denuded, bare, emptied, void. (Provided, full, supplied, furnished, replete.) Devoted (see Addicted and Dedicate)-destined, consecrated, sworn to. Dictate (see Command)-enjoin, order, prescribe, mark out, speak. (Obey, comply, submit.) Dictatorial-authoritative, imperative, imperious, arbitrary, domineering, tyrannical, overbearing. (Submissive, compliant, obsequious.) Die-expire, perish, depart this life, pass away, dissolve, breathe one's last, cease. Diet-food, victuals, nourishment, aliment, sustenance, fare, commons, board, eatables viands, cates, meal, repast, menu.
Differ-vary, diverge, divaricate, disagree, dissent, fall out, quarrel, wrangle, jangle, bicker, nag, split. (Agree, accord, harmonize, sympathize.) Different-various, diverse, unlike. (Identical, like, homogeneous.) Difficult-hard, tough, laborious, arduous, formidable, intractable, perverse, refractory, delicate, ticklish. (Easy, facile, manageable, ductile, pliant.) Diffuse-dispersed, wide-spread, discursive, profuse, digressive, diluted, attenuated, periphrastic, pleonastic. (Condensed, succinct, concise, compressed, terse, close, compact, pithy, curt.) Dignify-elevate, exalt, ennoble, honor, advance, promote. (Degrade, disgrace, demean, vulgarize.) Dilate-widen, extend, distend, enlarge, expand, descant, expatiate. (Contract, narrow, compress, reduce, condense.) Dilatory-slow, tardy, slow-paced, procrastinating, lagging, dawdling, laggard. (
Prompt, peremptory, quick, instant.) Diligence-zeal, ardor, assiduity, industry, promptitude, intentness, care, heedfulness. (
Negligence, remissness, indolence, dawdling.) Diminish-lessen, reduce, curtail, retrench, bate, abate, shorten, contract. (Increase, augment, aggrandize, enlarge.) Disability-incapacity, unfitness, disqualification, impotence, incompetence, inefficacy. (
Power, ability, competence, validity.) Discern-descry, perceive, distinguish, espy, scan, recognize, understand, discriminate. (
Ignore, be blind to.) Discipline-order, subordination, training, instruction, tutelage, preparation, drill, schooling, inurement, strictness, restraint, control, punishment. (Laxity, disorder, confusion, dissipation, anarchy, demoralization.) Discover-detect, find, unveil, reveal, open, expose, publish, disclose. (Cover, conceal, hide, secrete.) Discreditable-disreputable, reprehensible, blameworthy, shameful, scandalous, flagrant. (Exemplary, laudable, commendable.) Discreet-prudent, politic, cautious, wary, guarded, judicious, circumspect. (Reckless, heedless, rash, unadvised, foolhardy, precipitate.) Discrepancy (see Differ)-disagreement, discordance, incongruity, dissension, disparity, unfitness, clash, jar. (Concord, unison, harmony, congruity.) Discrimination-distinction, differentiation, discernment, appreciation, acuteness, judgment, tact, nicety. (Indiscriminateness, confusion.) Disease-illness, sickness, ailing, ailment, indisposition, complaint, malady, disorder, morbidity. (Health, sanity, soundness, robustness.) Disgrace, n.-(see Discreditable)-stigma, reproach, brand, dishonor, shame, scandal, odium, infamy. (Reputation, honor, respectability, status, fame.) Disgust-distaste, loathing, nausea, aversion, revulsion, abhorrence. partiality, inclination, bias.) (Predilection, Dishonest-fraudulent, false, double-dealing, perfidious, unfair, treacherous, rascally, tricky, unjust. (Straightforward, open, sincere, honest, fair, right, just, impartial, even-handed, staunch.) Dismay, v.-(see Deter)-alarm, startle, scare, frighten, affright, terrify, astound, appal, unman, cow, daunt. (Assure, encourage, embolden, cheer, inspirit.) -n.-terror, dread, fear, fright. (Assurance, courage, confidence.) Dismiss-send off, discharge, discard, disband, cast off, cashier, forego, abandon. (Instal, retain, keep.) Dispel-scatter, disperse, dissipate, drive off, chase, send away. (Collect, rally, summon, gather.) Display, v. exhibit, manifest, show, unroll, unfurl, demonstrate, parade, flaunt, brandish. (Cover, conceal, hide, obscure, veil.) Dispose-arrange, place, order, marshal, rank, group, assort, distribute, co-ordinate, collocate. (Derange, embroil, jumble, muddle, huddle.) Dispute, v.-(see Argue) -discuss, debate, wrangle, controvert, contend. (Homologate, acquiesce in, assent to.) Dispute, n.-argument, controversy, contention, polemics. (Homologation, acquiescence.) Dissent. See Differ.
Distinct disjoined, separate, isolate, apart, asunder, detached, discrete, articulate. (Joined, conjoint, corporate, involved, intertwined, confused.) Distinguish (see Discern and Discrimination)-perceive, separate, draw the line, sift, judge. (Overlook, confuse, confound.) Distinguished(see Common)-famous, noted, marked, eminent, celebrated, illustrious. (Indistinguished, general, obscure, mean, ordinary.) Distract-divert, disconcert, discompose, perplex, bewilder, fluster, dazzle. (Observe, study, note, mark, contemplate.) Distribute (see Dispose and Accumulation)-disperse, disseminate, dispense, retail, apportion, allot, consign, dole out. (Accumulate, hoard, mass, amass.) Disturb-derange, disarrange, displace, discompose, disconcert, unsettle, trouble, hustle, unhinge, vex, worry, annoy. (Compose, pacify, quiet, soothe, calm, hush, tranquilize.) Disuse. See Desuetude.
Divide disjoin, part, separate, sunder, sever, cleave, split, rend, partition, distribute. (Constitute, amass, integrate, unite, synthesize.) Divine, adj. God-like, godly, holy, heavenly, sacred, celestial. (Diabolic, satanic, devilish, infernal, accursed.) -n.-clergyman, churchman, priest, pastor, shepherd, parson, minister. (Layman, parishioner.) Do-(see Act)-effect, make, accomplish, transact.
Docile-teachable, tractable, pliable, obedient, willing, suasible. (Refractory, stubborn, obstinate, stupid, recalcitrant.) Doctrine-learning, teaching, lore, tenet, dogma, articles of faith, creed. (Ignorance, darkness, superstition, barbarism.) Doleful-woeful, dismal, dolorous, woe-begone, forlorn, rueful, piteous, melancholy. (
Joyous, merry, mirthful, cheerful, gay, sprightly.) Doom, n. sentence, fate, lot, judgment, verdict, destiny, award, decree. Doubt uncertainty, ambiguity, scepticism, misgiving, hesitation, suspense, scruple. (
Certainty, assurance, faith, confidence, conviction, belief, reliance.) Draw-pull, haul, drag, attract, inhale, sketch, delineate, etch. Dread, n.-(see Awe)-fear, horror, alarm, terror, dismay, apprehension. (Confidence, fearlessness, composure.) Dreadful-fearful, alarming, formidable, portentous, direful, terrible, tremendous, horrid, awful. (Winsome, gentle, sweet, mild, amiable, pleasant, agreeable.) Dress, n. clothing, raiment, attire, investment, habiliment, vesture, garment, apparel, clothes, trousseau. (Undress, deshabille, nudity, nakedness, bareness.) Drift-tendency, direction, course, bearing, tenor, scope, purport, object, aim, end. Droll-funny, laughable, grotesque, farcical, odd, whimsical, queer, quaint, strange, roguish, rompish, jocular, facetious, humorous, playful, merry, comic, ludicrous. (Dull, plain, stolid, prosy, matter-of-fact, serious, solemn, grave, literal.) Drown-submerge, engulf, inundate, swamp, overwhelm, souse, deluge, immerse. Dry, adj. arid, parched, adjust, dusty, tedious, monotonous, bald, flat, dull, sardonic. (
Aqueous, watery, green, fresh, succulent, juicy, interesting.) Due-owing, indebted, liable, chargeable, answerable for, in arrear, outstanding, just, fair, proper. (Undue, unwarranted.) Dull-(see Droll)-heavy, sad, common-place, gloomy, stupid. (Bright, gay, brilliant.) Dunce-blockhead, ignoramus, wiseacre, simpleton, donkey, ass, ninny, dolt, booby, noddy, noodle, goose, lout, dullard, dunderhead, numskull, dunderpate, clodhopper. (Sage, genius, man of talent, wit.) Durable (see Continue)-abiding, lasting, continuing, permanent. momentary, ephemeral.) (Evanescent, Dwell-stay, abide, sojourn, remain, tarry, stop. (Shift, wander, remove, tramp.) Dwindle-(see Decay and Decrease)-pine, waste, shrink, shrivel, diminish, fall off. Eager-keen, desirous, craving, avid, ardent, agog, impatient, intent, impetuous. (
Loth, reluctant, shy, queasy, averse.) Earn-(see Deserve)-gain, win, acquire, get, procure, net, bag, secure, achieve. (Lose, miss, forfeit, escheat, waste.) Earnest, adj.-(see Eager)-serious, resolved, determined, set, bent upon, stern, grim. (
Trifling, irresolute, volatile, giddy, fickle, wavering, dilly-dallying.) Earnest, n.-pledge, pawn, gage, stake, deposit, caution. Ease, n.-peace, content, composure, rest, satisfaction, comfort, repose, leisure. (Worry, harrassment, bother, friction, agitation, turmoil, hubbub, labor, pains, toil, moil.) Ease, v. calm, console, appease, assuage, allay, mitigate. (Worry, fret, alarm, gall harass.) Easy-light, comfortable, unconstrained. (Difficult, hard, embarrassed, constrained.) Eccentric aberrant, stray, wandering, irregular, peculiar, unwonted, odd, extraordinary, queer, nondescript. (Orderly, customary, habitual, usual, regular, normal). Economical-frugal, thrifty, saving, sparing, parsimonious, provident. (Improvident, squandering, wasteful.) Edge-(see Border)-verge, brink, brow, brim, selvage, rim, skirt, hem, fringe, valance. Efface. See Blot.